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This research paper examines the diverse responses of African nations to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and proposes four strategic options for the continent to advance its political, economic, and social interests amid the shifting geopolitical landscape.

The report describes the outcomes of Ashden's Fair Cooling Fund, a grant-making initiative supported by the Clean Cooling Collaborative. The fund provided USD 600,000 to seven organizations to develop sustainable cooling solutions for marginalized communities, focusing on cold chain access and cooling for homes and streets.

This research paper by the Green Economy Coalition proposes a structural agenda for a green economic recovery from COVID-19. It defines green structural reforms as systemic, long-lasting, and general-purpose interventions, contrasting them with short-term stimulus measures. The document provides a nested framework of ten high-level reform measures and a comprehensive set of prioritisation criteria (conventional, advanced, and systemic/political) to help governments move beyond emergency triage toward long-term socio-ecological transformation.

This policy brief examines how Aid for Trade (AfT) and Official Development Assistance (ODA) can be leveraged to help developing and least developed countries transition to sustainable trade and circular economies to combat plastic pollution. It highlights a significant mismatch between the limited funding for plastic pollution mitigation and the massive financial flows supporting the petrochemical sector, while proposing specific short- and medium-term deliverables for WTO members through the Informal Dialogue on Plastic Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (IDP).

This research paper examines the drivers and consequences of increased Eurobond issuance and sovereign credit ratings in Africa over the last decade, arguing that the 'big three' rating agencies exert significant influence over African debt costs while lacking accountability and local context.

This research paper examines the drivers and consequences of the increased issuance of Eurobonds and sovereign credit ratings in Africa. It argues that while Eurobonds were intended to reduce reliance on aid, the dominance of the 'big three' rating agencies—Moody's, Fitch, and Standard & Poor's—has often led to deteriorating credit ratings, higher borrowing costs, and constrained policy space for African governments, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This policy brief by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines the evolving nature of sovereign debt in Africa, highlighting a shift from traditional multilateral creditors to private bondholders and emerging economies like China. It argues that current debt relief mechanisms are insufficient because they lack statutory, human rights-based frameworks and fail to compel the participation of private creditors, leaving African nations vulnerable to economic shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic.

This policy brief examines the use of end-user subsidies to bridge the affordability gap for electricity access, specifically focusing on solar home systems (SHSs) in high-impact countries. It analyzes methodologies for calculating affordability gaps, outlines key design attributes for subsidy programs, and evaluates case studies from Ghana, Uganda, and Togo to identify factors contributing to program success or failure.

This report by Cenfri and FSD Africa analyzes how insurance regulators across 31 sub-Saharan African countries responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. It proposes a four-phase regulatory response framework—Identify, Determine/Implement, Monitor, and Adapt—to help supervisors manage future systemic risks such as climate change and cyber-security threats.

This policy brief examines the polluter-pays principle (PPP), which requires pollution producers to bear the costs of managing and preventing environmental and human health damage. While established in European Union and OECD frameworks, the PPP faces challenges in universal international application due to ambiguities in defining 'the polluter' and differing national legal systems. The document explores the PPP's intersection with international climate change law, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR), and efforts by global financial institutions to implement carbon pricing.

This policy brief examines the evolution, effectiveness, and challenges of science-policy interfaces (SPIs) in global environmental governance since 1972. It analyzes existing models like the IPCC and IPBES, evaluates proposals for new SPIs focused on chemicals, waste, and food systems, and provides a three-pronged design framework to ensure future interfaces are credible, inclusive, and policy-relevant.

This fact sheet evaluates progress toward Goal 10 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), which focuses on strengthening forest governance, transparency, and the rule of law while empowering Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). The document reports that while some legal frameworks and demand-side regulations have improved, overall progress is too slow to measurably reduce deforestation, with illegal deforestation increasing from 49% to 69% over a seven-year period.

This fact sheet, based on the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, details the observed and projected impacts of climate change in West Africa. It highlights significant increases in temperature, extreme weather events, and sea-level rise, which threaten human health, food security, biodiversity, and economic stability. The document emphasizes the region's high vulnerability despite its low contribution to global emissions and calls for transformative adaptation and increased financial and research investment.

This factsheet summarizes the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report for West Africa, detailing how the region is warming faster than the global average. It highlights severe risks to food security, human health (specifically heat-related mortality and diarrhoeal diseases), and biodiversity. The report emphasizes that while adaptation options like ecosystem-based solutions exist, they are severely hindered by a lack of finance and critical data gaps in climate research.

The FSD Africa Impact Report 2022 details the agency's efforts to transform financial markets in Africa, specifically through its 2021–2025 green strategy. The report highlights the mobilization of £1.9 billion in long-term capital for sectors like housing and energy, the issuance of pioneering gender bonds, and the development of climate-resilient financial infrastructure to address the continent's vulnerability to climate change and economic shocks.

The COP27 Resilience Hub Synthesis Report outlines the outcomes and key messages from the Resilience Hub at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh. The Hub serves as a physical and virtual space to mobilise ambition and investment for climate resilience, acting as the home for the UN-backed Race to Resilience campaign. The report synthesises findings across nine thematic areas and four regional hubs, emphasizing the need for locally-led adaptation, increased and diversified finance, and the integration of arts and culture into resilience strategies.

This report assesses the progress of sustainable cooling policies across the 'Critical 9' high-impact countries, focusing on access to cooling, energy efficiency standards, and climate change integration. It highlights significant gaps in electrification planning, financial incentives for efficient devices, and the implementation of National Cooling Action Plans (NCAPs).

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the development financing gap facing African countries during their COVID-19 recovery. It argues that African nations lack the fiscal space available to advanced economies, facing high debt burdens and unfair credit ratings. The document proposes that the G20 and other development partners implement coordinated debt relief, reallocate resources to de-risk private investment, and establish fairer credit rating mechanisms to support sustainable economic transformation.

The 2021 AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) report notes a positive shift toward addressing climate-induced insecurity but criticizes the council for ignoring governance deficits as root causes of conflict. The report highlights the PSC's response to military coups in Mali, Guinea, and Sudan, while noting a controversial endorsement of a military transition in Chad. Looking toward 2022, it warns of potential electoral violence in Kenya, Angola, and Senegal, and identifies several conflict hotbeds, including Ethiopia and Libya. It also emphasizes the ongoing threat of violent extremism in the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and Mozambique, while noting the AU's struggle with member state funding and the need for strategic autonomy.

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute argues that Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) must leverage the global clean energy transition to drive industrialization and address severe energy deficits. The author proposes that the region utilize a combination of green industrial policies, strategic use of natural gas for baseload power, and the leveraging of critical mineral reserves to move up the global value chain, while insisting that the transition must account for the economic differences between developed and developing nations.