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2. Navigating Debt Sustainability: An In-Depth Analysis of the IMF's Debt Sustainability Framework and Its Critique
- Author:
- Hasan Cömert, Güney Düzçay, and T. Sabri Öncü
- Publication Date:
- 01-2025
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Abstract:
- This paper evaluates the IMF's debt sustainability analyses (DSAs), delving into their methodologies and implications and highlighting their problems. Since 2002, the DSAs have been the cornerstone of the IMF programs, providing the primary analytical tool to justify and determine the paths and targets specified. Although the DSAs evolved significantly over time, they have severe foundational problems. They rely heavily on strong assumptions and staff judgments, and thereby, they are primarily non-transparent. Secondly, there are significant issues regarding the conduct of DSAs. They have grown excessively complex, hindering consensus on components without necessarily improving assessment quality. Thirdly, the IMF makes very high-stakes decisions with low precision, relying on persistent over-optimism in growth forecasting and paving the way for tighter fiscal policies. Fourthly, the debt dynamics equation of DSAs is inconsistent with stock flow dynamics because it focuses heavily on the primary balance as the main driver. Fifthly, the IMF's framework does not pay enough attention to the underlying reasons for accumulating external debt in developing nations. It often treats external borrowing as a substitute for domestic debt without accounting for the asymmetric international financial architecture.
- Topic:
- Debt, Fiscal Policy, Sustainability, and IMF
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
3. Allocating international loss and damage finance through national climate funds: prospects for African LDCs
- Author:
- Mariya Aleksandrova, Washington Onyango Kanyangi, Assouhan Jonas Atchadé, Joanes Atela, and Charles Tonui
- Publication Date:
- 01-2025
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
- Abstract:
- The new loss and damage funding framework under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) emphasises the importance of channelling support through national systems and mechanisms. This approach could prove particularly challenging for African least developed ountries (LDCs), which have been prioritised for support. These countries remain confronted with major challenges to access and utilise international climate finance, especially through direct access. National climate funds (NCFs) can have a potential role in delivering international loss and damage finance to African LDCs that is in line with their national priorities. NCFs can be defined as entities mandated to finance the implementation of national climate strategies and to manage and/or coordinate domestic and international sources of climate finance. NCFs can enhance the institutional capacities of countries by supporting the development of loss and damage strategies, facilitating access to international funding, aligning resource allocation with local priorities, and ensuring the effective tracking of loss and damage finance. This Policy Brief explores the role of NCFs in the evolving global loss and damage finance architecture with a focus on African LDCs. We examine the design features of five NCFs against criteria for assessing their relevance to support measures that address loss and damage. The studied NCFs are: the Benin National Fund for Environment and Climate, Ethiopia’s Climate-Resilient Green Economy Facility, Burkina Faso’s Intervention Fund for the Environment, the Mali Climate Fund and the Rwanda Green Climate Fund. Key policy messages • Despite that only a limited number of African LDCs have established NCFs, these demonstrate their potential to channel loss and damage funding, especially for environmental rehabilitation and climate-resilient recovery efforts. Particular strengths relate to their role in priority sectors for climate change adaptation and in relation to biodiversity loss, drought, land degradation and desertification. • Existing NCFs in African LDCs have inadequate mandates and capacities to manage the complex funding needed for loss and damage. An emerging issue is their presently limited role in linking climate and disaster risk finance. • The NCFs of African LDCs can be instrumental to promote coherence and complementarity with other funding sources at the national level. Countries must establish comprehensive legislative, policy and regulatory frameworks to define the institutional roles of NCFs in loss and damage response, supported by international funding to strengthen their institutional capacities.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Development, Climate Finance, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Africa
4. How to deal with the current debt crisis of developing countries?
- Author:
- Jürgen K. Zattler
- Publication Date:
- 01-2025
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
- Abstract:
- Many countries are still struggling with high and rising debt levels. The economic impact of the pandemic, as well as some longer-term structural factors, explain this situation. The key problem is the high level of debt service relative to government revenues, which makes it difficult to address growing development, social and climate challenges. As this is a particular problem for low-income countries (LICs) and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), the focus should be on these countries. But even within this group, the situation is not uniform. A differentiated approach with different components is therefore needed, depending on countries’ individual situations and their own priorities and choices. There have been many contributions to this debate and proposals on how to address the current problems. This paper builds on some of those contributions presenting a practical and coherent approach to address the current debt crisis which focuses as far as possible on incentives for debtor countries and private creditors. Importantly, a distinction should be made between countries with high debt levels that are at risk of debt distress and those with liquidity problems. Therefore, debt sustainability assessments (DSAs) are needed to decide which countries (a) are not in debt distress, (b) have an insolvency problem, and (c) have a liquidity problem. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank should be asked to classify all LICs and LMICs accordingly, based on updated DSAs, using a prudent approach with conservative projections. These DSAs must emphasise debt service indicators. For countries with liquidity problems, they need to identify those countries where the problem is of a longer-term nature, with a risk that the liquidity squeeze will turn into acute debt distress. All LICs and LMICs facing insolvency or liquidity problems should be offered a moratorium similar to the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) to give them breathing space (of 2-3 years). The expectation is that this would help countries with liquidity problems to maintain basic social and economic services until market conditions improve or debt relief is implemented. In cases where debt service remains high after the moratorium expires, the country would be expected to request debt relief. Countries at risk of default would be expected to use the period of the moratorium to engage promptly in restructuring discussions and to prepare negotiations with creditors on a debt relief programme. The IMF would make its resources conditional on a suspension of debt service payments. The question is whether private creditors, including sovereign bondholders, should be required to participate. It is suggested that a distinction be made between two categories of countries. For countries at risk of insolvency, including those with longer-term liquidity problems, the moratorium should be conditional on private participation on comparable terms, as their creditworthiness is likely to be affected anyway. In contrast, with countries facing short-term liquidity problems the approach should be more flexible. While pressure on private creditors to join a standstill should be maximised, this should be complemented by strong incentives. Countries with unsustainable debt would request treatment under a reformed G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatment (CF) with the option of a more comprehensive debt relief arrangement (“CF+”), including the following enhanced or new components: • At the beginning of the process, countries would have to present a “Just Green Transition Programme” (JGTP), monitored by the IMF and the World Bank. • The CF+ would be accompanied by more comprehensive debt relief, thus creating more fiscal space to allow the country to finance transformational and social investments. Debt service after rescheduling should be based on DSAs, which pay greater attention to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) investments and countries’ particular circumstances, leaving countries with substantial room to absorb shocks. The objective would be to limit the debt burden to external creditors as a share of revenue after rescheduling to around 10-15 per cent. • For those countries where a large part of the debt service will be due to multilateral creditors, the involvement of multilateral institutions should be considered. This should be the case for those multilateral creditors which are not willing, or able, to provide positive net flows at highly concessional terms. • The issuance of “Brady-like” bonds could be considered for specific country cases. The issuance of Brady-like bonds could be an incentive to maximise private creditor participation in exchanging old debt for new bonds with a significant discount or “haircut”.
