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The document analyzes the 2012 green and climate finance activities of 15 surveyed DFIs and DBs, who committed approximately USD 18.2 billion. While these institutions play a significant role in financing green economic development, their catalytic potential is hindered by a shortage of bankable projects and the uncertain viability of prototype technologies. The report details the sectoral distribution of funds—favoring mitigation and sustainable transport—and examines the ongoing financing of fossil fuel projects. It concludes by suggesting policy improvements and enhanced transparency through standardized reporting to further scale green investments.

The World Bank Group (WBG) provides a wide array of risk mitigation tools, but few have been deployed at scale for climate projects. While total risk mitigation commitments grew to USD 4 billion in the three years preceding 2013, climate-related projects averaged only 10% of this total. The report identifies a gap between the WBG's climate goals and the actual use of its de-risking tools, recommending a formal mandate to expand these instruments, particularly guarantees and index-based products, to better mobilize private investment for low-carbon technologies.

The document assesses the G-20's food security commitments from an African perspective, focusing on food-price volatility, agricultural productivity, and nutrition. While it finds broad alignment in rhetoric and focus areas, it argues that the G-20 fails to implement critical regulatory reforms in financial markets and trade that would meaningfully benefit Africa.

The analysis finds that sustainable development benefits vary significantly across bioenergy project types, with those utilizing agricultural farm residues claiming the most benefits and those using industrial forest residues claiming the fewest.

The paper argues that South Africa's National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 target of 5.4% average annual GDP growth is 'very ambitious' and unlikely to be met under current trends. Using the International Futures (IFs) model, the authors find a 'Base Case' average growth of 3.4% for 2014-2030, significantly lower than the NDP target and regional peers. While the 'Highway' scenario shows that combining aggressive interventions—such as reducing corruption, curbing HIV/AIDS, and increasing foreign direct investment—could push growth above 5%, such a path requires systemic structural change. Conversely, the analysis suggests that targets for education and infrastructure are 'eminently achievable' even with lower economic growth, indicating a potential lack of integration in the NDP's sectoral planning.

The document identifies critical transport-related issues in sub-Saharan Africa, noting that while the region has less than 3% of global motor vehicles, it accounts for over 11% of global road fatalities. It highlights rising urban air pollution due to fossil fuel use and inadequate emission standards, severe traffic congestion caused by poor infrastructure and land-use policies, and a policy bias toward automobiles that marginalizes vulnerable populations. Additionally, it notes that while Africa has the lowest historical greenhouse gas emissions, they are growing rapidly due to increased fossil-fuel use.

The document finds that while trade among BRICS nations has grown, intra-BRICS FDI remains low and lacks strategic policy direction. Most BRICS countries rely on traditional investors from the EU, US, and Japan, though China, India, and Brazil have increased resource-seeking investments in Africa. The briefing recommends collaborative research, comparative studies of investment frameworks, and improved statistics to foster sustainable, development-oriented FDI within the bloc.

The report addresses the interdependence of water, energy, and food (WEF) security, arguing that sectoral silos lead to unsustainable outcomes and increased risks. It reviews existing conceptual frameworks from the World Economic Forum, ICIMOD, and the Bonn2011 Nexus Conference, noting a gap in practical implementation guidance. To fill this, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) introduces a place-based analysis framework centered on ecosystem goods and services (EGS) as the primary link between the three securities. This framework is embedded in a four-stage participatory process: assessing the current system, envisioning future landscape scenarios, developing an investment strategy, and transforming the system through adaptive management. The goal is to move from 'land-grabs' to 'land stewardship' by using natural capital as a hedge against socio-ecological risks.

The document serves as a working paper that reviews climate trends, scenarios, and projections for Zimbabwe, drawing on case studies of adaptation projects to inform policymakers, practitioners, and researchers.

This document presents nine case studies of public-private collaborations (PPCs) designed to enhance resilience through disaster risk management and climate change adaptation. The projects span various sectors, including transport, agriculture, water, housing, and energy, across multiple countries in Asia, Africa, and Central America.

The document details nine global case studies where public-private collaborations (PPCs) implemented resilience-building activities. These include logistics training for airports (GARD), IT-based fertilizer market intelligence in Sub-Saharan Africa, decentralized water kiosks in Zambia, multi-sectoral adaptation in Malawi, sustainable coffee supply chains in Rwanda, flood-resilient brick-making in Tanzania, water-efficient rice seeding in India, community micro-hydropower in Sri Lanka, and biomass energy combined with desertification control in China.

