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Australian sustainable finance taxonomy methodology report
The report outlines a methodology to distinguish between green, transition, and phase-down activities to mobilise private capital for Australia's net zero goals. It defines 'green' activities as consistent with Paris Agreement goals and 'transition' activities as those with a continued role in a net zero economy that lack low-carbon alternatives. The methodology recommends using internationally recognised 1.5°C aligned climate-science scenarios, specifically from the IEA and Climateworks, to objectively determine eligibility and avoid greenwashing and carbon lock-in.
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Document type: Report
A Global Call to Action on Transition Finance at COP28
The document argues that transitioning the global economy to limit warming to 1.5°C requires between $200 trillion and $275 trillion by 2050. It proposes a common vision for transition finance based on credible decarbonization strategies, annual monitoring, and the avoidance of carbon lock-in. The letter outlines specific calls to action for the financial sector, governments, and issuers to overcome barriers such as greenwashing fears and high capital costs to mobilize capital for high-emitting sectors.
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Document type: Statement
Gas Prospects in Colombia
The brief argues that Colombia should not develop offshore gas fields that have been licensed but have not yet reached a final investment decision, as doing so would conflict with Paris-aligned energy scenarios and the government's commitment to avoid new oil and gas licenses.
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Document type: Policy brief
Geopolitical Energy Futures in South Africa: Strategic Policy Pathways to 2035
The document argues that South Africa must move away from 'used energy futures' and growth-centric economic models to achieve a just energy transition. It proposes four strategic priorities: fostering cross-border sustainable energy democracies, practicing active non-alignment in renewable energy diplomacy, challenging preconceived energy futures to ensure intergenerational fairness, and implementing anticipatory energy governance to overcome 'energy blindness' and carbon lock-in. The brief emphasizes the need for a multipolar approach to energy geopolitics in the post-COVID-19 era, advocating for regional integration within the SADC and the adoption of regenerative economic models.
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Document type: Policy brief
FINANCING THE CORPORATE CLIMATE TRANSITION WITH BONDS
The guide outlines a five-step process for corporates to issue transition-linked bonds: building a credible transition plan, selecting a thematic label, creating a sustainable financing framework, executing the bond issuance, and conducting post-issuance reporting. It emphasizes the necessity of science-based, 1.5°C-aligned decarbonisation pathways and the integration of social safeguards to ensure a just transition. The document details the differences between Use of Proceeds (UoP) bonds and Sustainability-Linked Bonds (SLBs), providing criteria for selecting material Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Sustainability Performance Targets (SPTs). It also highlights market trends, such as the 'greenium' (cheaper pricing for labelled debt), and warns against greenwashing risks associated with non-transparent frameworks or carbon lock-in activities.
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Document type: Guide
Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2023 Methodology
The document outlines the operational framework for tracking global climate finance, defining mitigation and adaptation finance, and establishing principles to avoid double counting and carbon lock-in. It details the financial instruments captured, the classification of public and private actors, and the data sources used. Additionally, it describes the methodology for estimating annual investment needs across sectors and the framework for calculating the economic and social costs of climate inaction.
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Document type: Report
Transition or lock-in? Tracking institutional support for gas in two Latin American case studies
The paper examines how institutional carbon lock-in perpetuates fossil fuel use in Latin America, specifically through case studies of gas projects in Mexico and Colombia. It argues that state-owned enterprises and regulatory bodies often approve infrastructure based on the 'bridge fuel' narrative and perceived links between gas and economic development, despite a lack of robust demand analysis or alignment with climate targets.
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Document type: Research paper
Energy transition ambitions of four national oil and gas companies in South America
The report examines Ecopetrol, Petrobras, YPF, and EP Petroecuador, finding that while some have stated ambitions for unrelated diversification, these efforts are not a priority compared to decarbonizing existing fossil fuel operations. The authors argue that these NOGCs face significant institutional, financial, and technical barriers that limit their capacity to transition away from their core hydrocarbon businesses.
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Document type: Report
THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PARADOX
The report argues that technical assistance (TA) from the World Bank Group (WBG) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) creates a 'paradox' by facilitating fossil gas dependency while the institutions claim to align with the Paris Agreement. Between 2016 and August 2023, the WBG allocated nearly $200 million in TA for gas-related sectors across 14 countries, while the ADB committed nearly $11 million from 2016 to 2021. The authors contend that TA has a disproportionate impact on national energy strategies, often locking countries into carbon-intensive infrastructure and creating stranded asset risks. Case studies in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Pakistan illustrate how TA has been used to prepare LNG projects or gas storage systems rather than accelerating renewable energy transitions. The report recommends that all energy-sector TA be approved at the Board level and redirected toward enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and renewable energy infrastructure.
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Document type: Report
The role of international climate finance for bridging the low carbon investment gap
The report argues that current NDCs and financial frameworks are insufficient to reach net-zero emissions, particularly in developing and emerging economies facing high debt. It proposes nine principles for international climate finance, emphasizing that developed countries must scale up support based on common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR). Key recommendations include adopting bottom-up, sector-specific finance needs, utilizing innovative mechanisms like debt-for-climate swaps, and aligning finance with national policy processes to avoid carbon lock-ins. The report highlights the importance of 'just transitions' and the synergy between mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage funding.
