ICLEI Africa: Training, tools, and impact in urban development

📢 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: 𝗔𝗕𝗖 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂! The ABC Forum begins today, running from 30 September to 2 October, convening stakeholders from Benin, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali, Niger, and Uganda to exchange lessons and best practices on scaling biodigester technologies across Africa. As the implementing partner of the Africa Biodigester Component (ABC) Sahel, SNV organised the event in collaboration with Hivos and the West and Central Africa Biodigester Alliance, with colleagues contributing as follows: 💠 Lise FLORIN will deliver welcome remarks during the opening session. 💠 Saroj RAI and Martin van Dam will lead sessions on market prospects (Café Afrique) and carbon finance. 💠 Saran Diané, Msc. will contribute to discussions on entrepreneurship, gender & agriculture, and access to finance. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: The ABC Forum is more than a meeting—it’s a platform to shape sustainable biodigester markets beyond the programme, creating impact through clean, affordable energy access, organic fertiliser production, climate change mitigation, job creation and inclusive growth. Together with partners, we’re working to make biodigesters a cornerstone of sustainable energy and resilient livelihoods in Africa. 🔗 Learn more about the impact of biodigesters here: https://lnkd.in/eMk68pKA #ABCForum2025 #EnergyTransition #ClimateAction #Biodigester #SustainableDevelopment

The Cameroon Climate Innovation Hub (CAMCIH) has been inaugurated at ICT University in Yaoundé, marking a new step in the country’s drive toward sustainable development and climate resilience. The non-governmental organisation aims to promote research, technology, and green entrepreneurship by turning scientific ideas into practical climate solutions. Designed as an incubation and collaboration space, CAMCIH will bring together researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to develop local solutions in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, waste management, and urban resilience. It will also offer training and capacity-building programmes to empower youth with technical and entrepreneurial skills for the green economy. The initiative comes amid rising climate challenges in Cameroon, including severe flooding, droughts, and declining agricultural productivity. According to the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), the country could lose up to 10% of its GDP by 2050 without effective adaptation measures. By fostering youth-led innovation and technology transfer, CAMCIH seeks to position Cameroon as a regional leader in climate innovation, supporting the nation’s vision for a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future. This initiative aligns with: AU Agenda 2063 Goal 4 – Transformed economies and job creations. AU Agenda 2063 Goal 7 – Environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient economies and communities. AU Agenda 2063 Goal 18 – Engaged and Empowered Youth and Children. Source: Tech in Africa Read full article: https://lnkd.in/gEGZGYQe Sign up for early access: https://lnkd.in/dzk_eEfB #Cameroon #ClimateInnovation #Sustainability #GreenEconomy #RenewableEnergy #YouthEmpowerment #ClimateResilience #InnovationForChange #SustainableDevelopment #AfricaClimateAction

Africa’s pathway to sustainable food security and climate resilience lies in homegrown innovation — including local production of fertilizers that are affordable, sustainable, and aligned with policy reform. “There’s a huge opportunity — the knowledge, the research centers, and the youth are here. But our policies must support in-country production, not just imports.” From youth innovators to research institutions, Africa has the capacity to build solutions that serve smallholder farmers, reduce costs, and strengthen value chains. The next step is ensuring policy alignment and investment partnerships that accelerate these technologies from conference halls to farms and communities across the continent. 🎥 Watch this perspective shared during #ACS2 — where Africa’s ingenuity, research, and policy aspirations meet action. #FoodSustems #SustainableAgriculture #ClimateAction #Agriculture #Innovation #YouthInClimate #SustainableFarming #EnergyAndClimate Senni Alho Clim-Eat Africa Climate Summit 2 Elizabeth Wathuti , O.G.W African Development Bank Group Alliance for a Green Economy AGRA

