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The report details a seminar in Brasília where social movements and civil society organizations critiqued the current energy transition as an expansion of an extractivist system. Participants argued that a truly just transition must be grounded in climate justice, human rights, and territorial sovereignty, emphasizing the need for meaningful participation and the protection of Indigenous and traditional lands to avoid creating new 'sacrifice zones'.

Air pollution is the second deadliest risk for children under five globally, causing over 709,000 deaths in 2021. Children are more vulnerable due to developing immune systems and higher breathing rates. The burden is heavily skewed by economic disparity, with children in the least-developed countries facing death rates 94 times higher than those in the most-developed nations. The document highlights how structural lock-ins to fossil fuels and polluting land-use practices drive this crisis, noting that less than 1% of fossil fuel subsidies were spent on outdoor air quality between 2018 and 2022. Case studies in South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, and Bangladesh illustrate the specific drivers—such as coal power, biomass burning, brick kilns, and oil extraction—that contribute to high child mortality and lifelong developmental impairments.

The briefing criticizes multilateral development banks (MDBs) for continuing to fund large-scale, centralized energy projects that the authors categorize as 'false solutions,' such as nuclear, carbon capture, and fossil gas. It argues these investments undermine equity and delay the transition to sustainable energy. Using case studies from Africa and Asia, the document recommends that MDBs prioritize decentralized renewable energy, reform climate finance frameworks, and ensure the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent of Indigenous peoples.

The document outlines a framework for financing a just energy transition in Indonesia, emphasizing the need to address socioeconomic risks for workers and communities affected by the retirement of coal power plants. It highlights the potential for renewable energy to create between 2.1 million and 3.7 million direct jobs by 2030 and notes a total investment requirement of approximately USD 97 billion to meet 2030 climate targets. The proposed framework focuses on 'restorative justice' through preventative actions, such as reskilling and debt refinancing, and transformative actions, such as green job creation and the development of renewable energy cooperatives.

The document assesses the current state and future trajectory of solar and wind energy in Colombia, noting a rise in installed capacity to 9% of the electricity matrix by 2024 and a target of 20,000 energy communities by 2026. It highlights a significant drop in renewable investment between 2022 and 2023 and identifies a funding gap of up to USD 92.4 billion to meet National Energy Plan goals, while emphasizing the need for justice and equity strategies for local communities.

The report examines the social dimensions of deploying carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Poland, emphasizing that technical feasibility alone is insufficient without a 'social license to operate.' It highlights the risks of public opposition—citing failures in the Netherlands and Australia—and contrasts them with successful engagement in Japan and Norway. The authors identify low public awareness and safety concerns as primary barriers in Poland and recommend a shift from top-down communication to partnership-based engagement, including early stakeholder involvement, transparent data sharing, and tangible local economic benefits.

The report details the Inter-American Court of Human Rights' (IACtHR) Advisory Opinion 32/25, which recognizes the right to a healthy climate as an autonomous and justiciable right. It establishes that States have binding obligations to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate impacts, and provide integral reparations. The Court introduces a high standard of 'enhanced due diligence' for climate action and recognizes Nature as a subject of rights. It also outlines specific protections for vulnerable groups, including Indigenous Peoples, LGBTIQ+ persons, persons with disabilities, and future generations, while emphasizing the necessity of environmental democracy through access to information, public participation, and the protection of environmental defenders.

The report outlines a framework for sovereign transition planning based on five pillars: robust targets, a whole-of-government approach, green public financial management (PFM), a diverse policy mix, and transparency. It argues that integrating climate considerations into core budgetary processes (green PFM) is essential for coordinating action across all government departments. To address fiscal constraints and debt overhang, the report suggests alternative financing mechanisms, including carving out transition spending from deficit limits, utilizing GSS+ and sustainability-linked bonds, leveraging national development banks and sovereign wealth funds, and employing central bank monetary tools such as green asset purchases and adjusted collateral frameworks.

The report outlines a framework for credible sovereign transition planning based on five elements: robust targets, a 'whole-of-government' approach, green public financial management, integrated policy tools, and transparency. It addresses the challenge of 'debt overhang' in both developed and emerging markets, suggesting alternatives such as excluding transition spending from deficit calculations and utilizing GSS+ bonds. The document also examines the roles of national development banks, sovereign wealth funds, and central banks in mobilizing private capital and providing low-cost financing for climate action.

The report argues that climate change threatens decades of global health progress and calls for the embedding of health priorities into all UNFCCC negotiations. It recommends operationalising the Global Goal on Adaptation with health indicators, phasing out fossil fuels to prevent millions of pollution-related deaths, and establishing a global mechanism for just transitions. The document highlights a severe finance gap, noting that current climate finance is insufficient to protect health, and suggests redirecting fossil fuel subsidies toward health-protective climate resilience. It also advocates for a transition to agroecology in food systems and the implementation of a robust Gender Action Plan to address gender-differentiated health impacts.

Brazil has become a top global oil producer due to pre-salt reserves, with production expected to peak at 5.3-5.4 mbd by 2029-30. While the sector is cost-competitive and the national economy has limited overall dependence on oil revenues, specific regions like Rio de Janeiro are highly vulnerable. The document argues that Brazil can leverage its renewable energy potential and critical minerals to diversify its economy into low-carbon fuels, provided it improves technological innovation and coordinates Petrobras' investments with national industrial policy.

