Search Climate Insights Directory

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes renewable-energy and clean-cooking interventions, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, to identify drivers of success and barriers to socioeconomic development. It proposes a theory of change for energy interventions and provides five strategic recommendations for donors and development partners to improve the impact of clean-energy investments.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the necessity of reforming investment treaties and the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) system. It argues that traditional treaties, which prioritize investor protection, often conflict with sustainable development goals, create significant financial burdens for states, and discourage necessary public interest regulations, particularly regarding the energy transition.

The March 2025 Peace & Security Council Report analyzes critical instability in South Sudan and Sudan, the African Union's (AU) struggles to manage post-coup transitions in several member states, and the shortcomings of AU election observer missions in 2024. It calls for the Peace and Security Council (PSC) to adopt more risk-based, high-level engagement strategies and improve internal coordination to prevent the fragmentation of states and the entrenchment of military juntas.

This policy brief examines the 'catnip project', an initiative supported by BioInnovate Africa to develop and commercialize plant-based mosquito repellents (soaps, sprays, and lotions) using locally grown catnip to combat malaria in eastern Africa. The document analyzes the project's innovation system, highlighting the success of local R&D and entrepreneurial activity while identifying systemic barriers to upscaling and commercialization in the region.

This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) and E3G examines the intersection of global trade, climate policy, and the energy transition. It analyzes how the shift away from fossil fuels reshapes geopolitical power and trade flows, highlighting the disproportionate risks and opportunities for developing countries. The document advocates for proactive trade policy reforms, increased financial support, and international coordination to ensure an equitable transition that avoids protectionism and supports climate-resilient development in the Global South.

The report by the Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI) analyzes the landscape of bilateral and multilateral agreements between African states and global powers to secure critical minerals essential for the green energy and digital transitions. It examines the strategies of twelve key actors—including China, Russia, the EU, and the US—highlighting a trend toward resource diplomacy driven by national security concerns and the need to diversify supply chains away from dominant suppliers.

This briefing by the African Food Systems Transformation Collective argues for the integration of agroecology into the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus framework to accelerate the transition toward sustainable and resilient African food systems. It positions philanthropic investment as a critical catalyst to overcome the fragmentation and short-term funding cycles that currently hinder the scaling of agroecological practices.

This policy brief argues that market concentration and weak competition regimes in African agrifood systems inflate food prices, marginalize smallholder farmers, and hinder climate change adaptation. It recommends strengthening national and regional competition authorities, improving market intelligence through tools like the African Market Observatory, and securing international donor support to dismantle cartels and regulate multinational firms.

This research paper by Kholofelo Kugler and Tani Washington analyzes the impact of the Trump administration's 2025 tariff policies on African nations. It details the structure of the new tariffs, the specific vulnerabilities of countries like Lesotho and Madagascar, the potential advantages for Egypt and Kenya, and the precarious future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

This research paper by Jakkie Cilliers, commissioned by the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (wrr), examines the potential for Africa to achieve a demographic dividend. It analyzes the stages of demographic transition, the role of urbanization, and the specific conditions—such as health, education, and governance—required to convert a youthful population structure into economic growth. The paper models an ambitious 'Demographics and Health' scenario to demonstrate how accelerated improvements in fertility and mortality could enhance Africa's development trajectory and its relationship with Europe.

This policy brief argues that Africa's youth agenda must transition from a focus on peace and security (YPS) to a more holistic approach integrating development (YPD). It highlights that underdevelopment is a primary driver of insecurity for the continent's youth, who face high unemployment and poverty. The document notes that current AU frameworks have failed to meet mid-way targets for 2024 and recommends integrating developmental indicators into the Continental Framework on YPS and leveraging the AfCFTA and Agenda 2063 to create jobs for the 100–120 million youth expected to enter the job market in the next decade.

This policy brief argues that Africa's maritime transport and ports sector requires a dual strategy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building climate resilience to protect its blue economy. It highlights the risks posed by sea level rise and extreme weather, the impact of new global carbon levies, and the need for a modernized continental governance framework to coordinate the transition to green logistics hubs.

This policy brief examines how African youth are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies to decentralize peacebuilding, shift early warning systems toward data-driven analysis, and challenge traditional conflict narratives. While youth act as key knowledge creators, the document warns that digital divides, gender gaps, and underdeveloped policy frameworks risk marginalizing these contributions and reinforcing existing power hierarchies.

This policy brief examines the systemic exclusion of youth from governance, peace, and security in East Africa. Despite comprising over 70% of the population, young people face institutional, cultural, and economic barriers that render their participation tokenistic. The document analyzes regional and national frameworks, highlights the gap between policy and implementation, and provides recommendations for the East African Community (EAC) and partner states to enhance meaningful youth engagement.

This policy brief examines the opportunities and challenges associated with Somalia's admission to the East African Community (EAC) in March 2024. It analyzes the strategic, economic, and security implications for both Somalia and the bloc, highlighting the tension between the political will for integration and the institutional, legal, and security fragilities within Somalia.

The Energizing Healthcare 2025 conference report details a two-day event focused on accelerating clean and reliable energy for healthcare facilities in low-resource settings. The report highlights a global energy access gap affecting 1 billion people and outlines the financial, technical, and coordination requirements needed to close this gap by 2030, emphasizing the transition from diesel to solar and the integration of energy into national climate and health planning.

This policy brief examines the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Protocol, focusing on overcoming digital exclusion and harmonising regulations to boost intra-African digital trade. It provides specific recommendations for member states across regulatory reform, digital public infrastructure, and human capital development to bridge the digital divide and create a predictable business environment for digital services.

This policy brief examines the potential for the South African G20 presidency to facilitate the rechannelling of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), specifically the African Development Bank (AfDB). It outlines the financial mechanisms for such a transfer, the political and legal hurdles preventing it, and the potential development impacts for African nations.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) provides a guide for developing financial instruments for climate adaptation, drawing on a decade of experience from the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance (The Lab). It identifies key barriers to adaptation finance—such as high perceived risk, limited investor awareness, and a lack of bankable pipelines—and outlines a five-step framework for structuring successful instruments: defining a resilience thesis, building robust pipelines, strategic funder engagement, cultivating collaborations, and measuring impact.

This special edition of the Peace & Security Council Report focuses on the 2025 African Union (AU) senior leadership election process, detailing the procedural rules, the candidates for the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson positions, and the institutional challenges facing the incoming leadership.