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The report examines the intersection of Africa's blue economy and the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, arguing that youth inclusion is essential for sustainable development and maritime security. It identifies climate change, a burgeoning youth population, and coastal migration as critical trends that can either destabilize coastal regions or be harnessed for growth. The document highlights the potential for the blue economy to generate up to US$405 billion by 2030 and provides examples of youth-led initiatives in aquaculture, conservation, and maritime security across various African nations. It concludes that a multidimensional approach, exemplified by the Great Blue Wall initiative, is necessary to build resilience and prevent the radicalization of marginalized youth by providing viable economic alternatives.

The document examines the role of migrant remittances as a resilient financial flow to Africa, highlighting their potential to bypass bureaucratic barriers in climate adaptation. It notes that while remittances reached US$100.1 billion in 2022, high transaction costs and low climate literacy hinder their effectiveness. The brief recommends lowering remittance costs, enhancing diaspora engagement through mechanisms like diaspora bonds, and improving climate literacy to empower local communities in building resilience.

The document examines Africa's potential to enter the solar PV manufacturing value chain, highlighting its abundance of critical minerals like copper and tin and high solar irradiance. It identifies significant barriers, including China's dominance of over 80% of the global value chain, high capital requirements for polysilicon production, and a lack of domestic technological capacity. The authors argue that individual African countries lack the resources to compete and instead recommend a regionalized strategy to pool resources and achieve economies of scale.

The world is on track to install 593 GW of solar power in 2024, a 29% increase over 2023. China remains the dominant market, projected to account for 56% of global additions. Growth is widespread, with significant surges in India and the US, and emerging markets like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia showing rapid increases in solar panel imports. This trajectory puts the goal of tripling renewable power capacity by 2030 within reach, provided grid and storage constraints are addressed.

The document advocates for a progressive tax agenda to address extreme poverty and wealth concentration, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. It proposes several instruments: Financial Transaction Taxes (FTTs) to curb speculation and raise billions annually; net wealth taxes to target the super-rich; property taxes to leverage immobile assets; and Resource Rent Taxes (RTT) for the extractives sector. Using South Africa as a case study, the brief demonstrates that a combination of these taxes could generate substantial revenue to fund social protection, healthcare, and a Universal Basic Income Guarantee, potentially increasing GDP growth.

The global bioeconomy, currently valued at US$4-5 trillion with potential growth to US$30 trillion by 2050, is presented as a critical complement to clean tech for achieving a just transition. The document identifies significant financing barriers, including perverse fossil fuel subsidies and limited risk capital in the Global South, while proposing a suite of sustainable finance instruments—such as nature credits and sustainability-linked financing—to bridge these gaps. It advocates for an integrated approach combining national strategies with international cooperation, specifically through the G20, to establish common principles, measurement standards, and trade rules that protect biodiversity and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

This report discusses the restructuring of South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) into two separate entities—the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and the Department of Electricity and Energy—following the formation of a Government of National Unity. It outlines the roles these new departments must play in managing the coal phase-out, the growth of renewable energy, and the sustainable mining of minerals required for the green economy.

The EU CRMA and UK CMS aim to reduce dependence on China and secure supplies for the green transition, but their domestic focus may hinder African industrialization. While the EU targets 10% domestic mining and 40% processing by 2030, its international partnerships are criticized as extractivist. The brief highlights a misalignment in 'criticality' definitions, where African states prioritize regional industrialization and specific minerals like gold or coal, which may conflict with Western climate goals or sanctions. It concludes that without a shift toward supporting in-country processing and reducing certification costs for local firms, these strategies will fail to create mutually beneficial partnerships.

The research paper argues that German-African industrial relations are underperforming due to a skewed German perception of Africa as a crisis-ridden region rather than a diverse set of economic opportunities. It highlights the growth of several African economies and the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while noting that German business engagement remains low and government strategies are often uncoordinated and paternalistic. The authors recommend that Germany replace aid with trade and investment, particularly in green hydrogen, and that African governments increase transparency and infrastructure to attract foreign direct investment.

The policy brief highlights the economic importance of natural capital, noting that nature's services are valued at over 1.5 times global GDP. It emphasizes that Africa, despite possessing vast resources, is the only region where natural capital per capita declined between 1995 and 2018. The authors recommend that South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency should build consensus on a definition of natural capital, address data gaps through the G20 Data Gaps Initiative, and implement a bioeconomy hub to translate the Brazilian Bioeconomy Initiative into practical investment and growth.

