Search Climate Insights Directory

The briefing examines the surge in consumer demand for clean energy technologies in Germany, Italy, France, Poland, Spain, and the UK following the start of the Iran war. It highlights a strong correlation between fossil fuel price shocks and increased inquiries for solar PV and EVs, noting that supportive policies—such as feed-in tariffs, grants, and tax breaks—significantly bolster the economic case for adoption. Germany is identified as a leader in plug-in solar adoption due to its early policy interventions, while France and Germany are noted for social-based EV support models. The document also contains a disconnected section discussing the health and climate impacts of coal in Southeast Asia.

The United States now leads the world in gas-fired power capacity in development, with nearly 252 GW planned, driven significantly by the energy demands of AI and data centers. Globally, the pipeline for gas power grew by 31% in 2025 to 1,047 GW, though expansion is currently bottlenecked by turbine production backlogs stretching to 2030. Texas is the primary hub for this growth in the U.S., with 80.6 GW in development, nearly half of which is intended to power data centers directly.

The report examines the diverse strategies employed by three major ASEAN economies—Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Indonesia—to unlock clean energy investments. Viet Nam is focusing on gradual liberalisation and corporate power purchase agreements (DPPA) to potentially double its renewable energy share. The Philippines is leveraging a long-standing liberalised market, utilizing Green Energy Auctions (GEA) and 100% foreign ownership to attract capital. Indonesia is implementing PPA reforms to manage currency risk and integrating carbon market mechanisms to incentivise developers, with solar identified as the most viable near-term expansion option.

The report identifies a conservative USD 4.4 trillion pipeline of creditworthy sustainable bonds from 12 climate-leader countries through 2035. It argues that global megatrends—such as electrification, urbanisation, and the rise of AI—will further accelerate this pipeline beyond current projections. The document also outlines policy levers, including taxonomies and monetary policy, that governments can use to channel capital into mitigation and resilience projects.

Between 2021 and 2025, rents in the United States' workforce housing sector—the lowest-rent market-rate housing—increased by over 20%, more than double the 9.2% increase seen in 'discretionary' housing. The report finds that in most of the 94 analyzed markets, rent increases for low-income tenants outpaced those for high-income tenants, with the most significant regional increases occurring in Florida (26.8%), the Northeast (25.3%), and the Pacific Northwest (23.2%). The analysis suggests that investor landlords, including private equity firms, target this sector as a reliable profit source due to high demand and a captive renter class. The report warns that these increases are likely to drive higher rates of eviction and self-eviction and calls for policy interventions such as price controls and eviction protections.

China is advancing a 1.3 TW pipeline of utility-scale solar and wind projects, with operating capacity reaching 1.4 TW by 2025. The country has become a global leader in offshore wind, growing its capacity to 42.7 GW by March 2025. While offshore wind is being used to decarbonize coastal industries and produce green hydrogen, the sector faces challenges from the 2021 phaseout of national subsidies and competition from ongoing coal and gas developments. The report suggests adopting hybrid auction mechanisms and centralized marine spatial planning to ensure sustainable growth.

India's electric vehicle (EV) market grew elevenfold between FY2020 and FY2025, driven by central and state government subsidies. The transport sector, particularly road transport, is a critical focus for India's goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2070. Key policy mechanisms include the FAME-I, FAME-II, and PM E-DRIVE schemes, alongside state-level policies in over 25 states.

Since 2023, Chinese firms have committed over US$100 billion in outbound foreign direct investment (OFDI) across at least 130 major cleantech transactions, spanning solar, wind, batteries, and new energy vehicles (NEVs). This 'going global' strategy is driven by domestic overcapacity, which has caused solar module prices to drop 60% and battery prices 50% year-on-year, and a need to circumvent trade barriers from the US and EU. The report highlights China's dominance in the global battery supply chain, where it holds over 80% of manufacturing capacity, and its expansion into markets like Morocco, Brazil, and Thailand. For Australia, the report notes that Chinese OFDI reached a multi-decade low of US$613 million in 2023, and argues that Australia should clarify its foreign investment rules to attract Chinese private capital for onshore value-adding in critical minerals and renewable energy infrastructure.