- Topic:
- Debt, Development, Sustainability, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
5. Reversing the resource curse: Advancing good natural resource governance for inclusive growth and sustainable development in Southern Africa
- Author:
- Sikhululekile Mashingaidze and Stephen Buchanan-Clarke
- Publication Date:
- 02-2024
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Good Governance Africa (GGA)
- Abstract:
- The International Energy Agency’s Medium-Term Gas Outlook in late 2023 notes that “Africa accounted for nearly 40% of new natural gas discoveries globally in the past decade, mainly in Mozambique, Mauritania, Senegal and Tanzania. However, socio-political instability and security issues make Africa a high-risk environment for the gas industry. This results in a gap between the potential and the actual gas production projects under development.” Nonetheless, the Agency forecasts natural gas production growth of 10% (higher than current levels) by 2026. It had only grown by 2.5% from 2011 to 2021, and currently accounts for roughly 6% of global production.1 Asian and Middle Eastern markets’ demand will continue2 while African governments will bet on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). In the longer term, it is critical to phase out fossil fuels due to their exacerbation of global warming and health and environmental risks. Given the imperative for lowercarbon growth trajectories, demand for oil, gas, and coal will likely peak in 2024. Governments and mining investors’ negotiations and contracts should safeguard local populations through ecologically sensitive, responsible mining. Communities’ voices are critical to decision-making from project inception to ensure revenues usher in broad-based growth and increased domestic energy security. In 2022, Good Governance Africa (GGA), with support from the Southern Africa Trust (SAT), explored critical issues surrounding LNG exploration and development in Southern Africa in the context of climate change.3 This intelligence report is a consolidation of key lessons from these LNG projects’ impact on local communities in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado; South Africa’s Eastern Cape, and Zimbabwe’s Cabora Bassa Basin. Together, these three cases illustrate both the promise and perils of LNG mining in Africa.
- Topic:
- Development, Natural Resources, Economic Growth, Sustainability, and Inclusion
- Political Geography:
- Africa and South Africa
6. Transnational Cooperation -- An Explorative Collection
- Author:
- Stephan Klingebiel and Sven Grimm
- Publication Date:
- 01-2024
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
- Abstract:
- The present collection of short papers is an experimental, explorative and introspective German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) project on international and transnational cooperation for development and sustainability. It is the product of internal brainstorming discussions at IDOS in mid-2022 that aspired to conduct a preliminary, exemplary mapping of the use of “transnational lenses” and their understandings across various work strands at the institute. This might lead to new questions in our work, or it might simply be an attempt to look at our topics of interest with a different perspective.
- Topic:
- Development, International Cooperation, Transnational Actors, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
7. Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) and the “Greening” of High-Emitting Industry Sectors in Brazil: Mapping the Sustainability Efforts of the Private Sector
- Author:
- Vera Thorstensen, Ariel Macaspac Hernandez, Rogerio de Oliveira Corrêa, and Anabela Correia de Brito
- Publication Date:
- 01-2024
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
- Abstract:
- The work aimed to analyse the sustainability efforts – the greening – of five industry sectors in Brazil: aluminium, chemical, steel, cement, and oil and gas. These sectors were chosen because they are the industries with the highest carbon emissions. The research sought to verify the sustainability measures adopted by business and industry actors, with special emphasis on the use of Voluntary Sustainability Standards and ESG values. In order to verify the information provided by the companies, the documents that informed the measures taken by the companies and the numbers supporting their results were always sought out and explained in the text. The conclusions were that the sectors, guided by industry associations, have adopted a broad set of sustainability measures. The results of these measures, however, sometimes lack proof and sometimes lead to sporadic conduct, contrary to the precepts of environmental and social sustainability.
- Topic:
- Development, Private Sector, Sustainability, Industry, and Carbon Emissions
- Political Geography:
- Brazil and South America
8. Greening Economies in Partner Countries: Priorities for International Cooperation
- Author:
- Tilman Altenburg, Anna Pegels, Annika Björkdahl, Clara Brandi, and Hanna Fuhrmann-Riebel
- Publication Date:
- 01-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
- Abstract:
- While polluting industries are still flourishing, the green economy is on the rise. In low- and middle-income countries, the resulting opportunities are mostly underexplored. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)’s new strategy for “Sustainable economic development, training and employment” shifts gears towards a green and inclusive structural transformation, recognising that only a just transition approach with credible co-benefits for societies can gain societal acceptance (BMZ, 2023). It is now essential to provide evidence of how a greener economy can offer direct economic benefits to national economies and the majority of their citizens. Ongoing cooperation portfolios need to be adjusted to this new and timely orientation in the BMZ’s core strategy. We suggest focusing on the following six areas: Eco-social fiscal reform should be a priority area in at least 15 of the over 40 partner countries with whom Germany cooperates on “sustainable economic development”, systematically linking revenues from pricing pollutions to pro-poor spending. Development policy should promote inclusive green finance (IGF) through market-shaping policies, such as an enabling regulatory framework for the development of digital IGF services and customer protection in digital payment services. It should also build policymakers’ capacity in developing IGF policies and regulation. Support in the area of sustainable, circular con-sumption should focus on eco-design, and repair and reuse systems. It should build systems design capa-cities and behavioural knowledge, to integrate con-sumers in low-carbon and circular industry-consumer systems. This will need new collaborations with actors shaping systems of consumption and production, for instance with supermarkets or the regulators of eco-design guidelines. Germany should strategically support national hydro-gen strategies, including a just transition approach and prioritising green over other “colours” of hydrogen. This means strengthening industrial policy think tanks, technology and market assessment agencies, technology-related policy advice as well as skills development, and exploring distributive mechanisms to spread the gains and ensure societal acceptance. Sustainable urbanisation should be a more explicit priority, given its potential for job creation and enterprise development. This means supporting partners in integrating land-use, construction and mobility planning for compact, mixed-use neighbourhoods, and anti-cipating green jobs potential and skills required within cities. Lastly, Germany should support green industrial policy and enlarge policy space in trade rules by promoting the core institutions of industrial policy, for example, technology foresight agencies, coordinating platforms for industry upgrading, and policy think tanks, and working towards reforms of the trading system, such as rules to allow clearly defined green industrial subsidies, preferential market access for green goods and services from low-income countries, or technology transfer. It is evident for all areas that the challenges in low- and middle-income countries will differ from those in high-income countries. It is, therefore, imperative that successful programmes are co-developed with local partners. A just green transition that harvests benefits beyond a healthier environment and is supported by societies will then be achievable.
