Search Climate Insights Directory

Morocco re-joined the African Union on 30 January 2017 after a 33-year absence caused by the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The paper argues that Morocco used extensive economic diplomacy and bilateral agreements to secure support for its return, aiming to cement its leadership in Africa and eventually secure AU recognition of its control over Western Sahara. The author highlights a tension between Morocco's rhetoric of African unity and its history of border disputes, suggesting that the AU lacks a strategy to manage the agendas of powerful member states.

The document examines how private-sector investment can be mobilised for climate mitigation in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Climate Investment Funds (CIF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and South Africa's REIPPPP. It argues that while market mechanisms like the CDM have successfully engaged the private sector, further tailoring of rules to African circumstances and stronger synergies between multilateral and national finance are necessary to meet Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goals.

The document discusses the importance of behavioural insights in development aid, highlighting a project in Hola, Kenya, where proposed quality-improving technologies for mango farming failed because farmers prioritised quantity for processing markets over quality for export markets.

The document highlights the persistent gender gap in financial inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa, where less than 30% of women hold financial institution accounts. It presents Savings Groups—member-owned collectives of 15-25 individuals—as a sustainable strategy to provide low-income women with access to savings, credit, and insurance. The FSD Network has invested over $28 million in these groups since 2008 across several African nations to bridge the gap between marginalized populations and formal financial services.

The report assesses the global landscape of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for air conditioners and refrigerators, building energy efficiency codes, and urban heat mitigation. It highlights significant gaps in policy adoption and enforcement in Africa and other emerging markets, while noting that aligning standards with Best Available Technologies (BAT) could improve appliance energy performance by 50% to 65%.

The report examines a variety of low-cost and sustainable cooling technologies, such as evaporative coolers and solar refrigeration, to reduce food loss and improve vaccine delivery in energy-poor regions. It argues that while technical solutions are abundant, the primary barriers to scaling are the enabling environment, including financing, policy alignment, and tailored business models for low-income consumers. The document also highlights the potential of using waste cold from LNG terminals and liquid nitrogen to decarbonize refrigerated transport, particularly in India and China.

As of 31 January 2018, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) had accredited 59 entities, with a pipeline of 198 entities having created accounts on the Online Accreditation System. The report highlights a strategic shift toward prioritizing direct access entities, which now constitute a larger share of those completing the accreditation process. It also details the ongoing support provided to direct access entities through readiness programs and gap assessments, and tracks the progress of accredited entities in fulfilling specific fiduciary, environmental, social, and gender conditions. Additionally, the document notes a temporary lack of quorum in the Accreditation Panel (AP), which delayed new accreditation recommendations for the nineteenth Board meeting.

The document reviews the integration of human rights and social principles across four key areas of the Paris Agreement implementation guidelines: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Adaptation Communications, the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), and the Global Stocktake (GST). It highlights that while some parties, notably Norway, Canada, and the African Group of Negotiators, have pushed for the inclusion of human rights and gender equality, these elements often remain absent from co-facilitator summaries or are limited to specific contexts like adaptation. The briefing notes that the role of civil society and intergovernmental organizations in the ETF and GST processes is a critical factor for ensuring social dimensions are considered in future climate action.

The research examines the fragmented nature of migration regulation across three African regional economic communities (RECs)—SADC, EAC, and Comesa—and their integration into the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA). While the EAC has made significant progress in ratifying and implementing protocols for the free movement of labour and persons, SADC and Comesa suffer from low ratification rates and a tendency to treat economic migration as a national security threat. The document highlights that the TFTA, which covers 26 states with a combined GDP of $1.2 trillion, requires the removal of migration barriers to achieve its market integration goals. Case studies of Tanzania and Rwanda illustrate the tension between regional liberalisation and domestic protectionism, as well as the benefits of an economically driven migration policy. The authors argue that for the TFTA to succeed, RECs must move beyond a security-centric approach and link migration policies to economic imperatives.

The document examines Malawi's position regarding four plurilateral trade agreements: the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), the Information Technology Agreement II (ITA-II), and the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA). While government officials suggest that TiSA and ITA-II could boost industrialization and competitiveness, GTAP modelling indicates that overall gains from participating in these negotiations would be very small or non-existent. Malawi currently faces significant challenges, including an undiversified export base dominated by tobacco, high costs of doing business, and limited human and financial capacity within the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism to engage effectively in complex WTO negotiations.

The proposed programme seeks USD 9,960,000 from the Green Climate Fund to scale up a Decentralised Climate Finance (DCF) model in Mali's Mopti region. It aims to benefit 720,000 people by establishing Local Adaptation Planning Committees (LAPCs) that identify and manage community-led investments. The funding is divided into three main investment windows: climate-resilient agriculture (50% of grants), livestock-based economies (10%), and drinking water for marginalised women (24%), with the remaining 14% dedicated to programme management and technical assistance.

