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This report by Ember analyzes the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of EU countries to assess the trajectory of the EU power sector toward 2030. It finds that while renewable energy is expected to grow, the EU is not on track to meet the European Commission's recommended 55% emissions reduction target due to slow fossil fuel phase-outs and insufficient wind and solar deployment, particularly in seven specific member states.

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) examines the opportunities for using green bonds to finance sustainable construction in Mexico. It details the current state of the market, national climate commitments, specific financial instruments like CKDs and FIBRAS, and the certification proxies accepted under the Climate Bonds Standard for residential and commercial buildings.

This policy brief by the Latinoamérica Sostenible alliance argues that Latin American governments must shift their economic development 'recipe' following the COVID-19 pandemic. It proposes a 'just and resilient recovery' framework that integrates economic, social, and environmental goals to avoid repeating the mistakes of the 2008 financial crisis and to reduce the region's vulnerability to climate change and primary-commodity dependence.

This policy brief examines how the European Union (EU) Green Deal operationalizes the concept of 'just transition' through a territorial approach. It analyzes the use of the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) to engage subnational carbon-intensive regions, aiming to bypass national-level political resistance to carbon neutrality by 2050. The author identifies several risks, including the potential for national governments to block funding, the lack of monitoring for vulnerable groups, and the need for the EU to address the global geopolitical impacts of decarbonization on fossil fuel-producing countries.

This case study describes a pilot project by HT Energy (S) Sdn Bhd (HTES) to install a 2.88 kWp solar-powered hydrogen generation system at the Long Loyang Clinic in Sarawak, Malaysia. The system is designed to replace irregular and costly diesel power, providing 24/7 electricity for essential medical services, including refrigeration for vaccines and medicines.

This executive summary outlines a framework for identifying trustworthy financial activities that support a low-carbon transition aligned with the Paris Agreement. It introduces a 'Transition label' to distinguish genuine decarbonization efforts from 'greenwashing' and provides a classification system for entities and economic activities based on their compatibility with a 1.5°C warming limit.

This executive summary by the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines a framework for 'transition finance' to support the shift toward an environmentally friendly economy. It establishes five core principles to ensure that transition-related financial instruments are credible and aligned with the Paris Agreement, specifically targeting a 1.5°C warming limit and net-zero emissions by 2050.

This report summarizes discussions on the Government of India's economic recovery package announced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyzes the package's composition, its focus on supply-side measures, and provides specific recommendations for 'greening' the stimulus to align economic recovery with environmental sustainability and climate goals.

This briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the development of green banking in China, highlighting the role of the 'Big Four' state-owned banks and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). It analyzes the growth of green credit portfolios, the effectiveness of top-down policy incentives from the People's Bank of China (PBoC), and the financial performance of green loans compared to traditional loans. The document also identifies systemic barriers to scaling green finance, including insufficient risk modeling and the perceived trade-off between green investment and short-term profitability.

This policy brief examines the rolling blackouts in California during a historic heat wave in August 2020, arguing that the outages were caused by a combination of extreme weather and insufficient resource capacity rather than the state's clean energy goals. The author contends that a diverse portfolio of flexible, clean resources—including battery storage and green hydrogen—is essential for 21st-century grid resilience against climate-driven extreme weather.

This policy brief by RMI argues that New York State should prioritize energy efficiency and electrification over new gas infrastructure following the rejection of the Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline. It contends that expanding gas capacity is incompatible with the state's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and that demand-side investments are the most cost-effective way to ensure energy reliability and meet decarbonization targets.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the air conditioning (AC) sector in Brazil, focusing on the impact of the Zona Franca de Manaus (ZFM) industrial policy. It argues that current tax incentives and the Basic Productive Process (PPB) requirements hinder energy and productive efficiency, leading to products with outdated technology and a deterioration in production indicators between 2003 and 2015.

This briefing by Energy Innovation examines the role of offshore wind in achieving zero-emissions climate goals, focusing on cost reductions, technological advancements like floating turbines, and policy recommendations for the United States to scale its capacity.

This report argues that establishing a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) in the Southeast U.S. could reduce electricity costs by 29% and emissions by 37% by 2040. It recommends a combination of full market restructuring, the adoption of all-source procurement, and the integration of distributed energy resources to achieve these goals. The authors also emphasize the need for 'just transition' policies to support coal-impacted communities by leveraging the fact that most coal plants have cheaper renewable alternatives within 35 miles.

This report examines the evolving role of private financial institutions in the low-carbon transition, analyzing the regulatory, policy, and market pressures driving the alignment of portfolios with the Paris Agreement and the structural barriers that limit the sector's influence on the real economy.

This report by RMI argues that US cities require immediate federal aid to manage the impacts of COVID-19 and subsequent strategic stimulus investments to transition toward a green economy.

This working paper analyzes the demonstration phase of the HYBRIT project, which aims to decarbonize the steel industry using a hydrogen direct reduction (HD-R) process. The authors compare small-scale pilot plants with large-scale demonstration plants, concluding that larger plants are more effective for securing financing, permitting, and business models, despite higher regulatory risks.

This policy brief by Energy Innovation examines how the transition to clean energy challenges traditional 'resource adequacy' planning—the process of ensuring grid operators have sufficient resources to balance supply and demand. The author argues that historical planning paradigms, which rely on dispatchable fossil fuel plants and simple peak-demand metrics, are becoming inadequate as variable renewable energy (VRE) and distributed energy resources (DERs) increase. The document warns that fossil fuel incumbents are leveraging these reliability concerns to protect their market share and slow decarbonization, urging climate advocates to promote more granular, flexible, and holistic planning models.

This World Resources Institute research paper provides a framework for countries to design and communicate net-zero GHG targets. It emphasizes the need for comprehensive, sector-wide targets with ambitious time frames—especially for major emitters—and argues that targets should be legally binding and informed by stakeholder engagement to ensure a just transition. The paper advocates for prioritizing domestic reductions over international transfers and integrating long-term net-zero goals into near-term policies and NDCs.

This policy report from the Stockholm Environment Institute outlines seven essential principles for achieving a just transition to a low-carbon economy, emphasizing the need for parallel implementation of these principles to ensure equity for people and regions dependent on carbon-intensive industries.