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The document provides examples of climate progress to counter pessimism, noting that European Union emissions fell 8% in 2023 and the UK has reduced emissions by over half since 1990. It highlights China's rapid adoption of electric vehicles and its achievement of 2030 renewable targets six years early. In the United States, the text notes that carbon-pricing programs and renewable energy mandates persist at the state level despite federal policy shifts.

RMI introduces the "Power Couples" model, which pairs large electricity consumers, such as AI data centers, with new-build wind, solar, and battery resources located near existing generators with approved grid interconnections. This approach aims to bypass long grid access wait times—which can reach five years for generation and eight years for transmission—while ensuring that the costs of new demand are borne by the users rather than general ratepayers. RMI's analysis indicates that this strategy could satisfy over 50 GW of new load at an average of 88% carbon-free energy, with significant opportunities concentrated in the PJM, ERCOT, and Southeast regions.

In 2024, China approved 66.7 GW of new coal power and saw 94.5 GW begin construction, the highest level since 2015, despite adding a record 356 GW of wind and solar capacity. This 'energy addition' strategy is driven by long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) that guarantee coal generation and the influence of coal mining companies, who financed over 75% of new approvals. These factors lead to the curtailment of renewables and a shift away from using coal plants as flexible regulating capacity. The report concludes that China's coal expansion contrasts sharply with global trends, as China accounted for 93% of global coal construction starts in 2024.

The report argues that achieving net-zero emissions requires a broad portfolio of zero-carbon technologies beyond wind and solar, including nuclear fission, fusion, and carbon capture. It introduces an Innovation Technology Framework based on the 'S curve' of innovation, which identifies critical development stages—R&D, early output, and commercialization—leading to 'market take-off.' The framework emphasizes four 'levers of success': lowering costs, speeding project deployment, easing access to financing, and removing ecosystem barriers. The authors advocate for a coordinated industrial policy that provides sustained public financial support until technologies reach the take-off point, typically defined as 1%-2.5% of global energy demand.

The briefing examines the components of grid reliability—resource adequacy, operational reliability, and resilience—within the context of the U.S. transition to clean energy. It argues that while load growth and fossil fuel retirements create short-term risks, a diverse portfolio of wind, solar, batteries, and demand-side resources can maintain reliability. The document emphasizes the need for interconnection reform, updated market rules for inverter-based resources, and the scaling of demand-response programs to avoid unnecessary supply-side costs.

India achieved a record 34.7 GW of power capacity additions in 2024, driven largely by solar PV. However, the report finds that replicating this record annual deployment would leave India short of its 500 GW non-fossil capacity target by 2030. To close this gap, annual wind and solar additions must grow by approximately 15% year-on-year, effectively doubling current record levels by the end of the decade. While renewables are on track to overtake operating coal capacity in total volume within two years, fossil fuels still contributed over two-thirds of the increase in power generation in 2024.

The document outlines a framework for evaluating the economic impact of transmission infrastructure, focusing on three primary benefit categories: congestion relief, resource adequacy, and public policy savings. It describes the specific calculations used for these benefits, the financial models applied to different ownership structures (investor-owned, public power, and merchant developers), and compares the results against original project projections for three specific case studies. The authors acknowledge several conservatisms in their approach, including the exclusion of certain benefit categories and the use of isolated line capacity estimates rather than complex power flow simulations.

The document identifies significant obstacles to Colombia's thermal coal transition, including high fiscal dependence on coal exports, limited subnational institutional capacity, and insufficient environmental regulations for mine closures. It highlights the vulnerability of the Cesar and La Guajira regions, where coal represents a major share of departmental income and employment. The brief argues that a just transition requires strengthening local governance, establishing a permanent transition fund, and ensuring inclusive planning that protects marginalized groups and the civic space.

The paper defines Zombie Energy Systems (ZES) as outdated, inefficient, and environmentally harmful energy assets that persist in Africa despite being obsolete. It argues that the current international focus on new renewable energy projects overlooks the necessity of decommissioning or rehabilitating these failing systems, which include ageing power plants, inefficient grids, and second-hand appliances. The authors trace the origins of ZES to colonial legacies, poor maintenance, and political corruption, and propose a holistic strategy involving comprehensive system assessments, regulatory strengthening, and local capacity building to ensure a just and effective energy transition.

Since the launch of the European Green Deal in 2019, the EU has seen a significant transformation of its power sector, with renewables increasing from 34% to 47% of the electricity mix by 2024. This shift was primarily driven by wind and solar, which together increased their share from 17% to 29%. This transition reduced the emissions intensity of EU electricity generation by 26% and avoided €59 billion in fossil fuel import costs. While coal use has dropped from 16% to under 10% of the mix, and gas power has declined from 20% to 16%, the EU still faces challenges with Russian gas imports, which accounted for 14% of total gas consumption in 2024.

