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In 2024, UK low-carbon renewables (wind, solar, and hydropower) are forecast to generate 37% of electricity (103 TWh), overtaking fossil fuels, which are set to provide 35% (97 TWh). Wind power is close to becoming the largest single source of UK power, forecast at 29% (82 TWh), just behind fossil gas at 30% (85 TWh). The year also marked the closure of the UK's last coal power plant, with gas power use set to decrease by 13% compared to 2023, reaching its lowest level since 1996. This decline in fossil fuel reliance is attributed to rising renewable generation, low electricity demand, and a 42% increase in net electricity imports.

Brazil has implemented a series of public credit policies, most notably the ABC Plan and its successor ABC+ (RenovAgro), to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase agricultural resilience. While the original ABC Plan (2010-2020) exceeded its targets—reducing 193.67 million Mg of CO2eq—the current ABC+ Plan sets more ambitious goals for 2030, including recovering 30 million hectares of degraded pastures. However, data from Agroicone indicates that only 6.2% of total rural credit in 2022/23 was directed toward low-carbon investments. Since 2023, access to credit has become more restrictive, requiring strict environmental compliance across entire properties, including the mandatory Rural Environmental Registry. The authors argue that Brazil must increase the volume of available rural credit and improve the monitoring of technology adoption to meet its climate goals.

The report analyzes private climate finance for Brazil's land use sector, focusing on thematic bonds, CBIOs, and BNDES operations. It finds that bioenergy and biofuels are the primary recipients of these flows, though thematic bond issuance for land use declined sharply between 2021 and 2023. The BNDES remains a central actor through direct credit, blended finance pilots, and the management of the Amazon and Climate Funds.

Carbon Market Watch argues that the EU's net carbon sink is declining rapidly and that the current LULUCF Regulation contains loopholes, such as offsetting flexibility and reliance on forest biomass, that undermine climate goals. The organization recommends removing offsetting mechanisms, preventing double counting between national inventories and corporate claims under the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF), limiting forest harvesting for bioenergy, and strengthening synergies between LULUCF targets and the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and Nature Restoration Law.

Climate finance for land use in Brazil averaged US$ 17.1 billion annually from 2021 to 2023, a 99% increase from the 2015-2020 period. Domestic sources provided 97% of these resources, with the private sector contributing 72% of domestic finance. Rural credit was the primary financial instrument, accounting for 58% of total flows. While crops received the most funding (74%), the native forest sector remained heavily dependent on the federal public budget and international public sources. Mitigation-focused finance dominated at 57% of total flows, while spending on climate losses and damages grew significantly, reaching US$ 2.0 billion by 2023.

Between 2021 and 2023, climate finance for land use in Brazil averaged US$ 17.1 billion per year, a 99% increase from the 2015-2020 period. Domestic sources provided 97% of these resources, with rural credit serving as the primary instrument (58% of total flows). While the crop sector was the largest recipient (74%), the native forest sector remained heavily dependent on the federal public budget. The report highlights a significant rise in 'loss and damage' spending due to extreme weather events and notes a sharp decline in the use of thematic bonds for land use after 2021.

The RES Tracker methodology describes the process of identifying national renewable energy targets for 2030, categorising them by source reliability, and addressing specific data challenges regarding solar capacity reporting and the climate impact of bioenergy.

The BRICS bloc is reaching a milestone where non-fossil power capacity is set to exceed fossil-fueled capacity for the first time in 2024. While the group hosts a significant portion of the world's coal fleet and continues to develop new fossil plants, there is a massive pipeline of wind and solar projects. The report finds that the BRICS countries have enough renewables in development to nearly triple their capacity by 2030, though the actual construction rate varies significantly by member, with China leading the transition.

ASEAN's electricity demand grew by 3.6% in 2023, a rise entirely met by fossil fuels, leading to a 6.6% increase in power sector emissions. While solar and wind costs are falling, the region remains heavily dependent on coal and gas, and hydropower has become less reliable due to climate-induced droughts. The report argues that scaling renewable capacity by 3-5x by 2035, implementing direct power purchase agreements, and expanding the ASEAN Power Grid are essential to meet rising demand and climate goals. It also highlights the potential for a regional compliance carbon market and the importance of a just transition to secure social acceptance.

New analysis from the World Resources Institute reveals that 25% of global crops are grown in areas with highly stressed or unreliable water supplies. This vulnerability is particularly acute for staple crops like rice, wheat, and corn, with 33% produced in such areas. The report highlights a critical dependency on a small number of countries for irrigated crops and the increasing instability of rainfed agriculture due to climate change. To mitigate these risks, the document recommends strategies including reducing food waste, shifting diets away from water-intensive meats, increasing irrigation efficiency, and investing in nature-based solutions.

