Search Climate Insights Directory

Governor Greg Abbott wrote to President Donald Trump opposing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) evaluation of 40-year licenses for consolidated interim storage of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste at proposed sites in west Texas (Interim Storage Partners) and southeastern New Mexico (Holtec International). Abbott argues that siting these facilities in the Permian Basin Region—the world's largest producing oilfield—would compromise regional safety and risk the U.S. economy and energy security. He notes that the Permian Basin produced over 30 percent of total U.S. crude oil in 2018 and exceeded 1.5 billion barrels of oil in 2019. Additionally, he highlights the lack of a permanent storage solution since the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act and opposes the placement of highly radioactive waste in states without state consent.

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 CJEU clarified that project consents granted based on plans or programmes that bypassed the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive must generally be annulled, regardless of whether construction has already started. The Court reaffirmed that exceptions to this rule—such as avoiding an environmental legal vacuum or ensuring the security of energy supply—must be interpreted narrowly and cannot be used to justify the continued operation of a limited number of wind turbines.

The proposal requests USD 254,007 over 24 months to support the R2E2 Fund's aspiration to become a GCF-accredited entity. The project focuses on two main outcomes: strengthening the fund's institutional capacity to meet GCF Fiduciary Standards—including the design of Environmental, Social and Gender guidelines—and developing a robust pipeline of climate finance projects. Proposed project ideas include financing solar energy and energy efficiency upgrades for households and micro-businesses in vulnerable communities, as well as infrastructure for electric vehicles and energy storage. The implementation will be managed by a dedicated Project Implementation Unit (PIU) within the R2E2 Fund and overseen by a Project Steering Committee chaired by the Deputy Minister of Environment of Armenia.

ClientEarth argues that the German coal phase-out law (KVBG) and its implementing contract provide excessive state aid to lignite operators, specifically LEAG and RWE. The organization claims that the lack of a transparent calculation formula masks overcompensation totaling nearly €2 billion. Furthermore, ClientEarth asserts that using these funds to cover the recultivation of opencast mines violates the polluter pays principle, as such costs are already legal obligations of the mine operators under German mining law.

The document argues that the post-WWII multilateral order is fragmenting, leaving Europe vulnerable to the influence of China and Russia and the unpredictability of US policy. The author proposes a 'networked foreign policy' and 'European strategic sovereignty' to reduce dependencies and preserve EU values. This approach emphasizes the need for Europe to act as a unified geopolitical player, investing in its own technological capabilities (such as 5G and semiconductors) and safeguarding public goods like health and climate protection. The author specifically calls for the EU to reduce reliance on foreign medical supplies and to resist the dominance of US and Chinese tech giants through stronger regulation and a pro-European anti-trust policy.

Dr Roxy Mathew Koll, an author for the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, employs a 'global to local' communication approach to bridge the gap between high-level scientific reports and the lived experiences of people in India. He supplements IPCC data with local scientific papers and government reports to link climate change to immediate food, water, and energy security issues. To counter the depressing nature of climate risk assessments, he incorporates success stories of community-led adaptation and mitigation. His engagement methods include the use of comics, newspaper clippings, and 'temproidery'—a creative project using color-coded embroidery to visualize rising temperature spirals.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) has proposed a revised Scientific Agenda to its Conference of the Parties. This update aligns the agenda with the IAI Strategic Plan, emphasizing transdisciplinary science and the integration of human systems. The proposed agenda is organized into four primary research themes: human dimensions and policy consequences, climate variability in the Americas, ecosystems and biodiversity, and the chemical composition of the atmosphere, oceans, and freshwater. These themes aim to address regional sustainability, including food and water security, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation across the Americas.

Between January 2017 and June 2020, Japanese public and private institutions provided at least US$23.4 billion in financing for LNG infrastructure across 10 countries. The report argues that the original rationales for this policy—energy security, climate friendliness, and economic viability—are now flawed due to the vulnerability of supply chains exposed by COVID-19, the high global warming potential of methane leakages, and the declining costs of renewable energy. It highlights that major Japanese banks (MUFG, Mizuho, and SMBC) provided the bulk of this funding, while five major trading companies saw a combined year-on-year profit drop of US$625 million in LNG-related businesses by March 2020. The document concludes that continuing to fund LNG infrastructure risks creating stranded assets and contradicts the UN's Principles for Responsible Banking.

Between January 2017 and June 2020, Japanese public and private institutions provided at least $23.4 billion in funding for LNG infrastructure across 10 countries. The report argues that this strategy, led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), is flawed due to the high carbon footprint of LNG, the falling cost of renewable energy, and market volatility exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights significant financial risks, including potential stranded assets and declining profits for major Japanese trading houses, and calls for an immediate shift toward clean energy investments.

Turkey is pursuing a civilian nuclear energy program to diversify its energy sources and meet rapidly growing electricity demand, primarily through the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant developed with Russia under a 'build-own-operate' (BOO) model. While Turkey adheres to international nonproliferation regimes and collaborates with the IAEA, the BOO model creates risks regarding regulatory oversight, information asymmetry, and potential safety compromises to reduce costs. Additionally, Turkey faces significant climate security threats, including drought and sea-level rise, which may impact the operation of its coastal nuclear sites. The program also reflects Turkey's complex strategic balancing between Russia and NATO allies.

