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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.

Between 2015 and 2021, Indonesia's financial sector committed USD 41.7 billion in climate-aligned investments, representing 15% of the country's total climate finance needs. Public and private financial institutions contributed nearly equal annual averages (USD 3.5 billion and USD 3.4 billion, respectively), though private contributions represent only 3% of their total investments. While public finance is dominated by Development Finance Institutions targeting renewable energy, private finance is concentrated in the AFOLU sector, particularly certified sustainable palm oil. To meet 2030 targets, Indonesia faces a climate finance gap of approximately USD 145 billion, requiring climate-aligned investment to scale by at least 4.5x this decade.

Environmental organizations are urging the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to intensify enforcement at the Merom Generating Station in Sullivan County. Originally slated for retirement in 2023, the coal-fired plant was sold to Hallador Power Co., LLC and is now expected to operate indefinitely, partly to meet the high energy demands of a cryptocurrency mining operation run by AboutBit, LLC. The letter details a history of permit violations, including illegal levels of ammonia and iron in wastewater, excessive air opacity, and groundwater contamination from coal ash landfills. The authors argue that the plant's continued operation poses significant health risks and call for stricter monitoring, compliance plans, and fines.

The 2023 update finds that while current policies for 25 major economies may result in 2030 emissions between -6% and +8% compared to 2019 levels, this falls short of the 43% reduction aligned with the Paris Agreement. While 13 countries are now on track to meet their NDC targets, 12 countries still face an implementation gap.

The report asserts that the EPA's proposed rules for coal and gas power plants are technically feasible and will not threaten resource adequacy or operational reliability. It synthesizes six industry-standard studies showing that the U.S. grid can remain stable even if all unabated coal is retired by 2035. The authors argue that reliability risks are institutional rather than technical, stemming from slow interconnection processes and inadequate transmission planning. To manage the transition, the report recommends adopting 'connect-and-manage' interconnection processes, deploying grid-enhancing technologies, and proactively planning transmission for coal retirements.

The policy brief examines the devastating socioeconomic and financial impacts of load shedding in South Africa, highlighting a cumulative 15 percentage point loss in GDP growth from 2020 to 2023. It argues that the current reliance on Eskom's aging coal fleet and proposed nuclear projects is insufficient and too costly. Instead, it advocates for municipalities to leverage solar PV and battery energy storage systems (BESS), which are significantly cheaper and faster to deploy, to increase electricity supply and reduce bulk purchase costs.

Reclaim Finance strongly opposes the GFANZ proposal to introduce 'Expected Emission Reductions' (EER) as a metric for transition finance. The organization argues that EER relies on subjective, unprovable counterfactual baselines—similar to the failed logic of carbon offsets—which would allow financial institutions and polluters to manipulate data to justify continued funding for fossil fuels. While Reclaim Finance supports the concept of 'Expected Cumulative Emissions' (ECE) to track alignment with net zero, it warns that 'avoided emissions' metrics are generally unsuitable for climate solutions, except in the specific case of managed phaseouts of high-emission infrastructure like coal plants. The document concludes that instead of creating complex new metrics, financial institutions should improve financed emissions methodologies and adopt robust transition plans including strict exclusion criteria and an end to fossil fuel expansion finance.

India's solar energy is entering an "accelerating growth" phase, with solar and wind projected to meet 66% of power generation growth by FY 2032. While daytime peak demand is increasingly aligned with solar generation, significant challenges remain in managing non-solar hour demand. The report emphasizes that achieving NEP14 targets requires a 36% annual increase in solar capacity additions and a substantial build-out of battery and pumped hydro storage to ensure grid stability and avoid reliance on new coal capacity.

The document details the management cycles and legal deadlines of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), emphasizing the obligation to achieve 'good status' for water bodies and the strict conditions under which deadlines may be extended. It highlights that while the primary deadline for good status was 22 December 2015, extensions for technical feasibility or disproportionate costs are limited until 2027, after which only 'natural conditions' can justify further delays. The paper also addresses the immediate requirement to prevent water deterioration and the inferred deadline of 18 December 2028 for phasing out priority hazardous substances. A case study on mercury pollution in North Rhine-Westphalia illustrates the legal consequences of failing to implement necessary measures to meet these standards.

