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The paper assesses the South African TVET system's capacity to support a green transition, specifically focusing on the Green Hydrogen Economy. It evaluates the existing Centres of Specialisation (CoS) model and pilot programmes from Bambili Advisory and the National Business Initiative (NBI) to recommend a flexible, demand-led approach to green skills development. The authors argue for a 'capabilities approach' over narrow occupational competencies to ensure a just transition for youth.

The South African waste sector is transitioning from a landfill-centric model to one focused on waste diversion, driven by regulatory reforms and limited landfill airspace. While only 10% of waste is currently recycled, significant opportunities exist in the recovery of paper, plastics, glass, e-waste, and construction and demolition waste. In the Western Cape, the City of Cape Town generates 70% of the province's waste, presenting a concentrated market for alternative treatment. Waste-to-energy (WtE) projects face economic and regulatory hurdles, such as low landfill gate fees and electricity prices, but opportunities remain in small-scale biogas and large-scale REIPPPP projects. The report also highlights the role of Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) and the availability of green manufacturing incentives in Special Economic Zones like Atlantis.

The white paper proposes using cleantech clusters—groups of co-located firms and institutions—to overcome the slow adoption of climate solutions in developing countries. It advocates for the creation of independent, non-profit cluster agencies to coordinate ecosystems, attract investment, and create jobs, citing the success of organizations like GreenCape and Clean in South Africa, Denmark, Brazil, and Colombia.

The Life After Coal Campaign argues that Eskom's reliance on coal-fired power is economically unsustainable and causes severe health and environmental damage. The campaign advocates for the accelerated decommissioning of ageing stations and a just transition to renewable energy, citing studies that suggest this would reduce costs and save lives.

The Reimagine our Future Declaration, authored by over 150 South African youth aged 14-24, calls for systemic reforms to address youth unemployment, climate change, and social inequality. The authors advocate for a 'youth-centred green recovery' from the COVID-19 pandemic, urging the South African government to divest from fossil fuels, invest in renewable energy, and integrate climate education into school curricula. Economically, the declaration highlights a youth unemployment rate of 32.5% and demands greater transparency, accountability in public spending, and increased funding for youth-led businesses. Socially, it emphasizes the need for free, decolonised education and urgent action against gender-based violence and femicide.

The document examines the transition of energy-intensive heavy industries toward net-zero emissions, highlighting how global trade dynamics and national policies in developed economies impact emerging markets. It identifies four primary technological levers for decarbonization: energy efficiency, alternative fuel use/electrification, material efficiency, and carbon capture and storage. The author argues that while developing countries with abundant renewables can become new green industrial hubs, they face significant risks from carbon border measures, green protectionism, and reduced access to secondary materials. The briefing emphasizes the need for international coordination on standards, technology transfer, and finance to ensure a just transition for emerging and developing economies.

The report outlines three primary investment opportunities in the Western Cape's renewable energy sector: embedded solar PV for C&I and agricultural users, large-scale wind and solar projects, and behind-the-meter (BTM) lithium-ion storage. While the market is driven by rising electricity costs, decarbonisation pressures from export markets (such as the EU's CBAM), and a liberalising regulatory framework (Electricity Regulation Amendment Act of 2024), it faces significant barriers. These include severe grid constraints, administrative backlogs in municipalities, a shortage of specialised technical skills, and a high reliance on imported battery components, particularly from China.

The World Resources Report (WRR) is being developed around seven working papers focusing on urban issues in the global south, specifically targeting the needs of the lower half of the income distribution to achieve economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and social equity. The report's framing emphasizes preventing "unsustainable urban lock-in" and addressing the "urbanization of poverty." Key thematic areas include urban expansion, affordable shelter, urban energy services, regional water risk, and sustainable transportation, with a proposed "40:40:40 strategy" for transport mode split by 2040. The project involves a core team and lead authors conducting literature reviews and stakeholder engagement, with planned city-level case studies in Medellín, Surat, and a city in Africa.

The NAP Global Network provides demand-driven support to developing countries through long-term in-country programs and short-term technical inputs via its Country Support Hub. Over five years, the Network has helped countries like Colombia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Kiribati, Peru, Saint Lucia, and South Africa achieve milestones including the adoption of NAP documents, the creation of sectoral adaptation strategies, and the establishment of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems. Key lessons emphasize that building trust-based relationships with government partners is essential and that a 'value chain' of technical assistance, peer learning, and knowledge resources accelerates the transition from planning to implementation.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) critiques the 2023 SONA for relying on private sector solutions for infrastructure and the energy transition, which it argues undermines state capacity and affordability. While welcoming the National State of Disaster for the energy crisis and the extension of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, the IEJ highlights failures in grant accessibility and the imbalance of the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP), where infrastructure receives 89.4% of funding compared to minimal allocations for skills and diversification. The IEJ calls for a radical shift toward a rights-centered development agenda, including the removal of Eskom's debt from its balance sheet and the implementation of a universal basic income grant.