The author examines the EU's transition to renewable energy as a geopolitical shift that offers benefits like reduced import dependence and increased 'soft power', but introduces risks such as industrial rivalry with China and the US, and internal disparities between Western and Eastern Europe. The text argues that the EU currently lacks a clear technical vision for its future integrated energy system, which could lead to inefficient investments and vulnerability to external 'divide and conquer' tactics. It suggests that the EU must combine energy goals with industrial policy and infrastructure standards to maintain global competitiveness, while utilizing mechanisms like the Just Transition Fund to mitigate internal socio-economic frictions.

The author contends that the European Green Deal should not be treated as a separate environmental policy but as a geopolitical tool. By diversifying its economy and leading in clean technologies, the EU can reduce its vulnerability to pressure from the US and China and decrease its reliance on fossil fuel imports from authoritarian regimes. The text emphasizes that the transition must also address the stability of oil-dependent regions in the Middle East and North Africa and prevent internal EU divisions between East and West to avoid external interference.

The document argues that low-carbon energy transitions do not automatically address gender and social inequities, and marginalized groups risk being excluded from benefits. It examines four key dimensions: political economy, where power dynamics and social norms can institutionalize differential energy access; energy security, where modern energy services may shift rather than eliminate women's burdens; job markets, where women are under-represented in technical roles due to STEM perceptions and capital access; and technology adoption, where gendered decision-making and social norms influence the uptake of tools like clean cookstoves. The brief concludes that a holistic, systems approach integrating gender and social equity into planning and implementation is essential for a just transition.

The European Union views the transition to renewable energy as a path toward energy security and industrial power, yet it faces significant strategic hurdles. Internally, the EU lacks a unified vision for its future integrated energy system, leading to risks of redundant spending and a 'multi-speed' transition where Western and Eastern member states have diverging interests. Externally, the shift creates new dependencies on critical materials and intensifies industrial rivalry with the US and China. The author suggests that the EU must move beyond a purely economic approach to a comprehensive industrial and political strategy, potentially supported by the Green Deal and the Just Transition Fund, to ensure long-term stability and competitiveness.

The document examines the South African energy storage market, highlighting the shift toward hybrid solar PV and battery systems to mitigate the economic impact of record load shedding. It identifies Lithium-ion (specifically Lithium Iron Phosphate) and Lead Acid as the dominant technologies, while noting that Vanadium Redox Flow and Hydrogen storage face barriers due to limited market penetration and the need for specific use-case analysis. The brief provides cost benchmarks for Li-ion systems and models a hybrid solar PV and storage scenario where the return on investment is estimated at 8-12 years, noting that this period could be reduced if business continuity benefits are factored in.

The guide outlines opportunities for Southeast Asian nations to 'recover better' from the COVID-19 pandemic by shifting economic stimulus toward sustainable energy. It identifies significant untapped potential in energy efficiency, particularly in buildings and cooling, and advocates for increasing the share of renewable energy in the power mix. The document highlights macroeconomic benefits, including GDP growth and job creation, while proposing eight enablers for a successful transition, such as eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and declaring a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants.

The 6th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO6) projects that ASEAN's energy demand will grow significantly by 2040, driven by GDP and population growth. While the region currently relies heavily on fossil fuels, the report models four scenarios—Baseline, AMS Targets (ATS), APAEC Targets (APS), and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)—to evaluate the impact of national and regional policies. The APS is the only scenario that meets the APAEC target of a 23% renewable energy share in total primary energy supply (TPES) by 2025. Key findings highlight the potential for solar PV growth, the necessity of improving air conditioner efficiency, the role of biofuels in transport, and the importance of the ASEAN Power Grid for regional integration. The report also emphasizes the social and environmental costs of continued fossil fuel reliance, noting that ambitious policies could sharply reduce GHG emissions and social costs.

The report evaluates Colombia's departmental energy performance using a trilemma framework. It finds that while regions like Antioquia and Boyacá excel in energy security due to hydroelectric and thermal resources, significant gaps persist in energy equity between the National Interconnected System (SIN) and Non-Interconnected Zones (ZNI). Environmental sustainability is hindered by a reliance on fossil fuels, particularly gas and coal in departments like Atlántico and La Guajira, while non-conventional renewable energy sources (FNCER) remain underutilized.

The author argues that while the EU views renewable energy as a path to energy security and industrial strength, it currently lacks a clear objective or blueprint for its future integrated energy system. This absence of a systemic plan creates domestic risks, such as redundant spending and political friction between Western and Eastern member states, and external vulnerabilities in the face of competition from China and the US. The text suggests that the EU must integrate its energy, infrastructure, and industrial policies to secure critical materials and market share, potentially utilizing the European Green Deal and the Just Transition Fund to mitigate internal disparities.