- Topic:
- Development, International Cooperation, Economy, Sustainability, and Green Economy
- Political Geography:
- Germany and Global Focus
9. Getting Special Drawing Rights Right: Opportunities for Re-channelling SDRs to Vulnerable Countries
- Author:
- Jürgen K. Zattler
- Publication Date:
- 01-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
- Abstract:
- Many developing countries are still grappling with the consequences of the pandemic and the associated high debt burdens while facing huge financing needs, inter alia related to climate change. In response, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued $650 billion in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). The G7 and G20 have committed to re-channelling SDR 100 billion of their allocation to developing countries (on-lending, recycling and re-channelling are used interchangeably in this policy brief). The question now is how to implement these commitments in a way that promotes the global transformation and at the same time supports debt sustainability. It is important to note that there are certain restrictions on the re-channelling of SDRs. Most importantly, the re-channelling must be consistent with the SDR’s status as an international reserve asset. There are different interpretations of these requirements. The IMF has encouraged the use of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) and the Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST) for re-channelling. It has also signalled general support for re-channelling SDRs to the multilateral development banks (MDBs). The European Central Bank (ECB) has taken a more restrictive stance. Does the re-channelling of SDRs through the above-mentioned IMF trusts (“the current on-lending option”) effectively support the global transformation? Measured against this objective, the current on-lending regime has two shortcomings. First, it does not sufficiently link foreign exchange support to deep structural transformation. Second, it does not allow funds to be leveraged in the private capital market. In this policy brief, we discuss a promising alternative: recycling SDRs for MDB hybrid capital (“the hybrid capital option”). This option can overcome the two drawbacks of the current system. At the same time, it has its own challenges. Moreover, both the current on-lending option and the hybrid capital option raise concerns about debt sustainability. If implemented in their current forms, they would risk exacerbating vulnerable countries’ debt problems. It would therefore be desirable to modify these options to better integrate debt implications. This could be done by using the on-lent SDRs primarily for programmes that are not “expenditure-based”, but rather help to improve the composition of expenditure and revenue in a socially equitable manner, for example the introduction of regulatory standards, feebates and carbon pricing, or the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies. Such an approach could have the added benefit of making previously sceptical member states more receptive to the hybrid capital proposal. The mid-term review of the RST, scheduled for May 2024, as well as the full review in 2025 provide good opportunities to further explore some of the issues raised in this policy brief. In addition, the brief identifies three ways in which interested shareholders of the IMF and MDBs could advance the debate on the hybrid capital option.
- Topic:
- Development, Sustainability, COVID-19, and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
10. Current Situation and Prospects of the Quinoa Sector in Bolivia
- Author:
- Rubén Collao P. and Beatriz Muriel Hernández
- Publication Date:
- 06-2024
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for Advanced Development Studies (INESAD)
- Abstract:
- We analyze the quinoa sector situation and prospects in Bolivia, based on both secondary and primary information sources (i.e. surveys of producers and interviews to key actors). The quinoa sector has sustainability problems in production, market shares and price volatility. However, this grain – specifically the royal quinoa from the Southern Altiplano – has great potential to remain in the world market within niches that value organic or regenerative production, as well as to increase national consumption. In this regard, we believe that it is necessary to impulse the quinoa transformation with greater diversification, productive complementation and coordination between the various stakeholders. In this productive dynamics, small quinoa producers can insert themselves into the value chain, which requires the strengthening of their hard and soft skills, as well as greater technical assistance. Finally, the quinoa sector sustainability requires a comprehensive approach that includes good agricultural practices caring the environment, as well as more conscious consumption.
- Topic:
- Markets, Sustainability, Value Chains, and Quinoa
- Political Geography:
- South America and Bolivia
11. Japan's Arctic Policy: Current Status and Challenges
- Author:
- Sakiko Hataya
- Publication Date:
- 08-2024
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- Ms. Sakiko Hataya, Research Fellow at the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Japan, highlights the increasing importance of the Arctic in Japan's ocean policy and touches upon how Russia's invasion of Ukraine impacts the execution of Japan's Arctic policy.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Science and Technology, Sustainability, and Collaboration
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Japan, Asia, and Arctic
12. Designing a New Paradigm in Global Trade
- Author:
- Ryan Mulholland, Trevor Sutton, and Timothy Meyer
- Publication Date:
- 05-2024
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for American Progress - CAP
- Abstract:
- How a successful Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminum could function while delivering maximum benefits to workers and the environment.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, International Trade and Finance, Markets, Treaties and Agreements, Sustainability, and Metals
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus and United States of America
13. The Inequalities-Environment Nexus: Tools for Catalyzing a Just Transition
- Author:
- Roshni Menon and Paula Sevilla Núñez
- Publication Date:
- 04-2024
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center on International Cooperation (CIC)
- Abstract:
- Transitioning to a green economy is imperative for all countries, and many have already started their journeys. The process of planning and executing a transition presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ensure the movement toward an environmentally sustainable and climate-safe future that benefits society as a whole and occurs in a just and equitable manner. A transition towards a greener economy is fundamentally also a matter of justice: it can save lives and improve livelihoods, as well as address historic injustices. Importantly, a just green transition can address people’s fears and uncertainties about potential negative effects on economies, livelihoods, and the environment, thus preventing backlash to the coming change and instead, widening political support. As part of collaborative effort between the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies hosted at the Center on International Cooperation (CIC) at New York University (NYU), the International Climate Initiative for a Just Energy Transition (IKI JET) by the German Agency of International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Ministry of Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia (BAPPENAS), this report was developed in preparation for a workshop on just green transition administered in Bogor, Indonesia on November 2–3, 2023. This resource covers the following topics: Conceptual definition, sector affected, opportunities, and challenges for just transition. Fundamental pillars in catalyzing a just transition, including distributional impact assessments (DIA), an intersectionality-based policy analysis (IBPA) framework, and social dialogue.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Sustainability, Green Transition, and Green Economy
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
14. Bridging the Gap: Accelerating Technology Adoption for Sustainable Food Production
- Author:
- The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
- Publication Date:
- 04-2024
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Chicago Council on Global Affairs
- Abstract:
- Emerging AgTech innovations have the potential to radically improve the sustainability, profitability, and accessibility of US-produced food. Rapid adoption of agricultural technological (AgTech) innovation is required to meet the future needs of a safe and sustainable US agricultural system that generates more food despite a confluence of obstacles jeopardizing agricultural productivity, while establishing consumer trust to ensure food innovation is accepted by society. With climate change and growing populations putting increasing pressure on our food systems to produce, farmers and their supply chain partners must find a way to rise to food production challenges through the rapid adoption of technology and scientific innovation. However, a recent history of AgTech innovations that failed to achieve widespread consumer acceptance underscores the importance of consumer buy-in for technical innovation in agricultural production. We need to rebuild consumer trust of new technology in food production, streamline and coalesce processes that expedite innovation, and ensure new innovation is accessible and profitable for growers. Based on a June 2023 roundtable, the second in a series of regular convenings, the white paper "Bridging the Gap: Accelerating Technology Adoption for Sustainable Food Production" explores the current development, challenges, and potential of emerging AgTech innovations, and concludes with action recommendations designed to remove barriers and expedite the next generation of AgTech integration in US food production.
- Topic:
- Agriculture, Science and Technology, Food Security, Sustainability, and Productivity
- Political Geography:
- North America and United States of America
15. Positive Peace Report 2024
- Author:
- Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)
- Publication Date:
- 03-2024
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
- Abstract:
- Peace is more than the absence of violence. Positive Peace describes the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies. It is conceptually related to many aspects of social development and can be used in multiple contexts. In addition to being a transformative concept, it is also a social good. When combined with systems thinking Positive Peace is a transformational concept as it envisages new ways of understanding how societies operate and how to develop thriving communities. Toward this end, the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) developed the Positive Peace Index (PPI), a statistically derived measure of the factors that create flourishing societies, which is based on eight Pillars of Positive Peace. The concept of Positive Peace as well as general PPI results, including rankings and changes over time, are the focus of this report.
