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As of September 30, 2022, the cumulative issuance of GSS+ bonds exceeded $3.5 trillion, with green bonds surpassing $2 trillion. While the market saw a decline in Q3 2022 compared to previous periods due to geopolitical and macroeconomic factors, green bonds remained the dominant type, accounting for 52% of issuance year-to-date. International organizations are the largest issuers, and the market is heavily concentrated in Euro, US Dollar, and RMB denominations. A dedicated section highlights the Middle East and Africa market, which has reached $33.3 billion in cumulative issuance, characterized by a high proportion of green bonds and sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs).

The document establishes a framework for Coal Transition Mechanisms (CTMs) to ensure they deliver real emissions savings, align with 1.5°C goals, and support a just transition. It outlines eight specific guidelines across four 'stage gates': plant eligibility, transition pathways, social protection, and accountability. The framework is illustrated through a real-world case of ratepayer-backed bond securitization in the United States and hypothetical scenarios involving a sovereign sustainability-linked bond in Indonesia and a managed transition vehicle for an Independent Power Producer (IPP).

The document identifies critical gaps in the support system for Local Green Entrepreneurs (LGEs) in South Africa, specifically highlighting that while SMMEs contribute to carbon reduction, they face significant 'green funding gaps'. It argues that current policies, such as the Draft SMME and Cooperative Funding Policy, fail to explicitly recognize LGEs. The brief identifies five 'signature issues', including the limited risk appetite of funders and compliance-driven ESG requirements. To address these, it recommends the development of a Green Economy Framework, the use of credit guarantee schemes like the sefa Innovation Fund, and the reduction of bureaucratic 'red tape' in certification processes to foster a more inclusive green recovery.

The report examines the impact of global decarbonisation on Africa's natural gas sector, distinguishing between existing and emerging producers. It argues that faster global transitions to net-zero emissions will reduce LNG demand and prices, creating 'external' climate transition risks that threaten the viability of future projects. The analysis suggests that domestic demand is an insufficient hedge against these risks due to regulated low prices and the increasing competitiveness of renewable energy. Emerging producers are identified as particularly vulnerable due to weaker sovereign credit ratings and the timing of their infrastructure investments.

Between October 2021 and September 2022, wind and solar energy became the primary source of electricity in Chile, accounting for 27.5% of generation and surpassing coal at 26.5%. This shift follows a period of rapid growth where wind and solar generation doubled between 2018 and 2021. Since 2016, these renewable sources have fully met the growth in electricity demand, contributing to a 6% reduction in annual CO2 emissions between 2016 and 2021 despite an 11% increase in demand. The report highlights Chile's progress toward its goals of 80% renewable electricity by 2030 and a zero-emissions grid by 2050, noting the closure of 8 coal plants as part of a broader decarbonization plan.

Reclaim Finance expresses skepticism regarding Climate Finance Day 2022, arguing that major French banks and insurers are failing to align with scientific recommendations to end oil and gas expansion. While 15 investors have adopted exclusion policies, heavyweights like BNP Paribas and AXA are criticized for relying on decarbonization targets or limited exclusions rather than full exits from new fossil fuel projects.

The document contends that Canada's oil and gas industry, bolstered by windfall profits, should fund its own decarbonization rather than relying on public subsidies. It highlights that current government supports, such as those for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), often fail to yield meaningful emissions reductions and may even enable increased production. The author argues that public funds would be more effectively spent on proven low-carbon technologies like renewable energy and grid electrification to meet Canada's 2030 climate targets and ensure long-term energy security.

The briefing posits that green hydrogen is transitioning from pilot projects to the creation of niche markets (Phase 3 of the S-curve), which will lead to mass-market adoption as costs fall. It highlights scaling production, expanding demand in heavy industry, and the role of policy support in driving this acceleration.

The author uses recent heatwaves and wildfires in Europe to illustrate how climate change exacerbates air pollution and health issues. The text details a feedback loop where petrochemical production leads to plastic pollution, which in turn releases methane and ethylene, harms soil carbon absorption, and disrupts marine food production. It concludes by highlighting the need for holistic legislation, citing the European Union's decarbonization strategy, a proposed UN global treaty on plastic waste, and updates to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

The study assesses decarbonisation pathways for Ulaanbaatar's heating sector, finding that solar assisted ground source heat pumps (SAGSHP) are more cost-effective and less electricity-intensive than full electrification. While SAGSHP increases fixed costs by 30%, it reduces total costs by 9% due to lower electricity demand and reduced requirements for power capacity and grid expansion. The authors argue that reducing the burden on the power sector is essential to decouple heat and power supply and facilitate the penetration of renewables.

