- Ethiopia’s hydropower potential: Lighting up East Africa with renewable energy
- East African coffee brews opportunity amid Brazil, Vietnam dips
- Climate crisis: Why Africa needs urgent, scalable plan for a resilient future
- How transition finance can catalyse Africa’s green industrial revolution
- Stanbic PMI Report: Mixed performance as Kenya’s agriculture, construction offset manufacturing decline
- Uganda’s land management gets a tech makeover to boost transparency
- Nigeria’s output dips fastest in 19 months on a sharp rise in costs
- Apple faces growing backlash over Congo exploitation
Sustainability
- In Africa, climate resilience is limited due to socio-economic vulnerabilities and limited adaptive capacity.
- The UNEP report calls for an accelerated increase in adaptation efforts and finance to address the mounting risks, particularly in developing nations.
- In 2022, adaptation finance for developing countries rose to $28 billion, a far cry from the $187-$359 billion per year required to bridge the gap by 2030.
As the global climate crisis intensifies, the impacts are hitting vulnerable regions hardest, with Africa bearing the brunt of devastating consequences.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Adaptation Gap Report 2024, average global temperatures will rise by 2.6-3.1°C above pre-industrial levels by the century’s end, far exceeding the 1.5°C threshold agreed upon in the Paris Agreement.
This rise in temperature translates to increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and heat waves. These impacts are currently felt acutely in …
- Scheduled for 24th to 25th October in South Africa, the Sustainability Week Africa forum will explore the challenges and solutions being deployed across industries to tackle climate change.
- Keynote speakers will share innovative ideas on how businesses can support the continent in adopting sustainable practices faster in the face of climate change.
- The first edition of Sustainability Week Africa comes at a time when governments and businesses across Africa are grappling with the negative impacts of extreme weather events.
This week, policymakers will be closely following the proceedings at the Economist Impact’s Sustainability Week Africa, where keynote speakers will be sharing innovative ideas on how businesses can support the continent in adopting sustainable practices faster in the face of climate change.
The forum, which is scheduled for 24th to 25th October in South Africa, aims at amplifying challenges and the latest solutions being deployed across industries including agriculture, housing, …
- Multi-agency report highlights challenges and opportunities.
- Summit of the Future decisions: a choice between breakthrough or breakdown.
- Increasing climate change impacts reverse development gains.
- Ashden says these trailblasers, armed with groundbreaking technologies and innovative solutions, stand at the forefront of the battle against global warming.
- Climate charity Ashden has called for financiers, investors, and policymakers worldwide to step up support for proven climate solutions that hold the keys to our sustainable future.
- The Ashden Awards recognise inclusive solutions that deliver a wide range of benefits, from new jobs to community resilience and lowering emissions.
In an era marked by increasing environmental crises and the relentless march of climate change, the call for innovation has never been more urgent. Climate charity Ashden has called for financiers, investors, and policymakers around the world to step up support for proven climate solutions that hold the keys to our sustainable future.
These trailblasers, armed with groundbreaking technologies and innovative solutions, stand at the forefront of the battle against global warming.
Speaking at the 2024 Ashden Awards ceremony, Ashden …
- In 2024, startup funding in Africa has evolved with Climate tech, which covers various use cases, surging to account for 45% of funding, an all-time high.
- In the period under review, climate tech received $325 million.
- Despite the overall dip in total investments, climate tech’s share of funding has been steadily rising, reflecting its expanding importance in Africa’s startup scene.
In the face of increasing economic woes and adverse weather conditions, climate tech startups in Africa are defying the odds, instead, experiencing unprecedented levels of investment. This year, climate tech is emerging as a primary focus for investors, reflecting the urgent need for innovative solutions to address the continent’s climate-related issues.
The latest numbers show that climate tech startups garnered substantial attention in 2024, with funding reaching an all-time high of $325 million, which is 45 percent of the total startup financing announced in Africa this year.
“But what’s particularly …
- This climate finance deficit presents a pressing challenge to Africa, as it directly affects the continent’s capacity to address critical climate-related issues.
- African governments must adopt innovative financing opportunities that blend public and private partnerships.
- Leaders from Africa, the Republic of Korea, and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) have jointly called for more collaboration and cooperation to bridge the climate finance gap
Climate finance
The climate finance gap has been a persistent topic of climate change discussions for the longest time. Despite a financing need exceeding $3 trillion by 2030, the continent receives merely about a 10th of its climate finance need, representing less than 5.5 per cent of the total global climate finance. This gap is felt especially keenly in countries like Uganda, which, despite being one of the many African countries committed to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), experiences a distinct lack of climate funding.
According to the …
- Bolt, TRÍ, and Watu have launched a pilot program in Tanzania to introduce electric Bajajis, aiming to enhance sustainable urban transportation and improve the economic well-being of drivers.
- This initiative reduces operational costs significantly, boosts driver earnings, and aligns with Tanzania’s green mobility efforts.
- The program includes comprehensive support and training for drivers, with plans for future expansion to foster broader adoption of eco-friendly vehicles.
In a move that is set to revolutionize Tanzania’s urban transportation, Bolt, TRÍ, and Watu Africa have joined forces to launch a pilot program featuring electric Bajajis. This collaboration not only promises to enhance sustainable mobility but also aims to improve the economic well-being of Tanzanian drivers.
As a leading ride-hailing platform, Bolt integrates electric Bajajis into its services, allowing drivers to seamlessly participate in this innovative program. This integration enhances operational efficiency and provides drivers with access to cost-effective vehicles, significantly increasing …
- World Environment Day 2024 marked under the theme “Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration,” highlights global efforts to restore degraded lands, combat desertification, and build drought resilience.
- Hosted by Saudi Arabia for the second time in over 50 years, the day amplified the Kingdom’s environmental goals, including the Saudi Green Initiative and Middle East Green Initiative, which seeks to plant 50 billion trees and achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030.
On the biggest calendar moment for environmental action, the official celebrations hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia marked the second time in more than 50 years that World Environment Day has been hosted in the West Asia region. Faced with
- VFS Global Visa Processes saw a global substantial increase of 35 per cent
- The tourism sector saw a rebound in 2023, with global travel recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
- VFS Global extended its strategic investments through signature programs in Indonesia, Thailand, and South Africa
VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions, achieved new sustainability targets according to its fifth edition of the Integrated Sustainability Report 2023.
Among key achievements in 2023 include a 35 per cent increase in the number of visa applications processed worldwide and other markets globally, as well as an expanded service portfolio by securing seven global contracts, including the UK Visa and Immigration, the Department of Home Affairs in Australia.
In 2023, global travel bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Middle East, EU region, and Africa emerging as the top performers, according to the UNWTO’s tourism …