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The document details a three-phase transition to a hydrogen economy in Estonia: immediate actions (2021-2025), scaling (2025-2030), and wide-scale adoption (2030-2050). Key goals include deploying over 300 MW of local electrolysis capacity by 2030 and achieving a hydrogen price of approximately 1.9 EUR/kg by 2030. The strategy focuses on decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy-duty transport, shipping, aviation, and chemical industries (specifically ammonia and methanol production). It identifies significant barriers, including the lack of a dedicated hydrogen strategy, insufficient renewable energy capacity, and missing regulatory frameworks for storage and distribution.

The report outlines a three-stage transition for Estonia to establish a green hydrogen economy by 2050. The first phase (2021-2025) focuses on pilot projects in transport and establishing a regulatory framework. The second phase (2025-2030) aims for scaling production to 300 MW+ and expanding FCEV use in public transport and heavy-duty vehicles. The final phase (2030-2050) envisions large-scale deployment with 5 GW+ of electrolyser capacity, full decarbonisation of the domestic truck fleet, and the establishment of a green chemical industry (ammonia and methanol), potentially reducing national greenhouse gas emissions by 12% by 2050.

The European Green Deal (EGD) aims to reduce EU net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent from 1990 levels by 2030, creating significant spillovers for Africa in sectors such as energy, agriculture, and critical raw materials. The document argues that to avoid replicating past dependencies, the EU must align its policies with African development priorities and provide concessional climate financing focused on adaptation. Simultaneously, African nations are urged to articulate their own climate transition agendas, update resource mapping to attract foreign direct investment, and strengthen local content laws to ensure technology transfer and job localization.

The United Arab Emirates is the first Gulf state to announce a national drive to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, with plans to invest $163 billion in renewable energy. The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) suggests that the UAE can leverage its technical capacity to scale low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS) to decarbonize its energy exports and support global climate targets. Key recommendations include expanding wind and solar power, developing both blue and green hydrogen, joining the Global Methane Pledge, and establishing international frameworks for clean fuel certification.

The Institute for Economic Justice argues that current South African renewable energy procurement, primarily through the REIPPP, has led to privatisation and temporary employment. It critiques the initial SAREM research for lacking analysis on trade dynamics and public ownership. The brief recommends a 'Green New Deal' approach featuring import tariffs, state-backed cheap debt, a formal technology transfer system, and the establishment of a municipal-based solar PV recycling industry to ensure a 'Just Transition'.

The report examines four high-emitting sectors—steel, cement, agriculture, and oil and gas—concluding that none have seriously initiated the disruptive changes required to align with the Paris Agreement. It emphasizes that while long-term transitions will take decades due to investment cycles and systemic complexity, immediate action is required to avoid locking in polluting assets. The authors argue that investors can drive impact through active engagement with value chains and by pressuring companies to commit to fundamental business model shifts rather than simple portfolio reallocation.

The study assesses green hydrogen in Mongolia, finding it most viable for heavy-duty mining transport in the South Gobi region, where it could mitigate 1.2 Mt CO2e annually. While production costs are competitive at 3.3-4.7 USD/kg, water scarcity in the south poses a limit. Public transport in Ulaanbaatar is a possible but limited-scale application, while decentralised heating is currently not cost-competitive compared to LPG.

The UN High-level Dialogue on Energy (HLDE) resulted in the first-ever global roadmap for accelerating Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) and the announcement of over 160 Energy Compacts. These voluntary commitments from governments, businesses, and civil society include more than USD 400 billion in new finance and investment to address energy poverty and decarbonize energy systems. The dialogue established specific milestones for 2025 and 2030, including the phase-out of coal and the tripling of global renewable power capacity.

The document advocates for the strategic use of "blue" hydrogen to accelerate decarbonization in sectors like heavy trucking, shipping, and steel production. It argues that relying solely on "green" hydrogen (electrolysis via renewables) would require an impractical increase in wind and solar capacity—potentially 40 times current U.S. levels—and excessive land use. While acknowledging that blue hydrogen's climate benefit depends on high carbon capture rates and low upstream methane leaks, the author asserts that these technical goals are feasible today. The document concludes that policymakers should implement tiered incentives tied to lifecycle greenhouse gas performance to ensure hydrogen production actually supports net-zero goals.

The briefing analyzes pathways from the Climate Change Committee (CCC), National Grid, and Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) to demonstrate that the UK power sector can be nearly fossil-free by 2035. It argues that phasing out unabated gas will reduce reliance on expensive imports, lower electricity bills, and stimulate a green industrial revolution. While the models differ on the roles of nuclear and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), they agree on the centrality of wind and solar power and the need for increased energy storage and hydrogen capacity.

