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China leads the world in planned utility-scale solar and wind capacity, with over 500GW already under construction. However, the transition has shifted from a 'capacity race' to a 'system integration' phase, where transmission bottlenecks and a continued reliance on coal-fired power for grid stability lead to increasing curtailment, particularly in the northwest and northern regions. While green hydrogen and local consumption offer paths for industrial decarbonization, there is a risk that these technologies may be used to justify the continued expansion of coal-based chemical industries.

The policy brief by the Global Resilience Partnership advocates for a systemic shift in how capital markets account for resilience-related risks. It argues that current policy frameworks and market incentives are inadequate, leaving assets exposed to increasing global shocks. The document proposes a new definition of resilience based on five attributes: diversity, redundancy, connectivity, inclusivity and equity, and adaptive learning. It emphasizes that investing in resilience, particularly in the Global South, is a risk mitigation strategy that can provide high economic returns, with benefit-cost ratios for climate adaptation ranging from 2:1 to 10:1.

The document examines the growth of embedded solar generation in South Africa, which reached over 3.2 GW of installed capacity in 18 months. It compares four primary procurement models: outright purchase, commercial debt, solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and embedded generation leasing. While outright purchases offer the best long-term return on investment, PPAs and leasing are increasing in popularity—accounting for 20% to 30% of new commercial and industrial projects—due to their ability to reduce upfront costs and system performance risks. The brief also details specific financial incentives, including the 12B tax allowance and feed-in tariffs, and provides a decision framework for businesses to select the most appropriate financing model based on their capital availability and risk appetite.

The document presents data on Cape Town's green energy sector, identifying 184 energy companies across various specializations and sizes, contributing R14.7B in annual revenue and employing 11,368 people.

The document outlines how solar PV technology can be integrated into South African municipal wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) to lower energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions. It details various installation configurations, such as ground-mounted, floating, and rooftop systems, and provides financial metrics including a payback period of 4 to 8 years. The factsheet also lists potential financing mechanisms and a step-by-step implementation process for municipal officials and private developers.

The document presents a data-driven overview of Cape Town's green sectors, highlighting a total of 600 assessed companies. It breaks down the energy, water, and waste industries by company size and function, while detailing municipal budget figures and investments in green infrastructure, including the Atlantis Special Economic Zone for Green Technologies.

The document presents data on 600 companies in Cape Town's green sectors, highlighting that the majority are micro-enterprises and that the sector contributes R312 billion to the city's total GDP.

The report finds a significant imbalance in energy financing among the 65 largest global banks, with a ratio of 0.42:1 in favor of fossil fuels over sustainable power supply between 2021 and 2024. This is far below the 6:1 ratio by 2030 recommended by the IEA's Net Zero Emissions scenario. While European banks show slightly better ratios, financing for sustainable power remains heavily concentrated in OECD countries and China, leaving emerging markets underfunded. The report also criticizes banks for using 'blurry' targets and problematic technologies like CCUS and bioenergy to inflate their green credentials.

The report challenges the narrative of fossil gas as a 'bridge fuel,' stating that a global gas-based electricity system would be as damaging to the climate as one based on coal. It distinguishes between the roles of different gas turbines, noting that while open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs) can provide short-term flexibility for variable renewable energy, combined-cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) lack the necessary ramp-up speed and risk commercial failure if used only as backup. The document concludes that existing thermal plants and storage technologies, such as pumped-storage hydropower, are sufficient to meet seasonal flexibility needs, rendering new gas infrastructure unnecessary and uneconomical.

The report argues that distributed and demand-side resources—including energy efficiency, demand response, and solar PV—can fill the near-term supply gap created by the shutdown of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) while supporting California's long-term greenhouse gas reduction goals. It evaluates various resources based on size, cost, deployment speed, and persistence, recommending the creation of capacity markets and the streamlining of permitting and interconnection processes to accelerate adoption.

