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The document argues that the 2026 JTWP dialogues should be structured around international cooperation, technical assistance, capacity-building, and knowledge sharing to inform the design of the Just Transition Mechanism. Drawing on research from the Global South, it highlights critical gaps in financing for social protection, the risks of extractive dynamics in critical mineral supply chains, and the need for technology co-development rather than simple transfer. It specifically identifies needs for better disaggregated data in countries like Uganda and Kenya, and the risk of 'greening elsewhere' in Indonesia due to coal-powered nickel smelting.

The report argues that the EU's energy security, particularly regarding natural gas, cannot be solved by a 'magic bullet' but requires a combined approach of supply-side and demand-side measures. While LNG and internal market infrastructure reduce vulnerability to supply disruptions, demand-side actions like energy efficiency and renewables are essential to reduce the overall cost of imports and long-term dependency. The analysis highlights that Central and Eastern European Member States remain particularly vulnerable to Russian supply cuts, but that decarbonization goals in the power sector do not necessarily conflict with gas security due to the sector's fuel-switching capabilities. The report concludes that the EU should set ambitious, quantifiable energy efficiency and renewable targets to reinforce its strategic resilience.

Climate Strategies proposes that the EU 2030 framework must move beyond a single greenhouse gas target to a three-pillar system: standards and engagement (Pillar I), markets and pricing (Pillar II), and strategic investment for innovation (Pillar III). The authors argue that relying on any single pillar is self-defeating and that a hybrid price-and-quantity instrument for the EU ETS is necessary to provide the stability required to attract institutional investment. This framework is presented as a means to stimulate economic growth and utilize surplus private capital for low-carbon infrastructure.

The document examines Azerbaijan's transition from a fossil-fuel-dependent economy to one incorporating renewable energy, highlighting the role of COP29 as a catalyst for climate ambition. It identifies key risks, such as the economic reliance on oil rents and the potential for renewables to merely supplement rather than replace hydrocarbons. The author recommends developing a targeted energy transition strategy, protecting vulnerable groups from subsidy removals, and increasing private sector competition to ensure a just and sustainable transition.

Trinidad and Tobago is transitioning from an economy where energy products account for approximately 37% of gross domestic output toward a low-carbon model. The country currently relies on 100% natural gas for power generation but has set a target of 30% renewable energy production by 2030 and a conditional 15% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 from a 2013 baseline. The briefing argues that integrating renewables would allow the state to divert natural gas to downstream petrochemical production, increasing revenue and lowering the carbon footprint compared to combustion. Key obstacles include low electricity tariffs (0.055 USD/kWh) that deter renewable investment and the risk of punitive measures from the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on petrochemical exports. The authors recommend a comprehensive decarbonisation roadmap incorporating distributional, procedural, and recognitional energy justice to protect vulnerable populations and ensure equitable participation.

The document describes the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP), established at COP27, as a people-centred approach to climate action aimed at reducing inequality while building climate resilience. It highlights that while COP28's Global Stocktake emphasised a "swift, just, and equitable transition," specific details on fund mobilisation for Loss & Damage remained unaddressed. The SB60 conference is set to host the first dialogue under the UAE JTWP to identify pathways for the Paris Agreement via national adaptation plans and low-emission strategies. Further detailed discussions on policy commitments, financial reform, and the integration of just transition principles into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) are deferred to COP29.

The document identifies specific steel clusters in India—including Angul, Rourkela, Raigarh, Raipur, Jamshedpur, Durgapur, and Vizag—and assesses their CO2 emissions against available storage capacities in saline aquifers, coal fields, and basalt formations. It provides a comparative list of global operational CCUS projects and outlines the regulatory and financial support mechanisms for CCUS in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and China.

The document defines guarantees as instruments that transfer risk from transaction parties to third parties, such as multilateral development banks or governments, to lower borrowing costs and crowd in private capital. It details the types of risks covered—commercial, political, and market—and identifies key sectors for application, including energy, climate-resilient infrastructure, agriculture, and green manufacturing. The guide outlines the internal and regulatory capacities governments need to act as either beneficiaries or guarantors, categorizes financial market readiness into shallow, emerging, and mature markets, and discusses challenges such as time horizon misalignments and a lack of bankable project pipelines.

The report evaluates the evolution of NDCs for a diverse set of countries, scoring them on needs scope, granularity, timeframe, conditionality, implementation readiness, private sector mobilization, and alignment with national plans. It highlights varying levels of progress, with some countries like Nepal and Moldova showing strong improvements in costing and private sector strategies, while others like Andorra and Singapore maintain gaps in quantified financial needs.

