Search Climate Insights Directory

This report by Zero Carbon Analytics examines how G7 economies are exposed to cross-border climate risks due to the interconnected nature of global supply chains. It highlights that extreme weather events in production hubs—particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America—can cause global price spikes, industrial production declines, and threats to food security in industrialised nations. The document argues that because manufacturing is often offshored to lower-cost regions, G7 nations must cooperate internationally to fund climate adaptation in developing countries to secure their own supply chains.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of Earthlife Africa and groundWork, submitted formal objections on 14 June 2022 to the Integrated Water Use Licence Application (IWULA) for Phase 2A of the Mokolo Crocodile River (West) Water Augmentation Project (MCWAP-2A). The CER argues that the project is an unnecessary inter-basin transfer designed to support coal expansion, which contradicts South Africa's climate commitments and poses severe risks to aquatic ecosystems and local communities.

A press statement by the Institute for Economic Justice and other civil society organizations denouncing the South African government's failure to pay Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants in April and May 2022, citing administrative chaos and restrictive new eligibility criteria.

This submission by Amnesty International and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) to the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change argues that States have a legal obligation to protect human rights from climate-induced loss and damage (L&D). The document advocates for a human rights-based approach to L&D, including the establishment of a dedicated Loss and Damage Finance Facility, the implementation of inclusive needs assessments, and the recognition of the collective responsibility of wealthy States to provide remedy and compensation to affected people in developing countries.

The report estimates that implementing Africa's NDCs from 2020 to 2030 will cost USD 2.8 trillion, with a funding gap of USD 2.5 trillion. Current annual flows of USD 30 billion meet only 12% of the required USD 250 billion annual need. Mitigation accounts for 66% of needs, while adaptation accounts for 24%, though the latter is likely underestimated.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative explores financial aggregation as a strategy to overcome barriers to urban climate finance. It defines financial aggregation as the use of instruments or enterprises to combine multiple investments, participants, projects, or sectors to scale up financing for urban climate mitigation and adaptation. The document details supply-side and demand-side aggregation models, provides case studies from various global regions, and outlines the necessary enabling environments and stakeholder recommendations to implement these strategies.

This report by FSD Africa and Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the climate finance needs of African countries based on their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It estimates that implementing these NDCs between 2020 and 2030 will cost USD 2.8 trillion, with a funding gap of USD 2.5 trillion that must be met by international and private sources. The report highlights significant data gaps in adaptation needs and sectoral disaggregation, and recommends that the UNFCCC provide standardized guidance to help countries develop robust, bottom-up financing roadmaps.

This policy brief examines the limited participation of African nations in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on e-commerce. It analyzes the tension between the plurilateral JSI approach and the multilateral Work Programme on Electronic Commerce, highlighting the digital divide and capacity constraints facing African states. The author argues that African countries should engage with the JSI to protect their developmental interests and prepare for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) e-commerce protocol.

This policy brief examines the deployment and regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Africa, highlighting the tension between the dominance of foreign Big Tech companies and the need for local AI capacities that align with national development priorities. It analyzes risks associated with biometric identification, the gig economy, and 'click work,' while reviewing emerging national AI strategies in countries like Egypt, Mauritius, and Rwanda. The document argues that for AI to benefit local economies, African states must prioritize inclusive digital infrastructure, data governance, and the protection of human rights, while cautioning that regulatory frameworks from the EU (such as the AI Act and GDPR) may not fully address the structural and socio-economic realities of the African context.

This policy brief examines the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in Africa, highlighting the tension between the potential for socio-economic growth and the risks posed by foreign technology monopolies, precarious digital labour, and human rights violations. It analyzes emerging national AI strategies in countries like Egypt, Mauritius, and Rwanda, while arguing that African policymakers must prioritize local capacity, inclusive infrastructure, and gender-sensitive labour protections to ensure AI serves national developmental priorities rather than external interests.

The Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle Campaign, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights, groundWork, and Earthlife Africa, submitted comments on the Climate Change Bill, 2022. The submission argues that the Bill is insufficient to address the climate emergency and lacks the urgency, ambition, and enforcement mechanisms necessary to meet South Africa's international obligations under the Paris Agreement and protect constitutional rights.

Natural Justice submitted comments on the draft Climate Change Bill (B9-2022) to the South African Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 27 May 2022. The organization argues that the Bill lacks the urgency required to address the climate crisis, fails to set ambitious emission reduction targets, and provides insufficient protections for constitutional rights and vulnerable communities.

This briefing by RMI analyzes the tension between the steel industry's growth outlook and the demand reductions required to align with a 1.5°C climate outcome, highlighting the risks of delayed decarbonization and the opportunities for green hydrogen-based production.

The Green Economy Coalition proposes a new social contract to drive economic transformation, arguing that current economic systems fail to account for nature's limits and exacerbate inequality. The statement outlines five areas of action to transition toward inclusive green economies, emphasizing the need to integrate nature into economic balance sheets, adopt principles of wellbeing and justice, and ensure participatory citizen engagement in transition planning.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, representing groundWork, Earthlife Africa, and the Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle Campaign, submitted an urgent request for information to the South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment regarding the Climate Change Bill B9-2022. The letter seeks clarification on the removal of emissions trajectories, the status of national adaptation plans, the timeline for regulations, and access to a recent socio-economic impact assessment to enable meaningful public participation before the May 27, 2022, comment deadline.

This Rule 16A Notice, filed by the Centre for Environmental Rights on behalf of GroundWork Trust and the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, raises a constitutional issue regarding the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment's decision to refuse an appeal on 20 November 2021 concerning an Environmental Authorisation granted to Phinda Power Producers (Pty) Limited.

A legal notice filed by the Centre for Environmental Rights on behalf of GroundWork Trust and the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance opposing the referral of a case to mediation regarding an environmental authorisation for a 320MW gas power plant.

This report details a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) assessment of wastewater treatment infrastructure options for the Hartenbos estuary in South Africa, evaluating their impact on water quality, nutrient loads, and potential for agricultural water reuse.

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) hosted a hybrid conference on 13 May 2022 titled 'The Peaceful Application of Nuclear Science and Technology in the Development Agenda'. The event focused on the role of nuclear technology in Africa's development, emphasizing institutional regulation, the inclusion of women and youth, and the pursuit of 'nuclear justice' and disarmament.

This executive summary, published by the Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI) and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, analyzes how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can be leveraged to support Africa's green transition. It argues that while the AfCFTA agreement contains minimal environmental references, it can be adjusted to eliminate trade barriers for environmental goods and services. The document emphasizes the need for a phased decarbonization approach for fossil-fuel-dependent nations and recommends that development partners increase climate financing and align initiatives like the European Green Deal with African realities to avoid duplicating existing continental climate strategies.