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The document assesses the viability of transitioning South Africa's minibus taxi (MBT) fleet to electric vehicles (E-MBTs), highlighting significant operational cost savings and the alignment of vehicle range with current driver patterns. It identifies key barriers, including high upfront costs, inadequate charging infrastructure, and restrictive tax structures. To unlock local manufacturing, the brief proposes a three-step transition: moving from imports to local assembly and finally to scaled-up local production. It emphasizes the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) as a strategic hub for this industry, supported by existing automotive skills and government incentives like the Automotive Investment Scheme.

The report details the 'destructive power' of the nickel industry in North Maluku, specifically across Weda Bay, Gebe Island, Buli Bay, Subaim-Wasile, and Obi Island. It highlights a paradox where the province's economic growth exceeds 20% due to nickel exports, while poverty increases and local livelihoods—such as fishing and farming—are destroyed. Key impacts include severe deforestation, water contamination with heavy metals (hexavalent chromium, nickel, and copper), and a surge in Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) cases near coal-fired power plants. The document also records numerous industrial accidents at PT IWIP and the criminalization of residents resisting mining. It concludes that the 'clean energy transition' via electric vehicle batteries is built on an 'unclean and unjust' production chain.

The report details the destructive effects of nickel mining in North Maluku, highlighting severe deforestation, water pollution, and health crises. It contrasts high GDP growth driven by nickel exports with rising poverty and the loss of traditional livelihoods in farming and fishing. Specific case studies in Teluk Weda, Pulau Gebe, Teluk Buli, Subaim-Wasile, and Pulau Obi illustrate a pattern of corporate negligence, labor accidents, and state-backed land seizures.

The document reports that 2023 is virtually certain to be the hottest year on record, with global surface temperatures from January to November 2023 ranking highest in the 144-year record at 1.4°C above the 1881-1910 baseline. In the U.S., 25 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters occurred between January and November 2023, surpassing the previous annual record of 22 in 2020. These events caused an estimated 482 deaths and $81 billion in damages, with severe storms accounting for 76% of these disasters. The average time between such disasters in 2023 dropped to 10 days, compared to 82 days in the 1980s.

The report evaluates South Africa's REIPPPP, noting its success in attracting over R300 billion in infrastructure investment and selecting over 120 preferred bidders. However, it identifies critical bottlenecks, including limited grid capacity and high transaction costs for bidders. The author argues that maximizing the programme's potential requires improving programme design, enhancing transmission infrastructure, and developing local financial solutions to prevent global funds from crowding out domestic investors. The report also highlights the role of government tax incentives, such as Section 12B of the Income Tax Act, and the importance of integrating battery energy storage systems (BESS) and gas-to-power to stabilize the energy mix and reduce reliance on coal.

The report details a 'climate of fear' in Uganda and Tanzania, where TotalEnergies and state actors are accused of using intimidation, inadequate compensation, and criminalisation to silence opposition to the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). It documents the arrest of at least 47 defenders in Uganda and the forced exile of activists in Tanzania, arguing that such repression undermines the global energy transition.

The report examines the intersection of Africa's industrialization goals under the AfCFTA and the global shift toward sustainability. It highlights that while Africa contributes minimally to global emissions, adopting green practices early can provide a competitive advantage and safeguard market access against regulations like the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. However, the continent faces massive financial shortfalls, including an annual trade finance gap of USD 81 billion and a USD 90 billion gap for energy transition. The author proposes a synergy of climate and trade finance through Green Bonds, Public-Private Partnerships, and a 'Sustainable Trade and Investment Code' to guide the transition without creating punitive barriers for SMEs.

The briefing asserts that tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency by 2030 will provide 85% of the required cuts in unabated fossil fuels for that period. By 2035, these two actions alone are projected to reduce total CO2 emissions by more than half. The document emphasizes that while nuclear energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) play roles, their contributions are significantly smaller due to slow deployment and technology immaturity, making renewables and efficiency the most effective tools for a rapid fossil fuel phaseout.

The document outlines how to make school catering procurement more sustainable in Estonia, aligning with European Commission guidelines and the 'Farm to Fork' strategy. It provides specific technical descriptions and evaluation criteria across several key areas: organic food, low-climate-impact sourcing (short supply chains and seasonal produce), plant-based diets, waste reduction, eco-friendly cleaning supplies, energy and water efficiency, and food education. For each area, it suggests how to set minimum requirements in technical specifications and how to award additional points during the bid evaluation process to incentivize higher environmental standards.