The fact sheet outlines how a California green bank could accelerate decarbonization in the transportation sector, which contributes roughly 40 percent of the state's GHG emissions. It proposes interventions across four areas: passenger vehicles, zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure, goods movement, and regional planning. Key proposed mechanisms include providing credit enhancements to expand private lending for low-carbon vehicles and heavy-duty trucks, coordinating risk and financing for EV infrastructure to overcome the 'chicken-and-egg' challenge of adoption versus availability, supporting at-scale innovative freight infrastructure, and financing projects to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT).

The report analyzes how the EU chemical sector has avoided the costs of carbon pollution through free allowances under the EU ETS, noting that 98% of emissions since 2013 were covered. It highlights that the sector remains a major emitter, with emissions increasing in 2024, and that the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) currently only covers a small fraction of the industry. The author argues that this system protects polluters and hinders decarbonization, specifically citing BASF as an example of a company receiving more allowances than it needs while opposing carbon costs. The report recommends a clear phase-out timeline for free allowances, more ambitious benchmarking, and the introduction of decarbonization conditionalities.

A joint statement from NGOs (GLOBAL 2000, WWF, VCÖ) to the Austrian Environment Minister calling for the EU's Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) to be revised with higher emission reduction targets, updated baselines, and the closure of forestry and ETS loopholes to meet Paris Agreement goals.

A coalition of environmental organizations calls on the chair of the Environment Council to increase the ambition of the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) and ensure robust accounting for land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF). The authors argue that the current ESR proposal is inconsistent with the Paris Agreement and propose specific reforms, including higher emission reduction targets, the removal of forestry and ETS loopholes, and the implementation of stricter governance and compliance mechanisms.

The Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) is the EU's primary instrument for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in sectors not covered by the Emissions Trading System (ETS), accounting for approximately 60% of total EU emissions. For the 2021-2030 period, the ESR sets an overall target of -30% compared to 2005 levels, with individual Member State targets ranging from -40% to 0% based on GDP per capita. The regulation covers transport (35%), buildings (25%), agriculture (17%), industry (16%), and waste (5%). To ensure compliance, the ESR utilizes Annual Emission Allocations (AEA) and various flexibility mechanisms, including banking, borrowing, and trading units between countries, though some are criticized as 'loopholes' that may undermine decarbonization.

The Social Climate Fund (SCF) is an EU initiative designed to mitigate the social impacts of the new Emissions Trading System (ETS2), which applies carbon pricing to fuels used in buildings and road transport. Operating from 2026 to 2032, the fund will provide approximately €86.7 billion in targeted support for lower-income groups and micro-enterprises. Member states must submit Social Climate Plans (SCPs) by June 2025 to access funding, which is allocated based on need. While the SCF supports investments in energy-saving renovations and zero-emission transport, it is limited to alleviating new poverty risks and is deemed insufficient to address the root causes of existing energy and transport poverty in Europe. The document recommends increasing available funds, avoiding fossil fuel lock-in by prohibiting 'low-emission' fossil-based investments, and ensuring earlier fund availability through loans.

A joint statement from NGOs urging the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) to implement the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as a direct alternative to EU ETS free allowances and indirect cost compensation to maintain decarbonisation incentives.

The document argues against a proposed one-year postponement of ETS2, stating it would delay climate action and cost Member States €50 billion in lost auction revenues. The signatories call for the Social Climate Fund to begin in full-size in 2026, the application of its spending principles to the Frontloading Facility, and the submission of ambitious Social Climate Plans by Member States, specifically mentioning Denmark, France, and Germany. They further propose uncapping the fund, linking it to actual carbon revenues, and extending it beyond 2032 to support vulnerable households and micro-enterprises.

An open letter calling for a transformative Social Climate Fund (SCF) to address energy poverty and climate goals in Europe, arguing that the fund must have a flexible, non-capped budget linked to ETS revenues and carbon prices to ensure a just transition.

The report argues that climate change will increasingly exacerbate risks to US national security by intensifying physical impacts and mounting geopolitical tensions over the energy transition. It identifies a likely increase in cross-border conflicts over water and migration, strategic competition in the Arctic, and the risk of unilateral solar geoengineering. The document highlights 11 highly vulnerable countries and two regions (Central Africa and Pacific island states) where climate-induced instability may necessitate increased US diplomatic, humanitarian, and military resources. It also notes that current global policies are insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals, leading to competition over critical minerals and technologies.

This guide outlines strategies for legal professionals to drive corporate climate action. It focuses on four key areas: enhancing corporate governance by tying executive pay to climate targets and diversifying boards; managing external counsel to ensure alignment with decarbonization; incorporating climate risk and emissions data into legal contracts and financial instruments; and navigating evolving environmental regulations.