Search Climate Insights Directory

The report posits that Asia is leading a 'Great Convergence' with the West by leveraging its position as the world's manufacturing hub to drive an electric energy transition. It highlights that Asia has driven three quarters of global electricity growth since 2000 and now produces the majority of the world's solar panels, batteries, and electric vehicles. The document argues that while a lack of oil and gas was previously a weakness, it has become a strategic advantage in an era where energy is defined by technology rather than commodities. This transition is further accelerated by 'fossil shocks,' including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the 2022 energy crisis, which push the region toward energy security through electrotechnology.

The report examines Europe's transition from fossil fuel dependency to clean technology, highlighting that domestic manufacturing can already meet the demand for wind turbines, electric vehicles (EVs), and heat pumps. It contrasts the volatility of fossil fuel imports with the stability of clean tech infrastructure, which provides long-term energy generation from a single import. While Europe remains reliant on certain raw materials and sub-components, the report suggests that electrification reduces overall trade disruption risks and offers significant job growth potential by 2030.

The paper introduces the Climate Risk Assessment Framework (CRAF), a structured approach to quantify physical climate risks for India's power infrastructure. It addresses gaps in existing literature by moving from qualitative risk ratings to energy-denominated impact estimates, specifically Expected Annual Loss (EAL) and Energy Not Served (ENS). The methodology distinguishes between chronic stressors (causing performance derating) and acute events (causing sudden failure), providing a pathway for cost-benefit analysis of resilience investments to avoid stranded assets and unplanned retrofitting costs.

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 Kenya Renewable Energy Policy Scan evaluates the gap between the country's ambitious climate targets—including 100% renewable electricity by 2030—and the actual industrial and social outcomes of its energy transition. While Kenya sources over 90% of its electricity from renewables, the scan identifies systemic failures in localisation, where components like solar PV and wind turbines remain import-dependent and local firms are limited to assembly. It further highlights gaps in the development of Medium Enterprises (MEs), persistent gender underrepresentation in technical roles, and the prevalence of precarious, casualised labour in energy projects despite strong legal frameworks. The report argues that without enforceable and integrated industrial and labour strategies, the transition risks reinforcing import dependency and social inequality.

The document defines renewably powered minigrids (or microgrids) as systems combining renewable energy sources, battery storage, and sometimes backup generators to provide power to communities or specific facilities. It details three configurations: isolated, undergrid, and interconnected. Case studies illustrate their use in the Caribbean for hurricane resilience, in Africa for expanding business and home energy access, and in the United States for reducing diesel reliance in remote areas and enhancing military facility resilience.

The report examines Nigeria's potential to leverage its critical mineral deposits—including lithium, cobalt, and copper—to drive economic diversification and meet climate goals. It identifies significant gaps in exploration funding, processing infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks, while highlighting the risk of over-dependence on foreign investors like China. The document recommends a comprehensive national strategy, increased investment in geological mapping, and the development of domestic value-addition capabilities to move beyond the export of raw materials.

The report examines how people in Britain perceive the financial impact of climate policies, noting that while many fear costs, few believe scrapping these policies would save them money. It highlights a strong public desire for a 'just transition' where the least well-off are protected and big polluting companies are held accountable. The findings suggest that framing climate action as an investment in a prosperous future is more compelling than technical terminology.

Turkey is aggressively expanding its presence in Africa's critical minerals sector to support its domestic defence, electric vehicle, and renewable energy industries. While Turkey employs a pragmatic, commercially driven approach—often coupling mining with defence cooperation in volatile regions like the Sahel—the paper argues that aligning Turkish commercial agility with EU financial instruments and ESG standards through the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) could create more sustainable, trilateral value chains that benefit African host nations.

The report argues that Canada can capitalize on the global energy transition by increasing production of cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel, graphite, and rare earth elements. To achieve this, it recommends that the federal government implement financial risk-sharing agreements to mitigate price volatility, support Indigenous self-determination and equity ownership, strengthen provincial mining regulations to meet international environmental standards, and avoid shortening regulatory reviews by cutting environmental or consultation safeguards.

The briefing discusses the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on U.S. clean manufacturing, noting over $123 billion in announced investments and the potential for 67,000 rural jobs. It explores the role of domestic production of solar panels, batteries, computer chips, and wind turbines in supporting the clean energy transition and community reinvestment.

