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The Climate Action Tracker reports that current pledges put the world on track for 2.8°C of warming by 2100, while real-world actions suggest 3°C. Despite a 75% shrinkage in the coal pipeline since 2015, coal capacity increased by 63 GW in that period, and natural gas demand continues to grow rapidly. Conversely, renewable capacity is projected to increase by 1,200 GW over the next five years, driven primarily by solar PV and onshore wind.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) reports that 88 major carbon producers contributed more than half of the increase in ocean acidification and about half of the global temperature rise from 1880 to 2015. The document highlights that these companies, including investor-owned firms like ExxonMobil and Chevron, were aware of the climate risks of their products as early as 1965 but engaged in campaigns to sow doubt. It argues that these entities should be held financially responsible for climate-related damages, such as the $2 billion in additional costs attributed to sea level rise during Hurricane Sandy in New York City.

The document examines the UK carpet waste stream, asserting that the voluntary industry body Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) has engaged in greenwashing by relying on incineration and downcycling rather than carpet-to-carpet recycling. It highlights that while landfill diversion rose to 44% by 2018, the majority of this is achieved through incineration, which carries significant climate and health costs. The authors call for the UK government to implement mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to drive genuine circularity.

The document assesses the legal validity of Uniper's claims of 'de facto expropriation' and violations of 'fair and equitable treatment' resulting from the Dutch coal phase-out law. It concludes that the law is a legitimate exercise of state regulatory powers to meet climate goals and that Uniper had no legitimate expectation of regulatory stability for coal investments.

The report argues that renewable energy mini-grids are often the most cost-effective solution for rural electrification in Kenya compared to national grid extension. While Kenya's current strategy focuses on grid extension, the report suggests that integrating mini-grids into national planning could accelerate electrification, create local jobs, improve energy security, and reduce CO2 emissions by 0.14-0.48 MtCO2e per year.

The briefing examines the UK carpet waste stream, criticizing the industry's reliance on incineration and downcycling under the guise of recycling. It argues that voluntary initiatives have failed and proposes a mandatory EPR framework to incentivize eco-design and closed-loop recycling.

The document highlights the success of Brazil's monitoring and enforcement strategy, specifically the DETER system, in reducing Amazon deforestation. It provides evidence that these measures avoided significant forest loss between 2007 and 2016 without harming agricultural productivity. The brief warns that proposed budget cuts to these systems could lead to a 45% increase in deforestation and urges the federal government to restore financial and institutional support.

The November 2019 report by the Center for Climate Change Communication reveals that 73% of registered U.S. voters believe global warming is happening, though beliefs and policy support vary significantly by political party. While there is broad bipartisan support for renewable energy research and the Paris Climate Agreement, deep divisions persist regarding the causes of global warming and the expansion of fossil fuel production. The report also highlights an increase in the importance of global warming as a voting issue for the 2020 presidential election, particularly among Democrats.

The report finds that China is the primary driver of global coal power expansion, adding 42.9 GW of capacity between January 2018 and June 2019 while the rest of the world saw a decrease of 8.1 GW. This growth was largely fueled by a surge in provincial-level approvals between 2014 and 2016. Despite some central government restrictions, nearly half of the projects ordered to be suspended in 2017 have continued development. The report argues that to meet the IPCC's 2°C warming limit, China would need to reduce its coal capacity to 600 GW or less by 2030, contradicting industry proposals to increase the capacity ceiling to 1,400 GW by 2035.

The report finds that China is driving the growth of the global coal fleet, adding 42.9 GW between January 2018 and June 2019 while the rest of the world's capacity decreased by 8.1 GW. This growth is largely attributed to a provincial permitting surge between 2014 and 2016, which created a pipeline of projects that the central government has struggled to restrict. Despite a recent slowdown in new proposals and permits, China has 147.7 GW of capacity either under construction or likely to be revived. The report concludes that to keep global warming well below 2°C, China would need to reduce its coal capacity to 600 GW or less by 2030, a target that contradicts industry proposals to increase the national coal power cap to between 1,200 and 1,400 GW by 2035.