- Topic:
- Economics, Sustainability, Resilience, and Positive Peace
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
16. From Carrots to Sticks, to Carrots Again? The EU’s Changing Sustainable Trade Agenda
- Author:
- Victor De Decker
- Publication Date:
- 02-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
- Abstract:
- Although sustainability criteria include references to human, social and labour rights as well as broader environmental concerns, this policy brief will focus on measures related to carbon emission reduction in relation to the Paris Agreement. This policy brief consists of three parts. First, there will be an overview of how Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapters have gained prominence in European Free Trade Agreements. The second part will be dedicated to the autonomous, unilateral EU initiatives the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the Corporate Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). To conclude, there will be a brief analysis of how the EU is working within a multilateral setting on the issue of climate change. In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a landmark framework renowned for its far-reaching vision encompassing 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets. These goals collectively constitute the “universal policy agenda,” aiming to address global challenges and foster inclusive economic growth. Notable among these goals is the promotion of sustainable international trade, identified as a pivotal policy instrument contributing to overarching SDGs. The 2030 Agenda positions international trade as “an engine for inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction” while actively contributing to the broader pursuit of sustainable development.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Economics, European Union, Trade, Sustainability, and Energy
- Political Geography:
- Europe
17. Senegal’s Gas-to-Power Ambitions: Securing Scale and Sustainability
- Author:
- Papa Daouda Diene, Thomas Scurfield, Aaron Sayne, and Jessica Obeid
- Publication Date:
- 07-2024
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Natural Resource Governance Institute
- Abstract:
- Senegal will benefit from generating electricity from some of its gas, but authorities should carefully consider the scale of the country’s “gas-to-power” ambitions and how they relate to its renewable energy plans. This is a pivotal moment for achieving the government’s energy and sustainable development objectives. Recent plans to develop over 3 gigawatts (GW) of gas-to-power capacity by 2050 may face obstacles. Senegal may not be able to extract enough gas to feed the power plants; it may also struggle to raise sufficient funds (at least USD 2.2 billion) to build the necessary infrastructure. A more balanced energy mix, with a stronger emphasis on renewables alongside gas, offers Senegal a more secure pathway, but necessitates a cohesive long-term strategy and international support. Senegal’s participation in a Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) has led to increased medium-term renewable power generation goals—possibly to around 1 GW by 2030. To reach them, Senegal’s development partners must deliver the promised financial and technical support. If Senegal realizes only those plans that are published, gas will comprise 75 percent of installed capacity in the long term. The absence of a long-term plan for renewables could lock the country into this large role for gas, inhibiting the intended catalytic effect of the JETP and preventing the government from fully leveraging the country’s solar and wind potential. A more transparent and inclusive approach will help Senegal’s government to refine and implement its energy plans, helping to manage public expectations, foster public trust and increase credibility with investors.
- Topic:
- Gas, Fossil Fuels, Sustainability, and Energy Transition
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Senegal
18. Urban Governance and Responsible Artificial Intelligence Interaction for Local Democracy
- Author:
- Itır Akdoğan
- Publication Date:
- 08-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
- Abstract:
- This policy brief discusses how the interaction of responsible artificial intelligence (RAI) and urban governance can democratize cities while providing policy recommendations.
- Topic:
- Governance, Democracy, Artificial Intelligence, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
19. Data-Driven Strategic Planning for Disaster Risk Reduction
- Author:
- Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
- Publication Date:
- 07-2024
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
- Abstract:
- For disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies, there is a need to examine the existing political framework, data collection, budgeting approaches based on this data, and cross-sectoral collaborations. This publication is based on the participants’ recommendations from the Training and Workshop: Data-Driven Strategic Planning for Disaster Risk Reduction event that took place on May 14, 2024 within the scope of Improving Disaster Resilience for Sustainable Cities project, implemented by TESEV with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.
- Topic:
- Sustainability, Data, Disaster Management, Strategic Planning, and Budgeting
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
20. The Journey of Data in Gender Equality: Examples from Turkey Demographic and Health Surveys
- Author:
- Iknur Yüksel-Kaptanoğlu
- Publication Date:
- 04-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
- Abstract:
- This brief prepared within the scope of the Exploring Data for Gender Equal Cities project carried out with the support of the Consulate General of Sweden in Istanbul, presents the gender equality sensitivity progress in the journey of data from the research question to the advocacy stage.
- Topic:
- Governance, Inequality, Sustainability, and Gender
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
21. New Approaches to Data Production for Monitoring and Mitigating Gender Inequality
- Author:
- Özge Aktaş Mazman
- Publication Date:
- 03-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
- Abstract:
- This brief prepared within the scope of the Exploring Data for Gender Equal Cities project carried out with the support of the Consulate General of Sweden in Istanbul, presents new perspectives.
- Topic:
- Governance, Inequality, Sustainability, Data, and Gender
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
22. Modelling the environmental impact of agri-food trade policies
- Author:
- Jan Hagemejer
- Publication Date:
- 03-2024
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Center for Social and Economic Research - CASE
- Abstract:
- In the era of globalization, international trade policies significantly influence the economic and environmental conditions of countries. As environmental concerns grow, it’s important to understand how these trade policies affect sustainable development and identify the strategies needed to achieve positive outcomes for the climate and environment. This analysis aims to evaluate the impact of international agricultural trade on achieving certain climate and environmental goals, particularly those outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), mainly Goal 13, but also parts of other environment-related goals. We examined the effects of specific trade agreements, considering the current energy and climate policies, using modeling tools to focus on CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions like N2O and CH4. This helps us understand how international trade can reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally and find ways to prevent pollution from simply moving to other regions due to changes in trade. This working paper provides arguments for developing new and improved trade policies that incorporate environmental measures as tools to mitigate climate change.
- Topic:
- Agriculture, Environment, Food, Trade, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
23. Rural Banditry and Food Security in Oyo State (2019-2023)
- Author:
- Adebajo Aderayo Aderayo and Sunday Toyin Omojowo
- Publication Date:
- 06-2024
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Journal of Political Studies
- Institution:
- Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab
- Abstract:
- Banditry is not peculiar to Nigeria alone, as many nations especially in Africa continue to battle with its surge in recent years. In Nigeria, media platforms are daily abashed with the evils perpetrated by the bandits across the states claiming several lives, destroying billions worth of property, generating humanitarian crisis with negative implications on food security. Adopting broken windows as a theoretical framework, the paper interrogated the trends and reasons for rural banditry and its deleterious effects on food security in Oyo state. The paper employed desk research method using secondary sources data. It argued that rural banditry has intensified affecting food security with recent attacks concentrated on farmers in the state. If further argued that farmers have lost their lives to attacks, kidnapped for ransom, had their farmlands looted and plundered leading to reduction in low agricultural investment and poor crop production, invariably increasing prices of food products. The paper concluded that the menace of rural banditry has indeed caused affected food accessibility, availability, sustainability and utilization in the State. It therefore recommended that government should employ the use of utter force to clampdown on bandits in their hideouts and also introduce advanced surveillance technologies to monitor activities in the ungoverned forest and reserves.
- Topic:
- Crime, Food Security, Sustainability, Humanitarian Crisis, and Bandits
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Nigeria
24. Informe sobre Sostenibilidad en España 2023: El papel del deporte en la transición ecológica
- Author:
- José Luis de la Cruz
- Publication Date:
- 03-2024
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Fundación Alternativas
- Abstract:
- El deporte puede considerarse como el vehículo de paz e integración social más poderoso de los que ha creado la humanidad. La vinculación del Deporte con el Desarrollo y la Paz está refrendado por NNUU en distintos momentos, especial y últimamente en el Plan de Acción de Kazán donde además de reconocer el papel instrumental del Deporte en las políticas de Desarrollo integral, se vincula el mismo en la Agenda 2030 y sus Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible, dado su papel en la potencial mejora de la calidad de vida de individuos y comunidades. El Octavo informe sobre Sostenibilidad en España elaborado por la Fundación Alternativas dedicado al papel del deporte en la transición ecológica ofrece datos y tendencias precisas y confiables para los actores relacionados con el conjunto del ecosistema deportivo con el objetivo de ayudar a desarrollar e implementar políticas sostenibles que permitan una transición ecológica de la industria deportiva en España. Políticas que al tiempo que garantizan el desarrollo socioeconómico, protejan el capital natural, contribuyan a la lucha contra la contaminación y aborden la adaptación al cambio climático. El Informe proporciona una evaluación de la sostenibilidad ambiental del deporte en España, así como recomendaciones y nuevas iniciativas y políticas relevantes en este ámbito.
