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AquaMnara provides Kenyan aquaculture farmers with technical training, linkages to certified suppliers, and an e-voucher credit system to overcome financing gaps and environmental challenges. The initiative supports sustainable productivity, specifically targeting women through the provision of aquaculture cages and training, and has enabled individual farmers to expand operations and adopt solar-powered infrastructure.

The statement emphasizes that while Africa possesses significant natural and financial capital, power imbalances in the international financial architecture hinder its mobilization. It highlights the severe impact of illicit financial flows and debt servicing on public services and calls for a collaborative approach between the African Development Bank, governments, and civil society to ensure transparent, sustainable, and equitable financial governance.

The 2025 Climate Litigation Lab, hosted by Surge Africa and partners, addressed the systemic use of SLAPP suits by corporations and governments to intimidate climate activists in Africa. The event resulted in the launch of an Africa-specific SLAPP Toolkit and the development of strategies for legal advocacy, strategic communications, and regional solidarity to protect environmental defenders.

The document examines UNI2, a Colombian microfinance institution, to determine how financial intermediaries can support responsible investment in agricultural value chains. By applying an adapted RAI Tool methodology involving self-assessments and interviews, the study explores UNI2's role in influencing sustainable practices and providing feedback to improve the RAI Tool's scoring and filtering mechanisms. The analysis demonstrates that financial institutions contribute to responsible agricultural investment by providing capital, influencing behaviors, and sharing knowledge within rural economies.

The East African Community (EAC) has expanded its membership to include the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Somalia, aiming to increase its geopolitical influence and market size. However, this growth strains the bloc's institutional capacity, particularly regarding financial sustainability, bureaucratic efficiency, and the harmonisation of economic policies among fragile states. The inclusion of conflict-prone members introduces significant security risks, though it also provides opportunities for collective regional stability and trade integration through frameworks like the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement.

The document argues that while African governments have set ambitious adaptation targets, governance and financial constraints hinder the effectiveness of these efforts. It advocates for locally led adaptation (LLA) as a participatory strategy to ensure resilience is context-specific and inclusive. Key barriers identified include a disconnect between national policies and local needs, limited direct access to climate finance for local actors, and weak monitoring systems. The brief recommends integrating Indigenous knowledge, devolving decision-making, and expanding decentralized finance to empower local communities.

Malawi is leveraging carbon markets to attract climate finance, protect ecosystems, and support its 2063 Vision. While the country has historically faced transparency issues and a lack of regulation, the government is now implementing a Carbon Trading Regulatory Framework and the Malawi Carbon Markets Initiative to oversee trade and ensure benefit-sharing. The Kulera Landscape REDD+ Program serves as a model for integrating local communities as partners rather than just beneficiaries. However, significant barriers remain, including technical capacity gaps in government, limited finance for smallholder farmers, and gender inequality in leadership.

This briefing provides an overview of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), detailing compliance requirements for operators and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in meeting these obligations.

The document advocates for model investment contracts as a tool for governments, particularly in developing countries, to bridge gaps in domestic legislation and ensure balanced, consistent, and sustainable agricultural investments.

The Alliance for Rural Electrification's 'Renewables for Impact' campaign showcases the role of distributed renewable energy (DRE) in Sub-Saharan Africa through a photo contest and impact stories. The campaign highlights projects supported by Team Europe that contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 7, 8, and 12, focusing on productive use, women's empowerment, industrial power, manufacturing, and green job creation. Specific examples include hydro-powered irrigation in Malawi, solar cooling for herbal farms in Kenya, solar-powered water infrastructure in Mali, mini-grids in Senegal, and mini-grid construction in Benin.

The document identifies seven key intervention areas in the clean-energy sector: electricity generation, transmission and distribution, on-grid access, off-grid access, clean cooking, knowledge sharing, and policy reform. While utility-scale renewable generation has grown significantly, transmission bottlenecks and affordability constraints for end-users remain critical hurdles. The brief argues that while energy access is a necessary enabler for economic growth, it does not guarantee it, necessitating user-focused designs and long-term policy reforms to ensure sustainable impacts.