The report examines the value chains of six critical energy transition minerals (CETMs): copper, lithium, manganese, neodymium, nickel, and silicon. It details global production and reserves, processing technologies, and the dominant role of China in refining and processing. For India, the document highlights a significant gap between domestic mineral resources and the demand required for low-carbon technologies, emphasizing the need for localized refining, increased private investment, and strategic international partnerships to reduce import dependence.

India aims for 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity by 2030, but the target has slipped to 2031-32. While India produces 70-80% of its wind turbines domestically and exports significantly to the US, its solar PV sector is heavily dependent on China, which held over 80% of the global module market in 2022. India is attempting to build domestic solar supply chains via the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), though it remains reliant on imports for critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Recycling is identified as essential for future supply chain security, with solar PV waste projected to reach nearly 19,000 kt by 2050.

The re-election of Donald Trump may slow US clean technology deployment through the potential repeal of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds and EV tax credits, potentially shifting leadership to emerging economies. The global market for six key technologies—solar PV, wind turbines, EVs, batteries, electrolysers, and heat pumps—is projected to exceed USD 2 trillion by 2035, with global trade reaching USD 575 billion. China currently leads with 70% of the market for these technologies, though it faces risks from proposed US tariffs of 60% on all imports and 100% on EVs. Other nations may benefit: India could become a net exporter of clean technologies by 2035 with annual exports of USD 30 billion, and Brazil is well-positioned in wind turbine blade production, currently accounting for 5% of the global market. In the Global South, renewable energy potential is 400 times greater than fossil fuel production, and solar is expected to have lower upfront costs than coal in Vietnam from 2024 and in India from approximately 2027.

The report analyzes the employment opportunities arising from Jharkhand's energy transition, projecting significant job growth in green molecules, clean power, and clean mobility. It presents two scenarios: an Ambitious Policy Scenario (APS) and an Accelerated Green Transition Scenario (AGTS), estimating that by 2030, the state could create between 392,742 and 630,096 total direct and indirect green jobs. The document emphasizes the need for private investment and specialized skilling to transition a workforce currently heavily reliant on the solid fossil fuel mining sector.

The document outlines the critical role of copper in India's infrastructure and clean energy transition, predicting a potential doubling of demand by 2030. It recommends a multi-pronged approach including diversifying primary supply through strategic partnerships with countries like Chile and Australia, reforming trade duties to support domestic smelting, and rationalizing the GST on copper scrap to promote a circular economy.

The EU is attempting to increase domestic production of net-zero technologies through the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) and other strategies to reduce dependencies on China and the US. However, the author contends that the EU lacks the necessary funding to meet its 2030 targets, such as producing 40 per cent of its installation needs domestically. The document highlights a conflict between 'frugal' member states and those seeking a European Sovereignty Fund, leading to a reliance on the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF). This framework allows national 'matching aid', which the author argues creates unfair competition between wealthy nations like Germany and France and smaller states like Belgium. The text further critiques the use of non-price criteria in procurement and trade defense instruments, such as the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), noting they can increase costs for taxpayers and slow decarbonization. The author concludes that targeted, conditional European-level subsidies are the only viable way to ensure a just and cohesive green transition.

The document analyzes India's high import dependence on copper and the global supply risks—including geopolitical instability in producer nations and declining ore grades—that threaten its economic and energy goals. It proposes a four-pronged strategy: diversifying primary supply through strategic partnerships, reforming trade duties to encourage domestic value addition, providing production-linked incentives for the smelting and fabrication industry, and rationalizing the GST on copper scrap to formalize the recycling sector.

The text examines the disconnect between the general public's concern for climate change and the perceived alienating nature of high-profile environmental protests in the UK. It advocates for a shift in narrative, moving away from a focus on disruption toward highlighting everyday progress, such as the adoption of solar panels, wind turbines, and heat pumps, to foster a sense of hope and collective agency.

Following its 2021 pledge to stop financing overseas coal projects, China faces a choice between investing in natural gas or renewable energy. The document argues that China lacks the domestic market maturity and technical export edge to compete with countries like Japan and the US in gas power generation, where it ranked 13th in investment from 2001 to 2022. Conversely, China dominates global renewable manufacturing, controlling 72% of solar and 50% of wind turbine markets. While high demand in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries and low equipment costs favor a green pivot, challenges such as geopolitical tensions, regulatory unevenness, and limited insurance capacity from Sinosure hinder the bankability of renewable projects.