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The report highlights a contradictory global trend: while most countries are reducing coal construction and many are committing to phase-outs, global coal capacity increased by 11% since 2015, reaching a record high in 2023. This growth is driven primarily by China, which accounted for two-thirds of the 2023 increase. Outside China, new construction starts reached their lowest level since 2015. The report notes that only 15% of global operational capacity has a documented phase-out plan aligned with the 1.5°C goal. Regional analyses show significant progress in the EU and UK, though some countries lag behind 2030 targets, and a volatile situation in Sub-Saharan Africa where South Africa remains heavily dependent on coal despite an energy crisis.

The report finds that 84% of analyzed employee savings funds invest in fossil fuel expansion, with Amundi and Natixis Investment Managers dominating the market. It highlights a lack of transparency, the prevalence of 'greenwashed' funds, and the inefficiency of supervisory boards in protecting employees' climate interests.

The document maps the governance landscape of the WTO regarding trade and the environment. It details the roles of various committees, the dispute settlement mechanism, and the Trade Policy Review Mechanism in monitoring and negotiating environmental measures. It also highlights three major member-led initiatives—TESSD, DPP, and FFSR—and the role of the WTO Secretariat in facilitating information exchange and technical assistance to support sustainable development and climate goals.

The document examines the intersection of South Africa's energy transition and the interdependencies of water, energy, and food security. It identifies significant barriers to policy coherence, including institutional silos, budget cuts to environmental departments, and the political influence of the coal lobby and agricultural sector. The brief concludes that without an integrated framework, the transition risks perpetuating unsustainable coal practices and exacerbating social inequalities, particularly in coal-dependent regions like Mpumalanga.

The submission argues that the OECD's GloBE rules (Pillar Two) are undemocratic and provide insufficient revenue for Global South countries, potentially legitimizing a low 15% corporate tax rate. While opposing the bill, the authors propose lowering the Qualifying Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (QDMTT) threshold to cover more multinational enterprises (MNEs) and including the Undertaxed Payments Rule (UTPR) to claw back tax losses from profit shifting. They advocate for a UN-based intergovernmental process for international tax cooperation as a more transparent and just alternative.

Natural Justice submitted a critique of South Africa's Integrated Resource Plan 2023 (IRP2023), arguing that it lacks the necessary foundations for energy planning through 2030. The organization calls for a redraft of the IRP2023 and the urgent development of an Integrated Energy Plan by the DMRE, both of which should be grounded in a people-centered approach and a comprehensive Energy Justice Framework.

Natural Justice argues that the IRP2023 is a regression from previous plans and lacks a proper legal basis, as it functions as a policy instrument rather than an operational plan. The organization contends that the IRP2023 incorrectly prioritizes energy security over other national policy objectives like affordable access and environmental sustainability. It calls for the adoption of an Energy Justice Framework to address the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, particularly regarding land, water, and gender equality, and recommends the development of a comprehensive Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) as mandated by the National Energy Act.

The report highlights a divide between emerging middle powers (IBSA) and Germany regarding the war in Ukraine, the dominance of the US dollar, and the role of BRICS+. While IBSA respondents prefer mediation in conflicts and view the US dollar's dominance unfavourably, German respondents support Ukraine and view the dollar's role as favourable. Despite these differences, there is shared optimism for the G20 and a common interest in the 2030 Agenda, specifically regarding technology transfer and global public investment.

The statement contends that the R20 increase to the SRD grant is an 'insulting pittance' that fails to account for a 20% real-term decrease in grant value since 2020. It highlights that the grant remains below the R760 monthly minimum energy intake cost and argues that budget cuts from R44 billion in 2022 to R33.6 billion in 2024 create systemic barriers and high exclusion errors, affecting approximately 50% of eligible persons. The authors advocate for the implementation of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) to meet constitutional obligations and stimulate economic growth.

The author examines the tension in German foreign policy between corporate profit interests and a values-based rhetoric, specifically regarding its engagement with Africa. Historically, Germany's approach has been 'economistic,' focusing on raw material imports and machinery exports. The paper argues that current geopolitical shifts and the need for critical minerals provide an opportunity for Germany to move away from post-colonial models. It suggests that instead of merely securing cheap resources, Germany should support a pan-African industrial policy, the mobilization of domestic resources, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to foster sustainable development and reduce Africa's dependence on raw material exports.

