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The report 'Boom & Bust Coal 2026' analyzes the global state of coal-fired power plants in 2025, highlighting a paradox where global capacity is increasing while actual electricity production from coal is declining. It focuses heavily on the roles of China and India as the primary drivers of new capacity, the shift of coal to a 'system insurance' role, and a detailed critique of Indonesia's regulatory contradictions and the rise of captive coal plants for mineral processing.

This briefing by RMI describes how financial institutions can use forward-looking, asset-level data to conduct corporate transition assessments. Using a case study of the steelmaker ArcelorMittal and data from Forward Analytics, the document demonstrates how analyzing investment pipelines against company targets and global or regional transition pathways can identify 'execution gaps,' transition risks, and financing opportunities across sustainability, risk, and front-office functions.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, representing MEJCON-SA and MACUA, has filed an appeal response report challenging the Environmental Authorisation (EA) granted to Tetra4 (Pty) Ltd for its Gas Gathering and Production Project in Virginia, Free State. The appellants argue that Tetra4 used a Basic Assessment Report (BAR) process to circumvent more rigorous Scoping and EIA requirements for the drilling of 18 additional wells, effectively 'project splitting' to avoid comprehensive environmental scrutiny. The report highlights critical failures in assessing climate change and geohydrology impacts, inadequate public participation—specifically the exclusion of farm workers and dwellers—and a lack of state capacity to monitor and enforce compliance in the oil and gas sector.

This research paper by Global Energy Monitor analyzes India's steel industry, arguing that its current strategy of expanding coal-based capacity before implementing decarbonization—a "build now, decarbonize later" approach—risks creating massive stranded assets and locking in high emissions. The document details the industry's heavy reliance on blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) and coal-based direct reduced iron (DRI) production, while evaluating the potential and limitations of green hydrogen, scrap-based production, and renewable energy integration to meet India's 2070 net-zero goal.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the oil and gas production narratives used by the governments of Colombia and Nigeria between December 2015 and May 2022. It examines how these narratives—focused on development, energy security, and energy transitions—are used to justify continued fossil fuel expansion despite the Paris Agreement, and provides strategies for civil society and researchers to challenge these frameworks to enable a more equitable energy transition.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development evaluates the economic and climate risks of developing licensed but untapped offshore gas reserves in Colombia, concluding that there is no justification for their development.

This briefing from the Stockholm Environment Institute discusses the 'production gap'—the divergence between planned fossil fuel production and the levels consistent with Paris Agreement temperature goals. It argues that supply-side policies, such as production limits and subsidy removals, are essential to avoid carbon lock-in and achieve cost-effective emission reductions.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute discusses the potential climate, environmental, and social impacts of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Southeast Asia. It highlights the risks of 'carbon lock-in' from coal and fossil fuel investments and the ecological threats posed by hydropower dams in the Mekong region. To mitigate these risks, the authors propose a participatory decision-making framework based on transparency, stakeholder inclusion, and adherence to international sustainable finance standards.

This policy brief examines the economic resilience of Canada's oil sands and the resulting 'carbon lock-in,' arguing that continued production could create a global oil oversupply that hinders the low-carbon transition and undermines international climate action.

This policy brief from the Stockholm Environment Institute describes a four-step process for identifying and minimizing 'carbon lock-in'—the process where investments in carbon-intensive infrastructure make shifting to low-carbon pathways more difficult and expensive. The document demonstrates this approach on a global scale, highlighting the high risks associated with coal and gas power plants, private vehicle travel, and capital-intensive fossil fuel supply infrastructure, and provides guidance for applying the framework at national and regional levels.

This document is a formal objection submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) regarding the proposed use of Karpowerships in Saldanha Bay. The CER argues that the project is inconsistent with South Africa's climate commitments, lacks transparency, and fails to consider cheaper, cleaner energy alternatives.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute argues that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a narrow policy window to steer economic recovery toward a sustainable, net-zero emissions path. It warns against 'carbon lock-in'—where recovery measures entrench fossil fuel dependency—and proposes specific policy levers, such as conditional bailouts and just transition measures, to catalyse industrial transformation.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute proposes a rigorous methodology for assessing whether electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) investments align with the Paris Agreement, specifically aiming to integrate this screening process into the investment decisions and portfolios of development finance institutions.

This report argues that delaying climate protection policies increases long-term costs by locking in carbon-intensive infrastructure and hindering the development of renewable energy technologies, while also discouraging action from other nations.