- Topic:
- Sports, Sustainability, and Green Transition
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Spain
25. Informe sobre Sostenibilidad en España 2024: Construyendo ciudades sostenibles
- Author:
- José Luis de la Cruz Leiva and Elena Meyer zu Riemsloh de Usera
- Publication Date:
- 12-2024
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Fundación Alternativas
- Abstract:
- Las ciudades son el epicentro de un desafío global: combinar desarrollo urbano con sostenibilidad ambiental y bienestar social. Con más del 55% de la población mundial viviendo en entornos urbanos, una cifra que podría llegar al 68% en 2050, este crecimiento intensifica la presión sobre recursos esenciales como el agua y la energía, mientras agrava problemas como la contaminación y la fragmentación de ecosistemas. Responsables del 70% de las emisiones globales de CO₂, las ciudades tienen un papel clave en la lucha contra el cambio climático. Su transformación hacia modelos de movilidad sostenible, eficiencia energética y uso de energías renovables, junto con una gestión hídrica y ecológica más sostenible, resulta imprescindible para reducir su impacto ambiental y mejorar la calidad de vida de sus habitantes. El Informe de Sostenibilidad en España subraya la necesidad de convertir las ciudades en referentes de transición ecológica, sostenibilidad y equidad, ofreciendo estrategias basadas en datos, buenas prácticas y propuestas concretas. Este enfoque incluye la renaturalización de espacios urbanos, la promoción de soluciones basadas en la naturaleza y la participación activa de la ciudadanía, elementos que fomentan resiliencia y cohesión social frente a los desafíos del cambio climático. Así, el informe plantea una hoja de ruta para construir ciudades más habitables, saludables y sostenibles, adaptadas a los grandes retos ambientales del siglo XXI.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Economy, Sustainability, and Depopulation
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Spain
26. Gender diversity management in NATO for sustainable security and peace
- Author:
- Kamila Trochowska-Sviderok, Yvonne Rose Masakowski, Montgomery McFate, and Anne Holohan
- Publication Date:
- 03-2024
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Security and Defence Quarterly
- Institution:
- War Studies University
- Abstract:
- The article focuses on the need for a paradigm shift in diversity management for sustainable peace and security. We discuss the bidirectional influence of security and defence organisations and society; the intersectionality of issues related to social justice, health, race, and ethnicity; sexual abuse and exploitation; and cultural factors that influence the functioning of LGBTQ+ personnel and the gender/technology nexus in the context of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). During the application of the Sustainable Security Paradigm to gender diversity management, we found that ecofeminism and the ideas of post-colonial theory should inform the transformational shift of contemporary security and defence organisational cultures. This approach was used by the multinational NATO Science & Technology Organization Exploratory Team ET-197 Gender, Peace and Sustainable Security (2022-23) and its successor, the NATO HFM-368 Research Task Group (2023-26). Our research efforts were triangulated by an analysis of doctrinal textual, audiovisual and art sources that relate to gender diversity and its management. Given the complexity of future warfare, there is a strategic imperative to develop an inclusive defence strategy that reconfigures the traditional white male-focused military paradigm. It is evident that the root cause of gender inequality cannot be solved solely by doctrine and training solutions—rather a transformational organisational culture shift is pivotal and critical to the future global security. This is the first article that addresses the issues of gender diversity management for sustainable security and peace in an interdisciplinary and holistic manner. Our approach is relevant to any organisation with internal gender and intersectional diversity and systemic discrimination.
- Topic:
- NATO, International Security, Social Justice, Sustainability, and Gender Minorities
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
27. Inclusive biodiversity conservation and the unsustainability of ‘sustainable use’
- Author:
- Ross Harvey
- Publication Date:
- 06-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Good Governance Africa (GGA)
- Abstract:
- The South African Government’s Reviewed National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (2024) continues to promote trophy hunting as a conservation tool. This policy briefing challenges this approach, arguing that trophy hunting, particularly of endangered species, should be removed from the national biodiversity strategy due to overstated economic benefits and high ecological costs. Instead, the briefing suggests exploring sustainable, non-consumptive alternatives to trophy hunting. Successful pilot programmes should be expanded, integrating local communities into ecotourism and conservation-enhancing agriculture. This strategy aims to join fragmented landscapes into larger, ecologically sustainable areas, providing sustainable livelihoods while conserving biodiversity. Moreover, the current focus on consumptive use, such as game ranching and trophy hunting, needs re-evaluation. This philosophy creates unrealistic revenue expectations and promotes fundamentally unsustainable practices. The briefing emphasises the need to prioritise ecological sustainability over consumptive use, aligning with the constitutional duty to protect the environment for future generations. These recommendations are based on the analysis that the economic value of trophy hunting is often inflated and that the opportunity costs are significant. Non-consumptive alternatives can better support both conservation and community livelihoods, ensuring a genuinely inclusive conservation strategy.
- Topic:
- Conservation, Sustainability, Hunting, and Biodiversity
- Political Geography:
- Africa and South Africa
28. From Entry Points to Sustainable Action: Equipping Peace Processes for Accountability and Integrity: The Case of the Bangsamoro
- Author:
- Balázs Áron Kovács
- Publication Date:
- 01-2024
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Berghof Foundation
- Abstract:
- The Bangsamoro peace process is an interesting case study to analyse potential entry-points for stronger integration of anti-corruption measures into peace processes. In 2022, together with U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, we published a mapping study that, starting from the assumption that corruption and violent conflict are interlinked, explored how corruption, as an element of conflict systems, could be addressed during peace processes. The mapping identified potential entry-points for stronger integration of anti-corruption measures into peace processes across mediation efforts at different “tracks”. It also highlighted the need for more case study evidence of past efforts to integrate such measures in order to operationalise the identified entry points and to move towards actionable recommendations. The Bangsamoro peace process was identified as a significant case study, in which the integration of thinking about corruption within peace processes has (or has not) contributed to durable peace. This paper presents a first case study exploring the concrete consequences of making use of specific entry points.
