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Reclaim Finance criticizes ArcelorMittal for using the Paris 2024 Olympic flame, made from recycled steel, to mask a broader business strategy that relies on coal for 71% of its production and the use of carbon capture technologies. The report highlights that between 2016 and June 2023, four French banks—Crédit Agricole, BNP Paribas, Société Générale, and BPCE—provided nearly $12 billion in financing to the steelmaker. The author calls for these banks to adopt robust sectoral policies to restrict financing for new blast furnaces and companies developing metallurgical coal projects.

The document outlines the necessity of a Global Just Transition to phase out fossil fuels by 2050, emphasizing the disproportionate economic burden on developing nations. It proposes a framework for financing this transition through new multilateral funds, the redirection of USD 5.9 trillion in annual fossil fuel subsidies, and systemic reforms to debt, taxation, and international financial institutions.

The document analyzes the first Global Stocktake's signals on mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage, highlighting the systemic challenges for the Global South. It argues that while the GST provides historic targets for transitioning away from fossil fuels and tripling renewables, it lacks concrete financial commitments. The brief emphasizes the need for the NCQG to address the 'trilemma' of climate goals, fiscal sustainability, and political feasibility by expanding fiscal space through non-debt instruments and reforming the international financial architecture.

Between 2019 and 2023, agribusiness interests spent over $523 million lobbying on the US food and farm bill, with spending peaking in 2023. The report highlights the role of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) in opposing climate action and environmental regulations while advocating for commodity subsidies. It recommends that Congress prioritize small and marginalized farmers and strengthen antitrust enforcement to curb corporate power.

This discussion paper by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the financing requirements and barriers for decarbonizing the industrial sector in India, with a specific focus on the iron and steel sectors.

The report finds that private equity-owned companies accounted for approximately 21% of all healthcare bankruptcies in 2023, with a further wave expected in 2024. It attributes this trend to the private equity business model's reliance on excessive leverage, dividend recapitalizations, and aggressive growth strategies, which leave companies vulnerable to rising interest rates and labor costs. Case studies of firms like Envision Healthcare and Air Methods highlight how the No Surprises Act further impacted companies reliant on surprise billing. The report warns that these financial failures lead to service closures, layoffs, and threats to publicly-funded healthcare infrastructure.

The document highlights a recent increase in global coal capacity and a slowdown in the adoption of coal-restrictive policies by private financial institutions, calling for urgent regulatory action and the implementation of the Coal Transition Accelerator.

Reclaim Finance argues that traditional shareholder engagement has failed to align the oil and gas sector with a 1.5°C trajectory, noting that 96% of these companies continue fossil fuel expansion. The organization recommends that investors suspend all new investments, particularly bonds, and integrate climate criteria into routine strategic votes. Specifically, it advises voting against the reelection of directors, executive remuneration, financial accounts, and dividends unless companies allocate 50% of capital expenditure to sustainable energy. Reclaim Finance also criticizes proxy advisors like ISS and Glass Lewis for failing to support climate resolutions.

The document examines the gap between the public's desire for climate action and the reality of their savings often financing fossil fuels. It proposes a systemic shift in the financial sector to make sustainable savings the default and transparent choice, suggesting tools like an 'eco-score' for financial products and the removal of barriers to switching between funds.

The report identifies a critical need to accelerate building renovations in Europe, noting that approximately 97% of the region's building stock requires upgrades to meet 2050 net-zero targets. It argues that while the EU's 'Fit for 55' package and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) provide a foundation, additional policy interventions are needed to unlock private capital and overcome financial and non-financial barriers. The document details 20 specific policy levers, including the implementation of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), the phasing out of fossil-fuel subsidies by 2040, and the adoption of 'Building Renovation Passports'. It emphasizes the role of green bonds and mortgages, suggesting a voluntary EU-wide definition for green mortgages to improve data collection and risk management. The report also advocates for the electrification of heating via heat pumps over hydrogen blending and highlights the importance of addressing 'Whole Life Carbon' (WLC) in construction.

The report finds that global coal capacity reached a record high in 2023, totaling 2,130 GW, driven largely by China. While new construction starts reached a nine-year low outside China, they hit an eight-year high within China. Only 15% of global operating coal capacity has retirement commitments aligned with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal. In Indonesia, the transition is hindered by the rapid growth of 'captive' coal plants for nickel smelting, a reduction in renewable energy targets, and a financial taxonomy that classifies captive coal as 'transition' activities.

