Search Climate Insights Directory

In 2024, global public financial support for fossil fuels reached USD 1.2 trillion, nearly five times the USD 254 billion provided to clean energy. The analysis highlights a cycle where energy price shocks lead to regressive blanket subsidies that entrench fossil fuel dependency. While international public finance is trending toward clean energy, G20 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) remain heavily invested in fossil fuels, with 81% of their 2024 capital expenditure funding fossil infrastructure. The authors advocate for replacing blanket subsidies with targeted social protection and aligning SOE investments with transition goals to build resilient, low-carbon energy systems.

The author contends that raising interest rates to curb inflation caused by the war on Iran would disproportionately hinder renewable energy investments compared to fossil fuels, thereby prolonging Europe's energy vulnerability. To maintain price stability and support the energy transition, the document proposes that the ECB introduce 'Green TLTROs'—Targeted Longer Term Refinancing Operations—to provide lower interest rates for lending dedicated to renewable deployment, electrification, and grid upgrades.

The document warns that the European Central Bank's potential interest rate hikes, prompted by inflation from the war against Iran, could disproportionately hinder renewable energy deployment compared to fossil fuels. It argues that reducing fossil fuel dependence is essential for long-term price stability and proposes the use of 'green' targeted longer term refinancing operations (TLTRO) to support the energy transition.

A coalition of ecumenical, interfaith, and eco-spiritual organizations from the Global South calls for a Fossil Fuel Treaty to address the climate crisis. The coalition argues that the burning of coal, oil, and gas is the primary driver of climate change and demands an immediate end to new fossil fuel projects, the cancellation of debts for the Global South, and a transition centered on social justice and the rights of indigenous peoples and affected communities.

The First Conference for the Transition beyond Fossil Fuels, held in Santa Marta, Colombia, from April 24 to 29, aims to establish practical solutions for phasing out coal, oil, and gas. Co-sponsored by Colombia and the Netherlands, the event brings together at least 45 countries, including major exporters like Canada and Australia, though the largest producers—the US, China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia—are absent. The conference seeks to bypass the consensus-based delays of UN COPs to produce a report for COP30 and COP31, focusing on eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, planning production decline, and increasing renewable energy demand within a just transition framework.

In 2025, global electricity generation reached a historic milestone as renewables overtook coal power for the first time in 100 years, accounting for 33.8% of the global mix. This shift was driven by a record increase in solar power generation (636 TWh), which alone met 75% of the global electricity demand growth. Consequently, global fossil generation saw a slight decline of 38 TWh, marking the first such decrease since 2020 outside of a global recession or exceptionally mild year. This trend was most prominent in China and India, where fossil generation fell for the first time simultaneously in the 21st century. While Asia remains the only region where coal still exceeds renewables, the global emissions intensity of electricity fell to 458 gCO2e per kilowatt hour in 2025.

In 2025, global electricity generation saw a significant shift toward low-carbon sources, with solar and wind reaching a combined 17.3% share of total generation. Solar was the fastest-growing source, adding 636 TWh and meeting 75% of global demand growth. Conversely, coal's share of global electricity fell below one-third for the first time on record to 33.0%, and renewable generation exceeded coal generation for the first time. Low-carbon sources (including nuclear) reached 42.6% of total generation, while the emissions intensity of electricity dropped by 2.7% in 2025, the largest annual decline in two decades.

The report provides a detailed analysis of the power sectors of seven major countries and regions in 2025, which collectively represent 72% of global electricity demand. Key trends include China's unprecedented solar growth and first absolute decline in power sector emissions since 2015, the US seeing wind and solar overtake nuclear power for the first time, and the EU's wind and solar generation exceeding fossil generation. India saw renewable growth double its demand increase, while Brazil maintained one of the cleanest systems globally with 87% renewable generation. Conversely, Russia and Japan continue to rely heavily on fossil fuels, with Russia's wind and solar remaining marginal at less than 1% of its mix.

The document examines how Spain's rapid expansion of wind and solar power has decoupled its electricity prices from volatile fossil fuel markets, particularly during the 2026 conflict in Iran. While Spain has achieved lower electricity costs and increased industrial competitiveness compared to other major EU economies, the author notes a critical shortfall in grid infrastructure investment. The text advocates for a reform of the EU's marginal pricing system and a shift toward domestic clean energy generation to ensure broader European energy security.