A coalition of environmental and industry organisations calls on the European Commission to finalise the RFNBO delegated act, arguing that regulatory certainty is essential for the renewable hydrogen industry and that strict additionality and correlation rules are necessary to ensure genuine decarbonisation.

Türkiye can reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels for power generation from 50% in 2021 to less than 25% by 2030 by accelerating the deployment of solar and wind energy. Achieving this requires reaching 40 GW of solar and 30 GW of wind capacity by 2030, which would result in these sources providing 34-38% of total power generation. This transition is framed as a means to both achieve the 2053 net zero target and improve energy independence and trade balances.

Low-temperature industrial heat (up to 165C) accounts for approximately 35 percent of U.S. industrial process heat demand and produced 171 million metric tons of CO2 in 2021. Industrial heat pumps are identified as the most efficient and cost-effective zero-carbon solution for this range, outperforming alternatives like electrolytic hydrogen, bioenergy, and carbon capture and sequestration. Modeling suggests that a full transition to heat pumps by 2050 would reduce industry GHG emissions by 284 MMT (16 percent) relative to a business-as-usual case and prevent over 3,000 premature deaths by 2050. Economically, this shift could increase U.S. GDP by over $42 billion in 2030 and create 275,000 jobs in 2030. While heat pumps have higher capital costs than natural gas technologies, the gap is small and likely narrowing due to rising natural gas prices and falling electricity costs. The report recommends federal financial support via the DOE's AMMTO and IEDO offices, as well as the implementation of technology-neutral energy efficiency and GHG emission standards.

The paper examines how multilateral development banks (MDBs) use policy-based operations (PBOs)—unearmarked budget support provided in exchange for policy reforms—and finds that current risk screening is insufficient to prevent these operations from undermining climate goals. Through an analysis of 126 PBOs and six case studies, the authors argue that policy actions can create path dependence in fossil-fuel-reliant activities and delay urgent climate spending. The document recommends that MDBs integrate long-term climate risks into macro-fiscal assessments, include at least one climate results indicator in every PBO, and provide more concessional finance, such as grants, to support ambitious climate action in vulnerable countries.

Distributed energy resources (DERs), such as rooftop solar, batteries, and electric vehicles, offer US communities opportunities to lower utility bills, increase grid resilience, and generate revenue. The document highlights the role of the Inflation Reduction Act and FERC Order No. 2222 in reducing costs and allowing DER aggregations to participate in wholesale energy markets. It recommends that local governments utilize aggregation, demand response, and federal funding tools to maximize these benefits.

The document outlines the need for co-created transition pathways for the UK's oil and gas sector to align with net-zero emissions goals, presenting results from a May 2022 workshop that examined a "median anticipated pathway" and a "rapid exit" scenario.

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) is a flexible economic initiative launched by the United States in May 2022 with 13 partner countries. Organized into four pillars—connected economy, resilient economy, clean economy, and fair economy—the framework avoids traditional tariff liberalization to prevent domestic political backlash. Early analysis suggests waning enthusiasm among partners, with some countries requesting transition periods for binding commitments and critics arguing that the lack of U.S. concessions on market access reduces the framework's credibility. While the U.S. aims to reassert influence in the region through technical assistance in decarbonization and digital standards, the durability of the IPEF remains uncertain as partners await tangible outcomes.

Carbon Market Watch argues that including international maritime transport in the EU ETS is essential for sector decarbonisation given the lack of progress at the International Maritime Organisation. The organization recommends covering 100% of international voyages to and from the European Economic Area, starting in 2024, and expanding the scope to include non-CO2 gases and vessels from 400 to 5,000 gross tonnage. It further advocates for the removal of exemptions for outermost regions and specific vessel types, and the creation of an Ocean Fund to receive 75% of generated revenues to support zero-carbon fuels and energy efficiency.

The European Central Bank (ECB) introduced criteria on September 19, 2022, to decarbonize its corporate asset purchases starting October 1, but Reclaim Finance contends these measures are inadequate. The ECB's scoring grid, based on climate reporting and targets, allows for 'tilting' rather than exclusion, meaning fossil fuel developers and massive emitters can still be included in purchase programs. The document highlights a lack of transparency regarding Paris Agreement benchmarks and compares the ECB's approach to a similar, unsuccessful methodology used by the Bank of England in 2021. The author concludes that the ECB is prioritizing market neutrality over carbon neutrality and failing to align its actions with EU climate goals.

The document identifies industrial heat as a significant contributor to global energy demand and proposes 'Heat as a Service' (HaaS) to address the high capital costs and low returns associated with sustainable heat solutions. Under HaaS, a third party invests in and operates low-carbon assets, selling the resulting energy via long-term agreements.