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The author contends that Africa's industrialization is hindered by a fragmented policy landscape where countries are often subject to three or more overlapping industrial strategies. This coordination failure, combined with poor infrastructure and low innovation capacity, has led to 'de-industrialisation' in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the industrial sector's contribution to GDP has declined relative to the primary sector. To leverage the AfCFTA, the paper proposes a unified industrial policy focusing on pooled resources for infrastructure, regional product specialization, SME growth, clean energy transitions, and the development of indigenous technologies.

The GCF's private sector strategy aims to mobilize institutional finance and private capital for climate adaptation and mitigation in developing countries through a four-pronged approach: promoting conducive investment environments, accelerating innovation, de-risking market-creating investments, and strengthening domestic financial institutions. The report reviews the PSF's performance, noting a co-financing ratio of 3.25:1 and a heavy initial reliance on concessional loans. To meet its updated Strategic Plan targets, the GCF proposes expanding its use of equity and guarantees, improving the accreditation process via a project-specific assessment approach, and implementing a private sector outreach plan.

The paper examines the rise of Eurobond issuance in Africa as governments seek alternatives to aid, noting that sovereign credit ratings from Moody’s, Fitch, and S&P are essential for market access. It finds that most African countries' ratings have deteriorated since their first assessment, leading to higher borrowing costs and prioritizing debt repayment over human rights and health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors criticize the 'big three' for their oligopolistic nature, unreliable methodologies, and limited physical presence in Africa, recommending increased regulation, accountability, and transparency in how Eurobond funds are utilized.

The document examines the rise of Eurobonds as a development financing tool in Africa and the corresponding increase in sovereign credit ratings assigned by Moody's, Fitch, and S&P. It finds that most African countries' ratings have deteriorated since their first assessment, increasing borrowing costs and sometimes forcing governments to prioritize debt repayment over public health and human rights during crises like COVID-19. The authors criticize the 'big three' for their oligopolistic nature, lack of local presence, and use of unsolicited ratings, recommending stricter regulation, better local knowledge, and transparent project-linked borrowing.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced European states to prioritize energy security over climate goals, leading to a 'dash for LNG' that outbids developing nations and encourages a global return to coal. This shift undermines EU climate leadership and risks 'locking in' long-term fossil fuel infrastructure in Africa and Asia.

The document argues that TotalEnergies' 2022 climate plan is incomplete and incompatible with a 1.5°C pathway, citing a lack of short-term absolute Scope 3 targets and continued investment in oil and gas expansion. It recommends that investors vote against the management-sponsored 'Say on Climate' resolution and oppose the reappointment of specific Directors to signal disapproval of the company's fossil fuel strategy. The briefing also highlights legal and reputational risks associated with the EACOP project in East Africa, greenwashing lawsuits, and the company's continued assets in Russia.

The report finds that the world's 60 largest banks provided USD $4.6 trillion in fossil fuel financing from 2016 to 2021, with $742 billion in 2021 alone. It highlights a significant gap between banks' net-zero commitments and their actual lending and underwriting practices, particularly regarding companies expanding oil, gas, and coal production. The analysis identifies JPMorgan Chase as the world's worst banker of fossil fuels over this period. The report also details financing in high-impact subsectors, such as tar sands, Arctic oil and gas, and coal power, while emphasizing the human rights impacts on Indigenous and frontline communities.

Reclaim Finance assesses TotalEnergies' 2022 climate plan as insufficient, noting that the company's emissions are projected to decrease by only 5.8% to 6.7% between 2015 and 2030. The analysis highlights a 'fossil-first' investment strategy where over 70% of CAPEX remains dedicated to oil and gas, and criticizes the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) as fundamentally incompatible with climate goals. The document urges shareholders to vote against the management-sponsored climate resolution at the 2022 AGM.

Kenya possesses a relatively large insurance market with a strong history of inclusive innovation, yet retail reach remains limited beyond compulsory lines and the National Hospital Insurance Fund. While the regulatory environment is largely enabling, significant barriers persist, including a shortage of STEM and actuarial skills, high data costs, and a lack of dedicated licensing for insurtechs. The report recommends that the IRA explicitly recognize insurtechs in its framework, enhance cross-authority coordination, and shift toward outcome-oriented innovation monitoring.

The GCF Secretariat exceeded several 2021 targets, allocating USD 1.2 billion in a single board meeting and reaching a total portfolio size of USD 10 billion. Key achievements include increasing the share of direct access entity (DAE) programming and reducing the time from project approval to first disbursement. However, the Secretariat faces significant capacity constraints in processing a pipeline of over 150 accreditation and re-accreditation applications, and the simplified approval process (SAP) remains the only programming target not met.