The document examines the failures of traditional investment treaties and the ISDS system, which it argues prioritize investor protection over public interest and sustainable development. It highlights the high financial costs of ISDS awards, the phenomenon of 'regulatory chill' where states avoid necessary environmental or social reforms to avoid litigation, and the lack of investor obligations. The report advocates for a shift toward treaties focused on investment facilitation and cooperation, the termination of outdated agreements, and a coordinated global effort to modernize investment governance.

The document examines the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) and the legal frameworks governing it, specifically criticizing the ISDS system for prioritizing investor protections over public interest and sustainable development. It details the financial and regulatory burdens placed on states by ISDS awards and advocates for a proactive, holistic reform of investment governance.

The document examines the role of legal frameworks in governing foreign direct investment (FDI) and critiques traditional investment treaties and the ISDS system. It argues that these frameworks often prioritize investor protections over public interests, creating a 'regulatory chill' and imposing high financial burdens on states, particularly in the context of the energy transition. The guide proposes a shift toward treaties focused on cooperation and sustainable development, while detailing various national, bilateral, and multilateral reform strategies.

A partnership between Phaesun GmbH and WeHub Victoria Limited (WeTu) deployed two solar-powered 'SelfChill' cold rooms in Kenya to reduce post-harvest losses for small farmers. The first unit in Mbita, operational since January 2024, saw monthly occupancy growth of 7% to 14%, eventually reaching 85% occupancy on several days by the ninth month. The project observed a shift in user behavior from storing small quantities of unsold produce to traders buying larger volumes (6 to 12 crates) for daily sale, leading the team to target wholesalers for the second unit in Homabay.

The report provides evidence that adopting Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices, such as Conservation Agriculture (CA) and Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM), benefits smallholder farming systems in Western Kenya by addressing soil fertility loss and enhancing carbon sequestration potential.

The document examines the 'catnip project', which successfully developed an environmentally friendly mosquito repellent using local bioresources in eastern Africa. While the project demonstrated strong entrepreneurial activity and legitimacy through community involvement, it faced significant barriers in financial mobilization, policy guidance, and market creation. The analysis highlights the critical role of bio-innovation platforms like BioInnovate Africa in linking research to market, while noting that short funding cycles from aid agencies often conflict with the longer timelines required for successful innovation and commercialization.

The document argues that while the energy transition is accelerating, current efforts are insufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C, and the shift in energy demand will fundamentally reshape global trade and geopolitics. It highlights a significant investment gap, noting that emerging markets and developing economies outside China account for only about 15% of global clean energy spending. The report identifies several trade-related barriers, including protectionist tariffs on electric vehicles, divergent technical standards, and the persistence of fossil fuel subsidies, which reached $7 trillion globally in 2023. It specifically warns that Border Carbon Adjustment Mechanisms (BCAs) and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions in investment treaties may disproportionately burden developing nations. To achieve an equitable transition, the authors recommend reforming WTO subsidy rules, increasing financial support for local value addition in critical minerals, and coordinating the phase-out of fossil fuel production.

The report maps nearly one hundred agreements on critical minerals between African states and global actors, highlighting the strategic competition for resources. It identifies a lack of transparency in these deals and notes that while China and Russia are prominent, other actors like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are expanding their footprints. The analysis emphasizes that these partnerships often reflect broader geopolitical and historical ties rather than just economic needs.

The report examines how urban green space access is often socially determined by income, gender, and age, particularly in rapidly growing cities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It highlights that lower-income communities often prioritize provisioning services—such as food and fuel—over the aesthetic or health-related benefits typically emphasized in high-income contexts. The authors argue that top-down planning frequently fails these populations and can lead to gentrification or social opposition. Using a case study from the Nakuru River area in Kenya, the report identifies systemic barriers to community-led management, including unclear governmental responsibilities, funding shortfalls, and the influence of external NGOs. It concludes that equitable urban greening requires integrating infrastructure improvements and employment opportunities with participatory design that includes women, youth, and people with disabilities.