The report highlights the explosive growth of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), with an estimated 40.5 million direct workers in 2017. It examines the sector's critical role in global mineral supplies—including 20% of gold and 80% of sapphires—while detailing severe environmental and health risks, particularly from mercury use in gold mining. The document analyzes the tensions between ASM and large-scale mining (LSM), the limitations of current certification schemes, and the necessity of inclusive formalization processes that address the poverty-driven nature of the sector rather than focusing solely on entrepreneurs.

The African Borrowing Charter provides a framework for African states to balance public debt with the need for inclusive growth and public service delivery. It emphasizes transparency, parliamentary oversight, and the establishment of robust legal frameworks to prevent a recurrence of the debt crises seen in the 1970s-1990s. The Charter advocates for the creation of Public Debt Management Offices and the enactment of Fiscal Responsibility Acts to maintain macroeconomic stability and protect future generations from unsustainable debt burdens.

The report finds that while electricity access finance in 20 high-impact countries increased by 56% to USD 30.2 billion per year in 2015-16, it remains far below the estimated USD 52 billion needed annually. Investment is heavily skewed toward non-residential consumers and grid-connected technologies, including a significant increase in coal-fired power. Sub-Saharan Africa is falling further behind, receiving only 17% of total electricity finance. Clean cooking finance is described as 'abysmally low', dropping 5% to USD 30 million in 2015-16, representing a tiny fraction of the USD 4.4 billion annual need. The report highlights India as a 'bright spot' due to strong domestic private investment in renewables and Indonesia for its use of government subsidies to accelerate LPG adoption.

The document advocates for Community Forest Management (CFM) as a holistic approach to territorial governance that prioritizes the 'Good Living' of indigenous and peasant communities over capitalist development. It asserts that CFM is more effective at reducing deforestation than absolute protection regimes and is essential for maintaining biodiversity and climate stability. The report warns against 'commercial logging' disguised as sustainable management and rejects REDD+ and carbon markets, arguing they centralize power and commodify nature. It recommends strengthening community land tenure, investing in local capacity building, and shifting international finance away from fossil fuels toward community-led conservation.

The report advocates for Community Forest Management (MCB) as a sustainable alternative to industrial logging and top-down conservation. It links MCB to the 'Buen Vivir' philosophy, emphasizing the need for secure land tenure, social capital, and gender equity. The text critiques market-based mechanisms like REDD+ and the Payment for Environmental Services (PSA) for promoting privatization and centralizing control. It concludes with recommendations to shift funding from fossil fuel subsidies toward community-led conservation and the restoration of ancestral rights.

The report promotes community forest management (GCF) as a holistic approach to forest conservation and social justice, contrasting it with destructive industrial logging and the REDD+ mechanism. It argues that GCF, rooted in the 'bien-vivre' paradigm, effectively reduces deforestation and protects biodiversity by empowering indigenous and local communities with secure land tenure and ancestral knowledge. The document highlights the failures of carbon markets and 'sustainable forest management' labels used by corporations to mask extraction. It recommends strengthening community land rights, eliminating fossil fuel subsidies to fund adaptation, and reducing international trade in tropical hardwoods.

The document analyzes the difficulties of creating sustainable horizontal linkages in Mozambique, where a weak manufacturing base and low human capital hinder the ability of local SMEs to diversify beyond specific 'megaprojects'. While the Mozlink II program generated USD 53 million in incremental sales for SMEs, many firms became overly specialized and dependent on the Mozal smelter, failing to transfer skills to other sectors. The study highlights that supplier development programs are insufficient without a broader strategy to address systemic constraints such as lack of access to finance, low educational attainment, and a policy environment biased toward foreign investment.

The document analyzes Tanzania's struggle to develop a National System of Innovation (NSI) and horizontal linkages due to low industrial capacity and skill shortages. It focuses on the Central Development Corridor (CDC), a logistics system connecting Dar es Salaam to the Great Lakes hinterland, highlighting how coordination failures, private sector concession collapses, and fluctuating mineral prices have delayed infrastructure progress. While recent improvements in port efficiency and border services have occurred, the study concludes that government-led investment, rather than reliance on mining firms, is essential for multipurpose infrastructure.

The document outlines a risk-based framework for governments to oversee the valuation of mineral exports, focusing on the technical processes of sampling, preparation, and analytical testing. It proposes three primary policy responses—direct measurement, monitoring company processes, or a hybrid approach—depending on the risk of undervaluation. The guide details the costs and requirements for establishing ISO-accredited laboratories, suggests various financing models, and recommends adopting international reporting standards like JORC or SAMREC to ensure transparency and legal defensibility in tax and royalty collection.