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The paper argues that Canada should move beyond textbook definitions of fossil fuel subsidies to evaluate policies based on their consistency with a low-carbon transition, value for money, employment outcomes, and policy fit. It highlights that public investment in long-lived fossil fuel assets now carries significant risk of becoming stranded as global demand for coal, oil, and gas inevitably declines. The authors recommend that Canadian governments pivot economic strategies toward transition-consistent business lines and prioritize the reform of new or highly obstructive measures, such as British Columbia's support for oil, gas, and coal development.

The document identifies systemic barriers to transitioning away from fossil fuels, particularly for countries heavily reliant on oil and gas revenues, such as Canada, Nigeria, and Malaysia. It argues that a successful transition requires multilateral coordination between importers and exporters, collaborative governance frameworks, and a commitment to Just Transition principles to avoid exacerbating global inequalities. Key recommendations include strategic economic diversification, the use of multi-model evidence for planning, and the implementation of restorative justice to address historical harms.

The document argues that because the energy transition is already underway due to technological shifts, countries must proactively plan for a Just Transition to avoid economic dislocation. It highlights opportunities for economic diversification, such as Ghana's investment plan to generate 400,000 net jobs by 2060, and best practices like Brazil's reallocation of petroleum revenues to reforestation. However, it identifies critical barriers, including fiscal dependence on fossil fuels in countries like Azerbaijan (where oil and gas constitute 90% of exports) and a lack of granular data on workforce impacts in Indonesia. The author proposes actionable solutions including the repurposing of coal infrastructure, the expansion of local financing mechanisms, and the anchoring of transition policies in legal frameworks to ensure long-term stability.

The Just Transition Planning Masterclass provided a platform for stakeholders from Kenya, Ghana, Namibia, and Uganda to explore how to manage the socio-economic disruptions of sustainable development transitions. The program combined webinars and an in-person workshop in Nairobi to discuss the definition of a 'just transition', the role of standalone frameworks versus integrated policies, and the impact of colonial resource extraction on current fiscal and governance capacities. Key findings highlight significant barriers to implementation, including a lack of disaggregated data for impact analysis, difficulties in accounting for the informal economy, and limited funding for the social components of transition, such as stakeholder dialogue and re-skilling. The report concludes with a set of best practices for developing holistic impact understandings, enabling participatory decision-making, and ensuring policy cohesion through co-created justice indicators.

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.

The briefing argues that while the transition away from fossil fuels is accelerating due to economic costs, clean energy opportunities, and geopolitical drivers, significant gaps remain in production and emissions. It highlights the vulnerability of fossil-fuel-dependent nations and the need for a 'globally just transition' supported by redirected finance, debt relief, and stronger governance to avoid economic disruption and systemic financial risks.

The document analyzes Nigeria's struggle to balance its economic reliance on oil and gas with climate ambitions. It highlights the risk of 'carbon lock-in' through policies like the Petroleum Industry Act and the fiscal vulnerability of sub-national governments. It proposes shifting from a natural-resource-dependent model to one based on high-value manufacturing and services, leveraging renewable energy and critical minerals like lithium. Key recommendations include developing multi-sectoral transition policies, securing international climate finance, and implementing social protections for displaced workers and the Niger Delta region.

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 report details a workshop in Bonn that brought together over 70 stakeholders to bridge the gap between international Just Transition (JT) negotiations and on-the-ground realities. Key discussions focused on overcoming barriers in the Global South—such as limited technical capacity, fragmented governance, and financial constraints—and the importance of national ownership. The document highlights South Korea's coal phase-out fund as a case study and proposes five key outcomes for the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP), including the establishment of a Global JT Mechanism and the integration of JT into national climate plans like NDCs. Participants emphasized that JT should be framed as a development opportunity and an enabler of climate ambition rather than a cause for delay.

The document argues that fossil fuel production is the primary driver of the climate emergency and must be directly addressed in NDCs to meet the 1.5°C temperature limit. It proposes a comprehensive framework of commitments, including phasing out extraction, ending new licenses, and redirecting subsidies, while emphasizing a just transition for workers and developing nations. The memo justifies these inclusions through the Paris Agreement's purpose, the UNFCCC's precautionary principle, and recent outcomes like the COP28 Global Stocktake.