The document argues that there are no credible pathways to tackle the climate crisis without trade policies aligned with the Paris Agreement. It identifies key areas for cooperation, including the management of climate-trade tensions (such as the EU's CBAM), the acceleration of clean energy transitions, and the decarbonization of industrial sectors like shipping and steel. A central theme is the need for 'climate justice,' ensuring that developing nations are not marginalized by green industrial policies or unilateral trade measures. The report proposes several mechanisms for progress, including the Integrated Forum on Climate Change and Trade (IFCCT) proposed for COP30, the 'greening' of Aid for Trade (AfT), and the development of regional green trade blocs like a potential arrangement within the RCEP. It emphasizes that a just transition requires bridging the gap between the WTO and UNFCCC, harmonizing carbon accounting standards, and increasing climate finance for adaptation in the Global South.

The European Green Deal (EGD) offers the African private sector significant opportunities in green hydrogen production and the supply of critical raw materials, driven by the EU's need for energy security and supply chain diversification. While various funding instruments like InvestEU and the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package exist, the report warns of a potential 'unequal partnership' where Africa remains a mere resource supplier. It emphasizes the need for African stakeholders to proactively engage in technology transfer and co-creation to avoid lock-in effects and ensure inclusive growth.

The report by Friends of the Earth International examines the global disparities in energy consumption, distinguishing between energy exclusion in the Global South and energy poverty in the Global North. It proposes 'energy sufficiency'—defined as using neither more nor less energy than is sufficient for a dignified life—as an alternative to energy efficiency, which can lead to the 'Jevons paradox' or 'rebound effect' where efficiency increases overall consumption. The document illustrates this through case studies: solar PV projects in Gaza to counter electricity shortages; community solar lighting in rural Cameroon to bypass centralized, polluting grids; and a community-owned mini-grid on the Isle of Eigg in Scotland that uses consumption caps to maintain sustainability.

The document argues that G20 climate finance often prioritizes private profit over public welfare, trapping vulnerable nations in debt through loan-based funding and 'de-risking' strategies. It calls for a shift toward grant-based funding and public investment based on the 'polluter pays' principle to ensure a just energy transition.

Hydroelectric power is a major source of emissions-free electricity that utilizes the hydrologic cycle to generate power via turbines. While it offers a flexible, renewable alternative to fossil fuels, it can cause significant ecological damage, such as blocking fish migration and emitting methane from reservoirs. The document details various turbine types, the role of pumped storage, and the potential for low-impact certification and new development in the U.S. and developing nations.

The report details a rapid threat identification methodology and the accompanying Fossil Fuel Atlas web platform, which allows stakeholders to overlay fossil fuel infrastructure data with environmental and social datasets. It argues that fossil fuel production drives ecological degradation through land conversion, pollution, and biodiversity loss, while also causing social harms such as the dispossession of Indigenous lands and health risks. The document provides a comprehensive taxonomy of these threats and demonstrates the tool's application through case studies in Western Africa, Egypt, Mozambique, South Africa, and the Philippines.

The document analyzes the first Global Stocktake's signals on mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage, highlighting the systemic challenges for the Global South. It argues that while the GST provides historic targets for transitioning away from fossil fuels and tripling renewables, it lacks concrete financial commitments. The brief emphasizes the need for the NCQG to address the 'trilemma' of climate goals, fiscal sustainability, and political feasibility by expanding fiscal space through non-debt instruments and reforming the international financial architecture.

The Free State Environmental Justice Network (FSEJN) has filed an appeal to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to set aside an environmental authorisation (EA) granted on 23 June 2025 to Afro Energy (Pty) Ltd. The EA allows for the exploration of conventional natural gas across approximately 240,000 hectares in the Free State and Mpumalanga provinces. FSEJN argues that the decision by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) was unlawful, irrational, and failed to adequately assess climate, air quality, geohydrological, and socio-economic impacts, while also neglecting meaningful public participation.

The Nigerian Green Bond Market Development Programme, a partnership between FMDQ Securities Exchange, Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), and FSD Africa, aims to develop a corporate green bond market in Nigeria over three years. Since its June 2018 launch, the programme has facilitated capacity building for regulators, investors, and issuers, and supported the creation of the SEC's Green Bond Listing Rules. Key achievements include the issuance of the first CBI-certified corporate green bond in Africa by Access Bank PLC and a long-tenured green infrastructure bond by North South Power. The report emphasizes the need for financial incentives, such as tax credits, to offset the costs of external reviews and to attract private capital to bridge Nigeria's significant infrastructure gap.

The report examines the co-benefits of climate action within the framework of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) and identifies the potential benefits lost by not transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2050, focusing on a selection of major economies.