The report identifies low-income (LI) and fixed-income (FI) customers as critical segments at risk during the transition to distributed energy resources (DER). It maps their specific concerns—including rate affordability, technological barriers, and a lack of trust in environmental groups—against potential conflicts with smart grid and renewable technologies. The document suggests that while some solutions like rebate programs and customer education exist, there are unmet needs in incentive distribution, fair rate structures, and trust-building collaboration.

The document describes the use of NREL's Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) and RMI's internal dispatch model to evaluate the technical feasibility and cost of four electricity scenarios: Maintain, Migrate, Renew, and Transform. It outlines spatial and temporal resolutions, generation cost assumptions based on learning curve theory, and specific modifications made to approximate distributed energy resources in the Transform case.

Gold Fields implemented a 40 MW solar PV project at its South Deep Gold Mine in South Africa to mitigate rising electricity costs from the utility Eskom and reduce its carbon footprint. Developed with assistance from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and DNV GL, the project utilizes a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with an independent power producer. The installation is expected to offset 15–20 percent of the mine's energy consumption and achieve a 114 percent lifetime benefit-to-cost ratio.

The report argues that utilities often undervalue renewable resources by failing to account for their contribution to overall system reliability and the benefits of geographic diversification. It proposes using financial portfolio theory to minimize variability through dispersed siting and suggests that the costs of integrating intermittent renewables are relatively low compared to the risks of fossil fuel price volatility. The authors conclude that failure to apply these valuation techniques leads to unnecessary investment in conventional generation capacity.

The report identifies nine key drivers—including energy cost savings, stakeholder demand, and smart building technology—that enable corporations to move beyond incremental sustainability gains toward higher energy performance and net-zero buildings.

The report argues that decentralised renewable energy (DRE) is the most effective solution for electrifying rural health facilities, particularly during health crises like COVID-19. It proposes a delivery model combining 'smart grants' for upfront capital expenditures (CAPEX) with market-based compensation mechanisms, such as long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), to ensure both rapid deployment and long-term financial and technical sustainability. Through 16 case studies across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the document demonstrates how DRE can improve maternal and child health outcomes, enable the storage of vaccines, and foster socio-economic development by integrating health facilities as central nodes for wider community electrification.

The report examines the role of decentralised renewable energy (DRE) in overcoming barriers to agricultural productivity, such as lack of energy access and finance. It presents 15 case studies across Africa, Asia, and South America, showcasing technologies like solar water pumps, cooling systems, and biomass steam engines. Key findings emphasize the need for holistic, customer-centric designs, innovative financing (including grants, equity, and debt), and the integration of capacity building to ensure long-term sustainability and job creation in rural communities.

The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) provides capacity building through two primary channels: Investment Academies, which help small and medium enterprises secure finance through modules on business planning and pitching, and the CORE Initiative, which offers technical training on DRE systems like mini-grids and solar thermal energy. These programs have trained 3,050 practitioners and 210 trainers across 15 countries, targeting the development of bankable projects and the transfer of engineering skills to enhance energy access and security in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of India's decentralised renewable energy (DRE) landscape, detailing deployment statistics, government schemes, and the role of R&D in driving innovation. It highlights the transition of DRE from basic lighting to productive livelihood applications and identifies 'weak-grid' areas as a significant growth market. The document emphasizes the necessity of harmonized international standards to prevent market spoilage and facilitate global trade. It also showcases the 'transformational journeys' of Indian companies expanding into Sub-Saharan Africa, leveraging digital technologies like Pay-as-you-Go (PayG) and standardized mini-grid models to address energy poverty.

The 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact, coordinated by Sustainable Energy for All on behalf of UN-Energy, promotes a global effort to ensure every kilowatt-hour of electricity consumption is met with carbon-free sources every hour of every day. The guidebook outlines five core principles: time-matched procurement, local procurement, technology-inclusivity, enabling new generation, and maximizing system impact. It details technical enablers such as Granular Certificates (GCs) for hourly tracking, smart metering, and 24/7 CFE Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). The document also highlights the role of green hydrogen as a storage solution and provides implementation roadmaps for energy buyers, governments, and suppliers, while emphasizing equity considerations for the Global South.