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 Through the MijiBora Community of Practice (CoP), Open Cities Lab continues to support municipalities to move from strategy to action by learning together. Across South Africa, cities are already finding creative ways to collaborate and sharing these learnings when we convene the CoPs: • Ugu District Municipality is developing a central service dashboard.  • City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality is advancing its open data platform.  • RAY Nkonyeni Municipality regularly meets with Ugu to share learnings and align on implementation. These examples show that the most powerful innovations emerge from peer learning and shared purpose. As one official said during the recent CoP convening: “We’re realizing that other cities face the same barriers we do. And some have already found ways through them.” In our next post, we’ll explore how MijiBora’s flexible, city-led approach supports this spirit of collaboration, starting with one principle: freedom to choose. #MijiBora #DigitalPublicInfrastructure #DataDrivenCities #UrbanInnovation #BetterAfricanCities UK in South Africa

Horizon Institute of Research & Innovation Hub’s contributions to the Warming Schools project have helped anchor the mission of environmental and economic sustainability within vocational education and training. In Brussels from 17th to 19th November 2025, we will have a Final Partner meeting to reflect on how our methods in Rwanda have improved, how local networks strengthened, and how overall capacity developed. #warmingschools #ErasmusPlus #EUprojects #GreenSkills #finalmeeting #brussels #sustainableeducation Learn more: https://lnkd.in/djqJjWFR Project Partners include: Via Kreaktion gUG Scambieuropei Grm Novo mesto - center biotehnike in turizma Puntland Technical University Nordic Horizon Institute Cube Zanzibar HiED Kenya

EEA at UNGA80 On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly 80th Session, our Executive Director Gcina Dladla delivered a brief address at the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII) event. He underscored the pivotal role of green energy as a catalyst for Africa’s industrialisation, and reaffirmed Eswatini’s support for the Green Taxonomy as a critical tool to drive genuine sustainable investment. The Executive Director called upon global investors to consider green industrial Eswatini as a strategic destination for sustainable investment, while at the same time challenging investors and financiers to avoid greenwashing and commit to authentic climate-smart action. Green energy and green finance are not just options – they are the pathway to Africa’s resilient future. #UNGA80 #AGII #Eswatini #GreenEnergy #GreenTaxonomy #SustainableAfrica #InvestInEswatini

Every credible carbon project in Kenya begins with one essential step; the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). The ESIA ensures that carbon projects protect people, land, and ecosystems before they begin. It’s how Kenya keeps integrity at the heart of its carbon market. At Impact Africa Consulting, we guide developers and investors through the full process, from ESIA preparation and community engagement to carbon measurement, reporting, and verification. Because impact only counts when it is proven and not promised. 📊 Explore our new visual guide below; a simple breakdown of what every carbon project must do before it starts. #ImpactingAfrica #CarbonMarkets #SustainabilityInAfrica #EnvironmentalGovernance #CarbonCredits Ash Berman, Charles Cardovillis, Laura Kiwelu, One Carbon World, Doreen Githui, Johann (Hannes) Thaler, Eve N., Lilian Kagume, Donald Maringa, Lynn Ngugi, Lillian Nseula, Jackson Godfrey Mungoni, Julius Mutia, abbie jiri

Novexis recently had the opportunity to perform preliminary analysis on Botswana in collaboration with one of Malaysia’s leading transformation framework engineering organizations. Botswana stands at an economic crossroads. While it has long been recognised for strong governance and being the world’s leading diamond producer, over-reliance on diamonds (~𝟯𝟯% 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐃𝐏, ~𝟴𝟬–𝟵𝟬% 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬) has exposed vulnerabilities with GDP contracting by 𝟯.𝟭% 𝐢𝐧 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞. Our analysis highlighted several critical levers: ✅ 𝘿𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩 – agriculture contributes <2% of GDP despite vast arable land; tourism remains concentrated in high-end safaris; youth unemployment exceeds 35%. ✅ 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 4 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙨: Regulation, Investment, Technology, and Delivery — anchored by a National Diversification Council. ✅ 𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 – agro-processing hubs (livestock, halal meat, sunflower oil), diversified tourism (eco-adventure, heritage, MICE), and a green digital economy (solar, BPOs, e-health, green data centers). 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟯 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀: +𝟰% 𝗚𝗗𝗣 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵, 𝗨𝗦𝗗 𝟭𝗕 𝗙𝗗𝗜, 𝟮𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 💡 Botswana’s path mirrors lessons from peers like Namibia and Malaysia: resource-based economies can reinvent themselves if political stability is matched with decisive reforms. 👉 What other sectors do you think Botswana should prioritise for long-term resilience?

