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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.

The report highlights a critical lack of aggregate global data to measure progress in reducing deforestation caused by basic needs. It uses the distribution of clean cookstoves and related funding as proxy indicators, noting that while annual distributions reached approximately 20 million, the number of stoves meeting clean and efficient standards declined from nearly 15 million in 2014 to 13 million in 2015. Financial support also showed a downward trend between 2012 and 2015, with Official Development Assistance (ODA) for fuelwood dropping from USD 81 million to USD 3.2 million and carbon offset transactions falling from USD 65 million to USD 15 million.

The report evaluates global forest landscape restoration (FLR) ambitions by tracking pledges under the Bonn Challenge and commitments within Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted to the UNFCCC. While the 150 million hectare milestone for 2020 was surpassed in May 2017, actual implementation data remains scarce, with reported achievements representing less than 10 percent of the 2020 goal. The document also highlights the role of regional initiatives and new data tools like the Bonn Challenge Barometer and ROAM in improving monitoring and planning.

The document analyzes Tanzania's struggle to develop a National System of Innovation (NSI) and horizontal linkages due to low industrial capacity and skill shortages. It focuses on the Central Development Corridor (CDC), a logistics system connecting Dar es Salaam to the Great Lakes hinterland, highlighting how coordination failures, private sector concession collapses, and fluctuating mineral prices have delayed infrastructure progress. While recent improvements in port efficiency and border services have occurred, the study concludes that government-led investment, rather than reliance on mining firms, is essential for multipurpose infrastructure.

The document examines the pervasive impact of corruption on African youth, who are identified as both primary victims and increasingly as perpetrators. It highlights how corruption fuels instability, conflict, and migration, while arguing that current youth engagement in anti-corruption efforts is superficial. The brief recommends structural changes, including amending the AU Advisory Board on Corruption's membership and implementing access to information laws, to ensure youth are active partners in designing and driving anti-corruption initiatives.

The RISE 2018 report tracks sustainable energy policies across 133 countries, finding that the number of nations with advanced frameworks tripled between 2010 and 2017. While progress is evident, the global average score of 58/100 suggests the world is only halfway to advanced policy adoption, potentially jeopardizing SDG7 and Paris Agreement goals. The report highlights a strong focus on electricity over heating and transport, a decline in utility creditworthiness in access-deficit countries, and a gap between 'on paper' regulations and actual enforcement.

The report analyzes electricity access in 20 high-deficit countries by comparing government reports, utility data, household surveys, and solar sales. It consistently finds that household consumption (wealth) is a stronger driver of access disparity than gender, although specific national patterns vary. In many cases, significant gaps exist between formal utility connection rates and household survey results, often attributed to off-grid solutions, informal connections, or self-supply methods like diesel generators.

The Book of Abstracts compiles nearly seventy research proposals focused on the sustainable harnessing of the Blue Economy. The submissions are organized into four primary thematic areas: sustainable use of resources, climate action resilience, global connectivity and transportation, and blue economy and sustainable cities, with an additional focus on human resource capacity. The abstracts cover a diverse range of topics, including marine spatial planning, aquaculture development in Africa and Asia, the economic impacts of ocean acidification, and the role of scientific research in informing policy and investment. Geographically, the research spans global contexts with specific case studies from Kenya, Canada, Ireland, Bangladesh, Israel, China, and various Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The document reviews 87 cases of agricultural interventions, finding that nearly 70% had a positive impact on food security. It emphasizes that success depends more on local context and implementation—such as addressing wealth inequality and combining interventions—than on the specific type of investment. Key analyzed areas include input subsidies, value chain development, and extension services, with recommendations for using direct food security indicators and rigorous baseline assessments in future planning.

The report analyzes the ramifications of the EU's January 2016 decision to reduce AMISOM peacekeeper allowances by 20%, from US$1,028 to US$822 per month. This move triggered a rift between the African Union (AU), troop-contributing countries (TCCs), and donors, while accelerating the development of a concrete exit strategy for the mission. The EU's decision was driven by donor fatigue, shifting priorities toward the Sahel region, and internal regulations regarding the use of the African Peace Facility. TCCs, particularly Uganda and Kenya, initially threatened withdrawal, though national security interests and the desire for regional stability largely prevailed. The report highlights a critical gap between donor expectations for AMISOM to 'do more' against al-Shabaab and the TCCs' claims of severe under-resourcing and a lack of local Somali security capacity to hold liberated territory.

