April 2023: A new report by Development Reimagined is the first ever attempt at providing an in-depth analysis of Chinese investment into overseas climate funds and to what extent justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) is a key consideration for private Chinese investment in climate funds. While there is widespread acknowledgement that increased public and …
Panellists: Co-hosts: During Africa Climate Week 2022 in Libreville, Gabon – Development Reimagined co-hosted a side event with African Climate Foundation (ACF) and Environmental Defence Fund Europe (EDF). Our joint event convened key stakeholders in Africa’s climate finance and banking community to explore the reality of green banking in Africa. The event drew on lessons …
Overview Our Development Reimagined team joined more than 1,200 delegates at the recent UN Africa Climate Week (ACW) in Libreville, Gabon. Over the course of several days we listened to expert panels, engaged with key stakeholders, and gained a deeper understanding of the major climate-related challenges facing African countries in the run up to COP27 …
Expert view: 5 Takeaways from Africa Climate Week 2022 Read More »
It’s an often-cited fact that the African continent is particularly vulnerable to the direct and indirect effects of climate change – a vulnerability that has been exacerbated by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic – while being responsible for just a tiny percentage, under 4%, of global greenhouse gas emissions. While these narratives are important to recognize, …
Yesterday the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) released their eagerly awaited International Development Strategy. It has been an agonizing wait; the international development community have been expecting this strategy since the publication of the Integrated Review back in March 2021 and many have been particularly keen to understand what expert comments had been …
In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with the aim of ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. Just before the SDGs were adopted, during a specific global conference held in Addis Ababa, Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and Regional Development Banks …
Speech by Development Reimagined CEO, Hannah Ryder, at the 2nd China and International Development Forum, hosted by CAITEC. Full Speech Below Distinguished guests, Your excellencies, Vice President Yu Zirong, Chairperson Mao Xiaojing, Director General Wu Peng, Your Excellency Osman, Deputy Director General He Song, Resident Representative Trankmann, Director He Yuan, distinguished fellow speakers, ladies and …
Speech: Five Steps for Africans to seize the FOCAC 2021 Opportunity Read More »
For the first time in a global context dramatically changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Ministerial Conference will be held in Senegal at the end of the year. The pandemic has had a significant negative impact on Africa’s economy, with many countries facing declining GDP and economic growth …
Agricultural Cooperation Under the FOCAC Umbrella Read More »
Speech by Development Reimagined CEO, Hannah Ryder, at the Nanjing Peace Forum. Full Speech Below Distinguished guests, Your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, good morning good afternoon dajia shang wu hao, xia wu hao, and a huge thank you to the organisers for the kind invitation to be here today. it is a priviledge and an …
Speech: Three proposals for China and Africa to live in peace with nature Read More »
Back in September 2020, President Xi Jinping announced China would aim for carbon neutrality by 2060, followed by setting more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for 2030. Such bold commitments appeared to reflect Beijing progressing towards adopting climate-friendly policies, premised on low-carbon and renewable technologies. Despite these new commitments, China continues to fund coal projects worldwide, Africa being …
The Impact of China’s Financing for Coal on Climate Change and Agriculture in Africa Read More »
In January 2021, China finally published its White Paper on International Development Cooperation. I say finally because – having seen white papers on aid published in 2011 and 2014, some people at least had the expectation that the next in the series would be in 2017! Nevertheless, the 2021 paper generated considerable online buzz, especially …
Does China’s White Paper on Development Mean Anything for Africa? Read More »
As Development Reimagined, we recognize that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has the potential to create a more climate-conscious trade system across the continent. But more specifically we recognize the need to understand how climate change can impact the AfCFTA. In order to realise this potential, we are working with United Nations Economic …
Creating a more more climate-conscious trade system in Africa Read More »
We have been tracking African governments actions since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and calculate that currently, African countries are spending around 2.5% of GDP to combat Covid-19’s impacts. While this is this is significantly below spending by other regions (for example the Asia Pacific region is spending 7% of GDP, and G20 countries …
Could debt relief by China have a sustained impact on Africa’s Covid-19 recovery? Read More »
