Search Climate Insights Directory

This report by the Institute for Security Studies outlines the challenges Africa faces in transitioning to a low-carbon future, emphasizing that the region will suffer disproportionately from climate change despite its low contribution to the cause. It argues for a gradual energy transition, the necessity of climate finance, and the implementation of a fair global carbon tax to support sustainable development and resilience.

This document provides conclusions and strategic recommendations for improving health and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) systems across Africa. It emphasizes the need for a shift from donor dependency toward domestic investment, innovative financing, and regional self-reliance to transform health outcomes into macroeconomic drivers of growth.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the state of the manufacturing sector across Africa, highlighting a trend of premature deindustrialization and the varying levels of industrialization across different income groups. It examines the role of Chinese investment in the continent's industrial landscape and the challenges African nations face in moving from raw material exports to high-value manufacturing.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines how Africa's health and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) trajectories will impact global development, security, and economic stability. It highlights the potential for a demographic dividend if health outcomes improve, while warning that fragile health systems and climate-linked vulnerabilities could increase global pandemic risks and drive migration toward Europe and the Middle East.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the historical shift in African development strategies from the state-led goals of the 1980 Lagos Plan of Action to the market-driven Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) imposed by the World Bank and IMF. It analyzes how these competing frameworks, alongside Cold War proxy conflicts and debt crises, contributed to a period of economic decline and decreased per capita income between 1980 and 1994.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the projected economic and social impacts of a 'Manufacturing scenario' for Africa between 2023 and 2043. The scenario forecasts that a strategic push toward industrialization will drive structural economic transformation, increase GDP, generate millions of jobs, and reduce extreme poverty and income inequality across the continent.

This research paper analyzes the foreign policies of Ethiopia, Senegal, and South Africa using a comparative framework to distinguish between 'cautious' and 'assertive' diplomatic postures. The study finds that while these states often maintain cautious, non-aligned stances internationally to diversify partnerships, their regional behaviors vary significantly based on national interests, ranging from Senegal's interventionism in Gambia to Ethiopia's assertive pursuit of sea access. Ultimately, the paper argues that these diverse strategies are all aimed at consolidating strategic autonomy.

This briefing paper argues that the proposed United Nations Legally Binding Instrument (LBI) to regulate transnational corporations is a critical structural lever for achieving environmental justice. It contends that existing voluntary frameworks are inadequate to stop corporate-driven ecological destruction and that the LBI can transform the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (RtHE) into enforceable obligations, ensuring corporate liability and access to remedy across transnational value chains.

This briefing paper argues for the necessity of a legally binding United Nations instrument to regulate transnational corporations and other businesses as a structural lever for environmental justice. It contends that current voluntary frameworks are insufficient to ensure corporate accountability for ecological destruction and human rights violations, particularly in the Global South.

The Climate Bonds Initiative's 2025 report details the state of the global aligned GSS+ (green, social, sustainability, and sustainability-linked) debt market, which reached a cumulative volume of USD 6.8 trillion by the end of 2025. The report highlights the continued dominance of green bonds, the growth of sustainability-labelled debt, and the emergence of adaptation and resilience (A&R) finance as a significant new frontier, exemplified by the launch of the Climate Bonds Resilience Taxonomy (CBRT).

The African Climate Foundation and Dalberg developed the NDC Investment Planner (NIP) to help African governments translate Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) from broad policy frameworks into bankable project pipelines. The NIP provides a structured, three-stage process—Identify, Evaluate, and Select and Act—to align climate ambition with investment logic and economic transformation goals.

The African Climate Foundation (ACF) Strategy 2026–2030 outlines a shift from a 'proof of concept' to a continental platform focused on ensuring Africa's climate transition is shaped by African agency. The strategy prioritizes three core areas—energy access, climate resilience, and green industrialisation—supported by cross-cutting enablers in sustainable finance and international partnerships. ACF operates as a support institution rather than a direct implementer, utilizing strategic grantmaking, fiscal hosting, and incubation to strengthen the capacity of African governments, coalitions, and communities.

The African Climate Foundation (ACF) outlines its 2026–2030 strategy to shift from a phase of expansion to one of systemic integration. The foundation aims to ensure Africa's climate transition is driven from within by supporting local institutions, coalitions, and governments through strategic grants, financial hosting, and incubation. Its framework focuses on three priority areas—energy access, climate resilience, and green industrialization—supported by cross-cutting levers in sustainable finance and international partnerships.

The African Climate Foundation's (ACF) 2026–2030 strategy focuses on shifting from broad programmatic support to integrated systems work to ensure Africa's climate transition is shaped by African agency. The strategy prioritizes three areas: clean energy access, climate resilience, and green industrialization, supported by sustainable finance and international partnerships. ACF utilizes an 'investment platform approach' combining policy reform, pipeline development, and capital connection, delivered through strategic grantmaking, fiscal hosting, and incubation.

This policy brief by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines the barriers to integrating gas infrastructure within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and proposes a strategic framework to unlock regional prosperity through harmonized regulations, a dedicated infrastructure fund, and strengthened regional governance.

This research paper examines the drivers and consequences of youth emigration from West Africa, focusing on the 'japa' phenomenon in Nigeria. It identifies high unemployment, political exclusion, and insecurity as primary drivers of the exodus of people aged 15 to 35, which results in a significant brain drain in healthcare, technology, and education sectors.

This research paper examines the increasing flow of foreign direct investment from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—specifically the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar—into Africa. It details how these states are leveraging Africa's renewable energy potential and mineral resources to diversify their own hydrocarbon-dependent economies and secure food supply chains, while providing Africa with an alternative to Western and Chinese financing to address its infrastructure gap.

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute critically examines the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), arguing that its perceived success in promoting democracy was based on a narrow focus on elections while ignoring broader governance failures. The author contends that ECOWAS's tendency to defer to the interests of heads of state has led to a loss of legitimacy among citizens, contributing to a wave of coups since 2020 and the subsequent formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

This research paper argues for the creation of a region-wide vaccine certification and verification system within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It proposes linking digital health passports to foundational digital IDs to prevent the border closures and economic disruptions seen during the Ebola epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on successful models from the EU and ASEAN.

This research paper argues that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) must align its pursuit of economic structural transformation with economic sovereignty to regain credibility among its citizens. It highlights the region's potential to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in critical minerals and renewable energy while warning that overdependence on external funding and fragmented infrastructure hinder sustainable growth.