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The report details a shift in U.S. federal priorities that has narrowed incentives for clean energy, primarily through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and executive agency actions. It highlights significant tax credit repeals or restrictions, DOE funding cancellations, and EPA reporting rollbacks that have created deep uncertainty across the electric power, manufacturing, and energy and industry sectors. While some investments accelerated to meet new deadlines, others—particularly in hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel, and carbon management—have declined or relocated abroad.

The policy brief examines the potential of small modular reactors (SMRs) to provide firm, low-carbon energy and industrial heat within the EU. It identifies significant structural barriers to deployment, including fragmented national licensing processes, uncertain state aid timelines, and a lack of standardised financing models. The author argues that to avoid a series of isolated, high-cost projects, the EU must move toward serial production and regulatory alignment, focusing early efforts on a limited number of mature designs to build supply chain and workforce capacity.

The report finds that while a majority of registered U.S. voters support clean energy transitions and the Paris Climate Agreement, global warming remains a low priority for most when deciding on congressional candidates. There is strong bipartisan support for protecting workers from extreme heat and opposing the elimination of federal climate research and FEMA, though significant political polarization persists regarding fossil fuel use and the priority level of climate action.

The document analyzes polling data from Project Tempo's EuroPulse Dashboard, revealing that while 62% of voters in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) acknowledge human-driven climate change, they prioritize the economy and security over climate action, which ranks 16th out of 18 issues. CEE voters show strong support for wind (62%), solar (65%), and carbon dioxide removal (62%), with higher-than-average support for nuclear power (44%) as a means to ensure self-sufficiency and industrial competitiveness. The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) recommends a diversified approach incorporating 'clean firm power'—including nuclear (SMRs), advanced geothermal, and gas with carbon capture—to maintain 24/7 reliability and reduce dependence on external suppliers, particularly in light of Russia's war in Ukraine. Key barriers identified include a lack of funding consensus, as only 55% of voters support any specific payment option for the transition, and insufficient regional coordination on cross-border infrastructure.

Executive Order 14300 directs a fundamental shift in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) mission, moving from exclusive risk minimization to weighing nuclear energy's benefits to national and economic security. The order mandates a wholesale regulatory revision within 18 months, establishes binding licensing deadlines (18 months for new reactors, 12 months for renewals), and aims to expand U.S. nuclear capacity from 100 GW to 400 GW by 2050. To achieve this, the document suggests streamlining exemptions for advanced reactors, adopting science-based radiation limits, and reducing the scope of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS).

The report analyzes Russia's strategic use of climate-related disinformation to advance geopolitical goals. It details how the Kremlin exploits climate disasters in the West to stoke polarization, suppresses domestic environmental activism to prevent unrest, and manipulates narratives in the Arctic and Africa to secure economic and political influence. The document highlights the intersection of Russian influence with far-right rhetoric and the emerging threat of AI-driven disinformation, while arguing that subnational and international cooperation is essential to counter these efforts as US federal defenses weaken.

The report inventories quantified energy subsidies in South Africa, detailing nominal and real values from FY 2018 to FY 2025. It identifies a wide range of support mechanisms, including VAT zero-rating for liquid fuels, Eskom bailouts, and carbon tax exemptions, while also listing specific incentives for renewable energy and energy storage. The document applies the World Trade Organization's definition of subsidies to categorize these financial contributions and provides a breakdown of government guarantees as contingent liabilities.

The report argues that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is undermining national energy security and economic competitiveness by canceling billions in congressionally mandated funding for clean energy and industrial innovation. It details the loss of approximately $23 billion in federal funding across 648 projects, affecting sectors such as carbon capture, hydrogen, and grid resiliency. The document highlights that these cuts risk wasting previous federal R&D investments, destroying local jobs, and ceding technological leadership to global competitors like China and Canada.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has cancelled or is considering the cancellation of approximately 650 projects, totaling $23 billion in federal funding. These cuts affect a wide range of sectors, including carbon capture, hydrogen, and industrial manufacturing, and impact nearly every U.S. state. The author contends that these actions negate the goals of bipartisan legislation like the CHIPS and Science Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, threatening the energy supplies needed for artificial intelligence and modern manufacturing.

