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Africa possesses vast untapped renewable energy resources and critical minerals but faces significant barriers in financing, technology ownership, and value chain integration. While some progress has been made in solar, wind, and hydropower, the continent remains heavily reliant on imports for technology and patents. The document argues for strengthened partnerships, increased climate finance from the Global North, and the development of local manufacturing to ensure a just energy transition.

The evaluation finds that while the GCF has a prominent position in climate finance and a diverse set of instruments, its energy sector approach lacks a clearly articulated strategy and suffers from a mismatch between its stated and actual risk appetite. The portfolio is heavily skewed toward international accredited entities (IAEs) and focuses primarily on renewable energy generation, while underfinancing energy efficiency and emerging technologies like green hydrogen and large-scale storage. Results management is described as underdeveloped, with inconsistent metrics for measuring paradigm shifts and a lack of specific emissions reduction targets for the energy sector. The report recommends that the GCF clarify its role in the global energy transition, increase support for enabling environments and regulatory frameworks, and better align its risk appetite with transformational innovation.

The We Mean Business Coalition calls on the EU Council to prioritize a rapid transition from fossil fuels to clean energy in its 2024-2029 strategic agenda. The Coalition argues that fast decarbonization is essential for economic resilience and competitiveness, especially as the US and China invest heavily in clean energy. They advocate for a robust 2040 climate target of at least 90% emissions reductions and a holistic approach integrating climate, nature, society, and economy to achieve a climate-neutral and socially fair Europe.

The EU is attempting to increase domestic production of net-zero technologies through the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) and other strategies to reduce dependencies on China and the US. However, the author contends that the EU lacks the necessary funding to meet its 2030 targets, such as producing 40 per cent of its installation needs domestically. The document highlights a conflict between 'frugal' member states and those seeking a European Sovereignty Fund, leading to a reliance on the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF). This framework allows national 'matching aid', which the author argues creates unfair competition between wealthy nations like Germany and France and smaller states like Belgium. The text further critiques the use of non-price criteria in procurement and trade defense instruments, such as the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), noting they can increase costs for taxpayers and slow decarbonization. The author concludes that targeted, conditional European-level subsidies are the only viable way to ensure a just and cohesive green transition.

Reclaim Finance, BankTrack, SteelWatch, and the Fair Steel Coalition have sent a letter to 21 banks that finance ArcelorMittal, the world's second-largest steel company. The coalition alerts these financiers to risks and adverse impacts documented in two reports: 'The Real Co$t of Steel', which details violence against environmental defenders and neglect of worker health in South Africa, Liberia, Mexico, and Brazil, and the 'ArcelorMittal Corporate Climate Assessment 2024', which finds the company is not aligned with a 1.5C scenario and is investing in coal-based steel production. The letter demands that banks require ArcelorMittal to publish concrete action plans, adopt a 1.5-aligned Climate Action Plan, and perform enhanced due diligence. Additionally, the coalition calls on banks to adopt sectoral policies to restrict financing for coal-based steelmaking, specifically ending services for new blast furnaces and the relining of existing ones.

The Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act (Bill C-50) establishes a governance framework, including a Partnership Council and Action Plans, to ensure a people-centred transition to a low-carbon economy. The legislation emphasizes social dialogue and decent work, aiming to align sustainable employment with the Net-zero Emissions Accountability Act.

The transition to electric vehicles in the U.S. is expected to significantly disrupt auto manufacturing jobs, particularly those tied to internal combustion engine components. While battery manufacturing and software-related roles are poised for growth, the shift requires a transition from mechanical to electrochemical production processes, necessitating new digital and chemical skills. The document also highlights risks to job quality, noting a trend of EV investment in non-union Southern states and the impact of AI and vertical integration on the supply chain.

The report finds that many of the world's largest fossil fuel producers fail to address the transition of the fossil fuel sector in their climate plans. It argues that third-generation NDCs must include specific targets, pathways, and policies to wind down production in alignment with the COP 28 agreement to ensure a just and orderly transition.

The briefing outlines how the EU can sustain its climate leadership following the June 2024 elections by linking emissions reductions to energy security, consumer cost savings, and industrial competitiveness. It highlights the success of the RePowerEU Plan in reducing Russian gas imports and notes that wind and solar power saved EU consumers approximately EUR 100 billion between 2021 and 2023. The document emphasizes that investing in green technology and implementing social safety nets, such as retraining programmes, will ensure the transition is competitive and inclusive.

