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The document asserts that zero-carbon electricity grids are possible and debunks myths regarding the need for fossil fuel backups or the risk of grid overload from renewables. It highlights that wind and solar costs fell by 55% and 85% respectively between 2010 and 2020, and that countries like Denmark, Portugal, and Uruguay are already demonstrating high renewable integration. However, a significant bottleneck exists in grid infrastructure, with 3,000 GW of renewable projects awaiting connection across several major economies. The briefing recommends a cross-sector approach integrating heating, cooling, and industry, alongside investments in digitalisation, storage, and cross-border interconnectors to ensure stability and efficiency.

The document identifies a short-term opportunity for African gas producers to fill global supply gaps caused by the war in Ukraine, but warns that new infrastructure investments face a high risk of becoming stranded assets as the world moves toward net-zero.

The European Union has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia to secure critical raw materials (CRM) essential for green and digital transitions. These agreements aim to reduce the EU's heavy reliance on imports from quasi-monopolistic suppliers, particularly China. However, the paper identifies significant obstacles, including the DRC and Zambia's lack of comprehensive national CRM policies, high levels of corruption and political instability, and the continued dominance of Chinese mining interests in both countries. The author argues that for these partnerships to succeed, the EU must prioritize industrial and economic alignment over geopolitical security agendas and find ways to de-risk investments for the European private sector, potentially by strengthening state-owned mining companies in the partner countries.

The report finds that since the 2021 IEA Net Zero roadmap, at least 20.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) of new oil and gas discoveries have been announced. In 2023 alone, 20 fields were approved for development, sanctioning 8 billion boe. The analysis highlights a significant disconnect between the industry's push for new reserves—particularly in South America and Africa—and climate goals, noting that current production pathways are significantly higher than 1.5 degree compatible scenarios. It specifically criticizes the use of scope one and two emissions claims to justify projects while ignoring scope three emissions.

The report examines how developing countries can capture a fair share of financial benefits from critical minerals, highlighting risks such as price volatility, oversupply, and opaque markets. It suggests opportunities for these nations to increase state participation, develop downstream processing capabilities, and reform fiscal incentives to maximize economic gains from the energy transition.

The report identifies a global shift toward embedding social justice in climate action and the rise of green macroeconomic policies like the US Inflation Reduction Act and the EU Green Deal. While renewable energy capacity and electric vehicle sales are hitting records, the transition faces significant hurdles, including a 'gold rush' for critical minerals often lacking governance, inadequate private sector investment in nature, and a trust deficit between citizens and institutions. The document argues for a new 'eco-social contract' based on participatory governance and a fundamental reform of the multilateral financial system to support low- and middle-income countries.

The report finds that while a diverse range of urban resilience solutions exist in the Global South's informal settlements and economies, most are in early development stages and heavily reliant on philanthropic funding. It highlights a significant gap in private sector investment and municipal buy-in, while noting that these interventions often yield co-benefits in health, gender equity, and livelihoods. The document recommends that municipalities integrate informal settlements into city plans and that funders coordinate to streamline access for small-scale innovators.

The document advocates for a shift from traditional gender mainstreaming to Gender Transformative Approaches (GTAs) in Southern Africa to address the root causes of inequality and improve resilience to climate change and food insecurity. It provides a series of policy recommendations, including the integration of GTAs into national development plans and disaster risk reduction strategies, and highlights existing legal frameworks at global, continental, and regional levels that can enable these shifts.

The document argues that South Africa's domestic renewable energy market is insufficient to support a viable manufacturing sector, which requires a minimum annual demand of 3 GW to 4 GW. It identifies the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) as the most advantageous trade framework, providing preferential access to Namibia, Botswana, eSwatini, and Lesotho. The brief also highlights Zambia as a competitive SADC market due to its specific import tariffs on non-SADC countries. It recommends that manufacturers leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and target off-grid electrification opportunities in countries like Nigeria, Rwanda, and Ghana.

The 2024 Sustainable Agriculture Market Intelligence Report highlights key investment opportunities for the South African agricultural sector to mitigate risks from loadshedding, climate change, and international trade policies. Primary opportunities include solar PV and solar thermal applications, the electrification of machinery (such as electric tractors), and smart farming tools like remote sensing and AI diagnostics. The report emphasizes the Western Cape's role as a green economy hub and provides a comprehensive overview of the climate finance landscape and regulatory frameworks, including the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which may influence future agricultural exports.