The article introduces a framework for comparative urban research in the developing world, asserting that urban transformations—including land use, construction patterns, and environmental regulation—reveal the underlying national political settlements and clientelism. The author illustrates this approach through narrative sketches of Kampala, Kigali, and Addis Ababa.

The Santa Cruz Declaration, issued by the Green Economy Coalition, asserts that micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and addressing climate vulnerabilities. The declaration highlights that SMEs constitute 95% of the world's private enterprises and 60% of private sector employment, positioning them as the primary engines for disruptive innovation and social transformation. It calls on governments, civil society, and academia to partner with green SMEs to build sustainable livelihoods and rethink systems that hinder sustainable business models.

The document challenges the narrative that water scarcity directly causes violent conflict, asserting instead that the 'politics of water'—including corruption, marginalization, and poor state management—increases conflict risks. While Africa faces significant physical water stress, with 65% of the population experiencing occasional stress and 82% of the continent being arid or semi-arid, empirical research suggests that scarcity often leads to cooperation rather than violence. Conflict typically emerges when water is treated as a 'club good' distributed based on political weight or social networks rather than need. This is particularly evident in the disparity between urban and rural access, the prioritization of cash crops for irrigation, and the rise of informal service providers, such as gangs and militias, who exploit water needs for profit in weak states.

The paper analyzes the UN's efforts to create global frameworks for migration and refugee management via the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). It highlights that while the GCR benefits from established international law and the leadership of the UNHCR, the GCM is a more politicized, state-led process lacking a foundational legal base. The author expresses concern over the minimal participation of African states and the African Union in the GCM process, arguing that this lack of engagement may lead to a framework that favors Global North interests, such as border security and return policies, over the socio-economic needs and mobility of African citizens.

The document outlines six key tips for managing country-led development assistance: prioritizing in-country leadership by nationals, utilizing co-developed and flexible Theories of Change, aligning budgets with long-term goals, preferring local suppliers, and integrating monitoring and learning into ongoing strategic planning.

The document outlines nine key lessons for engaging the private sector in climate projects, emphasizing the need for context-specific approaches, strong public policy, and the use of innovative financial instruments. It argues that public sector leadership is essential to reduce risks and demonstrate the business case for private investment, particularly in adaptation projects which are typically seen as riskier than mitigation projects. Case studies from countries like Indonesia, Kenya, India, and Colombia illustrate the effectiveness of risk-sharing mechanisms, pilot projects, and the inclusion of private actors in the design phase of project lifecycles.

The report examines the synergies between Community Forest Management (CFM) and agroecology, positioning them as essential tools for food sovereignty and biodiversity conservation. It critiques the 'green economy' and market-based conservation models like REDD+, arguing that they erode traditional values and community autonomy. The document specifically challenges the FAO's definition of forests for including monoculture plantations, which it claims facilitates deforestation and undermines the livelihoods of the 1.6 billion people dependent on forests. It advocates for the recognition of territorial control, women's autonomy, and traditional knowledge as the primary drivers of effective forest protection.

The report argues that Community Forest Management (MCB) and agroecology are complementary political and technical practices that protect biodiversity and ensure food sovereignty. It critiques top-down conservation models like REDD+ and the FAO's narrow definition of forests, which the author claims facilitate industrial monocultures and the displacement of local communities. The document highlights the role of traditional knowledge, women's autonomy, and local markets in maintaining ecosystem health, providing evidence from the Amazon, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The report argues that community forest management (CFM) and agroecology are complementary systems based on shared principles of territorial control, traditional knowledge, and gender autonomy. It contends that these community-led approaches are more effective at preserving biodiversity and ensuring food security than top-down 'green economy' solutions, such as REDD+ or industrial monoculture plantations. The document specifically critiques the FAO's definition of forests for excluding social and cultural dimensions, which it argues facilitates deforestation and the displacement of local populations. It advocates for the recognition of collective land rights and the promotion of local markets to support sustainable, non-anthropocentric relationships with nature.

The document analyzes the strategic relationship between Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), asserting that the DRC is Luanda's most critical foreign policy objective. It details Angola's history of military intervention to protect the Congolese government and its own security interests, while noting a recent shift in policy. Angola is now signaling impatience with President Joseph Kabila's delay of elections, which Luanda views as a threat to long-term stability. This tension is exacerbated by the influx of over 32,000 refugees from the Kasai region into Angola since April 2017. The author concludes that while economic constraints may deter immediate military action, Angola will prioritize the DRC's political transition to prevent regional destabilization.