The report examines South Africa's transition from a coal-dependent energy system to renewable sources, emphasizing the need for a 'just' transition that integrates decarbonization with social justice and industrialization. It analyzes the role of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), the challenges of the national grid, the financial vulnerabilities of municipalities, and the potential for domestic and international climate finance to support the transition.

The report argues that the IFC continues to support coal development in Asia by investing in financial intermediaries, most notably the Postal Savings Bank of China. This mechanism allows the IFC to bypass its public commitments to halt coal financing, resulting in indirect support for 68.3 GW of coal-fired power capacity across China, Indonesia, and Cambodia. The document highlights the Jambi 2 project in Indonesia as a primary example of this 'loophole,' detailing the environmental and health impacts of coal mining and power generation on local communities in Jambi province.

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 report highlights a significant increase in Indonesia's captive coal power capacity, which grew from 1.4 GW in 2013 to 10.8 GW in 2023. This expansion is primarily driven by the metal industry, particularly nickel and aluminium smelters, as part of a national strategy to increase the added value of natural resources. The authors argue that the government's current energy transition efforts focus too narrowly on the utility grid, ignoring the substantial emissions from captive plants. They recommend that the USD 20 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) funding be used to establish a clear retirement pathway for these industrial coal plants to avoid significant health and economic burdens.

The complaint argues that the Java 9 and 10 coal plants, with a combined capacity of 2,000 MW, cause severe environmental and health damage to local communities in Cilegon, Banten. It alleges that the IFC failed in its due diligence and supervision of Hana Bank Indonesia, which provided $56 million in project finance to the developer PT Indo Raya Tenaga despite being a pilot client for the IFC's Green Equity Approach. The complainants highlight deficiencies in the project's Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), including a lack of alternatives analysis, inadequate cumulative impact assessments, and failures in community consultation and displacement mitigation. They seek a full compliance review, redress for harms, and systemic policy changes to eliminate IFC's indirect support for coal.

The report analyzes Indonesia's power sector finance from 2015 to 2021, revealing a significant gap between current renewable energy investment and the USD 16 billion annually required for the NZE 2060 scenario. It highlights a projected annual financing gap of USD 13 billion for renewable generation, particularly in solar and hydro, and recommends policy reforms to divest from fossil fuels and scale up renewable energy infrastructure.

Between 2015 and 2021, Indonesia's power sector tracked USD 35.6 billion in finance, with 58% allocated to renewable energy. While RE finance trended upward after 2016, it faced a setback in 2020 due to COVID-19 and the Omnibus Law. To reach the 2060 NZE target, Indonesia requires USD 16.1 billion in annual financing, leaving a current annual gap of USD 13.1 billion, most notably in solar and wind power.

The report argues that private equity firms have consolidated the disaster restoration market, leading to a decline in workplace standards and community protections. It details systemic wage theft, numerous OSHA safety violations—particularly regarding asbestos—and the paradox of firms profiting from disaster cleanup while owning high-emitting fossil fuel assets. The document calls for legislative action, such as the Climate Resilience Workforce Act, and stricter labor standards for private equity owners.

The report argues that the coal sector is not aligned with 1.5°C targets and poses significant financial risks, including over US$1.4 trillion in potential stranded assets. It recommends that banks immediately cease financing new coal projects and implement a timed escalation strategy to exit coal exposure by 2030 in OECD and European countries, and by 2040 worldwide. Key requirements for coal companies include the adoption of public, asset-by-asset phase-out plans and just transition strategies for workers and the environment.

The document assesses the impact of operating three units at the Kusile power station without Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) from December 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025. It finds that this bypass will lead to a 6-fold increase in SO2 emissions and a 40% increase in mercury emissions, resulting in approximately 670 excess deaths and R16.8 billion in economic health damages. The authors argue that Eskom's own health impact estimates are unrealistically low because they use outdated modeling tools, ignore mercury emissions, and only consider a small 50 km geographic radius.

The policy brief highlights a legal victory in Illinois where a court ordered the removal of 3 million cubic yards of coal ash near the Vermilion River. It argues that this case demonstrates the need for the EPA to close loopholes in its 2015 coal ash regulations, which excluded numerous sites often located in low-income communities and communities of color. While a May 2023 draft rule extends regulations to some previously excluded sites, the document asserts that all toxic coal ash dumps must be regulated to prevent groundwater contamination and health risks.