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The workshop highlighted that Japan's continued reliance on fossil fuel imports creates acute security vulnerabilities and trade-offs, particularly when intersecting with climate hazards and geopolitical tensions. Participants identified that public opinion can be a driver for the renewable energy transition if technology is perceived as viable, and suggested that Japan should pursue an energy resilience alliance with like-minded countries such as South Korea and Taiwan. The report emphasizes the need for deeper inter-governmental dialogue across Japanese ministries to integrate climate security into national defense planning and to mitigate supply chain risks associated with renewable technology, specifically reliance on China.

The Lobito Corridor is a 1,300 km railway line in Angola, extending into the DRC, designed to transport minerals to the EU and US. While several MoUs have been signed to secure critical raw materials (CRMs) and EV battery value chains, the author argues the project faces significant risks due to China's established supply chains, the TAZARA railway alternative, and the EU and US's lag in EV technology. The paper suggests that the EU and US should move beyond raw material extraction to support comprehensive industrialization across Africa.

The document argues that SMRs can provide 'clean firm' power to decarbonize industrial systems and bolster energy security in the EU. It identifies that while 12 countries mention SMRs in draft NECPs and 7 plan investments, significant work is needed to improve these plans. The guide outlines five key recommendation areas: developing planning competencies (including techno-economic assessments and workforce studies), strengthening regional cooperation (such as joint licensing and a Joint Procurement Platform), enhancing financial frameworks (using contracts for difference and state aid), establishing national R&D and demonstration programmes, and creating industry-informed roadmaps. It specifically highlights the need for regulators to diversify competence beyond Light Water Reactors to evaluate advanced technologies like molten salt reactors.

The report evaluates solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) technology, highlighting its superior electrical efficiency when integrated with external heat sources, such as those found in steel, chemical, and nuclear plants. While the technology is more mature than often perceived—leveraging experience from the gigawatt-scale solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) industry—it faces challenges regarding stack durability due to high-temperature thermal stress and the need to scale from small modules to hundred-megawatt systems. The report finds that raw material supply chains are not a bottleneck and that gigawatt-scale manufacturing is feasible within 18 to 36 months.

The report finds that while wind, solar, and battery prices have recently leveled off or risen due to supply chain disruptions, trade issues, and high interest rates, they remain competitive with fossil fuels. It argues that the long-term trend of cost reduction will continue and recommends that regulators use competitive procurement, leverage Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentives, and reform interconnection and transmission planning to lower costs.

The Great Lakes region is well-positioned for the EV transition due to its automotive history and R&D capacity, but faces competition from the 'Battery Belt' in the Deep South. While the region has significant midstream and downstream capacity, it lacks comprehensive state-level industrial strategies, particularly regarding battery end-of-life mandates and recycling incentives. The document argues that states must coordinate on strategic roadmaps, workforce retraining, and clean energy infrastructure to avoid economic disruption in 'powertrain communities' specialized in internal combustion engine (ICE) components.

The report argues that the U.S. must implement ambitious long-term capacity targets, holistic transmission planning, and strategic infrastructure investments to achieve a net-zero future. It emphasizes the need for coordinated site identification, streamlined permitting, and the development of a domestic supply chain and workforce to support a potential build-out of 250 to 750 GW of offshore wind by 2050.

China has established itself as the global leader in renewable energy, with operating large utility-scale solar capacity of 228 GW and combined wind capacity exceeding 310 GW. The country is pursuing a strategy of 'mega wind and solar bases' in its northern and northwestern deserts to meet a central government target of 1,200 GW of cumulative capacity by 2030, a goal it is likely to surpass by 2025. This expansion is driven by a combination of historical feed-in tariffs, favorable financing from state-owned banks, and strict provincial targets. However, the report notes that new renewables bases are often bundled with new coal-fired power plants to manage intermittency, potentially hindering the phase-out of fossil fuels. To address volatility, China is implementing 'source-grid-load-storage' integration, expanding new energy storage, and developing green hydrogen production.

The authors contend that inflation in Europe is caused by global supply chain disruptions, the energy crisis, and corporate profit maintenance rather than rising wages. They argue that increasing interest rates risks severe economic damage and unemployment, suggesting instead that the solution lies in price controls, windfall profit taxes, wage indexation, and reducing dependence on global imports through a green transition.

