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The document examines the integration of Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) within South Africa's Just Energy Transition (JET) framework. It highlights how decentralised, community-led models can address infrastructure and financial barriers to energy, water, and sanitation access, particularly in coal-dependent regions like Mpumalanga. Using the Nomzamo Agri Village as a case study, the brief demonstrates that ASD promotes decarbonisation and economic empowerment by replacing hazardous energy sources with clean alternatives.

The policy brief outlines the critical role of maritime transport in Africa's blue economy and the threats posed by climate change, including sea level rise and new global emissions regulations. It advocates for a new continental maritime governance framework to coordinate decarbonisation and resilience efforts. Key recommendations include transforming ports into green logistics hubs, implementing climate risk assessments in infrastructure design, and securing sustainable financing for fleet and port modernisation.

The paper provides a comparative analysis of green industrial policies in Brazil and South Africa, focusing on solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind energy. It argues that while market-based mechanisms like auctions attract investment, state-led industrial policies—including localisation requirements and concessional finance—are essential for domestic technological upgrading and job creation. Brazil is highlighted for its relative success in building a domestic wind turbine supply chain through the BNDES and PROINFA, whereas South Africa's progress via the REIPPPP has been hindered by institutional resistance from the state utility Eskom and grid infrastructure bottlenecks. The author concludes that a just transition requires aligning energy procurement with long-term industrial strategies, investing in grid modernization, and leveraging multilateral platforms like BRICS and the G20 to facilitate technology transfer.

The document outlines several voluntary commitments and coalitions aimed at achieving sustainable energy goals. Key initiatives include the Energy Compacts for SDG7, the Just and Inclusive Energy Transition (JIET) Compact endorsed by G20 ministers, and the No New Coal Compact. It also highlights the Council for Critical Minerals Development in the Global South, the 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) Compact, and the Energy Compact on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. Additionally, it mentions Mission 300, a World Bank and African Development Bank initiative to electrify Africa, and global networks like the Cool Coalition and Mission Efficiency.

The report analyzes greenhushing in Colombia's financial sector, identifying key barriers to transparency such as fear of scrutiny over imperfect data, the desire to protect competitive 'know-how', and high market expectations for quantitative metrics. While Colombia's progressive regulation (Circular 031 of 2021) and lack of climate litigation have mitigated some pressures, the document argues that a shift toward flexible, standardized reporting and collaborative regulation is necessary to transform climate transparency into a strategic asset.

The document serves as an educational tool to explain the technical and economic aspects of Colombia's energy system and the transition toward a low-carbon economy. It distinguishes between energy sources and forms, details the electricity value chain, and explains the environmental necessity of decarbonization and 'Net-Zero' goals. The guide emphasizes that a 'just energy transition' requires both a shift in energy sources and a parallel economic transition to ensure labor reconversion and regional sustainability.

The document outlines a process for conducting climate scenario analysis on investment portfolios using a static approach. It employs NGFS scenarios to model the financial impact on sovereign bonds (Colombia and USA) and specific industrial sectors (oil, gas, energy, and cement) from 2025 to 2050. The analysis demonstrates that ambitious climate policies generally decrease the valuation of carbon-intensive sectors like oil and cement due to lower demand and carbon taxes, while benefiting the energy sector. It also shows that orderly transitions tend to lower the risk perception and yields of Colombian sovereign bonds compared to disorderly or delayed scenarios.

Mighty Earth's 2024 review highlights significant private sector shifts, including JBS dropping 705 suppliers linked to deforestation and the postponement of JBS's IPO due to climate concerns. The organization also focused on expanding plant-based protein offerings among major retailers, challenging biomass policies in Japan, and launching a rewilding initiative for mountain lions in the Eastern United States.

India is pursuing a "build now, decarbonize later" strategy in its steel industry, focusing on expanding capacity through emissions-intensive blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) routes. This approach risks creating stranded assets valued between US$124187 billion and locking in high emissions due to a young fleet of blast furnaces. While the government has introduced roadmaps for green steel and energy efficiency, the document argues that deep decarbonization requires a fundamental shift away from coal toward green hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) and increased scrap-based secondary production.

The document outlines the framework for state Clean Electricity Standards (CES), emphasizing that effective policies must be mandatory, technology-inclusive, and ambitious. It contrasts CES with Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) by highlighting the inclusion of clean firm resources like nuclear and carbon capture. The brief details various design options—such as retail sales vs. emission-based standards—and explains how federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) reduce implementation costs. It also discusses advanced features like clean capacity standards and hourly matching to accelerate the deployment of long-duration storage and firm clean power.

