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The IGF Mining Policy Framework is a detailed guide for governments to regulate the mining sector sustainably. It is organized into six pillars: laws and institutions, financial benefits, socio-economic benefits, environmental management, mine closure transition, and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The framework emphasizes transparency, gender equality, human rights, and the protection of indigenous peoples. Key recommendations include the use of integrated environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs), the establishment of robust financial assurance for mine closures, and the formalization of the ASM sector to reduce poverty and environmental harm. It specifically advocates for the elimination of mercury in ASM and the implementation of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) for indigenous communities.

The document argues that while Chinese lending is not the primary cause of Africa's debt distress, specific features of the 'China model'—including lack of transparency, resource-backed loans, and the exclusion of collective restructuring clauses—exacerbate financial vulnerabilities. It highlights how these factors, combined with broader economic shocks, can lead to socio-economic instability, reduced spending on essential services, and increased risks of conflict. The brief recommends enhanced loan transparency, the adoption of legally binding reporting protocols, and improved national debt management to protect human security and development.

The African Nature Based Tourism Platform, funded by the Global Environment Facility, is working to mobilize $15 million for tourism-reliant communities and SMEs across 11 countries in eastern and southern Africa. Based on 687 surveys conducted in early 2021, the Platform identified critical vulnerabilities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including severe revenue losses and threats to food and water security. These insights have informed the development of community-led grant proposals focusing on climate-smart agriculture, water security through solar-powered boreholes, and inclusive governance. Specific successful funding mobilizations include a $1.4 million EU grant for governance in Tanzania's Wildlife Management Areas and various projects in Malawi, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Kenya aimed at diversifying livelihoods to reduce reliance on tourism and prevent the unsustainable use of natural resources.

The document outlines an 11-day conservation-focused safari led by WWF's African Species Director, Bas Huijbregts. The journey visits key sites within the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), including Chobe National Park, Lake Kariba, Matusadona National Park, Hwange National Park, and Victoria Falls. The itinerary emphasizes WWF's efforts to secure wildlife corridors and support the coexistence of people and wildlife in the region.

The ZAMBEZI ADMIT project is a proposed USD 50 million initiative (requesting USD 30 million from the Green Climate Fund) to address high deforestation rates and climate vulnerability in Zambia's North-Western province. The project focuses on the 'forest-water-climate nexus,' targeting five districts: Mwinilunga, Ikelenge, Kapombo, Manyinga, and Kalumbila. It seeks to reduce GHG emissions by 10.4 million tCO2eq over 20 years by sustainably managing 100,000 ha of forests, restoring 10,000 ha, and establishing 2,000 ha of agroforestry. The project aims to benefit 225,000 people by diversifying livelihoods away from unsustainable charcoal production and rain-fed agriculture. Key components include the establishment of Community Forest Management Groups (CFMGs), the development of non-wood forest product value chains, and the mobilization of diverse finance sources, including payments for environmental services (PES) from ZESCO and the development of a jurisdictional REDD+ program.

The report examines the synergy between decentralised renewable energy (DRE) and electric mobility (e-mobility) in rural and peri-urban areas of emerging economies. It argues that DRE systems, such as solar mini-grids, can overcome electricity access barriers and provide a sustainable power source for electric vehicles (EVs), which in turn can act as mobile batteries to balance DRE systems. Through 13 case studies and an expert interview, the document highlights the socio-economic benefits of this transition—including reduced operational costs for transport operators, job creation, and improved access to healthcare—while identifying critical barriers such as high capital expenditure (CAPEX), lack of supportive regulatory frameworks, and supply chain disruptions. The report provides specific recommendations for project developers, policymakers, and investors to scale these solutions through local R&D, blended finance, and gender-lens investment.

This briefing by Good Governance Africa outlines the economic challenges facing Zambia's mining sector and recommends a profit-based Mineral Royalty Tax (MRT) framework to attract investment and increase copper production for the global energy transition.

The document argues that 'net zero' targets are a 'smoke screen' allowing corporations to maintain fossil fuel and industrial agriculture business models. It specifically critiques 'nature-based solutions' (NbS) and carbon offsets as mechanisms that lead to land grabbing, the displacement of Indigenous and peasant communities, and the co-optation of agroecology. The report highlights the technical failures of carbon offsets, the volatility of biological carbon storage compared to fossil carbon, and the risks of 'digital soil carbon' platforms that allow agribusinesses to control farmer data and land use.

The document argues that 'net zero' targets are deceptive tools used by fossil fuel and agribusiness giants to avoid radical emission cuts. It specifically critiques 'nature-based solutions' (NBS) and soil carbon sequestration as mechanisms that facilitate land grabbing, marginalize small-scale farmers, and prioritize corporate profit over genuine agroecology and food sovereignty.

The report argues that 'net zero' targets are a 'smokescreen' allowing corporations to maintain fossil-fuel-based business models through carbon offsetting and 'nature-based solutions'. It contends that these mechanisms lead to land grabbing, the dispossession of Indigenous and peasant communities, and the co-option of agroecology. The document specifically highlights the risks of soil carbon farming as a means for agribusiness and IT companies to harvest farm data and exert control over land use. It concludes that real climate justice requires a transition to food sovereignty and a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels rather than reliance on unverifiable carbon credits.

