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The proposal seeks USD 347,838 over 18 months to develop mandatory Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and labelling schemes for refrigerators and distribution transformers in Malawi. It aims to reduce electricity losses and GHG emissions by creating a policy roadmap, strengthening institutional capacity, and identifying financing mechanisms to facilitate market transformation toward higher efficiency products.

The proposal outlines a plan to implement Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and labelling schemes for refrigerators and distribution transformers in Namibia to reduce electricity losses and GHG emissions. It requests USD 328,755 over 18 months to conduct market analysis, form policy and technical committees, develop national roadmaps, and identify financing mechanisms. The project aims to mitigate the impact of growing electricity demand and high energy losses, which currently burden the government budget due to electricity subsidies.

The report finds that despite the Mnangagwa administration's rhetoric of being 'open for business,' substantial foreign direct investment has not materialised due to a combination of bureaucratic red tape, policy inconsistency, and a lack of respect for property rights. While net FDI rose from US$247 million in 2017 to US$744 million in 2018, this remains far below the US$27 billion in deals signed by the president. The document highlights critical barriers including a 'dead asset' land tenure regime in agriculture, a lack of an independent central bank, and the pervasive influence of the military in the private sector. It concludes that the government's 'command and control' philosophy and the high-risk profile created by US sanctions and a history of bad debt continue to deter international investors.

The SADC-HYCOS IV Project seeks to strengthen the capacity of 16 Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states to manage climate-related water risks. The project focuses on restoring hydrological monitoring stations damaged by Cyclones Idai and Kenneth, upgrading data transmission from expensive satellite systems to cost-effective GSM-modem technology, and establishing a centralised regional hydrological database. By improving the availability of contextually-appropriate hydrological information and early-warning systems, the project intends to provide adaptation benefits to approximately 140 million vulnerable people, particularly those reliant on agriculture and fisheries.

The report identifies colonial history, border changes, and poor civil registry systems as primary drivers of statelessness in Southern Africa. It warns that some states are increasingly using the deprivation of nationality as a tool for migration management and political exclusion. The document highlights the critical role of birth registration and the persistence of gender discrimination in nationality laws, while detailing case studies from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Madagascar, and Angola to illustrate these systemic failures.

The document assesses Mozambique's coastal ecosystems—specifically mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrass beds—and their role in ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) against climate threats. It identifies significant vulnerabilities to cyclones, sea-level rise, and temperature increases, while highlighting institutional gaps in technical capacity and inter-sectoral coordination. The report evaluates the role of state actors, NGOs, and local communities, and recommends integrating EbA more deeply into national development strategies and exploring innovative financing like biodiversity offsets.

The IRP 2019 identifies an immediate risk of power shortages in South Africa due to the declining energy availability factor (EAF) of Eskom's fleet and the decommissioning of old coal plants. To mitigate this, the plan recommends a medium-term power purchase programme, the life extension of the Koeberg nuclear plant to 2044, and the continued operation of plants despite minimum emission standard non-compliance. Long-term, the plan envisions a diversified energy mix shifting from coal toward renewables, gas, and nuclear, while emphasizing a 'just transition' to protect jobs and local economies. It specifically proposes 2,500 MW of new nuclear capacity and the integration of the Grand Inga Hydropower Project from the DRC.

The document examines the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), arguing that while they offer a progressive 'whole of society' approach to refugee integration, their non-binding nature and flawed funding mechanisms hinder their effectiveness in Africa. It highlights a gap between liberal policy and implementation in South Africa and the failure of the CRRF in Tanzania due to financial burdens. The authors advocate for a results-based management system and a stronger link between security, development, and migration to address the root causes of displacement on the continent.

The report finds that non-agricultural sectors continue to pose a significant risk to global forests, acting as 'drivers of drivers' where infrastructure like roads enables further clearing. Despite the adoption of the 'mitigation hierarchy' and new sustainability certifications, political inertia and the demand for minerals—driven by both industrialization and the transition to low-carbon technologies—threaten intact forests in the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Indonesia. The document highlights a trend of 'protected area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement' (PADDD) to facilitate construction and notes that while biodiversity offsets are increasing, they often fail to reduce overall forest impacts.

The assessment finds that green finance for forests is severely insufficient, totaling under USD 22 billion since 2010, and represents only 1.5% of total climate mitigation commitments from developed countries and multilateral institutions. While some domestic initiatives and Green Climate Fund projects show progress, private sector investment remains dominated by traditional 'grey finance' with few mandatory safeguards to prevent deforestation in commodity supply chains.

The report finds that while nearly USD 4.7 billion in results-based finance has been committed since 2010, only 35% has been disbursed as of April 2019. It highlights the slow pace of negotiating Emission Reductions Payment Agreements (ERPAs) and a critical funding gap in the implementation phase of REDD+ activities. While forest carbon markets show some growth in voluntary demand, they remain a small fraction of global deforestation emissions. The document also details domestic payment mechanisms in Brazil, Colombia, and Costa Rica, and outlines various forms of support for jurisdictional-sourcing initiatives.

