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The report examines how mining-producer countries use local content policies to translate extractive activities into domestic economic development. Key findings indicate a primary focus on local employment and contracting, with a significant emphasis on benefits for communities near mine sites. While many governments employ mandatory requirements and incentives, the report identifies critical gaps in the use of 'rules of origin' and data-based monitoring tools. Despite challenges such as limited technical capacity and infrastructure deficits, the report concludes that these policies are generally successful when they balance local community benefits with national development and avoid unrealistic industry burdens.

The African Climate Foundation and Dalberg developed the NDC Investment Planner (NIP) to address the gap between climate ambition and investment in Africa. While many African countries have submitted second and third-generation NDCs, only about 11% of the continent's annual climate-finance need is met. The NIP provides a three-stage process—Identify, Evaluate, and Select and Act—to move from broad policy frameworks to investable portfolios. It evaluates opportunities based on 'investment potential' and 'economic transformation potential' to help governments prioritise actions, refine analyses, and prepare projects for funding.

The report forecasts that COVID-19 will significantly hinder Africa's progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in eliminating extreme poverty. Depending on the recovery scenario (V, U, or L), the number of Africans living in extreme poverty by 2030 is projected to increase to between 607 million and 640 million. The analysis highlights a severe short-term shock in 2020, with an additional 14 million people falling below the US$1.90 poverty threshold. Economic consequences include an expected increase in debt by 5 to 9 percentage points of GDP and a heightened dependence on international aid due to domestic economic contraction. The most negatively affected countries are identified as Nigeria, the DR Congo, Ethiopia, Niger, and Tanzania. Other SDG targets, including undernutrition, infant mortality, and education completion rates, are also expected to deteriorate or miss targets further.

The ARE Energy Access Investment Forum 2026 brought together 1,400 participants from 87 countries to discuss renewable electrification. Key outcomes included the launch of the USD 25m ASCENT Project Preparation Facility by COMESA and a GDP 14m contribution from the UK's FCDO to the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa in the DRC. The forum highlighted systemic gaps in capital allocation for small African-led firms and the need to shift from supply-led to demand-led skills training for the green transition.

The report positions democratic communication as a critical infrastructure for climate justice, asserting that environmental policies often fail when disconnected from local social and cultural systems. Through three case studies, it illustrates how community radio in Colombia's páramos, public dialogues on hydropower in Nepal, and community-led data collection in Nigeria's Niger Delta empower marginalized populations. These initiatives combat disinformation, validate indigenous expertise, and transform communities from passive recipients of climate policy into active participants and producers of evidence. The document concludes that investing in independent journalism, community media, and digital inclusion is a strategic necessity for effective and equitable climate action.

The report 'Filling the Infrastructure Gap' asserts that climate justice cannot be achieved without 'information justice,' arguing that independent and grassroots communication systems are critical infrastructure. Through case studies, it shows how community radio in Colombia's páramos, public dialogues in Nepal's hydropower regions, and community-led data collection in Nigeria's Niger Delta empower frontline communities to challenge disinformation, produce evidence of environmental harm, and hold decision-makers accountable. The document concludes that investments in local media, digital inclusion, and Indigenous communication are strategic climate justice interventions necessary for equitable environmental governance.

The document outlines the drivers and challenges of traceability in global commodity supply chains, advocating for 'material-forward tracking' over 'product-backward tracing'. It details the technical elements of effective traceability, including event-based tracking, data standards (such as GS1 EPCIS), and the distinction between serialized and lot-based methods. The guide also evaluates supporting tools like geospatial analysis, certification systems, and scientific testing to combat fraud. Finally, it provides a 12-step implementation road map for downstream companies to build traceability capabilities, from securing leadership support to fostering industry-wide collaboration.

The document analyzes Nigeria's transport sector, which is heavily dependent on fossil fuels and accounts for 24% of national GHG emissions. It evaluates current policies, emerging green initiatives like the P-CNGI and Lagos E-Mobility Project, and provides recommendations for integrating climate action into national transport planning, drawing on lessons from Ethiopia and Kenya.

The document details the disclosure of environmental and social management frameworks for the GOCAB sub-project in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. It confirms that the sub-project is classified as GCF Financial Intermediary FI-2 (Category B) and that no land acquisition or impacts on Indigenous Peoples are expected. The report provides links to the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) and specifies that the final investment decision is scheduled for February 4, 2026.

The paper argues that while West Africa possesses over 300 Tcf of proven gas reserves, regional prosperity is hindered by regulatory fragmentation, bilateral financing that bypasses regional coordination, and global decarbonization risks. It recommends the adoption of a binding regional gas code, the creation of a 5 billion USD Gas Infrastructure Development Fund, and the establishment of a West African Gas Task Force to align national and external investments with a 10-year regional roadmap.