In June 2024, private equity activity in healthcare included 12 buyouts, 34 add-on acquisitions, and 27 growth/expansion investments. The report highlights a trend of consolidation in revenue cycle management (RCM) and the rapid expansion of clinical research sites through roll-up strategies.

The report finds that gender-responsive climate blended finance is scarce, with only 22% of climate deals in Convergence's database meeting the criteria. In the energy sector, gender focus is more prevalent in off-grid projects (28%) than on-grid projects (11%), largely due to the domestic nature of off-grid energy needs. The document highlights the role of concessional capital, technical assistance (TA), and performance-based incentives in driving gender outcomes. It provides case studies of vehicles like the Green Guarantee Company and Catalyst Fund to illustrate how blended finance can support women-led enterprises and increase female labor participation in technical roles. Key recommendations include deploying TA alongside financial incentives and utilizing equity to influence gender policies at early stages.

The report analyzes the global transition of road transport to electric vehicles, noting that while passenger EV adoption is on an exponential growth trajectory, freight and emerging markets face significant hurdles. Key barriers include insufficient charging infrastructure, power grid limitations, and high total cost of ownership (TCO) for heavy-duty trucks. The document emphasizes the need for a shift from demand-side subsidies to supply-side policies, such as prioritized permitting for battery production and direct funding for charging networks, to sustain the transition toward net-zero emissions.

The report highlights a significant downturn in the LNG sector, characterized by widespread final investment decision (FID) delays, cost overruns, and a shift in perception of LNG from a climate solution to a climate problem. While import capacity continues to expand rapidly, particularly in Asia and Brazil, export projects—especially in North America—are struggling with financing and competition from lower-cost producers in Qatar and Russia.

The briefing highlights a rapid acceleration in US electric vehicle (EV) adoption driven by battery technology breakthroughs, state-level internal combustion engine (ICE) phase-out mandates in California and New Jersey, and large-scale corporate fleet electrification commitments from companies like Amazon and Walmart. It emphasizes the need for scaled charging infrastructure and ambitious policy goals to ensure the US remains competitive against China and the EU in the transition to decarbonized mobility.

The report examines the evolving role of private financial institutions in the low-carbon transition, focusing on the alignment of portfolios with the Paris Agreement, the implementation of sustainable taxonomies, and the regulatory pressure to price climate risks effectively.

The report identifies five major barriers to climate-aligned finance: structural challenges to influencing the real economy, competitive disadvantage, varying alignment methodologies, multiple decarbonization pathways, and inadequate data. It argues that while divestment alone is insufficient, financial institutions can use levers such as sustainability-linked loans, transition finance, and collective action initiatives (e.g., Climate Action 100+, Poseidon Principles) to drive decarbonization. The document emphasizes the need for harmonized assessment methodologies, industry-informed decarbonization pathways, and standardized reporting to move the financial sector from a reactive to a proactive role in the low-carbon transition.

The document highlights 2016 as a pivotal year for green bonds, noting the emergence of sovereign green bonds in Poland and France and the increasing use of these instruments to fund Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It argues that a green debt market of at least $1 trillion per year is necessary by 2020 to meet low-carbon infrastructure needs. Key policy tools identified include credit enhancement, tax incentives, and the establishment of official national guidelines, with specific examples of initiatives in China, India, Brazil, and Mexico.

The report examines the global copper supply chain, focusing on China's role as the world's largest consumer. It analyzes two primary flows: recycled copper scrap (Flow C) and primary copper mining products (Flow D). The document identifies sustainability challenges, including the illegal import of e-waste into China and weak regulatory enforcement in mining regions like Zambia. It evaluates the impact of international policies, such as the EU's WEEE and ELV Directives, and provides recommendations for improving data quality, formalizing recycling infrastructure, and strengthening government capacity in developing nations.

The report examines the Joint Implementation (JI) mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol, detailing its two operational tracks and comparing it to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). It highlights significant delays in implementation, particularly in Russia and Ukraine, and the restrictive impact of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) on projects in Central and Eastern Europe. The document also analyzes the role of Green Investment Schemes (GIS) as an alternative to JI and concludes that the mechanism's late start and short crediting period (ending in 2012) threaten its overall viability unless post-2012 certainty is established.