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Firewood is the primary energy source for cooking and heating for most rural Kenyan households and various bulk users, including schools and tea factories. The sector faces significant challenges, including a growing supply-demand deficit, gender inequality regarding collection burdens, and health risks from indoor air pollution. The document argues that firewood should be formally addressed in energy policy through a multi-sectoral approach involving county governments, agroforestry, and the development of efficient cookstoves to reduce environmental pressure and social burdens.

The document outlines the role of the private sector in achieving Kenya's low carbon climate resilient development pathway as defined in the National Climate Change Action Plan 2013-2017. It details sector-specific opportunities for mitigation and adaptation, highlighting existing private sector investments in geothermal power, bagasse cogeneration, and solar panel assembly. The briefing emphasizes that the plan creates new market opportunities and cost savings for businesses across agriculture, energy, ICT, and urban development.

The Kenyan agricultural sector, which accounts for over a fifth of the GDP, is highly sensitive to climate change, facing risks from unpredictable rainfall, droughts, and pests. While the sector is a significant emitter of greenhouse gases—primarily from livestock—the document emphasizes that adaptation to ensure food security and export earnings is the priority. It suggests climate-smart practices such as agroforestry and conservation tillage to build resilience and reduce emissions, while noting that the carbon market currently offers limited financial benefits due to high monitoring costs.

The document examines the vulnerability of Kenya's manufacturing sector to climate change, specifically highlighting risks to energy security and supply chains, while outlining mitigation strategies such as energy efficiency and industrial ecology.

The document highlights that Kenya's economy is highly exposed to climate change, with droughts and flooding estimated to cost approximately 2.4% of GDP annually. It argues that the private sector can mitigate risks and gain competitive advantages through resource efficiency, renewable energy, and product innovation. The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) is identified as a key entity supporting firms in managing these risks and accessing opportunities, such as those outlined in the National Climate Change Action Plan 2013-2017 (NCCAP).

The tourism sector in Kenya is highly climate-sensitive, with climate change already causing infrastructure damage and threatening key attractions. While the sector contributes less than one per cent of national greenhouse gas emissions, the document encourages businesses to adopt sustainable practices and low-carbon operations to build resilience and capture the growing market for sustainable tourism.

The transport sector in Kenya, which accounts for approximately 10 per cent of GDP, is highly vulnerable to climate impacts such as flooding and sea level rise, while simultaneously contributing 10 per cent of national greenhouse gas emissions as of 2010. The document outlines specific physical risks to infrastructure, such as the warping of rail tracks from higher temperatures and damage to ports from storms, noting that the 1997-98 El Niño floods caused transport infrastructure damage of Ksh 62 billion. To mitigate emissions, which are projected to reach 19 per cent of total national emissions by 2030, the briefing recommends the 'avoid-shift-improve' approach, increasing fuel efficiency in vehicle fleets, and shifting freight from road to rail. It also highlights the potential and controversies surrounding biofuels in Kenya, specifically the 'food versus fuel' debate.

The document outlines the necessity for businesses in Kenya to 'climate-proof' their operations by assessing risks and implementing adaptation measures. It highlights that climate change impacts—such as temperature increases and rainfall changes—affect all economic sectors, with droughts and flooding estimated to cost Kenya approximately 2.0 per cent of GDP annually. The briefing provides a sector-specific matrix of risks and opportunities and shares examples of Kenyan companies already adapting through supply chain diversification and innovative insurance products. It advocates for the use of risk assessment tools and calls for government leadership in demonstrating climate resilience.

The report analyzes 33 barriers across various sectors in Kenya that hinder private sector action on climate change, as identified in the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) 2013-2017. Key systemic issues include limited access to affordable long-term finance, high upfront costs for low-carbon technologies, and a lack of information on building business resilience. The document prioritizes six key areas for the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) and the Climate Business Information Network (CBIN) to address through government engagement: establishing a National Climate Fund, providing financial incentives for renewable energy, restructuring the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) policy, streamlining renewable energy approvals, improving energy efficiency standards, and coordinating climate-friendly agricultural programs.

