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A SAVi assessment of the SUNCASA project in Johannesburg's Jukskei River catchment finds that nature-based solutions—including riparian restoration of 469 hectares and planting 46,000 trees—will generate USD 8.6 million in net benefits over 25 years. The highest return comes from improved water quality, which is expected to save USD 3.7 million in health costs.

Natural Justice, The Green Connection, and the Aukotowa Primary Fishing Cooperative are challenging an Environmental Authorisation granted in 2023 to TotalEnergies EP South Africa S.A.S for ultra deep water exploration drilling in the Deep Water Orange Basin, approximately 200 km off South Africa's west coast. The organisations are asking the Western Cape High Court to set aside the authorisation and the dismissal of internal appeals, with hearings scheduled for 23 and 24 March 2026 in Cape Town.

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 report by the Africa Policy Research Institute analyzes the geopolitical landscape of Africa in 2025, characterized by a shift toward a multipolar world. It examines the impact of US strategic retrenchment, the first G20 summit held on the continent, tensions in the Horn of Africa, and the strategic competition over critical minerals along the Lobito Corridor.

This report by the Africa Policy Research Institute analyzes the geopolitical landscape of Africa in 2025, characterized by a shift toward a multipolar world order. It examines the impact of the second Trump administration's transactional approach to US-Africa relations, the outcomes of the first G20 summit held on the continent in South Africa, and the strategic competition over critical minerals along the Lobito Corridor. The document also details increasing instability in the Horn of Africa driven by global and regional power rivalries.

The Just Transition in the Food System network comments on the SA Human Rights Commission's inquiry into the South African food system (12-19 March). While supporting the inquiry's goals to address structural hunger and the right to food, the network criticizes the absence of corporate testimony and the lack of local/provincial hearings, which may exclude the voices of the most marginalized people experiencing food insecurity.

The report analyzes the challenges and institutional developments facing Africa's green technology transition in 2025. It highlights the impact of tightening global trade rules, such as the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and the uncertainty surrounding the US African Growth and Opportunity Act, alongside the withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement. The document details continental efforts to mobilize climate finance, integrate regional power markets, and adopt AI for climate action, while emphasizing the need for affordable decarbonization finance to prevent the marginalization of smaller African firms.

The report analyzes the state of Africa's green technology transition in 2025, highlighting the tension between increasing technology affordability and tightening global trade and regulatory frameworks. It details the impact of US trade policy shifts, the upcoming EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and continental efforts to mobilize climate finance and integrate energy markets.

This case study describes a childcare program established by AVEGA Agahozo under the SUNCASA project in Kigali, Rwanda. The initiative provides on-site care for children aged 9 to 35 months at tree nurseries, enabling mothers to participate more effectively in nature-based solutions (NbS) activities by removing the burden of balancing childcare with work.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) submitted a critique of South Africa's 2026 Budget, arguing that the National Treasury continues a decade of austerity that undermines economic growth and public service delivery. The IEJ contends that the budget prioritizes debt stabilization and tax relief for high-income earners over critical investments in infrastructure, education, and social protection, thereby failing to address chronic food insecurity and unemployment.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) submitted a critique of the 2026 draft amendments to the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant regulations, arguing that the amendments fail to address systemic barriers to accessibility and the inadequacy of the grant's value.

This factsheet provides an introduction to South Africa's draft National Norms and Standards for the recognition of Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), which outline the process for recognizing biodiversity conservation in areas outside of formal protected areas.

The Universal Basic Income Coalition (UBIC) condemns the 2026 Budget for failing to increase the SRD grant and for maintaining the Child Support Grant (CSG) at levels well below the food poverty line. The coalition warns that the National Treasury's goal to save R3 billion through the Targeted and Responsible Savings (TARS) programme relies on flawed fraud assumptions and risks excluding millions of vulnerable people due to SASSA's capacity constraints.

This briefing examines the limitations of Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) and proposes South-South cooperation as a complementary approach to advance sustainable and equitable transitions in low- and middle-income countries, specifically highlighting potential collaboration between South Africa and Colombia.

The summary of the 12th Meeting of the San Giorgio Group (SGG12), convened by the Climate Policy Initiative in March 2026, outlines a strategic framework to accelerate climate-development alignment. The meeting focused on moving from incremental interventions to systemic transformation by leveraging 'relevance, resilience, and resolve' to scale climate finance and improve country-level delivery.

This methodology brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) details a four-pathway framework for tracking capital mobilization resulting from its support of innovative climate finance vehicles. The approach distinguishes between direct mobilization (capital flowing to vehicles) and indirect mobilization (capital flowing to end investees), aiming to provide a comprehensive view of how upstream technical assistance and grants catalyze downstream investment in climate mitigation and adaptation within emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs).

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the financial and institutional barriers preventing South African municipalities from accessing climate finance to support the just energy transition (JET). It highlights a significant gap where less than 10% of tracked climate finance reaches local governments, despite their critical role in electricity distribution and community resilience. The document analyzes current funding models, the impact of national policy frameworks, and provides recommendations to improve municipal creditworthiness and project bankability.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted written comments on the Water Services Amendment Bill [B24 – 2025], welcoming the introduction of a licensing regime for Water Services Providers (WSPs) and personal liability for directors and municipal managers. However, the CER raised significant concerns regarding the concentration of authority in the Director General, the lack of mandatory environmental and public-health standards in the licensing process, and the absence of emergency enforcement mechanisms for acute pollution events. The CER argues that while the Bill improves governance, it fails to address systemic under-funding of infrastructure and climate-change resilience.

The global pipeline for wind and utility-scale solar projects grew by 11% in 2025, reaching 4.9 TW. While China and India lead in construction and prospective capacity, G7 nations show stagnant growth in their pipelines, creating a gap in meeting the COP28 goal to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.

This report documents a three-day workshop focused on the intersection of climate change and South Africa's food system, specifically exploring how to use the Climate Change Act 22 of 2024 to advocate for justice-based transformations. The workshop brought together diverse stakeholders—including labour, civil society, and small-scale producers—to move beyond technical 'climate-smart' fixes toward transformative alternatives like agroecology and land reform.