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The Resilient Municipal Market Fund (ReMark) is a proposed blended finance facility designed to address the lack of investment in African urban food markets, which are critical to food security but vulnerable to climate risks. The instrument combines a revolving debt facility for capital expenditure loans (USD 0.5-10 million) and a technical assistance (TA) facility managed by ICLEI Africa to prepare markets for investment. The pilot phase targets six municipalities in East and Southern Africa with a total budget of approximately USD 35 million, including USD 30 million in debt and repayable grants and USD 5 million in TA grants. ReMark categorizes markets into three types (A, B, and C) based on financial maturity, proposing different pathways to bankability, including a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) structure for the most challenged markets. Planned retrofits include cold storage, off-grid solar PV, and improved drainage to reduce food waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

The policy brief outlines three core principles for the implementation of the EU's Social Climate Fund (SCF): ensuring meaningful public participation, prioritising structural solutions over temporary relief to avoid fossil fuel lock-ins, and mobilising additional financing beyond the mandatory 25% contribution. It argues that the SCF's budget of EUR 65 billion is insufficient to tackle the root causes of energy and transport poverty and calls for the redirection of ETS revenues and the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies to support vulnerable households.

The report examines how fossil fuels correlate with inter-state wars, militarism, and internal violence, while advocating for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to manage a just transition to renewable energy. It highlights the 'peacetime-wartime continuum' of violence, noting that fossil fuel revenues often fund conflicts and that extraction sites frequently experience human rights abuses and gender-based violence. The document calls for a treaty based on non-proliferation, a fair phase-out, and a global just transition to prevent the replication of colonial extractivist patterns in the renewable energy sector.

China is the world's largest coal producer and importer, with a significant shift toward large-scale and mega-scale mining operations. Despite climate goals, China is developing approximately 1,280 Mtpa of new coal capacity, nearly half of the global proposed pipeline. This expansion, concentrated in provinces like Inner Mongolia and Shanxi, drives massive methane emissions, with China's operating mines alone accounting for roughly 70% of global coal mine methane emissions from similar-sized operations. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) dominate the sector, controlling 40% of production capacity and contributing nearly 40% of the nation's coal mine methane emissions.

The report applies tipping point theory to the energy transition, arguing that while solar and wind have reached cost parity with fossil fuels globally, systemic barriers persist in many emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). It proposes a holistic policy framework to 'force' tipping by amplifying positive feedbacks (e.g., reducing cost of capital), removing negative feedbacks (e.g., fossil fuel subsidy reform), and creating enabling conditions (e.g., grid modernization). The authors emphasize that public finance, especially international concessional funding, is critical to overcome high capital costs and infrastructure gaps in the Global South to meet the goal of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030.

The report examines Senegal's transition to an LNG exporter, highlighting risks such as high breakeven prices, potential stranded assets, and socio-economic disruptions to coastal fishing communities. It argues that relying on optimistic revenue projections is risky given the IEA's projected decline in natural gas demand by 2050 and recommends prioritizing renewable energy and strategic revenue management to avoid fossil fuel lock-in.

The document uses EnergyScope modeling to evaluate how four Latin American countries can align with COP 28 global energy targets. It concludes that a literal tripling of capacity is not necessary for all countries to meet projected demand and that combining renewable expansion with doubled energy efficiency can reduce the required installed capacity.

The We Mean Business Coalition argues that for NDCs to be 'investible', they must move beyond ambitious targets to include concrete implementation policies. The document proposes a three-pillar approach: setting ambitious economy-wide and sector-specific targets, developing consistent national and international policy frameworks, and establishing transparent dialogue between governments and businesses. It highlights that while renewable energy and electric vehicle adoption are accelerating, sectors like heavy industry and aviation require more targeted government intervention to overcome investment barriers. The report provides illustrative examples of successful policy-driven investments in India, Brazil, Sweden, the EU, and the US.

The We Mean Business Coalition urges governments to align NDCs with a 1.5°C pathway and the Global Stocktake outcomes to provide the policy stability necessary for business investment. The call to action focuses on three pillars: setting ambitious economy-wide and sector-specific targets, developing consistent national and sectoral policy frameworks, and establishing inclusive dialogues with the private sector to co-create implementation solutions.

Ember recommends that Indonesia update its coal mine methane (CMM) emission calculations using IPCC 'average' global emission factors, as current estimates based on 'low emission factors' likely undercount emissions. The brief argues for the inclusion of underground mining data, the development of region-specific emission factors for Sumatra and Kalimantan, and the mandate of direct measurement in underground mines to improve safety and accuracy. It further suggests integrating GHG reporting into business licensing and implementing mitigation techniques like pre-mine drainage and Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) capture. Finally, it advises limiting coal expansion to avoid stranded assets and preparing a just transition for coal-producing regions through renewable energy and critical mineral industries.

