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The 2020 Production Gap report highlights that current government plans for fossil fuel production far exceed the levels necessary to meet Paris Agreement temperature goals. To limit warming to 1.5°C, global production must decline annually by 11% for coal, 4% for oil, and 3% for gas, yet governments are planning annual increases of 2%. By 2030, countries aim to produce 120% more fossil fuels than is consistent with the 1.5°C limit. The report argues that the COVID-19 recovery presents a critical choice: either return to production trajectories that lock in catastrophic warming or implement a managed wind-down of fossil fuels as part of a 'build back better' strategy.

ClientEarth's feedback on the EU Taxonomy draft delegated regulation emphasizes the need for science-based thresholds, the exclusion of fossil gas and hazardous chemicals, and the prevention of corporate lobbying from watering down environmental standards.

The report finds that while renewable energy investment is growing, continued funding for fossil fuel power plants and the presence of 'locked-in' emissions from existing assets keep the global power sector on a temperature trajectory exceeding 3.2°C. It highlights a significant gap between actual 2018 investment carbon intensities and the negative thresholds required by 2030 to achieve Paris alignment. The analysis identifies specific misalignments among major economies like China, India, and Japan, and among financial actors such as commercial banks and export credit agencies. The document recommends halting new carbon-intensive investments, accelerating the retirement of existing fossil fuel plants, and harmonizing climate risk reporting.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) supports the UK government's Green Recovery plan for its focus on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and low carbon hydrogen as essential for net-zero goals. The plan allocates £1bn total to CCS and £500M to low carbon hydrogen, targeting industrial clusters such as Teesside and Humber. While endorsing the 'all of the above' approach and the development of zero carbon liquid fuels, CATF emphasizes that the UK must immediately reduce methane emissions from natural gas to effectively mitigate warming.

ClientEarth contends that Belgium's proposed capacity remuneration mechanism (CRM) is legally non-compliant and unnecessary. The organization argues that the national resource adequacy assessment (NRAA) fails to follow ACER's methodology, ignores the absence of price caps, and overstates adequacy concerns. Furthermore, ClientEarth asserts that the CRM's support for new gas capacity contradicts the European Green Deal and Belgium's own climate neutrality goals for 2050, and that the scheme lacks a required phase-out provision.

In October 2020, zero-carbon electricity sources in Europe, particularly wind and nuclear, outperformed fossil fuels, leading to a reduction in fossil fuel generation despite recovering electricity demand.

The document examines the decline of the U.S. coal industry, driven by cheaper natural gas and renewables, and the resulting workforce crisis. It argues that a successful transition requires more than just shifting to another single industry; it necessitates broad economic diversification. The brief outlines potential employment opportunities in clean energy, energy efficiency, environmental remediation (such as mine reclamation and forest restoration), broadband deployment, and entrepreneurship. It also reviews proposed federal frameworks, such as the National Economic Transition Office, and highlights regional initiatives in Appalachia and the West that support displaced workers through retraining and community-led development.

The report finds that while renewable electricity generation in the EU is projected to nearly double by 2030, the current National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) are insufficient to meet the EU Commission's recommended 55% emissions reduction target. Seven countries—Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania—are identified as the primary barriers, collectively projected to be responsible for 80% of the EU's power sector emissions by 2030 due to continued reliance on coal and fossil gas.

ClientEarth urges EU decision-makers to prohibit the use of Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) funds for gas-reliant projects, asserting that such investments would breach the Paris Agreement and EU legal obligations. The document argues that gas is not a viable 'bridge fuel' due to methane leakages and that existing infrastructure overcapacity makes new investments a stranded asset risk.

The report finds that while renewable electricity generation in the EU is projected to nearly double by 2030, the region is not on track to meet the European Commission's recommended 55% emissions reduction. Seven countries—Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania—are identified as the primary barriers to the transition, collectively accounting for 80% of projected 2030 power sector emissions.

The report analyzes Russia's strategic return to Africa, driven by Western sanctions and falling oil prices. It focuses on Zimbabwe and Mozambique, highlighting a pattern of elite-directed cooperation centered on extractive industries, arms trade, and political support. While Russia's economic footprint is significantly smaller than China's, it leverages an 'anti-West narrative' and a high tolerance for corruption to secure access to natural resources and political loyalty, often utilizing proxy organizations for election monitoring and paramilitary groups for security.

The document examines the role of climate finance in Mexico, highlighting the risks posed by the elimination of the Fondo para el Cambio Climático (FCC) and the heavy concentration of public funds in the energy sector via the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE). It provides specific recommendations for the public sector to strengthen governance and technical capacity, and for the private sector to adopt green taxonomies and innovative financing mechanisms like impact investing and carbon bonds to meet Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting for groundWork, sent a formal letter to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) on 30 October 2020. The letter requests detailed reasons and evidence for NERSA's decision to concur with a determination to procure 3,000 MW of gas and 1,500 MW of coal generation capacity between 2023 and 2027, as outlined in the Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity 2019–2030 (IRP 2019).

The document examines the conflict in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, asserting that while the violence is framed as militant Islam, it is rooted in long-term structural problems. It highlights how the discovery of rubies and offshore natural gas led to a 'resource scramble' that marginalised local communities and fostered grievances. The author notes that the Mozambican government's inept security response and the poor state of its military have further exacerbated the crisis. The brief concludes by comparing the situation to the Niger Delta in Nigeria, warning that without addressing socio-economic inequalities and improving governance, military interventions will be insufficient.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting on behalf of groundWork, has submitted a formal request to the South African Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy for written reasons regarding a Ministerial determination published on 25 September 2020. The determination outlines the procurement of new generation capacity from renewables, storage, gas, and coal based on the Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity 2019–2030 (IRP 2019). The request specifically challenges the inclusion of new fossil fuel capacity and seeks justification for the timing and scale of these allocations.

The briefing warns that climate scenarios used by financial and corporate actors often lack the ambition required to meet the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement, effectively acting as greenwashing tools. It calls for robust 1.5°C scenarios from agencies like the IEA and urges financial actors to establish clear exit dates from fossil fuels: by 2040 in Europe and 2050 elsewhere for oil and gas, and ten years earlier for coal.

The document critiques the Coal Replacement Bonus and the South Bonus introduced in Germany's Coal Phase-out Law, arguing that they overcompensate gas-based CHP plants, risk creating a carbon lock-in effect, and may delay the phase-out of hard coal by offering more attractive financial incentives than closure auctions.

The document argues that public funds alone cannot meet Africa's growing energy demands, which require an estimated $120 billion annually until 2040. It advocates for 'green financing'—blending public, development, and private capital—to reduce investment risks and improve affordability. Using Kenya as a model, the brief details how instruments like Partial Risk Guarantees, concessional loans, and Feed-in Tariffs have facilitated large-scale wind and geothermal projects. It specifically encourages the European Union to leverage its development finance institutions to create risk-mitigation products and support local private sector partnerships to accelerate the continent's green transition.

Agnisumukh develops flameless, radiant heat gas burners for commercial kitchens in India, reducing fuel consumption by approximately 30% and eliminating carbon soot. Founded in 2014 by Hari Rao, the company provides alternatives to traditional firewood and inefficient LPG burners, serving over 100 clients in 500 kitchens, including the President of India and the Prime Minister’s Office. The company's innovations have resulted in carbon savings of approximately 7,337 tons and the preservation of 469,201 trees.

The statement criticizes current financial institution commitments to the Paris Agreement as lacking concrete action and proposes two primary principles for alignment: adopting a commitment by COP26 that all supported projects and companies align with 1.5°C, and implementing processes to measure, disclose, and phase out financed emissions based on science-based targets.