China’s medical supplies for 18 African countries arrive at the Kotota International Airport in Accra, capital of Ghana, April 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Xu Zheng) Trilateral cooperation, a buzzword in the field of aid and development cooperation, refers to a “development relationship in which a DAC donor and/or multilateral agency ‘partners’ with a so-called ‘pivotal’ country (e.g. …
For a moment it would seem that climate change has taken a backseat in the midst of a global pandemic, yet we are increasingly seeing the need to make linkages between COVID-19 response and climate action policies. What has been termed as “green recovery” refers to implementing policies that intrinsically are centered on sustainability while …
Can African-Sino Agri-Health Cooperation Champion Green Recovery? Read More »
A few months ago, a New York Times magazine cover was emblazoned with the question “Is China the World’s New Colonial Power?” The notion that China is a twenty-first-century colonizer is not new: commentators have been batting it around for a decade. But, to anyone who has experienced or even studied colonialism, the claim seems …
I remember the day I noticed mo-bikes, the new shared bikes that have literally taken over several cities in China. They had this attractive bright orange design, and I would spot them parked in random places, rather than dedicated bike holds. I was so curious I took a photo to later ask my Chinese friends …
Introduction: Evaluating a project to help Indonesian journalists better understand and communicate about climate change. Climate change is a complex but critical issue, affecting every person on this earth in different ways depending primarily on their geographical location, income and age, as well as many other factors. Ranking fourth in the world by population size, …
I’ve recently discovered that my 5 month-old son is quite sensitive to cold. As temperatures have dipped in Beijing, he, my husband and I have therefore had two weeks of sleepless nights. But why haven’t we switched on the heating to avoid these sleepless nights? Well, in Beijing, November 15th and March 15th are dates …
As a relative newcomer to China, I do my best to read as much as I can of other people’s perspectives about China. One magazine I often enjoy is “World of Chinese”, a bi-monthly publication, helpfully written in English as my Chinese is just not that good yet! In one of the past issues I …
A couple of days ago, I had coffee with a friend and ended up talking about my move from London to Glasgow, just over a year and a half ago. I told my friend that when I first moved, I started off trying to enjoy Glasgow in the same way I enjoyed London. I rented a small …
Winning is great, but is it OK to talk about losing as well? Picture: Marcos Villalta/Save the Children A few days ago I was in a meeting with colleagues from a number of organisations and countries talking about how to best share knowledge about green growth policies and strategies. It sounds rather boring, but actually we …
The phrase “the benefit of hindsight” has been ringing in my ears as I’ve been reading the reports from the close of the Durban climate negotiations late on Saturday night. In particular, it’s been ringing in my ears as I read that we’re now aiming to get a global deal in 2015. The question I’ve been asking …
After 2009, why could 2015 deliver a climate deal? Read More »
A few years ago, my grandparents came to visit my husband and me in London. It was a Sunday, so we welcomed them with a lovely, organic roast chicken. Unfortunately, it didn’t go down too well, particularly with my (now late) grandmother. And this is why. My grandmother comes from a beautiful part of Kenya, on …
Staying close to food is key to tackling climate change Read More »
As a development economist, I’m itching to read Poor Economics, the new book by the amazing Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee. Unfortunately, it’s not yet widely available in UK bookshops. Thankfully, there’s a wonderful visual web version of the book’s key findings, and it’s been reviewed in The Economist and by several UK economists such as Diane …
Why we need to test cash transfers for climate change Read More »
Most week days, I wake up at around 6.30am to go for a run, do some yoga or go to the gym. It makes me feel alive and ready for the day, and I am usually more productive and focused at work as a result. Over time, it also ensures I look healthy and hopefully …
I’ve just finished reading “When a Billion Chinese Jump” by Jonathan Watts. It took me a while – it’s a pretty huge book, with copious notes to flick back and forth to. But I am glad I got there. Yes, the book is rather depressing. But it is also an engaging tour of the country, …
Dangerous generalisations: China and climate change Read More »
I’ve been working with two of our Asian country offices this week – Vietnam and Indonesia – helping them focus their programmes on low-carbon and climate-resilient growth. Travelling back and forth to the offices, I’ve noticed some sharp contrasts between the two’s capital cities. Hanoi is full of hundreds of motorcycles, whizzing about and jam-parked …
I’ve been a Senior Economist in DFID for just over a month. Many friends and colleagues are excited about my new role…even people I don’t know that well. My first challenge has been giving a clear answer to the question “what do you ACTUALLY DO?”. Most people know what doctors, engineers, lawyers, even bankers and accountants …
