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The briefing identifies high costs, slow off-grid market growth, and uncoordinated planning as the primary barriers to electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa. It recommends that governments adopt integrated resource plans that combine utility-led energy efficiency, solar-hybrid systems, and private sector-driven off-grid programs to meet growing energy demands while mitigating future carbon emissions.

The report finds that Africa is not on track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) for universal WASH access by 2030. Using the International Futures (IFs) forecasting system, the authors analyze three paths: a 'Current Path' where few countries meet targets; a 'Universal Access' scenario requiring aggressive investment; and a 'Balancing WASH' scenario that prioritizes high-impact, lower-cost improvements. While universal access offers the highest economic and health gains, it requires an additional US$122 billion in infrastructure spending and may force detrimental trade-offs in health and education budgets. The 'Balancing WASH' approach is presented as a more realistic alternative, delivering approximately 50% of the human development benefits of universal access at only 30% of the cost (US$36 billion).

The report develops the Transnational Climate Impacts (TCI) Index to measure how countries are exposed to climate risks originating outside their borders. Using a framework of four risk pathways—biophysical, finance, people, and trade—alongside a global context indicator, the authors identify nine indicators of exposure. The resulting index reveals that many high-income, small European nations are highly exposed to transnational risks, contrasting with traditional vulnerability indices that primarily highlight low-income nations. The authors present this as a tool to raise awareness for national adaptation planning, though they note it is a preliminary instrument not yet intended for direct decision-making.

The Stockholm Environment Institute reviewed 24 climate change mitigation policy databases, finding that while data availability is increasing, it is heavily skewed toward the energy sector and industrialized nations. The analysis reveals significant gaps in information regarding the agricultural sector, sub-Saharan Africa, policy costs, and actual emission savings. Furthermore, the review notes a lack of interactivity and poor linkage between different databases, which limits potential synergies for policy makers.

The paper evaluates sanitation policies in Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania against seven criteria, finding that while frameworks are ambitious and reforms toward decentralization and Sector Wide Approaches (SWAps) are positive, significant gaps remain in funding, technical capacity at the district level, and the translation of policy into functional facilities.

The document argues that while sub-Saharan Africa's financial sector has grown rapidly, limited access to formal financial services persists. It identifies a lack of purposeful leadership at middle and senior management levels as a constraint to financial sector development. To address this, Financial Sector Deepening Africa and Creative Metier have implemented a project since 2013 to build internal capacity through executive coaching, which serves as a critical tool for leaders to resolve complex business challenges and improve business performance.

The document outlines 'Stage 3' of the Impact-Oriented Measurement (IOM) system, focusing on 'Step 7: Developing a credible narrative'. It advocates for the use of contribution analysis—rather than strict attribution—to demonstrate how FSD interventions lead to systemic changes in financial markets. The process involves triangulating bottom-up monitoring (e.g., project results chains) with top-down evidence (e.g., national household surveys and landscape studies) to convince a 'sceptical observer' of the programme's impact. It also provides methodologies for aggregating quantifiable results and conducting Value for Money (VfM) assessments by monetizing sectoral benefits, such as reduced depositor losses in the SACCO sector in Kenya.

The Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) implemented a multi-year strategy to embed a coaching culture, targeting a workforce where 65% of staff are Generation Y. The initiative involved training 85 managers in coaching skills in 2014, followed by the 2015 'Managers as Mentors' programme where 15 managers received professional certification from the Academy of Executive Coaches (AoEC). These certified coaches supported staff through 360-degree feedback processes and provided one-on-one coaching. Early impacts include increased staff openness, greater empowerment in decision-making, and a shift from managers providing solutions to guiding staff to find their own. CBA aims to have 40% of its staff trained as coaches by 2018 to ensure a sustainable internal resource.

The SEforALL 2016-2021 Business Plan outlines a strategy to achieve universal modern energy access, double energy efficiency, and double the share of renewables globally. The organization uses data-driven 'heat maps' and a 'Global Tracking Framework' to prioritize high-impact countries and sectors. Its operational model relies on 'lean start-up' methodologies and a network of 'Delivery', 'Proud', and 'Funding' partners, including sector-specific 'Accelerators'. Financially, SEforALL aims to transition to a 50:50 public-private funding split, with a base-case budget growing from $7.4 million in 2017 to $11.0 million by 2021.