The SAVi assessment of the proposed BRT system in Bandung, Indonesia, indicates the project is highly profitable, with a benefit-cost ratio of 6.67 per USD 1 invested. The system is expected to generate USD 2.02 billion in cumulative discounted net benefits between 2022 and 2050. Primary benefits include time savings for users, increased retail revenues near stations, and health improvements resulting from reduced air pollution and increased physical activity.

A survey of U.S. adults reveals that 60% prefer a home where all or most major appliances are powered by electricity. Preferences for electrification vary by political affiliation, race, and geography, with the highest support among liberal Democrats, Black respondents, and urban residents.

Climate Central's analysis using the Climate Shift Index (CSI) reveals that 90% of the global population experienced at least 10 days of temperatures strongly influenced by climate change between November 2022 and October 2023. The study highlights that one in four people faced extreme heat streaks of at least five days driven by carbon pollution, with the strongest influences observed in the developing world and specific high-impact areas like Jamaica and several U.S. cities.

The period from November 2022 to October 2023 was the hottest 12-month stretch in recorded history, with a global average temperature 1.32°C above the pre-industrial baseline. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), Climate Central found that 90% of the global population (7.3 billion people) experienced at least 10 days of temperatures very strongly affected by climate change (CSI level 3 or higher). Approximately 1.9 billion people (24%) experienced a five-day heat wave strongly influenced by carbon pollution (CSI level 2 or higher). The report highlights an inequitable distribution of impacts, with small island developing states and least developed countries facing higher exposure, although heat waves also occurred in G20 nations. The analysis also links human-induced climate change to severe weather events, including deadly flooding in Africa and Libya, and record-breaking wildfires in Canada and Hawaii.

The report forecasts a significant increase in Africa's energy demand due to population growth, projecting that it will overtake the EU27 by 2043. While Africa possesses vast oil, gas, and hydropower reserves, its current energy mix remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with 'other renewables' making up only 1.6% of production in 2023. The document highlights a trajectory where Africa will eventually become a major global source of carbon emissions from fossil fuels, overtaking the EU by 2034.

The report projects that Africa's carbon emissions from fossil fuels will increase on its current development trajectory, eventually surpassing those of the EU, USA, India, and China by 2061 to become the world's major source of such emissions.

The document assesses the vulnerabilities of Africa's Agenda 2063 framework to escalating climate change, noting that the original 2015 plan relied heavily on fossil fuel assets now at risk of becoming stranded. It highlights a significant 'adaptation deficit' and an economic impact where climate change reduces GDP per capita growth by 5% to 15%. The brief warns that achieving Agenda 2063 goals could release an additional 297 million tons of carbon by 2043, potentially increasing Africa's share of global emissions to 12%. It provides specific recommendations for national governments, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and the African Union to pivot toward climate-resilient agriculture, renewable energy, and coordinated transboundary water and mobility strategies.

The document is a petition addressed to Enviva leadership, alleging that the company's operations destroy 175,000 acres of Southern forests annually and release toxic pollution and wood dust into surrounding communities. The signatories demand immediate actions, including the installation of dust control plans, the cessation of nighttime operations, a halt to sourcing from bottomland hardwood forests, and the establishment of a 'Good Neighbor Fund' to provide air purifiers and health centers for impacted residents. Furthermore, the petition calls for Enviva to stop claiming wood pellets are clean energy, cease taking government subsidies, and halt production expansion.

The document argues that reporting on extreme weather is incomplete without explaining the climate connection. It provides specific phrasing for journalists to describe how warming temperatures 'supercharge' weather patterns and offers examples of this application across various phenomena, including heatwaves, droughts, flooding, sea level rise, winter weather, hurricanes, and wildfires. It also recommends specific attribution tools like the Climate Shift Index and World Weather Attribution to provide scientific grounding for these claims.

The EPA's proposed 2023 tailpipe emission rules for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles aim to reduce greenhouse gases and criteria pollutants starting with model year 2027. While not banning internal combustion engines, the rules set average emission limits for manufacturers, which is expected to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption. By 2032, the EPA projects EVs could reach 67% of new light-duty vehicle sales. Projected long-term benefits through 2055 include avoiding nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions, reducing oil imports by 20 billion barrels, and providing $12,000 in lifetime savings per light-duty vehicle for consumers.

The document explains the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature goal, the risks associated with exceeding it, the necessary actions to achieve it, and how journalists should communicate these issues to the public.