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This policy brief explores green growth financing mechanisms to support Africa's economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that the 'twin COVID–climate crisis' provides an opportunity to 'build back better' by integrating sustainable investment into stimulus packages, leveraging private capital through green bonds, and reforming fiscal and financial regulations to increase climate resilience.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines four critical technical and political areas that UN negotiators must resolve by COP26 in November 2021. It reviews the outcomes of the 2020 Climate Dialogues and highlights significant gaps in the Paris Agreement rulebook, climate finance commitments, and mechanisms for loss and damage and adaptation.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) uses 'futures thinking' and scenario-building to explore the potential adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region over a 5- to 15-year period. It identifies key driving forces—such as rapid urbanization and falling renewable energy costs—and examines the tensions between inclusive and exclusive transitions and the role of proactive versus reactive government policy.

This report details a youth working meeting on 08 October 2020 aimed at identifying governance issues for a South African submission to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Participants outlined a vision for success involving increased youth representation and better service delivery, and identified key concerns such as unemployment, gender-based violence, and climate change. The project will utilize 12 working groups to develop a submission, with a final launch planned for March 2021.

This briefing provides notes from a three-part webinar series organized by Natural Justice in October 2020. The sessions focused on the development, application, and legal recognition of community protocols within the framework of Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS), emphasizing community-led processes to protect traditional knowledge and biological resources.

This policy brief examines the implications of large-scale electric vehicle (EV) adoption for the mining sectors of Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states. It argues that while the region possesses vast reserves of EV-related minerals and metals (EVMM), it primarily exports raw materials. The author advocates for regional cooperation, the establishment of a public-private EVMM working group and coalition, and the adoption of a circular economy approach to ensure a just mining transition and the development of local value chains.

This research paper describes the co-production of Climate Risk Narratives (CRNs) for Windhoek, Namibia, as part of the FRACTAL project. These narratives translate complex climate projections into non-technical, plausible future scenarios to help city decision-makers integrate climate risks into urban planning and policy, specifically influencing the city's Integrated Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (ICCSAP).

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the necessary adaptations for South Africa's trade policy following the COVID-19 pandemic. It advocates for a revised Trade Policy Strategic Framework that emphasizes regional integration through the AfCFTA and SACU, a strategic redesign of South Africa's role within the WTO, and the diversification of global trading partnerships to ensure economic resilience in the 2020s.

This policy brief examines the risk of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) claims against governments arising from national investment laws, particularly in the context of emergency COVID-19 measures. It highlights how domestic laws providing consent to international arbitration can expose states to costly claims and suggests mitigation strategies.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the risk of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) claims based on national investment laws, particularly in the context of government emergency measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights how domestic laws can provide a legal basis for international arbitration, potentially bypassing national courts and exposing states to significant financial liabilities.

This report documents a Civil Society Training Workshop held via Zoom on 31 August 2020, organized by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). The workshop focused on the South African APRM Popular Sensitisation (SAPS) Project, aiming to empower youth organizations and civil society to co-create a written submission for South Africa's second African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) review.

This policy brief examines the rights of landlocked states to access the sea and marine resources under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), emphasizing the necessity of bilateral, sub-regional, or regional agreements to operationalize these rights. It highlights the role of transit states and provides examples of successful transport corridors in Africa.

This report examines how insurance regulators in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have adapted their supervisory processes and communication strategies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies a tension between providing regulatory relief to insurers and maintaining prudential soundness and consumer protection. The document highlights opportunities for regulators to drive long-term market development through digitalisation, the adoption of supervisory technology (suptech), and the responsible consolidation of fragmented insurance markets.

This policy brief examines the current state of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure in Africa, highlighting a significant deficit that hinders development. While private sector investment and 'leapfrogging' to fibre-optic systems have driven progress, the continent still lags behind global averages in internet penetration, service quality, and affordability. The document recommends strategic policy interventions to improve rural access, enhance policy capacity, and expand the technical skills base to fully realize the benefits of the digital economy.

This fact sheet presents findings from a June 2020 survey of 68 insurance sector players across 19 jurisdictions in Eastern and Southern Africa, conducted by FSD Africa, the Organisation of Eastern and Southern Insurers (OESAI), and Cenfri. The document details how COVID-19 accelerated digitalization, negatively impacted operational stability and premium collection, and highlighted gaps in risk coverage for businesses.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment within the mining sector. It examines immediate disruptions to labor and supply chains, the varying risks across the mining lifecycle, and the short-term responses from governments and corporations. The document concludes with strategic recommendations to build long-term resilience through automation, local procurement, and updated regulatory frameworks.

This June 2020 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the activities of the African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC), focusing on regional coordination against COVID-19, the political and security situation in Somalia, institutional reforms within the AU Commission, and the challenges of borderland security and youth engagement.

This research paper analyzes foreign direct investment (FDI) trends within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to evaluate their impact on regional value chains, industrialization, and inclusive growth, specifically in relation to the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap (SISR).

This research paper examines the capacity of green bonds to bridge the global adaptation finance gap, specifically focusing on private sector involvement. The author concludes that while green bonds can finance adaptation, they currently do so to a very limited extent and are unlikely to significantly close the finance gap due to geographic mismatches, project scale issues, and a general lack of corporate climate risk awareness.

SEI researchers developed a terminology card game as part of the Future Resilience for African CiTies and Lands (FRACTAL) project to help stakeholders in southern African cities, specifically Windhoek and Lusaka, overcome barriers in climate change adaptation planning. The game facilitates 'transdisciplinary knowledge integration' by helping participants distinguish between key concepts like weather, climate, adaptation, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction through a collaborative, non-threatening exercise. The activity is designed to build capacities and working relationships between city stakeholders and scientists to increase the uptake of science in policy.