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The report evaluates the APRM, OGP, and EITI, finding that while the OGP and EITI successfully employ peer learning and pressure to enforce standards and protect civil society, the APRM lags behind due to a lack of critical engagement and a failure to implement sanctions for non-compliance.

The report finds that while MSIs like the APRM, OGP, and EITI produce significant research on governance, they remain largely unknown to the general public and are often perceived as esoteric, technical exercises for elites. A media monitoring survey from mid-2016 to mid-2017 showed that the EITI has the highest media footprint, followed by the OGP, with the APRM lagging behind. The authors argue that MSIs struggle with 'open-washing,' where governments join for publicity without intending to reform, and that their reports are often too long and technical for journalists to translate into public action. To increase impact, the report recommends that MSIs move beyond merely informing the public toward mobilizing citizens through strategic alliances with social movements, using local languages and radio, and adopting a more aggressive 'naming and shaming' approach for non-compliant members.

The report evaluates the impact of the APRM, EITI, and OGP, concluding that while these initiatives provide platforms for dialogue and some policy changes, there is little measurable evidence that they consistently drive significant governance reforms. It highlights the challenges of voluntary compliance, the risk of 'open-washing' by governments, and the critical but often tokenistic role of civil society. The document recommends that donors support civil society capacity, invest in impact research, and align funding with MSI action plans to better foster accountability and transparency.

Morocco re-joined the African Union on 30 January 2017 after a 33-year absence caused by the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The paper argues that Morocco used extensive economic diplomacy and bilateral agreements to secure support for its return, aiming to cement its leadership in Africa and eventually secure AU recognition of its control over Western Sahara. The author highlights a tension between Morocco's rhetoric of African unity and its history of border disputes, suggesting that the AU lacks a strategy to manage the agendas of powerful member states.

The document examines how private-sector investment can be mobilised for climate mitigation in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Climate Investment Funds (CIF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and South Africa's REIPPPP. It argues that while market mechanisms like the CDM have successfully engaged the private sector, further tailoring of rules to African circumstances and stronger synergies between multilateral and national finance are necessary to meet Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goals.

The document discusses the importance of behavioural insights in development aid, highlighting a project in Hola, Kenya, where proposed quality-improving technologies for mango farming failed because farmers prioritised quantity for processing markets over quality for export markets.

The report outlines a multi-pronged approach to building cooling, emphasizing the transition from active air conditioning to passive design and high-efficiency technology. It details various technical solutions—ranging from 'super-efficient' AC units and passive cooling techniques to wearable devices and the use of waste cold from LNG terminals. The document also analyzes policy levers such as Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and behavior change campaigns like Japan's 'Cool Biz'. Finally, it explores innovative business models to improve affordability for the poor, including Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG), ESCO models, and public-private partnerships in countries like India, Mexico, and Bangladesh.

The report examines a variety of low-cost and sustainable cooling technologies, such as evaporative coolers and solar refrigeration, to reduce food loss and improve vaccine delivery in energy-poor regions. It argues that while technical solutions are abundant, the primary barriers to scaling are the enabling environment, including financing, policy alignment, and tailored business models for low-income consumers. The document also highlights the potential of using waste cold from LNG terminals and liquid nitrogen to decarbonize refrigerated transport, particularly in India and China.

The research paper evaluates South Africa's foreign policy during the presidency of Jacob Zuma, highlighting the shift toward emerging powers like China and the BRICS grouping while noting a decline in human rights commitments and strained relations with the West. It contrasts Zuma's multilateral approach with the 'African Renaissance' focus of his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, and argues that domestic issues like xenophobia and the Marikana Massacre have damaged South Africa's continental leadership and global image.

The report examines the energy transition in Nigeria and West Africa, highlighting the region's vast renewable potential against the backdrop of dilapidated grid infrastructure and low electricity access. It identifies a trend of fragmented, small-scale green projects—such as solar initiatives in Nigerian universities and private sector power generation—and argues that these must be integrated into holistic national and regional plans. The document warns that the risk of 'stranded' hydrocarbon assets creates a limited window for countries to use fossil fuel revenues to fund renewable investments. It concludes that achieving sustainable energy goals requires better alignment between research and policy, increased investment in granular data analysis, and improved regional coordination through bodies like ECOWAS.

