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The report 'Boom and Bust Coal 2026' by Global Energy Monitor analyzes the global coal plant pipeline in 2025, highlighting a growing disconnect where coal capacity continues to increase—driven primarily by China and India—while actual coal-fired electricity generation declines due to the rapid expansion of wind and solar power.

This report analyzes the climate transition progress of 594 pension funds in OECD countries, representing USD 22.5 trillion in assets, using data from the Net Zero Finance Tracker (NZFT). It evaluates funds across targets, implementation, and impacts, finding that while target-setting is increasing, significant fossil fuel exposure remains, and progress is heavily dependent on mandatory regulatory frameworks.

This document is an introductory overview and table of contents for a compilation of 34 expert articles commissioned by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS). The collection, published between November 2024 and December 2025 on the Synergies platform, explores how the international trading system can be leveraged to address the climate crisis, support climate-resilient development, and facilitate just transitions in alignment with Paris climate goals.

The NewClimate Institute provides feedback on the second draft of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Corporate Net-Zero Standard v2.0 (CNZS v2.0), noting improvements while highlighting remaining gaps in transparency, integrity, and scientific alignment.

This research paper examines the increasing flow of foreign direct investment from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—specifically the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar—into Africa. It details how these states are leveraging Africa's renewable energy potential and mineral resources to diversify their own hydrocarbon-dependent economies and secure food supply chains, while providing Africa with an alternative to Western and Chinese financing to address its infrastructure gap.

This research paper examines the economic activities and value-addition potential of the Lobito Corridor, a strategic transport route linking the Atlantic port of Lobito in Angola to the Copperbelt mining regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia via the Benguela Railway. The author argues that while the corridor is designed to catalyze economic development beyond mineral exports, there is a significant disconnect between the high-efficiency logistics used for raw material exports and the inadequate infrastructure available to local small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The report examines the different market mechanisms and regulatory paths Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Indonesia are using to attract private investment for clean energy while balancing energy security and affordability.

This case study by Ember analyses the economic viability of 10 MW solar PV projects in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam. It examines how Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) pricing, capital expenditures (CAPEX), and the integration of battery storage influence the Internal Rate of Return (IRR), while also discussing policy bottlenecks and regulatory reforms aimed at derisking clean energy investments in the ASEAN region.

This report by Ember assesses the current state and future requirements of Europe's electricity interconnection. It finds that the EU is not on track to meet its 2030 interconnection targets, with 80% of the power system expected to miss the goal. To reach an optimal grid by 2040, Europe needs to nearly double its interconnection capacity, adding 151 GW, which requires an estimated €150 billion in investment. The report identifies a €30 billion public funding gap in the proposed Connecting Europe Facility for Energy (CEF-E) budget for 2028-2034, suggesting that this gap must be filled by EU loans and private funding to ensure energy security and cost-effectiveness.

This executive summary from the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the climate transition progress of 594 pension funds in OECD countries, representing USD 22.5 trillion in assets. Using the Net Zero Finance Tracker (NZFT), the report evaluates these funds across targets, implementation, and impact, highlighting a trend of increasing climate target adoption and improved risk management, while noting a persistent material exposure to fossil fuel expansion.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and Climate Bonds Initiative analyzes the integration of methane abatement within five sustainable finance taxonomies (Colombia, EU, Indonesia, South Africa, and Thailand). It identifies systemic gaps in sectoral coverage, technical rigor, and criteria specificity, and provides a best-practice framework to mobilize investment toward high-impact methane reduction.

This policy brief examines the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks associated with Indonesia's nickel industry, which is critical to the global energy transition. While Indonesia has seen significant economic growth and export value increases through its downstreaming strategy and export bans, the sector faces challenges including high carbon intensity, workplace fatalities, and rising agrarian disputes. The document maps Indonesian regulations against international standards, identifies policy gaps in human rights and transparency, and provides recommendations to strengthen safeguards and governance.

This report, curated by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS), is a compilation of 34 expert views exploring how the international trading system can support the Paris Agreement and climate-resilient development. It identifies critical synergies and tensions at the nexus of trade, climate, and sustainable development, focusing on clean energy transitions, green industrial policies, and the specific vulnerabilities of developing nations.

South Africa's green technology transfer ecosystem is characterized by a comprehensive but fragmented policy landscape. While strategic frameworks like the National Development Plan 2030 and the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) aim to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, a core tension exists between social equity goals—such as localisation requirements—and the urgent need for rapid decarbonisation. Successes in the energy sector via the REIPPPP contrast with significant gaps in funding and commercialisation capacity within the broader research and innovation ecosystem.

This report by Ember evaluates the financial risks and technical viability of announced greenhouse gas removal (GGR) projects in the UK, specifically focusing on bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in the power sector (power-BECCS) and direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS). The analysis finds that these technologies are currently unproven at commercial scale, face significant delivery delays, and could require billions in public subsidies, potentially diverting funds from more effective decarbonisation methods like renewables and heat pumps.

This report by Ember examines the global expansion of solar power in the decade following the 2015 Paris Agreement, focusing on the leadership of emerging economies, specifically Brazil, China, and India. It details how national targets, international finance, and industrial policies accelerated solar adoption, shifting the center of solar generation from OECD nations to emerging markets.

This report by RMI examines the decarbonization of the cement and concrete sector, which contributes nearly 8 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. It outlines a strategic framework for innovation categorized as "Make Less," "Make Better," and "Make New," while highlighting the funding gap and the necessity of updating prescriptive industry standards to performance-based specifications to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon materials.

This report by RMI examines how utilities and regulators in the United States are using large load tariffs to prevent the costs of serving new, high-demand electricity users—particularly data centers—from being shifted to other ratepayers. The analysis of 65 state-level tariffs identifies five common safeguard provisions: minimum contract terms, minimum monthly billing demands, collateral requirements, exit fees, and capacity reassignment.

A report by Ember analyzing the current state and outlook of Indonesia's coal sector, noting a shift from record production levels toward a projected decline in 2025 driven by weakening export demand from major partners like China and India.

This report, published by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) in collaboration with the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC), provides a comprehensive compilation of decisions, mandates, and conclusions adopted by the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that reference Indigenous Peoples and traditional knowledge up to 2025.