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The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) argues that the EU must update its Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC) to better support nuclear energy through technology-neutral state aid, streamlined regulatory frameworks for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), and strengthened domestic fuel supply chains to reduce reliance on Russia.

Trend Asia criticizes the new PP KEN for extending the use of fossil fuels until 2060, lowering renewable energy targets for 2030, and promoting high-risk or non-renewable 'new energy' sources like nuclear, hydrogen, and ammonia. The report highlights the environmental and social risks of bioenergy, specifically co-firing and Energy Plantation Forests (HTE), which it links to deforestation and land grabbing. It further argues that the policy lacks transparency, excludes community-scale renewable energy, and prioritizes industrial interests over human rights and ecological sustainability.

The Clean Air Task Force outlines the EU's current reliance on Russian nuclear fuel, particularly for VVER reactors, and proposes strategies to enhance supply chain resilience through alternative suppliers, domestic production, and strategic international cooperation.

The author contends that the U.S. administration's decision to exit the Paris Climate Agreement and end international climate finance creates significant risks for the United States. These include the loss of diplomatic soft power, the forfeiture of economic opportunities in a clean energy market projected to exceed $2 trillion by 2035, and the creation of a power vacuum likely to be filled by China or other actors like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The text asserts that maintaining a leadership role is essential for U.S. companies to ensure market transparency and harmonization abroad, and warns that domestic policy rollbacks further undermine American innovation and long-term energy competitiveness.

In 2024, global electricity generation reached new record highs for solar, wind, hydro, gas, and coal. Solar was the fastest-growing source, increasing by 474 TWh to reach a 6.9% share of the global mix, with China contributing 53% of this growth. Wind generation also hit a record of 2,494 TWh, though growth slowed due to weather conditions. Hydro rebounded to an all-time high of 4,416 TWh following 2023 droughts, largely driven by China. Nuclear generation grew by 2.5% to 2,768 TWh, but its global market share fell to a 45-year low of 9%. Gas and coal both reached record generation levels in 2024, though their shares of the global electricity mix declined to 22% and 34% respectively, as electricity demand grew faster than their production.

The report highlights solar power as the primary engine of the global energy transition, noting it surpassed 2,000 TWh of generation in 2024 and doubles every three years. While emerging drivers such as data centres, EVs, and heat pumps have structurally increased electricity demand, clean generation is projected to grow fast enough to meet this demand and drive a structural decline in fossil fuels by 2030. Central to this shift is the progress in China and India, where clean power deployment is breaking the historical link between economic growth and fossil fuel expansion, potentially tipping the global balance toward a decline in fossil generation.

The report examines the 2024 power sectors of China, the US, EU, India, Russia, Japan, and Brazil. Key trends include China's massive solar growth despite record coal generation, the US's first-time transition to wind and solar overtaking coal, the EU's record decline in coal, and Brazil's high renewable share. While India and China continue to see demand growth met partly by coal, the EU and US show a stronger shift toward clean energy, though the US remains reliant on gas.

In 2024, clean power reached a milestone of 40.9% of global electricity generation, driven by a record surge in solar and a rebound in hydropower. Despite this growth, global power sector emissions reached a record high of 14.6 billion tonnes of CO2 because extreme heatwaves drove a 4.0% increase in electricity demand, forcing a 1.4% rise in fossil fuel generation to meet the additional cooling needs.

In 2024, global electricity demand rose by 4% to 30,856 TWh, driven largely by China and extreme heatwaves. Low-carbon sources reached a historic high of 40.9% of global generation, with solar and wind combined surpassing hydropower. Despite this, global power sector emissions hit a record high, increasing by 1.6% due to a rise in fossil generation linked to cooling demand during heatwaves.

In 2024, clean power surpassed 40% of global electricity generation for the first time since the 1940s, driven by record solar growth. Despite this, global power sector emissions reached an all-time high of 14.6 billion tonnes of CO2 because heatwaves drove a 1.4% increase in fossil generation to meet cooling demand. Solar generation doubled over the last three years, reaching 2,131 TWh, while emerging drivers like AI data centres, EVs, and heat pumps structurally increased demand growth. China and India are increasingly decoupling their electricity demand growth from fossil fuel expansion, with China's clean generation meeting 81% of its demand increase in 2024.

The Mediterranean region's renewable power capacity is projected to double from 315 GW in 2023 to 626 GW by 2030, primarily driven by solar and wind. However, this trajectory falls 374 GW short of the TeraMed Initiative's 1 TW goal. To bridge this gap, the region would need to install an additional 54 GW of wind and solar annually beyond current plans, totaling 98 GW per year, which significantly exceeds the historical maximum annual deployment of 45 GW.

