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The SAVi evaluation of the Dakar BRT project reveals that while the project is not financially viable under conventional accounting—showing negative Net Present Value (NPV) across most scenarios—it generates substantial positive externalities. These include significant avoided transport costs, time savings, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and traffic accidents. When these externalities are integrated into the financial analysis, the project's Internal Rate of Return (IRR) increases from 2.17% to 37.69% in the default demand scenario, demonstrating strong socio-economic profitability despite operational financial losses.

The report argues that industrial aquaculture is unsustainable due to its heavy reliance on wild-caught fish for feed, which threatens marine ecosystems, undermines food security in the Global South, and creates a massive animal welfare crisis. It highlights that nearly 20% of wild fish catches are processed into FMFO, often targeting keystone forage species and juveniles. The document criticizes the lack of transparency among aquafeed companies and the inadequacy of current certification schemes like the MSC and IFFO. To address these issues, it recommends a transition toward herbivorous species, alternative proteins like insects and algae, and stricter governance to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The report argues that industrial aquaculture is fundamentally broken due to its dependence on wild-caught forage fish, which threatens marine ecosystems, food security in vulnerable coastal regions, and animal welfare. It highlights a lack of transparency among major feed producers and critiques existing certification systems, recommending a transition toward herbivorous species and sustainable alternative proteins.

The report argues that industrial aquaculture's reliance on fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) is unsustainable, plundering marine ecosystems and undermining food security in the Global South. It highlights the exploitation of forage fish and 'trash fish', the lack of transparency among major aquafeed companies, and the failure of certification schemes to prevent the use of food-grade fish for animal feed.

The African Peer Review Mechanism, established in 2003 to improve governance through voluntary peer review, experienced a period of decline between 2008 and 2016 marked by leadership vacancies and financial mismanagement. While recent reforms under the 'Three Rs Strategy' and the 2018 incorporation into the African Union as a specialised agency have revitalized the process and expanded its mandate to track Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, significant hurdles remain. These include the failure to release country reports on time, a lack of political will to 'name and shame' poor performers, and dwindling attendance of heads of state at forums.

The document examines the 'viability gap' in mini-grid business models, where high capital costs and low-revenue customer bases make private investment challenging. It outlines various retail tariff approaches—ranging from uniform national tariffs to value-based pricing—and details subsidy structures, emphasizing output-based capital subsidies for distribution. The guide provides specific country examples from Africa and Asia and offers management considerations to reduce policy uncertainty and administrative overhead for developers.

The report examines local content policies (LCPs) in the mining sector, specifically focusing on local procurement. It details how 'local' is defined through geography, value addition, and ownership, and outlines various demand-side and supply-side policy options. The document emphasizes that for these policies to succeed, they must be supported by pre-conditions such as capacity analysis, a conducive business climate, and strong monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.

The document defines natural infrastructure (NI) as ecosystems providing infrastructure services and distinguishes between 'natural' (e.g., wetlands) and 'green-grey' (e.g., permeable pavements) types. It argues that NI is generally more cost-effective than grey infrastructure, offering co-benefits in land security, climate regulation, and water security. However, adoption is hindered by high transaction costs, long time horizons for full capacity, and a lack of standardized quantitative evaluation tools. The report provides specific cost data for artificial wetlands and restoration projects, while identifying policy interventions—such as rating systems and market instruments—to incentivize investment.

The document examines the intersection of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and gender equality in agriculture. It analyzes five major standards—Fairtrade International, IFOAM Organic, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, and the 4Cs—across six thematic areas: household food security, rights to productive resources, education, unpaid domestic labour, decision-making/empowerment, and decent work. The guide finds that while VSSs can improve wages and working conditions, they risk exacerbating inequalities if they prioritize cash crops over women's subsistence farming or increase women's unpaid labour burdens without providing childcare or gender-transformative training.

The document analyzes the intersection of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and gender equality in agriculture. It evaluates five major standards—Fairtrade International, IFOAM (Organic), Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, and 4Cs—across six key themes: household food security, access to productive resources, education, unpaid domestic work, decision-making/empowerment, and decent work. The guide finds that while VSS can indirectly improve women's status through increased income and sustainable practices, they can also inadvertently exacerbate inequalities if local gender dynamics are ignored, such as by prioritizing commercial crops over women's subsistence farming or increasing women's unpaid labor to meet certification quality requirements. It provides specific recommendations for development organizations to implement 'gender-transformative' approaches, including providing childcare during training and supporting women's land rights.

