Search Climate Insights Directory

Zimbabwe's 2021 Revised NDC increases its conditional GHG emission reduction target to 40% per capita by 2030 (up from 33%) and expands its scope to cover all IPCC sectors: Energy, IPPU, Waste, and AFOLU. The report emphasizes Zimbabwe's high vulnerability to climate change, particularly in its rainfed agriculture sector, and outlines a mitigation cost of US$4,834.47 million. It introduces the National Climate Change Fund and a National Climate Finance Facility to mobilize public and private investment.

This guide, produced by the Green Anglicans and published by WWF South Africa, provides liturgical materials and educational resources for a World Water Day service in 2021. It combines religious worship with ecological advocacy, focusing on water scarcity, social injustice in water access, and the importance of groundwater preservation, particularly within the South African context.

A practical handbook published by WWF South Africa in 2021 designed to empower land users in the Cape Floral Region to identify, plan for, and manage invasive alien plants (IAPs). The guide covers legal obligations, technical clearing methods, health and safety protocols, and long-term rehabilitation strategies.

This 2021 practical guide published by WWF South Africa provides comprehensive instructions for landowners, managers, and contractors on controlling invasive alien plants (IAPs) within the Cape Floral Region. It covers the ecological importance of the region, legal obligations under South African law, strategic planning for removal, various control methods (manual, mechanical, chemical, and biological), health and safety protocols, and long-term rehabilitation strategies.

This 2021 report by WWF South Africa examines the barriers to a circular plastics economy in South Africa. It identifies a lack of demand for post-consumer recyclate (PCR), poor packaging design for recycling, and systemic inertia among virgin polymer producers and converters as primary obstacles. The report highlights the vulnerability of informal waste collectors and the lack of infrastructure for separation at source. It recommends that brand owners and retailers drive demand for PCR, that the government implement extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations, and that PROs collaborate more effectively to fund infrastructure and innovation.

This report analyzes how the Covid-19 pandemic exposed and worsened systemic vulnerabilities in South Africa's waste and recycling sector. It highlights the devastating impact on informal waste reclaimers, who were initially excluded from essential services, and the economic pressure caused by plummeting oil prices making virgin plastic cheaper than recyclate. The author argues for the urgent and inclusive implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations to ensure the sector's resilience and support the transition to a circular economy.

This 2021 report by WWF South Africa evaluates the management effectiveness of the South African marine protected area (MPA) network using the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT-SA 3). Based on a 2018 assessment of 27 sites, the report identifies systemic deficiencies in funding, staffing, and law enforcement, while proposing a phased approach to move MPAs from priority or basic management levels to optimal effectiveness.

The Sustainable Landscape Finance Coalition, a partnership between WWF South Africa and Wilderness Foundation Africa, implements a four-stage 'Finance Solution Approach©' to develop innovative funding for conservation. Key achievements include the scaling of the Section 37D biodiversity tax incentive (projected to reach R1.4 billion by 2026), the launch of the Green Outcomes Fund for green SMMEs, and the investigation of carbon payments and green bonds. The Coalition operates through a Council of decision-makers and an Innovation Hub to mainstream sustainable finance across South African landscapes.

This report by WWF South Africa, developed with Trace & Save and Nedbank, presents a business case for sustainable, regenerative dairy production in South Africa. Based on a case study of 62 pasture-based farms between 2013 and 2019, the report demonstrates a positive correlation between the implementation of sustainability best practices and increased farm profitability, alongside a reduction in environmental impact.

This research paper by the Public Affairs Research Institute identifies two critical gaps in South Africa's just transition discourse: an over-emphasis on energy generation at the expense of energy distribution, and a reactive focus on future transition-induced inequalities rather than existing systemic drivers of poverty.

This policy brief explores green growth financing mechanisms to support Africa's economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that the 'twin COVID–climate crisis' provides an opportunity to 'build back better' by integrating sustainable investment into stimulus packages, leveraging private capital through green bonds, and reforming fiscal and financial regulations to increase climate resilience.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines strategies for sustainable resource mobilisation to strengthen global healthcare systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues for a shift from disease-specific 'vertical' funding to a 'whole systems approach' that addresses the triple burden of non-communicable diseases, existing infections, and pandemic response gaps. The document emphasizes the importance of domestic resource mobilisation (DRM), the need for equitable vaccine distribution through the ACT-Accelerator and COVAX, and the potential for LMICs to leverage lessons from the AIDS epidemic to challenge intellectual property barriers via TRIPS waivers.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs assesses the economic policy responses of low-income countries (LICs) in Africa to the COVID-19 pandemic. It finds that while these countries employed expansionary fiscal and monetary tools, the scale and quality of their responses were modest compared to developed and middle-income nations due to pre-existing structural bottlenecks, high debt, and limited fiscal space. The document emphasizes the need for a data-driven recovery approach, increased digital and financial inclusion, and the continued importance of official development assistance, particularly for fragile states.

This policy brief examines how COVID-19 macroeconomic responses in Nigeria and Uganda have inadvertently increased inequalities. It finds that cash transfers are underfunded and poorly targeted, excluding the urban poor; monetary easing has not lowered commercial loan rates for high-risk borrowers; and budget restructuring has prioritized formal sectors and government suppliers over health, education, and social protection. The brief recommends using electronic platforms for cash distribution and promoting renewable energy investments for low-income households.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted comments on proposed amendments to South Africa's 2014 Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations. In its covering letter, the CER criticizes the lack of an explanatory memorandum, warns against a 'piecemeal approach' to environmental regulation that creates legal uncertainty, and calls for more robust, participatory consultation and further engagement with affected parties before the amendments are finalized.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines four critical technical and political areas that UN negotiators must resolve by COP26 in November 2021. It reviews the outcomes of the 2020 Climate Dialogues and highlights significant gaps in the Paris Agreement rulebook, climate finance commitments, and mechanisms for loss and damage and adaptation.

This filing notice and updated practice note, submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) on December 8, 2020, outlines an appeal in the High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria). The appeal challenges a Water Tribunal decision that dismissed a previous appeal against the granting of a water use licence (WUL) to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd by the Department of Water and Sanitation.

This briefing by the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) evaluates the impact of recent net zero pledges on global warming projections, noting that while targets have lowered end-of-century estimates, a significant gap remains between current policies and the goals required to limit warming to 1.5°C.

The Green Finance Mapping Report 2020, published by the Climate Policy Initiative, analyzes the 2019 green finance commitments of the International Development Finance Club (IDFC). It details a rebound in green finance to $197 billion in 2019, with a heavy concentration in climate mitigation and a growing trend in adaptation finance. The report also examines the distribution of these funds between OECD and non-OECD institutions and their alignment with the Paris Agreement.

This executive summary by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) evaluates the alignment of global power sector investment with the Paris Agreement goals for 2018. Using a new science-based methodology, CPI finds that significant investment continues to flow into fossil fuel power, putting the world on a temperature trajectory exceeding 3.2°C. The document highlights a critical gap in asset-level transaction data and provides recommendations for public and private actors to halt carbon-intensive investments and accelerate the decommissioning of fossil fuel plants.