The report outlines the transition of South Africa's automotive industry toward electric vehicles, highlighting key opportunities in public transport, micro-mobility, private passenger vehicles, and lithium-ion cell manufacturing. It emphasizes the pressure from the European Union's 2035 ban on internal combustion engine vehicles to drive local production and the role of South Africa's mineral reserves in the battery value chain.

The brief argues that the private sector is critical for global climate adaptation due to the economic toll of extreme weather and the vulnerability of international supply chains. It emphasizes that business-led adaptation must integrate justice and equity to benefit workers and ecosystems, and calls for collaborative enabling environments between governments and private actors to accelerate the deployment of adaptation technologies.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines transboundary climate risks to Sweden's international trade, arguing that traditional analysis overlooks hidden vulnerabilities in deeper supply chain tiers, specifically regarding inputs from Asia, Africa, and soy production in Brazil.

The report examines the Indian EV ecosystem, noting success in incentivizing two- and three-wheel vehicle demand while highlighting the need to scale four-wheel vehicles and buses. It identifies significant growth potential in domestic battery manufacturing to reduce reliance on China, though it warns that insufficient charging infrastructure, consumer financing gaps, supply chain vulnerabilities, and labor skill gaps remain critical obstacles to scaling growth.

The report examines India's transition to electric mobility, highlighting the success of demand-side incentives like FAME II for two- and three-wheelers. It identifies critical investment gaps in charging infrastructure and battery manufacturing, while discussing the potential of battery swapping and the risks posed by global supply chain dependencies on China and other mineral-rich nations. The analysis emphasizes the need for binding targets, improved consumer financing, and workforce retraining to ensure a competitive and just transition.

The document analyzes China's strategic control over the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) cobalt and copper supply chains, from extraction to refining. It examines the 'resources-for-infrastructure' model initiated under President Joseph Kabila and the subsequent efforts by President Félix Tshisekedi to renegotiate contracts. The author argues that while a 'US vs China' rivalry narrative exists, the dynamics are heavily influenced by internal Congolese political needs, including electoral goals and financial gain, and notes that Chinese firms are often preferred due to their flexibility in opaque business environments.

The document refutes the 'green inflation' myth, asserting that solar and wind are the cheapest forms of new electricity generation in 90% of the world. It contrasts the 'experience curves' of renewable technologies, where costs drop as deployment doubles, with the volatile commodity pricing of fossil fuels. While short-term supply chain disruptions and material shortages, such as polysilicon, have caused temporary price hikes, the long-term structural trend remains downward. The text concludes that transitioning to renewables will reduce global energy expenditures from 3.2% of GDP to less than 1.6% by mid-century.

The document explains the fundamentals of battery cells, focusing on the critical role of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage. It details the mineral requirements for cathodes and anodes, highlighting the high geographic concentration of production for graphite, cobalt, and lithium. The guide also analyzes the battery value chain, noting China's dominance in midstream processing and cell manufacturing, and discusses future technologies like sodium-ion and solid-state batteries.

China faces significant economic vulnerability to climate-induced floods and heatwaves, with potential cumulative GDP losses between 6.6% and 23.5% by 2048 depending on global warming levels. The eastern and coastal provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang are particularly at risk, which could trigger global supply chain disruptions given their role as hubs for electrical manufacturing, cement, and shipping. Projections indicate that river floods could cause cumulative losses of USD 479 billion by 2035, with indirect costs often exceeding direct damages. Additionally, heatwaves are expected to reduce working capacity in key manufacturing regions by up to 2.04% under a >3°C scenario, driven by health-related productivity losses and reduced cognitive performance.

The briefing outlines 25 policy recommendations for governments to address gender inequalities in the mining sector. It focuses on legislative reforms, institutional capacity building, fair land acquisition, gender-responsive impact assessments, community development, and the protection of women's safety and security. The goal is to ensure women's equal participation in the workforce and their fair share of the sector's economic and social benefits.

The report exposes systemic issues in Peru's fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) industry, the world's largest, highlighting the overfishing of juvenile anchovies, corruption in quota setting, and the failure of sustainability certifications like MarinTrust. It details how major producers, such as TASA and Austral Group, supply global aquafeed giants (including Skretting and BioMar) that provide feed for salmon sold to major European retailers. Additionally, the document reports severe health and safety violations during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, where companies allegedly covered up widespread infections among workers.