The policy brief argues that women are frequently excluded from contract farming agreements despite providing the majority of the labor, and that contracted crops often displace the subsistence crops women grow for household nutrition. To remedy this, the authors propose incorporating legal protections into contracts and national legislation, drawing on principles from consumer protection, franchising, and mortgage laws. Key recommendations include requiring spousal consent for contract validity, ensuring informed consent through plain-language summaries, and conferring third-party rights to women who perform substantial work but are not signatories to the contract.

The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) convened a global meeting in Cape Town from January 8-10, 2019, bringing together over 130 participants to address the question of how everyone can get a stake in the green economy. The event resulted in five core findings, a set of policy recommendations for the UN-PAGE Ministerial, and a framework for the GEC's next ten-year strategy. The report highlights a global trend toward green investment—noting over 9 trillion of private investment since 2007—while warning that biodiversity is in crisis and the global financial system is structurally unfit for the environmental crisis. It also provides status updates on green economy initiatives in several GEC hub countries, including South Africa, India, Mongolia, Peru, Senegal, and Uganda.

The policy brief examines how women are often excluded from contract farming agreements despite providing the majority of the labor, and how contract crops often displace the subsistence crops women manage. It suggests adapting legal principles from consumer protection, franchising, and mortgage laws to ensure women's consent, informed participation, and direct access to benefits within agricultural contracts.

The document analyzes the tension between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the African Union (AU), attributing the friction to perceived bias, the influence of the UN Security Council, and a clash between retributive and restorative justice. It explores the proposed African Court of Justice and Human Rights (ACJHR) and the Malabo Protocol as regional alternatives, while noting significant hurdles in funding and ratification. The author argues that while the ICC is limited by global power politics, Africa's path to accountability depends on the political will to ratify regional judicial frameworks and utilize hybrid courts.

The document examines the reciprocal relationship between climate and land in Africa, highlighting how desertification and land degradation exacerbate food insecurity and poverty. It identifies specific risks for arid zones, the disproportionate impact on women and marginalized groups, and proposes integrated governance and sustainable land management practices to build resilience.

The document outlines how human-induced climate change is warming and acidifying oceans, causing sea level rise, and melting high mountain frozen lands in Africa. These changes threaten fisheries, coastal infrastructure, and water security. It argues that while adaptation and disaster risk reduction are essential and cost-effective, urgent global greenhouse gas mitigation is the primary way to limit long-term damage.

The document outlines Senegal's commitments to biodiversity and sustainable development, highlighting a $5 million joint program with UNDP to create 100,000 green jobs. It evaluates the agroecology and fisheries sectors, noting successes in organic seed production and artisanal fisher awareness, while warning of systemic failures such as soil degradation, lack of conservation infrastructure, and persistent illegal fishing practices.

The report argues that social inclusion is core to the green economic transition and that citizen-led dialogues are an effective tool for bridging the gap between local stakeholders and national policymakers. It documents experiences from seven 'Hubs'—the Caribbean, India, Mongolia, Peru, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda—where multi-stakeholder processes were used to identify local priorities and influence policy. Key outcomes include the promotion of fly ash bricks in Bihar, India; the development of a Green-Blue Economy Strategy in the Eastern Caribbean; and the creation of a catchment management plan for the River Rwizi in Uganda. The document concludes with ten policy insights, emphasizing that inclusive transitions require embedded governance systems, robust institutional mechanisms for stakeholder voice, and a focus on 'nexus issues' that link social, economic, and environmental goals.

The workshop brought together officials and municipal representatives from WAEMU member states to analyze the implementation of mining local development funds (MLDFs) and other community development tools. Participants evaluated the current state of MLDFs in countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Senegal, while discussing alternatives used in Mali, Niger, and Benin. The sessions explored the integration of MLDFs with environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs), local content policies, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and community development agreements (CDAs). The workshop concluded that an ideal approach involves combining an MLDF with either mandatory CDAs or voluntary CSR plans, prioritizing transparency, alignment with local development plans, and outcome monitoring.

The Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) tool by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) integrates system dynamics simulation with project finance models to value risks and externalities typically ignored in traditional financial assessments. It applies to asset types including energy, roads, buildings, irrigation, sewerage treatment, and nature-based infrastructure. The tool aims to support the goals of the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals by optimizing value for money across an asset's life cycle. Case studies demonstrate its application in valuing climate-risk-related road disruptions in Morocco, the economic gains of wetland conservation in India, and the internal rate of return for wind energy in Senegal.