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The document examines Africa's response to COVID-19, highlighting the tension between implementing lockdowns to protect fragile health systems and the resulting economic risks due to high informality and poverty. It notes that while some countries adopted rapid mitigation strategies and leveraged experience from previous epidemics, systemic gaps in water access and health funding leave the continent vulnerable as infection rates accelerate.

The report analyzes three economic recovery scenarios (V, U, and L-shaped) for Africa, concluding that the pandemic will cause a severe development setback. It forecasts that Africa's economy will be between US$349 billion and US$643 billion smaller by 2030 compared to pre-pandemic projections. While Africa's youthful population may mitigate direct COVID-19 mortality, the report warns that reduced health expenditure and high debt levels could lead to significant indirect deaths and a systemic human development crisis. Key recommendations include urgent debt relief, increased domestic health spending, and accelerated digitisation to build long-term resilience.

The report analyzes three economic recovery scenarios (V, U, and L-shaped) for Africa following the COVID-19 pandemic. It finds that while the continent's youthful population may mitigate direct mortality, the economic shock will likely erase years of progress in poverty reduction and hinder the achievement of 2030 SDGs. The analysis emphasizes that the primary suffering will stem from economic contraction and a resulting debt crisis rather than direct virus mortality. Key recommendations include urgent debt relief, increased health spending, and investment in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure to build long-term resilience.

The GEC Steering Group reviewed four strategic priorities, all of which were downgraded to 'amber' status due to the challenges and increased expectations brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The group evaluated two major programmes: 'Economics for Nature' and the 'EC dialogues programme', emphasizing the need for better governance and integration with the GEC's COVID-19 campaign. The Steering Group unanimously decided that the GEC must launch a COVID-19 intervention, focusing on structural economic reforms and societal demand for a green recovery, while noting the need for additional funding to avoid unrealistic expectations.

Dr Aïda Diongue Niang utilizes a non-formal, conversational approach to bridge the gap between local observations of weather changes and scientific explanations for climate change in Senegal. By replacing traditional presentations with community-led discussions and expert 'conversation shops', she helps farmers and fishing communities integrate climate information into their decision-making to mitigate risks. While these methods have built trust and fostered the co-design of climate services, scaling this process across all needy communities and sectors remains a challenge.

The document examines the role of local and community-based adaptation (CBA) in addressing climate risks, emphasizing that while local actions are often the most cost-effective and socially acceptable, they are frequently hindered by top-down planning and insufficient financing. It proposes a shift toward locally led processes that integrate indigenous knowledge, devolved financing, and multi-stakeholder governance to achieve sustainable and equitable resilience.

Between January 2017 and June 2020, Japanese public and private institutions provided at least US$23.4 billion in financing for LNG infrastructure across 10 countries. The report argues that the original rationales for this policy—energy security, climate friendliness, and economic viability—are now flawed due to the vulnerability of supply chains exposed by COVID-19, the high global warming potential of methane leakages, and the declining costs of renewable energy. It highlights that major Japanese banks (MUFG, Mizuho, and SMBC) provided the bulk of this funding, while five major trading companies saw a combined year-on-year profit drop of US$625 million in LNG-related businesses by March 2020. The document concludes that continuing to fund LNG infrastructure risks creating stranded assets and contradicts the UN's Principles for Responsible Banking.

Between January 2017 and June 2020, Japanese public and private institutions provided at least $23.4 billion in funding for LNG infrastructure across 10 countries. The report argues that this strategy, led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), is flawed due to the high carbon footprint of LNG, the falling cost of renewable energy, and market volatility exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights significant financial risks, including potential stranded assets and declining profits for major Japanese trading houses, and calls for an immediate shift toward clean energy investments.

The report uses the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) tool to quantify the economic importance of the Saloum Delta's wetlands and mangroves. It compares a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario against interventions such as organic agriculture, mangrove reforestation, road construction, solar cookstoves, and oil extraction. The analysis highlights a significant trade-off: while oil extraction generates massive near-term revenues, it causes substantial losses in ecosystem services. Conversely, nature-based interventions like mangrove restoration and organic agriculture provide long-term economic gains through enhanced ecosystem performance and labour income. The report also proposes blended finance strategies, including carbon offsets and impact bonds, to fund conservation.

