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The report highlights a significant gap between government rhetoric and action regarding fossil fuel subsidies, noting that world governments provided a record USD 1.3 trillion in such subsidies in 2022. It critiques current UNFCCC commitments for lacking deadlines and clear definitions of "inefficient" subsidies. The authors propose several pathways for action at COP 28 and beyond, including the adoption of a 'cover decision', integrating subsidy reform into the first global stocktake, and requiring more ambitious, time-bound commitments in updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The document also suggests leveraging climate finance discussions, such as the 'net climate finance' concept and the new collective quantified goal (NCQG), to address public financial flows to fossil fuels.

The report forecasts a significant increase in Africa's energy demand due to population growth, projecting that it will overtake the EU27 by 2043. While Africa possesses vast oil, gas, and hydropower reserves, its current energy mix remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with 'other renewables' making up only 1.6% of production in 2023. The document highlights a trajectory where Africa will eventually become a major global source of carbon emissions from fossil fuels, overtaking the EU by 2034.

The report identifies Africa as a net energy exporter, though it forecasts that total energy demand will exceed production by 2039. While a small group of countries like Algeria, Nigeria, and Angola maintain high export values, a significant number of African nations remain heavily dependent on energy imports, a group expected to expand by 2043.

The analysis reveals a significant gap between the mention of gender in African NDCs and the implementation of substantive gender-responsive actions. While 90% of assessed NDCs reference gender, only 23% include gender-responsive budgeting and 32% are informed by a gender analysis. The paper highlights that high levels of climate finance mobilisation in countries like Morocco, South Africa, and Egypt have not translated into gender-responsive budgeting. Furthermore, private climate finance remains heavily concentrated in the energy sector (74%), which typically has lower female participation compared to the agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sector, which received only 7% of funding.

The document analyzes the 'epidemic' of military takeovers in Africa, identifying governance dysfunction, democratic decline, civil-military tensions, and Islamist insurgencies as primary drivers. It argues that the African Union (AU) and regional economic communities (RECs) have relied on reactive, inconsistent, and ineffective blanket sanctions that fail to deter coup plotters. The author recommends a shift toward prevention, targeted sanctions, and the strengthening of civil-military relations and democratic legitimacy.

A coalition of over 200 civil society organizations has issued a formal call to governments attending COP28, arguing that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is an unsuitable host due to systemic human rights violations and a conflict of interest involving the COP28 president. The letter demands that the UAE end unlawful surveillance, release prisoners of conscience, and abolish the Kafala system. It specifically highlights abuses of migrant workers at Expo City Dubai and the UAE's role in regional conflicts in Yemen and Libya. Furthermore, the organizations condemn the UAE's 'greenwashing' and the dual role of Sultan al-Jaber as both COP28 president and CEO of the state oil company ADNOC, calling for a global commitment to phase out all fossil fuels to maintain the 1.5C temperature goal.

Social Infra Ventures (SIV) is developing a model for affordable housing in Morocco that integrates climate resilience and gender-responsive design. The instrument utilizes a combination of equity and mezzanine debt to fund a pilot project of 250 units, with the long-term goal of listing its rental portfolio as a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) on the Moroccan stock exchange to create a self-funding mechanism for expansion. SIV targets secondary cities to reduce land costs and focuses on underserved populations, particularly women, by providing both rental and sale options and incorporating childcare and safety features into community design. Environmentally, the project adheres to IFC EDGE and Building Resilience Index standards to reduce carbon emissions and increase adaptive capacity.

The analysis finds that July 2023 was likely Earth's hottest month on record, with human-caused climate change making extreme heat significantly more likely for a vast majority of the global population. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), the report demonstrates that 81% of people experienced at least one day where temperatures were at least three times more likely due to climate change. The strongest signals were observed in tropical regions and small island developing states, where conditions were often five times more likely due to human influence. The report highlights specific record-breaking temperatures in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, emphasizing that such extremes will increase in frequency as long as fossil fuel combustion continues.

The document evaluates the state of governance in Africa using indices such as the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) and the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG). It finds that while some progress has been made in 'voice and accountability', overall governance trends have remained static or declined since 1996. The analysis suggests that while APRM members are statistically more likely to show governance improvement than non-members, the number of reviews undergone does not definitively correlate with better scores. The author argues that both the APRM and the AGR suffer from a lack of implementation of their recommendations and that the AGR risks duplicating the APRM's efforts.

The report finds that despite robust anti-money laundering policies, there are few financial investigations into migrant smuggling in Senegal and Sierra Leone due to resource gaps and the prevalence of cash-based, informal financial systems. Smugglers utilize 'pay-as-you-go' and 'full-package' models, moving funds through hawala systems and foreign currency black markets to avoid detection. Illicit proceeds are frequently laundered through real estate, the hospitality industry, and faith-based organisations. The study highlights significant institutional challenges, including underfunded Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), a lack of beneficial ownership registries in Senegal, and corruption within law enforcement in Sierra Leone.

