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The report identifies clinker production as the primary source of emissions in the cement sector, accounting for 88% of total emissions. It evaluates three main decarbonization levers: substituting clinker with materials like fly ash and calcined clay, replacing coal and gas with biomass, waste, or green hydrogen, and deploying CCUS. While some progress is noted in developed markets, the report warns that absolute emissions will rise as production grows in emerging markets like India and Africa unless green processes are scaled. Key barriers include supply constraints for substitutes, high upfront costs for CCUS, and a lack of carbon transport infrastructure in high-growth regions.

Indonesian and international CSOs are calling on global fashion brands to phase out both fossil fuels and biomass energy, arguing that biomass is a 'false solution' that drives deforestation and violates human rights. The letter highlights that brands like H&M, Puma, Adidas, and Inditex are promoting biomass in Southeast Asia despite its high emissions and negative impacts on biodiversity and local communities. The authors argue that woody biomass can generate more CO2 per kilowatt hour than coal and risk the loss of over 2 million hectares of natural forest in Indonesia.

The Climate Bonds Initiative's Hydrogen Criteria define the technical and environmental benchmarks required for hydrogen-related financial instruments to be certified as green. The framework focuses on carbon intensity thresholds, decarbonisation measures, and adaptation and resilience requirements across the hydrogen value chain, from production to storage and delivery.

The 2022 French nuclear outages were caused by a confluence of pipe corrosion, workforce shortages, and heat-related river curtailments, rather than inherent flaws in nuclear technology. The author argues that these issues can be mitigated through standardized reactor designs, consistent government policy to maintain a skilled workforce, and technical cooling upgrades. Despite the 2022 dip in availability, the document asserts that nuclear energy provides essential 'clean firm' power necessary for the cost-effective decarbonization of the European electricity grid.

Vietnam's PDP8 aims to peak coal capacity at 30 GW by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050, but the briefing argues that all coal projects not yet in construction must be cancelled to align with the JETP agreement. While Vietnam is leading global coal project cancellations in 2023, concerns remain regarding the use of experimental fuels for plant conversion and the government's crackdown on civil society leaders essential for a just transition.

The document advocates for a diverse energy mix that includes 'clean firm power'—non-weather-dependent zero-carbon sources—to complement wind, solar, and battery storage. It argues that relying solely on variable renewables would lead to excessive costs, land use, and infrastructure requirements, while a diversified approach could significantly reduce the time and cost of the energy transition.

Reclaim Finance argues that major French banks are failing to support the energy transition, continuing to provide significant funding to fossil fuels while lacking transparent perimeters and sufficient targets for sustainable energy investment. The analysis highlights a gap between the banks' public references to the IEA's Net-Zero Emission scenario and their actual financial commitments, which do not meet the required 5:1 ratio of clean energy to fossil fuel investment by 2030.

Reclaim Finance argues that major French banks—BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale, and BPCE/Natixis—are failing to support the energy transition. Despite referencing the IEA's Net-Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario, these banks continue to provide significant funding to fossil fuels (over US$ 47 billion in 2022 for the top 100 fossil fuel companies) and lack transparent definitions of what constitutes 'sustainable' or 'clean' energy. The report highlights that none of these banks have committed to the IEA-recommended 5:1 ratio of clean energy investment versus fossil fuel investment by 2030, nor have they established transparent perimeters that exclude non-sustainable solutions like biomass or waste-to-energy.

Carbon Market Watch critiques the European cement association's (Cembureau) claims that cement production and use can provide carbon removals. The author argues that proposed methods—including the use of sustainable biomass with CCS, enhanced carbonation, and natural carbonation—fail to meet the criteria for permanent and additional removals when full life-cycle assessments are considered. The document urges the EU to focus on proven removal techniques and industrial decarbonization strategies, such as reducing clinker-to-cement ratios and phasing out free pollution permits under the Emissions Trading System.

The document argues that ArcelorMittal's current climate strategy is inadequate to limit global warming to 1.5°C, citing a lack of absolute emission targets, a reliance on unproven carbon capture technologies, and a 'two-speed' approach that continues coal-based expansion in the Global South while deploying cleaner tech in Europe.

The document demands that Japan phase out coal by 2030, end international public finance for fossil fuels, and stop promoting technologies like ammonia co-firing and carbon capture and storage, which the authors claim are ineffective and costly.

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides grants and loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. Funded through the 2018 Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, the program supports technologies such as solar, wind, and biomass, and implements a tiered application process based on project cost.

The document argues that ENGIE's transition strategy is incompatible with a 1.5°C scenario due to its continued investment in gas power and lack of transparency in its decarbonization plans.

The document criticizes ENGIE for expanding its fossil gas capacity and lacking a detailed transition strategy aligned with a 1.5°C scenario, despite its efforts to phase out coal.

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.

The document outlines strategies for extending electricity access to 'last mile' remote communities—including indigenous, displaced, and mountain populations—using decentralized renewable energy (DRE). It argues that off-grid solutions, particularly solar PV and hybrid systems, are often more cost-effective than grid extension in low-demand, remote areas. The guide emphasizes community engagement, local capacity building, and the transition from grant-based funding to market-based impact investment to ensure long-term sustainability. It details various delivery mechanisms, such as solar co-operatives and micro-utilities, and provides comparative data on renewable technologies and government program models from Brazil, Malaysia, and Canada.

Reclaim Finance criticizes ENGIE for its 'false' coal exit strategy, which involves selling coal plants to third parties or converting them to biomass and fossil gas. The document highlights specific cases in Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, Morocco, and Chile, arguing that these actions avoid corporate responsibility for environmental damage and fail to align with a 1.5 °C warming trajectory.

Carbon Market Watch analyzes a leaked draft of the EU's Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF), warning that the proposal fails to define permanent storage, lacks liability rules for carbon reversals, and ignores social safeguards. While the author notes positive environmental sustainability objectives, they argue the framework risks certifying temporary removals as permanent and could allow agricultural emission reductions to be mislabeled as removals, potentially undermining EU climate targets.

The report argues that PLN's plan to use biomass co-firing to reduce emissions is contradictory and potentially destructive. To achieve a 10% co-firing rate across 107 coal power plants, Trend Asia estimates a need for 10.23 million tons of wood pellets annually, requiring energy plantation forests (HTE) of at least 2.33 million hectares. Based on historical data showing 38% of industrial plantation forests originated from deforestation, the report projects that HTE development could lead to the loss of 630,000 to 2.1 million hectares of natural forest, depending on the tree species used.

The report evaluates eight scenarios for Estonia's electricity sector to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. It identifies 'All Technologies' and 'Renewables and Storage (offshore wind)' as the most balanced options in terms of cost, risk, and feasibility. The analysis emphasizes the critical need for large-scale battery storage, grid reinforcement, and simplified planning processes. While nuclear energy could offer the lowest prices in 2050, it is deemed the highest risk due to a lack of domestic history and potential implementation delays. The report concludes that the final choice is a political decision, as most scenarios can meet carbon neutrality goals.