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Small modular reactors (SMRs) are emerging nuclear energy technologies producing 300 MW or less, offering a potential source of reliable, emission-free electricity for Canada's energy transition. While Canada possesses a strong nuclear industry and uranium reserves, SMRs are currently classified as a 'wild-card' technology due to high costs, regulatory hurdles, and a lack of commercial viability. Despite these challenges, several Canadian provinces and the federal government are investing in SMR development, with projects planned for Ontario, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick.

Onshore wind is a mature, low-cost technology central to Canada's energy transition, though its rapid expansion is hindered by slow regulatory approvals and local resistance.

The document describes onshore wind energy as a mature, cost-effective technology essential for the decarbonization of Canada's electrical grid. It highlights Canada's position as a global leader in installed capacity and identifies regulatory hurdles and social acceptance as the primary barriers to faster deployment.

NGOs BLOOM, ClientEarth, Oceana, and Seas At Risk call on EU Commissioners to finalize the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) revision to remove fuel tax exemptions and release a roadmap for the decarbonisation of the fisheries sector. The letter argues that current subsidies distort the market, favor industrial fleets over small-scale fishers, and contribute to the release of up to 1 gigaton of carbon via bottom trawling. The authors advocate for a just transition that prioritizes low-impact, artisanal fisheries to ensure energy security and the long-term viability of marine resources.

The document examines the feasibility of establishing green hydrogen-based ironmaking in developing nations to export green iron to developed markets. It analyzes technical and market hurdles, such as clean electricity supply and the 'green premium', while proposing commercial structures and financing requirements involving debt and equity to make such projects bankable.

A joint letter from various organisations calling for a 'people first' approach to EU ETS revenues, recommending stricter earmarking rules to prevent fossil fuel lock-in, the phase-out of free allowances for polluters, and the expansion of the Social Climate Fund to protect vulnerable citizens from ETS2 costs.

The report positions the circular economy (CE) as a cornerstone of the green economy, emphasizing that a 'just transition' must balance environmental sustainability with social justice. It identifies systemic barriers to CE adoption, such as reliance on linear models and a growing 'circularity divide' between advanced and developing economies. The document advocates for integrated frameworks, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and specific policy instruments—including green procurement and financial incentives—to drive a regenerative economic system that protects marginalized communities and restores natural ecosystems.

The report analyzes the cost gaps for battery energy storage systems (BESSs), offshore wind, solar PV, electric vehicles (EVs), and green hydrogen (GH2) in India. It finds that while current subsidies are sufficient for solar PV and BESSs, significant additional support is needed for offshore wind, EVs, and GH2. Macroeconomic modeling suggests that bridging these gaps generally boosts GDP and employment, except for GH2, which remains cost-uncompetitive until after 2050.

Zero Carbon Analytics finds that Japanese households with rooftop solar panels would have saved nearly 135% compared to those without in FY 2020, resulting in a net benefit of JPY 37,422 (USD 353). The report argues that Japan, which has the lowest clean energy share among G7 countries, can accelerate its energy transition by leveraging rooftop solar to overcome mountainous terrain constraints. It highlights the role of policy incentives like feed-in-tariffs (FiT) and tax credits in driving adoption in the US, EU, and UK, and suggests that Japan needs low-cost finance to reduce upfront costs and avoid diverting support toward unproven technologies like hydrogen.

The document highlights the significant influence of French banks on the automotive market, noting that five major groups control 34% of leasing contracts. It criticizes these banks for lacking a phase-out date for internal combustion engine rentals and for a low proportion of electric vehicles in their fleets compared to market averages, particularly at BNP Paribas and Société Générale.