The global operating coal fleet grew by 48.4 GW (2%) in 2023 to 2,130 GW, primarily driven by China. While many countries have reduced their coal pipelines or committed to 'No New Coal,' China saw an eight-year high in new construction starts. Outside China, new construction hit a record annual low. However, global operating capacity has grown 11% since 2015, and only 15% of current capacity has a retirement commitment aligned with the 1.5°C goal.

The report finds that BP's investment strategy prioritizes oil and gas expansion and shareholder returns over climate solutions, with 2023 investments in oil and gas being 11.6 times higher than those in low-carbon energy. BP has revised its 2030 oil and gas production targets upward and reduced its scope 3 decarbonization targets, leading to a projected 2030 production level 26% above NZE alignment. While BP aims for 10 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, it will still produce 23 times more energy from fossil fuels than from renewables. The report also highlights BP's continued development of gas power and reliance on bioenergy and hydrogen, which may not be sustainable.

The report claims that TotalEnergies is not transitioning to clean energy, instead planning to increase oil and gas production by 2-3% per year by 2028. It highlights that the global bond market is a critical funding source, providing 68% of the company's financing between 2016 and 2022. The document asserts that banks and investors use bonds to indirectly support projects like EACOP and Mozambique LNG while avoiding direct loan risks, and calls for an immediate end to the issuance of new bonds to align with 1.5°C warming limits.

The briefing analyzes the ECB's Eurosystem collateral framework (ESCF), finding that it provides liquidity support to 34 fossil fuel companies, including major oil, gas, and coal developers. It argues that the ECB's planned 2024 limit on 'high-emitting companies' is insufficient because it overlooks financial subsidiaries and fails to remove the 'eligibility bonus' that eases financing for these firms. The report further highlights that haircuts for fossil fuel assets are often too low—some as low as 1% for Eni and TotalEnergies—and do not account for 'stranding risk' or environmental damage. Reclaim Finance recommends a full exclusion of companies developing new fossil fuel fields and a revision of haircuts to align with climate-related financial risks.

Private equity firms have invested in 85% of operating and 73% of proposed US LNG terminals, contributing significantly to global emissions. The briefing highlights that six firms—PIMCO, Brookfield, KKR, Blackstone, York Capital Management, and Global Infrastructure Partners—account for over 75% of these financed emissions. It argues that LNG may be worse than coal when lifecycle methane emissions are considered and uses the Rio Grande LNG project as a case study of private equity acquiring assets after more accountable investors exit due to climate risks.

The report highlights that the steel sector accounts for 11% of global CO2 emissions, with 90% of these emissions stemming from coal-based production. Between 2016 and June 2023, 354 banks provided $429 billion to the 100 largest steel producers, with a significant portion coming from a small group of US and European banks. The document concludes that current bank decarbonization targets are inadequate to stop the expansion of coal-based steel capacity and calls for stricter sector-specific policies.

The report finds that many European national transmission grid plans are based on under-ambitious energy scenarios that lag behind current policy targets and market trends, particularly for solar power. This misalignment risks creating grid bottlenecks that could hinder the deployment of renewables by 2030. While there is a trend toward increasing grid expansion and the adoption of 'non-wire solutions' to alleviate congestion, the report argues that political prioritization and regulatory reform are needed to ensure infrastructure keeps pace with the accelerating energy transition.

RMI's analysis of US building emissions reveals that building operations account for 23% of annual carbon emissions, with single-family homes (58%) and commercial buildings (37%) being the primary contributors. The report argues that current green capital flows are insufficient and should be redirected from large commercial buildings toward the retrofit of existing buildings, specifically targeting single-family homes and small-to-medium commercial properties to achieve meaningful climate goals.

The document outlines the methodology used by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to map public financial flows in India's energy sector. It defines government support as encompassing subsidies, state-owned enterprise investments, and lending by public financial institutions. The annex introduces new subsidies for green hydrogen, battery storage, and electric vehicles, while retrospectively revising methodologies for coal and renewable energy support. It also details the tracking of government receipts from coal, oil, gas, and renewables to provide a comprehensive view of the financial relationship between the state and the energy sector.