The document highlights that 76% of Kenyans rely on traditional biomass for cooking, leading to significant public health crises and economic losses. It argues that while Kenya is a leader in clean cookstove distribution, large-scale transformation requires removing market barriers, such as high import duties, and regulating the charcoal sector. The brief recommends a shift from end-user subsidies to upstream value chain support and the adoption of human-centered design to ensure long-term stove usage.

The report advocates for a paradigm shift in sanitation and wastewater management, moving from a disposal-centric model to a circular economy approach that recovers water, nutrients, and energy. It details the technical, institutional, and financial frameworks necessary to implement sustainable systems that protect human health and the environment while providing economic benefits.

The document examines the tension between treating fossil fuel suppliers as polluters and recognizing extraction as a sovereign right for development. It argues that meeting Paris Agreement targets requires leaving a majority of proven reserves in the ground, which would disproportionately impact lower-income regions through the loss of significant resource rents.

The document argues that the current trajectory of urbanization in the Global South—characterized by rapid population growth outpacing economic growth and the 'urbanization of poverty'—risks locking cities into unsustainable patterns. It proposes a new categorization of cities based on economic productivity and population growth, focusing on 'struggling' and 'emerging' cities. The authors contend that providing equitable access to core services (housing, water, sanitation, energy, and transport) is the essential entry point for broader transformative urban change. Using case studies from Medellín and Surat, the paper illustrates how solving a 'seminal problem' can trigger a virtuous cycle of improvement across governance, finance, and planning, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for all residents.

Global climate finance reached at least USD 391 billion in 2014, driven by a 26% increase in private investment in renewable energy and a steady rise in public finance. Private finance, totaling USD 243 billion, remains the largest source, with China emerging as a major hub for renewable energy investment. Public finance reached USD 148 billion, with Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) contributing the bulk of these funds. The report highlights a strong domestic preference, with 74% of total flows remaining within the country of origin. Mitigation projects dominated the landscape, accounting for 93% of total finance, while adaptation finance reached USD 25 billion.

The document assesses SEI's global urban research portfolio to identify strengths and gaps that can be leveraged for a new programme in sub-Saharan Africa. It finds that while SEI has diverse expertise across 64 projects, there is a lack of cross-centre collaboration and significant research gaps in Central and West Africa, as well as in specific areas like urban solid waste management and green infrastructure in the Global South. The report recommends replicating successful global projects in Africa and expanding research into under-studied regions and strategic themes such as urban governance and inclusive cities.

The document highlights the critical need to transition sub-Saharan African households from traditional biomass to clean cooking energy. It notes that approximately 700 million people currently rely on biomass, causing 600,000 annual deaths and significant economic losses. The paper advocates for a market transformation toward clean stoves and fuels, suggesting intermediate steps such as improved efficiency stoves and sustainable charcoal regulation, while drawing on evidence from Mali, Ghana, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

The IMF's October 2015 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa describes a 'gloomy picture' for the region driven by falling commodity and oil prices, high energy costs, and a weak global financial environment. South Africa is highlighted as having the worst growth projection among its middle-income peers, with its economic performance hindered by critical electricity supply failures, poor export growth despite currency depreciation, and social unrest. The IMF recommends fiscal adjustments, currency depreciation, and long-term investments in productivity-enhancing infrastructure and education to counter these trends.

The document examines how communities in sub-Saharan Africa adapt to biomass scarcity, noting that current strategies often lead to vicious cycles of over-exploitation and degradation. Using the Lake Tana sub-basin in Ethiopia as a case study, the authors analyze the impact of changing biomass supply and demand, emphasizing the role of soil productivity and natural resource governance. The authors conclude that effective strategies must balance the avoidance of vicious cycles with the encouragement of virtuous ones, requiring sustainable soil management, inclusive governance, and cross-sector collaboration within national development strategies.

Between August and December 2014, a project funded by FSD Africa and implemented by the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services (UIBFS) aimed to embed the Bank of Uganda's Financial Consumer Protection Guidelines into the operations of 31 supervised financial institutions. The initiative trained 1,038 staff across 575 branches using 12 qualified trainers from a consortium of five local firms. A February 2015 review showed early signs of market-system change, with all five training firms intending to offer FCP modules commercially and some institutions planning to outsource training. The project is presented as a potential model for other sub-Saharan African countries to develop local training markets based on central bank regulations.

The document argues that a high-ambition climate agreement, limiting global warming to 2°C, is essential for achieving the SDGs, particularly those related to poverty, inequality, and energy. Using global analysis and case studies from Dominica, Jamaica, Pakistan, and Uganda, the research indicates that a low-ambition agreement would significantly increase poverty levels in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean by 2030.