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The document examines the shift in Africa's debt structure toward non-concessional and domestic loans, identifying drivers such as commodity price shocks and fiscal deficits. It assesses the debt-carrying capacity of various African nations using IMF and World Bank frameworks, noting that several countries are in debt distress or at high risk. The briefing details current coping mechanisms, including the issuance of long-term Eurobonds and novel financial products, and recommends enhancing domestic revenue mobilization, economic diversification, and the establishment of autonomous debt management offices.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) proposes the 'Village propre–Village productif' framework to address the lack of integrated risk and resource management in rural sanitation. The framework uses a dual-axis certification system: a 'clean' axis focused on health and hygiene (e.g., eliminating open defecation and managing greywater) and a 'productive' axis focused on the safe recovery of nutrients and energy from waste (e.g., human excreta, animal waste, and ash). By linking sanitation to agricultural productivity and economic benefits, the framework aims to overcome the sustainability and scaling challenges of previous approaches like Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). It is particularly targeted at smallholder farmers in developing regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa, to support multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The document highlights that rural electrification often fails when supply is expanded without addressing the barriers to end-use demand, such as high equipment costs and lack of financing. It provides evidence from historical US programs and modern sub-Saharan African minigrids to show that stimulating productive use improves system capacity utilization and financial viability. The authors recommend that development partners implement financing mechanisms, support the private sector in equipment sales, and update national policies to include end-use targets.

The paper examines how African countries attempt to move beyond the export of raw minerals through resource-based industrialisation, specifically focusing on the role of Chinese investment. It analyzes tools such as export restrictions, local content requirements, and fiscal policies, concluding that these measures often fail due to inadequate infrastructure, energy shortages, and a lack of human capital. The author argues for a shift toward 'product space diversification'—developing capabilities that allow for a broader variety of exports—rather than focusing solely on downstream mineral processing (beneficiation).

JUMEME is deploying a solar mini-grid model in Tanzania that combines electricity provision with local business development, specifically through its 'KeyMaker Model' which leverages local resources like tilapia fishing to create sustainable revenue streams. Following a successful pilot on Ukara Island, the company is expanding to 11 mini-grids by the end of 2018, with long-term goals of 300 mini-grids serving one million people.

The Green Aggregation Tech Enterprise (GATE) is a proposed guarantee facility designed to mitigate demand and payment risks for mini-grids in Sub-Saharan Africa. By guaranteeing a baseline level of revenue, GATE aims to transform mini-grids into a bankable asset class, shifting their financing from donor grants to private debt. The instrument will be piloted in Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, and the DRC, with a phased implementation pathway moving from a proof-of-concept (2018-2019) to full commercialization by 2028-2030. Financial modelling suggests that at scale, GATE can be sustainable and catalytic, potentially mobilizing US$ 1.725 billion in private investment by 2030 and providing electricity to millions of households and businesses.

Mining operations, particularly in developing countries, suffer from extreme energy inefficiencies, with diesel power often converting only 12 percent of energy into measurable work. Transitioning to renewable energy like solar and wind can reduce costs—which can account for up to 30 percent of total expenditures—and help companies secure a "social license to operate" by providing energy access to remote communities. Examples include Rio Tinto's solar plant in Australia and Windiga Energy's project in Burkina Faso. RMI and the Development Partner Institute are facilitating the creation of innovative business models to coordinate the complex interests of mining companies, communities, and multilaterals.

This report by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) South Africa examines the role of taxation in state-society relations within sub-Saharan Africa, specifically focusing on South Africa, Mozambique, and Cameroon. The authors argue that the effectiveness of a tax system depends not only on institutional design but also on the socio-political dynamics and societal perceptions that influence tax morale and voluntary compliance.

The report analyzes the remittance value chain in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), dividing it into the first, middle, and last miles. It identifies a high average remittance cost of 9.4%, driven by supply-side barriers including restrictive licensing for non-bank providers, stringent KYC/AML requirements, and outdated IT infrastructure. The study highlights a persistent consumer preference for cash and a significant shift toward informal remittance channels due to the high costs and documentation burdens of the formal sector. Key recommendations emphasize the need for regulatory harmonization, the adoption of a risk-based approach to KYC, and investment in interoperable national payment systems to reduce costs and increase financial inclusion.

