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The report synthesizes findings from 49 peer-reviewed articles and 72 distinct analyses to determine what factors drive individuals to aspire to migrate. It employs a two-step model distinguishing between the formation of aspirations and their conversion into actual migration. The review identifies 32 determinants across demographic, socio-economic, individual, contextual, and migration-related domains. Key findings indicate that migration aspirations are most strongly and consistently driven by youth, male gender, the presence of migration networks, a history of international travel, and exposure to violence or insecurity. Conversely, aspirations are consistently lowered by increasing age, higher subjective well-being, and strong social attachment to the community of origin. The document also notes a significant research gap in the 'conversion' phase—how aspirations translate into actual movement—due to the logistical challenges of longitudinal panel data collection.

FSD Africa, in collaboration with The Good Economy and Tandem, has developed a four-step framework to measure how financial sector deepening impacts job creation. The framework emphasizes the use of full-time equivalent (FTE) metrics to account for underemployment and employs a sectoral approach to assess job quality and 'decent work' multipliers. The process involves a theory-based assessment of materiality, estimation of direct and indirect jobs, a decent jobs assessment using sector proxies, and optional bespoke research for high-impact projects.

The study examines energy poverty in Malawi, finding that unconditional social cash transfers significantly increase the likelihood of ultra-poor households owning improved cookstoves and having a source of lighting.

The report highlights that 600 million Africans lack electricity, with sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected. It argues that while legacy megaprojects like the Inga 3 dam and Stiegler's Gorge are financially and environmentally risky, decentralized renewable energy (DREs) and public-private partnerships offer more sustainable paths to electrification. The text also examines the geopolitical influence of Russia's nuclear diplomacy and China's investment in coal-fired plants, while noting the severe health impacts of biomass reliance among the rural poor.

The document examines South Africa's strategy to mobilize R1 trillion in private investment through an Infrastructure Fund to address a widening infrastructure deficit. It analyzes three primary de-risking instruments: blended finance, the conversion of infrastructure into tradeable asset classes, and public-private partnerships (PPPs). The author argues that these mechanisms often shift excessive risk to the state through contingent liabilities and high transaction costs, while prioritizing 'bankable' economic projects over essential social infrastructure in poor and rural areas. The paper concludes that the current focus on private capital overplays benefits and underplays the risks of public-private arrangements, recommending a governance framework that prioritizes human rights and sustainable development over profit maximization.

The document traces the history of UN development goals from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the 2030 Agenda. It contrasts the MDGs, which focused on specific time-bound targets for poverty and health but lacked a multidimensional approach, with the SDGs, which are universal and integrated across social, economic, and environmental pillars. The briefing highlights the role of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement in supporting the SDGs and argues that the 2030 Agenda provides a critical roadmap for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic through inclusive and resilient growth.

The report finds that finance for energy access in high-impact countries (HICs) remains critically insufficient. In 2019, tracked electricity finance in HICs fell to USD 32 billion, with residential access funding at less than one-third of the required annual investment. Clean cooking investment has stagnated around USD 130 million annually, far below the USD 4.5 billion needed. While private investment in clean cooking reached a peak of USD 56 million in 2019, multilateral DFI support plummeted. The report emphasizes the need for climate-resilient infrastructure, as seen in Mozambique, and highlights divergent technological paths in Ghana (LPG) and Vietnam (biogas).

Global climate finance reached USD 632 billion in 2019/2020, but growth has plateaued, with an increase of only 10% between 2017/2018 and 2019/2020. To meet 1.5 °C objectives by 2030, annual finance must increase by at least 590% to USD 4.35 trillion. Mitigation remains the primary recipient of funds, dominated by renewable energy, while adaptation finance is growing but remains almost exclusively public. Investment is heavily concentrated in East Asia and Pacific, Western Europe, and North America.

The report finds that global investment for energy access is critically insufficient. Finance for electricity in high-impact countries (HICs) fell to USD 32 billion in 2019, while clean cooking commitments stagnated around USD 130 million, far below the USD 4.5 billion annual need. While grid-connected renewables became the top electricity sector in 2019, decentralized solutions remain severely underfunded. The report emphasizes the need for climate-resilient infrastructure, as seen in Mozambique, and explores divergent clean cooking pathways in Ghana (LPG) and Vietnam (biogas).

Earthjustice, a nonprofit public interest environmental law organization, reported total revenue of $135,320,966 and total expenses of $127,720,008 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022. The organization focuses on protecting health, preserving ecosystems, and combating climate change through legal representation and public awareness. Its largest program service expenses were dedicated to providing free legal representation, totaling $71,294,848. Earthjustice maintains significant assets, with total assets reported at $276,651,694 and net assets of $245,809,918 at the end of the year. The organization also engages in international activities, including grants to entities in Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia.