The September 2021 Global Update by the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) finds that global climate action continues to lag behind the requirements for limiting warming to 1.5°C. While some countries have updated their NDCs, the 2030 emissions gap remains significant, estimated at 20 to 23 GtCO2e. The report introduces a new rating system that integrates targets, policies, and climate finance, revealing that only The Gambia is overall 1.5°C Paris Agreement compatible. Most net zero targets are rated as poor or incomplete, and developed countries are failing to provide sufficient international climate finance or implement policies that align with their fair share of global mitigation efforts.

The paper surveys 29 long-term climate strategies (LTSs) submitted to the UNFCCC, representing 42 countries and 28% of global emissions. It finds a growing trend toward net-zero targets, an increasing focus on the fundamental economic and societal shifts required for transition, and a reliance on both natural and technological carbon removals. The analysis highlights that while most strategies include midcentury goals and modeling, the level of detail regarding adaptation and just transition varies, and some parties acknowledge gaps between their most ambitious scenarios and their final targets.

The report analyzes the role of hydrogen in the energy transition, contrasting 'green hydrogen' (produced via renewable-powered electrolysis) with the current industry standard of steam methane reformation (SMR) from fossil fuels. It warns that the oil and gas industry uses hydrogen rhetoric to justify continued fossil fuel infrastructure and delay electrification. The authors argue that green hydrogen should be reserved for 'hard-to-electrify' sectors like maritime shipping and high-heat industrial processes, while being rejected for use in passenger vehicles, home appliances, and gas-fired power plants due to energy inefficiency, high costs, and pollution risks.

The report examines how green bonds and transition finance can support South Africa's shift from a coal-dependent energy system to a low-carbon economy. It highlights the critical role of the two largest emitters, Eskom and Sasol, and proposes various financial models, including sovereign green bonds and asset-backed securities, to attract international capital while managing the social implications of a 'Just Transition'.

Despite pledges for carbon neutrality, China's power and steel sectors continued to announce coal-based projects in early 2021. While CO2 emissions growth showed signs of cooling in the second quarter of 2021 due to government controls on financial excesses and industrial output, the volume of new coal projects remains high, risking the creation of stranded assets and undermining 2030 emission reduction targets.

Despite a slowdown in emission growth in Q2 2021, China's power and steel sectors continued to announce significant new coal-based capacity in the first half of the year. The report highlights a contradiction between economic growth driven by construction and decarbonization goals, noting that zero-emission power only met 30% of electricity demand growth between H1 2019 and H1 2021. While government measures to control fiscal overspending and industrial output led to a slowdown in CO2 emission growth in the second quarter, the continued announcement of coal-based projects risks creating stranded assets and hindering the transition to low-carbon technologies.

The 2020 research identifies a global universe of USD 913.2 billion in unlabelled climate-aligned bonds from 420 issuers across 45 countries. Transport is the dominant theme, accounting for 55% of the volume, followed by Energy (24%) and Water (10%). China is the largest single source, representing 36% of the global total, while Developed Markets (DM) account for 50%. The report emphasizes a significant opportunity for refinancing, as over 40% of these bonds will mature by 2024, potentially increasing the labelled green bond market by 65% within nine years if transitioned. The analysis also highlights the role of the EU Taxonomy in improving disclosure and the potential for green hydrogen and electric vehicle infrastructure to drive future issuance.

The report finds that fossil fuel subsidies in India increased relative to clean energy in FY 2020, with electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) remaining the largest subsidy category. While electric vehicle (EV) subsidies grew, renewable energy support stagnated. The authors argue that India's energy PSUs remain heavily skewed toward fossil fuel investments and lack clear decarbonization roadmaps. The report recommends a 'second generation' of clean energy support focusing on storage, green hydrogen, and offshore wind, alongside reforms to DISCOM finances and a strategic shift in PSU capital expenditure.

The document challenges the notion that heavy transport and industrial heat are 'hard-to-abate' sectors, suggesting that they can be decarbonized profitably. It emphasizes the role of plummeting renewable energy costs and the potential for massive efficiency gains in trucking, aviation, shipping, and the production of steel and cement. The author advocates for 'integrative design' and structural efficiency to drastically reduce the volume of materials needed, thereby lowering both costs and emissions.

The authors call on G7 finance ministers to move from commitments to decisive action by establishing a financial framework that includes mandatory climate risk disclosure across supply chains, carbon pricing aligned with the 1.5°C goal, and the delivery of overdue climate finance to developing countries.