The report argues that there is no single blueprint for a green economy, but rather multiple pathways driven by local communities. It critiques 'green growth' for focusing on GDP and resource efficiency while often ignoring social justice, structural power asymmetries, and the needs of the poor. The document emphasizes the need to connect international financial and policy mechanisms with ground-level realities, suggesting that developing countries can 'leapfrog' industrialised pathways by investing in low-carbon infrastructure. Key recommendations include 'greening' existing financial flows like Official Development Assistance (ODA), integrating social justice goals from the outset of policy design, and diversifying political narratives to include indigenous and non-Western knowledge.

The analysis reveals a significant increase in trade between Ethiopia and BRICS, particularly with China and India, though the relationship remains characterized by a 'North-South' pattern. Ethiopia primarily exports primary products and crude materials while importing manufactured goods and machinery. While there are signs of diversification in the leather industry, the paper argues that Ethiopia must prioritize commodity-based transformation and value chain development to maximize the benefits of its trade with BRICS.

The report analyzes the systemic power imbalances in compensation processes for extractive industries, where benefits often accrue at the state level while costs are borne by local communities. It evaluates several mechanisms for improving outcomes: Community Development Agreements (CDAs) in mining, strategic human rights litigation, and Biocultural Community Protocols. A specific case study of the Chad-Cameroon Oil & Pipeline Project illustrates the failures of individual-based monetary compensation and argues for a paradigm shift toward livelihood restoration and 'land for land' replacement.

The document is a formal request to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim to reinstate B-SPAN, a webcasting system launched in 2000 that streamed unedited policy dialogues to the public. The authors argue that B-SPAN is essential for knowledge sharing and transparency, countering Bank officials' claims that there is low interest in lengthy policy discussions. They propose starting with the webcasting of civil society sessions at Bank-IMF meetings to help achieve the goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030.

The report examines the vulnerability of Kenya's private sector to climate change, specifically highlighting risks to hydropower, agriculture, and tourism. It evaluates fifteen risk assessment tools based on cost, complexity, and applicability, recommending four specific frameworks for Kenyan businesses. The document also identifies gaps in private sector adaptation, such as lack of specific geographic data and cost-benefit information, and suggests the development of a Kenyan-specific climate risk assessment tool.

The paper finds that while G-20 documents rarely mention Africa explicitly, they address broader developing country interests, particularly in adapting financial standards and promoting financial inclusion. It highlights the role of the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) as key channels for African engagement, while noting that African states often lack the supervisory capacity to implement complex international standards like Basel III.

The document serves as a guide for the Kenyan private sector to access climate finance, specifically highlighting funds that support innovation in greenhouse gas emission reduction technologies, while noting a scarcity of funding for climate risk assessment and adaptation.

The paper argues that while South Africa possesses comparative advantages in access and shared experience, its previous aid efforts—managed via the African Renaissance Fund (ARF)—were often ad hoc and lacked strategic coordination. It recommends that SADPA move beyond high-level diplomatic agreements to engage with national aid architectures and employ political-economy analysis to ensure local ownership of projects.

The document evaluates the transition from the OAU to the AU, noting that while the AU has improved peace and security through supranational norms, it struggles to implement democratic governance reforms. It highlights a disconnect between Africa's recent economic growth and the persistence of poverty and unaccountable leadership. The authors argue that the AU must operationalise the African Governance Architecture and strengthen the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to ensure that economic gains are sustainable and that the vision of 'Agenda 2063' is realised.

The document outlines that Africa is experiencing significant warming and increased extreme weather, which threatens food security, health, and economic growth. It argues that while Africa has contributed little to historic emissions, it is highly vulnerable and must integrate adaptation and mitigation into long-term development planning. Key opportunities for the region include adopting decentralized renewable energy, implementing conservation agriculture, and planning low-carbon urban growth to avoid fossil fuel lock-in.

The document outlines the observed and projected climate impacts in Africa, emphasizing that warming is already occurring and will likely accelerate. It argues that while global mitigation is essential to avoid catastrophic outcomes, immediate investment in adaptation is critical to protect food security, health, and economic growth. The report highlights opportunities for Africa to adopt low-carbon development pathways and calls for international cooperation and financial support to build resilience.