The report finds that despite robust anti-money laundering policies, there are few criminal investigations into the financial proceeds of migrant smuggling in Senegal and Sierra Leone. Smugglers rely heavily on cash and informal transfer systems like hawala to move funds, which are then laundered through real estate, used car imports, and hospitality businesses. Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) in both countries are underfunded and lack the specialized capacity to 'follow the money,' while corruption and a lack of witness cooperation further hinder prosecutions.

The policy brief identifies three primary drivers of food insecurity in Africa: limits to agricultural land, limits to agricultural productivity, and climate change effects. It highlights a steady decline in arable land per capita from 0.31 in 1990 to 0.2 in 2020, alongside severe productivity gaps where African farmers use only 8kg of fertiliser per hectare compared to 140kg in Asia and Latin America. The document calls on the G20 to provide financial and technical support for soil mapping, small-scale irrigation, the Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism, and the commercialisation of quality seeds to help the continent meet UN Sustainable Development Goals and AU Agenda 2063 targets.

The GCF has become the largest multilateral climate finance contributor to African states, but its portfolio is heavily weighted toward mitigation (59%) over adaptation (41%), despite urgent regional needs. While the fund has successfully leveraged co-financing, particularly from Multilateral Development Banks, it faces significant efficiency challenges, including cumbersome accreditation and approval processes, language barriers for non-Anglophone states, and a paucity of Direct Access Entities (DAEs). The report recommends a strategic shift toward adaptation, streamlining access for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Fragile, Conflict and Violence (FCV) states, and increasing regional presence in Africa.

The report identifies poor governance, hydrocarbon dependence, and an unsustainable subsidy system as primary barriers to Algeria's growth. It projects a modest GDP growth rate of 1.8% between 2020 and 2040 under the 'Current Path' but proposes an 'Algerian Dream' scenario based on four reform pillars: improved governance, economic transformation, investment in the knowledge economy, and a transition to sustainable agriculture and renewable energy.

The paper analyzes the shift in German-African energy relations from a focus on development aid to a complex mix of energy diplomacy, foreign policy, and technical cooperation. It highlights a tension between Germany's goals for a green transition (including hydrogen partnerships) and its strategic interests in diversifying fossil fuel imports. The author critiques 'energy colonialism' and the financialization of projects, recommending that future cooperation be grounded in 'energy justice' and a value-chain approach to ensure local benefits and social standards.

The research identifies a significant gap between solar radiation potential and installed capacity in lower-income countries, driven by high costs of capital linked to sovereign, political, and off-taker risks. To address this, the authors propose a Global Credit Guarantee Facility (GCGF) with a suggested capitalization of USD 6.6 billion to provide partial guarantees for cross-border debt. The paper models two approaches for the GCGF's impact: one reducing overall risk premiums by an average of 6% and another reducing them by 3% by focusing solely on default rates. The facility aims to mobilize approximately USD 120 billion in debt to meet the 2030 solar targets of shortlisted emerging market and developing economy countries.

The document evaluates the impact of AU governance tools, finding that while APRM members are statistically more likely to show governance improvements than non-members, neither the APRM nor the AGR has fundamentally reversed a general trend of stagnation or decline in African governance since 1996. It highlights a lack of resilience in governance scores following shocks and argues that the focus of these mechanisms must shift from providing recommendations to ensuring their implementation.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has disclosed the Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) for the LEAF Risk Sharing Facility with the African Guarantee Fund (AGF). The subproject, categorized as FI-B/I-2, provides guarantees to Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) portfolios. Because local financial intermediaries and DRE companies are not yet determined, no project-specific ESIA or ESMP is required; instead, the AGF E&S Framework will guide future due diligence. Disclosure of the ESMS occurred on 29 May 2023, and the AfDB confirmed that AGF's system is compliant with its Integrated Safeguards System (ISS).

The author argues that German-African health cooperation is shaped by a colonial legacy and currently prioritizes European security and economic interests over African public health needs. While Germany promotes multilateralism and human rights, the document highlights contradictions in vaccine equity, intellectual property regimes, and the recruitment of African health workers. The author calls for a transition toward a partnership based on solidarity, climate and health justice, and respect for an 'African New Public Health Order'.

The document discusses the role of the AfCFTA Investment Protocol and the proposed Pan-African Trade and Investment Agency in attracting foreign and domestic investment to Africa. It emphasizes that reducing tariffs alone is insufficient to increase intra-African trade; instead, Africa must scale up the production of complex goods through regional value chains. The author suggests that coordinating investment promotion around specific sectors, such as the automotive industry, can create agglomeration economies and attract skilled labor, providing a more feasible path for the AfCFTA Secretariat than a broad coordination of all 54 national investment agencies.