Search Climate Insights Directory

The report argues that current NDCs and financial frameworks are insufficient to reach net-zero emissions, particularly in developing and emerging economies facing high debt. It proposes nine principles for international climate finance, emphasizing that developed countries must scale up support based on common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR). Key recommendations include adopting bottom-up, sector-specific finance needs, utilizing innovative mechanisms like debt-for-climate swaps, and aligning finance with national policy processes to avoid carbon lock-ins. The report highlights the importance of 'just transitions' and the synergy between mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage funding.

China has established global leadership in renewable energy, with utility-scale solar capacity of 228 GW and wind capacity exceeding 310 GW as of Q1 2023. The country is pursuing an ambitious target of over 1,200 GW of combined wind and solar capacity by 2030, supported by the '14th Five-Year Plan' and the development of massive 'wind-solar bases' in desert regions. While integrating these sources through ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission and new energy storage technologies, China continues to utilize coal-fired power as a 'bottom-line' guarantee for grid stability, which may hinder the complete phase-out of fossil fuels.

The report identifies coal-based primary steel production as a critical driver of global greenhouse gas emissions, contributing at least 7% of annual totals. It highlights that the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) route is heavily dependent on metallurgical coal, with emissions underestimated by excluding coal mine methane. The document warns that 'business as usual' trajectories would consume nearly 23% of the remaining global carbon budget for 1.5°C by 2050. It argues that efficiency gains and carbon capture (CCUS) are insufficient or unviable in the near term. Instead, it advocates for a transition to green hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) and electric arc furnaces (EAF). The report establishes 'red lines' against relining existing blast furnaces or building new ones, particularly in OECD countries, to avoid locking in high-emission infrastructure for decades.

China has established itself as the global leader in renewable energy, with operating large utility-scale solar capacity of 228 GW and combined wind capacity exceeding 310 GW. The country is pursuing a strategy of 'mega wind and solar bases' in its northern and northwestern deserts to meet a central government target of 1,200 GW of cumulative capacity by 2030, a goal it is likely to surpass by 2025. This expansion is driven by a combination of historical feed-in tariffs, favorable financing from state-owned banks, and strict provincial targets. However, the report notes that new renewables bases are often bundled with new coal-fired power plants to manage intermittency, potentially hindering the phase-out of fossil fuels. To address volatility, China is implementing 'source-grid-load-storage' integration, expanding new energy storage, and developing green hydrogen production.

The document argues that while consumer-led battery deployment is rapid, grid-scale energy storage—particularly batteries—is a strategic priority that remains under-developed in South Africa. It details how storage can reduce load shedding, optimize existing grid infrastructure, and support a just energy transition by providing public benefits. The authors recommend the development of national and municipal strategies to create an enabling environment for grid battery deployment.

The document asserts that the world is in the midst of a 'renewable revolution' characterized by exponential cost declines and adoption rates for solar, wind, batteries, and electric vehicles. It identifies China as the current leader of this transition, which is sparking a global race to the top. The report claims that global fossil fuel demand peaked in 2019 and will enter terminal decline after 2025. By 2030, the authors predict that renewables will dominate sector sales and be significantly cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives, creating a 'renewable supercycle' for investors and a necessity for petrostates to reform. The report also highlights the potential for the Global South to leapfrog old technologies and the ability of renewables to drastically reduce air pollution deaths and environmental pressure compared to fossil fuels.

A coalition of 181 organizations calls on G7 leaders to end the promotion of 'false energy transition solutions'—specifically Japan's Green Transformation (GX) policy—and to cease all international public finance for fossil fuels. The statement argues that current G7 commitments are insufficient, citing continued investments in gas and ammonia co-firing in Southeast Asia and Africa, and urges a shift toward renewable energy and fair funding mechanisms for the Global South.

The Canadian Climate Institute asserts that while the 2023 budget provides financial incentives for a clean economy, regulatory bottlenecks—such as repetitive procedures and limited agency capacity—hinder project implementation. It highlights the urgency of developing critical minerals to meet US market opportunities before 2032 and calls for a streamlined regulatory approach that maintains environmental standards and respects Indigenous rights and consent.

The author contends that the steel industry's exemption from the EU ETS benchmark reform, secured through lobbying—particularly by Germany—shields polluting installations from necessary price signals. While the sector faces high costs for transitioning to Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) technology, the document argues that free allowances do not bridge the investment gap and instead reduce the pressure to modernise. The author suggests that the ETS should make polluting more expensive to incentivise the shift to low-carbon steel, rather than serving as a protectionist tool.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of Colombia's sustainable debt market, which reached USD 2.4 billion by the end of 2022. It details the dominance of green bonds, the emergence of sustainability-linked bonds, and the role of the Colombian Green Taxonomy in guiding investments. The document also examines the country's climate vulnerability, the policy framework for adaptation and resilience, and specific opportunities across economic sectors such as energy, transport, and construction to support a low-carbon transition.