Zambia is positioned to benefit from the global demand for copper and cobalt driven by the energy transition, but faces challenges from a history of unstable mining taxes and poor relations with investors. The briefing recommends adopting a profit-based Mineral Royalty Tax (MRT) to encourage capital investment and exploration, particularly as ore grades decline and underground mining costs rise. It also calls for clarifying the role of Zambian Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) and resolving disputes with companies like Vedanta Resources to restore investor confidence.

The document advocates for a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG) in South Africa, defining it as a regular cash transfer provided as a right to all adults to cover basic necessities. It argues that a UBIG is superior to targeted grants, which often suffer from high exclusion errors and administrative complexity. The series presents evidence that basic income support improves health, education, and mental well-being, particularly for children, and empowers women by reducing their economic dependence on men and vulnerability to intimate partner violence. Economically, it contends that UBIGs do not create dependency or discourage work; instead, they can stimulate local economies through a multiplier effect and provide workers with an 'exit option' from exploitative labor. The document proposes financing the UBIG through progressive taxation, including a social security tax, wealth taxes, and the removal of subsidies for the wealthy, estimating a gross annual cost of R255 billion if set at the Food Poverty Line, which would be significantly offset by VAT recoupment and economic growth.

The document contends that social grants do not cause labour market withdrawal but instead increase agency and the ability to search for work. It provides evidence from South Africa and other low-and middle-income countries showing that cash transfers can stimulate local economic growth, increase self-employment, and improve human capital. The text argues that a universal basic income guarantee (UBIG) is necessary to address immediate hunger and gender injustice, as it supports unpaid care work and provides workers with an 'exit option' from exploitative employment.

The document examines how bilateral tax conventions can lead to significant revenue losses for resource-rich developing countries in the mining sector. It analyzes common pitfalls—such as the use of 'treaty shopping' and narrow definitions of immovable property—and provides specific drafting recommendations. Key strategies include adopting the UN Model over the OECD Model, implementing broader definitions of 'immovable property' in domestic law, and creating specific articles for extractive industries to ensure the right to tax indirect transfers and subcontractors.

The document examines the drivers of debt distress in developing countries, particularly in Africa, and critiques the inadequacy of current G7 and G20 relief mechanisms. It highlights how a shift toward private creditors and the failure of the G20 Common Framework to enforce private sector participation have hindered debt restructuring. The text advocates for a total dismantling of the current global financial architecture in favor of innovative domestic financing, increased transparency, and the establishment of an International Developing Country Debt Authority.

The Rabobank Acorn Agroforestry Carbon Programme supports smallholder farmers in Zambia, Nigeria, and Kenya in transitioning to sustainable agricultural production through a technology-enabled carbon sequestration marketplace. By utilizing Payment for Ecological Services (PES) via carbon credits, the program aims to monetize natural capital, increase food security, and create green jobs. The pilot phase is currently underway, with carbon loans already disbursed and technical training provided to farmers. The first carbon credits trading cycle is expected to take place in three years.

The MEFMI Debt Management Programme (February 2021 - September 2022) provided technical assistance and capacity building to several African nations to improve debt sustainability, transparency, and strategic management. Key achievements include conducting debt sustainability analyses in Eswatini and Tanzania, developing a debt statistical bulletin in Botswana, consolidating debt databases in Zambia, and formulating Medium-Term Debt Management Strategies in Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

The report identifies a significant gap between the availability of gender analysis tools and their actual implementation by governments and mining companies. It categorizes approaches into gender analysis within environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs), stand-alone gender impact assessments (GIAs), and integration into human rights due diligence. The author argues that strong regulatory frameworks, such as those in Canada, are essential to mandate these analyses. Case studies from Canada, Zambia, and Indonesia illustrate how multistakeholder partnerships and intersectional lenses can improve outcomes, though implementation remains inconsistent.

The report examines the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of beef production, highlighting that emissions vary drastically by region and production system, ranging from 16 to 360 kg CO2e/kg edible meat. It identifies enteric fermentation, feed production, and land-use change as the primary emission drivers, while noting that well-managed grazing lands can act as carbon sinks. The document outlines mitigation strategies including improved feed digestibility, rotational grazing, and feed additives, estimating a total global mitigation potential between 0.67 and 2.55 GtCO2e/yr.

The Fund for Nature (TFFN) is a financial instrument designed to provide market-rate project-level debt to nature-based carbon projects, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa. By offering an alternative to the common practice of pre-selling carbon credits at steep discounts to corporate buyers, TFFN aims to increase the revenue captured by local project implementers and communities. A central innovation of the fund is the development of a standardized, open-sourced Simple Agreement for Future Offtake (SAFO), which serves as a bankable document to secure future carbon credit supply and act as collateral for debt. The fund targets the agriculture, forestry, and blue carbon sectors, specifically focusing on afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). A pilot fund of USD 50-70 million is envisioned, with the potential to scale as voluntary carbon markets are projected to grow significantly by 2030.