The document analyzes 44 resilience programs to determine which design elements contribute to success in helping vulnerable populations persist, adapt, and transform in the face of shocks. Key findings highlight the importance of community-led vulnerability assessments, the role of savings as a critical resilience buffer, and the necessity of integrating climate risk interventions into local governance and market systems.

The document defines anti-agricultural bias as a condition where policies and market failures disadvantage farmers relative to other economic sectors. It details four primary economic indicators for measuring this bias: the Nominal Rate of Protection, the Nominal Rate of Assistance, the Relative Rate of Assistance, and the Effective Rate of Protection. The report argues that while historical bias was driven by explicit taxes on agriculture and subsidies for industry, contemporary bias in non-transformed economies often stems from market failures, such as poor infrastructure and unbalanced market power. Through case studies of 12 countries, the report demonstrates that bias is often heterogeneous across different crops; for example, rice often benefits from protection via regional tariffs, while cash crops like tea or cashew nuts are frequently taxed. Specific country analyses reveal that in nations like Ethiopia and Zambia, high anti-agricultural bias is driven by low output prices and export bans, despite the presence of agricultural import tariffs.

The report analyzes agricultural transformation across 117 countries from 1970 to 2015, identifying six phases of transformation and five structural contexts based on land fertility, availability, and population dynamics. It argues that successful transformation requires a tailored mix of 'push' strategies (increasing agricultural productivity) or 'pull' strategies (growing non-agricultural sectors), depending on a country's endowments. Key drivers of success include removing 'anti-agricultural bias' in price policies, strategic public investment in R&D and extension services, and critical institutional reforms such as land redistribution. The report provides specific policy recommendations for 13 focus countries in Africa and Asia, matching them with historically successful 'analogue' countries based on their 2015 structural contexts.

The report examines South Africa's historical and recent involvement in Burundi, highlighting a transition from significant military and diplomatic leadership during the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement to a more peripheral role following Burundi's 2015 political crisis. While South Africa has provided tangible support in electoral capacity building and civil service training, the report finds that bilateral agreements have been implemented in a fragmented manner. It emphasizes the value of 'citizen diplomacy' through civil society and academic exchanges, particularly in supporting Burundi's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The authors argue that South Africa should leverage its remaining political capital and technical expertise through a holistic strategy that navigates complex regional dynamics involving the East African Community (EAC) and the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

The report analyzes Zimbabwe's trajectory to 2040, warning that the 'Current Path' of state-centric governance and economic instability will lead to persistent poverty and food insecurity. It contrasts this with the 'Great Zimbabwe' scenario, where pro-growth policies, transferable land titles, and expanded irrigation could significantly boost GDP and reduce undernourishment. Conversely, the 'Things Fall Apart' scenario predicts a decline into internal conflict and severe humanitarian deterioration if political accountability is not established. Key recommendations emphasize rehabilitating irrigation, improving democratic accountability, and partnering with the IMF to stabilize the economy.

The paper argues that Zambia is caught in a 'commodity trap' and 'quiescence trap', where over-reliance on copper exports and a lack of economic complexity hinder broad-based growth. While copper production has improved social indicators like the Human Development Index since 2000, the country faces a severe fiscal crisis with government debt projected to reach nearly 150% of GDP by 2020. The author identifies policy volatility, specifically frequent changes to the Mineral Royalty Tax (MRT), as a primary deterrent to long-term investment and exploration. To overcome these barriers, the paper suggests replicating 'islands of effectiveness'—local-level collaborative governance models—such as the town of Kalumbila, which integrates mining with upstream and downstream linkages. Key recommendations include securing property rights, reducing the cost of doing business, and reversing the 5% concentrate import tax to fully utilise smelting capacity.

The paper finds that removing fossil fuel subsidies across 26 modeled countries leads to an average 6% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which increases to 13.2% if combined with a 10% energy tax and reinvestment in renewables and energy efficiency. Globally, the removal of these subsidies is estimated to reduce emissions by 6.4% to 8.2% by 2050. The study highlights that governments save an average of USD 93 for every tonne of CO2e removed through subsidy reform, with total cumulative fiscal savings across the 26 countries reaching USD 2.56 trillion by 2030.

The report emphasizes that freshwater systems are the primary conduits for climate impacts and critical levers for adaptation. It highlights a severe decline in freshwater biodiversity, noting an 83% average drop in species populations between 1970 and 2014. The document argues that traditional 'grey' infrastructure often undermines natural resilience and proposes 'nature-based solutions'—such as wetland restoration and reforestation—to mitigate floods, secure food and energy supplies, and protect vulnerable communities. It specifically calls for a 'New Deal for Nature and People' and the 'Bankable Water Solutions' initiative to redirect finance toward sustainable, basin-scale water management.

The briefing argues that empowering forest-linked communities is essential for forest protection and is most effectively achieved through tiered organizational structures that aggregate strength-in-numbers. While some progress has been made in recognizing indigenous and local community rights, overall empowerment in rural areas remains constrained by land fragmentation, gender inequality, and insufficient access to finance. The document highlights successful innovations in business development and policy advocacy from the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) and warns that while digital technologies offer new market opportunities, they may also facilitate commercial land acquisition that threatens community assets.