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The IISD welcomes Canada's draft regulations for an oil and gas pollution cap, noting that the sector accounts for 31% of Canada's total emissions. While supporting the cap-and-trade system to drive decarbonization and net-zero goals by 2050, the IISD warns that a proposed 'decarbonization program' could lead to double-counting of emissions reductions. The organization advocates for the continued exclusion of international carbon offsets and the use of only real, additional, and verifiable domestic offsets.

The research examines how CCUS deployment in the U.S. power sector affects air pollution and energy costs, finding that the outcomes depend on the underlying policy and that Black and low-income populations experience the most significant impacts.

The briefing outlines a three-part agenda for the next US administration to maintain the momentum of its green industrial strategy. It emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between initial investment and long-term economic stability by streamlining permitting, diversifying supply chains to reduce reliance on China, and ensuring that clean energy benefits reach low-income and legacy industrial communities. The author advocates for a 'private-sector-led, government-enabled' framework supported by strategic governance mechanisms to ensure the US remains a global leader in cleantech innovation and manufacturing.

The document analyzes the role of voluntary sustainability standards in the mining sector, categorizing them by focus (supply chain, performance, and principle-based) and scope. It argues that while these standards cannot replace robust regulation, they can complement it by filling regulatory gaps, providing a foundation for new laws, or serving as proof of compliance. The briefing highlights a trend toward harmonization, exemplified by the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI), and emphasizes the importance of third-party certification and multistakeholder governance for credibility. It concludes with recommendations for governments to engage in standards development and align national regulations with emerging sustainability issues to attract investment.

South Africa is transitioning from a coal-dependent economy to a low-carbon one, utilizing frameworks like the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). However, the implementation phase reveals a significant disconnect between national/international actors—who prioritize emission reductions and energy security—and local communities, who prioritize employment, basic services, and poverty alleviation. Key barriers include insufficient subnational institutional capacity, rigid financial mechanisms unsuitable for high-risk systemic change, and a lack of transparency in selecting project beneficiaries. The document specifically highlights green hydrogen as a potential new value chain, though its viability is currently hindered by high costs and the perception of just transition elements as additional financial burdens rather than core objectives.

South Africa is transitioning from just transition planning to implementation, facing a misalignment between national ambitions and local priorities. Key obstacles include limited subnational institutional capacity, inadequate financing mechanisms for transformative projects, and a lack of transparent decision-making in resource allocation. The document emphasizes that failing to address these gaps and local developmental needs may undermine public support for the energy transition.

The document examines South Africa's transition from coal, noting that while the country is a global leader in planning, it faces significant implementation hurdles. Key issues include a misalignment between the low ambitions of national government and foreign funders versus the high expectations of local communities and unions. The brief identifies limited local institutional capacity and inadequate conventional financing as major barriers. It specifically discusses green hydrogen projects, where social goals are often treated as secondary to cost and technical feasibility. The authors argue that transparent decision-making and addressing local priorities—such as basic services and food security—are essential to maintain public legitimacy and ensure the transition's success.

The report examines how emerging technologies are being integrated into the civil nuclear sector to support the goal of tripling nuclear capacity by 2050. It highlights US-led diplomatic initiatives like the FIRST program, which promotes the export of next-generation reactors to counter Russian and Chinese influence. The text details technical advancements in neutron detection by the Bay Area Neutron Group and the IAEA's use of AI and satellite imagery for safeguards. It further explores the symbiotic relationship between AI and nuclear energy, where advanced reactors provide stable power for AI data centers while AI optimizes reactor design and safety through physics-informed machine learning and digital twins.

The briefing finds that while net zero commitments among the top 50 steel producers have slightly increased, half of these companies still lack a 2050 target, and 23 lack concrete intermediate milestones. Transparency remains low, with only 15 companies defining their emission scopes. The report highlights the 2023 launch of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) steel sector guidance as a key tool for improving target transparency and ambition, citing SSAB and Thyssenkrupp as early adopters.

