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This report by Ember analyses China's consumer goods trade-in programme, specifically its impact on the energy efficiency of room air conditioner (RAC) stocks. The programme uses subsidies to encourage consumers to replace outdated appliances with high-efficiency models, aligning economic stimulus for domestic consumption with energy transition and climate goals.

This research paper evaluates the international alignment and interoperability of the South African Green Finance Taxonomy (SA GFT). While the SA GFT shows high alignment regarding the 'Make Substantial Contribution' (MSC) principle, it faces challenges in usability and adoption concerning 'Do No Significant Harm' (DNSH) and 'Minimum Social Safeguards' (MSS) pillars, as well as gaps in governance and disclosure frameworks.

A statement from the Stockholm Environment Institute evaluating the Church of Sweden's forest inquiry, arguing that while the inquiry moves toward sustainable management and respect for indigenous rights, the Church could further strengthen its approach to avoid conflicts between forestry and reindeer husbandry.

A statement by World Resources Institute's Stientje van Veldhoven evaluating the European Commission's Clean Industrial Deal, noting its correct priorities in decarbonization and financing while criticizing gaps in resource efficiency, CBAM stability, and concrete resource targets.

This research paper evaluates the H2Global mechanism and the pilot auction funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), assessing how they address ecological and social risks and opportunities associated with green hydrogen production.

This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) and E3G examines the intersection of global trade, climate policy, and the energy transition. It analyzes how the shift away from fossil fuels reshapes geopolitical power and trade flows, highlighting the disproportionate risks and opportunities for developing countries. The document advocates for proactive trade policy reforms, increased financial support, and international coordination to ensure an equitable transition that avoids protectionism and supports climate-resilient development in the Global South.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development evaluates the financial support required for India to meet its 2030 clean energy goals across five key technologies: battery energy storage systems (BESSs), solar photovoltaic (PV), electric vehicles (EVs), offshore wind, and green hydrogen (GH2). It identifies cost gaps—the amount costs must drop to reach parity with conventional technologies—and assesses whether current government subsidies are sufficient to bridge these gaps.

This briefing by the Centre for Environmental Rights evaluates Eskom's November 2024 request for Minimum Emission Standards (MES) exemptions for eight power stations. The authors argue that Eskom's cost-benefit analysis is fundamentally flawed, systematically underestimating the health benefits of compliance while prioritizing financial savings over public health and international air quality standards.

A statement by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluating the outcomes of COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The document highlights a new climate finance goal of at least USD 300 billion per year by 2035, while criticizing the lack of progress on fossil fuel subsidies and the failure to advance the COP 28 energy package.

This report by the World Resources Institute evaluates the progress of major global climate commitments across energy, forestry, finance, food systems, urban action, transport, and super pollutants. It concludes that while ambitious pledges have been made, most are currently off-track, with significant gaps between stated goals and measurable implementation.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-RIO) analyzes climate finance for land use in Brazil from 2021 to 2023, focusing on agriculture and forests. It identifies a significant increase in annual average flows to US$ 17.1 billion, driven primarily by domestic private resources and rural credit. The document details the roles of various financial instruments, the impact of public policies like the Agricultural Plan and RENOVABIO, and the distribution of funds across mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage objectives.

The NewClimate Institute's 2024 update evaluates the progress of 25 major emitters towards their climate mitigation targets, projecting that aggregated emissions could be 10% below 2019 levels by 2030 under current policies, though this remains insufficient to meet the 1.5°C goal.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes deforestation within agrarian reform settlements in the Brazilian Amazon. It finds that while settlements cover only 8% of the biome, they accounted for 24% of forest loss in 2023. The study highlights a high concentration of deforestation in a small number of 'critical' settlements and suggests that this loss is likely driven by external actors rather than the settled families, as the scale of clearing is inconsistent with family farming.

This executive summary describes a project evaluating the effectiveness of forest reserves and payments for ecosystem services (PSAs) in reducing deforestation within tropical dry forests in Costa Rica and Brazil, emphasizing the need to control for biophysical and socioeconomic drivers to avoid overestimating policy impacts.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative evaluates the effectiveness of Brazil's ABC Recuperação credit line in recovering degraded pastures, focusing on the Cerrado biome. Using satellite imagery and econometric analysis of operations between 2016 and 2018, the study finds that the credit's impact on pasture recovery is modest, with severe degradation remaining largely unchanged and some pasture being converted to crops rather than recovered. The report highlights the critical role of technical assistance and soil type in achieving results and suggests that the program contributed minimally to the ABC Plan's 2020 recovery targets.

This policy brief by Transforma analyzes the feasibility and requirements for Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile to contribute to the global goals of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency rates by 2030, as established during COP 28. Using the EnergyScope modeling tool, the document evaluates various scenarios to determine the most cost-effective paths for each country to transition their electrical matrices while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This research paper by Energy Innovation evaluates the potential impacts of two divergent U.S. policy pathways on greenhouse gas emissions, the economy, and public health through 2050. It compares a 'Continued Climate Leadership' scenario, aimed at meeting the U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), against a 'Project 2025' scenario, which involves repealing major climate laws and expanding fossil fuel production. The analysis finds that the Continued Climate Leadership pathway would significantly reduce emissions, create millions of jobs, and lower household energy costs, while the Project 2025 pathway would increase emissions, lead to substantial job losses, and raise energy costs for households.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) evaluates the effectiveness of the 'ABC Recuperação' credit line, a subsidized financing instrument designed to restore degraded pastures in Brazil. Focusing on the Cerrado biome for operations between 2016 and 2018, the study uses satellite imagery and econometric analysis to determine if the credit led to actual pasture recovery or land-use changes. The findings indicate that the credit's impact is modest, with little evidence of recovery in severely degraded areas and a tendency for the credit to facilitate the conversion of high-vigor pastures into agriculture rather than restoring low-vigor ones.

In the first half of 2024, wind and solar power generated 30% of the European Union's electricity, surpassing fossil fuels (27%) for the first time. This shift occurred despite a 0.7% rebound in electricity demand, driven by structural capacity growth and favorable weather conditions, leading to a 17% decline in fossil fuel generation and a 31% drop in power sector emissions compared to the first half of 2022.

The NewClimate Institute report evaluates the European Union's climate partnerships, including the Global Gateway and Just Energy Transition Partnerships. It argues that while these tools aim to bolster EU climate diplomacy and counter global influences, they are currently hindered by institutional fragmentation, a lack of a coherent strategic vision, and coordination failures between the EU and its Member States.