Three companies—GE Vernova, Siemens Energy, and Mitsubishi Power—control two-thirds of the global market for gas turbines in power plants currently under construction. While these firms are expanding through regional partnerships and promoting 'hydrogen-ready' technology, the report argues they face significant geopolitical and financial risks due to the rapid growth of renewables and the potential for gas power overcapacity.

Brazil is positioned as a potential global leader in green steel due to high-quality iron ore and vast renewable energy resources, though its industry remains heavily reliant on coal-based blast furnaces. While the country leads in biochar use, a full transition requires shifting to electric arc furnaces (EAF) and green hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI). The report emphasizes that strategic policy and the upcoming COP30 summit are critical to overcoming the longevity of existing coal-based infrastructure and the high capital costs of new technologies.

Saint Lucia is transitioning its energy system to reduce diesel dependency and increase climate resilience. A key milestone was the 2018 completion of a 4 megawatt utility-scale solar farm, which produced 24.7 million kWh of electricity in its first three years. The island aims to have 35 percent of its electricity supplied by renewable energy by 2025 and to reduce climate pollution by 23 percent by 2050. Current efforts include the planning of eight solar microgrids to power critical infrastructure, such as hospitals and schools, to ensure operational continuity during disasters. The document highlights the role of 'catalytic' philanthropic capital in unlocking private investment and the importance of the Climate Finance Access Network (CFAN) in helping small island developing states navigate the complexities of securing climate finance.

The report tracks the shift in China-Africa energy cooperation from large-scale infrastructure and thermal power projects toward 'small and beautiful' green initiatives. It highlights a growing alignment between China's commitment to stop funding overseas coal-fired projects and Africa's strategic priorities for climate finance, renewable energy access, and resilient infrastructure. While China offers technological and financial aid, the report notes that some African priorities, such as critical minerals, remain insufficiently addressed.

China has significantly reduced coal power plant approvals in early 2024 as massive additions of wind and solar power meet incremental electricity demand. While construction of previously permitted projects remains high, the shift toward clean energy is driving a decline in coal power generation and signaling a potential peak in CO2 emissions before 2030.

Uruguay transitioned its power sector by implementing the Uruguay Wind Energy Program in 2007, which combined a $1 million Global Environment Facility grant with $6 million in national funding. The program utilized reverse-auctions, feed-in tariffs, and workforce training to reduce reliance on oil imports, which had previously comprised 30%-40% of the power mix during drought years. Consequently, wind energy now generates approximately 40% of the country's electricity, with generation near 5,000 gigawatt hours. The government is now applying similar strategies to solar power and exploring offshore wind for green hydrogen production to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

The United States saw a 60% increase in major weather-related power outages during the heat season between 2014-2023 compared to 2000-2009. The South region experienced the highest number of these events, with Texas and Michigan recording the most outages at the state level. These outages compound health risks for vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and children, particularly when overlapping with extreme heat waves. Proposed solutions for grid resilience include the implementation of microgrids, smart grid technologies, and physical hardening of infrastructure.

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) advocates for a 'Just and Equitable Energy Transition' to achieve universal energy access by 2030 and net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. The organization focuses on scaling renewable energy, energy efficiency, and storage, specifically targeting decentralized solutions and clean cooking to combat energy poverty. SEforALL emphasizes the need for low-cost finance to overcome high capital costs in the Global South, particularly in Africa. Its operational approach includes results-based financing via the Universal Energy Facility, support for carbon markets, and a manufacturing initiative for green jobs in Africa and Southeast Asia. The organization maintains a strict policy against accepting funding from fossil fuel companies or projects that promote fossil fuels over sustainable alternatives, while acknowledging nuclear energy as a low-emission source.

The Clean Air Task Force contends that Treasury's proposed guidance for the section 48E investment tax credit (ITC) incorrectly limits eligibility to hydrogen storage used solely for energy, contradicting the statute's plain text. The author argues that restricting credits based on end use is administratively difficult because storage operators cannot easily track hydrogen after it leaves their facilities. Expanding eligibility is presented as vital for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like refining, steel, and heavy-duty trucking by providing a reliable supply of clean hydrogen and mitigating the variability of renewable energy.

The voluntary carbon market (VCM) operates through a complex system of carbon credits, derivatives, and intermediaries. While intended to fund emissions reductions, the market is characterized by a lack of financial transparency and a tendency to prioritize cheap credits over impactful ones. Credits can be traded multiple times on a secondary market, where financial gains accrue to intermediaries rather than project developers. Trading occurs via spot markets for immediate delivery or through futures, forwards, and options for future settlement. Debt instruments, such as bonds, also provide upfront project financing. Data from 2023 indicates that industrial projects typically attract larger retirement volumes compared to projects with co-benefits like clean cookstoves.