Search Climate Insights Directory

The report analyzes Indonesia's shift from a high fiscal reliance on oil and gas revenues to a more diversified economy. It highlights a critical imbalance where government revenues from fossil fuel production are largely offset by inefficient consumption subsidies that disproportionately benefit wealthy households. The document warns of the risk of stranded assets valued between USD 200–300 billion and argues for phasing out fossil fuel subsidies to create fiscal space for renewable energy and social development.

Indonesia has successfully reduced its fiscal reliance on oil and gas production, but continues to struggle with inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that benefit wealthy households and hinder the growth of renewable energy. While the government has diversified its economy into manufacturing and finance, contradictory policies—such as maintaining price caps on fuels and prioritizing coal for electrification—create risks of stranded assets and environmental degradation. The report argues for the complete removal of fossil fuel subsidies, the implementation of consumption-based energy taxes, and the strategic investment of resource rents into social safety nets and renewable energy infrastructure to ensure a just transition.

The document examines gender imbalances in the energy sector of the Lower Mekong Region, noting that women are under-represented in technical roles and often excluded from energy decision-making. It highlights how gender norms, limited access to education, and siloed policy environments hinder women's participation in the transition to renewable energy. The briefing recommends promoting equal workforce opportunities, exploring community energy models, and developing gender-responsive national policies to ensure a just transition.

The document examines how current just transition policies often focus narrowly on compensating direct fossil fuel workers, thereby overlooking marginalized groups and structural inequalities. Through analysis of the US and Thailand, it highlights gaps in gender and racial representation and the risk of geographic economic disparities. It advocates for long-term strategies that integrate distributive and procedural justice to ensure a fair transition for all affected stakeholders.

The document emphasizes that adopting a human rights approach to climate action is essential for protecting those on the frontlines of climate impacts, including indigenous peoples and local communities. It traces the progressive recognition of human rights within the UNFCCC, from the 2010 Cancun Agreements to the 2015 Paris Agreement, and highlights the role of updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in promoting public participation. For the SB50 negotiations, it specifically identifies the need for social and environmental safeguards in Article 6 mechanisms to avoid the rights infringements seen under the Clean Development Mechanism, and notes the importance of reviewing the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage and the Gender Action Plan.

The report examines the evolving relationship between human rights and the international climate regime, specifically the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. It identifies a trend of increasing explicit and implicit references to human rights in COP decisions, though it notes these are often disproportionately linked to adaptation rather than mitigation. The document details how procedural rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, gender equality, and the right to food are being integrated into climate policy. It also reviews national-level implementation through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and national communications, finding that while many countries reference human rights, there is a lack of harmonized guidance. The report argues that a rights-based approach is essential to increase climate ambition and protect vulnerable populations from both climate impacts and poorly designed climate responses.

A 2019 survey of 2,208 registered U.S. voters reveals broad support for government action on climate change, with 70% of respondents favoring such measures. A majority of voters support a national renewable portfolio standard requiring 100% renewable electricity by 2050 and prioritize infrastructure resilience against extreme weather. The data indicates that climate change is a top-tier issue for Democratic voters and that a majority believe transitioning away from fossil fuels will positively impact the economy and jobs.

The GEC 2019 briefing reviews the global transition to green economies, noting that while renewable energy and green finance grew in 2018, biodiversity loss and inequality remain critical. The document outlines the GEC's mission to champion inclusion, equity, and environmental limits through financial reform, natural capital accounting, and just transitions. It emphasizes that environmental protection is dependent on improving human livelihoods, citing specific examples of community-led success and the need for structural economic reform.

The report argues that social inclusion is core to the green economic transition and that citizen-led dialogues are an effective tool for bridging the gap between local stakeholders and national policymakers. It documents experiences from seven 'Hubs'—the Caribbean, India, Mongolia, Peru, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda—where multi-stakeholder processes were used to identify local priorities and influence policy. Key outcomes include the promotion of fly ash bricks in Bihar, India; the development of a Green-Blue Economy Strategy in the Eastern Caribbean; and the creation of a catchment management plan for the River Rwizi in Uganda. The document concludes with ten policy insights, emphasizing that inclusive transitions require embedded governance systems, robust institutional mechanisms for stakeholder voice, and a focus on 'nexus issues' that link social, economic, and environmental goals.

The report finds that while there is a general availability of skilled labour in Atlantis, many qualified residents commute to Cape Town, leaving local businesses to report skills shortages. It argues that the future of the A-SEZ lies in medium-sized, value-adding green businesses rather than mega-factories, as the utility-scale renewable energy market has been hindered by poor government implementation of the REIPPPP. The audit identifies a critical gap in 'soft skills' and STEM competencies, alongside systemic failures in the local education sector, particularly at West Coast College, which serves non-local students more than residents. Recommendations include a 'whole of society' approach to education, the establishment of a community ICT centre, and targeted bursaries for high-tech tooling training.

