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The policy brief examines the energy landscape of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the region's struggle to balance immediate energy affordability with long-term decarbonisation. It identifies new security risks, specifically China's dominance in clean energy supply chains and conflicting policy signals from the US and EU. The author advocates for a technology-neutral approach—integrating nuclear, renewables, and emerging technologies like CCS—and suggests that CEE can become a clean-tech manufacturing hub. Furthermore, it emphasizes the strategic importance of integrating Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans into the EU energy grid to enhance regional resilience.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) argues that the EU must update its Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC) to better support nuclear energy through technology-neutral state aid, streamlined regulatory frameworks for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), and strengthened domestic fuel supply chains to reduce reliance on Russia.

The Clean Air Task Force outlines the EU's current reliance on Russian nuclear fuel, particularly for VVER reactors, and proposes strategies to enhance supply chain resilience through alternative suppliers, domestic production, and strategic international cooperation.

The briefing assesses the energy transition of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) region, noting that while some countries have reduced gas demand and integrated grids, Russian gas imports rose in 2024 for several members. It warns that planned expansions of LNG and pipeline capacity by 2030 risk creating stranded assets due to declining demand. The author recommends that the 10th Three Seas Summit focus on a 2027 Russian gas phase-out, the creation of a 'Transmission Highway' for clean power, and the development of regional energy hubs.

The report analyzes the emergence of 'hydrogen readiness'—the declared ability of infrastructure to use hydrogen in the future—within EU law, private finance, and national policies. It argues that the concept is often used as a 'Trojan horse' to justify the continued construction and subsidization of fossil gas assets. The author identifies significant risks, including carbon lock-in, price volatility, and external energy dependencies, and concludes that the term should be abandoned unless assets can use 100% hydrogen from the outset.

In 2024, global coal capacity saw a net increase of 18.8 GW despite the lowest number of new commissions in 20 years, driven primarily by record construction activity in China and India. While the EU27 quadrupled its retirements and the UK eliminated coal entirely, other regions like Russia, Central Asia, and Mongolia continue to expand capacity. The report highlights a stark divide between OECD countries, where projects have plummeted, and Asia, where China and India account for 92% of new projects.

Carbon Market Watch opposes efforts by politicians in countries like Poland and Czechia to reverse or delay the EU's ETS2 carbon pricing system for buildings and road transport. The organization argues that the ETS2 is critical for achieving a 42% emission reduction in these sectors by 2030 and a 55% net reduction overall by 2050. It highlights that the system includes social protections, such as the €86 billion Social Climate Fund and a €45 per tonne soft price cap, to protect vulnerable populations. The document warns that weakening the system would increase future economic costs, exacerbate the climate crisis, and undermine the EU's energy sovereignty.

In 2024, the EU experienced record growth in solar generation and capacity, with all member states seeing increases. However, the rapid expansion has led to more frequent zero or negative power prices and wider intraday price spreads. To manage this and maintain the trajectory toward 2030 targets, the report advocates for the accelerated rollout of clean flexibility tools, specifically battery storage, smart electrification, and grid modernization.

The Europe Gas Tracker 2025 identifies a sprawling planned hydrogen network in Europe consisting of 12 import projects for hydrogen derivatives, 50,165 km of pipelines, and 44.6 GW of hydrogen-burning power capacity. The report argues this scale is unrealistic for decarbonization due to energy inefficiencies and a massive gap between projected green hydrogen production and the network's requirements. Most projects remain in early stages, with no hydrogen derivative import projects having reached final investment decisions. Meanwhile, the report notes that the rapid growth of LNG import capacity, which increased by 31% since February 2022, is slowing as structural gas demand falls and overcapacity emerges.

The policy brief proposes that Cyprus leverage its unique island profile and Mediterranean position during its 2026 EU Council Presidency to advance EU-level action on water scarcity, climate adaptation, energy security, and transport decarbonisation. Key recommendations include establishing a Mediterranean Resilience Summit, a Water & Climate Security Forum, and an EU-SIDS Compact 2030, while steering legislative processes such as the Energy Security Framework and ETS revisions to support affordability and resilience.