The document examines the environmental and social challenges of transport in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the rise in urban air pollution, high road fatality rates, and increasing traffic congestion. It argues that current policies favor automobiles over vulnerable populations and recommends an 'avoid, shift, improve' strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve accessibility and safety for all citizens.

The document argues that South Africa's current trade policy is too defensive and focused on domestic industrial concerns, leaving its exporters disadvantaged in fast-growing emerging markets. It identifies key global trends—including the shift of growth toward BRIC economies, the re-orientation of Chinese demand toward domestic consumption, and the rise of regional trade agreements—that necessitate a strategic shift. The authors propose diversifying exports, simplifying tariff structures to facilitate free trade agreements, establishing duty-free export zones to attract global supply chains, and deepening integration within Africa to leverage the region's growth.

The report argues that traditional anti-money laundering (AML) efforts, which focus on the banking sector, are insufficient in cash-based economies where over 50% of transactions occur in cash. In these environments, the conventional phases of money laundering—placement, layering, and integration—are often bypassed because proceeds of crime can be integrated into the economy without ever entering the formal financial system. The author identifies several drivers of this vulnerability, including low bank penetration, onerous documentation requirements, and systemic corruption. Key laundering typologies highlighted include the use of unregulated bureaus de change, real estate acquisition (notably in Tanzania), and alternative remittance systems like hawala. The report concludes that FATF recommendations are often poorly adapted to these realities and calls for a pragmatic approach to increasing bankability, regulating mobile money, and empowering Financial Intelligence Units to engage with the informal sector.

The briefing highlights that conventional conservation and economic growth models in Africa have often failed to protect ecosystems, which are vital for the livelihoods of the poor. It advocates for the use of market-based mechanisms, such as Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), to quantify the value of nature's services and incentivize sustainable management over destructive land use. The author notes that African countries have largely failed to utilize ecosystem markets due to governance gaps, lack of technical knowledge, and disputes over land tenure, urging regional organizations to lead the integration of ecosystem services into mainstream economic planning.

The report examines the critical intersection of transport and environment in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), highlighting severe road safety risks, rising urban air and noise pollution, and increasing traffic congestion. It argues that current transport systems are often inequitable, neglecting vulnerable groups like pedestrians and the rural poor. The document advocates for a paradigm shift toward sustainable mobility using the 'Avoid-Shift-Improve' strategy, emphasizing the need for integrated land-use planning, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, and the protection of non-motorized transport to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health.

The document argues that traditional, linear agricultural extension systems in sub-Saharan Africa are failing due to a decline in extension workers and an inability to address climate change threats. It proposes a shift toward mobile ICT-based systems that allow for two-way communication between research institutions and farmers, integrating both scientific and traditional knowledge. A case study of the Lifelong Learning for Farmers (L3F) programme in Kabale, Uganda, demonstrates how SMS and voice-based services (using Freedom Fone software) can improve crop yields and market access. The briefing highlights that for these services to be sustainable and scalable, they must address literacy through voice services, build trust via local dialects, and establish viable business models or public-private partnerships to manage costs.

The document uses a global-to-local modelling approach to project land use changes in Vietnam up to 2030. It finds that economic growth and urbanisation will lead to a significant loss of paddy rice land and protected forests, while climate-induced flooding poses a severe threat to the Red River and Mekong River Deltas. The study highlights critical policy trade-offs between reducing greenhouse gas emissions through reforestation and maintaining national food security targets.

The document argues that agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa is hindered by gender gaps, as women provide the bulk of agricultural labour but lack decision-making power and access to resources. It introduces a conceptual framework for empowerment based on agency, structure, and relations, and discusses the necessity of addressing land ownership and value chain participation to improve food security and nutrition. The brief highlights that closing the gender gap in agricultural inputs could lift 100–150 million people out of hunger.

The report examines the financing gap for smallholder farmers in developing countries, who are critical for global food security but highly vulnerable to climate change. It argues that achieving a 'triple dividend'—increased food production, improved adaptive capacity, and reduced emissions—requires a coordinated mix of public, private, and climate-specific financing. The document analyzes the limitations of current mechanisms, such as the decline in official development assistance for agriculture and the high transaction costs of carbon markets, and recommends creating national funds and enabling policy environments to support climate-smart agricultural transitions.