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The report argues that electric vehicles (EVs) can serve as enablers for a new energy paradigm in Southern Africa, shifting the region away from coal and oil dependency. It proposes a 'Southern African Green New Deal' and identifies five systemic innovations: transforming automakers into energy companies, implementing EV-enabled demand-side response services, transitioning consumers to 'prosumers' via peer-to-peer trading, deploying localized distributed energy resource (DER) networks using blockchain, and reskilling the workforce for green jobs. The analysis emphasizes that while South Africa's current grid is coal-heavy, EVs still offer lifecycle GHG reductions and can accelerate the decarbonization of power generation.

Colombia faces challenges from rapid urbanisation and hydroelectric uncertainty while attempting to decarbonise its building sector. Current policies, including building codes and energy efficiency measures, are insufficient to achieve this goal. The document proposes using Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to launch a Net Zero Energy Buildings pilot in social housing, which could reduce emissions, energy poverty, and subsidy payments. While the building sector is not a major emitter, the author suggests that international cooperation and climate finance are necessary to mobilise private capital and align the sector with the Paris Agreement's temperature goals.

The report estimates that a net increase in investment of approximately 66 billion SEK is required to decarbonise Swedish heavy industry by 2045. This includes 50 billion SEK for the four largest emission sources—steel, petrochemicals, refining, and cement—and 15 billion SEK for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the pulp and paper sector to achieve net-zero. The analysis reveals that financing challenges vary by sector: steel and petrochemicals face high capital expenditure (CAPEX) hurdles due to the need for transformative new processes, while cement and refining are primarily constrained by high operational expenses (OPEX) associated with adding CCS. The report argues that while the total costs are manageable compared to other national infrastructure spending, current carbon pricing under the EU ETS is insufficient to drive these investments, necessitating increased public risk-sharing and targeted industrial policy.

The report finds that while renewable electricity generation in the EU is projected to nearly double by 2030, the current National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) are insufficient to meet the EU Commission's recommended 55% emissions reduction target. Seven countries—Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania—are identified as the primary barriers, collectively projected to be responsible for 80% of the EU's power sector emissions by 2030 due to continued reliance on coal and fossil gas.

The report examines the potential for green bonds and other sustainable financial instruments to drive the decarbonization of Mexico's construction sector, highlighting existing certifications, market examples, and regulatory goals.

The document examines the decline of the U.S. coal industry, driven by cheaper alternative energy and rising extraction costs, and the resulting workforce crisis. It evaluates various federal legislative proposals and existing programs aimed at economic diversification, such as the RECLAIM Act and EDA grants. The brief highlights opportunities for transition in renewable energy, energy efficiency, environmental restoration, broadband deployment, and entrepreneurship, emphasizing that a 'just transition' requires a holistic, community-driven approach rather than a simple shift from one single industry to another.

The report finds that while renewable electricity generation in the EU is projected to nearly double by 2030, the region is not on track to meet the European Commission's recommended 55% emissions reduction. Seven countries—Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania—are identified as the primary barriers to the transition, collectively accounting for 80% of projected 2030 power sector emissions.

An analysis of 442 savings funds marketed in France reveals that 86.2% are exposed to companies with critical environmental or social risks, including major greenhouse gas emitters, arms manufacturers, and coal companies. The report highlights a significant gap between French citizens' desire for sustainable investments and the reality of current financial products, noting that 94% of studied ISR-labeled funds still finance these problematic companies. Reclaim Finance calls for mandatory climate requirements for all financial products in France, stricter standards for 'green' or 'sustainable' labels, and the implementation of a 'nutri-score' for financial products to increase transparency.

The policy brief analyzes the socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities of Latin America exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that traditional economic reactivation measures risk perpetuating structural crises and instead proposes a 'just and resilient recovery' based on four principles: climate action, decent employment, social inclusion, and long-term financing. The document outlines four priorities for governments: applying the 'no-regression' principle to avoid environmental deregulation, ensuring short-term measures align with long-term sustainability, maximizing investment in strategic sustainable sectors (such as renewable energy and regenerative agriculture), and increasing systemic resilience through economic diversification and new progress indicators beyond GDP.

