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The report argues that the planned $379 billion expansion of gas infrastructure in Asia threatens the global goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C and risks creating stranded assets. It highlights that the region is planning 320 GW of new gas-fired power and 452 mtpa of LNG import capacity, which could emit up to 117 Gt CO2-eq over their lifespans. The document contends that renewable energy is now a more cost-effective and reliable alternative, and calls for the redirection of public finance away from gas to support net-zero goals.

The report identifies a massive planned expansion of gas infrastructure in Asia, including 320 GW of power plants and 452 mtpa of LNG import capacity, valued at 379 billion USD. It argues these investments risk becoming stranded assets as renewable energy costs plummet and climate targets necessitate a rapid decline in fossil fuel use. The document highlights that the projected emissions from this infrastructure could consume 25% of the remaining global carbon budget for 1.5°C. It further criticizes the continued role of public financial institutions in funding these projects, suggesting a shift toward clean energy portfolios as a more secure and sustainable alternative.

The report analyzes the expansion of gas power plants, pipelines, and LNG terminals across East, South, and Southeast Asia, totaling $379 billion in planned investments. It argues that this expansion is incompatible with the 1.5°C climate goal, as the resulting emissions could consume 25% of the global carbon budget. The document highlights the economic risk of these projects becoming stranded assets due to the falling cost of renewable energy and the volatility of LNG prices. It concludes that clean energy portfolios, combining renewables with storage and demand management, are more cost-effective and secure alternatives to gas.

The report identifies a massive planned expansion of gas infrastructure in Asia, totaling US$379 billion, which includes 320 GW of power plants, 63,000 km of pipelines, and 452 mtpa of LNG import capacity. It argues that this expansion would consume approximately one-quarter of the global carbon budget required to limit warming to 1.5°C and warns that these projects are economically risky compared to cheaper renewable alternatives. The document highlights the role of public financing from institutions like the Export-Import Bank of China and the Asian Development Bank in sustaining this growth, while urging a shift toward clean energy portfolios.

The report finds that the Bargny-Sendou area already suffers from severe air pollution, with PM10 levels exceeding national standards by 193% to 540% before the full operation of new industrial projects. It argues that the cumulative impact of the coal plant, mineral port, and steel plant will exacerbate health risks and degrade local resources, including the livelihoods of 1,000 women processing fish at the Khelcom site. The study recommends a strategic environmental assessment of the zone and the conversion of the coal plant to gas.

The document argues that to meet the 1.5°C climate goal, new coal infrastructure must stop immediately and most existing plants must be retired by 2030. It provides a framework for financial institutions to assess corporate coal exit plans, emphasizing that credible plans must include facility-by-facility closure dates, a prohibition on selling assets to new owners, and a ban on converting plants to other fossil fuels or biomass. The briefing also highlights the necessity of funded just transition plans and the cessation of anti-climate lobbying and legal challenges via investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms.

The document argues that to meet the 1.5°C climate goal, the global coal industry must be phased out rapidly, with 80% of the global fleet and all facilities in the OECD, Eastern Europe, and the Former Soviet Union closed by 2030. It provides financial institutions with a ten-point framework to assess corporate phase-out plans, emphasizing that plans must include facility-by-facility closure dates, prohibit the sale of assets to new owners, and forbid conversion to fossil gas, biomass, or fossil-based hydrogen. The briefing also warns against using carbon capture and storage (CCS) or Science-Based Targets (SBTi) as substitutes for concrete closure plans and insists on funded just transition roadmaps and the cessation of anti-climate lobbying and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) claims.

Reclaim Finance claims that TotalEnergies is using 'climate-KPI linked' debt to fund a strategy that remains heavily reliant on oil and gas, arguing that these sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) lack the ambition required by the Paris Agreement and the 1.5°C trajectory.

Over 200 civil society organizations are urging world leaders to stop international public finance for fossil fuels, noting that G20 members provide USD 77 billion annually to fossil fuels compared to USD 28 billion for clean energy. The statement calls for an immediate end to support for the entire fossil fuel value chain, the closure of financial loopholes, and increased climate finance for low-income countries in the Global South to ensure a just energy transition ahead of COP 26.

The report contends that Poland's proposed expansion of electricity-only gas plants is out of step with climate modelling and faces significant regulatory and financial risks from EU policies. It highlights that the EU's 'Fit for 55' package, the EU Methane Strategy, and the EU taxonomy could increase operational costs, restrict funding from the Modernisation Fund, and block financing for projects that do not meet strict emissions criteria. Modelling suggests Poland could meet electricity demand with a maximum gas capacity of 6 GW between 2025 and 2030, far less than currently planned, risking a lock-in of gas dependency beyond 2050.