This scoping report examines how global trends—including energy decentralization, affordability, mobile payments, women's entrepreneurship, urbanization, and humanitarian settings—affect gender equality and social inclusion in sustainable energy access, with specific analysis of five countries.

The document highlights the gap between the resources required for African countries to meet their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and the available public finance, arguing that private sector funding is essential. It focuses on financial instruments in Sub-Saharan Africa, including those backed by the UNFCCC and a specific national programme in South Africa, to explore how the public sector can most efficiently incentivise private investment in mitigation and adaptation.

The report examines remittance flows in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting that while they are a vital source of capital—often exceeding official development assistance (ODA) and foreign direct investment (FDI)—formal flows are constrained by high costs and regulatory barriers. Nigeria is the dominant receiver of remittances in the region. The study identifies a significant mismatch between migration patterns and formal remittance data, suggesting a high level of informality. It argues that shifting these flows to formal channels would enhance financial sector development and overall economic growth in SSA.

The document examines the tension between the high E&S safeguard standards of MDBs and the capacity or sovereignty of borrowing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It specifically analyzes the World Bank's 2016 Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), which allows for greater use of domestic safeguard frameworks. The author argues that to avoid the dilution of standards, MDBs and governments must move toward partnerships based on country-specific 'E&S safeguard plans' and enhanced capacity building, while ensuring civil society remains an active agent of accountability.

The document examines how private-sector investment can be mobilised for climate mitigation in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Climate Investment Funds (CIF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and South Africa's REIPPPP. It argues that while market mechanisms like the CDM have successfully engaged the private sector, further tailoring of rules to African circumstances and stronger synergies between multilateral and national finance are necessary to meet Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goals.

The research identifies a sustainable infrastructure investment gap of USD 18-36 trillion in developing countries, with critical needs in power generation, transport, and water. It analyzes the roles of various public finance actors—including bilateral aid agencies, multilateral development banks (MDBs), and national development banks (NDBs)—highlighting a systemic mismatch where the largest mitigation potentials in upper-middle-income countries lack access to concessional finance. The paper argues for a shift from project-specific finance to financial system development and the scaling of blended finance and risk-mitigation instruments to crowd in private capital.

The document highlights the persistent gender gap in financial inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa, where less than 30% of women hold financial institution accounts. It presents Savings Groups—member-owned collectives of 15-25 individuals—as a sustainable strategy to provide low-income women with access to savings, credit, and insurance. The FSD Network has invested over $28 million in these groups since 2008 across several African nations to bridge the gap between marginalized populations and formal financial services.

The report examines the growing global need for cooling, driven by urbanization and rising incomes, particularly in developing countries. It warns that a surge in air conditioning (AC) use could lead to massive increases in electricity demand and urban heat island effects. The document also details the critical role of cold chains in reducing food loss and ensuring vaccine viability, while emphasizing the need to 'leapfrog' high-emission cooling technologies to avoid severe environmental impacts.

The report identifies Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and East Asia as high-impact regions for clean energy investment, with a subset of eight countries offering over USD 360bn in potential by 2030. It argues that while clean energy costs are falling, private investment is hindered by off-taker, currency, and policy risks. The authors recommend shifting blended finance from covering viability gaps to providing risk-mitigation instruments like guarantees and local currency hedging, and creating liquid, tradable assets through securitization to attract institutional investors.

The report finds that while electricity access finance in 20 high-impact countries increased by 56% to USD 30.2 billion per year in 2015-16, it remains far below the estimated USD 52 billion needed annually. Investment is heavily skewed toward non-residential consumers and grid-connected technologies, including a significant increase in coal-fired power. Sub-Saharan Africa is falling further behind, receiving only 17% of total electricity finance. Clean cooking finance is described as 'abysmally low', dropping 5% to USD 30 million in 2015-16, representing a tiny fraction of the USD 4.4 billion annual need. The report highlights India as a 'bright spot' due to strong domestic private investment in renewables and Indonesia for its use of government subsidies to accelerate LPG adoption.

Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization, reported total revenue of $102,807,555 and total expenses of $78,445,477 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. The organization focuses on protecting wild places, safeguarding community health, advancing clean energy, and combating climate change through legal representation and advocacy. Its net assets increased to $170,001,650 by the end of the period. Key expenditures included $37,278,618 for salaries and wages and $61,591,037 in total program service expenses. The organization also reported activities in East Asia, Europe, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, primarily focused on energy development and human rights advocacy.