Ember argues that National Grid ESO's FES 2020 scenarios for achieving net-zero by 2050 are undermined by an over-reliance on BECCS to offset residual emissions. The briefing highlights that the required scale of BECCS would necessitate converting 1Mha of UK agricultural land to energy crops and potentially 200Mha globally, posing significant risks to biodiversity and food security. Ember contends that the assumption of 'instant' negative emissions is flawed and that relying on BECCS creates a moral hazard, potentially discouraging more ambitious decarbonisation efforts in difficult sectors like aviation and agriculture.

The report identifies a rapid increase in net-zero pledges globally, noting that as of October 2020, these targets cover 826 cities, 103 regions, and 1,565 companies. It argues that the actual ambition of these pledges is often obscured by ambiguous implementation approaches—specifically regarding emission reductions, offsetting, and carbon dioxide removal—and advocates for greater transparency to ensure targets lead to deep decarbonisation.

The report proposes that sub-Saharan African countries utilize COVID-19 recovery stimulus to invest in clean energy technologies. By focusing on short-term, scalable interventions, the region can reduce its dependence on oil imports, stabilize national budgets, and create jobs while moving toward carbon neutrality.

The document analyzes the EU's Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) as a political tool to overcome national resistance to decarbonization, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. By 'rescaling' support to subnational NUTS 3 regions, the EU aims to empower local actors and generate bottom-up support for climate goals. However, the author warns that national governments may act as gatekeepers to funding, and that a regional focus may fail to protect the most vulnerable groups if not paired with broader social policies. The brief also argues for integrating just transition into EU foreign policy to support fossil-fuel-producing countries outside the bloc.

International NGOs are urging France to use its influence to stop Japan from financing new coal power plants, citing three specific projects in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Bangladesh that contradict the 1.5°C climate goal.

A coalition of NGOs calls on France to oppose Japan's presence at the November 2020 Finance in Common Summit unless Japan ends its support for coal. The NGOs highlight that while France has committed to a coal exit, Japan continues to plan 11.9GW of domestic coal capacity and has supported 8.6GW of new coal plants internationally since the Paris agreements. Specifically, the statement identifies three overseas projects currently under consideration: Vung Ang 2 in Vietnam, Indramayu in Indonesia, and Matarbari Phase 2 in Bangladesh.

Iberdrola is a global power utility headquartered in Spain that aims for carbon neutrality in Europe by 2030 and globally by 2050. The company is aggressively expanding its renewable energy capacity, targeting 60 GW by 2025, and investing heavily in smart grids, electric mobility, and green hydrogen. It is a major issuer of green bonds and actively advocates for ambitious global climate policies through partnerships with the UN and the European Union.

The Climate Action Tracker finds that COVID-19 recovery packages in major emitting economies lack detailed green planning, with quantifiable interventions representing only a small fraction of total GDP investments. While the pandemic may lower emissions by 2030, this is attributed to economic downturn rather than structural decarbonisation, leaving global warming projections at 2.9°C based on current policies, far exceeding the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C limit.

The policy brief examines the tension between Africa's need for universal energy access and the competing influences of China's coal-focused Belt and Road Initiative and the EU's green transition strategy. It highlights 'hotspots' of coal development in countries like South Africa and Kenya, noting that social resistance and civil society can halt fossil fuel projects. The author argues that the EU can better compete with China by moving beyond technology transfer to support social innovation, transparency, and mutually respectful business relationships that prioritize local job creation and industrialization over aid.

The document advocates for a transition to zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen and ammonia to address the high emissions of the marine shipping sector, which is identified as a "hard to abate" industry. It details production pathways including electrolysis and gas reforming with carbon capture and storage (CCS), and proposes federal policy interventions such as the American Energy Innovation Act of 2020, production tax credits, and the creation of regional fuel hubs to reduce costs and build necessary infrastructure.

The authors contend that the ocean is a critical but overlooked factor in global health, security, and economic stability. They highlight how climate change drives systemic risks—including sea-level rise, extreme weather, and collapsing fisheries—while asserting that sustainable ocean-based industries like offshore wind and seaweed harvesting can facilitate a transition to a cleaner economy. The text calls for multilateral collaboration and science-based management to ensure the resilience of marine ecosystems and human populations.