India's energy system is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, which provided 75% of its total energy supply in 2017. The state derives significant revenue from this sector—17.8% of general government revenue in 2017—but also provides substantial subsidies. While India has set ambitious renewable energy targets, including 450 GW, coal is projected to remain a mainstay of the energy mix through 2040. The government faces risks from stranded assets, with approximately 40 GW of coal-fired power plant capacity identified as "non-performing" as of 2018.

The report analyzes the intersection of China's climate policies and public health, arguing that achieving NDC targets—primarily through reducing coal dependence and expanding renewables—would significantly reduce premature deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. It highlights a budgetary contradiction where China continues to provide substantial fossil fuel subsidies despite the high health and environmental externalities associated with them. Quantitative models cited in the report suggest that the economic value of avoided premature deaths would far outweigh the costs of implementing climate policies by 2050.

The report outlines a 'Reinventing Fire' scenario for China to decouple economic growth from energy consumption and carbon emissions by 2050. By prioritizing demand reduction, electrification, and a shift to non-fossil energy, China could maintain GDP growth while reducing primary energy demand to 2010 levels. Key strategies include structural industrial shifts, passive building design, multimodal transportation optimization, and a three-stage transition of the power sector from coal to renewables. The analysis suggests this transition is cost-effective, with a potential net present value savings of 21 trillion RMB.

The report reveals a pattern of funding, investments, and corporate memberships linking leading UK professional engineering and science organisations to the fossil fuel and arms sectors. It highlights a lack of transparency in financial disclosures and the promotion of these industries to schoolchildren without discussing associated ethical issues. The authors recommend that PESOs implement ethical investment policies, end corporate branding in education, and disclose all corporate payments over £1,000.

The report examines Indonesia's transport fuel subsidy regime, noting that while 2015 reforms initially saved over USD 15 billion, subsidies re-emerged as the government fixed prices despite rising international oil costs. This underpricing, particularly of 'Premium' gasoline, resulted in an estimated IDR 54.5 trillion in foregone revenue for Pertamina between 2014 and 2019. The author argues that subsidizing low-quality, high-sulphur fuels exacerbates urban air pollution and health costs, citing a 2010 study where air pollution-related treatment costs in Jakarta reached IDR 38.5 trillion. The document also analyzes the life-cycle emissions of biodiesel and electric vehicles, noting that EVs powered by Indonesia's coal-heavy grid may increase global warming potential compared to internal combustion engines. To resolve these issues, the report proposes three pricing models—smoothing, ratcheting, and cap-and-floor—to minimize price volatility while ensuring fiscal sustainability.

The report identifies a pattern of financial ties—including funding, sponsorship, and investments—between the UK's professional science and engineering bodies and the fossil fuel and arms sectors. It highlights that organisations such as the Royal Academy of Engineering, EngineeringUK, and the Energy Institute received significant funding and promoted these industries despite their ethical shortcomings regarding carbon emissions and human rights.

The guide introduces a method to determine the 'Climate Effectiveness' of electricity system investments by combining emissions and cost data. Using 3Q2019 U.S. market data, the author demonstrates that carbon savings per dollar can vary from manyfold to over 50-fold between different options. The method is designed to be simple, requiring only basic arithmetic, and is applicable to various resources and emission types.

The policy brief contends that new natural gas capacity is a primary driver of increased grid emissions in the US and that avoiding 90% of proposed gas plants could save electricity customers over $29 billion. It advocates for a transition to 'clean energy portfolios'—combinations of wind, solar, batteries, demand flexibility, and energy efficiency—to support economy-wide decarbonization and meet international climate targets.

The report finds that the world is not on track to meet the Goal 1 target of halving natural forest loss by 2020. Between 2014 and 2018, average annual global gross tree cover loss increased by 43 percent compared to a 2001-13 baseline. Carbon emissions from tropical tree cover loss also rose, averaging 57 percent higher than before the declaration. While Indonesia saw a significant decline in primary forest loss in 2018, tropical Africa experienced the highest percent increase in loss. The report highlights that primary forests are particularly critical due to their carbon storage and the fact that they cannot be restored within the NYDF timeframe.

The report examines the drivers and impacts of off-grid solar pump deployment in India, highlighting how low recurring costs can lead to groundwater over-extraction. It maps policies across the water-energy-food nexus, finding that while solar support is strong, groundwater management is relatively under-resourced and often lacks formal integration with energy and food policies.