The report outlines a systematic approach to estimating top-down climate finance needs, distinguishing them from bottom-up needs derived from Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). CPI's methodology involves collecting data from nearly 100 reports, standardizing sector classifications using its Global Landscape of Climate Finance (GLCF) taxonomy, and harmonizing timeframes, currencies, and value types. The document emphasizes that annual climate finance flows must increase significantly, reaching USD 7.5 trillion per year by 2030 and over USD 8.8 trillion per year from 2031 to 2050. It also addresses data gaps in sectors like aviation and wastewater, the inclusion of non-climate solutions like fossil fuel deployment, and the necessity of redirecting capital from high-carbon activities to meet net-zero targets.

In 2024, low-carbon electricity generation exceeded 40% of the global total for the first time in decades, driven by unprecedented solar energy growth. Despite this, extreme heatwaves increased electricity demand for cooling, leading to a slight rise in fossil fuel generation and record-high sector emissions. Solar energy has doubled its generation over the last three years, with China contributing over half of the 2024 increase. The report concludes that while short-term weather fluctuations can cause temporary fossil fuel spikes, the long-term trend is dominated by clean energy growth and electrification.

The report details how climate change drives biodiversity loss through mechanisms like ocean acidification and species range shifts, while biodiversity loss weakens the planet's carbon sinks. It critically assesses 'false solutions'—including monoculture tree plantations, carbon offsetting, and geoengineering—arguing that these policies often cause further ecological damage and land grabbing. The document calls for a systemic shift toward agroecology, energy sufficiency, and the protection of Indigenous Peoples' land rights to address the polycrisis holistically.

The document analyzes how climate change accelerates biodiversity loss and how the loss of ecosystems further destabilizes the climate. It critiques 'false solutions' such as monoculture tree plantations, carbon offsets, and geoengineering, arguing they often cause more harm than good. The report calls for a systemic shift toward agroecology, community-led energy transitions, and the protection of Indigenous rights.

The EU's current clean hydrogen strategy faces a significant gap between aspiration and achievement, with renewable hydrogen accounting for less than 0.4% of total supply. The authors advocate for a broader definition of clean hydrogen that includes carbon capture-enabled reforming, methane pyrolysis, and nuclear-powered electrolysis to improve scalability and affordability. They recommend prioritising hydrogen for hard-to-electrify sectors like chemicals, steel, shipping, and aviation, while steering residential heating and passenger vehicles toward direct electrification. To overcome high costs—where clean hydrogen can reach €17 per kilogram compared to €3.5 per kilogram for unabated hydrogen—the document calls for additional subsidies and the development of centralised production-consumption hubs to reduce expensive transportation.

Canada is uniquely positioned to benefit from surging global electricity demand and corporate net-zero commitments because approximately 85 per cent of its electricity is already non-emitting. This clean energy advantage has already attracted significant investments in electric vehicle manufacturing in Ontario and data centers in Quebec. To maintain this competitive edge and ensure energy affordability, the document asserts that Canadian provincial and territorial governments must prioritize strategic grid expansion and modernization.

In 2024, wind and solar combined to generate 17% of US electricity, surpassing coal (15%) for the first time. While solar generation grew by a record 27% and battery storage expanded rapidly, overall power sector CO2 emissions rose slightly by 0.7% because a 3% increase in electricity demand drove higher gas generation. Despite this, carbon intensity reached a record low of 384 gCO2/kWh.

The US Treasury's final 45V guidance establishes a market-based framework for green hydrogen projects to qualify for tax credits based on three pillars: incrementality, temporality, and deliverability. The rule allows annual matching of clean power until 2030, after which hourly matching is required. It provides flexibility by allowing emissions calculations per hour and per electrolyzer, preventing an 'all or nothing' loss of credits. Developers can currently use bilateral contracts and existing registries to demonstrate viability to financiers, while preparing for a more sophisticated hourly Energy Attribute Credit (EAC) market.

The document argues that repealing federal technology-neutral electricity tax credits (§45Y and §48E) would significantly increase household energy bills across the United States. Drawing on analyses from multiple research groups, it estimates that national annual household energy bills would rise by $40–$60 in 2030, $56–$150 in 2035, and $140–$220 by 2040. The report highlights that these credits lower costs by reducing investment expenses for wind, solar, battery, nuclear, and geothermal projects, savings which utilities are regulated to pass on to consumers. Repeal would likely lead to substantial price hikes in specific states, with some households facing increases over $500 annually.