🌍 Ethiopia launches National Carbon Market Strategy (2025–2035) #Ethiopia has become one of the first countries to formally adopt a national #CarbonMarket strategy. The ambitious roadmap will guide Ethiopia’s engagement with ITMO buyers and project developers and lay out steps towards domestic voluntary carbon markets and carbon pricing.  Ethiopia’s Ministry of Planning and Development (MoPD), with the support of Perspectives Climate Group, the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre for East and Southern Africa (RCC EAS Africa) and the Collaborative Instruments for Ambitious Climate Action (CiACA) project, developed Ethiopia’s National Carbon Market Strategy to enable participation in high-integrity international carbon markets in support of national climate and sustainable development goals.    Ethiopia now has a clear pathway to participate confidently in international carbon markets—unlocking high-integrity #ClimateFinance to advance national goals across priority sectors like renewable energy, forestry and land use, clean cooking, green industrialization, and e-mobility. ⚡🌳🚍    This strategy aligns Ethiopia’s national carbon market policies with Article 6 mechanisms and strengthens the legal, institutional, and technical foundations needed for credible market engagement.    What this means for Ethiopia:  • Real finance for real mitigation. By prioritizing high-quality credits and market readiness, Ethiopia can mobilize new investment while safeguarding environmental integrity. 📈🌱  • Clear roles & stronger institutions. Defined mandates—for MoPD, MoF, and sectoral ministries—streamline project approval, monitoring, and carbon credit issuance. 🧭🏛️  • Inclusive, transparent benefits. Equitable benefit-sharing ensures revenues support communities and national climate targets. 🤝✨    You can find the strategy here ▶️ https://lnkd.in/dwys755z or below ⤵️ Kudos to collaborators Stephan Hoch, Wondwossen Sintayehu and Peris Waweru, with support from Bruk Tekie.

The Ethiopia National Carbon Market Strategy (2025-2035), great that the strategy is designed. While the strategy sets an ambitious path for carbon market engagement, it currently overlooks one of the country's most significant natural carbon assets: wetlands and peatlands. Key Findings from initial review: • Omission of High-Carbon Assets: The strategy does not explicitly mention "wetlands" or "peatlands" as distinct priority sectors. Their potential inclusion is buried under broad categories like "Nature-Based Solutions" or "restoration of degraded landscapes." • Missing Emission Reduction Potential: This omission means the strategy ignores the massive potential for avoided emissions from protecting and rewetting degraded peatlands—a method that globally yields some of the highest-integrity carbon credits. Peatlands store more carbon per hectare than forests. • Risk to Co-benefits: Ignoring these ecosystems weakens the strategy's goals for climate resilience and water security. Wetlands are fundamental to Ethiopia’s natural infrastructure. Recommendations: Strengthen the strategy by implementing these key recommendations: • Create a Dedicated Sector: Explicitly designate Wetland and Peatland Conservation and Restoration as a top-tier priority, separate from the general forest sector. • Advance Technical Readiness: Initiate a national, high-resolution Peatland Inventory and Carbon Assessment to accurately quantify the mitigation potential and establish a reliable baseline. • Develop Specific MRV Frameworks: Integrate specific international methodologies for wetland carbon accounting to ensure robust Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV), building investor confidence. #Ethiopia #CarbonMarkets #Wetlands #Peatlands #ClimateAction #NatureBasedSolutions #WetlandsInternational