Search Climate Insights Directory

The document details how climate change is manifesting in African mountains through rising temperatures and erratic precipitation, leading to decreased crop yields and livestock production. It highlights that while farmers are adapting by changing planting dates and adopting new crop varieties, they face significant barriers such as limited access to credit and land, and the destabilizing effects of violent conflict.

The Just Transition Planning Masterclass provided practitioners from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, and Namibia with frameworks to ensure nature-based solutions (NbS) are equitable. The program highlighted that while NbS are often seen as 'win-win', they can cause socio-economic disruptions, such as loss of employment in extractive industries or displacement of communities without formal land tenure. Participants explored the Climate Investment Fund’s Just Transition Planning Toolbox and identified strategies to mitigate negative impacts, including livelihood diversification, re-skilling, and social protection measures. The report also notes barriers to implementation, such as limited institutional capacity, financial constraints, and community mistrust.

The report details the outcomes of the FSD Network Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, in February 2025. It examines the impact of gender-responsive financial systems, the use of alternative credit scoring, the influence of societal gender norms on financial autonomy, and the role of digital public infrastructure and AI in bridging the gender gap in financial services across Africa.

The South African EV market is in an early growth phase, with significant investment potential across four key sectors: passenger vehicles, public buses, freight and logistics, and last-mile delivery. While annual passenger EV sales have surpassed 1,000 units for the first time, the market is currently dominated by luxury models. Growth is supported by innovative financing like Electric-Vehicle-as-a-Service (EVaaS), rising fuel costs, and corporate ESG targets. However, adoption is hindered by high import duties, a lack of affordable models, and electricity grid constraints. The government is introducing manufacturing incentives in 2026 to stimulate local production.

The IISD's State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI) provides research and strategic advice to improve voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) and promote sustainable production, consumption, and trade. Its strategy focuses on improving VSS design, increasing synergies between standards and policy, and enhancing transparency for small-scale farmers and MSMEs. The program offers services including benchmarking, policy formulation, and implementation support through pilots and training.

The document argues that Africa's potential for a demographic dividend depends on accelerating the demographic transition—reducing child mortality and fertility—and converting a larger working-age population into economic growth through job creation and governance. It contrasts the youthful population of Africa with the ageing populations of Europe and the Netherlands, suggesting strategic opportunities for labour mobility and trade. Using the International Futures (ifs) model, the author presents a 'Demographics and Health' scenario where targeted investments in contraceptives, maternal health, and WASH infrastructure lead to a smaller, wealthier, and better-educated population by 2050, reducing extreme poverty by 48 million people.

The document examines how African youth are transforming peacebuilding through AI and digital tools, shifting from passive consumers to active knowledge creators. It highlights the decentralisation of early warning systems and the use of digital platforms for peace messaging and mobilisation. However, it warns that digital divides, gender gaps, and linguistic biases—where 88% of African languages are ignored by computational tools—threaten to marginalise rural youth and women. The brief notes a disconnect between the AU's Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security and digital strategies, urging for integrated policies and the institutionalisation of youth roles in AI governance to ensure digital peacebuilding is ethical and inclusive.

The policy brief assesses the failure of the Mozambican government's military-first strategy in Cabo Delgado, noting that despite interventions by Rwanda and SADC, the insurgency persists and has expanded in 2025. It identifies local grievances—including youth unemployment, religious discrimination, and economic displacement—as primary drivers of recruitment. The author advocates for a multi-level dialogue approach involving community leaders and civil society to address these root causes, while critiquing the government's tendency to frame the conflict as 'international terrorism' to avoid negotiation.

The NAP Global Network's 2024 report details its progress in supporting developing countries with National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes through technical assistance, South-South peer learning, and knowledge production. The Network has supported 70 countries to date, with over 60% of technical assistance directed toward Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Key 2024 achievements include the launch of a new peer learning strategy, the publication of over 180 knowledge products, and the implementation of a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) framework. The report highlights specific 'stories of change' in countries like Costa Rica, Rwanda, and Côte d’Ivoire, demonstrating the transition from planning to implementation and the integration of gender and social inclusion.

The document identifies a critical disconnect between macro-level transboundary water treaties and the lived realities of local water users, particularly in conflict-prone and climate-stressed regions. It argues that while 'water wars' are rare, the failure to integrate grassroots concerns into national strategies can exacerbate local tensions and undermine regional stability. The brief highlights how armed conflict destroys infrastructure and how climate-induced scarcity can reduce altruism and increase in-group bias. It recommends bridging these gaps through inclusive governance, technological innovation, and evidence-based policymaking to foster resilience and peacebuilding.