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Document type: Report
La chaleur hybride au Québec
The report analyzes a partnership between Hydro-Québec and Énergir to transition buildings to bi-energy heating (electricity and natural gas). While the agreement reduces natural gas consumption by over 70% and is more cost-effective for Hydro-Québec than full electrification, the authors warn of potential 'carbon lock-in' due to 15-year contracts and the uncertain availability of renewable natural gas to cover remaining fossil fuel use by 2050.
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Document type: Report
Hybrid Heat in Quebec
The document examines a partnership between Hydro-Québec and Énergir to transition building heating to a 'dual energy' system, where electricity is used primarily and natural gas is reserved for cold snaps. While the agreement reduces natural gas consumption by over 70% and is more cost-effective for the grid than full electrification, the authors warn of potential 'carbon lock-in' due to 15-year contracts and the uncertainty of whether renewable natural gas (RNG) can replace the remaining 30% of gas demand.
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Document type: Research paper
Policies and Enabling Environment to Drive Private Investments for Industrial Decarbonization in India
The document argues that the steel and cement sectors in India are 'hard-to-abate' and require coordinated government, industry, and financial action to avoid carbon lock-in. Because breakthrough technologies (TRL 5-9) are currently commercially unviable and increase production costs—by up to 45% for steel and 80% for cement—market forces alone cannot drive their adoption. The authors recommend a policy mix of carbon pricing, public funding for demonstration pilots, capex subsidies, green public procurement, and embodied-carbon standards. Additionally, the brief emphasizes the need for a supporting enabling environment, including CO2 and hydrogen infrastructure, streamlined permitting, and concessional finance from international sources.
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Document type: Policy brief
PUBLIC CONSULTATION INPUT
Carbon Market Watch urges Verra to move away from the 'tonne-for-tonne' offsetting model, particularly for AFOLU projects, due to permanence risks and the potential for corporate greenwashing. The submission recommends adopting a 'contribution model' where finance supports climate action without claiming neutrality. It also calls for greater financial transparency regarding intermediaries, a more accessible and independent grievance mechanism for indigenous peoples and local communities, and the banning of methodologies that support fossil fuel infrastructure.
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Document type: Statement
GASLIGHTING: Financing fossil gas power is leading Europe’s energy transition astray
The report argues that financial institutions are hindering Europe's energy transition by providing hundreds of billions of dollars in support to fossil gas power producers and developers. It highlights a significant gap between the need to phase out gas by 2035 to align with a 1.5°C trajectory and the current trend of developing over 60 GW of new gas capacity. The document identifies a lack of robust sectoral policies among top banks and investors, which allows for continued corporate-level financing of gas-intensive utilities and the development of new base load plants, often as replacements for coal.
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Document type: Report
Paris-aligned or Paris-misaligned? Fossil fuel financing under the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's Paris alignment methodology
The EBRD's new Paris alignment methodology, effective January 1, 2023, expands exclusions to include upstream gas and most midstream and downstream oil. However, it maintains a set of cumulative criteria for midstream and downstream gas projects and allows an automatic alignment exception for projects meeting EU taxonomy criteria. The author argues that to align with the 1.5°C goal and the Glasgow Statement, the EBRD must completely exclude midstream and downstream gas infrastructure.
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Document type: Research paper
Transición energética en Latinoamérica: ¿hacia dónde vamos?
The document argues that energy transitions in Latin America are often reductionist, focusing on decarbonization while continuing to support fossil fuels as economic drivers or transition catalysts. Through case studies of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, it highlights a disconnect between international climate commitments and public investment, warning that the current approach risks creating carbon 'lock-in' and prolonging extractivism.
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Document type: Briefing
everything you need to know about cop27
The document provides an overview of COP27, the 27th United Nations conference on climate change, which brings together approximately 200 countries to discuss plans for reducing carbon emissions to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C. It identifies three overarching themes for the conference: emissions reductions, climate finance, and prioritising people through the lens of 'loss and damage'.
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Document type: Guide
Why India’s New Coal Mines Won’t Solve its Power Crisis
Global Energy Monitor (GEM) finds that India's coal mining sector suffers from chronic underutilization, with 36% of approved capacity idled, making the 99 proposed coal mine projects (427 mtpa) unnecessary. The report highlights that existing capacity is sufficient to meet long-term demand and that new projects threaten to displace 165 villages, affect 87,630 families, and consume 168,041 kiloliters of water daily. Furthermore, these expansions risk creating stranded assets and carbon lock-in as India pursues a 2070 net-zero target and expands its solar power capacity.
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Document type: Briefing
How the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Can Shift Millions From Fossil Fuels to Clean Energy Through the Glasgow Commitment
The policy brief urges the EBRD to join the Glasgow Statement on International Public Support for the Clean Energy Transition. It estimates that the EBRD could redirect an average of EUR 741 million in annual fossil fuel financing toward clean energy, potentially increasing its annual clean energy investments by 50%. The authors recommend a robust fossil fuel exclusion policy, specifically targeting gas infrastructure to avoid carbon lock-in, and suggest either a blanket exclusion or strict screening criteria for gas power generation.
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Document type: Policy brief