The statement outlines a roadmap for South Africa's recovery, emphasizing the need to combat state capture and corruption to restore the rule of law. It specifically highlights the necessity of restructuring Eskom, finalizing renewable energy contracts, and leveraging critical minerals for the Fourth Industrial Revolution to drive economic growth and job creation.

In 2017, global green bond issuance reached USD 155.5 billion, a 78% increase over 2016. The market was led by the US, China, and France, with a notable rise in sovereign issuance and the emergence of new issuers from 37 countries. While renewable energy remains the primary use of proceeds, there was significant growth in allocations for low carbon buildings and transport. The report highlights a push toward harmonized international standards and forecasts a need for the market to reach USD 1 trillion by 2020 to impact climate targets.

The African Borrowing Charter provides a framework for African states to balance public debt with the need for inclusive growth and public service delivery. It emphasizes transparency, parliamentary oversight, and the establishment of robust legal frameworks to prevent a recurrence of the debt crises seen in the 1970s-1990s. The Charter advocates for the creation of Public Debt Management Offices and the enactment of Fiscal Responsibility Acts to maintain macroeconomic stability and protect future generations from unsustainable debt burdens.

The report analyzes the growth of green bond markets in emerging economies, highlighting the critical role of national guidance and alignment with international standards like the Green Bond Principles. Through case studies of countries such as China, Indonesia, and Morocco, it identifies key barriers—including lack of capacity and limited investor demand—and proposes a 'Green Bond Market Development Toolkit' featuring a self-assessment matrix and a roadmap of milestones to accelerate sustainable capital flows.

The report finds that while electricity access finance in 20 high-impact countries increased by 56% to USD 30.2 billion per year in 2015-16, it remains far below the estimated USD 52 billion needed annually. Investment is heavily skewed toward non-residential consumers and grid-connected technologies, including a significant increase in coal-fired power. Sub-Saharan Africa is falling further behind, receiving only 17% of total electricity finance. Clean cooking finance is described as 'abysmally low', dropping 5% to USD 30 million in 2015-16, representing a tiny fraction of the USD 4.4 billion annual need. The report highlights India as a 'bright spot' due to strong domestic private investment in renewables and Indonesia for its use of government subsidies to accelerate LPG adoption.

The report highlights a critical lack of aggregate global data to measure progress in reducing deforestation caused by basic needs. It uses the distribution of clean cookstoves and related funding as proxy indicators, noting that while annual distributions reached approximately 20 million, the number of stoves meeting clean and efficient standards declined from nearly 15 million in 2014 to 13 million in 2015. Financial support also showed a downward trend between 2012 and 2015, with Official Development Assistance (ODA) for fuelwood dropping from USD 81 million to USD 3.2 million and carbon offset transactions falling from USD 65 million to USD 15 million.

Nigeria faces a severe energy crisis with 60-70% of its population lacking regular electricity access and an average output of 5,000 MW against an installed capacity of 12,522 MW. The report identifies critical bottlenecks including a non-cost-reflective tariff regime, a N1 trillion revenue shortfall as of December 2016, and significant gas flaring despite the country ranking 9th globally in natural gas reserves. While hydropower provided approximately 32% of supply in 2015, other renewables like solar and wind remain underdeveloped. The author recommends the total deregulation of the gas sector, universal metering to close a gap of 4.09 million customers, and the implementation of the renewable energy masterplan to achieve a 10% renewable energy contribution by 2025.

The report highlights the South African agriculture sector as a robust investment environment, particularly in the Western Cape, which contributes 24% of the national agricultural GDP. It identifies key growth areas in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), drone technology for precision farming, and renewable energy, while emphasizing water scarcity as a primary driver for the adoption of these green technologies.

The document analyzes Nigeria's struggle to become a net exporter of refined petroleum despite possessing the world's 10th largest crude oil reserves. It details how political interference, opaque financial management by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and infrastructure decay have led to chronic under-capacity utilization and a reliance on imports. The case study highlights that by 2015, domestically refined petroleum accounted for just over 5% of national consumption. It concludes that government-led downstream efforts can drain public resources without rigorous governance, technical expertise, and policy coherence, particularly regarding fuel subsidies.

The document examines Nigeria's struggle to reduce its oil sector's dependence on foreign capital and expertise. It details the evolution from early nationalization attempts via the NNOC/NNPC to the introduction of private indigenous company incentives and the 2010 Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, highlighting how corruption, lack of financing, and technical gaps have hindered these goals.