Search Climate Insights Directory

The Canadian Climate Institute and Clean Energy Canada propose adjustments to the Clean Electricity Regulations (CER) to ensure they are achievable and cost-effective. Key recommendations include raising the performance standard to 60 tonnes of CO2 per GWh, increasing the capacity factor for peaker plants to 15%, and introducing interim standards for facilities commissioned after 2025. To complement the CER, the authors argue for reforming the Output-based Pricing System (OBPS) to apply full carbon pricing to the electricity sector, federally procuring negative emissions via DAC-CCS and BECCS to offset residual emissions, and increasing support for demand-side management and distributed energy resources.

A coalition of organisations calls on the EU to maintain Article 18 of the Net-Zero Industry Act, which proposes mandatory CO2 storage injection capacity contributions from oil and gas producers based on their EU production share. The authors argue that this applies 'Extended Producer Responsibility' to the sector most responsible for the climate emergency, especially since the market has failed to deliver such capacity and public finances should be protected from the burden.

The Canadian Climate Institute argues that Canada faces an existential challenge to accelerate its transition to net zero to remain competitive. Key recommendations include implementing a climate investment taxonomy, finalizing Clean Electricity Regulations to meet demand that could triple by 2050, and addressing the high carbon intensity of the oil and gas sector through emissions caps and methane regulations. The Institute emphasizes that the risk of moving too slowly outweighs the risk of moving too quickly, especially as international investors managing over $61 trillion in assets commit to net zero.

The Urgenda Foundation successfully sued the State of the Netherlands, resulting in a final Supreme Court ruling that the government must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25% by the end of 2020 relative to 1990 levels. The courts determined that while the state has discretionary power, it has a duty of care to protect its citizens from the dangers of climate change, and its previous 20% target was insufficient and lacked scientific justification. The judiciary rejected the government's arguments regarding the separation of powers, ruling that the order did not mandate specific legislation but rather a result that the state is free to achieve through various means.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) provides a framework for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and selected Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs to transition from application to action. CATF emphasizes prioritizing hydrogen for hard-to-abate sectors, ensuring transparency in project planning, coordinating funding across federal programs, and deepening community engagement to ensure equitable and climate-beneficial outcomes.

Canada has introduced the first transparently published guidelines to prevent new inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, building on its 2022 commitment under the Glasgow Statement. While the framework adopts the World Trade Organization's definition of subsidies and establishes a definition of inefficiency, critics and the IISD highlight loopholes, such as exemptions for 'abated' fossil fuel production involving carbon capture and storage. A significant gap remains in domestic public financing for fossil fuels, which Environmental Defence estimated at CAD 19 billion from the Federal Government in 2022. The government has pledged a plan to end this domestic public financing by fall 2024.

The policy brief outlines how Saudi Arabia and the UAE can leverage their geological storage potential and National Oil Companies to scale up carbon capture and storage (CCS). It identifies current project statuses, storage capacities, and recommends the creation of carbon management strategies, open-access storage hubs, and enduring financial incentives to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries and the power sector.

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.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) reports that in 2022 it helped secure over $370 billion in clean energy funding and expanded its operations to 46 countries. Key achievements included supporting the Inflation Reduction Act in the U.S., advocating for carbon capture and storage strategies in Europe, and working to reduce global methane pollution and accelerate energy transformation in Africa.

The report advocates for Indonesia Green Taxonomy 2.0 to incorporate 'transition finance' to bridge the gap between traditional and green finance. It highlights the ASEAN Taxonomy's approach to coal phase-out—where shortening a plant's commercial operation to a maximum of 35 years can qualify it as sustainable—and warns against including 'captive coal plants' in the green category to avoid deterring global investors. The author proposes a framework based on five G20 pillars, emphasizing clear technical screening criteria, synchronized disclosure policies, and a Just Transition Finance Framework to ensure equitable benefits.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) recommends that the EU prioritise 'no regrets' industrial sectors for hydrogen deployment, utilize all clean production pathways (including 'blue' hydrogen), and site production close to consumption to minimize transport inefficiencies. The report emphasizes that public funding should be matched to projects that provide socio-economic benefits to local communities and that a comprehensive EU database should be established to ensure transparency and collaboration.

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 report analyzes the complexities of Indonesia's transition away from coal, highlighting a conflict between government/industry priorities—which focus on economic stability and coal derivatives—and the social and environmental priorities of civil society. It identifies significant barriers, including a quasi-monopoly on electricity by the state-owned PLN, deep political ties between coal oligarchs and policymakers, and a lack of coordination between national and regional governments. While initiatives like the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) show progress, the report argues that a truly just transition requires economic diversification, reskilling of the workforce, and the reclamation of abandoned mines.

The document critiques the implementation of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) in Indonesia, highlighting a lack of transparency in the Comprehensive Investment and Policy Plan (CIPP) and the persistence of 'false solutions' like coal co-firing and carbon capture. It argues that for a transition to be truly 'just,' it must incorporate four pillars of justice—recognition, distributive, procedural, and restorative—and specifically address the vulnerability of workers in the coal sector. The report recommends legally binding emission targets, the removal of 'take-or-pay' electricity contracts, and the decentralization of renewable energy development to empower local governments and communities.

The global steel sector faces significant challenges in decarbonization, with emissions intensity growing by 0.5% annually since 2010. While hydrogen-based Direct Reduced Iron (H-DRI) and Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) offer paths to near-zero emissions, their deployment is hindered by high costs, limited green hydrogen supply, and a shortage of high-grade iron ore. The report highlights a geographic divide: the EU and US are shifting toward low-emission tech supported by subsidies and carbon pricing, while high-growth regions like India continue to expand high-emission Blast Furnace-Basic Oxygen Furnace (BF-BOF) capacity. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is viewed as a necessary but expensive tool for abating existing capacity, though commercial-scale projects remain limited.

Mass timber, including cross-laminated timber, offers a lower-carbon alternative to steel and concrete, potentially reducing building material emissions by 13% to 26.5%. In the U.S., the number of projects grew to 1,860 by June 2023, supported by USDA Wood Innovations Grants and the 2018 Farm Bill. While it provides carbon storage and supports forest health by utilizing small-diameter trees, challenges include moisture-related risks like fungi and mold, which require specific mitigation techniques.

A coalition of NGOs calls on the EBRD to end all support for fossil fuels in its 2024-2028 Energy Sector Strategy, arguing that continued investment in gas infrastructure creates lock-in risks and contradicts the 1.5°C goal. The signatories request the exclusion of midstream and downstream gas projects, the removal of loopholes like "CCS-readiness," and the EBRD's accession to the Glasgow Statement.

The report finds that importing large quantities of low-carbon hydrogen to Europe is expensive and energy-inefficient due to hydrogen's low volumetric energy density. Pipeline transport is consistently more cost-effective than maritime shipping, with Norway and Algeria identified as the most competitive pipeline sources. Among maritime options, ammonia is the lowest-cost carrier, with the Arabian Gulf being the most economical exporter. The analysis suggests that importing LNG to produce hydrogen at the point of import may be more feasible than long-distance hydrogen transport. CATF recommends that the European Commission re-examine its 2030 target of 20 million tonnes of clean hydrogen per year, as it may lack a clear basis.

The document critiques the use of temporary carbon storage as a climate solution, asserting that unless carbon is stored for significantly more than a century, it cannot physically offset the permanent impact of fossil fuel emissions. It argues that such schemes are often driven by economic interests seeking to avoid emission reductions and that they unfairly burden future generations with the risk of carbon release. The author calls for policymakers, particularly in the European Union, to prohibit temporary storage as carbon offsets and establish minimum durability requirements.