Search Climate Insights Directory

This report examines Botswana's foreign policy within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), analyzing the transition from the consultative 'quiet diplomacy' of past administrations to the more outspoken and pragmatic approach of President Ian Khama. It details the institutional frameworks governing Botswana's external engagements and the historical influences of the Front Line States and the country's landlocked geography.

This technical annex assesses progress toward Goal 2 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which aims to eliminate deforestation from the production of agricultural commodities—specifically palm oil, soy, paper, and beef—by 2020. The report uses market share of certified commodities and the number of corporate and governmental commitments as proxy indicators for progress, noting significant data gaps and varying levels of ambition across different sectors.

This technical annex assesses progress on Goal 9 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which focuses on rewarding countries and jurisdictions for reducing forest emissions through public and private payments for verified emission reductions (VERs). The report tracks two indicators: international public payments through multilateral and bilateral funds, and the value of forest VER purchases in voluntary and compliance carbon markets.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) discusses the October 2015 IMF Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the region's economic challenges and South Africa's specific vulnerabilities in growth, energy, and exports.

This policy brief from the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the evolving security relationship between China and Africa. It analyzes how China is shifting from a strict policy of non-interference toward deeper engagement in both traditional military security and non-traditional threats, including the protection of its citizens, pandemic response, and environmental conservation, increasingly through multilateral frameworks.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues that South Africa should expand its foreign policy by reconceiving its engagement with Latin America and Africa as a unified 'South Atlantic Zone'. The authors suggest that this framework can enhance maritime security, promote the 'blue economy' through initiatives like Operation Phakisa, and increase trade and cultural ties among littoral states.

This policy briefing evaluates the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in the context of the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the African Governance Architecture (AGA). While acknowledging the APRM's role in facilitating public debate on governance and its potential as a diagnostic tool, the authors argue that the mechanism has lost momentum due to inadequate political will, chronic funding shortages, and administrative instability. The document recommends a comprehensive revitalization of the APRM, including financial reforms, the appointment of a permanent CEO, and a shift in focus toward the implementation of National Programmes of Action (NPoAs).

This World Bank Group report provides a framework for using investment contracts to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of large-scale agricultural projects in developing countries. It identifies five key positive outcomes and five primary weaknesses associated with these investments, offering specific legal and contractual options to ensure sustainable development and the protection of local communities.

This research paper examines the strategic importance of the South Atlantic Zone for South Africa's foreign policy, arguing that treating the region as a single entity can bridge the divide between African and Latin American engagements. It highlights opportunities for cooperation in maritime security, the 'blue economy' through Operation Phakisa, and South-South economic and cultural collaboration, while noting that current trade levels remain low despite significant potential.

The May 2015 issue of the Peace & Security Council Report examines the African Union's (AU) efforts to integrate women into the security sector, the doctrinal and financial tensions in the AU-UN peacekeeping partnership, the instability and humanitarian crisis in Libya, and the lessons learned from the AU's first mission to counter the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

This research paper examines the capacity of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to implement post-conflict reconstruction and development (PCRD) and explores how South Africa can leverage its membership to strengthen these activities. The author argues that SADC is currently constrained by a state-centric approach to security, structural silos, and a lack of institutional capacity, leaving PCRD responsibilities to individual member states. By comparing SADC with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the paper suggests that SADC needs to adopt a more holistic, human-security-based approach and improve its coordination with the African Union (AU) and international donors.

This report, published by Natural Justice and Namati, synthesizes strategies and lessons from a 2013 symposium of 20 expert advocates working to protect community lands and natural resources across Africa. It provides a practitioner-focused guide to confronting threats such as state-driven mega-projects, large-scale land concessions, and exclusionary conservation. The document emphasizes the importance of community self-definition, the use of biocultural community protocols, and the necessity of multi-pronged advocacy strategies that combine legal education, community mobilization, and strategic engagement with government and media.

The briefing examines the political vacuum created by the downfall of Burkina Faso's former president Blaise Compaoré in West Africa. Compaoré acted as both a regional peacemaker and a source of instability, playing critical roles in the political crises of Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali, as well as in Western hostage negotiations in the Sahel. The document suggests that while his personal networks are irreplaceable, his departure provides an opportunity for ECOWAS to strengthen its institutional role in conflict resolution.

This guide, published by Friends of the Earth International in December 2014, provides communities with information and strategies to resist 'land grabbing' by governments and corporations. It explains the conflict between customary and national land laws, outlines international human rights mechanisms for protection, and critiques common promises made by companies to justify land acquisition.

The November 2014 issue of the Peace & Security Council (PSC) Report details the African Union's (AU) interventions in Burkina Faso, its monitoring of various African elections, and its strategic focus on state fragility. It also provides a comprehensive analysis of the Ebola epidemic's impact on socio-political stability in West Africa and the international community's response.

This policy briefing analyzes the efforts of Côte d’Ivoire to regain its regional leadership position in West Africa following two decades of political instability. It examines the country's diplomatic assets, the challenges it faces in internal stability and institutional capacity, and its alignment with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Vision 2020 goals.

This policy briefing analyzes the decline of Nigeria's regional and continental diplomatic influence, arguing that a 'perverse hiatus' between its domestic instability and its foreign policy goals has led the country to punch below its weight despite being Africa's nominally largest economy as of May 2014.

The New York Declaration on Forests Action Agenda (2014) outlines a comprehensive framework for governments, companies, indigenous peoples, and multilateral institutions to slow, halt, and reverse global forest loss. It details a 'menu of key actions' for various stakeholders and reports a surge in zero-deforestation commitments from global commodity traders and consumer goods companies, alongside national pledges for forest restoration and the protection of indigenous lands.

An open letter from Friends of the Earth member Janet Thew to Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) CEO David Booth, detailing her decision to divest $100,000 from the firm due to its investments in companies linked to deforestation and human rights abuses.

The September 2014 Peace & Security Council (PSC) Report by the Institute for Security Studies details the African Union's (AU) response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the transition of peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic, the escalating civil conflict in Libya, and the failing peace process and imminent famine in South Sudan.