The Forests Forward Impact Report 2025 details the outcomes of a WWF programme that partners with 26 companies across 9 sectors in 23 countries to transition from forest extraction to conservation and regeneration. Key achievements include the management of 2.679 million hectares of tropical forests, with 75% being FSC certified, and the implementation of large-scale landscape projects in Brazil, Viet Nam, and the Congo Basin. The programme focuses on three action areas: responsible sourcing, improving forest management, and financing forest landscapes, while emphasizing the role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in forest stewardship.

The document outlines the outcomes of a TSO roundtable held during the 2024 PCI Energy Days, focusing on the need for integrated energy hubs, increased connectivity for landlocked countries, the resolution of financing and regulatory hurdles, and the deployment of short-term flexibility tools to support the energy transition in Central and Eastern Europe.

Since 2023, Chinese firms have committed over US$100 billion in outbound foreign direct investment (OFDI) across at least 130 major cleantech transactions, spanning solar, wind, batteries, and new energy vehicles (NEVs). This 'going global' strategy is driven by domestic overcapacity, which has caused solar module prices to drop 60% and battery prices 50% year-on-year, and a need to circumvent trade barriers from the US and EU. The report highlights China's dominance in the global battery supply chain, where it holds over 80% of manufacturing capacity, and its expansion into markets like Morocco, Brazil, and Thailand. For Australia, the report notes that Chinese OFDI reached a multi-decade low of US$613 million in 2023, and argues that Australia should clarify its foreign investment rules to attract Chinese private capital for onshore value-adding in critical minerals and renewable energy infrastructure.

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 argues that the EU's territorial emission reductions underestimate its true carbon footprint due to emissions embedded in imports. It identifies food, housing, and mobility as primary consumption 'hotspots' and calls for a shift from a focus on production efficiency to policies that target consumption patterns and behavioral change. Key barriers include a lack of standardized monitoring and supply chain transparency, while opportunities lie in leveraging the EU's market influence to set common CBE targets and support developing countries in transitioning to low-carbon production.

From June 11-13, 2024, over 290 million people in Northern Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East are forecast to experience extreme heat made at least five times more likely due to human-caused climate change. Maximum temperatures of 40°C or higher are expected in several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. The document highlights risks including wildfires in Greece, damage to Bulgaria's rose oil production, and increased vulnerability for refugees in Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria.

The briefing reports that underground coal mines in the EU closed since 2015 may emit approximately 200 kt of methane per year, with Poland being the largest contributor. It notes that active coal mine emissions in the EU are likely underestimated, with GEM estimates being 36% higher than IEA figures. The report emphasizes that emissions from abandoned mines persist for years unless flooded, but data on the flooding status of over 60% of analyzed mines remains unknown, creating significant uncertainty in estimates.

The document argues that Ukraine's reconstruction presents a 'watershed moment' to build a climate-resilient society, specifically through energy-efficient residential building. It warns against the 'international technocracy' and corruption seen in Bosnia and Herzegovina's recovery and the implementation delays and inefficient grant usage observed in Croatia's post-earthquake reconstruction under the NextGenerationEU program. The author analyzes the EUR 50 billion Ukraine Facility and the Ukraine Plan, suggesting a targeted funding strategy where grants are prioritized for cost-effective multi-family homes to reduce payback periods and attract investors, while low concessional loans are used for single-family homes.

The document argues that the EU's territorial emission reductions mask a growing carbon footprint driven by the import of emissions-intensive goods. It identifies food, housing, and mobility as primary consumption hotspots and recommends binding EU-level targets, mandatory reporting for member states, and enhanced trade transparency to address these emissions.

The European Parliament elections, held June 6-9, 2024, determine the legislative representation for 27 EU Member States, with the number of seats increasing from 705 to 720. The document emphasizes the role of the European Parliament in shaping the EU Green Deal and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, while warning against the weakening of environmental requirements in the Common Agricultural Policy and the dropping of chemical regulations like REACH. It advocates for closing the 'implementation gap' of environmental laws, which could save the EU economy EUR 55 billion annually in health and environmental costs, and calls for universal access to justice rights for citizens and NGOs to challenge environmental law-breaking across all Member States.