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The report examines the role of connected and isolated microgrids in the global energy transition. It highlights how falling costs of renewable energy enable these systems to replace diesel-based generation, particularly in island nations like Saint Lucia. While facing challenges in grid stability and the balance of energy sources, microgrids offer a pathway to increased energy independence and reduced emissions.

This factsheet from the Raising Risk Awareness initiative analyzes the 2015-16 drought in Ethiopia, noting that the event's extreme rarity and severity—influenced by El Niño—strained the capacity of existing national and international preparedness and response systems.

This document contains the legal and technical submissions made by a coalition of eight appellants (including Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and BirdLife South Africa) on August 14, 2017, appealing an environmental authorisation (EA) granted to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd for the Yzermyn underground coal mine in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

This fact sheet describes the formation and goals of the United States Climate Alliance and other subnational efforts to uphold the 2016 Paris Agreement following the Trump Administration's decision to withdraw the United States from the accord.

This document is a response to the USTR's July 2017 objectives for NAFTA renegotiation, arguing that the process provides an opportunity to integrate sustainable development, improved governance, and environmental standards into the trade relationship between the US, Canada, and Mexico.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), writing on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, submitted a letter to the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) on 11 August 2017. The letter argues that the CSIR's "comprehensive alternative" Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for electricity fails to account for critical health, water, climate, and nuclear-related costs, which leads to an underestimation of the true cost of coal and nuclear energy compared to renewable alternatives.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), writing on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, submitted additional comments to the South African Department of Energy regarding the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and Integrated Energy Plan (IEP). The letter argues that current energy modelling fails to account for critical externalities, specifically the health and water costs of coal, the high nitrous oxide emissions associated with circulating fluidised bed combustion technology, and comprehensive nuclear lifecycle costs.

This fact sheet describes the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) program for implementing minimum energy and water efficiency standards for appliances and equipment under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. It details the economic, environmental, and technological benefits of these standards, the role of voluntary programs like ENERGY STAR, and the impact of regional standards on heating and cooling products.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting on behalf of groundWork, is requesting clarification from the Department of Water and Sanitation regarding the "minimum requirements" used to recommend the issuance of an integrated water use licence (IWUL) for the proposed 600MW KiPower coal-fired power station near Delmas, Mpumalanga.

This research paper by the NewClimate Institute, commissioned by the German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt), estimates the potential supply of certified emission reductions (CERs) from Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects between 2013 and 2020.

This guidance note provides assistance to countries on securing financing for National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes, covering the entire cycle from initiation to the monitoring and evaluation of adaptation actions.

The Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) has developed a design for an investment-grade financing vehicle intended for institutional investors. By focusing on the specific financial fundamentals of wind and solar projects—which differ from conventional fossil fuel generation—the model aims to reduce the cost of renewable energy by 15-17%.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute provides an overview of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), including battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). It details the environmental and economic benefits of PEVs, the current state of the U.S. and global markets, charging infrastructure, battery technology trends, and government incentives.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a formal request to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) for records concerning the implementation of buffer zones around national parks and other protected areas in South Africa, specifically referencing the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act 57 of 2003 and the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004.

This briefing by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment summarizes three systematic reviews regarding the adverse human health effects of pesticide exposure. It details the types of pesticides, routes of exposure, and the specific risks posed to vulnerable populations, concluding that the health hazards of toxic pesticides outweigh the benefits of cosmetic use.

This working paper by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) proposes a practical framework for implementing climate action in cities, particularly in developing countries. Based on an analysis of seven urban projects across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the paper identifies five critical levers—power and leadership, communication and engagement, capacity building, financing implementation, and the demonstration effect—that practitioners can use to overcome barriers and embed climate compatibility into urban planning and investment.

This research paper by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) identifies five critical success factors for increasing the climate resilience of water infrastructure. Based on a review of six projects across Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, the paper argues that resilience requires moving beyond engineering design to include strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and institutional capacity building to avoid 'stranded assets' and protect economic growth.

This report documents the responses of Thabametsi Power Company to objections raised by Earthlife Africa and Greenpeace Africa regarding the project's climate change and palaeontological impact assessments. Key points of contention include the project's high GHG emission intensity (1.23 tCO2e/MWh), the failure to quantify the social cost of carbon, and the high risk of water scarcity in the Lephalale region of Limpopo Province. The developer maintains that the project is consistent with South African national energy policy (IRP 2010 and 2016) and that its water needs for Phase 1 are secured through existing allocations from the MCWAP-1 scheme.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative proposes the Clean Energy Investment Trust (CEIT) to overcome barriers—such as illiquidity and high due diligence costs—that prevent institutional investors from funding renewable energy. By designing the CEIT as a listed, low-fee vehicle focused on liability-hedging rather than high growth, the authors estimate that potential institutional investment could increase from $305 billion to nearly $4 trillion, significantly lowering the cost of capital for the energy transition.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) proposes a new financial vehicle called the Clean Energy Investment Trust (CEIT) to reduce the cost of renewable energy by better aligning project cashflows with the risk profiles of different investors. By unbundling the cashflows of wind and solar projects and targeting long-term, liability-hedging institutional investors, the authors argue that the cost of wind-generated electricity could be reduced by 15-17% compared to traditional utility financing.