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Reclaim Finance critiques the IEA's "clean energy" scope, asserting that several included technologies—such as CCUS, nuclear power, and solid biomass—are unsustainable due to high costs, environmental damage, or continued reliance on fossil fuels. The organization advocates for a narrower definition of sustainable power focused on solar, wind, ocean, and geothermal energy, as well as modernized grid infrastructure, and calls for banks to disclose detailed inventories of their energy transition financing.

The California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) is a market-based regulation designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation by capping the carbon intensity of fuels. The program uses a credit and deficit system where fuels with lower carbon intensity than a gasoline/diesel benchmark generate credits, while higher-intensity fuels generate deficits. These credits can be generated through fuel supply, carbon capture and storage projects, or zero-emissions vehicle infrastructure capacity. While the program has spurred innovation in low-carbon fuels, critics like the NRDC argue that it over-incentivizes biomass-based fuels—which account for nearly three-quarters of credits—potentially diverting resources from the transition to electricity and zero-emissions vehicles.

Reclaim Finance argues that TotalEnergies' claims of diversification are misleading, as the company intends to increase oil and gas production through 2028 and expand its liquefied natural gas (LNG) capacity. The report highlights that the company's renewable energy growth is largely driven by acquisitions of existing projects rather than new construction, and that its 'clean' hydrogen and electricity goals still rely heavily on fossil gas. A specific case study on the Papua LNG project illustrates the potential for significant carbon emissions and human rights violations, while the report concludes by urging financial institutions to stop supporting new fossil fuel projects.

Reclaim Finance argues that TotalEnergies' claims of diversification are misleading, as the company intends to increase absolute oil and gas production by 2030 and is aggressively expanding its liquefied natural gas (LNG) portfolio. The report highlights that the company's renewable energy growth relies heavily on acquisitions rather than new capacity and criticizes the Papua LNG project for its projected climate and human rights impacts.

The Great Lakes region—comprising Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—is positioned to drive US aviation fuel targets due to its strong industrial networks and feedstock availability. While the region possesses significant strengths in ethanol supply chains and logistics, a policy gap analysis reveals that no state currently has a comprehensive, coordinated approach to SAF demand and supply. The brief argues that leveraging existing infrastructure, such as the O'Hare International Airport hub and the St. Lawrence Seaway, alongside federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act, can catalyze a regional bioeconomy and reduce aviation emissions.

The statement argues that climate-altering engineering technologies, such as carbon capture and storage and solar radiation modification, are unproven at scale and pose significant risks to human rights and the environment. It further contends that decarbonization proposals often fail to address the toxic impacts of industrial agriculture and that the only viable pathway to avoid catastrophic climate change is the immediate phase-out of fossil fuels combined with a human-rights-respecting transition to renewable energy.

Between 2015 and 2020, climate finance for land use in Brazil averaged US$ 6.6 billion per year, dominated by domestic private finance and rural credit. While the crop sector was the primary recipient, the report highlights a significant gap in the proportion of total rural credit that is climate-aligned and notes a decline in public budget allocations for the forest sector.

The report examines the sugar cane sector, noting that while it supports over 100 million people globally, many smallholder farmers in developing countries remain in poverty due to low farm gate prices and high production costs. It evaluates the role of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSSs) like Bonsucro and Fairtrade, noting that while approximately 8% of global production is VSS-compliant, the impact on farmer income is limited by a lack of demand for sustainable cane sugar. The document highlights that farmers face climate-related crop losses, biodiversity loss, and water depletion, alongside economic pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic and rising fertilizer costs.

Between 2015 and 2020, climate finance for land use in Brazil averaged US$ 6.6 billion per year, with 95% originating from domestic sources. Rural credit is the dominant instrument, though climate-aligned flows represent only 8% of total rural credit. The crop sector is the primary recipient of funds, and mitigation remains the dominant objective over adaptation. The report highlights a significant decline in public budget expenditures and a growing but still small role for thematic bonds.

The report provides a comprehensive mapping of climate finance for land use in Brazil from 2015 to 2020, identifying an average annual flow of R$ 25.1 billion. It details the roles of domestic and international sources, the prevalence of rural credit as a primary instrument, and the distribution of funds across sectors such as agriculture and forestry. The analysis highlights a significant growth in thematic bonds and a heavy reliance on domestic private resources mobilized by public policies, while noting gaps in international funding and transparency regarding final beneficiaries.

The document outlines the technical framework for calculating the Net Zero financing gap, detailing the criteria for climate finance data collection, the sources used for needs assessments, and the regional breakdowns for investment analysis.

