Search Climate Insights Directory

This report analyzes how public development banks (PDBs)—including national, regional, and multilateral institutions—can overcome structural and market barriers to expand climate risk insurance in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). It emphasizes the role of PDBs as intermediaries that can co-develop insurance products, bundle coverage with loans, and provide technical assistance to strengthen local insurance markets and enhance economic resilience against physical climate hazards.

This report by FSD Africa argues that domestic capital market development is essential for African economies to mobilize long-term finance for climate adaptation, infrastructure, and demographic shifts, especially as bilateral aid and foreign direct investment decline. It suggests that while public equity markets are often prioritized, they are frequently impractical for smaller or frontier markets due to high costs and information asymmetries. Instead, the report advocates for a focus on strengthening the savings base through pension reforms and macro-financial stability, developing corporate bond markets, and utilizing hybrid public-private structures, guarantees, and pooled investment vehicles to channel institutional capital into infrastructure, housing, and MSMEs.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) has issued guidelines for its May 2026 Innovation Challenges, a call for proposals seeking transformative resilience solutions from entrepreneurs and organisations in the Global South. The initiative offers selected winners up to US$50,000 in funding and a comprehensive support package including mentoring, a leadership academy, and communications assistance to scale innovations that address climate and environmental risks.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the relationship between India and Africa, arguing that while India possesses significant comparative advantages based on historical ties and shared developmental goals, there is a persistent gap between its strategic rhetoric and material outcomes. The author identifies structural constraints—including limited fiscal headroom, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and reputational risks—that have caused India to lag behind other global powers like China. The report recommends a coherent Africa strategy focused on low-cost, high-impact initiatives in health, education, and digital finance, utilizing 'anchor states' such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt to scale interventions.

This policy brief examines how the methodologies of major private credit rating agencies (CRAs) negatively impact African development by inflating risk premiums and increasing the cost of capital. It argues that these agencies operate as an oligopoly with subjective, biased methodologies that ignore social indicators and long-term development. To counter this, the document discusses the establishment of the Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA) and proposes broader reforms to the international financial architecture, including the creation of a global fiscal body and improved domestic fiscal transparency and debt management in African nations.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the historical structural challenges of African agriculture and models an 'Agriculture scenario' to demonstrate how a transition toward high-productivity, technology-driven farming could reduce food insecurity and poverty by 2043.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the state and requirements of vocational education in Africa, highlighting a significant mismatch between graduate skills and employer needs, low enrollment in vocational programs in sub-Saharan Africa, and the challenges posed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the 'educational funnel' in Africa, detailing the significant attrition rates from primary through tertiary education. It highlights a severe educational crisis in sub-Saharan Africa compared to North Africa and other global regions, noting that the region is forecast to miss several Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 targets by 2030.

This report analyzes the projected impacts of a specific 'Agriculture scenario' for Africa by 2043, comparing it against a 'Current Path' forecast. The scenario envisions a significant increase in agricultural production, reduced food import dependence, and substantial poverty reduction, though it notes that these gains depend on technological adoption and climate factors.

This research paper examines the growth and impact of private education in Africa, noting a shift from charitable mission schools to profit-driven institutions driven by government failures and foreign investment. While some private schools provide high-quality alternatives to overcrowded and underperforming public systems, the trend is criticized for exacerbating inequality and draining resources from the public sector.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the stagnation of African agricultural productivity since independence, highlighting the roles of poor policy, land tenure issues, conflict, and climate change in maintaining a significant yield gap compared to the rest of the world.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the landscape of education financing in Africa, detailing expenditure levels, the distribution of funds across educational levels, and the challenges of spending inefficiency and declining donor support.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics explains the mechanisms of El Niño, its interaction with climate change, and its global socio-economic and environmental impacts. It highlights a 61% chance of an El Niño event emerging between May and July 2026, noting that human-caused warming is likely increasing the frequency and severity of such events, while simultaneously making them harder to predict.

This research paper examines the potential for triangular cooperation between the European Union (EU), Indonesia, and African nations in the critical raw materials (CRM) sector. It argues that while the EU and Indonesia currently employ different partnership models in Africa—the EU focusing on supply chain integration and ESG standards, and Indonesia focusing on downstream industrialisation and South-South cooperation—these differences are complementary. The authors propose a framework where EU financial instruments and ESG expertise combine with Indonesia's technical experience in mineral processing to support African goals of local value addition and industrialisation, thereby reducing all parties' dependence on China.

This guide by the Africa Policy Research Institute outlines a strategic framework to close the adaptation finance gap, particularly in the Global South. It proposes moving from fragmented, project-based funding to 'Country Platforms for Climate Action'—nationally led governance frameworks that coordinate policy and de-risk investments. The document provides a practical 8-Move Playbook for policymakers to transform climate adaptation from a perceived cost into a scalable asset class by layering finance and linking payments to verified resilience outcomes.

The Climate Litigation Lab report summarizes discussions from a 2025 event in Magaliesburg, South Africa, focusing on Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and the legal challenges facing environmental defenders in Africa.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies outlines a proposed 'Energy Policy scenario' for Africa to transition toward a low-emissions energy future. It analyzes the gap between current fossil fuel production and climate targets, the potential for scaling renewables and nuclear energy, and the role of energy efficiency in reducing total demand.

This report by Ember and the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) argues that falling costs for 'electrotech'—solar, batteries, and electric end-use technologies—provide a faster and cheaper path to energy access and economic development for emerging markets than traditional fossil-fuel-based models. It highlights how many CVF nations are already leapfrogging developed economies in solar penetration and electrification, reducing their dependence on expensive fossil fuel imports.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the dispute settlement function within national investment laws, based on a review of 167 laws. It examines the prevalence of adjudicative mechanisms like national courts and arbitration, as well as non-adjudicative options such as administrative review and amicable settlement. The report warns against the risks of 'advance consent' to international arbitration and provides a framework for policy-makers to assess and reform their national investment laws to minimize legal and financial risks.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the dispute settlement functions within 167 national investment laws. It examines the prevalence of various mechanisms—including national courts, arbitration, administrative review, and amicable settlements—and provides a framework for policymakers to design or reform these laws to minimize legal and financial risks, specifically warning against the inclusion of prior consent to international arbitration.