The policy brief examines the drivers of food insecurity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), highlighting a 'ratchet effect' where domestic food prices remain high even as global prices fall. It attributes recent price spikes to agribusiness profiteering and financial speculation rather than supply shortages. To combat this, the author proposes the establishment of public buffer stocks, countercyclical interventions in commodity futures markets, stricter financial regulation of global commodity exchanges, and capital flow management to reduce currency volatility. The document specifically suggests that the South African G20 presidency could lead an expert review with the FAO and UNCTAD to stabilise global food prices.

The document analyzes China's dominance in Africa's critical minerals landscape, highlighting its role as a primary investor and buyer. It argues that while Africa's reserves are vital for the global energy transition, the current model of exporting raw materials without local processing limits socioeconomic benefits and risks environmental degradation. The brief recommends that African governments pursue strategic partnerships, invest in research and development, and build energy infrastructure to move up the value chain, while urging international partners to support technology transfer and local capacity building.

The policy brief outlines how South Africa can leverage its 2025 G20 presidency and the African Union's (AU) G20 membership to promote the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade. It suggests aligning these African initiatives with the G20 Roadmap for Enhancing Cross-border Payments to improve the speed, cost, and transparency of international transactions. The author recommends that South Africa champion PAPSS adoption, foster collaboration between African central banks and Afreximbank, and utilize public-private partnerships to secure funding and technical assistance from organizations like the IMF and World Bank.

The document argues that the current OECD-led international tax framework is inadequate for African nations, which lose significant revenue to illicit financial flows (IFFs) and base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). It proposes that South Africa, during its G20 presidency, should promote the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation as a more inclusive and democratic alternative. The author suggests several levers for the G20 to support African development, including strengthening tax rules for digital economies, enhancing financial information exchange, investing in digital infrastructure and AI for tax administration, and promoting quality infrastructure to expand the tax base.

The document analyzes the global race to secure critical minerals, detailing the subsidy-driven strategies of the US, EU, UK, and Canada, and the dominant market position of China in battery production. It argues that African nations can leverage their mineral wealth to drive sustainable structural transformation by adopting a 'climate-resilient developmental regionalism' framework under the AfCFTA, which integrates climate adaptation and mitigation with regional industrialization.

The policy brief argues that the G20's Common Framework for Debt Treatments (CF) is operationally deficient, leading to protracted restructuring processes for low-income countries. It recommends that the South African G20 presidency prioritize the suspension of debt service payments upon CF requests, the expansion of climate-resilient debt clauses (CRDCs) to all low- and middle-income countries, and the creation of G20 working groups to explore market-based solutions—such as a modern 'Brady Plan'—and statutory reforms to ensure private sector participation in debt workouts.

Mr Nelson Muffuh discusses the upcoming UN Summit of the Future, emphasizing the need to 'turbocharge efforts to bring about sustainable development and combat climate change'. He argues that the current international financial architecture and the UN Security Council are failing, particularly in their response to crises in Africa. Muffuh highlights Africa's potential in renewable energy—specifically solar power in the Sahara and geothermal energy in the Rift Valley—and calls for permanent African representation with veto power on the Security Council. He positions the Summit as a catalyst for the 'Pact for the Future', which aims to advance a New Agenda for Peace, a Declaration on Future Generations, and a Global Digital Compact.

The document argues that South Africa should use its 2025 G20 presidency to address IMF governance and sovereign debt issues. It suggests the IMF needs formal operating procedures for 'new' issues like climate change and gender to avoid opaque, ad hoc management. Regarding debt, it critiques the Common Framework for being too time-consuming and recommends a more holistic approach to development finance to meet climate and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) needs.

The report examines the push for natural gas as a 'transition fuel' in South Africa, contrasting government plans with the environmental and financial risks of stranded assets. It details the activities and financing of Kinetiko Energy's Mpumalanga Gas Project and Renergen's Virginia gas field, highlighting significant concerns regarding groundwater contamination, methane leakage, and a lack of transparency in governance.

The memorandum argues that while South African law does not yet have a specific statute requiring directors to prepare for climate change, existing fiduciary duties, the duty of care and diligence, and emerging legislation like the Climate Change Act 22 of 2024 create a legal basis for accountability. It highlights that South African courts are increasingly relying on non-binding governance standards, such as the King IV Report, and international obligations to interpret directors' duties. The document outlines several avenues for liability, including derivative actions under section 165 of the Companies Act, piercing the corporate veil under section 20(9), and criminal liability under the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA). It concludes that directors should proactively manage climate risk to avoid potential litigation as legal frameworks evolve.