The analysis finds that export-only electrolyzer projects—which use co-located clean energy and can sell excess power to the grid—are financially competitive across large areas of the U.S. Using test sites in West Texas, near Houston, and Southwest Minnesota, the study demonstrates that these projects can generate profits even with conservative power price assumptions and current capital costs. Hydrogen sales, bolstered by the 45V tax credit, account for 72-79% of total revenue. The authors conclude that strict adherence to the principles of additionality, deliverability, and hourly time-matching is compatible with industry growth.

Using the EPA's AVERT tool and 2021 data, the analysis finds that ignoring additionality, regionality, line loss accounting, or hourly time-matching can lead to hydrogen production emissions that exceed the threshold for the top $3/kg 45V tax credit. Specifically, forgoing additionality could result in emissions 22 to 40 kgCO2/kgH2, which is more than twice the emissions of steam methane reformation.

The policy brief examines the implementation of Buy Clean standards for the US steel industry, emphasizing the need to balance near-term emissions reductions with the long-term survival and decarbonization of primary steel producers. It proposes a sliding-scale emissions standard based on the ratio of primary to recycled scrap content in steel products to avoid unintended market shifts and emissions leakage.

Reclaim Finance criticizes ENGIE's climate plan for lacking transparency and containing inconsistencies, specifically regarding its reliance on shale gas and the absence of granular investment data. The organization advocates for a shareholder resolution to implement regular consultative votes on the plan's content and implementation to ensure alignment with climate goals.

Reclaim Finance criticizes ENGIE's climate plan, noting it targets a 1.7 °C warming trajectory rather than 1.5 °C and lacks granular data on CAPEX and energy mix. The organization highlights contradictions, such as ENGIE's continued plans for 1.2 GW of new gas plants and long-term contracts for US shale gas, while calling for investor support of a resolution to implement 'Say on Climate' consultations.

The briefing finds that ENGIE's climate disclosures are insufficient for 7 of 11 assessed topics, noting significant gaps in absolute emissions targets, production forecasts, and CAPEX/OPEX granularity. While ENGIE is progressing toward its 2030 renewable capacity targets, the report argues its broader strategy relies on immature 'renewable gas' technologies and continues to invest in fossil gas infrastructure, including new long-term LNG contracts from the US.

The global electricity sector is the largest CO2 emitter and must reach net zero by 2040 to facilitate the decarbonisation of other sectors. Following the IEA Net Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario, wind and solar are identified as the primary drivers of this transition. By 2030, wind and solar must increase to 41% of global electricity generation, while coal and gas generation must decrease by 54% and 24% respectively. By 2040, unabated coal must be phased out globally, and unabated gas should provide only 0.3% of electricity. This transition is essential to support rising electricity demand in developing regions and the electrification of transport, heating, and industry.

The global electricity system is transitioning toward clean energy, with wind and solar emerging as dominant forces. In 2022, wind and solar met 80% of the increase in global electricity demand. However, other clean sources like nuclear and hydro are underperforming relative to 1.5°C pathways. The report predicts a structural tipping point as soon as 2023, where clean power growth may finally exceed total electricity demand growth, leading to an enduring decline in fossil fuel generation. While coal plant closures have slowed, particularly in China and India, the report suggests a simultaneous phasedown of both coal and gas power is becoming likely, especially in G7 countries and Asia due to energy security and cost concerns.

The Life after Coal Campaign and the Fair Finance Coalition Southern Africa argue that the JET-IP is heavily skewed toward private sector interests and large-scale infrastructure, specifically green hydrogen, at the expense of community-led renewable energy and social investment. They highlight critical gaps in policy alignment, the lack of transparency regarding debt and loan agreements, and the failure to adequately address the health impacts of air pollution at the Medupi and Kusile power stations. The authors call for a reprioritization of funding toward transmission grid strengthening and socially owned energy models, while warning that the current approach to decommissioning coal plants, as seen at Komati, lacks the necessary community participation to be considered 'just'.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) presents a critical overview of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), asserting that the technology overpromises on emission reductions while introducing significant safety risks and high costs. The document highlights the 'energy penalty'—the extra energy required to power capture equipment—and notes that most existing projects are used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which can increase overall emissions. It warns that a large-scale CCS buildout in the United States would require an unrealistic and dangerous expansion of pipeline infrastructure. Furthermore, the text argues that CCS is unnecessary for 'hard to abate' industrial sectors, where electrification and demand reduction are more viable, and critiques 'blue hydrogen' as a means to prolong fossil fuel dependence. The document concludes that global capture capacity is negligible compared to total emissions and that public subsidies, such as the US 45Q tax credit, inappropriately support the fossil fuel economy.