Search Climate Insights Directory

The document outlines a benchmarking framework used to assess how jurisdictions attract investment in wind, solar, and battery projects. It defines six metrics: energy planning, flexibility planning, transmission planning, electricity procurement, industrial rate modernization, and climate policy certainty. The report provides the specific data sources, scoring rubrics, and calculation methods used to evaluate Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, British Columbia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway, New South Wales, Washington, and Texas.

June 2026 was the second-warmest June on record globally, with the Arctic experiencing its warmest June ever. In the U.S., 66% of the contiguous region faced abnormally dry or drought conditions by July 7, 2026, and the West and Southwest regions saw their warmest January-June period on record. A very strong El Niño is forecast to develop between October and December 2026, with an 81% probability, likely pushing global temperatures to or above 1.5C by October. Climate Central's analysis indicates human-caused climate change is a key driver of summertime warming in 91% of analyzed U.S. cities.

The report critiques the EU's CRCF carbon farming methodologies, highlighting systemic flaws in quantification, additionality, and sustainability safeguards. It argues that the current framework allows for potential overcrediting and greenwashing, particularly if units are used for offsetting. The author recommends shifting from a credit-based system to an activity-based performance model to ensure environmental integrity.

The report argues that fossil fuel interests use corporate lobbying, trade associations, and advisory roles to maintain the availability of cheap, low-quality carbon credits to avoid structural decarbonization. It details specific efforts to weaken California's cap-and-trade program and oppose transparency laws like AB 1305, while highlighting the role of the CFTC in federal oversight. The document concludes with recommendations to ban fossil fuel companies from climate advisory roles and eliminate carbon credits from California's compliance mechanisms.

The report warns that climate change is increasing the probability of simultaneous crop failures in major global breadbaskets, which could trigger food price spikes, social unrest, and geopolitical instability. Using France, Germany, and India as examples, it projects significant increases in crop failure risks by 2040 and highlights how extreme heat undermines both agricultural yields and the labor and infrastructure necessary for food security. For Europe, these failures could be exploited by Russia through hybrid warfare and disinformation, while destabilizing import-dependent NATO and EU partners. The authors recommend that NATO and the EU integrate food security into resilience frameworks, protect agricultural aid, coordinate trade responses to avoid export bans, and increase investment in climate-smart agricultural R&D.

The report argues that meeting U.S. electricity demand growth through 2030 with a clean energy portfolio is more affordable and reliable than a fossil-fuel-heavy approach. Modeling shows that a clean energy scenario could save consumers $5.1 billion annually by 2030 and significantly reduce risks associated with volatile fuel prices and extreme weather. The analysis emphasizes the role of solar, wind, battery storage, and demand-side flexibility in reducing system costs and carbon emissions while maintaining grid resilience.

The report compares two pathways for meeting U.S. electricity demand growth through 2030: one relying on fossil fuels and another on clean energy. It finds that a clean energy scenario reduces the incremental cost of meeting demand by $5.1 billion annually in 2030 and offers greater protection against fuel price volatility. To realize these savings, the authors recommend setting ambitious clean energy targets, updating electricity system planning with market-based assumptions, reducing permitting and interconnection barriers, implementing fuel cost sharing to manage risk, improving grid utilization through technologies like surplus interconnection and high-performance conductors, and harnessing demand-side resources such as virtual power plants and distributed energy technologies.

The report argues that India is uniquely positioned to lead in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production via the power-and-biomass-to-liquids (PBtL) pathway. By combining world-leading low-cost green hydrogen (driven by cheap solar power) with an abundance of surplus agricultural residue, India can produce SAF at costs significantly lower than global benchmarks. The analysis shows that PBtL is more resource-efficient and has a lower carbon intensity than other pathways like HEFA, ATJ, and BtL. The report projects that PBtL SAF could reach price parity with fossil aviation turbine fuel (ATF) in the 2030s, providing a hedge against crude oil price volatility and reducing air pollution from crop residue burning. It identifies regions around Delhi, Pune, and Mumbai airports as ideal for first-of-a-kind demonstration projects.

Kenya faces a significant economic burden from fossil fuel imports and subsidies despite having a nearly 90 percent renewable electricity grid. The report argues that transitioning away from fossil fuels is an economic imperative, as revenues from potential oil and coal projects are insufficient to address the national debt. It proposes a three-step pathway: immediate integration of phase-out plans, short-to-medium term divestment and investment in high-growth sectors (renewable energy, e-mobility, climate-smart agriculture, green manufacturing, and the digital economy), and long-term decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors. The document also highlights the risks of stranded assets and 'debt trap diplomacy' and recommends joining a Fossil Fuel Treaty to unlock international finance and technical support.

The report argues that a just energy transition in Africa requires the concurrent development of non-fossil fuel revenue sources and employment to avoid destabilising public finances. Focusing on Angola, Senegal, and Tanzania, it identifies alternative sectors such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, mining of critical minerals, and tourism. It recommends the adoption of Just Transition Investment Plans (JTIPs), the implementation of 'sunset policies' to end new fossil fuel licensing, and the use of fossil revenues as a temporary financing mechanism for green industrialisation. The report specifically advocates for strict conditions on any remaining gas use, including a ban on export-oriented LNG and a requirement to ringfence 50% of revenues for renewable energy.