The briefing argues that current oil and gas production trajectories are incompatible with the Paris Agreement, with projected production by 2050 potentially exceeding 1.5°C-aligned needs by 260% for oil and 210% for gas. It advocates for a coordinated global phase-out led by the G7 and G20, emphasizing that new extraction projects must cease immediately. The author highlights the necessity of climate finance, noting a gap between current annual climate finance (USD 1.3 trillion) and the required green transition investment for emerging and developing economies (USD 2.4 trillion). To ensure equity, the document suggests assessing transition capacity based on GDP per capita, government revenue shares from fossil fuels, and workforce employment in the sector, while calling for the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies and the implementation of innovative funding, such as taxes on fossil fuel company revenues.

The document evaluates civil society engagement during the 2020-2021 NDC revision process in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. It identifies significant barriers to inclusivity, including the digital divide during COVID-19, technical complexity of climate policy, and inadequate government communication. To improve the 2025 revisions, the briefing recommends diversifying engagement methods (such as 'imbizo' gatherings), enhancing technical capacity for civil society organisations (CSOs), and fostering regional peer learning to protect the livelihoods of marginalised communities.

The document calls for the appointment of a European Commission Vice-President for People and the Environment to oversee the European Green Deal, the cessation of public funding for harmful activities like fossil fuels, increased resources for environmental law enforcement, and the strengthening of environmental democracy.

The report argues that transition indicators can bridge the 'ambition gap' and 'implementation gap' by articulating the tangible socio-economic benefits of climate neutrality and resilience. Through case studies in Germany, South Korea, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, and the Netherlands, the authors propose specific metrics for the power, industry, transport, building, and agricultural sectors. These indicators are designed to facilitate inclusive social dialogue, improve governance by clarifying sectoral responsibilities, and encourage international mutual learning, particularly within the Global South.

The document argues that a just transition requires wealthy, high-emitting nations to phase out fossil fuels first and fastest while providing financial and technological support to less wealthy countries. It outlines a broad menu of policy tools across resource management, financial markets, fiscal and monetary policy, economic diversification, and global governance to manage the decline of fossil fuel production and consumption equitably.

Spain is a European leader in commercial-scale solar energy, with the highest operational capacity (29.5 GW) and a massive pipeline of projects. However, to meet its 2030 targets of 81 GW of solar and 62 GW of wind, the country must overcome permitting bottlenecks, low adoption of small-scale rooftop solar, and infrastructure limitations. While solar targets are achievable given the current pipeline, wind energy requires a significant acceleration in deployment rates.

The document analyzes the South African beef industry's 'system of provision' to argue that current 'market-centred' transition policies—which prioritize growth and technical intensification—fail to address deep-seated inequalities and the vulnerabilities of farm workers and smallholder farmers. It highlights the industry's high greenhouse gas emissions and the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized producers. The authors advocate for a transformative just transition that integrates labor reform, agrarian reform, and a shift away from corporate-led governance toward democratic, socio-ecological sustainability.

The report analyzes the current state of fossil fuel production references in the climate commitments of the 20 largest producers and provides a framework for including production phase-outs in future NDCs and LT-LEDS. It finds that most producers either omit production plans or signal continued extraction, which contradicts 1.5°C-compatible scenarios. The authors propose five key elements for new commitments: background production data, phase-out targets, restrictive policies, just transition planning, and equity-based international cooperation.

The report identifies significant barriers to grid battery deployment in South Africa, including an outdated electricity sector framework, insufficient understanding of battery capabilities, and economic challenges related to capital access and revenue stacking. It highlights the potential for local value chain development in lithium-ion and vanadium redox flow batteries, while warning of environmental risks in raw material extraction and the danger of technological lock-in. The authors propose a series of priority actions, including the alignment of national planning documents, the establishment of a market for ancillary services, and the implementation of pragmatic local content requirements in procurement.

The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) argues that current 2030 climate targets and policies are insufficient, projecting end-of-century warming of 2.5°C to 2.7°C. To maintain the 1.5°C goal, the document asserts that governments must enter 'emergency mode,' peaking global emissions before 2025 and halving them by 2030. It outlines four essential elements for 2035 NDCs: ambition based on sectoral benchmarks, scaled-up climate finance for developing nations, credibility through the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies and exploration, and transparency via absolute economy-wide targets that separate land-use sinks and carbon removals from domestic reductions.

The paper examines the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in the NDC revision processes of Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia, identifying barriers to participation and proposing strategies to enhance inclusivity for the 2025 revisions.