The document assesses Tanzania's macroeconomic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the use of accommodative monetary and fiscal policies to avoid recession. It recommends strengthening healthcare, implementing macroprudential policies, and prioritizing climate-resilient economic development and social protection for vulnerable groups.

The document examines the COVID-19 macroeconomic responses of South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Benin, Tanzania, and Uganda. It finds that wealthier, more open economies like South Africa and Senegal were more vulnerable to trade shocks but had greater capacity for fiscal and financial stimulus. In contrast, Tanzania and Benin experienced marginal growth deceleration due to minimal government reactions. The report highlights a looming 'debt repayment wall' peaking in 2024 and argues for a transition toward green energy, diversified revenue bases, and the redirection of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) from high-income nations to support African development and climate adaptation.

The document details a legal action where plaintiffs allege that Total failed to adequately assess human rights and environmental impacts of its Tilenga oil project, which involves oil extraction in Uganda and a pipeline to Tanzania. The case centers on whether Total's vigilance plan violated France's 2017 Duty of Vigilance Law, which requires companies to prevent environmental harm and human rights violations across their operations and subsidiaries. After the Nanterre Judicial Court and the Court of Appeal of Versailles declined jurisdiction, the applicants appealed to the Court of Cassation.

The report argues that forests are vital to human health through three primary functions: provisioning (food, water, medicinal plants), prevention (reducing zoonotic spillover and buffering natural hazards), and healing (reducing risks of noncommunicable diseases). It highlights how deforestation and degradation trigger negative health cascades, such as increased disease spillover and higher exposure to pollution and extreme heat. The document advocates for a systems approach to forest conservation, integrating public health and environmental sectors to protect intact forests, improve working land management, diversify restoration, and create urban forests.

The report argues that climate mitigation and socioeconomic development can be achieved simultaneously through synergistic solutions. It introduces the Drawdown Lift Human Well-Being Index (HWI), based on the Doughnut Economics model, to assess 12 dimensions of human well-being. The analysis focuses on five groups of solutions: Improving Agriculture and Agroforestry, Protecting and Restoring Ecosystems, Adopting Clean Cooking, Providing Clean Electricity, and Fostering Equality. The report provides evidence that these solutions can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while directly improving food security, health, income, and gender equality in low- and middle-income countries.

The report argues that South Africa's policy of elevating trophy hunting as a conservation tool lacks empirical support and is economically insignificant compared to non-consumptive tourism. It highlights systemic governance failures, particularly in the Association of Private Nature Reserves (APNR), and suggests that the practice may actually harm biodiversity by targeting prime males and fragmenting landscapes. The author recommends a moratorium on trophy hunting for elephants, rhinos, leopards, lions, and giraffes, proposing a shift toward non-lethal alternatives like carbon and biodiversity credits.

The document examines Russia's soft-power strategy in Africa, noting that while Russia is primarily associated with hard power, it leverages Soviet-era legacies, education, and anti-Western narratives to attract African elites and populations. It identifies key strengths in the promotion of multipolarity and traditional values, while highlighting limitations such as insufficient financial resources and the mixed results of vaccine diplomacy.

The proposal outlines a plan to mobilize the private sector in Burundi to address climate vulnerability. It focuses on three main objectives: nominating and preparing two national entities for Green Climate Fund (GCF) accreditation, developing an action plan to implement a private sector engagement framework, and training stakeholders in developing GCF project applications. The project is implemented by the Centre de Suivi Écologique (CSE) in collaboration with Burundi's Ministry of Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock.

The document details the environmental and social safeguard compliance for the uThukela MPA Ecosystem Based Management Project in South Africa. It outlines the disclosure of the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), the Stakeholder Engagement Plan, and the Grievance Mechanism, ensuring accessibility in both English and isiZulu for local communities. The project focuses on the protection and restoration of ecosystems in the uThukela Banks Marine Protected Area and associated estuarine zones to reduce climate-related socio-ecological risk.

The report identifies a significant financing gap in Kenya's climate response, noting that while renewable energy is well-funded, adaptation sectors like water, forestry, and food security are underserved. To address this, it proposes three market-based instruments: the African Conservancies Fund (ACF) for wildlife and tourism, the Chyulu Hills Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) for watershed protection, and the Green Village Savings and Loans Association (GVSLA) for community-level resilience. The document emphasizes the role of blended finance and concessional funding in the early stages of these projects to mitigate risk and attract private investors.