The document argues that the financial system's current inertia and short-term bias prevent the redirection of private capital toward net-zero, climate-resilient economies. It emphasizes that limiting warming to 1.5°C is technically feasible but requires a dramatic scale-up of investment in energy, land, urban, and industrial systems. The report advocates for a dual approach of 'market fixing' (carbon pricing and risk disclosure) and 'market shaping' (de-risking and policy support) to overcome investment barriers. In the context of Covid-19, it highlights the risk of 'colourless' recovery packages entrenching fossil fuel dependence and proposes integrating NDCs into investment plans, alleviating debt through climate swaps, utilizing multi-sovereign guarantee funds, and expanding green bond markets to support developing nations.

The 2021 Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index reveals a slowing pace of global improvement and widening disparities in women's status. While developed countries, particularly Nordic nations, lead the index, fragile states and regions like South Asia perform poorly. The report highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities, particularly through job losses in female-dominated sectors and increased risks of intimate partner violence. Additionally, new indices for forcibly displaced women and subnational data for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United States demonstrate that national averages often conceal severe internal disparities and the compounding disadvantages of displacement.

In 2021, 1.09 billion people in 54 high-impact countries were at high risk due to a lack of access to cooling, an increase of 50 million compared to 2020. This growth is attributed to the combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed millions into extreme poverty, and increasing global temperatures. Additionally, 2.34 billion lower-middle income people are identified as a risk to energy systems and GHG emissions because they are likely to purchase inefficient cooling devices due to price sensitivity.

The report finds that global investment for energy access is critically insufficient. Finance for electricity in HICs fell to USD 32 billion in 2019, with residential access receiving only USD 12.9 billion—less than one-third of the estimated USD 41 billion annual need. Clean cooking investment has stagnated around USD 130 million annually, far below the USD 4.5 billion required. While renewables saw record highs and fossil fuel finance declined in some areas, significant gaps remain, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Case studies in Mozambique, Ghana, and Vietnam highlight the need for climate-resilient infrastructure and diversified technological approaches to clean cooking.

The report advocates for a paradigm shift in sanitation and wastewater management, moving from a 'waste disposal' model to a 'resource recovery' model. It details how the safe recovery of water, nutrients, organic matter, and energy from human excreta and wastewater can improve public health, enhance agricultural productivity, and mitigate climate change. The text provides a comprehensive framework for sustainable systems, covering technical design, health risk management, environmental protection, institutional governance, and financial models. It emphasizes that sustainability depends on adapting technologies to local geographic, social, and economic contexts rather than applying universal solutions. The report includes diverse global case studies—ranging from potable water reuse in Namibia to biogas production in China and fuel briquettes in Kenya—to demonstrate the practical viability of these systems.

The report finds a global increase in concern for nature loss, particularly in emerging markets, driven by digital activism and changing consumer habits. While public demand for sustainability is rising and influencing corporate behavior in sectors like fashion and cosmetics, a gap remains between public sentiment and effective government enforcement of environmental laws.

The report identifies 24 deforestation fronts across Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, where over 43 million hectares of forest were lost between 2004 and 2017. It argues that while commercial agriculture remains the dominant direct driver, indirect pressures such as population growth, dietary shifts toward meat, and weak governance amplify forest loss. The analysis evaluates a range of responses, from area-based protections and indigenous land rights to commodity-specific certifications and REDD+ frameworks, concluding that no single approach is sufficient and that integrated, context-specific solutions are required to halt deforestation.

In 2019, IDFC members committed $197 billion in green finance, a 47% increase from 2018. Climate finance dominated this total at 95% ($187 billion), with mitigation projects receiving the largest share ($163.5 billion), primarily in transport and renewable energy. Adaptation finance grew for the third consecutive year to $19 billion. The majority of finance (74%) originated from non-OECD institutions and was largely deployed domestically, with the East Asia and Pacific region receiving the largest geographic share (69%). Loans remained the primary instrument, accounting for 95% of commitments.

The FSD Africa Jobs Framework provides a systematic approach to measuring employment effects by linking financial sector innovations to real economy outcomes. It focuses on gross job creation across micro (firm) and meso (sector) levels, using a 'Decent Jobs Assessment' to evaluate job quality, inclusion, and geographic need. The framework emphasizes a contribution-based approach rather than strict attribution, utilizing investment multipliers and sector-based proxies to estimate impact while avoiding macro-level induced effects.

The 'Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape' report analyzes financial commitments for electrification and clean cooking in 20 high-impact countries (HICs) across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia for the year 2018. It finds that current investment levels are significantly below the requirements to meet Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) by 2030, with a notable misalignment between where funds are allocated and where the greatest energy needs exist.