The report examines the South African utility-scale renewable energy market, focusing on the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) and the 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). It highlights the transition from a coal-dominated energy mix toward wind and solar, detailing the economic impact of the REIPPPP, emerging opportunities in municipal procurement and project refinancing, and the role of the Western Cape as a greentech hub.

The document examines how disruptive technologies in mining—categorized into digitalization enablers, big data integrators, productivity optimizers, and sustainability improvers—affect different economic contexts. It highlights that while automation increases efficiency and safety, it risks displacing low-skilled workers, particularly Indigenous populations in Australia and local workers in Mali. Conversely, water-saving technologies in South Africa, such as closed-loop recycling and dry tailings disposal, offer positive spillovers for local communities through improved water access and infrastructure.

The document highlights a 'production gap' where current fossil fuel extraction trajectories far exceed carbon budgets for 1.5°C and 2°C scenarios. It advocates for a combination of supply-side measures—such as exploration moratoriums and subsidy removals—and demand-side policies to achieve cost-effective emission reductions and a just transition for affected workers.

The 2019 Production Gap Report reveals that global fossil fuel production plans are significantly incompatible with the Paris Agreement goals. By 2030, planned production is projected to be 50% higher than consistent with a 2°C pathway and 120% higher than a 1.5°C pathway, with the largest gap occurring in coal. The report identifies that this gap is wider than the global emissions gap because governments continue to support production through subsidies, direct investment, and ambitious national targets. It examines 10 key producer countries and suggests 'supply-side' policies—such as extraction bans, subsidy reform, and just transition plans—to close the gap. The report emphasizes that international cooperation through the UN climate process and financial institutions is essential to manage an equitable decline in fossil fuel extraction.

The Life After Coal Campaign (LAC) opposes the establishment of a panel of experts intended to provide guidance on managing sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from existing power plants in South Africa. The LAC argues that such a panel is unnecessary, would duplicate previous work done to set Minimum Emission Standards (MES), and would delay essential actions such as retrofitting plants with abatement technology or decommissioning non-compliant facilities. The campaign expresses concern that the panel could be used to weaken legal emission requirements or grant rolling postponements to operators like Eskom and Sasol. Additionally, the LAC notes a lack of transparency regarding the panel's terms of reference and criticizes the Minister of Environmental Affairs for previously weakening SO2 limits in the amended List of Activities published on 31 October 2018 without proper consultation.

The NDC Update Report November 2018 examines the 'Ambition' of governments in implementing the Paris Agreement. Based on a survey of 92 policymakers and experts, the report finds that while confidence in initial NDC implementation is high, there is a critical lack of long-term strategic planning. It argues that focusing solely on first-round NDCs is insufficient, as the Paris Agreement requires a transition to net zero emissions. The report advocates for a 'whole of government' approach and the development of long-term visions to guide sector transformation, financial shifts from 'brown to green' investments, and more ambitious second-round pledges in 2020.

The document argues that energy transitions are fundamentally about people and that early action is necessary to minimize negative impacts and maximize opportunities. It emphasizes that a just transition is a negotiated process involving workers, industry, and governments, rather than a fixed set of rules, and warns that protecting the status quo of carbon-intensive industries can lead to higher costs and missed economic diversification.

South Africa's Low-Emission Development Strategy (SA LEDS) 2050 establishes a framework to place the country on a low-carbon trajectory while ensuring socio-economic development. The strategy focuses on a 'peak, plateau and decline' (PPD) emissions trajectory, with a peak projected between 2020 and 2025. Key interventions span the energy sector (diversifying the electricity mix via the Integrated Resource Plan and REIPPP), industry (energy efficiency and carbon taxes), AFOLU (conservation agriculture and afforestation), and waste (waste-to-energy and recycling). The document emphasizes a 'Just Transition' to protect vulnerable workers and communities, supported by research into hydrogen, fuel cells, and carbon capture and storage. Implementation relies on a combination of domestic funding and international climate finance.

The report details the efforts and challenges of integrating human rights into the COP-24 outcomes, noting that while procedural participation in NDC planning was strengthened, substantive human rights references were often diluted or removed from final texts. It also documents the restriction of civil liberties by the Polish government during the conference and highlights specific policy areas, such as the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform and the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss & Damage, where human rights frameworks were maintained or advanced.

The briefing examines the financial challenges and opportunities associated with the early retirement of coal-fired power plants in the United States, using Colorado as a case study. It highlights that the marginal cost of energy (MCOE) for many coal plants now exceeds the cost of new wind and solar resources. To manage the resulting 'stranded assets' and undepreciated plant balances, the author proposes a transition strategy involving financial analysis of public data, the use of regulatory assets, and refinancing mechanisms such as debt-for-equity swaps and securitization. These tools are intended to reduce consumer costs, maintain utility investor returns, and fund just transition initiatives for affected workers and communities.