In the first three quarters of 2025, record solar and wind growth exceeded electricity demand increases, leading to a forecast of no fossil fuel growth for the full year—the first such occurrence since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Clean Air Task Force (CATF) outlines its priorities for COP30, advocating for 'pragmatic climate action' that integrates decarbonization with socioeconomic development. The statement highlights a disconnect between African nations' climate commitments and their development plans, while urging immediate action on methane emissions from agriculture, fossil fuels, and waste. CATF promotes a diverse technology suite, including nuclear and geothermal energy, to ensure energy security and economic viability across different regional contexts.

The report identifies a conservative USD 4.4 trillion pipeline of creditworthy sustainable bonds from 12 climate-leader countries through 2035. It argues that global megatrends—such as electrification, urbanisation, and the rise of AI—will further accelerate this pipeline beyond current projections. The document also outlines policy levers, including taxonomies and monetary policy, that governments can use to channel capital into mitigation and resilience projects.

The UK has reduced emissions by 50.4% since 1990 while growing its economy by nearly 80%, with the net zero economy contributing £83.1 billion to GDP in 2024. However, the report identifies a 'policy implementation gap,' noting that as of June 2025, credible plans existed for only 38% of the reductions needed for the 2030 NDC. The document calls for a holistic approach to electrification, the creation of lead markets for green technologies, a national retrofit strategy for housing, and a comprehensive plan to close a green skills gap of up to 400,000 workers. It also emphasizes the need to align climate goals with nature recovery and to overcome political polarization by communicating the economic benefits of the transition to the public.

India is generally on track to meet its NEP 2032 capacity mix, with solar, hydro, and coal well-positioned to reach targets. However, onshore wind additions must accelerate, and nuclear capacity is likely to fall short due to long lead times and a limited near-term pipeline. Battery and pumped hydro storage are expanding rapidly to support renewables integration.

The report argues that as India expands solar and wind capacity, coal's role will shift from baseload provider to a flexible balancing resource, leading to lower plant load factors (PLFs) and higher effective costs. By FY 2031-32, coal-based electricity is projected to be roughly 25% costlier than in FY 2024-25. The analysis suggests that the ~35 GW of coal capacity currently under construction is sufficient for reliability, making further coal expansion uneconomical compared to firm and dispatchable renewable energy (FDRE) and storage options.

The briefing outlines the outcomes of an Executive Dialogue on nuclear energy's role in Central and Eastern Europe's strategic sovereignty, proposing four priority areas for collaboration: financing innovation, regulatory alignment, supply-chain resilience, and workforce development.

The document outlines the climate and community risks associated with the proliferation of AI data centers, noting their high energy and water demands and their tendency to rely on fossil fuels. It provides practical advice for journalists to report on local data center capacity, utility rate increases, and pollution, while citing specific examples of community struggles in the US and AI's varied roles in climate adaptation and forecasting.

The briefing criticizes multilateral development banks (MDBs) for continuing to fund large-scale, centralized energy projects that the authors categorize as 'false solutions,' such as nuclear, carbon capture, and fossil gas. It argues these investments undermine equity and delay the transition to sustainable energy. Using case studies from Africa and Asia, the document recommends that MDBs prioritize decentralized renewable energy, reform climate finance frameworks, and ensure the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent of Indigenous peoples.

In the first half of 2025, China, India, the EU, and the US accounted for 63% of global electricity demand and 64% of CO2 emissions. China and India saw declines in fossil fuel generation as clean energy growth outpaced demand, with China contributing 55% of global solar and 82% of global wind growth. Conversely, the US experienced a rise in emissions as solar and wind growth failed to keep pace with demand, leading to a 17% increase in coal generation. In the EU, strong solar growth was offset by declines in wind and hydro due to poor weather conditions, resulting in a 14% increase in gas generation and a 4.8% rise in power sector emissions.

In the first half of 2025, global solar and wind generation grew sufficiently to meet and exceed total electricity demand growth, leading to renewables overtaking coal in the global electricity mix for the first time. Solar generation saw record absolute growth, while total fossil fuel generation declined slightly. Consequently, global CO2 emissions from the power sector fell marginally by 0.2%, although results varied by region, with emissions decreasing in China and India but increasing in the US and EU.