- Topic:
- Corruption, Accountability, Sustainability, and Peace Process
- Political Geography:
- Philippines and Asia-Pacific
29. Achieving Universal Energy Access in Africa amid Global Decarbonization
- Author:
- Gracelin Baskaran and Sophia Coste
- Publication Date:
- 01-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
- Abstract:
- Africa is the most energy-deficient continent in the world, as it hosts 75 percent of the world’s population without access to electricity.[1] Universal access to electricity and clean cooking remains an elusive goal for most states in the region: in 2022, 600 million people lacked access to electricity on the continent, 98 percent of them located in sub-Saharan Africa.[2] There is an urgent need for intervention given Africa’s population of 1.4 billion is forecasted to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, which, when coupled with rising incomes and urbanization, will lead to a significant increase in energy demand.[3] This brief provides six evidence-based insights on Africa’s energy landscape before providing five recommendations on reaching universal energy access amid global decarbonization.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Trade, Sustainability, Decarbonization, Energy, and Critical Minerals
- Political Geography:
- Africa
30. Green Industrial Policy: A Holistic Approach
- Author:
- Ilaria Mazzocco
- Publication Date:
- 02-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
- Abstract:
- In the United States, the rise of the economic-climate agenda and green industrial policy has coincided with growing attention to supply chain resilience, economic security, and a deteriorating U.S.-China relationship. As a consequence, the interaction between trade, geopolitics, domestic economic policy, and climate policy demands a new holistic approach from policymakers and civil society to find more politically sustainable and effective policy solutions. More consideration should be given to the specifics of U.S. climate strategy when it comes to trade and international relations and how to integrate climate strategy with the Inflation Reduction Act and green industrial policy efforts.
- Topic:
- Economics, Industrial Policy, Geopolitics, Trade, Sustainability, and Green Economy
- Political Geography:
- China and Asia
31. How Japan Thinks about Energy Security
- Author:
- Ben Cahill, Jane Nakano, and Kunro Irié
- Publication Date:
- 05-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
- Abstract:
- Energy security is a significant challenge for Japan. As an import-dependent country, Japan has sought to protect itself from fossil fuel supply disruptions and shocks by cultivating strong relationships with exporting countries and investing throughout the energy value chain. More recently, both its largest utilities and its state institutions have focused on raising investment in renewable energy, aiming to decarbonize while retaining a diversity of energy sources. The country pledges ambitious but realistic emissions reductions. Transition pathways will vary in every country, and Japan naturally takes a different view on energy matters than resource-rich countries like the United States. Japan’s climate targets and energy planning show that progress is possible without following exactly the same trajectory as Washington or Brussels.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, International Trade and Finance, Geopolitics, Sustainability, and Energy Security
- Political Geography:
- Japan and Asia
32. Prioritizing Health System Development in the Pacific: A Layered Approach
- Author:
- Kathryn Paik and Eileen Natuzzi
- Publication Date:
- 07-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
- Abstract:
- This brief gives an overview of health challenges across the Pacific Islands region and identifies the need for development partners such as the United States to reframe their approach to health system development. The document provides several recommendations for policymakers and development organizations as they work with the Pacific to effectively meet the health needs of the region.
- Topic:
- Development, Health, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Asia-Pacific and United States of America
33. Energy Security and the U.S.-Philippine Alliance
- Author:
- Harrison Prétat, Yasir Atalan, Gregory B. Poling, and Benjamin Jensen
- Publication Date:
- 10-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
- Abstract:
- The Philippines’ fragile energy outlook threatens to undermine efforts to secure its strategic autonomy vis-à-vis an assertive China. A tabletop exercise held at CSIS this spring with U.S. and Philippine participants explored the strategic implications of different energy investments and their vulnerability to disruption. Bringing online renewable and clean energy sources is an imperative to providing for Philippine energy security in the long term, but fossil fuels will have a critical stabilizing role in the near term. The United States can support its ally through enhanced alliance programing, technical assistance, and new approaches to interagency cooperation.
- Topic:
- Security, Sustainability, Green Transition, and Energy Security
- Political Geography:
- Philippines, Asia-Pacific, and United States of America
34. MIT reflects on COP28
- Author:
- MIT Center for International Studies
- Publication Date:
- 01-2024
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- MIT Center for International Studies
- Abstract:
- This is the Zoom recording of the COP28 debrief and reflections event held on January 17th at the MIT Center for International Studies. Professional captioning will be added soon. Approximately 30 members of the MIT community were among the 100,000 attendees at COP28. While there were some major takeaways from the conference that have already been shared in the media and more that will continue to be published into the new year, much of the progress happened on a smaller scale in meetings and side events. Some attendees gathered to debrief and learn about some of the specific interests and goals that members of the MIT delegation had in attending the COP, and the value that they gained from participating.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Conference, Sustainability, and Conference of the Parties (COP)
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
35. Emerging public debt challenges in sub-Saharan Africa
- Author:
- Maureen Were
- Publication Date:
- 01-2024
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)’s public debt burden remains a challenge to development. Key drivers of public debt include large-scale financing of infrastructure development, adverse impact of multiple shocks including COVID-19 pandemic, maturity mismatches, and high vulnerability to exchange rate and interest rate volatility. The tight financial conditions following interest rate hikes in advanced economies have exacerbated the debt burden and heightened debt sustainability risks. Half of the SSA low-income countries are either in debt distress or at high risk of it. Countries in debt distress include middle-income economies. Given the high cost of debt servicing and lack of fiscal space, achievement of sustainable development goals is in jeopardy. A long-term sustainable solution requires a multi-pronged approach. The G20 Common Framework for debt treatment remains limited in scope, coverage, and impact. More needs to be done including consideration for debt relief. Other strategies include access to long-term concessional finance, domestic resource mobilization, and improved efficiency in public spending and fiscal management.
- Topic:
- Development, Infrastructure, Sustainability, Public Debt, and Public Spending
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa
36. Keys for sustaining Tanzania’s economic development
- Author:
- Oliver Morrissey and Maureen Were
- Publication Date:
- 03-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- Sustainable economic development hinges on the ability of firms and households to maintain growth and wellbeing. How have Tanzania’s firms and households performed in recent decades, and what policies can improve their resilience against future shocks?
- Topic:
- Economy, Economic Development, Sustainability, and Resilience
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Tanzania
37. On the Role of Local Government in Promoting Peace and Political-Environmental Sustainability
- Author:
- Kim Noach
- Publication Date:
- 01-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Mitvim: The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies
- Abstract:
- The paper discusses the rising power of local government and its ability to independently create and/or advance foreign relations in order to promote peace and good neighborly relations. One of the prominent areas in which local government engages and cooperates with others today is the environmental and climate field, notably in light of the foot-dragging of nation-states around these issues. Given this reality, the paper examines whether relationships and cooperation on the environment might be built between local authorities when their respective nation-states maintain no relations or only cold ones, or are in ongoing conflict. The paper analyses three theoretical axes: 1) the rising political power of local authorities vis-à-vis their nation-states, and as significant actors in global diplomacy; 2) growing local involvement with environmental problems; and 3) the promotion of environmental peacebuilding. The paper analyses the feasibility of joining these axes, and gives relevant examples, focussing on the Israeli-Palestinian-Jordanian space. The main argument arising from the analysis is that local government has the tools and the effective opportunity to advance environmental cooperation as a stimulus to making peace; and further, that processes of this sort are particularly important when there is no political horizon. While Israel and its region are indeed the focus of this paper’s examination of local government and its potential for building relationships, the general insights derived are applicable to other regions of conflict.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Politics, Peace, Sustainability, and Local Government
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan
38. Three risks that must be addressed for new European Union fiscal rules to succeed
- Author:
- Lucio Pench
- Publication Date:
- 05-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Bruegel
- Abstract:
- The debate on the reform of the European Union’s fiscal rules, the Stability and Growth Pact, has largely focused on their design. This nearly exclusive focus has distracted attention from the equally, if not more, important aspects of implementation. The reform, completed in April 2024, left implementation unaddressed, or at least open to very different potential outcomes. In particular, the reform failed to clarify the interplay between EU countries’ medium-term fiscal structural plans (MTFSPs), which embody the new focus on debt sustainability, and the excessive deficit procedure (EDP), which remains the main enforcement tool under the rules. The need for clarification is urgent as several countries are set to enter EDPs for breaching the SGP’s 3 percent of GDP deficit threshold at the same time as their first MTFSPs are endorsed in autumn 2024. There is a risk that the adjustment paths prescribed by EDPs may be at least temporarily less demanding than the debt-sustainability requirements of the MTFSPs would normally imply. Even if consistency between EDPs and MTFSPs is ensured from the start, inconsistencies may arise over time and be resolved in a way that further postpones the necessary adjustment. The main risk is that the 3 percent of GDP deficit might be perceived as the only target that matters for countries that enter EDPs in 2024, as repeated revisions of the MTFSPs undermine the cogency of the debt sustainability requirements. This scenario is likely to materialise if the countries are allowed to exit their EDPs upon bringing their deficits to or below 3 percent of GDP, while being still far from the necessary correction of the debt trajectory. It is important to shape countries’ expectations on the implementation of the upcoming EDPs in a way that is conducive to the immediate internalisation of the debt sustainability constraint implied by the new rules, rather than allowing it to be viewed as a distant objective. This change in expectations could be achieved by clarifying that, even if a country has been placed in an EDP only for breach of the deficit criterion, it should also satisfy the debt criterion for the procedure to be abrogated.