Reclaim Finance calls on European financial institutions to phase out financing for metallurgical coal, noting that while some banks have project-level restrictions, many others have no commitments at all. The document highlights that the steel sector can become coal-free by the early 2040s and warns that continuing to fund metallurgical coal is a risky investment given the industry's transition toward cleaner alternatives.

The report presents the business case for limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) as a tool for industry decarbonization. It asserts that LC3 can reduce emissions and provide economic benefits, including rapid payback periods and operational savings, by decreasing the use of carbon-intensive clinker. The findings are based on an analysis of seven scenarios across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Africa.

The report discloses the environmental and social management framework for a 50 MW solar power project in Karnataka, India. Classified as Category B, the project has undergone an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and established an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) to manage risks related to land leasing, labour, and community health. The project will be governed by the Radiance business-specific ESGMS, which aligns with the Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF) and Green Climate Fund (GCF) policies.

RMI has released the Plastics Extrusion and Molding Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Guidance to make emissions associated with plastic products more visible across the supply chain. The guidance aims to help stakeholders demonstrate decarbonization efforts and drive demand for low-emissions plastics. To support this, RMI provides an accompanying data format on GitHub to facilitate the seamless transmission of emissions data between producers, buyers, and consumers. The document notes that emissions vary significantly between and within different plastic resins, and argues that consistent accounting methods are necessary to allow producers to compete on the climate quality of their products.

The report argues that a transatlantic electricity interconnector could enhance grid resilience and efficiency by leveraging the complementarity of time zones and weather patterns between Europe and North America. It highlights that a six-hour time difference creates arbitrage opportunities for solar production and demand, while uncorrelated or negatively correlated wind and temperature patterns can mitigate the impact of extreme weather. The author suggests that such an interconnector could be a more cost-effective tool for security of supply and decarbonisation than alternatives like nuclear power or hydrogen, though it would require significant government support and investment.

Ember modelling indicates that the UK can reduce biomass power generation by 55% to just 2% of total electricity generation by 2030 without compromising grid stability. This low-biomass pathway involves reducing biomass capacity by 2 GW—retaining only the equivalent of one unit at Drax—and replacing the lost generation primarily through increased power imports (6.9 TWh) and a slight increase in gas use (2.9 TWh). The report highlights that biomass power is significantly more expensive than gas or wind, costing £138/MWh under a Contract for Difference, and poses energy security risks due to its total reliance on imports, as Drax consumed 5.8 million tonnes of non-UK wood biomass in 2023. Despite the reduction in biomass, the UK would remain a net exporter of electricity, totaling 60 TWh annually.

The Commission on Nuclear Energy and American Leadership argues that reliable nuclear energy is essential for the US energy future, particularly to meet surging electricity demands from artificial intelligence and to reduce emissions. The report outlines a comprehensive 'game plan' for the next presidential administration, including a 'Day One' mandate to coordinate an all-of-government approach and a detailed set of actions for the first 100 days and first year. Key recommendations include increasing domestic uranium enrichment to end reliance on Russia, deploying advanced reactors for military and government sites, expanding nuclear exports to counter Chinese and Russian influence, and reforming multilateral development banks to support nuclear financing.

The document examines the challenge of carbon leakage, where carbon pricing in one jurisdiction drives emissions to others. It evaluates several policy responses: international carbon pricing frameworks, Border Carbon Adjustments (BCAs), carbon cost containment (such as free allocations in ETS), subsidies, and product standards. Each tool is analyzed based on its effectiveness in preventing leakage, its impact on decarbonization incentives, administrative complexity, and potential conflicts with WTO law or international principles like 'common but differentiated responsibilities'.

The document examines how current electricity rate designs in the U.S. often overcharge heat pump users because their peak demand occurs in winter, while grid peaks typically occur in summer. Using data from NIPSCO in Northern Indiana, the brief demonstrates that aligning rates with the actual cost of service could save electrified customers hundreds of dollars annually. It proposes several rate reform options—including seasonal heating rates, time-varying rates, and separate customer classes—while emphasizing the need for affordability measures for low-income households and the long-term evolution of rates as the grid transitions to clean energy.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are viewed as a potential source of reliable, emissions-free electricity in Canada, capable of replacing fossil-fuel baseload plants and diesel generators in remote areas. While Canada possesses an established nuclear industry and uranium reserves, SMRs are currently classified as 'wild cards' because they are not yet commercially viable and face significant technical, financial, and regulatory hurdles. Current Canadian efforts include a joint strategic plan by Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, with specific projects such as a reactor at the Darlington site and a micro-reactor at Chalk River. However, global examples, such as cancelled projects in the United States, highlight a trend of mounting costs and lengthening timelines that challenge the technology's competitiveness against wind and solar power.