Search Climate Insights Directory

The Venture Finance Portfolio document provides a detailed overview of various investment funds and venture-building platforms supported by FSD Africa and FSDAi. These entities focus on scaling climate-tech, gender-lens investing, and financial inclusion across Africa, utilizing a mix of equity, grants, and debt to catalyze private capital and drive sustainable economic growth.

This fact sheet describes the Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) South Africa, a UK government-funded technical assistance programme led by NBI and GreenCape. The programme aims to help low-carbon project developers improve their bankability and access finance from national and international investors through coaching, networking, and visibility.

The 'Step Off the Gas' report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes international public finance for natural gas expansion in the Global South, arguing that such funding locks countries into high-carbon pathways despite the availability of cheaper renewable alternatives.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the agricultural negotiation priorities for the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It emphasizes that while food security is a central goal, success depends on moving beyond non-binding declarations toward binding commitments, particularly regarding export restrictions for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), domestic support, and public stockholding.

This research paper by Pierre Sauvé argues for the modernization of industrial policy to center on the services economy. The author contends that while current industrial policies remain rooted in 20th-century manufacturing paradigms, services now drive global innovation, productivity, and competitiveness, acting as essential inputs for all economic sectors.

This research paper by Pierre Sauvé argues for a paradigm shift in industrial policy, moving from a traditional focus on manufacturing to one that prioritizes the services economy. The author contends that services are no longer merely residual activities but are essential inputs that drive productivity, innovation, and competitiveness across all economic sectors, including agriculture and manufacturing.

This briefing analyzes the agricultural negotiations for the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organization (WTO), focusing on food security, domestic support, and the specific needs of Least Developed Countries (LDCs). It argues that success depends on moving beyond non-binding declarations toward binding commitments to regulate food and agricultural trade.

This research paper by Colette van der Ven argues that African nations must proactively integrate circular economy principles into their clothing and textile industries to achieve sustainable industrialization (SDG 9) and sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12). The author highlights opportunities in sustainable input production, green manufacturing, and the repurposing of second-hand clothing imports to drive economic transformation and maintain competitiveness, particularly in the European Union market.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the use of registration and approval requirements in investment treaties to limit their scope of application. It examines how these criteria are used by states to control the quality of investments and limit exposure to international arbitration, providing a comparative analysis of regional agreements (ASEAN, COMESA) and bilateral investment treaties (BITs), alongside an analysis of arbitral awards that have interpreted these provisions.

This research paper examines the complex relationship between anthropogenic climate change and forced human migration. It challenges simplistic predictions of mass migration, arguing that displacement is driven by a combination of climate processes (slow-onset changes) and climate events (sudden hazards), mediated by non-climate factors such as governance, poverty, and adaptive capacity. The author outlines three speculative scenarios for future migration based on IPCC emission storylines and discusses the significant development implications for the poorest countries, which are expected to bear the greatest burden of providing for climate migrants.

This fact sheet, based on a report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, outlines the potential climate and financial impacts of fossil fuel subsidy reform (FFSR) and fossil energy taxation across 32 countries by 2030.

This report, submitted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to the UNFCCC First Global Stocktake, analyzes the failure of governments to align public financial flows with the Paris Agreement. It argues that public support for fossil fuels remains high and often increases, creating a financial barrier to clean energy deployment. The document provides evidence of subsidy trends, the impact of COVID-19 recovery packages, and offers a framework for fossil fuel subsidy reform (FFSR) to accelerate the energy transition while ensuring social equity.

This report is a response from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to the United Nations Secretariat regarding the mandate review of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). IISD recommends renewing the IGF's mandate for a second five-year term but argues that the forum must evolve from a general discussion space into a multi-function body with greater analytic capacity, increased transparency in its governance, and stronger linkages to global policy issues such as sustainable development and climate change.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines agricultural cooperatives as a model for inclusive investment. It details the different types of cooperatives, their benefits for smallholder farmers, the role of foreign investment in these structures, and the necessary legal and governmental frameworks to support their success.

This research paper by Jakkie Cilliers for the Institute for Security Studies analyzes Africa's demographic transition, focusing on the 'demographic window of opportunity' defined by a worker-to-dependant ratio of 1.7:1. It details the varying timelines for different African regions to reach this threshold and the systemic requirements needed to convert population growth into economic dividends.

This report provides development forecasts for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) up to 2043. It compares a 'Current Path' trajectory—based on existing policies—against various sectoral scenarios and a 'Combined Agenda 2063' scenario, analyzing impacts on GDP, poverty, demographics, and carbon emissions.

Peace and Security Council Report No 32 provides analysis on political instability and electoral challenges in Senegal, Mali, and Egypt, while reviewing the elections for the African Union's Peace and Security Council and the legislative aspirations of the Pan African Parliament.

This document is an introductory report from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) regarding a conference held on 31 May 2011. The conference aimed to analyze the 2011 North African revolutions and generate policy responses to peace and security challenges to support democratization and human security in the region.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the rapid pace of urbanisation in Africa, with a specific focus on Nigeria. It highlights the disconnect between rapid population growth in cities and the lack of adequate urban planning, which has led to the proliferation of slums, infrastructure deficits, and economic instability.

This introductory text for Monograph 6, edited by Hussein Solomon, examines the intersection of water scarcity and security, with a specific focus on Southern Africa. It argues that dwindling fresh water resources, coupled with rapid population growth, increase the risk of resource-based conflict, while suggesting that regional cooperation and frameworks like the SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse Systems offer a path toward stability.