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This policy brief by the NewClimate Institute examines the European Union's new Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships (CTIPs), starting with negotiations launched in March 2025 with South Africa. The document outlines how CTIPs are intended to align EU industrial policy with external action to diversify supply chains and foster clean energy cooperation, while providing a more flexible, sector-specific alternative to comprehensive Free Trade Agreements.

Natural Justice has submitted a critique of South Africa's Draft Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), arguing that despite updated targets, the document lacks enforceable commitments, funding for adaptation, and a clear fossil fuel phase-out schedule. The organization calls for unconditional emissions reductions, grant-based Loss and Damage finance, and the integration of human rights and gender-responsive planning into climate strategy.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) issued a statement welcoming the conclusion of the G20 Task Force on Food Security under South Africa's Presidency. The IEJ, acting as a Resource Partner, advocated for structural reforms to address global hunger, food price volatility, and the financialisation of food systems, emphasizing the need for public food stock holdings and agroecological approaches to build climate resilience.

This policy brief argues that South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency provides a strategic opportunity to integrate subnational governments into the global climate and environmental agenda. It highlights the role of municipalities as frontline implementers of climate adaptation, mitigation, and biodiversity goals, while identifying systemic financial and capacity barriers that hinder their effectiveness in Africa and the Global South.

This policy brief outlines priorities for South Africa's G20 presidency to mainstream crop insurance as a tool for climate resilience in Africa. It evaluates the evolution of insurance models—from multi-peril to index-based and digital solutions—and recommends that the G20 promote high-quality, inclusive products, holistic risk management, and evidence-based subsidy frameworks to support smallholder farmers.

The research paper analyzes South Africa's Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy for South Africa (CMMSSA), released on 20 May 2025. The strategy aims to leverage the country's mineral wealth to drive industrialization and economic growth during the global energy transition. While the paper acknowledges the strategy's ambitious vision and integrated approach, it highlights significant risks regarding institutional capacity, regulatory contradictions with the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), and a lack of concrete justice frameworks for affected communities.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines how Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)—comprising digital identity, payments, and data-sharing systems—can be used to reduce the shadow economy and improve domestic resource mobilisation (DRM) in Africa. It argues that while digital payments increase transaction visibility, they must be paired with structural reforms and strategic targeting of high-value tax evaders rather than vulnerable micro-vendors. The document highlights lessons from South Korea and India and suggests that South Africa use its 2025 G20 presidency to advocate for an 'Africa stack' and peer learning on DPI best practices.

This concept note describes a discussion series episode titled "Grants under attack in South Africa: How to save social protection," which examines the National Treasury's instructions to the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) to reduce the number of social grant recipients to protect the fiscus.

A joint submission by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), the Ethics Institute (TEI), the Equality Collective, and the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) providing feedback on the Public Service Commission Bill (B 30B-2023). While supporting the Bill's goal to enhance the independence of the Public Service Commission (PSC), the authors argue it fails to address the professionalisation of senior appointments and suggest several amendments to strengthen accountability and transparency.

This fact sheet presents a worker-centred framework, co-produced with COSATU, to finance South Africa's just transition. It critiques the JET-IP's funding gap and private-sector reliance, proposing instead a shift toward eco-socialism through fiscal reforms (e.g., a Climate Response Fund), monetary policy shifts to support green industrialisation, and the reorientation of Development Finance Institutions.

A policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice arguing that G20 nations, which produce 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions, must coordinate to phase out oil and gas. It highlights South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency as a critical opportunity to lead on subsidy reform and financing for the Global South ahead of COP30.

This research paper analyzes the role of green skills development and social protection in Brazil and South Africa as they pursue carbon neutrality by 2050. It compares South Africa's Just Energy Transition Partnership (JET-P) and its struggle with coal dependency and structural unemployment against Brazil's established renewable energy sector and its challenges with labor market informality. The paper argues that a just transition requires coordinated national strategies, robust investment in vocational training, and the integration of social protection programs with environmental sustainability goals.

This policy brief examines climate financing mechanisms in Brazil and South Africa, focusing on carbon pricing, green bonds, green taxonomies, and central bank regulations. It argues that these two BRICS nations are well-positioned to lead the Global South in advocating for a reformed global financial architecture—specifically the restructuring of the World Bank and IMF—to ensure more affordable and equitable climate finance for developing economies.

This guide, published by Natural Justice in September 2025, provides instructions for South African communities on how to participate in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for oil and gas projects along the coastline.

This toolkit provides guidance for interested and affected persons (I&APs) and communities in South Africa on how to participate in and submit comments during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for oil and gas projects.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the state of democratic governance in Southern Africa, focusing on the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in countering democratic backsliding. Drawing on youth consultations and a comparative analysis of West African civil society networks, the report argues that cross-border solidarity and regional networks are essential for strengthening accountability and protecting human rights in the SADC region.

This report synthesizes civil society organisation (CSO) submissions to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) from seven Southern African countries. It analyzes the interconnected challenges of political, economic, and environmental governance, highlighting a persistent gap between the adoption of democratic and policy frameworks and their actual implementation.

This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) examines the 'twin transition'—the simultaneous pursuit of digital and green transformations. It analyzes how digital technologies can both enable climate action and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, focusing on the implications for developing countries and the pathways toward a net-zero digital economy by 2050.

This research paper examines the intersection of the evolving international trading system and the urgent need to address biodiversity loss, climate change, and sustainable development. It argues that while trade has historically contributed to environmental harm, it can be repurposed as a strategic tool for sustainability through new narratives, inclusive international cooperation, and coherent policy frameworks. The author identifies a shift from traditional trade liberalization toward 'multipurpose' approaches that balance security, resilience, and sustainability, and proposes a policy agenda to reorient trade rules, scale up sustainable technologies, and ensure equitable economic transformation for developing countries.

This document is a manual for The Leslie Hill Succulent Karoo Trust, detailing the procedures for requesting access to information and the processing of personal data in accordance with the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa.