Search Climate Insights Directory

The report examines the application of JETP Just Transition Standard 9 in Air Buaya and Pasir Putih, Maluku. It identifies risks for diesel plant workers in Air Buaya and severe cold-chain infrastructure gaps in Pasir Putih's tuna fishery. To address these, the authors propose a 'Self-Sustaining Workforce Transition Model' for worker reskilling and a three-phase financing strategy—moving from grants to de-risking instruments—to establish solar-powered cold-chain facilities.

The document assesses the potential for an Emissions Trading System for Agriculture (Agri-ETS) in the EU, arguing that such a system would only be effective if it targets large-scale polluters, avoids free allowances and carbon offsets, and is integrated into a wider suite of reforms. It highlights the risks of 'GHG tunnel vision' and the necessity of reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to stop subsidising harmful practices. The author advocates for a 'Just Transition Fund for Agri-food' to support small-scale farmers using Agri-ETS revenues.

Carbon Market Watch argues that Verra's VM0052 methodology for coal transition credits is flawed and risks issuing low-quality credits that do not represent real emission reductions. The briefing identifies critical failures in additionality testing, baseline setting, leakage prevention, and just transition safeguards, specifically highlighting risks in the Philippines' energy context. It recommends a total suspension of the methodology until significant revisions are made to prevent overissuance and carbon leakage.

Carbon Market Watch concludes that Verra's VM0052 methodology for coal-to-clean carbon credits is inadequate and should not be used to issue credits in its current form. The report identifies critical risks of carbon leakage, over-estimation of emission reductions due to static baseline assumptions, and potential double counting. It also finds that the 'just transition' requirements are too vague and susceptible to manipulation, particularly regarding benefit-sharing and worker compensation. Using the South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation (SLTEC) project in the Philippines as a case study, the report illustrates how independent power producers could build new coal plants to replace retired capacity, nullifying climate benefits. The author urges Verra to suspend the methodology and implement substantive revisions.

Carbon Market Watch argues that Verra’s VM0052 methodology for coal transition credits is significantly flawed and should be put on hold. The briefing identifies critical risks of carbon leakage due to low renewable energy pairing requirements, weaknesses in baseline-setting and additionality tests, and inadequate safeguards against double issuance. It also finds that just transition provisions are unreliable, particularly regarding benefit-sharing and stakeholder mediation. Using a case study of the South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation (SLTEC) in the Philippines, the document illustrates how the methodology could allow for the overissuance of credits that do not represent real emission reductions.

The handbook traces G20 engagements with Africa from 2008 to 2025, noting a transition from ad hoc initiatives to structured partnerships, culminating in the African Union's permanent membership in 2023. While identifying successes in rural youth employment and financial inclusion, it highlights persistent implementation gaps in infrastructure and climate finance. The document maps G20 outcomes against AU Agenda 2063, finding strong alignment with economic integration but gaps in peace and institutional capacity. It also details South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency priorities, focusing on solidarity, equality, and sustainability through specific task forces on inclusive growth, food security, and AI.

The joint statement argues that while the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) can transform Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) into clean industry hubs, it risks exacerbating regional disparities due to the CEE's narrower fiscal margins and higher energy costs compared to other EU states. To prevent industrial decline driven by 'subsidy races', the authors recommend combining EU content requirements with carbon and circularity criteria, establishing common EU labels for green steel, cement, and chemicals, and implementing Green Public Procurement (GPP) mandates. Specifically, the statement suggests that GPP mandates for low-carbon materials in infrastructure could increase public procurement budgets in CEE by between +0.11% in Austria and +1.35% in Romania. The authors also call for equitable access to EU-level funding and streamlined permitting for cross-border hydrogen and CO2 infrastructure to address the region's high energy costs.

South Africa's green technology transfer ecosystem is characterized by a comprehensive but fragmented policy landscape that creates tensions between social equity goals and climate urgency. While the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) demonstrates successful public-private collaboration, other sectors struggle with institutional silos and a significant gap in funding for the commercialization of research. Key barriers include conflicting localisation requirements and data regulations that may act as non-tariff barriers to foreign investment.

Climate Strategies reflects on COP30, noting disappointments over fossil fuel phase-out language and adaptation funding, while highlighting the creation of the Integrated Forum on Climate Change and Trade (IFCCT) and the proposal for a Just Transition Mechanism. The organization also notes Colombia's commitment to host a global diplomatic conference on fossil fuel transitions in April 2026.

Ember argues that Indonesia's energy transition requires more ambitious emissions targets and a stronger regulatory framework, particularly for the underregulated captive coal sector. The organization recommends integrating JETP investments with long-term economic diversification in coal-dependent provinces to ensure a just transition. Ember also highlights a significant gap in solar deployment, noting that Indonesia reached only 416 MW of on-grid solar capacity last year against a 2025 target of 4.1 GW, and calls for more transparent procurement processes by PLN.

Ember argues that Indonesia's JETP 2025 scenario is insufficiently ambitious, particularly regarding the captive power sector, where it suggests that integrating solar PV could significantly reduce emissions. The brief calls for the inclusion of captive power in peaking emission targets, the removal of solar quotas, and the redirection of JETP investments toward coal-producing provinces to mitigate fiscal vulnerabilities and job losses.

The IEJ welcomes the G20 South Africa Summit's Leaders' Declaration as a diplomatic achievement but notes that the consensus-based process resulted in a 'lowest common denominator' outcome. While the IEJ acknowledges the mainstreaming of issues like critical minerals and sustainable industrial policy, it argues the declaration falls short on urgent priorities including climate finance, debt sustainability, and gender equality. The IEJ emphasizes that the success of the presidency depends on translating these commitments into tangible improvements for the African continent.

The document outlines five thematic areas for G20 action to support Africa's development: digital sovereignty and AI governance, trade resilience through the AfCFTA, 'whole-of-society' just energy transitions, reform of the global financial architecture, and the pursuit of the 2030 and 2063 sustainability agendas amidst shifting geopolitical tensions.

COP30 achieved agreements to triple adaptation finance and launch the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, but failed to formally establish roadmaps for transitioning away from fossil fuels and halting deforestation due to lobbying from petrostates. The summit saw record participation from Indigenous Peoples and significant commitments from 14,000 local governments to reduce emissions.

South Africa's G20 presidency has focused on four key priorities for Africa: debt sustainability, climate and energy transitions, disaster resilience, and the sustainable use of critical minerals. While some progress was made on disaster resilience, consensus on climate finance remained elusive. The presidency also sought to address the high cost of capital and promote inclusive growth through critical minerals and the African Continental Free Trade Area. Despite these efforts, the document suggests that the Johannesburg Summit is unlikely to fully realize these ambitions due to geopolitical tensions and a lack of consensus among G20 members on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals.

This research paper introduces a project by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) focused on the 'just transition' in South Africa and Brazil. It examines the need to reconcile climate action with economic development, specifically focusing on protecting vulnerable populations and addressing extreme inequality while shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

This research paper examines the role of green technology, specifically solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind energy, in decarbonisation and industrialisation. It argues that market forces alone are insufficient for scaling renewable energy and emphasizes the necessity of targeted industrial policy and government intervention to ensure equitable transitions, particularly in developing economies like South Africa and Brazil.

A coalition of global businesses and organizations urges governments at COP30 to adopt a formal roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels and scaling renewables. The signatories argue that such a framework is essential to provide the policy certainty needed to unlock private investment, align financial flows with net-zero goals, and bridge the gap between political ambition and real-world implementation.

The document highlights that Africa contains over 80 percent of the global population without electricity, with over 600 million people lacking access. It posits that renewable energy provides a strategic opportunity to leapfrog to cleaner systems, though deployment is currently hindered by financing gaps, regulatory uncertainty, and weak institutions. The brief recommends integrated electrification, grid modernization, regional power pooling, and blended finance to unlock socioeconomic potential.

The document assesses the African debt crisis, noting that over half of African countries are in or at risk of debt distress, which undermines their ability to meet sustainable development goals and manage climate impacts. It critiques the G20's Common Framework for being slow and creditor-favourable, and argues that debt restructuring is too narrowly treated as a technical financial problem. To address this, the author proposes three actions for South Africa: commissioning a technical report on barriers to development finance, establishing an independent African Borrower's Club and Sovereign Debt Roundtable, and calling for a review of IMF operating principles and governance.