The report advocates for the adoption of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in the mining sector to integrate environmental and social considerations into high-level policies, plans, and programs (PPPs). Unlike project-level Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), SEA provides a broad perspective to manage cumulative effects, balance sectoral interests with other development goals, and improve governance. Through case studies in Namibia, Ghana, Romania, and Mozambique, the report demonstrates that SEA can lead to optimized infrastructure, sustainable mine closures, and better regulation of artisanal and small-scale mining. Key obstacles identified include limited institutional capacity, lack of political will, and insufficient stakeholder awareness. The report recommends that governments prioritize capacity building, inter-ministerial collaboration, and the active involvement of Indigenous and local communities, particularly when managing critical minerals for the energy transition.

The report advocates for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as a high-level tool to integrate environmental, social, and economic considerations into mining plans, policies, and programs (PPPs). Unlike project-level Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), SEA provides a long-term, iterative perspective that helps balance competing interests and address cumulative impacts. The document details how SEA has been applied in countries like Namibia, Ghana, Romania, and Mozambique, highlighting its role in optimizing infrastructure, improving regulatory frameworks, and enhancing public participation. It identifies key obstacles such as limited institutional capacity and lack of political will, recommending that governments prioritize inter-ministerial collaboration and inclusive stakeholder engagement, particularly when managing critical minerals for the energy transition.

The document advocates for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as a tool to integrate environmental and social considerations into high-level mining policies, plans, and programs (PPP). Unlike project-level Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), SEA provides a broad perspective to manage cumulative impacts and align mining with national development goals. Through case studies in Namibia, Ghana, Romania, Mozambique, and Canada, the report illustrates how SEA can optimize infrastructure, improve regulatory frameworks, and enhance stakeholder engagement, while identifying obstacles such as limited institutional capacity and lack of political will.

The report examines the social media strategy of the AfD in eastern Germany, finding that migration, economic grievances, and opposition to Ukraine support are the primary drivers of engagement. It highlights that the AfD views the CDU as its primary political competitor and warns that the party's growth may lead to unstable government coalitions that undermine democratic trust.

The document analyzes Africa's role and priorities within the UNFCCC COP process, specifically focusing on the transition from COP27 to COP28 and looking ahead to COP29. It highlights the continent's success in establishing the Loss and Damage Fund and launching voluntary initiatives like the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative, while warning that climate finance remains severely constrained and dominated by loans rather than grants. The brief argues that Africa must shift from a reactive to a proactive approach, integrating gender perspectives and climate-peace-security policies, while balancing the need for energy access with a just transition to low-carbon energy.

Natural Justice's 2024-2028 strategy focuses on the legal empowerment of African communities to defend their rights against harmful extractive projects and climate impacts. The organisation employs a 'Litigation Plus' approach, combining strategic legal action with community-led research and policy influencing. Key priorities include securing land tenure, protecting traditional knowledge via the Nagoya Protocol, and promoting a just energy transition. The strategy is implemented through three main programmes: Standing with Communities, Defending Rights against Environmental and Social Impacts, and Affirming and Securing Rights to Lands, Resources and Knowledge.

The report examines the energy landscapes of seven southern African states, highlighting a stark divide between vast renewable energy potential and a continued reliance on fossil fuels or traditional biomass. While most surveyed countries have established renewable energy targets and some have liberalized their energy markets, the transition is often hindered by governance challenges, high rural-urban electricity gaps, and the pursuit of new oil and gas reserves. The document advocates for an 'energy justice' framework to ensure that the shift to low-carbon energy is inclusive, transparent, and protects the rights of marginalized communities and future generations.

Natural Justice's 2024-2028 strategy focuses on empowering African indigenous peoples and local communities to defend their land, resource, and human rights against environmental threats and extractive projects. The organization employs a 'litigation plus' approach, combining strategic legal action with community legal education and advocacy. Key priorities include fighting fossil fuel expansion, securing land tenure, and protecting traditional knowledge, with a specific emphasis on feminist leadership and the decolonization of environmental justice.

The OvaHerero va Kaoko of Namibia and Angola have developed this community protocol to safeguard their ancestral territories, traditional knowledge, and cultural heritage. The document details their kinship systems, historical migrations, and the spiritual significance of their land and the Kunene/Cunene River. It outlines the community's traditional governance, the role of women, and their sustainable practices for managing livestock, water, and plants. The protocol asserts the community's biocultural rights under national and international law, calling for the recognition of their ancestral land rights and the protection of their traditional knowledge from misappropriation.

The document outlines the identity, history, and biocultural rights of the OvaHerero of Kaokoland, spanning Namibia and Angola. It details their semi-nomadic pastoralist lifestyle, the spiritual significance of their ancestral lands and the Kunene River, and their traditional governance systems based on the principle of Ubuntu. The protocol identifies threats such as land encroachment, cultural erosion due to modernisation, and climate change, while proposing solutions including the recognition of customary land rights and the implementation of Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for developments on their territory.