Search Climate Insights Directory

The document details the experience of the Mashujaa group, a collective of young women in Uhamaka, Tanzania, who transitioned from sunflower and maize cultivation to beekeeping after erratic rainfall patterns led to repeated crop failures. With technical support from SEMA and SNV, the group implemented modern beehives, increasing honey production from 5-7 litres per hive to 20 litres. Despite initial community opposition based on gender stereotypes, the initiative has improved the economic and social status of the members, providing a model for locally-led adaptation and the importance of climate-smart technology for smallholder farmers.

The document argues that blue economy incubators and accelerators are essential mechanisms for nurturing ocean-based businesses and incentivising blue finance in Africa. It highlights the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships, the integration of these programmes into maritime clusters, and the use of blended finance to de-risk private investment. The brief provides examples of existing initiatives, such as OceanHub Africa and various global accelerators, to illustrate how these models can support sustainable aquaculture, climate action, and blue-tech solutions.

The document examines the tension between Africa's significant natural gas resources and the global shift toward net-zero emissions. It argues that while gas provides short-term revenue and energy security, long-term investments face high risks of becoming stranded assets due to declining global demand and the falling costs of renewable energy. The paper advocates for leveraging climate finance to scale up renewables and green hydrogen, which it presents as more sustainable pathways for economic diversification and energy access.

The document examines the process and impact of an economic study in Uganda that found the cost of inaction on climate change to be 20–24 times higher than the cost of adaptation. This evidence facilitated the integration of climate change into national development plans (NDP II and NDP III), the elevation of the Climate Change Unit to a Department, and the passage of the National Climate Change Act 2021. Key success factors included continuous engagement with high-level leadership, an in-country presence, and the use of layered communication products like documentary films. However, challenges remain in sub-national implementation and the lack of dedicated climate budget lines in the national budgeting system.

FSD Africa's Capital Markets team works to address financing gaps in Africa by developing enabling policies, market infrastructure, and innovative financial products. The report highlights the mobilization of approximately GBP 320 million through bond issuances, including pioneering green and gender bonds in countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and Morocco. It details the Africa Regulatory Support Programme (ARSP) and the African Local Currency Bond Fund (ALCB Fund) as key mechanisms for reducing currency risk and increasing private sector investment. Moving forward, FSD Africa is concentrating its efforts on five priority countries—Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria—with a strong emphasis on green capital markets and natural capital finance.

The report highlights the urgent need for food systems transformation in southern Africa due to climate change, population growth, and high rates of malnutrition. It reviews key 2021 global and regional events—including the UN Food Systems Summit, the AGRF Summit, and COP26—to identify national entry points for action across southern African states, emphasizing the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus and the role of youth and ecosystem restoration.

The document explores the evolving relationship between Korea and Africa, focusing on how Korea's carbon-neutrality goals and technological expertise can support Africa's climate resilience. It identifies key areas for partnership, including renewable energy, green minerals for batteries, smart city development, and climate-resilient agriculture, while emphasizing the need for these initiatives to be African-led and aligned with the AU's strategic framework.

The document examines the challenges African countries face in accessing sustainable finance for regional infrastructure, noting a significant financing deficit and a lack of bankable projects. It highlights the disparity between climate mitigation and adaptation finance, arguing that adaptation is more critical for Africa's vulnerability. The brief analyzes the ASEAN regional approach—specifically its sustainability taxonomies and the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility—as a model for Africa. It evaluates current AU initiatives, such as the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa and the Green Infrastructure Corridor for Intra-African Trade, and recommends integrating sustainability more deeply into AfCFTA protocols to attract investment and enhance climate resilience.

The document examines the vulnerability of community-based conservation (CBC) to corruption, specifically highlighting risks in land tenure, administrative processes, and revenue sharing. It argues that power imbalances and insecure resource rights enable elite capture and bribery, which can lead to resource overexploitation and project failure. To counter this, the author recommends strengthening institutional capacities, implementing social accountability tools, and ensuring inclusive definitions of 'community' to protect marginalized groups.