Climate finance for land use in Brazil averaged R$ 88.1 billion annually from 2021 to 2023, a 145% increase over the 2015-2020 period. Domestic sources provided 97% of these funds, with rural credit serving as the primary instrument (58% of total flows). While mitigation remains the dominant climate use (57%), there was a significant surge in 'loss and damage' payments, which grew 357% between 2021 and 2023 due to government indemnities for extreme weather events. The report highlights a heavy reliance on self-declared sustainable practices in rural credit and a decline in thematic bonds, while noting the critical role of the federal budget in supporting native forests.

The PROEZA project in Eastern Paraguay aims to combine social protection with climate action by implementing agroforestry systems and efficient stoves for vulnerable households. While the evaluation recognizes the project's innovative approach and its success in improving land tenure security, it finds that overall implementation is very low, with less than 5% of final targets for agroforestry plantations achieved. Major obstacles include weak project design, high personnel turnover, the COVID-19 pandemic, and an unattractive credit line for medium-sized landowners. The report highlights risks to sustainability due to low institutional ownership and a lack of clear future financing, and it recommends a revised roadmap with realistic targets and a strengthened exit strategy.

The BRICS group is approaching a critical transition point where non-fossil power capacity is expected to eclipse fossil fuels by the end of 2024. While the bloc possesses a vast pipeline of wind and solar projects—enough to potentially triple renewable capacity by 2030—nearly all members continue to develop new coal, oil, or gas plants. China dominates the group's transition, leading in both renewable additions and the construction of new coal capacity. Other members show divergent paths: Brazil and Ethiopia are heavily hydropower-reliant, while the UAE, Iran, and Russia remain deeply dependent on oil and gas, though the UAE is rapidly diversifying via nuclear and solar power.

The report argues that the EU and US should move away from a combative competitive race toward a cooperative agenda for industrial decarbonisation. It suggests a 'softer' path to alignment that prioritises short-term 'carrots' like cleantech incentives and long-term 'sticks' like harmonised standards, rather than attempting to reconcile contentious issues like carbon pricing. The study advocates expanding cooperation beyond hydrogen and carbon capture to include circular economy solutions and electrification, using a policy mix approach that categorises tools by supply push, price signals, demand pull, and systemic enablers.

The project utilized a study of bioenergy's socio-ecological impacts to build interdisciplinary skills among a team of 10 scientists and 8 students from social, natural, and engineering sciences. The team conducted 800 qualitative interviews and 1,000 quantitative surveys across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the USA, with specific ecological data collected on birds and pollinators in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Successes were noted in knowledge generation (one published article), funding (including an IAI Seed Grant proposal), team retention over two years, and the creation of a free online workshop on transdisciplinary teamwork. The project aims to inform policy improvements to increase sustainable energy benefits and socio-ecological resilience while minimizing negative impacts.

The project establishes a Nitrogen, Society, and Environment Network (Nnet) to study the impacts of human activity on the nitrogen cycle across various Latin American ecosystems. It integrates empirical measurements of biological nitrogen fixation, atmospheric deposition, and fertilizer use with regional modeling to inform policy and environmental management.

Between 2021 and 2023, bioeconomy finance in Brazil averaged US$ 3.213 billion per year, heavily concentrated in planted forests and bioenergy. While private domestic sources provided 69% of funding, biodiversity-based products and the Northern region remain significantly underfunded compared to industrial crops and other regions.

Between 2021 and 2023, Brazil's bioeconomy received an average of R$ 16.6 billion annually, with 74% of funds concentrated in planted forests and bioenergy/biofuels. While domestic private sources provided 69% of the total, significant gaps exist in funding for native forests and biodiversity products, particularly in the North region. Innovative instruments like thematic bonds and CBIOs drive the majority of the funding, but these are limited to the most industrial bioeconomy sectors.

Between 2021 and 2023, bioeconomy finance in Brazil averaged US$ 3.213 billion per year, heavily concentrated in the planted forest and bioenergy sectors. While domestic private sources provided 69% of the funding, biodiversity products and native forests remain significantly underfunded, with the Northern region receiving only 12% of biodiversity-related finance.

The document uses EnergyScope modeling to evaluate how four Latin American countries can align with COP 28 global energy targets. It concludes that a literal tripling of capacity is not necessary for all countries to meet projected demand and that combining renewable expansion with doubled energy efficiency can reduce the required installed capacity.