Nigeria's economy is heavily reliant on oil, which accounts for roughly 50% of the national budget and over 90% of foreign exchange earnings. This dependency has led to 'Dutch Disease', severe environmental degradation in the Niger Delta, and fiscal fragility due to oil price volatility. With global oil demand projected to peak by 2030, the report argues for an urgent transition. It recommends diversifying into solar and hydro power, agro-processing, green manufacturing, and the digital economy. Key policy proposals include establishing a National Economic Diversification Master Plan, redirecting fossil fuel subsidy savings toward green investment, and joining a Fossil Fuel Treaty to secure transition finance and debt resolution.

The report argues that reliance on fossil fuels creates unstable government revenues, locks countries into outdated infrastructure, and exposes them to stranded asset risks as global energy systems shift. It categorizes African economies into export-dominant, import-dependent, and dual-role types, noting that no single transition pathway fits all. To mitigate these risks, the document advocates for diversification into manufacturing, agro-processing, digital services, and the domestic processing of transition minerals. It outlines a phased transition timeline from 2026 to beyond 2045, emphasizing that domestic governance reforms must be supported by international cooperation to reduce the 'African premium' on borrowing costs and improve technology access.

Global Witness reveals that coltan from conflict-affected mines in the DRC is being smuggled into Rwanda, where it is laundered through traceability systems like ITSCI and Better Mining. The report identifies seven Rwandan companies dominating these exports, which are then processed by smelters in China, Kazakhstan, and Thailand, potentially reaching major global brands such as Apple, Microsoft, and Toyota.

Global Witness reports that conflict coltan from the DRC's Rubaya mines is being smuggled into Rwanda and laundered into global supply chains through failed due diligence systems like ITSCI and Better Mining. The investigation identifies seven Rwandan companies responsible for 85% of exports, five of which are directly linked to conflict coltan. This material is processed by smelters in China, Kazakhstan, and Thailand, eventually reaching global brands such as Apple, Microsoft, and Toyota via tantalum capacitors.

The document outlines a framework for responsible mining of transition minerals, focusing on protecting carbon-rich ecosystems, upholding Indigenous rights through Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), and implementing rigorous climate-integrated impact assessments. It advocates for standardized Scope 1-3 emissions reporting, digital traceability, and a shift toward a circular economy to reduce virgin metal demand. Additionally, it proposes equitable benefit-sharing models, such as co-ownership and sovereign wealth funds, to ensure a just energy transition.

The report introduces Green Economic Populism (GEP), a framework that argues the affordability crisis is a structural challenge intensified by the climate crisis. It posits that reducing dependence on volatile fossil fuels can lower costs for working people across energy, food, health, housing, and transportation. The document provides polling data showing that 70% of US voters believe economic policy can simultaneously lower costs and reduce emissions, and 55% want coordinated policies to address both. It highlights successful political campaigns and labor actions in cities and states such as New York City, Seattle, New Jersey, Georgia, and Missouri that centered the intersection of climate action and material needs, such as rent stabilization, utility price controls, and decarbonized public infrastructure.

The report analyzes three carbon price scenarios for Canada's industrial sector: a flat price (CAD 130/t), a low price (rising to CAD 230/t), and a high price (rising to CAD 380/t by 2040). It finds that a high-price trajectory significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and stimulates clean investment with minimal impact on GDP growth. The authors recommend adopting a strong national price trajectory, differentiating performance standard tightening rates based on sectoral competitiveness risks—specifically tightening faster for oil and gas—and implementing complementary policies such as a green industrial strategy and the removal of fossil fuel subsidies.

The document details the global lithium landscape, highlighting the dominance of Australia, Chile, and China in mining and refining. It analyzes the shift in demand toward battery manufacturing, which now accounts for 87% of total lithium use, and examines the technical pathways for extraction, including brine-based, hard-rock, and emerging clay-based methods. The report also addresses geopolitical risks, such as export bans in Zimbabwe, and environmental concerns, specifically water scarcity in producing regions and the GHG emissions intensity of different processing routes.

Chile's mining sector, dominated by copper and lithium, contributes up to 14% of the national GDP and 58% of total exports. While the country is a global leader in copper production via the state-owned Codelco, it faces significant environmental challenges, particularly extreme water scarcity in the Antofagasta region where mining accounts for 50%–65% of regional water withdrawals. The sector is increasingly relying on desalination to meet demand. Socially, women's participation in the mining workforce remains low at 10%. Economically, Chile is pursuing a National Lithium Strategy to increase domestic value addition and public partnerships, while maintaining strong export ties, particularly with China.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's economy is heavily reliant on mining, particularly copper and cobalt, which generate over 90% of mining revenues. While the country possesses vast hydropower potential, electricity access remains limited to 19% of the population. The sector is characterized by a mix of large-scale mining and significant artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), the latter of which is linked to conflict minerals (3TG) in the east. Infrastructure development is currently focused on strategic corridors like the Lobito Corridor and the TAZARA rehabilitation to improve export logistics.