The report emphasizes that while many OECD countries have integrated environmental goals into procurement, monitoring systems to track tangible impacts on greenhouse gas emissions are often neglected. Using examples from South Korea, Japan, Slovenia, Denmark, Malaysia, and the Netherlands, it identifies that successful monitoring requires strong government support and collaboration, though it is hindered by data gaps and tool complexity. The report recommends establishing legal mandates for monitoring, improving data management, and investing in staff capacity to ensure public procurement drives climate goals.

The document identifies a short-term opportunity for African gas producers to fill global supply gaps caused by the war in Ukraine, but warns that new infrastructure investments face a high risk of becoming stranded assets as the world moves toward net-zero.

The IEJ and #PTG argue that the draft SRD grant regulations are regressive and fail to meet government commitments to 'extend and improve' social assistance. They highlight a 50% exclusion error rate and criticize the decision to freeze the grant at R350, which they claim is unlawful and irrational given inflation. The submission proposes a two-phase increase: first to R530 to align with the Child Support Grant, and later to the Food Poverty Line of R760. Additionally, they oppose new regulations regarding the recovery of irregular payments and the cancellation of applications for 'untraceable' applicants, arguing these shift the blame for systemic administrative failures onto vulnerable beneficiaries.

The author argues that the Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) failed to produce tangible progress on climate-related trade issues due to geopolitical tensions and opposition from members like India. While some plurilateral initiatives and external coalitions showed modest activity, the document suggests that success should now be measured by the revitalization of the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment and the development of non-binding codes of conduct rather than binding multilateral agreements.

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) supports the Public Service Amendment Bill for shifting HR and appointment authority from executive authorities to departmental heads and barring senior public servants from political office. However, PARI argues the Bill is insufficient to fully implement the 2022 Professionalisation Framework, as it lacks enough checks and balances to prevent political corruption in the appointment of Heads of Department (HoDs) and subsequent procurement decisions.

South Africa faces a projected 17% gap between water supply and demand by 2030, driven by climate change, population growth, and poor governance. The country's water infrastructure is at significant risk of failure due to reactive maintenance and maladministration, with 41% of municipal water classified as non-revenue water. Governance failures have led to critical risks in wastewater treatment and public health crises, such as the 2023 cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal. The document recommends implementing water conservation measures, developing climate adaptation plans, enhancing governance legislation, and prioritizing infrastructure investment in rural areas.

The IEJ Strategy 2023–2027 focuses on producing knowledge and shifting economic discourse to achieve systemic social and economic change. The plan identifies six programmatic projects targeting macroeconomic frameworks, feminist economics, and a just transition in energy and food systems. To support these goals, the IEJ is transitioning from siloed programme areas to a project-based organisational structure and implementing a comprehensive monitoring, evaluation, and learning framework. Financially, the organisation has seen significant growth, with budgeted expenditure rising from approximately R3.2 million in 2018/19 to R34.9 million in 2023, though it continues to seek more long-term core funding.

The document highlights Malawi's extreme vulnerability to climate-related shocks, such as Tropical Cyclone Freddy, which displaced over 659,000 people in 2023. It argues that while Malawi has established a NAP process since 2014, human mobility is not yet clearly mainstreamed into its adaptation policies. The authors propose specific entry points for integration, focusing on strengthening government capacity, improving institutional coordination through the Technical Working Group on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (TWG MECC), and developing gender-responsive, disaggregated data systems to support the most marginalized groups.

The Civil Society Working Group on State Capture (CSWG) evaluates the Zondo Commission's impact, praising its exhaustive evidence gathering but criticising its failure to quantify the social costs of corruption and its uneven focus on private sector actors. The report calls for urgent reforms in law enforcement, public procurement, and public administration to ensure accountability and prevent future state capture.

The document examines how the green energy transition in Africa could trigger conflict due to land displacement, environmental damage, and inequitable benefit distribution. It identifies five key categories of legal protections—land and resource rights, environmental and social protections, compensation and benefit sharing, access to information and participation, and access to justice—that can mitigate these risks. While many Sub-Saharan African countries have enacted basic protections, the brief emphasizes that the quality of implementation, institutional capacity, and political will are essential to prevent a 'green resource curse'.