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This research paper, produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), examines the financial instability of India's electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyzes how the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing structural issues—such as poor billing, high procurement costs, and inadequate tariff structures—and evaluates the effectiveness of central government stimulus packages and regulatory reforms intended to stabilize the sector and support a sustainable energy transition.

This policy brief from the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the intersection of gender equality and social equity within Indonesia's energy transition, specifically focusing on case studies from West Sumatra to advocate for gender-sensitive decision-making in renewable energy planning.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) proposes a managed reopening of the South African economy that prioritizes worker safety, social equity, and state-led support. Key recommendations include democratizing workplace health protocols, expanding income support through a universal Basic Income Guarantee, increasing public health infrastructure in townships, and implementing a robust fiscal stimulus package to rescue and transform the economy.

In the first half of 2020, renewable electricity generation exceeded fossil fuel generation for the first time in the EU-27, driven by new installations, favorable weather, and a COVID-19-related drop in electricity demand.

This briefing by RMI discusses the role of Energy Management Information Systems (EMIS) in decarbonizing large buildings in New York City. It highlights the gap between basic building management systems and advanced analytics needed to reduce emissions, particularly within tenant spaces, and emphasizes the importance of granular data for complying with mandates like Local Law 97.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting for the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance and groundWork, has issued a formal request to the National Air Quality Officer and other authorities for the reasons and supporting documentation behind a decision to partly grant an application by ArcelorMittal South Africa (Vanderbijlpark) (AMSA). The decision relates to the suspension, alternative limits, or postponement of compliance with Minimum Emission Standards (MES) under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004.

This case study describes the implementation of Nigeria's first solar- and battery-powered undergrid minigrid in the Mokoloki community of Ogun State. The project demonstrates a tripartite business model involving a utility, a private developer, and the community to provide reliable electricity in areas that are technically grid-connected but underserved.

The Budget Justice Coalition (BJC) issued a statement on 20 July 2020 condemning the unrest in South Africa, attributing the violence to a combination of food and economic insecurity, state weakness, and political factionalism. The BJC argues that government austerity measures and the termination of COVID-19 relief grants exacerbated poverty and hunger, contributing to the instability.

This report by RMI argues that US cities require immediate federal aid to manage the impacts of COVID-19 and subsequent strategic stimulus investments to transition toward a green economy.

A case study assessing how climate-related risks to household water security affect women in the Centre-East region of Burkina Faso, highlighting the role of gendered norms and ethnicity in driving vulnerability.

A letter from the Climate Energy and Health Special Interest Group of the Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA) to the Minister of Health, urging public health leadership to ensure a just and green recovery from COVID-19 that addresses the climate crisis and transitions away from fossil fuels.

This document consists of formal submissions by Natural Justice to the Kenyan Ministry of Environment and Forestry regarding the Draft Forest Policy 2020. The submissions argue for a shift away from 'fortress conservation' and the current Community Forest Association (CFA) model toward a human-rights-based approach that recognizes the ancestral rights and conservation roles of indigenous and local communities.

The document introduces a framework for addressing catastrophic threats to the US electricity grid, arguing that the current system's linear dependencies and one-way flow of services make it inherently fragile and prone to outages.

The Green FIDC is a proposed financial instrument in Brazil that adapts the Fundo de Investimento em Direitos Creditórios (FIDC) structure to provide low-cost, long-term capital for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. By using a two-stage process of development finance followed by capital market refinancing, the instrument aims to mitigate early-stage risks. A pilot for rooftop solar via Órigo Energia is underway, with a long-term goal of leveraging USD 1 billion in clean investment, creating 3,600 jobs, and avoiding 6 million tons of CO2.

This case study by the World Resources Institute describes how Nav Jivan Hospital in rural India improved its resilience and capacity to treat COVID-19 patients by installing a 10-kilowatt peak (kWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) system to mitigate unreliable grid electricity.

India requires $2.5 trillion by 2030 to meet its carbon intensity reduction targets but is currently mobilizing less than 25% of that amount. The Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) identifies the lack of a formal definition of 'Green Finance' as a major barrier to investment. CPI proposes creating a definition based on international practices and stakeholder input to enable better tracking of finance flows and the development of green financial products, serving as a first step toward a comprehensive national green finance strategy.

This report presents a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of the Poçem and Kalivaç hydropower projects on the Vjosa River in Albania, concluding that these assets generate higher costs to the state, environment, and communities than they provide in benefits.

This working paper analyzes the demonstration phase of the HYBRIT project, which aims to decarbonize the steel industry using a hydrogen direct reduction (HD-R) process. The authors compare small-scale pilot plants with large-scale demonstration plants, concluding that larger plants are more effective for securing financing, permitting, and business models, despite higher regulatory risks.

This executive summary from the Center for International Environmental Law argues that the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries are in a state of systemic decline, characterized by financial instability, asset fire sales, and unsustainable debt used to maintain shareholder dividends.

This report reflects on a June 11, 2020, workshop convened by RMI India, Rocky Mountain Institute, and NITI Aayog with 16 civil society organizations to support India's electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs). It introduces the Discom Transformation Platform, designed to coordinate efforts to overcome barriers to decarbonization and help DISCOMs navigate financial challenges and regulatory changes, including amendments to the Electricity Act.