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This research paper analyzes the shift in African nations' approach to global development during the UN General Assembly's 80th anniversary. It details a transition from dependency on official development assistance toward a vision of sovereignty, financial agency, and systemic reform of international financial institutions to address debt and climate finance gaps.

This guide defines grants as non-repayable transfers used for climate projects with low commercial potential, detailing three main types: development grants, technical assistance, and project preparation facilities. It identifies a wide range of providers from philanthropic organizations to multilateral banks and outlines the operational timelines and overhead costs associated with grant deployment, citing examples from Ethiopia and Rwanda.

This report by FSD Africa, BII, and Copernican Securities examines the potential for securitisation to deepen capital markets in sub-Saharan Africa. It identifies a significant private credit gap and argues that while South Africa has a mature market, other African nations face substantial regulatory, legal, and capacity barriers. The report recommends a holistic approach to regulatory reform, increased technical assistance from MDBs and DFIs, and the adoption of standardised data reporting to attract institutional investors.

This research paper analyzes the resurgence of 'resources-for-security' deals in Africa, driven by the global demand for critical raw materials (CRMs) for green energy and military technology. It contrasts three primary models: Russia's use of private military companies (PMCs) for mining rights, the US's transactional 'peace-brokering' approach to secure supply chains, and China's 'infrastructure-for-resources' strategy via the Belt and Road Initiative. The paper argues that while these deals offer short-term security or development gains, they often reinforce dependency and authoritarianism, mirroring colonial and Cold War extractive patterns.

This report by RMI examines the potential for Distributed Green Ammonia (DGA) production to reduce Africa's reliance on expensive, volatile, and imported nitrogenous fertilizers. It highlights how modular, small-scale green ammonia facilities can lower costs for smallholder farmers, reduce transportation emissions, and leverage renewable energy to improve food security and agricultural yields across the continent.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues for the 'ring-fencing' of development expenditures in Africa to protect long-term investments from short-term fiscal and political pressures. It identifies a 'perfect storm' of challenges—including trade fragmentation, the 'securitisation' of economic policy, high debt burdens, and technological disruption—that threaten development financing. The document proposes five specific policy mechanisms to institutionalise this protection and suggests that development finance should be framed as complementary to security priorities to leverage international funding.

This research paper examines how the trade war between the US and China, alongside President Trump's critical mineral diplomacy, creates a strategic window for African nations to transition from raw material exporters to green technology manufacturing hubs. It argues that countries rich in minerals like cobalt and lithium can leverage geopolitical competition to secure technology transfer, domestic value addition, and diversified investment portfolios.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a comprehensive overview of the negotiations for an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) to end plastic pollution. It details the scientific evidence of plastic's impact on human health and the environment, the history of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process, the contested elements of the proposed treaty, and the diverse interests of national governments and non-state stakeholders.

This report presents a National Integrated Clean Cooking Planning (NICCP) approach for Rwanda, utilizing the Integrated Clean Cooking Planning Tool (ICCPT) and a financial model to evaluate two strategic paths: the 'Aligned' plan and the 'CleanStep' plan. The analysis focuses on transitioning households from traditional biomass (firewood and charcoal) to clean cooking technologies, including electricity, LPG, ethanol, and improved biomass stoves, while assessing the associated techno-economic, social, and financial impacts through 2034.

This research paper argues that Kenya can accelerate its transition to e-mobility and create more youth employment by integrating Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) into the design, assembly, and maintenance of electric vehicles. While Kenya has seen a surge in EV sales and has a high renewable energy mix (90%), current policies favor the import of fully built units over local manufacturing. The paper highlights successful local innovations, such as the 'eMkoko' cargo cart, but notes that the 'jua kali' informal sector remains ignored. It recommends policy reforms to incentivize local assembly, zero-rate manufacturing machinery, and incorporate IKS into formal technical education to overcome barriers like high battery costs and inadequate rural charging infrastructure.

This research paper examines Turkey's strategic efforts to secure critical raw materials (CRMs) in Africa to support its domestic industrial goals in defence, electric vehicles, and renewables. It analyzes Turkey's diverse engagement modalities—ranging from direct extraction to integrated industrial hubs and security-linked partnerships—and proposes a trilateral cooperation framework involving the European Union (EU) and African nations to align standards and enhance supply chain resilience.

This guide by the Climate Bonds Initiative provides a framework for investors to evaluate and engage with sovereign transition plans. It outlines key elements of credible planning, including science-based targets, detailed investment and policy roadmaps, and robust governance and transparency measures, aiming to help investors assess the long-term sustainability of sovereign asset exposures.

This guide provides a strategic playbook for concessional capital providers to mobilize investment in climate-smart agrifood systems. It identifies a significant financing gap—with global climate finance for the sector reaching only USD 95 billion in 2021/22—and proposes five 'investment plays' to address market failures. These strategies include system-level alignment with national goals, large-scale natural capital restoration, strengthening shared infrastructure, expanding technical assistance for innovation, and scaling local financial intermediaries. The document includes a four-step framework for investor action and detailed case studies of blended finance vehicles operating across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

This policy brief examines the critical role of African international financial institutions (IFIs) in addressing the continent's infrastructure deficit to ensure the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It highlights the gap between annual infrastructure financing needs ($130–$170 billion) and actual funds raised (approximately $80 billion), advocating for a more institutionalised coordination framework among IFIs to better mobilise private capital and improve project bankability.

This briefing, produced by the ISEAL Alliance and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), examines the integration of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) into trade policy instruments to facilitate sustainable trade.

This research paper examines the potential for trilateral cooperation between the European Union (EU), China, and African nations within critical raw material (CRM) supply chains. It argues that while the EU seeks to reduce its dependence on China, the deep integration of Chinese firms in midstream and downstream processing, combined with African demands for local value addition, makes a cooperative approach more viable than immediate decoupling. The author proposes a specific model for trilateral cooperation in the Democratic Republic of Congo's cobalt sector to balance the strategic interests of all three parties.

This case study examines UNI2 Microcrédito, a Colombian microfinance institution, to evaluate the applicability of the Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) Tool to financial intermediaries rather than direct agribusinesses. The study analyzes how UNI2 supports business compliance with the Committee on World Food Security's Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) among its rural and urban clients within agricultural value chains.

This briefing from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) advocates for the use of model investment contracts in the agricultural sector to promote responsible investment and sustainable development, particularly in developing countries where domestic laws may be insufficient.

This guide by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) examines the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), the operational arm of the Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST). It provides recommendations for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to improve coordination between finance ministries, sectoral ministries, and international development partners to better integrate climate risks into macroeconomic policy and catalyze climate finance.

The State of Green Banks 2025 report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the global landscape of green banks, focusing on their role in bridging a USD 7.4 trillion annual climate funding gap. Based on survey data from 51 public financial institutions, the report identifies four primary models for green banks—standalone de novo banks, enhanced public development banks (PDBs), green facilities within PDBs, and country platforms—and evaluates their suitability for different economic contexts, particularly in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs).