Search Climate Insights Directory

Uber transitioned from a market disruptor to a government partner in London by implementing a Clean Air Fee, negotiating vehicle discounts, and investing in charging infrastructure to help self-employed drivers adopt EVs. This local strategy, sparked by the introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), informed Uber's global goal to become a zero-emission mobility platform by 2040.

The report finds that while the Chilean light-duty vehicle fleet achieved a record-high average fuel economy of 16.9 km/lge in 2025, only 45% of importers complied with the required standard. Compliance was largely driven by a threefold multiplier for plug-in vehicles, as actual sales-weighted fuel economy without the incentive was lower than the 18.8 km/lge target. Despite a 200% increase in available battery electric vehicle (BEV) models and a 26% price drop for top-selling BEVs, the BEV market share remained stagnant at 2.2% between 2024 and 2025. The report notes a 3% reduction in CO2 emissions from vehicles sold since 2023 and an estimated saving of 9.1 million litres of gasoline.

Kenya faces a significant economic burden from fossil fuel imports and subsidies despite having a nearly 90 percent renewable electricity grid. The report argues that transitioning away from fossil fuels is an economic imperative, as revenues from potential oil and coal projects are insufficient to address the national debt. It proposes a three-step pathway: immediate integration of phase-out plans, short-to-medium term divestment and investment in high-growth sectors (renewable energy, e-mobility, climate-smart agriculture, green manufacturing, and the digital economy), and long-term decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors. The document also highlights the risks of stranded assets and 'debt trap diplomacy' and recommends joining a Fossil Fuel Treaty to unlock international finance and technical support.

African ClimateTech has grown significantly, with funding increasing from $206 million in 2016 to over $1.5 billion in 2025, now accounting for nearly 40% of all disclosed venture funding on the continent. However, this growth is highly concentrated: the top 10 companies raised as much as all other companies combined, and Energy accounts for roughly 65% of total funding. The report argues that the ecosystem is not a single market but a collection of applications maturing at different speeds. Energy Generation has reached 'Early Maturity,' while Mobility & Transport is in 'Late Frenzy.' Conversely, Water Access and Built Materials remain in 'Irruption.' A critical finding is that financial maturity, rather than technological readiness, is the primary constraint, with significant gaps in early-stage equity and working capital. The report advocates for 'tailored capital stacks' that combine grants, equity, and debt based on the specific maturity stage of each application.

Africa's green transition is projected to generate between 3.8 and 7.9 million jobs by 2030, rising to 65.9–84.5 million by 2050. The report argues that this growth will be service-led and decentralized, with indirect roles—such as installation, distribution, and maintenance—accounting for 56% of employment by 2030. Clean cooking is identified as the largest green value chain by 2030. However, the report highlights significant structural inequalities: 86% of 2030 green jobs are projected to be informal, and women remain concentrated in low-value roles despite high participation in sectors like clean cooking. The analysis of South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya reveals diverse transition architectures, ranging from South Africa's formal, utility-scale model to Nigeria's nano-enterprise-driven decentralized approach. Key recommendations include directing finance toward service-led value chains, reforming TVET systems through modular programs, and extending social protection to informal workers via mobile platforms.

Africa has seen infrastructure improvements, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, but continues to face a substantial deficit driven by population growth and urbanisation. Financing is characterized by a tension between concessional Western multilateral loans and more commercial, opaque Chinese lending via the Belt and Road Initiative. Recent efforts, such as the PIDA framework and the 2025 Africa Infrastructure Financing Summit, aim to align investment with pan-African priorities and global sustainability goals, including a transition toward renewables and electric mobility.

The SAVi assessment finds that full electrification of Ulaanbaatar's bus fleet provides USD 26.3 million in net savings and benefits over 25 years, primarily driven by avoided fuel costs and lower maintenance. These benefits increase substantially if paired with a modal shift from private cars to public transport, potentially reaching USD 774.8 million if 10% of car users switch. The transition involves expanding the current fleet of 90 electric buses to 1,303 vehicles to meet national targets of 70% electrification by 2050.

The report warns that the surge in demand for critical minerals—such as lithium, cobalt, and copper—to support the energy transition and digital economy may exacerbate gender inequalities and human rights challenges. It identifies three key risk drivers: specific environmental impacts of critical mineral processing, the location of projects on Indigenous or agricultural lands, and the use of accelerated permitting. To mitigate these, the report recommends implementing intersectional gender analyses, ensuring inclusive consultation and consent, and establishing gender-responsive benefit-sharing mechanisms.

The assessment finds that electrifying Ulaanbaatar's bus fleet is economically viable, with a discounted net benefit of MNT 93,355 million (USD 26.3 million) and a benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) of 1.09 over 25 years. The primary economic drivers are avoided fuel costs and lower maintenance requirements. These benefits increase substantially if electrification is paired with a modal shift from private vehicles to public transport; a 10% shift would raise the BCR to 3.63 and net benefits to USD 774.8 million. The analysis emphasizes that traditional valuations often underestimate such projects by ignoring environmental and social externalities like air and noise pollution.

Nigeria is positioning itself as an African EV hub by leveraging high vehicle demand and private sector innovation in battery swapping and asset financing. The proposed Electric Vehicle Transition and Green Mobility Bill seeks to drive this shift by mandating 30% local content for EVs by 2030 and providing tax incentives for manufacturers and users. While companies like Spiro and MAX are scaling infrastructure and fleets, the report suggests Nigeria could adopt a more gradual transition from imports to local manufacturing, similar to Rwanda and Ethiopia, to avoid stalling adoption.

Ethiopia's climate finance averaged USD 2.3 billion annually in 2022/23, significantly below the USD 10.6 billion annual requirement of its NDC 3.0. The country is heavily dependent on international public finance, which accounted for over 93% of flows, while private investment remains minimal at less than 5%. Adaptation finance dominates the landscape, reflecting high vulnerability in the agriculture and water sectors, whereas mitigation finance is concentrated in energy and remains insufficient. Despite institutional reforms and the launch of the Ethiopian Securities Exchange, macroeconomic constraints and limited project preparation capacity hinder the mobilization of domestic and private capital.

The 12th Meeting of the San Giorgio Group (SGG12) focused on moving climate finance from ideas to large-scale delivery, emphasizing system coherence and country-level impact. The group highlighted that annual climate finance now exceeds USD 2 trillion, driven by renewable energy and transport electrification. Key priorities include reforming Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), scaling guarantees and catalytic equity, and addressing the high cost of capital in developing countries. The agenda also calls for 'radical localism' to center people in the climate narrative and suggests leveraging artificial intelligence and underutilized public financing institutions, such as export credit agencies, to accelerate the energy transition.

Kenya is a regional leader in renewable energy and climate action, but it lacks a formal, dedicated National Just Transition Framework. While elements of social equity and inclusion are embedded in the Constitution, the Climate Change Act (2016), and the second NDC (2031–2035), the transition is hindered by institutional fragmentation, a skills mismatch in the workforce, and inadequate data systems. The document highlights the energy sector as the cornerstone for decarbonisation, aiming for 100% renewable energy by 2035, and identifies agriculture, forestry, land use (AFOLU), transport, and waste management as other priority sectors. Key barriers include the financial vulnerability of those in the AFOLU sector due to carbon market fluctuations and a debt cycle where climate-resilient infrastructure diverts funds from worker retraining. The brief recommends that international actors provide technical capacity for policy integration, support the development of monitoring systems, and restructure global green value chains to ensure greater value-added benefits for producing countries like Kenya.

Uganda has developed a Just Transition Framework (JTF) to ensure that structural economic changes toward sustainability do not marginalize vulnerable groups, particularly informal workers and smallholder farmers. The framework is integrated into national planning cycles, including the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), and emphasizes distributive, procedural, and restorative justice. While Uganda has established multi-stakeholder coordination and project screening tools, it faces significant barriers such as a lack of a national resettlement policy, high labor market informality (over 80%), and severe data gaps. The document calls for international grant-based support for labor economy modeling, the creation of a national resettlement policy, and programmatic finance for re-skilling and livelihood restoration.

The ARE Energy Access Investment Forum 2026 brought together 1,400 participants from 87 countries to discuss renewable electrification. Key outcomes included the launch of the USD 25m ASCENT Project Preparation Facility by COMESA and a GDP 14m contribution from the UK's FCDO to the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa in the DRC. The forum highlighted systemic gaps in capital allocation for small African-led firms and the need to shift from supply-led to demand-led skills training for the green transition.

In 2025, electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for over a quarter of global new car sales, driven by a significant shift in emerging markets. While legacy auto markets in the US and Canada have seen a rollback of incentives, countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America are 'leapfrogging' advanced economies. Viet Nam and Singapore have reached EV sales shares exceeding 40%, surpassing the UK and EU. China continues to dominate as the largest market, with its exports increasingly targeting non-OECD markets such as Brazil, Mexico, the UAE, and Indonesia. The report highlights that EVs significantly reduce fossil fuel demand, with battery electric vehicles in Brazil delivering an estimated 90% reduction compared to internal combustion engine vehicles.

The report analyzes the competition between China and Western powers (US and EU) for Africa's critical minerals, specifically focusing on the Lobito and TAZARA corridors. It argues that African nations can avoid 'extractivism' by coordinating regional processing hubs and leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to build a domestic e-mobility value chain.

In 2023, climate finance to EMDEs surpassed USD 1 trillion, with 80% sourced domestically and China accounting for 64% of total flows. While mitigation finance grew to USD 979 billion, it remains far below the estimated USD 3.86 trillion annual need. Adaptation finance totaled USD 48 billion, showing significant unevenness as the top 20% of countries received over 70% of these funds. International public finance exceeded USD 159 billion, but faces potential declines due to ODA cuts, while international private finance rose to USD 49 billion. The report emphasizes that EMDEs require nearly USD 4 trillion annually through 2030 to achieve climate goals.

This report by the Centro de Movilidad Sostenible monitors the impact of the Energy Efficiency Law's light vehicle standards in Chile during 2024 and 2025. It analyzes corporate fuel economy targets, the growth of plug-in vehicles, and the resulting reductions in fuel demand and CO2 emissions.

The document examines the intersection of green technology and youth employment in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. It finds that while these countries have established frameworks for clean energy, e-mobility, and climate-smart agriculture, there is a persistent lack of coherence between climate policies and youth employment strategies. The analysis highlights that youth are often excluded from policy-making and that interministerial cooperation is inadequate, hindering the potential for green tech to address high youth unemployment and NEET rates in sub-Saharan Africa.