The Three Seas Initiative (3SI) is criticized for prioritizing fossil gas infrastructure over renewable energy, which risks locking in emissions beyond 2050 and violating the EU's Climate Law. As of July 2021, fossil gas projects outnumber renewables in the 3SI database by more than two to one. Many of these gas projects are described as 'zombie projects'—outdated relics that have failed to attract financing or remain unutilized, such as the BRUA and Eastring pipelines. The document highlights that EU gas consumption must decline sharply to meet a 55% emissions reduction by 2030. While the 3SI Investment Fund (3SIIF) recently made its first energy investment in solar developer Enery Development, the briefing argues that significant political and financial shifts, including from the US, are needed to catalyze the region's renewable energy potential and align with the 'Fit for 55' package.

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 report argues that the RM4P procurement process was designed for gas projects, imposing restrictions that increased renewable energy bid tariffs by over 50% and made gas-dominated projects appear erroneously cost-competitive. Modelling suggests that a technology-agnostic, system-integrated approach could halve tariffs, saving Eskom R8 billion annually (R160 billion over the PPA term) while eliminating the 4 million tonnes of annual CO2 emissions produced by the current preferred bidders, 90% of which come from three Karpowership projects.

ClientEarth argues that the draft CEEAG contains political compromises that undermine environmental ambitions, specifically criticizing the continued support for fossil gas, low-carbon hydrogen, and biomass. The organization advocates for the strict integration of the 'Energy Efficiency First' principle, the 'energy solidarity principle', and more rigorous safeguards to prevent 'carbon lock-in'. Key recommendations include limiting hydrogen aid to renewable sources, phasing out support for high-efficient cogeneration and small hydropower, and implementing stricter conditions for the closure of coal activities to ensure they occur by 2030.

The Centre for Environmental Rights asserts that South Africa's transition from coal must go beyond energy shifts to encompass a radical restructuring of society. The author warns that southern Africa is warming at twice the global rate, making incremental change impossible. The document advocates for an "Open Agenda for a Just Transition" that integrates clean energy with food sovereignty, gender justice, and a new economic system based on human needs rather than profit.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, representing groundWork, Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action, and the African Climate Alliance, has formally objected to the inclusion of new fossil fuel generation capacity—specifically 1500 MW of new coal—in South Africa's Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2019 and a September 2020 ministerial determination. The letter requests that the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy clarify if the IRP 2019 will be updated by the end of 2021, citing a June 2021 announcement by President Ramaphosa to increase the NERSA generation licence exemption threshold to 100 MW. The authors argue this change could unlock over 5000 MW of embedded generation capacity not currently accounted for in the IRP 2019, necessitating a revision of the proposed energy mix.

The document compares natural gas-based hydrogen production methods, finding that ATR with carbon capture and storage (CCS) can achieve significantly higher carbon reduction rates (96-98%) than standard SMR (50-65%), though it requires more power for oxygen production. It estimates the cost of ATR-produced hydrogen at approximately $1.38/kg based on a US Gulf Coast scenario.

The report examines how the EU sustainable taxonomy, originally designed to be science-based, has been influenced by industry lobbying to potentially include fossil gas and nuclear energy. It argues that gas is not a sustainable transition fuel due to methane leaks and carbon lock-in, and that nuclear energy fails the 'do no significant harm' (DNSH) principle due to waste and safety risks. The document details the scale of lobbying efforts, identifying hundreds of meetings between EU officials and industry representatives, and criticizes the EU Commission for deferring decisions on these technologies to future legislation and relying on flawed technical reports.

ClientEarth warns that proposed changes to the UK's judicial review process could prevent environmental groups from holding the government accountable and limit the court's ability to reverse unlawful decisions.

The briefing examines how industry lobby groups, including Hydrogen Europe and Global Alliance Powerfuels, are attempting to weaken the EU's Renewable Energy Directive (RED II). Specifically, it highlights efforts to remove 'additionality' requirements and extend 'temporal correlation' timeframes, which would allow hydrogen to be labeled as 'renewable' even if produced using fossil-fuel electricity. The author warns that such standards would result in carbon-intensive hydrogen, undermine the EU's 'energy efficiency first' principle, and risk subsidizing climate-damaging fuels through EU recovery funds.