The document details the third pillar of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, focusing on a global just transition. It advocates for decentralized, people-centered renewable energy systems and the economic diversification of fossil-fuel-dependent nations. The text emphasizes that a successful transition requires wealthy nations to provide financial support and a 'fair share' of effort, while rejecting 'dangerous distractions' like carbon offsets and geoengineering. It calls for a fundamental shift from GDP-driven growth to 'well-being economies' to address the systemic root causes of the climate crisis.

The document outlines how a treaty could address the lack of official governance for a managed transition away from fossil fuels. It proposes three interconnected clusters of financial pathways: debt management to alleviate fiscal constraints, new forms of investment and trade to overcome barriers, and mechanisms to replace fossil fuel revenues at scale and speed. The brief suggests that a treaty could either directly establish these instruments or strengthen existing parallel processes to facilitate fund transfers, transparency, and economic diversification for developing countries.

The proposed Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty aims to unlock finance and technology for an equitable transition to renewable energy and economic diversification. The initiative currently includes 17 countries, 135 cities and subnational governments, and various international figures and organizations. Participation in the initiative carries no immediate financial or legal obligations, allowing nations to help shape the treaty's scope and timeliness for an orderly phase-out of fossil fuels. The document suggests the treaty could serve as a mechanism to meet international law obligations established by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The report critiques neoliberal economics for causing inequality, environmental degradation, and the erosion of democracy. It proposes a transition toward sustainable economies by redefining economic goals to prioritise human needs and planetary limits over profit, advocating for the decentralisation of economic decision-making, the cancellation of ecological debt, and the regulation of corporate power. The authors call for a redesign of global financial and trade institutions, suggesting they be integrated into the United Nations and subordinated to multilateral environmental and human rights treaties.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp economic downturn in the MEFMI region, characterized by contracting GDP growth, widening fiscal deficits, and deteriorating external positions. To mitigate these effects, member states implemented a range of fiscal measures, such as VAT exemptions and social protection transfers, and monetary interventions, including cutting policy rates and reducing statutory reserve requirements. However, these responses, combined with lower revenues and higher borrowing costs, accelerated public debt accumulation and eroded debt-carrying capacity across the region. The document emphasizes the need for sustainable debt management, fiscal buffers, and economic diversification to build resilience against future shocks.

The document examines the complex interactions between international trade, development aid, and security, specifically focusing on how the exploitation of natural resources can fuel violent conflict. It argues that current trade and aid frameworks often exacerbate instability in the 'South' due to inequitable rules, the 'resource curse', and the misuse of assistance. To counter this, the authors propose six policy objectives: designing conflict-sensitive trade and aid policies, restricting the trade of 'conflict resources', fostering responsible business practices, improving domestic governance, and enhancing the management of natural resource and aid revenues.

The document analyzes the responses of ASEAN nations to US tariffs imposed in April 2025. Most members, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, have prioritized negotiation over retaliation due to high export dependence on the US market. Strategies include individual bilateral discussions, a coordinated regional response led by Malaysia (the 2025 ASEAN chair), diversification via the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and BRICS, and internal economic support packages, such as Thailand's 15 billion USD stimulus.

The document examines how valuable minerals can finance violence, trigger local conflicts, and weaken state governance through corruption. It provides lessons learned for development interventions, such as empowering local communities, supporting artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), and promoting corporate responsibility. The toolkit includes a survey instrument for risk assessment and lists USAID contracting mechanisms and international partners to address mineral-related conflict.

The Western Cape is currently caught in a middle-income trap, characterized by slow GDP per capita growth and significant inequality in access to basic services. The document evaluates three scenarios: an 'Inclusive Economy' focusing on basic services and education, a 'Vibrant Economy' focusing on high-level skills and business environment, and an 'Enterprising Cape' which combines both. The analysis finds that while isolated interventions provide some gains, a comprehensive approach is necessary to significantly raise GDP per capita, improve the Human Development Index (HDI), and accelerate the transition to high-income status by the mid-2030s.

The document proposes a comprehensive framework to analyze and overcome the stagnation of growth and development in Africa. It identifies key constraints—including climate, geography, weak governance, and conflict—and organizes a work programme around three linked areas: growth and resources, empowerment and culture, and governance and institutions. The framework emphasizes the need for a "big push" of mutually supporting actions, focusing on private sector-led growth, agricultural improvement, trade diversification, human development, and enhanced transparency in economic governance. It specifically highlights the vulnerability of African economic growth to climate change and the necessity of increasing concessional resources and aid effectiveness to support these goals.