Deforestation & Cocoa Supply Chains: Global Witness says Mondelez (Toblerone/Cadbury) is lobbying in Brussels to weaken the EU Deforestation Regulation, including meetings with key powerbrokers and a failure to disclose how much cocoa is deforestation-free. Climate & Food Security: South Africa’s farm confidence is rising, but El Niño-linked heat and dryness could still lift food prices and stress the next planting season. El Niño Weather Watch: Multiple reports flag worsening heat and storm risks across southern Africa, with Joburg and other areas on alert for severe conditions. Water & Blue Economy Finance: First Abu Dhabi Bank becomes the first MENA bank to back UN blue-economy finance principles, setting a $27.2bn water-focused target. Clean Industry in Malawi: Malawi pushes green industrialisation, aiming for environmentally sustainable manufacturing and climate-resilient growth. Recycling & Waste: A study warns Kenya is failing to tap its recycling economy, while South Africa moves toward cleaner-air and waste segregation pilots. Biodiversity & Illegal Trade: Nigeria’s vulture crisis deepens as illegal killing and trafficking push species toward extinction. Energy & Infrastructure: South Africa’s data-centre growth faces electricity and water constraints, while new automation and water-treatment integrations promise efficiency gains.