The document argues that Southeast Asian electricity market designs are anchored in an outdated fossil-fuel paradigm and require core redesign to leverage the cost-effectiveness of renewables. It focuses on four key economies—Indonesia, Thailand, Viet Nam, and the Philippines—noting that variable renewables contribute less than 5% of total power generation in most of the region, except for Viet Nam. The report proposes five interlinked objectives for renewables-ready power systems: long-term investment certainty, enhanced system flexibility, safeguarded system adequacy, managed retirement of carbon-intensive assets, and consumer affordability.

The study finds that the average WACC for African countries (15.6%) is significantly higher than the 10% uniform value often used in planning, with Eastern Africa facing the highest costs. This high cost of capital, driven by low economic development and high risk premiums, disproportionately affects capital-intensive clean energy projects. The authors argue that relying on uniform WACC values misguides policy and recommend localized data and risk-mitigation instruments to attract private investment.

The report updates a 2021 map of advanced nuclear projects, noting an increase from over 30 to nearly 80 demonstrations globally. While North America has seen significant commercial deals and licensing milestones, China and Russia lead in actual construction and operation. The authors argue that the U.S. must accelerate federal support for fuel supply and licensing to avoid falling further behind in a geopolitical and clean energy race.

The report argues that clean electrification is essential for UK energy security, as the transition to electric vehicles and heat pumps significantly reduces overall energy demand and fossil fuel imports. It highlights that the UK's power sector has become more efficient as wind and solar displace coal and gas, and that electrification currently reduces fossil fuel demand four times more than the additional electricity demand it creates.

The document presents case studies on Chile, Indonesia, and South Africa, focusing on how these nations balance the global demand for critical minerals with the need to decarbonize their mining sectors. It assesses the economic weight of mining, country-level greenhouse gas emissions, and the national policies used to align mining activities with international climate commitments and the Paris Agreement.

A joint open letter from civil society organizations criticizes the Draghi report for neglecting the societal and environmental costs of the chemicals industry, misrepresenting EU regulatory processes like REACH, and overlooking the availability of safer alternatives to PFAS.

The DRC and Zambia are attempting to transition from extractive economies to value-added battery producers to support the global green transition. While they possess critical reserves of cobalt and copper, their efforts are complicated by a history of privatization, problematic governance, and a geopolitical tug-of-war between the USA and China. To succeed, both nations must expand local processing capacity and improve infrastructure, such as the Lobito Corridor, while managing the social and environmental impacts of mining.

The document examines industrialisation trends in Africa, identifying South Africa, Morocco, and Egypt as leaders while highlighting the challenges of commodity dependence and premature deindustrialisation. It analyzes specific success stories in Ethiopia's textiles, Rwanda's ICT, and Ghana's automotive sectors, and argues for structuralist policies and increased EU support for green industries and climate finance to accelerate the transition.

The document argues that the EU lacks a long-term strategy for green and social investment, which threatens its competitive edge and the success of the Clean Industrial Deal. The authors call for a comprehensive investment package—including a greener EU budget and a successor to the Next Generation EU programme—to mobilise public and private resources for climate neutrality, biodiversity preservation, and industrial transformation.

The document explores transition finance as a tool for emerging and developing economies, particularly in Asia, to decarbonise high-emitting sectors that struggle to meet strict green finance criteria. It analyses the taxonomies of Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and ASEAN, while highlighting risks of 'transition-washing' and the need for science-based targets and independent verification to ensure alignment with 1.5°C pathways.

The report examines the socio-ecological impacts of energy plantation forests (HTE) in Java, specifically in Sukabumi, Grobogan, and Bojonegoro. It argues that Perhutani uses the narrative of 'critical land' and 'energy transition' to reclaim land from local farmers, effectively continuing a history of agrarian extraction. The study finds that the introduction of biomass crops like gamal and kaliandra restricts community access to food and fuel, transforms these species into 'flex trees' for industrial profit, and employs local labor under precarious, low-wage conditions. The document concludes that these projects often fail economically while exacerbating land conflicts and environmental degradation, recommending a shift toward genuine forestry land reform.