The report argues that European oil and gas companies are pursuing LNG projects in Africa that expose host countries to significant financial and environmental risks. Due to delayed revenue-sharing structures and a predicted global LNG supply glut by the 2030s, African states face the prospect of stranded assets and debt traps. The document highlights a contradiction between Europe's domestic decarbonization goals and its promotion of fossil fuel infrastructure in Africa, while noting that high breakeven costs make African producers particularly vulnerable to price competition.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and McKinsey have proposed using 'transition credits' (carbon offsets) to attract finance for the early retirement of coal plants in Asia. Reclaim Finance argues that this approach replicates the failures of the broader offset industry, specifically regarding the inability to prove 'additionality' and the risk of inflated emission reduction estimates. The document asserts that offsets create perverse incentives that may deter governments from enacting national coal phaseout policies or providing concessional finance. It concludes that a successful transition requires increased public concessional funding and accelerated investment in sustainable power alternatives rather than a reliance on tradeable offsets.

The document challenges six common arguments used to justify financial support for gas expansion, asserting that new gas projects are incompatible with a 1.5°C warming limit and that global gas demand will peak by 2030.

The UK government has committed to reducing carbon emissions by 81% from 1990 levels by 2035, aligning with recommendations from the Climate Change Committee. While this ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) signals global leadership at COP29, the author emphasizes that achieving these targets requires active public consent and a dedicated engagement plan to support the rollout of renewable energy and clean power by 2030.

The report details Brazil's recent efforts to institutionalize the bioeconomy under President Lula da Silva, highlighted by the creation of the National Secretariat of Bioeconomy (SNB) and the 2024 National Bioeconomy Strategy. It analyzes the bioeconomy through three lenses: biotechnological, bioresources, and bioecological, noting that the current national strategy primarily aligns with the bioecological vision. The document maps the roles of multiple ministries—including the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA), the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC), and the Ministry of Finance (MF)—in implementing this framework. It also identifies complementary regulations such as the Fuel of the Future Law and the Productive Forests National Program, while emphasizing the upcoming National Bioeconomy Development Plan (PNDBIO) as a key opportunity for cross-sectoral coordination.

The report assesses the renewable energy requirements for decarbonizing the EU steel industry, which currently accounts for approximately 5% of the region's CO2 emissions. It evaluates two primary scenarios based on scrap usage (0% vs 50%) and two value chain routes (EU-based vs imported iron) to determine the necessary scale of renewable electricity and hydrogen production to meet a 55% carbon emission reduction target by 2030.

The document argues that Asia can achieve a more rapid coal phase-out by stopping the construction of new plants, which would allow 90% of the existing fleet to exceed their 20-year investment recovery period by 2040. It critiques co-firing with ammonia or biomass as expensive and marginally effective, while highlighting successful financing models from IEEFA and the Griffith Asia Institute that make early retirement financially viable through renewables bundling and refinancing. The briefing emphasizes that a just transition requires concessional and multilateral financing from developed nations to support coal-dependent communities.

The document argues that while there is growing political and private sector momentum to expand nuclear energy, a massive financing gap persists. It highlights that only 2.5% of annual clean energy investment currently goes to new nuclear capacity, driven by a 'nuclear risk premium' and long development timelines. The authors call for innovative financing mechanisms and government-led risk reduction to unlock the trillions of dollars required to meet the Net-Zero Nuclear Initiative goals.

The document highlights a significant gap in clean energy investment for emerging and developing economies (EMDEs), noting that only 15% of global investment reaches these regions (excluding China). It identifies the primary barrier as an elevated cost of capital—often two to three times higher than in OECD countries—driven by risks such as currency exchange, regulatory uncertainty, and asset expropriation. In Africa, the weighted average cost of capital for power sector projects is 15.6%, making decarbonization prohibitively expensive. The authors argue that COP29 must move beyond pledges toward granular, data-driven plans and bottom-up actions that improve local infrastructure and market performance to make EMDEs more attractive to risk-averse private capital.

The document examines the role of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs) in preventing carbon leakage and reducing emissions, with a primary focus on the EU CBAM. It argues that while the EU CBAM aims to promote global decarbonisation, it may only slightly reduce overall emissions while imposing significant economic burdens on developing nations, potentially costing them billions in income. The briefing highlights a growing, uncoordinated global trend of countries introducing their own carbon tariffs, which risks fragmenting trade and creating high compliance costs for small producers. It concludes that international cooperation, aligned with UNFCCC principles and supported by climate finance, is essential to ensure these mechanisms support global climate goals without unfairly penalising vulnerable economies.