Rwanda's NDC 3.0 sets an ambitious target to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 53% by 2035 compared to a business-as-usual scenario, integrating Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) for the first time. The plan prioritizes adaptation across eight sectors, including agriculture and water resources, and establishes a dedicated loss and damage response mechanism. Implementing these goals requires an estimated USD 12 billion, with USD 5 billion for mitigation and USD 7 billion for adaptation.

The Flood Green Guide Youth Champions pilot program engaged nine young leaders (aged 24-30) from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia and the Pacific Islands to co-design a framework for youth involvement in flood risk management (FRM). Through a hybrid approach of in-person workshops in Sri Lanka and virtual meetings, the program developed a structure focused on capacity building, civic engagement spaces, and targeted funding. While the program successfully fostered a community of advocates and provided foundational knowledge in nature-based solutions, it faced challenges regarding long-term participant engagement and the difficulty of maintaining cohesion in a global versus regional program model.

The document argues that financial institutions should cease support for the Mozambique LNG project due to severe human rights violations, political instability, and resettlement failures. It highlights reports of a 2021 massacre of civilians by security forces linked to the project and describes a climate of state repression and electoral violence in Mozambique. The authors call for an independent international investigation by bodies such as the OHCHR and demand that financiers withhold further funding until accountability is established.

The document provides a detailed analysis of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), which aims to secure the EU's supply of 17 strategic raw materials by 2030. It highlights the risks of fast-tracked permitting for 'Strategic Projects', the potential for 'greenwashing' through private certification schemes, and the challenges facing Indigenous Peoples and local communities in exercising their rights to participation and consent. The guide also examines the interaction between the CRMA and existing EU environmental directives, such as the Habitats and Birds Directives, and outlines the limited access to justice available to stakeholders.

The report argues that artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is an underestimated but significant contributor to the global supply of critical minerals, particularly cobalt, tin, and tantalum. It highlights that while some minerals like lithium have high potential for ASM extraction in pegmatite deposits, others like graphite are less viable due to low value per unit of weight. The document emphasizes that the sector's deep informality, lack of geological data, and restrictive licensing frameworks hinder its potential. It presents case studies from the DRC, Indonesia, and Chile to demonstrate both the challenges of informality and the success of formalization models like Chile's ENAMI. The report concludes that for ASM to become a reliable supplier, governments must streamline licensing, provide geological foundations for small-scale plots, and create tailored regulatory frameworks specifically for critical minerals rather than relying on generic gold or gemstone policies.

The report finds that while 96% of reviewed NAP documents mention gender, women are overwhelmingly positioned as vulnerable groups (86%) rather than agents of change (16%). It highlights a trend toward more frequent gender references in recent documents and an increase in the recognition of other vulnerable groups, such as youth and Indigenous Peoples. The report also showcases practical examples of gender-responsive adaptation in countries like Senegal, Rwanda, and Argentina, while emphasizing the need for intersectional approaches and stronger institutional arrangements.

The report finds that while 96% of analyzed National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) mention gender, women are predominantly framed as vulnerable groups (86%) rather than agents of change (16%). It emphasizes the need for gender-responsive processes that ensure equitable participation and outcomes, supported by institutional arrangements, funding, and intersectional analysis. The document highlights specific national examples, such as Rwanda's use of visual storytelling and Argentina's municipal-level gender-disaggregated data, to advance gender-responsive adaptation.

The paper argues that green technologies in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, waste management, and green construction can significantly reduce youth unemployment in Africa. It highlights specific successes, such as Morocco's Noor Solar Complex and South Africa's REIPPPP, while noting that widespread adoption is blocked by financing gaps, currency volatility, and policy-implementation disconnects. The authors recommend targeted vocational training, blended finance models, and strengthened public-private partnerships to unlock these opportunities.

The document argues that green bonds are an under-utilised tool that could help Africa meet its estimated USD 2.8 trillion climate finance need by 2030. While the global green bond market reached approximately USD 2.8 trillion in 2023, Africa's share is less than 1%, representing only USD 5.1 billion. The paper highlights successful issuances in South Africa, Nigeria, and Zambia, while identifying key barriers such as low liquidity, inadequate regulation, and high transaction costs. It calls for stronger public-private collaboration and international support at COP29 to create enabling environments for green bond proliferation in Africa.

FSD Africa is working to deepen African capital markets to reduce reliance on banks and external debt, leveraging an estimated $2 trillion in domestic assets. The organization employs a four-pronged strategy: policy and regulatory development, market infrastructure creation, product development (specifically GSSS bonds), and stakeholder convening. Key achievements include mobilising over $1.2 billion through 21 thematic bond transactions and establishing critical infrastructure like the Ethiopian Securities Exchange. Future priorities include carbon markets, sovereign debt management, and financing the energy transition.