The document defines renewably powered minigrids (or microgrids) as systems combining renewable energy sources, battery storage, and sometimes backup generators to provide power to communities or specific facilities. It details three configurations: isolated, undergrid, and interconnected. Case studies illustrate their use in the Caribbean for hurricane resilience, in Africa for expanding business and home energy access, and in the United States for reducing diesel reliance in remote areas and enhancing military facility resilience.

The document argues that a 'window of opportunity' has opened for Africa due to the convergence of China's domestic push for renewable energy leadership and US-China geopolitical tensions. While the US has retreated from climate leadership and scaled back African assistance, China is pivoting toward 'small is beautiful' project financing and green industrialization as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and FOCAC commitments. To maximize these opportunities, the brief recommends that African nations implement rigorous strategic planning, professionalize project pipelines, adopt innovative mixed-financing models to reduce sovereign debt, and pursue regional energy integration through frameworks like the Southern African Power Pool.

The People's Summit declaration identifies the capitalist mode of production and transnational corporations as the primary drivers of the climate crisis. It rejects market-based 'false solutions' and calls for a transition based on popular sovereignty, the recognition of ancestral knowledge, and the redistribution of wealth from the Global North to the Global South. The document emphasizes the intersection of climate action with feminism, anti-imperialism, and the protection of indigenous territories.

The Peoples’ Summit declaration identifies the capitalist mode of production and transnational corporations as the primary causes of the climate crisis. It rejects market-based 'false solutions' and the current model of multilateralism, calling instead for a 'just, sovereign and popular transition.' Key demands include the demarcation of indigenous lands, popular agrarian reform, the end of fossil fuel exploitation, and the redirection of military spending toward climate repair. The document emphasizes feminist justice, the recognition of ancestral knowledge, and the need for international climate finance to bypass institutions like the IMF and World Bank to address the socio-environmental debt owed to the global South.

The People's Summit declaration argues that the capitalist mode of production and transnational corporations are the root causes of the climate crisis and environmental racism. It rejects market-based 'false solutions' and the current multilateral system, calling instead for the recognition of ancestral knowledge, the protection of indigenous territories, and a sovereign, popular energy transition. The document demands the end of fossil fuel extraction, the redistribution of wealth from the global north to the south as socio-environmental debt, and the implementation of agroecology and feminist care work as central to planetary survival.

The report details the disproportionate risks faced by women environmental and human rights defenders (WEHRDs) in Africa, including gender-based violence, criminalization, and digital surveillance. It highlights a significant gap between the actual violence experienced and official data, which often underreports attacks against women. Through country spotlights on Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria, the document illustrates how patriarchal norms and corporate-state collusion exacerbate the vulnerability of WEHRDs. It concludes with recommendations for African states and international donors to implement gender-responsive protection frameworks, end the criminalization of activism, and provide flexible, long-term funding for women-led grassroots initiatives.

The study finds a substantial disconnect between African climate commitments (NDCs) and national development blueprints (NDPs), with NDCs focusing on climate-centric sectors like energy and forestry while NDPs prioritize economic growth, finance, and the private sector. This 'parallel policy framework' is driven by institutional fragmentation, where NDCs are often externally funded and led by environment ministries, whereas NDPs are domestically anchored and led by economic planning ministries. The authors recommend a 'whole-of-government' approach to embed climate goals into national budgets and development strategies to maximize socio-economic co-benefits.

The paper analyzes how data collection methods shape the understanding of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). It compares 'top-down' approaches, like the Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict (SVAC) dataset, which rely on high-threshold fatality counts and a limited number of reputable sources, with 'bottom-up' approaches, such as the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) dataset, which track individual political violence events without fatality thresholds. The author argues that sourcing diversity, language considerations, and the choice between human-led and automated coding significantly impact the prevalence and accuracy of reported CRSV. The document concludes that all data contain biases—including errors of omission, inflation, and misrepresentation—and urges users to rigorously evaluate a dataset's assumptions to avoid inaccurate policy and programmatic conclusions.

The document assesses the feasibility of using domestic fiscal tools—explicit fossil fuel subsidies (EFFS) and environmental taxes—to close Africa's climate finance gap, which is estimated at 5–10% of GDP. While these tools could contribute 1.7% and 1.1% of GDP respectively, the author argues they are insufficient to fully close the gap. The paper recommends establishing independent fuel reserve authorities to manage price volatility and suggests a gradual, long-term withdrawal of subsidies to avoid social unrest and inflation. It highlights that Africa's climate finance is heavily dependent on foreign sources and public funding compared to global averages.

The handbook traces G20 engagements with Africa from 2008 to 2025, noting a transition from ad hoc initiatives to structured partnerships, culminating in the African Union's permanent membership in 2023. While identifying successes in rural youth employment and financial inclusion, it highlights persistent implementation gaps in infrastructure and climate finance. The document maps G20 outcomes against AU Agenda 2063, finding strong alignment with economic integration but gaps in peace and institutional capacity. It also details South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency priorities, focusing on solidarity, equality, and sustainability through specific task forces on inclusive growth, food security, and AI.