Search Climate Insights Directory

This discussion paper by the NewClimate Institute evaluates scope 3 accounting practices in the technology sector and provides recommendations for standard-setting bodies including the GHG Protocol, ISO, and SBTi to ensure corporate emissions reductions reflect real-world decarbonisation.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute provides a comparative analysis of wastewater management in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Sweden. It highlights the significant investment gap in BiH to meet EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) requirements and suggests that BiH can leverage Swedish experiences in inter-municipal cooperation, knowledge sharing, and circular resource recovery to build a more sustainable and resilient system.

This report by RMI examines the potential for integrating carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies into municipal and industrial wastewater treatment and biosolids management. It identifies two primary intervention categories: alkalinity management to store carbon as bicarbonates in water, and the processing of biosolids through methods like biochar production, biomass burial, and incineration with carbon capture. The report highlights synergies such as the safe disposal of hazardous contaminants like PFAS and the use of existing pumping infrastructure to reduce capital and energy costs.

This report by Ember argues that reducing coal mine methane (CMM) emissions is an urgent and economically feasible way to slow near-term global warming and improve public health. It highlights that a significant portion of CMM can be mitigated using proven technologies like ventilation air methane (VAM) oxidation and drainage systems, with some measures offering negative net costs.

This report by RMI examines the role of zero-carbon industrial parks in accelerating China's green transition and high-quality economic growth, analyzing technical, business, and institutional innovations required to meet national climate goals.

China is strategically transitioning its coal power fleet from a baseload generation role to providing system flexibility to support the rapid expansion of wind and solar energy. The country is on track to fully retrofit its existing coal fleet for flexibility by 2027, though the report emphasizes that clean flexibility solutions, particularly battery energy storage, must scale up to avoid locking in emissions beyond 2030.

This report by RMI provides a decarbonization roadmap for the film and TV industry to transition from diesel generators to clean mobile power solutions, including solar, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and hydrogen power units (HPUs). It analyzes the technical requirements of production sets, identifies systemic barriers to adoption, and proposes coordinated strategies for studios, suppliers, and manufacturers to scale zero-emissions power.

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 the World Resources Institute examines the potential for U.S. states to lead the deployment of Direct Air Capture (DAC) technologies as federal funding and policy support for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) face rollbacks and uncertainty.

This report by RMI examines the potential for integrating electrochemical carbon removal (CDR) technologies into coastal desalination value chains. It identifies synergies between desalination processes—such as the use of brine as a feedstock and shared pumping infrastructure—and the potential for these integrations to mitigate the environmental impacts of brine discharge while contributing to global climate goals.

This report by Ember examines the energy demands and decarbonisation pathways for data centres in the ASEAN region, focusing on the intersection of AI-driven growth, tropical cooling requirements, and the availability of renewable energy.

This report section discusses the integration of satellite-based methane emission estimates as a verification tool for coal production, specifically focusing on the potential for Australia to adopt a hybrid reporting framework similar to Canada's.

This report by Ember and the Clean Air Task Force examines how environmental factors—including cloud cover, terrain, solar elevation, surface brightness, and wind speed—limit the effectiveness of satellite-based methane monitoring. It finds that approximately 30% of global upstream coal, oil, and gas infrastructure is located in regions where these conditions hinder consistent data collection, necessitating a tiered observation system that combines satellites with local measurement technologies.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the financial and technical viability of phasing out coal-powered electricity in Asia. It argues that prioritizing the cessation of new coal projects is critical, as most existing plants will have recouped their investment costs by 2040. The document critiques co-firing as an expensive and inefficient alternative to retirement and highlights innovative financing models—such as renewables bundling and PPA replacements—that can make early retirement financially attractive. It emphasizes the need for concessional financing from developed nations to ensure a just transition for coal-dependent communities.

This fact sheet by Ember warns that Romania's hard coal production in the Jiu Valley is significantly more methane-intensive than the limits set by the EU Methane Regulation of May 2024, risking penalties if intensity is not reduced by 2027.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines global trends in the governance, management, and reprocessing of tailings from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). It highlights the severe environmental and health risks associated with the indiscriminate use of mercury and cyanide, the lack of specific regulatory frameworks for tailings management at international, regional, and national levels, and the potential for recovering critical minerals from these waste products.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the current state and prospects of carbon capture and storage (CCS), describing it as an "integrated infrastructure" rather than a single technology. While the history of CCS is marked by high failure rates and limited impact on global emissions, the document notes a recent surge in investment and project announcements, particularly in North America and Europe. The author argues that CCS is most critical for the cement industry, where few alternatives exist, but is largely uncompetitive in the power sector compared to renewables.

This report examines the critical role of sustainable cooling and electricity in health services, focusing on vaccine cold chains, the management of temperature-sensitive medical products, and the need for temperature regulation in hospitals and clinics to improve patient care and resilience against heat stress.

This final synthesis report by the Centre for Environmental Rights provides strategic and technical guidance on managing sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from old solid fuel combustion plants in South Africa, specifically focusing on Eskom and Sasol facilities. The report utilizes a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to recommend minimum emission standards (MES) based on plant lifetime and economic viability, concluding that reducing SO2 emissions is technologically feasible and provides significant net societal benefits through improved public health and macroeconomic growth.

This report by Dr. Ranajit Sahu evaluates the technical and environmental feasibility of adding 1,500 MW of new coal generation as proposed in South Africa's 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The author argues that 'clean coal' is a myth, asserting that any new capacity will inevitably cause significant air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of the high-efficiency, low-emission (HELE) technologies employed.