1. ENERGY TRANSITION & UNIVERSAL ENERGY ACCESS

The global energy sector is undergoing a seismic shift. Across Africa and much of the Global South, the need to decarbonize economies is matched by a parallel and urgent need: ensuring that every home, business, school, and clinic has reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy. Yet more than 600 million people in Africa still lack access to electricity, and hundreds of millions more suffer from unreliable supply. While renewable energy is booming globally, barriers such as policy uncertainty, inadequate financing, technical capacity gaps, and weak regulatory environments continue to hinder progress.

What We Do:

As a think tank at the forefront of energy transition dialogue, we provide:

• Research and Strategy Support: We develop evidence-based strategies to support governments in designing long-term energy transition pathways, integrating renewables, and designing carbon-neutral energy systems.

• Policy & Regulatory Reform: We work closely with ministries, utilities, and regulators to design enabling environments that attract investment in renewables, off-grid solutions, and energy efficiency.

• Decentralized Energy Solutions: Our team supports mini-grid and off-grid electrification strategies to reach last-mile communities.

• Public-Private Engagement: We build bridges between policymakers, investors, developers, and communities to resolve market and policy bottlenecks, accelerate renewable energy investments, and develop local supply chains.

2. SUSTAINABLE EXTRACTIVES & RESOURCE GOVERNANCE

Africa is rich in natural resources - from oil and gas to minerals essential for the global energy transition, such as cobalt, lithium, and rare earths. However, the promise of resource wealth often becomes a paradox, marked by corruption, conflict, environmental damage, and lost development opportunities. The extractives sector must evolve - from extraction at any cost, to a model based on environmental responsibility, transparency, local benefit, and long-term value creation.

What We Do:

Our work in extractives governance is built around transformation. We:

• Reform Policy and Legal Frameworks: We support governments and parliaments to craft progressive, transparent, and future-proof laws and fiscal regimes that ensure resources benefit all citizens and preserve ecosystems.

• Advance ESG and Due Diligence: We advise companies and public institutions on integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, including climate resilience, biodiversity protection, Indigenous rights, and gender equity.

• Design Local Content & Benefit-Sharing Frameworks: We help governments and communities develop effective policies that ensure tangible benefits from resource projects - from jobs and procurement to infrastructure and social investment.

• Support Regional Value Chains: We explore how resource economies can move up the value chain through mineral processing, energy integration, and circular economy approaches that maximize development impact and minimize waste.

3. CLIMATE CHANGE & ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE

Climate change is the most defining challenge of our time. From rising temperatures to erratic rainfall, floods, and droughts, climate impacts are intensifying — with profound consequences for water, food, health, infrastructure, and biodiversity. Countries need to adapt rapidly, reduce emissions, and build resilient systems and communities. But achieving this requires not just global pledges but real action on the ground — informed by data, powered by finance, and rooted in local needs.

What We Do:

We help governments, businesses, and communities navigate the complexity of climate change through:

• Climate Risk & Vulnerability Assessments: We conduct multi-hazard risk mapping and scenario modeling to inform climate-smart planning across sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, and urban development.

• Adaptation Strategy & Resilience Building: We support the design and implementation of national adaptation plans (NAPs), local adaptation strategies, and nature-based solutions that integrate traditional knowledge and scientific innovation.

• Climate Mitigation and Net-Zero Planning: We develop decarbonization pathways and sectoral emissions reduction strategies.

• Climate Finance Access & Project Development: We assist in preparing proposals for the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Adaptation Fund, and other climate financing instruments, ensuring countries are climate finance-ready.

4. POLICY, GOVERNANCE & INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING

Good governance is the cornerstone of sustainable development. Without responsive, transparent, and capable institutions, even the best policies fail. In many regions, outdated laws, weak institutional capacity, and poor coordination hamper progress on sustainability, energy, and climate agendas.

What We Do:

We help reform and reimagine governance systems to meet today’s challenges through:

• Policy Development and Legislative Support: We offer technical assistance to design evidence-based, inclusive, and climate-smart policies and laws across sectors.

• Institutional Assessments and Reform Roadmaps: We conduct capacity needs assessments, institutional audits, and change management strategies for public and private institutions.

• Stakeholder Engagement and Participatory Governance: We facilitate inclusive planning processes that elevate community voices, marginalized groups, and civil society in decision-making.

• Monitoring, Evaluation & Adaptive Governance: We develop M&E frameworks that foster learning and flexibility, ensuring institutions evolve with shifting realities.

5. TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Innovation holds the key to solving some of the world’s most complex sustainability challenges. From AI-enabled energy management to satellite monitoring of forests and IoT in agriculture, new technologies can vastly enhance our capacity to understand, predict, and act. However, access, equity, and ethical use remain critical concerns.

What We Do:

We work to unlock the full potential of technology by:

• Supporting Clean and Smart Technologies: We promote the adoption of digital tools in climate, energy, water, and agriculture - from remote sensing and GIS to real-time monitoring and predictive analytics.

• Tech Governance & Data Ethics: We provide technical and legal guidance to governments developing data policies, digital public infrastructure, AI governance frameworks, and open data systems.