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The briefing examines the impact of energy supply disruptions stemming from the US-Iran war, noting that the current crisis is larger than the 1970s oil embargo. It argues that while governments are using short-term fixes like strategic reserves and subsidies, the long-term solution lies in electrification, demand-side efficiency, and the scaling of 'green molecules' like hydrogen and ammonia. The text highlights specific vulnerabilities in Southeast Asia and the US, and suggests that mitigating methane leakage and flaring could recover energy volumes equivalent to approximately half of worldwide LNG trade.

The document outlines three distinct 'tracks' for a just transition from fossil fuels. The UNFCCC and Paris Agreement provide a universal framework for emissions reduction but lack explicit obligations on fossil fuel production due to their consensus-based structure. The COP30 Presidency Roadmap, led by Brazil, serves as a non-binding, non-negotiated forum to facilitate political dialogue and identify barriers to transition. The proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty seeks to fill the governance gap by establishing binding, supply-side commitments through a coalition of high-ambition states, focusing on ending new project expansion, implementing a science-based phase-out, and providing just transition finance.

The BBNJ Agreement, or High Seas Treaty, aims to regulate 64% of the ocean's surface through four pillars: marine genetic resources, area-based management, environmental impact assessments, and capacity building. While the African Group of Negotiators helped shape the treaty, ratification among African states remains low, with only seven of 55 countries having completed the process. Non-ratifying states risk exclusion from the Conference of the Parties (COP) decision-making and benefit-sharing arrangements for marine genetic resources. The document highlights the potential for designating marine protected areas near Africa, such as the Walvis Ridge and Saya de Malha Bank, and suggests that African states coordinate ministries and adopt cost-effective surveillance technologies, like uncrewed vessels, to manage these areas.

The briefing outlines key objectives for the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, emphasizing the need to scale up funding for SDG 14, integrate ocean-based solutions into national climate plans (NDCs), accelerate the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, and implement 100% sustainable ocean management through Sustainable Ocean Plans.

The briefing outlines Brazil's updated NDC targets for 2035 and argues that the successful implementation of these goals depends on a strong 'Plano Clima' and a collaborative relationship with the private sector. It identifies key opportunities and barriers across land use, agriculture, energy, transport, and industry, while proposing mechanisms to increase transparency and corporate transition planning ahead of COP30.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) outlines key policy priorities for the incoming European Commission, emphasizing the need for a 'Clean Industrial Deal' that aligns competitiveness with a 90% emissions reduction target by 2040. The document advocates for 'clean firm power'—including geothermal, nuclear, and CCS—to complement renewables and ensure grid reliability. It calls for a 'reality check' on hydrogen targets, a more ambitious implementation of the Methane Regulation (including agricultural emissions), and the development of a clear strategy for carbon removals and emerging technologies like fusion and superhot rock geothermal energy.

The briefing outlines key priorities for COP29, including climate finance, methane abatement, and technology partnerships, while warning that the cancellation of 2024 regional climate weeks necessitates increased climate action outside the formal UNFCCC process.

The United States is experiencing a surge in data center power demand, projected to reach 35 GW by 2030, which risks driving utilities toward increased natural gas generation. RMI proposes that data center operators can instead support grid reliability and decarbonization by maximizing energy efficiency (e.g., AI-driven cooling), enhancing demand flexibility to shift workloads, deploying Grid-enhancing technologies (GETs), and negotiating green tariffs for renewables and storage. The document emphasizes that these actions can set a precedent for other upcoming large loads, such as electric vehicles and industrial onshoring, while urging regulators to ensure equitable cost allocation and transparent planning.

The document details Africa's objectives for COP28, emphasizing the need for systemic reform of the global financial architecture to close the adaptation financing gap and operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund. It advocates for a just energy transition that supports Africa's move up the green technology value chain, particularly regarding critical minerals, and calls for the inclusion of community-based organizations and youth in climate decision-making.

The document analyzes the energy deficit in Africa, noting that over 600 million people lack electricity. It identifies key barriers to green energy adoption, including a need for $70 billion in annual investment, technical capacity gaps, and fossil fuel subsidies. The author argues that the AfCFTA can fast-track the transition by creating a unified market, reducing investment risks through dispute resolution mechanisms, and facilitating the free movement of skilled labor. Additionally, the briefing suggests that the EU-Africa partnership should shift from bilateral aid to regional support, prioritize institutional knowledge sharing on fossil fuel transitions, and focus on local adaptation of green technologies rather than mere imports.