The report uses the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology to quantify the economic contribution of the Saloum Delta's wetlands and mangroves. It compares a 'business-as-usual' (BAU) scenario with interventions such as organic farming, mangrove reforestation, solar cookers, road construction, and oil extraction. The analysis highlights a tension between long-term natural capital gains and short-term industrial revenues, specifically noting that while oil extraction generates high direct income, it severely degrades ecosystem services. The document proposes blended finance mechanisms, including carbon offsets and impact bonds, to incentivize conservation.

The document examines how African governments and mining companies track local procurement, noting that aggregate spending figures often mask a lack of genuine local value addition. It highlights the gap between current reporting practices and the data needed to steer effective policy, while identifying emerging industry standards and country-specific examples that could serve as models for improvement.

The document identifies the Technical Assistance (TA) Facility for the Global Subnational Climate Fund as a Category I-2 environmental and social safeguards project. It lists target countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean, and confirms that an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) has been disclosed in multiple languages to comply with requirements.

The author contends that humanity's 'ruthless' treatment of nature and a 'mad rush to grow' have led to the Anthropocene, where human activity is the primary driver of planetary change. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst, the text argues that the virus reveals the failure of legal instruments and international climate agreements, such as the COPs, to maintain ecological balance. The author highlights observed environmental improvements during lockdowns—such as purer air in the Paris region and China, and increased visibility of the Himalayas from Punjab—as evidence of nature's resilience. The document concludes by calling for environmental protection programs to be executed with the same urgency and boldness as monetary and investment policies.

The statement argues that the COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need for governments to focus all resources on public health, specifically the procurement of medical supplies, vaccines, and medicines. It calls for the immediate suspension of trade and investment negotiations at the WTO, bilateral, and regional levels, asserting that such activities divert critical resources and personnel. The authors highlight that intellectual property rules under the WTO's TRIPS agreement and free trade agreements may obstruct the affordability and accessibility of life-saving supplies. The document demands the removal of all trade barriers and unilateral sanctions that hinder medical procurement and urges a fundamental rethink of trade rules that encourage monopolies and limit healthcare access.

Friends of the Earth International and a broad coalition of global endorsers call for an immediate cessation of trade and investment treaty negotiations. They argue that governments, particularly in developing and least developed countries, lack the resources to engage in these negotiations while managing the COVID-19 health crisis. The statement demands that trade negotiators focus exclusively on removing obstacles, such as intellectual property rules and unilateral sanctions, that hinder access to affordable vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the most expensive region globally for remittances, with an average cost of 8.9% of transaction value. The report identifies critical supply-side barriers including onerous KYC requirements, lack of digital ecosystems, and fragmented payment infrastructure. It recommends a shift toward risk-proportional AML-CFT regulation, the adoption of digital identity systems, and the integration of regional payment rails to reduce informality and costs.

The document outlines how governments in developing countries can use fiscal policy to support the mining sector during the COVID-19 crisis. It identifies specific pandemic-driven impacts—such as mine closures, fluctuating commodity prices, and supply chain disruptions—and proposes targeted relief options including the deferral of social charges, VAT credits, and royalty exemptions. The guide emphasizes that aid should be conditional on job retention and transparency, while warning against broad corporate income tax exemptions.

The report identifies a significant 'Valley of Death' between the production of climate science and its practical application in resilience and adaptation. While short-term forecasting is generally accurate and used, decadal information is urgently needed but largely unavailable, leading some practitioners to misuse long-term projections. The study argues that a 'science-first' approach is ineffective and recommends that the CLARE programme adopt a user-driven, transdisciplinary structure that prioritizes co-production, capacity building for 'discerning users', and the development of knowledge brokers to bridge the gap between scientists and decision-makers.

The document assesses the GRP Incubator's approach to scaling resilience solutions, focusing on five grantees: Groundswell, IFPRI, Mahila Housing Trust, MetaMeta, and Producers Direct. It details the Incubator's support mechanisms, including mentoring, leadership training, and financial networking, and evaluates the progress of these grantees across a three-stage scaling framework. Key findings highlight the importance of context-specific adaptation, stakeholder engagement, and the transition from grant-funded projects to sustainable business models.

The report assesses the legal frameworks for artisanal gold mining in UEMOA member states, identifying significant gaps in strategic planning, institutional coordination, and regulatory alignment. It highlights that most national laws are reactive and out of touch with field realities, particularly regarding mechanization and environmental protection. The document recommends the creation of 'reserved gold mining zones' as an integrated approach to formalize the sector, introduce cleaner gravimetric processing technologies, and improve fiscal collection and social protections for vulnerable miners.