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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.

The ninth FOCAC Beijing Summit (2024) marked a re-calibration of China-Africa relations, with China pledging USD 50.7 billion over three years. African leaders demonstrated increased agency, shifting focus from raw aid to value-added trade, technological transfer, and green energy. Key outcomes include a USD 1 billion deal to rehabilitate the Tazara railway and a strategic increase in Chinese security assistance via the Global Security Initiative. The summit highlights a growing ideological and geopolitical divide, as China offers an alternative governance model to Western liberal democracy and aggressively pursues the African EV and digital markets.

This progress report by FSD Africa details the organization's efforts to deepen African capital markets to mobilize long-term, local currency finance for sustainable development. The report outlines a four-pronged strategy focusing on policy and regulatory development, market infrastructure, capital market product innovation, and convening and advocacy. FSD Africa highlights its role as a neutral facilitator, leveraging technical assistance and grants to address systemic barriers such as risk-averse institutional investors and underdeveloped regulatory frameworks, with a specific emphasis on green, social, and gender-themed financing.

This research paper examines the governance and security challenges in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, specifically analyzing the impact of the withdrawal of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) in July 2024. The author argues that the mission's exit, driven by financial constraints and poor coordination, may have created a security void during a period of increasing insurgent activity.

This report analyzes the impact of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) on coffee production in the East African Community (EAC) and its role in accessing the EU market. Meta-analysis shows that mulching, organic manure, and irrigation significantly increase yields, while agroforestry substantially boosts carbon sequestration. The EU is a primary export destination, accounting for 60.1% of EAC coffee exports in 2021, but access requires compliance with strict sustainability, deforestation, and phytosanitary regulations.

This policy brief analyzes the EU Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and the UK Critical Minerals Strategy (CMS), evaluating their potential to support African industrialization. It argues that both frameworks are primarily driven by domestic energy and economic priorities, focusing on reducing dependency on China and mitigating geopolitical risks. The author contends that current capital allocations and the emphasis on domestic processing capacity are insufficient to attract private investment for African value addition and beneficiation, suggesting a need for a shift in political and commercial relations to align with African industrialization goals.

This policy brief examines China's dominant role in Africa's critical minerals sector, highlighting the tension between increased investment and the lack of local value addition. It argues that while China's infrastructure-led approach and state support provide a competitive edge, African nations must shift from exporting raw materials to developing domestic processing and refining capabilities to avoid the 'resource curse' and benefit from the global energy transition.

A retrospective report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) detailing ten years of the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance (the Lab). The document analyzes the Lab's role as a market-builder and pipeline incubator, sharing lessons on balancing financial innovation with actionability to mobilize private capital for climate mitigation and adaptation in emerging markets.

The Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) report 'Tracking and Mobilizing Private Sector Climate Adaptation Finance' introduces a new methodology and taxonomy to better track private sector investments in climate adaptation. By utilizing a bespoke taxonomy and a machine learning model, CPI increased the annual average of tracked private adaptation finance for the 2019-2022 period from USD 1 billion to USD 4.7 billion. The report identifies significant data gaps, particularly among insurers and pension funds, and highlights that the majority of tracked project-level investment is concentrated in the water and sanitation sector.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes how currency risk—specifically the mismatch between hard-currency debt and local-currency revenues—inhibits climate finance in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). It evaluates standard hedging tools and five innovative models designed to lower the cost of capital and deepen local financial markets to catalyze international private investment.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the gap between Africa's vast renewable energy potential and its current capacity. It highlights the continent's critical role in the global energy transition due to its abundance of solar, wind, and hydro resources, as well as essential critical minerals. The document outlines systemic barriers to progress, including insufficient financing, a heavy reliance on imported technology, and a lack of local manufacturing. It proposes strategic interventions for the African Union and G20 to enhance technology transfer, mobilize climate finance, and integrate African nations into green value chains beyond the supply of raw materials.

This report by FSD Africa provides a pan-African forecast of direct green job creation by 2030 across 12 material value chains. It identifies a significant near-term opportunity for 1.5 to 3.3 million new direct jobs, primarily driven by the energy and power sector. The analysis emphasizes that while long-term potential is vast, immediate investment in human capital and skilling is required to realize these gains.

This fact sheet by Zero Carbon Analytics explains the mechanics, predictions, and regional impacts of La Niña, the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. It details the likelihood of a transition to La Niña in 2024, the increasing frequency of multi-year events, and how human-caused climate change influences these phenomena without offsetting overall global warming.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the current technological landscape of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and the potential for emerging technologies to drive sustainable development. It analyzes the ASM life cycle—from exploration to mine closure—and identifies gaps in technology adoption, particularly regarding worker safety, environmental protection, and financial inclusion. The document highlights the dual nature of technological advancement: while it can increase productivity and recovery rates, it also risks displacing labor, especially women, and potentially increasing environmental degradation through overmining.

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative examines the role of sustainable debt and climate transition finance in the agri-food sector, specifically focusing on crop and livestock production. It analyzes the current state of the sustainable debt market, the necessity of reaching smallholder farmers, and the development of science-based Sector Criteria to guide investments toward net-zero goals and deforestation-free sourcing.

The April 2024 report by Global Energy Monitor and partners reveals that while global coal capacity reached a record 2,130 GW in 2023, there is a stark divide: China continues to expand its fleet, while most other countries are reducing new construction. The report highlights that only 15% of operational capacity has retirement plans aligned with the 1.5°C goal. Regional analysis shows significant progress in the EU and UK, stability in Sub-Saharan Africa (dominated by South Africa), and a lack of new projects in the MENA region.

The document discusses the role of established and emergent gas producers in Africa, noting the potential for revenue growth due to global supply constraints caused by the war in Ukraine, while warning of the high risk of stranded assets as the world moves toward net-zero emissions.

This policy brief, produced as part of the 'Youth and Social Justice Futures: Identifying Future Skills and Training in Africa' project, outlines strategic recommendations for Malawi to improve youth empowerment, education, mental health, and disaster resilience. The document is based on participatory action research using Futures Literacy Labs and the Three Horizons Framework, incorporating the perspectives of Malawian youth to envision inclusive and resilient future pathways.

This policy brief, produced by the South African Institute of International Affairs as part of the 'Youth and Social Justice Futures' project, advocates for the integration of Zambian youth into the nation's socio-economic development. Based on workshops using Futures Literacy Labs and the Three Horizon Framework, the document identifies critical gaps in youth employment, political representation, education, and technological access. It proposes four strategic priorities: increasing youth representation in civic and public institutions, enhancing climate-resilient agriculture through agri-tech, reforming education to prioritize practical skills and entrepreneurship, and ensuring equitable internet connectivity.