In 2024, the EU power sector saw fossil fuel generation fall to its lowest level in over forty years, reaching 793 TWh. This decline was driven primarily by record solar growth, which saw generation increase by 22% to 304 TWh, overtaking coal for the first time. Renewables accounted for 47% of EU power generation, while clean sources reached a record 71% of the mix. Despite a small 1% increase in total EU power demand and increased exports to the UK and Ukraine, coal and gas generation fell by 16% and 6% respectively, leading to a 9% drop in power sector emissions to an estimated 585 million tonnes of CO2.

In 2024, the EU's electricity transition continued with solar power overtaking coal for the first time and gas generation declining for the fifth consecutive year. Renewables reached a 47% share of the power sector in 2024, up from 34% in 2019, while fossil fuels dropped to a historic low of 29%. This shift reduced power sector emissions to less than half of their 2007 peak and avoided €59 billion in fossil fuel imports since the start of the European Green Deal. Despite this momentum, the report argues that wind power deployment and grid infrastructure must accelerate to meet 2030 targets.

In Q4 2024, US utilities updating their IRPs reduced planned wind and solar capacity by 20 GW and increased planned gas capacity by 12 GW, leading to an 8 percent increase in projected emissions despite a small downward adjustment in projected load.

The energy transition accelerated in 2024, driven by record uptake in solar, wind, and electric vehicles as costs for solar modules and batteries fell significantly. While renewables are poised to overtake coal as the leading power source in 2025 and many nations have set net-zero goals, progress in energy efficiency and methane reduction remains off track. The document argues that achieving 2030 targets requires shifting fossil fuel subsidies toward clean energy investments, particularly in emerging economies.

The report assesses Japan's second NDC, which targets a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2035 and 73% by 2040 compared to 2013 levels. The authors argue these targets are insufficient compared to the global average required to limit warming to 1.5°C and risk Japan losing market share in the global clean energy transition. Key recommendations include accelerating the deployment of solar and wind power, implementing a more effective carbon pricing mechanism with a binding cap, and establishing a clear roadmap for the phase-out of coal-fired power plants.

Analysis by Climate Central shows that all 50 U.S. states and 99% of 242 analyzed major cities have warmed since 1970. Alaska was the fastest-warming state, while Reno, Nevada, experienced the highest city-level temperature increase. The document links these trends to rising greenhouse gas concentrations, which reached 427 ppm of CO2 in 2025, and advocates for the transition to zero-emission vehicles, solar and wind power, and heat pumps to mitigate future risks.

The report analyzes the Novo PAC's impact on the Amazon, arguing that the program lacks regional planning and fails to account for the area's socio-environmental complexity. It highlights contradictions between infrastructure projects and deforestation goals, such as the Ferrogrão railway and BR-319 paving, and criticizes the continued use of fossil fuels in energy projects. The authors recommend a comprehensive regional development plan, better alignment with the PPCDAm's zero-deforestation target, and a shift toward renewable energy and distributed generation.

The South African Climate Finance Landscape 2025 reports an annual average of ZAR 188.3 billion in climate finance for 2022–2023, though this remains well below the estimated annual need of up to ZAR 499 billion. Investment is heavily skewed toward the energy sector, which receives 74.1% of total flows, primarily for renewable electricity generation. In contrast, adaptation finance is lagging, accounting for only 11.3% of tracked flows. While domestic sources provide nearly 60% of funding, international flows are dominated by public development finance institutions, particularly from Western Europe. The report highlights significant barriers, including grid bottlenecks, policy uncertainty, and a lack of concessional capital for high-risk or non-revenue-generating adaptation and just transition projects.

A November 2025 survey of 990 registered U.S. voters reveals broad support for clean energy research, soil restoration, and the Paris Climate Agreement, though global warming remains a low-priority voting issue overall. While 59% prefer candidates who support climate action, only 1% rank it as their most important voting issue. There is strong bipartisan support for the proposed Foreign Pollution Fee Act (78%) and protecting workers from extreme heat (92%). However, actual political engagement remains low, with only 10% of voters having contacted government officials about global warming in the past year.

The fact sheet 'Renewables done right' by Friends of the Earth International advocates for a systemic shift in the energy transition to avoid replicating the extractive harms of fossil fuels. It argues that renewable energy must be treated as a common good, emphasizing energy sufficiency, community ownership, and the protection of land rights. Through case studies in India, Argentina, Palestine, and Scotland, the document illustrates the risks of large-scale corporate projects—such as land grabbing and water scarcity—and proposes alternatives like circular systems, decentralized ownership, and the implementation of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).