Search Climate Insights Directory

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute provides a policy overview of solar and wind energy in Mongolia as of June 2024. It details the country's renewable energy potential, current installed capacity, legislative frameworks, financing from international partners, and gender disparities within the sector.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the economic, institutional, environmental, and socio-cultural barriers to a just energy transition from thermal coal in Colombia, specifically focusing on the Caribbean regions of Cesar and La Guajira.

This policy brief by Transforma analyzes the electricity supply-demand balance in Colombia through 2038, specifically evaluating the impact of phasing out coal-fired thermal power plants. While the system currently has sufficient capacity, the report identifies potential deficits in 'firm energy' (reliable capacity during low hydrology) depending on the speed and sequence of the coal phase-out, emphasizing the need for accelerated renewable energy deployment and grid improvements.

In 2023, G20 governments provided at least USD 168 billion in public financial support for renewable power, a figure that is less than one third of the USD 535 billion provided in fossil fuel subsidies that same year.

This briefing by RMI outlines how the US Department of Energy's Loan Program Office (LPO) Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program, combined with Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax incentives, provides a financial mechanism for the US oil and gas sector to transition to clean energy. The EIR program offers low-cost, long-tenor debt financing for projects that repurpose ceased energy infrastructure or reduce the operational emissions of existing facilities.

This research paper proposes a working definition and a methodology to measure the activity of distribution system operators (DSOs) in the electricity and natural gas sectors regarding their role in facilitating decarbonization, using UK DSOs as a case study.

This guide from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) outlines the objectives and structure of the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP16), held in Cali, Colombia, from 21 October to 1 November 2024. It focuses on the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and SEI's role in providing scientific research to support these goals.

The report by Ember argues that the European Union must rapidly scale up 'clean flexibility' solutions, particularly battery storage, to complement the fast growth of wind and solar power. It highlights that without such flexibility, the EU will fail to capture abundant renewable energy, leading to higher reliance on fossil fuels and increased costs. The document provides evidence of current solar dominance in several Member States and simulates the potential for batteries to reduce fossil fuel imports and costs by 2030.

This research paper examines Africa's potential to develop a solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing sector by leveraging its mineral resources and solar irradiance. It analyzes the barriers to entry, such as China's market dominance and high capital requirements, and proposes a regionalized strategy to overcome these challenges.

This executive summary describes a proposed "cluster development" model designed to scale the integration of green hydrogen within China's industrial sector, which is the country's largest hydrogen consumer. The model aims to overcome challenges related to supply stability and high costs by optimizing the alignment of production and consumption through a "production-storage-transportation-utilization" system.

This report by RMI analyzes opportunities to decarbonize China's building sector to achieve carbon neutrality, focusing on operational emissions, embodied carbon, new growth models, and social equity.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and a coalition of signatories urge the Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change to secure an internationally binding plastics treaty that includes mandatory global and national reductions in virgin plastic production.

The UK officially entered a coal-free power era on 1 October 2024 following the closure of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power plant. This milestone concludes a rapid decline in coal use since 2012, during which power sector emissions fell by 74% and renewable energy generation expanded significantly.

This report by Ember analyzes the impact of India's planned expansion of coal mining on methane emissions. It projects that without mitigation, coal mine methane emissions could more than double by 2029, potentially reaching over 1.67 million tonnes per year. The report proposes a gradual mitigation roadmap to reduce emissions by 35% by 2030, which could save up to $980 million USD by replacing imported gas and significantly reduce short-term climate warming and mining safety risks.

Ember analysis indicates that global solar capacity additions will reach 593 GW in 2024, a 29% increase over 2023. This growth is driven by continued dominance in China and the US, as well as emerging markets like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, significantly exceeding several industry forecasts.

Ember outlines four strategic recommendations for the new EU Energy Commissioner to accelerate the decarbonisation of the EU economy, focusing on smart electrification, grid modernization, agri-photovoltaics, and open energy data.

This briefing by Ember analyzes the European Union's grid policy framework, identifying over 80 action points across various legislative and non-legislative files. It evaluates the roles of the European Commission, EU institutions, and Member States in expanding and modernizing electricity infrastructure to support renewables and electrification, while providing three specific recommendations for the new EU Energy Commissioner to improve implementation, financing, and digitalization.

A briefing by Ember outlining four primary policy recommendations for the new EU Energy Commissioner to accelerate the clean energy transition, focusing on grid infrastructure, open data, agri-PV, and smart electrification.

An executive summary by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzing the economic and environmental risks of Senegal's strategy to become a liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter, particularly in the context of declining European demand and the availability of renewable energy alternatives.

This briefing examines how Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) can serve as policy tools and 'laboratories' to promote climate action and inform multilateral negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO). It argues that while PTAs often have a broader scope for environmental provisions than the WTO, many current provisions remain vague and weak, requiring improved design in areas such as fossil fuel subsidies, environmental goods, and investment protections.