Malaysia faces significant fiscal and energy security risks due to its heavy reliance on oil and gas exports, particularly LNG shipments to Japan, South Korea, and China. The document highlights a growing crude oil trade deficit and the threat of stranded assets as global demand shifts. To mitigate these risks, the report recommends diversifying into green manufacturing, hydrogen, and carbon capture services, while establishing a Sustainable Energy Transition Fund and a Just Transition Commission to support displaced workers in resource-dependent regions like Sabah and Sarawak.

The Community Equity Opportunity Fund (CEOF), led by Meliquina Partners, is a blended finance facility designed to overcome capital and governance barriers that exclude rural and Indigenous communities from the economic benefits of the energy transition in Latin America. By providing milestone-based development loans and catalytic equity, the fund enables community co-ownership of renewable energy projects from early development through operations. The model includes a mechanism for communities to execute a leveraged buyout (LBO) of the fund's equity position approximately two years after the commercial operation date, supported by external credit guarantees. Targeting a fund size of USD 35-40 million, CEOF aims to invest in six to eight projects (15-100 MW each) in Argentina and Colombia, with a projected mobilization ratio of 10:1 for commercial capital. The fund's impact goals include avoiding 417,000 tCO2e annually and creating over 3,200 job-years over 25 years, with a specific gender strategy targeting 40% female representation in the workforce.

The report argues that standard top-down cost estimation methods for energy transitions often overlook socio-spatial factors and marginalized groups. It proposes a new framework that identifies specific losses (recognitional justice), determines preventative and transformative spending (restorative justice), assigns cost burdens (distributive justice), and ensures stakeholder consensus (procedural justice). Using the planned early retirement of the Cirebon 1 coal-fired power plant as a case study, the report demonstrates how to map direct, indirect, and induced impacts across individuals, companies, and governments to more accurately calculate the financial requirements of a just transition.

The report examines 'coal transition credits' as a financial tool for early coal plant closure in Southeast Asia. It finds significant expert skepticism, with only 2 out of 10 experts viewing them as effective. Major risks identified include carbon leakage, baseline inflation, and 'perverse incentives' that may reward polluters. The document concludes that CTCs are not a reliable exit strategy and emphasizes the need for systemic public policy and funding over market-based offsets.

The report examines 'coal transition credits' (CTCs) as a mechanism to accelerate the phase-out of coal-fired power plants in Southeast Asia. While proponents suggest CTCs can unlock private finance for early retirement and just transition measures, a survey of 10 experts reveals widespread skepticism. Key concerns include the risk of carbon leakage, where retired capacity is replaced by other fossil fuels, and the difficulty of establishing conservative baselines to prove additionality. Experts warn that CTCs could create perverse incentives, rewarding polluters and encouraging the delay of retirements to maximize credit issuance. Furthermore, the report highlights structural barriers in Southeast Asia, such as young coal plant fleets and rigid power purchase agreements, and notes that current methodologies, including Verra's VM0052, may have loopholes regarding 'captive' coal plants. The findings suggest that without rigorous guardrails and a focus on public finance, CTCs risk being a tool for greenwashing rather than a driver of genuine climate impact.

The report examines 'coal transition credits' (CTC)—carbon credits generated by retiring coal plants early and replacing them with renewables—as a way to fund the energy transition in Southeast Asia. Based on a survey of 10 experts, the document finds deep skepticism regarding the instrument's effectiveness. Key concerns include 'carbon leakage' (where retired capacity is replaced by other fossil fuels), the subjectivity of baseline scenarios leading to over-issuance, and the risk of 'greenwashing' or rewarding polluters. Experts highlight that only 2 out of 10 view CTCs as effective, warning that without strict safeguards, these credits could undermine genuine decarbonization and fail to provide a 'just transition' for affected workers and communities.

The document analyzes the South African Climate Change Act as a framework for transforming the food system, which contributes approximately 20% of national emissions and is highly vulnerable to climate shocks. It identifies specific legal avenues—such as the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan (NASP), municipal climate response plans, and the Presidential Climate Commission—where farmers, workers, and civil society can intervene to promote agroecology, land rights, and food price stability. The author emphasizes that while the Act provides the legal framework, it does not guarantee funding or specific ground-level obligations, making active public participation essential to ensure a 'just transition' that protects vulnerable groups including women, youth, and smallholder farmers.

The report finds that Chhattisgarh remains deeply dependent on fossil fuels, with government subsidies for coal and oil and gas being four times higher than those for clean energy in FY 2024. While the state has a vision to reach 66% renewable energy by 2047, current public investment is dominated by thermal power expansion and electricity price supports. Energy revenues, which make up 22% of the state's total receipts, are primarily driven by oil and gas VAT and coal royalties, leaving the state vulnerable to the national energy transition.

The report critiques 'coal transition offsets' (CTOs), specifically those promoted by the Rockefeller Foundation's Coal-to-Clean-Credit Initiative (CCCI) and Singapore's Traction Coalition. It argues that CTOs inherit the systemic failures of the broader carbon offset market, including non-additionality and over-crediting. Through analysis of pilot projects in the Philippines, the document demonstrates how CTOs may not actually accelerate plant closures and can create perverse incentives for policymakers to avoid mandating coal phaseouts. The author recommends shifting focus from individual plant buyouts to systemic energy reforms, such as grid modernization and the renegotiation of power purchase agreements (PPAs) to reduce the financial burden of retiring coal assets.