- Topic:
- Debt, Reform, European Union, Fiscal Policy, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Europe
39. The Western Sahara conflict has been described as a ‘frozen conflict’ and as ‘decolonisation’s last stand.’ Despite the multiple ceasefires throughout its history, the conflict has not been fully resolved. Since 1974, Western Sahara has been on the shortlist of non-self-governing territories. However, it is the only one on the list that has not condoned this status. The Polisario Front spent 50 years fighting for the independence of the Sahrawi Arab Republic from Morocco, mostly using arms and guerrilla warfare. This period of violence was followed by a ceasefire between the two stakeholders. Nonetheless, in 2020, Morocco’s response to the Sahrawi protests resulted in a resumption of fighting by the Polisario Front, essentially reopening ‘Pandora’s Box’ and showing that, despite the ceasefire, a permanent solution is urgently needed. This would need to happen within the broader African security landscape, which is currently experiencing a shift amidst the weakening of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations, the growing presence of various private military companies (PMC), and the emerging role of countries such as Russia and Türkiye in African conflict situations. Considering the aforementioned changes, this article seeks to assess whether these shifts in the African security landscape will influence the situation in Western Sahara by maintaining the status quo or revitalising the efforts to resolve or exacerbate the existing tensions.
- Author:
- Ibrahim Sakawa Magara and Miranda Rivers
- Publication Date:
- 07-2024
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- African Journal on Conflict Resolution
- Institution:
- The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD)
- Abstract:
- This article (re)appraises the role of civil society in South Sudan’s peace process. Situated at the confluence of civil society inclusion/exclusion, the significance of civil society participation and its contribution to peace processes, the article contributes to literature on inclusive and sustainable peace. The article employs a qualitative case analysis to illuminate the dynamics of civil society participation in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)-led peace process for South Sudan. The article engages with factors that compromise the efficacy of civic action in South Sudan and issues that are injurious to the sector’s legitimacy. The article neither downplays the complexity and precarity of the environment in which the South Sudanese civil society finds itself nor overplays the importance and contributions of civil society to the peace process. More importantly, it reveals that civil society in South Sudan is severely fragmentated and suggests that this fragmentation needs to be addressed as it simultaneously compromises civil society’s peacemaking efficacy and undermines the sector’s legitimacy. In the end, the article adds to the view that civil society is not always a force for peace and the sector’s inclusion; participation does not necessarily contribute to legitimising or sustaining peace processes and their outcomes.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Peace, Sustainability, Inclusion, Fragmentation, Peace Process, Peacemaking, and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
- Political Geography:
- Africa and South Sudan
40. Decarbonization alternatives for the maritime transport sector in Brazil: 2024
- Author:
- CEBRI
- Publication Date:
- 12-2024
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI)
- Abstract:
- In the current context, where mitigating greenhouse gas emissions is a global priority, the maritime sector faces a significant challenge: meeting the growing demand for energy due to the increase in the transport of goods and people while working to reduce its carbon emissions. The central question is how to address these challenges in a way that is both technically feasible and economically efficient. This report, available in Portuguese, provides an update on the document “Decarbonization Alternatives for the Maritime Transport Sector in Brazil,” published in 2023. The main objective is to analyze possible actions for the decarbonization of the Brazilian maritime sector. The study examines the current state of maritime transport in Brazil and explores various options for emission reductions. Furthermore, the report identifies opportunities for collaboration between the maritime sectors of Brazil and Norway through a comparative analysis of initiatives implemented for decarbonization. This analysis is essential for understanding how Brazil can advance in adopting more sustainable practices and effectively contribute to the fight against climate change.
- Topic:
- Maritime, Transportation, Sustainability, Carbon Emissions, and Decarbonization
- Political Geography:
- Brazil and South America
41. Storage and Networks: the Achilles’ heel of Renewable Energy Sources expansion
- Author:
- Michalis Mathioulakis
- Publication Date:
- 04-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)
- Abstract:
- This paper analyses the elements that compose two of the structural vulnerabilities of the European energy system and undermine the efforts in Greece and the rest of the European Union to further increase the penetration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) successfully in their energy mix and accelerate the energy transition. The production of electricity from Renewable Energy Sources in Greece in 2023 as a share of total electricity production was among the highest in Europe, while also throughout the EU the shares of RES increased. However, as RES shares increase, their stochasticity in electricity production can create problems for the stability of the electricity grid since, on a global level, there is a deficit of mature storage technologies and a lack in adequate volume of electricity distribution and transmission network infrastructure. The costs required to cover these deficits are currently passed on to the European consumers in the form of regulated, non-competitive charges, for which consumers cannot freely choose their provider. This issue constitutes a regression from the European structure of a free and competitive common European market, a relapse that increases together with the growing shares of regulated costs in the energy bills of European citizens. However, without sufficient new investments in networks and electricity storage, the EU faces the risk of system instability. In addition, administrative restrictions in production for grid-ready RES systems, deem new investments in RES economically non-viable and carry the additional risk of disinvestment from new RES projects. In this complex environment of interconnected issues and modular problems, it is now crucial to approach the decarbonisation effort through the realization that painful compromises need to be made at an energy policy level, since the future of tackling climate change needs to be hybrid and, unfortunately, not completely green if we want it to be resilient and sustainable in the long term.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, European Union, Renewable Energy, Sustainability, and Energy Security
- Political Geography:
- Europe
42. Leveraging EU industrial policy to reshape Greece’s productive model
- Author:
- Aggelos Tsakanikas and Petros Dimas
- Publication Date:
- 04-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)
- Abstract:
- This policy brief explores the evolution and goals of industrial policy in the EU, aiming to identify the ways in which these recent developments can provide significant opportunities for Greece. In this context, we outline some of the key features of the fragmented landscape of Greek industrial strategies and suggest future directions through which the country can leverage the current momentum of industrial policy in the EU to pursue the restructuring of its productive base along the lines of sustainability, the twin (green and digital) transition, and European strategic autonomy. Since the Great Recession of 2008, the EU has openly supported coordinated and complementary policies in an effort to tackle structural deficiencies that render its productive systems vulnerable. The pandemic crisis, the Ukrainian war, and the general call for action against climate change have highlighted the need for the further reconfiguration of industrial development across the world along the lines of inclusion, sustainability, and resilience. The EU New Industrial Strategy and its update in the aftermath of the pandemic provide blends of horizontal and vertical actions that target resilience in the Single Market, EU strategic autonomy, and the acceleration of the green and digital (twin) transitions. In response to the energy crisis, the EU Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age has been promoted to ensure that sustainable competitiveness goals are on track with the recent geopolitical developments. Greece has already aligned its strategic planning to the EU’s industrial policy objectives through a dedicated National Industrial Strategy and other strategic documents that target innovation, the green transition and sustainable development, and digitalization across key industrial ecosystems and value chains. Key initiatives, such as industrial alliances and Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs), major reforms through dedicated Acts, and an unprecedented wealth of financing and regulatory instruments outline significant opportunities of transformative potential Greece’s productive model. The country must meet the challenges of implementing its ambitious action plans, while simultaneously monitoring, evaluating, and updating its strategic orientation against the backdrop of a volatile global market environment. Different strategies should be integrated into a unified system of policies that creates a clear connection between, and path dependence for, different objectives, diverse market reforms and policy interventions.