The statement contends that the global fossil fuel system is inherently violent and volatile, citing 2026 conflicts in the Middle East and Venezuela as evidence. It advocates for the Santa Marta conference as a mechanism to move beyond the industry-influenced COP process to implement concrete actions, such as 'polluters pay' taxes on fossil fuel profits and grant-based climate finance for the Global South. The author asserts that the economic cost of fossil fuel price spikes outweighs the cost of transitioning to net zero, noting that 91% of new renewables projects are now cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) and KCB Bank Kenya Limited propose a 10-year, USD 96.9 million blended finance programme to increase climate resilience and reduce GHG emissions in Kenya. The programme targets 'hardest-to-reach' MSMEs and farmers, particularly in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), through a tiered vulnerability cluster framework. Key interventions include a USD 65 million CST facility consisting of concessional loans and a USD 20.3 million GCF guarantee to de-risk lending. The project aims to reduce 3.93 million tCO2e and reach 935,692 beneficiaries, with a strong focus on women-led enterprises and the integration of digital lending and climate risk assessment tools.

The CC Asia Climate Fund (CC-ACF) is a proposed USD 150 million private equity fund targeting growth-stage companies in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan. Managed by CC Global Services Holdings Limited (CC GSH), the fund seeks USD 37.5 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to act as a first-loss tranche, catalyzing USD 112.5 million in co-financing. The fund focuses on five priority sectors: renewable energy, resource efficiency/industry decarbonization, weather-resilient buildings, water conservation, and climate-smart agriculture. It aims to reduce GHG emissions by 8.21 million tCO2eq over a 25-year lifespan and reach approximately 464,396 direct and indirect beneficiaries. The strategy emphasizes technology transfer, active board stewardship, and the demonstration of commercial viability for climate-smart investments to shift these carbon-intensive economies toward low-carbon development.

A coalition of environmental organizations demands that the South Korean government stop the expansion of LNG power generation in the upcoming 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, citing price volatility, carbon lock-in risks, and the economic viability of renewable energy alternatives.

The document analyzes a global trend of decreasing climate coverage in news media, particularly in the US, while identifying specific reasons for this decline and offering a prescription for revitalizing climate journalism to reflect the high level of public concern.

The document argues for a coordinated EU-level windfall profit mechanism to address extraordinary profits in the fossil fuel sector caused by geopolitical tensions. It proposes strengthening the previous Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 to increase the share of captured profits and expand the scope to include international companies operating in the EU market.

International public finance for energy projects by G20 governments and multilateral development banks exceeds USD 100 billion annually. While funding for fossil fuels dropped from USD 151 billion in 2016 to USD 37 billion in 2024, clean energy finance has grown more slowly, reaching USD 47 billion in 2024. The Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP) has significantly reduced fossil fuel finance among its members, though the redirection of these funds toward clean energy remains limited.

Fossil fuel subsidies, which exceeded USD 1.2 trillion in public financial support in 2024, distort energy markets and lock countries into fossil fuel dependence. These subsidies take the form of consumer price supports, producer incentives, and general services. While subsidies declined to USD 921 billion in 2024 from a 2022 peak of USD 1.76 trillion, geopolitical tensions in 2026 are risking a new increase in support measures to shield consumers from price shocks.

The Tassiriki Call, adopted in April 2026, outlines a vision for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific based on 100% renewable energy and the 1.5°C temperature limit. It advocates for a global Fossil Fuel Treaty, scaled-up grant-based finance, and the creation of an Inter-Governmental Taskforce for a Just Transition to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific. The statement emphasizes the need for a managed decline of fossil fuel production and warns against the use of carbon capture and geoengineering to justify continued production.

The briefing examines the impact of energy supply disruptions stemming from the US-Iran war, noting that the current crisis is larger than the 1970s oil embargo. It argues that while governments are using short-term fixes like strategic reserves and subsidies, the long-term solution lies in electrification, demand-side efficiency, and the scaling of 'green molecules' like hydrogen and ammonia. The text highlights specific vulnerabilities in Southeast Asia and the US, and suggests that mitigating methane leakage and flaring could recover energy volumes equivalent to approximately half of worldwide LNG trade.

The document asserts that private finance continues to bankroll the fossil fuel industry despite net-zero alliances, which have largely collapsed or been gutted due to industry backlash. It calls for regulators to mandate climate transition plans, exclude fossil fuel assets from central bank collateral frameworks, and pass legislation to choke off funding for fossil fuels. While some progress is noted in coal restrictions and specific European institutional investor pledges, the author maintains that binding regulation is essential to ensure private capital accelerates rather than obstructs the global energy transition.