The briefing examines the impact of the pandemic on public transit, emphasizing that while ridership has fallen, the system remains essential for emissions reduction and frontline workers. It argues that the crisis provides an opportunity to modernize transit through data science, shift from timetable-based planning to trip-based models, and prioritize dedicated bus lanes over a sole focus on electrification to challenge the dominance of single-occupancy vehicles.

The document argues that COVID-19 recovery should be leveraged to advance climate neutrality through international solidarity that goes beyond simple cooperation to include reparations and loss and damage. It highlights the tension between short-term survival needs in developing countries and long-term climate mitigation, suggesting that multilateral regimes for conditional debt relief and bottom-up innovation financing in energy and water sectors could bridge this gap. The paper calls for a critical reassessment of globalisation and the use of the Paris Agreement's Article 6 to implement non-market approaches, such as bulk procurement of low-carbon technologies for least developed countries.

The document examines the uncertainty surrounding the hosting of COP26 in Glasgow due to COVID-19, noting that while the UK government initially aimed to proceed, the decision involves the UNFCCC. It highlights the impracticality of virtual summits and emphasizes that Paris Agreement obligations for 2020 NDC submissions remain. The author argues that post-pandemic economic recovery packages must avoid high-carbon industries and instead invest in low-carbon infrastructure to avoid repeating the missed opportunities of the 2008 financial crisis.

The briefing outlines how electric vehicles can serve as flexible grid resources through controlled charging (V1G) and bidirectional energy flow (V2G) to improve grid efficiency and reliability. It identifies key barriers to adoption, including unclear utility roles in some states, regulatory structures that favor capacity building over grid optimization, and high start-up costs for fleet owners. The document proposes collaborative models where utilities provide infrastructure support and innovative rate designs, while customers provide data and real estate, to maximize carbon reductions and lower costs for ratepayers.

The briefing outlines the transformational shifts in the US energy landscape as of 2018, highlighting the move toward 100 percent clean energy goals by states and utilities. It identifies six critical areas requiring urgent attention: the revision of grid and resource planning to accommodate new technologies, the reform of utility business models, the integration of beneficial electrification for heating and cooling, the proper valuation of distributed energy resources (DERs), the assurance of equity for low- and moderate-income customers, and the financial management of uneconomic fossil fuel assets, particularly coal.

The GEC 2019 briefing reviews the global transition to green economies, noting that while renewable energy and green finance grew in 2018, biodiversity loss and inequality remain critical. The document outlines the GEC's mission to champion inclusion, equity, and environmental limits through financial reform, natural capital accounting, and just transitions. It emphasizes that environmental protection is dependent on improving human livelihoods, citing specific examples of community-led success and the need for structural economic reform.

The document examines the transition from prescriptive to performance-based specifications in public procurement, specifically through Product Service Systems (PSS). It argues that by specifying required outcomes rather than technical inputs, governments can stimulate private sector innovation, reduce natural resource consumption, and lower costs. While highlighting the potential for circularity and the success of Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), the text cautions that environmental benefits depend on the specific product category and the operational characteristics of the business model used.

The document examines Africa's position within the Doha Development Agenda, emphasizing the critical need for agricultural reform to eliminate trade-distorting subsidies in the US and EU. It details the challenges African nations face, including supply-side constraints, high tariffs (tariff peaks and escalation), and limited negotiating capacity. The report advocates for strategic alliances with the Cairns Group and other developing nations, while highlighting specific legal challenges, such as the fight against cotton subsidies and the effort to secure access to generic medicines under TRIPS.

The document analyzes the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a strategic tool for China to export industrial overcapacity and expand global influence. It highlights a systemic lack of transparency, the dominance of state-owned enterprises, and significant environmental risks, particularly through the financing of coal and hydropower projects. While China promotes a 'Green BRI' and 'ecological civilization,' the report argues that actual implementation often lacks rigorous safeguards, leading to 'debt traps' and biodiversity loss. It calls for international civil society to push for binding treaties on multinationals and the adoption of higher environmental and social standards.

Mpumalanga is positioned as a strategic hub for South Africa's renewable energy transition due to its significant grid capacity and proximity to industrial demand. However, developers face substantial hurdles, including a lack of a public mining cadastre and delays in Section 53 land-use applications under the Mineral and Petroleum Resource Development Act. Environmental risks, specifically the lack of precise data on endangered bird flight paths, create uncertainty for wind projects. The document suggests short-term mitigations like the Energy One Stop Shop and Strategic Infrastructure Project registration, while advocating for long-term solutions such as a public mining rights database and comprehensive bird monitoring studies.