The report examines the global sugar cane sector, highlighting the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in promoting resilience and sustainability. It analyzes how climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and government interventions distort market prices and affect the livelihoods of millions of smallholders. The document provides a detailed look at the value chain, where refiners and traders capture the most value, and suggests pathways for improving farmer incomes through diversification, better policy frameworks, and the expansion of sustainable sourcing.

The U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has failed to meet Congressional goals for cellulosic biofuels, instead remaining dominated by land-intensive corn ethanol. The current structure lacks incentives for producers to reduce carbon intensity beyond fixed thresholds and fails to prioritize fuels for sectors like aviation that are difficult to electrify. The Clean Air Task Force recommends incorporating carbon intensity scores, limiting conventional biofuel volumes, and directing bioenergy toward hard-to-decarbonize sectors.

The report examines the global palm oil sector, highlighting the growth of VSS-compliant production and the challenges faced by smallholders. It analyzes how climate change and geopolitical conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, affect supply and pricing. The document argues that while VSSs can reduce deforestation and improve yields, the lack of consistent price premiums and high certification costs hinder their adoption by smallholders. It concludes with recommendations for better price transparency, living wage benchmarks, and stronger government support to build a more sustainable value chain.

The report argues that a 'New Economy for the Brazilian Amazon' (NEA), characterized by zero deforestation and a robust bioeconomy, would provide the most equitable economic growth for Brazil. By 2050, this transition could increase the regional GDP by BRL 40 billion and create 312,000 additional jobs compared to a reference scenario. The study emphasizes that eliminating deforestation alone is insufficient to meet Paris Agreement targets; it must be coupled with the decarbonization of agriculture, livestock, and the energy matrix. The transition requires an estimated BRL 2.56 trillion in additional investment by 2050, representing 1.8% of Brazil's national GDP per year. Key recommendations include removing fossil fuel subsidies, redirecting rural credit toward low-carbon practices, and scaling a bioeconomy based on traditional indigenous knowledge and standing forests.

The paper examines the rise of trade measures based on non-product-related process and production methods (PPMs) used to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and human rights. It analyzes the legal requirements for such measures to be WTO-compliant, highlighting the importance of non-discrimination and proportionality. The authors provide examples of current PPM-based policies, including forced labour import bans, deforestation-free supply chain regulations, and sustainability-linked tariff preferences in regional trade agreements, while noting ongoing WTO disputes between the EU, Indonesia, and Malaysia over biofuels.

Grasslands are critical for biodiversity and carbon sequestration, holding about one-third of global terrestrial carbon stocks, yet they remain vastly unprotected. In the U.S., over 70 percent of prairies have been destroyed, with 10 million acres lost in the Great Plains between 2016 and 2020. The document identifies federal crop insurance subsidies and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as policies that unintentionally encourage the conversion of grasslands to cropland. To reverse these trends, the author advocates for strengthening the "Sodsaver" program, ensuring energy crops from converted grasslands do not qualify for the RFS, and increasing investment through the 2023 Farm Bill and the North American Grasslands Conservation Act.

Barbados is partnering with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) to create an Energy Transition and Investment Plan (ETIP). This plan aims to transition the island from a heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels—which accounted for nearly 95 percent of the energy mix in 2019—toward 100 percent renewable energy and full electrification of transport. The initiative focuses on evaluating technological pathways, scoping investment needs, and addressing human capacity gaps to ensure a just transition and energy independence.

The report argues that the World Bank Group must shift from project-by-project 'greening' to a systemic transformation of its portfolio to support 1.5°C alignment. It proposes a strict taxonomy that excludes fossil gas and 'false solutions' like CCUS and nuclear power, while emphasizing a rights-based approach to ensure the energy transition does not burden marginalized communities or increase debt in low-income countries.

Civil society organizations Traction Energy Asia, Trend Asia, and Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI) warn that current bioenergy policies in Indonesia, specifically biofuel and biomass co-firing, drive deforestation and increase carbon emissions. They report that 13 Energy Plantation Forest (HTE) companies caused 55,000 hectares of deforestation between 2017-2021, with projections suggesting up to 4.65 million hectares of natural forest could be lost if current co-firing governance persists across 52 power plants. The document recommends freezing biodiesel blends at 35%, halting new permits, and diversifying feedstocks to include used cooking oil (UCO). It also calls for a comprehensive evaluation of the social and environmental impacts of co-firing, noting that burning 1 million tons of biomass in 43 power plants in 2023 resulted in 1.7 million tons of carbon emissions. The brief includes responses from the national campaign teams of the 2024 candidates regarding their visions for energy transition and forest protection.