- Topic:
- Industrial Policy, European Union, Sustainability, Strategic Autonomy, Green Transition, and Digital Transition
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Greece
43. After the February 6 Earthquakes: A Critical Overview of the Legal and Administrative Framework
- Author:
- Akif Burak Atlar
- Publication Date:
- 10-2023
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
- Abstract:
- This brief assesses urban vulnerability to earthquake risk in relation to legal and administrative interventions that have occurred on building supervision, zoning amnesties and emergency management since the August 17, 1999 earthquake, and offers policy recommendations to reduce this vulnerability.
- Topic:
- Natural Disasters, Governance, Sustainability, and Earthquake
- Political Geography:
- Turkey and Middle East
44. Society and State in Turkey Between Two Disasters
- Author:
- Ulaş Bayraktar
- Publication Date:
- 10-2023
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
- Abstract:
- This brief assesses the responses of the central government, municipalities, civil society organisations and grassroots communities in the aftermath of the 1999 and 2023 earthquakes in the context of the changes in Turkey’s political and administrative life between these two crises.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Natural Disasters, Governance, Sustainability, and Earthquake
- Political Geography:
- Turkey
45. Data for Disaster Risk Reduction: An Evaluation on the Use and Sharing
- Author:
- Bürge Elvan Erginli
- Publication Date:
- 11-2023
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
- Abstract:
- The report first examines how data and information technologies are situated in global frameworks and national plans for disaster risk reduction. Following a general outline of the types of data relating to the three stages before, during and after disasters, the report draws on relevant studies and engages the discussions in the round table meetings held within the scope of the project and attended by representatives from different institutions and organisations to analyse the data produced, utilised, and shared in the project provinces. The final section of the report presents conclusions and recommendations.
- Topic:
- Natural Disasters, Governance, Sustainability, and Earthquake
- Political Geography:
- Turkey and Middle East
46. 2023 World Water Day: The Future of Water Security in the Middle East and North Africa
- Author:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Publication Date:
- 03-2023
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- World Water Day, observed annually on March 22, draws awareness to issues of scarcity, sustainability, and safety of global freshwater resources. The security and reliability of water resources are constantly challenged by concerns over adequate availability, sufficient access to clean water, and the consequences of diminished and unsafe water supplies (e.g. to health and food security). The scarcity of water resources in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is primarily a result of the region’s predominant warm desert climate, coupled with limited surface water and groundwater supplies. This natural aridity amplifies the challenge of meeting local drinking water needs, food production, and industrial consumptive use. Yet there are still opportunities to address the scale of the region’s growing water security concerns: such as improving transboundary water relations to alleviate conflicts, reducing reliance on depleting groundwater supplies, ensuring access to safe and clean water to all populations, and expanding adaptation efforts against water-related impacts of climate change. Join us and our expert panel to discuss the critical challenges and potential opportunities available to policymakers and vulnerable local communities as they seek to enhance the MENA region’s water security.
- Topic:
- Security, Climate Change, Natural Resources, Water, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and North Africa
47. On Food and Sustainability: A conversation with Moza Al Matrooshi and Christian Sleiman
- Author:
- Lyne Sneige, Moza Al Matrooshi, and Christian Sleiman
- Publication Date:
- 04-2023
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- Lyne Sneige, Director of the Arts & Culture Program at the Middle East Institute, speaks with artists Moza Al Matrooshi and Christian Sleiman about their works that are featured in MEI's current exhibition, Perceptible Rhythms/Alternative Temporalities. The conversation provides greater detail on the relationship between each artist's works and the themes of food and sustainability.
- Topic:
- Arts, Food, Culture, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and North Africa
48. Exploring the Middle East’s Climate Crisis through the Lens of Policy and Art
- Author:
- Lama El Hatow, Mohammed Mahmoud, Maya El Khalil, and Rhana Natour
- Publication Date:
- 04-2023
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- Join us for a conversation about the climate crisis in the Middle East; its impact on resources and communities; and the role that regional artists and civil society actors are playing in helping encourage greater public awareness and activism. Panel speakers will provide an overview of the challenges facing the region and the urgent need for action, as well as explore how the region's arts communities are addressing questions of climate change and the need for greater sustainability to help impact positive change. Maya Khalil, the curator of MEI’s current exhibit on climate and sustainability, Perceptible Rhythms, Alternative Temporalities, presented with the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, will be joined by Mohammed Mahmoud, MEI Director of the Climate and Water Program and Lama El Hatow climate specialist at the International Finance Corporation and a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East. The conversation will be moderated by journalist and producer, Rhana Natour.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Climate Change, Arts, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Middle East
49. Climate Financing
- Author:
- Mohammed Mahmoud
- Publication Date:
- 09-2023
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- Director of MEI’s Climate and Water Program Mohammed Mahmoud speaks to energy and sustainable infrastructure expert Lucia Fuselli on the role of climate financing - a critical component of initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and bolstering climate resilience.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, Water, Infrastructure, Climate Finance, Sustainability, and Carbon Emissions
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and Global Focus
50. The state of the renewable energy independent power producer procurement programme: Where to from here?
- Author:
- Busisipho Siyobi
- Publication Date:
- 12-2023
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Good Governance Africa (GGA)
- Abstract:
- Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, recently briefed South Africa on the progress of the Energy Action Plan and the challenges associated with its implementation. Minister Ramokgopa further remarked on the positive socio-economic impact that the Renewable Energy Independent Power Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) has had on the industry and economy. Over R300 billion has been attracted for infrastructure investment and over 120 independent power producers have been selected as preferred bidders. These success factors indicate great potential for an optimal energy mix, led by renewable energy sources, to be attained. They also highlight opportunities for more private-sector investment. For this potential to be fully maximised, programme design, programme management and market dynamics will be critical to factor in. This report assesses the abovementioned overarching categories and illustrates mechanisms that will be integral to facilitating increased private sector investment into grid-connected renewable energy generation. This will yield efficient management of REIPPPP and further enable improved economic growth and sustainable development.
- Topic:
- Development, Governance, Renewable Energy, Sustainability, and Energy
- Political Geography:
- Africa and South Africa