The document highlights the climate vulnerability of the Singida region in Tanzania, where smallholder farmers face low productivity due to unreliable rainfall and pests. It details the success of Amani Saidi Mwangu and the 'Muungano Group', who adopted climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and irrigation after receiving training from Sustainable Environment Management Action (SEMA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), and a 3,000,000 Tanzanian shilling loan. These interventions enabled the use of drought-tolerant, early-maturing seed varieties (such as Bombay red and Red creole), leading to increased yields of tomatoes and onions and expanded market reach to Uganda and Kenya.

The document examines how the Russia-Ukraine war has destabilized energy markets, undermining Russia's role as an 'energy superpower' and creating significant economic pressure on the Global South. It presents three scenarios: 'Stable high' prices, 'Persistent volatility', and 'Business as usual', analyzing how each affects national budgets, regional stability in the Middle East and Africa, and the global transition to renewable energy. The authors argue that while the crisis may incentivize some decarbonization, it also risks locking in fossil fuel production in the Global South and prioritizing immediate energy security over Paris Agreement goals.

The document argues that SMBC's reported role in the EACOP project exposes the group to reputational, financial, and legal liabilities, while contradicting its own environmental and human rights commitments.

The Project Preparation Facility (PPF) has disbursed and committed USD 32.8 million (82% of its USD 40 million allocation) to support the development of climate funding proposals. To date, PPF support has enabled 11 approved funding proposals totaling nearly USD 3.0 billion in investment. The Secretariat has reduced processing times by 84% through streamlined approvals and introduced simplified funding and service modalities to better support direct access entities (DAEs). To cover a pipeline of 28 active requests and anticipated new needs, the document requests an additional USD 18.0 million for the remainder of GCF-1.

The document details the significant ESG risks of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), including threats to biodiversity, human rights violations, and climate incompatibility. It highlights the financial and reputational risks for Japanese banks, particularly SMBC, and compares their policies with peers like Mizuho and MUFG.

The report details the environmental and social disclosure process for a subproject in Tanzania's Pemba Channel, focusing on community-led coastal ecosystem management. It identifies the project's risk classification as Category B+ and lists the specific districts in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania where the project is located. The document provides links to the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), Grievance Mechanism, and Stakeholder Engagement Plan, confirming that these were disclosed between May and June 2022.

A coalition of NGOs argues that TotalEnergies' climate strategy is incompatible with the 1.5°C goal, citing insufficient decarbonization targets and continued fossil fuel expansion. They call on investors to vote against the company's climate strategy and the reappointment of specific directors at the May 2022 Annual General Meeting, and to suspend new financial services to the company.

A coalition of NGOs argues that TotalEnergies' climate strategy is incompatible with the 1.5°C warming limit, citing insufficient emission reductions and continued investment in fossil fuel expansion. The signatories call on investors to vote against the company's sustainable development resolution and the renewal of specific directors' mandates, while urging a halt to new financial support until the company stops developing new oil and gas projects.

The report examines how illicit financial flows (IFFs) deprive East and Southern African governments of resources needed for social protection. Focusing on Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, it compares the scale of financial losses from tax evasion, corruption, and trade misinvoicing against the funding gaps in social assistance programmes. The study concludes that recovering these lost funds could significantly increase the coverage and adequacy of social protection floors for vulnerable groups.

Reclaim Finance has issued a series of formal questions to Société Générale regarding the bank's alignment with a 1.5°C warming trajectory. The document argues that Société Générale continues to provide significant financial services to major oil and gas developers, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, TotalEnergies, and BP, and fails to effectively exclude non-conventional hydrocarbons and coal-producing parent companies from its portfolios.

The document argues that TotalEnergies is not on track for the 1.5°C climate goal, as its cumulative greenhouse gas emissions are projected to exceed the compatible carbon budget by at least 31.8% by 2050. It finds that the company's strategy remains driven by oil and gas expansion, with production levels expected to increase by 18.4% by 2030 compared to 2020. The analysis highlights an unsustainable reliance on carbon offsets and a CAPEX allocation that continues to favor fossil fuels over renewables.