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The document argues for a comprehensive AU-EU partnership on the green transition and energy access that moves beyond a risk-based lens to address Africa's developmental goals. It highlights the critical need to expand electricity access, leverage private investment through de-risking mechanisms, and integrate nexus issues such as agriculture and the digital economy. While acknowledging the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the briefing suggests the crisis offers an opportunity to redesign the partnership to ensure a just transition that includes skills development and gender mainstreaming.

Iberdrola is a global power utility headquartered in Spain that aims for carbon neutrality in Europe by 2030 and globally by 2050. The company is aggressively expanding its renewable energy capacity, targeting 60 GW by 2025, and investing heavily in smart grids, electric mobility, and green hydrogen. It is a major issuer of green bonds and actively advocates for ambitious global climate policies through partnerships with the UN and the European Union.

The policy brief contends that Africa's vulnerability to crises like COVID-19 and climate change is exacerbated by low access to energy and the digital economy. It proposes that the AU-EU partnership should prioritise decentralised, renewable energy solutions to bridge the digital divide, as internet access is viewed as a critical value-added energy service and a human right. The document recommends that multi-lateral financial institutions invest in green energy, while policymakers incentivise broadband access and integrate ICT skills into education to foster economic inclusion and climate resilience.

The document argues that public funds alone cannot meet Africa's growing energy demands, which require an estimated $120 billion annually until 2040. It advocates for 'green financing'—blending public, development, and private capital—to reduce investment risks and improve affordability. Using Kenya as a model, the brief details how instruments like Partial Risk Guarantees, concessional loans, and Feed-in Tariffs have facilitated large-scale wind and geothermal projects. It specifically encourages the European Union to leverage its development finance institutions to create risk-mitigation products and support local private sector partnerships to accelerate the continent's green transition.

The Africa Energy Guarantee Facility (AEGF), a risk-sharing instrument launched by the European Investment Bank in 2018, aims to unlock $1.4 billion in clean energy investment across Africa by providing insurance against political and sovereign risks. While the facility leverages the EU's position as a major investor and supports the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI), its effectiveness may be hindered by high transaction costs, partial risk coverage, and low investor awareness. The document argues that for the AEGF to succeed, African policymakers must establish enabling regulatory frameworks and promote reforms that facilitate foreign direct investment and technical exchanges in climate-resilient infrastructure.

The report finds that financial institutions managing at least USD 47 trillion in assets—approximately 25% of the global financial market—have committed to climate-related investment targets. It identifies three primary mechanisms for influencing emissions: divestment, positive impact investment, and corporate engagement. The analysis emphasizes that divestment alone may not reduce real-economy emissions if other investors purchase the carbon-intensive assets, and notes that most institutions with such targets are currently concentrated in Europe, the United States, and Australia.

A coalition of international church-based organisations urges the European Commission to reform its migration and asylum policies, arguing that the current system is 'fundamentally broken'. The statement highlights the failure of the 'hotspot' approach and the 2016 EU-Turkey deal, calling for a shift from 'crisis mode' to a system based on solidarity, human dignity, and the equitable sharing of responsibility among all EU member states. It specifically advocates for safe passage channels and the rejection of policies that externalise border controls.

An analysis of the European Investment Bank's (EIB) transport portfolio since 2015 reveals that approximately half of the investments are aligned with the Paris Agreement. To achieve full alignment and support European transport decarbonisation, the report recommends that the EIB develop a strategic project pipeline focusing on modal shift, rail electrification, shipping decarbonisation, and electric mobility infrastructure, while establishing a negative list of ineligible projects and increasing transparency regarding induced emissions.

The Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) has transitioned from using the term "brown finance" to "dirty finance" to describe investments that damage the environment. This change follows feedback that "brown" can be offensive to people of color, particularly given the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities. While CPI acknowledges that "dirty finance" may not be a perfect term and will continue to use technical language like "high-emissions finance" in formal documents, it believes "dirty finance" provides the strongest and most inclusive signal for general communications.

The research paper examines the responses of far-right parties—specifically the Lega (Italy), AfD (Germany), and Swedish Democrats (Sweden)—to the Covid-19 pandemic. It argues that while these parties initially struggled to find a resonant message due to a 'rally around the flag' effect favoring incumbent governments, they continue to use the crisis to reinforce populist divisions between 'the people' and 'elites' or 'others'. The author suggests that the future of far-right populism will depend on the social and economic consequences of government measures and the perceived legitimacy of expert-led decision-making.

Mighty Earth calls for new EU legislation to ensure corporations only sell deforestation-free products, arguing that European consumption of commodities like soy, palm oil, beef, coffee, and cocoa fuels the destruction of global ecosystems, including the Amazon and Cerrado.

The brief examines how transboundary climate risks and globalized supply chains create vulnerabilities in Europe, drawing parallels between the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and potential climate-driven chain reactions. It aims to inform the EU Adaptation Strategy and the EU Trade Policy Review by advocating for increased resilience in global trade and production to protect food security, livelihoods, and health.

The report analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic affects global emission pathways toward Paris Agreement goals, estimating a 2020 CO2 reduction of 4% to 8% depending on lockdown duration. It projects a potential 2030 emission reduction of 2.5 to 4.5 GtCO2e relative to pre-pandemic projections, though this could be offset by a rebound to fossil fuels. Additionally, it introduces a classification framework for recovery measures, finding that 31% of Germany's June 2020 stimulus package consists of 'green' measures.

ClientEarth argues that the European Commission's Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy must strictly adhere to environmental laws and the Aarhus Convention to avoid litigation and ensure sustainability. The organization emphasizes the need for regional cooperation and the harmonization of EU rules regarding grid access and offshore hybrid assets to efficiently scale offshore wind capacity, which is expected to reach over 250GW by 2050.

The document explores five supply-side pathways to reach 100 percent zero carbon power in the U.S. by 2035. It argues that while the final 10 percent of decarbonization is the most expensive, it can be achieved at a cost that keeps average wholesale rates similar to the 2020 average of 5.2 cents/kWh. The analyzed pathways include three green hydrogen options (fuel cells, turbine retrofits, and synthetic methane) and two carbon capture options (CCS retrofits and Direct Air Capture). The report highlights that green hydrogen production costs could drop to $1.50/kg by 2030 due to falling solar and wind costs and cheaper electrolyzers.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is accused of fueling a 'fossil gas frenzy' through its asset purchase programs. Reclaim Finance identifies 24 companies benefiting from ECB quantitative easing that are actively operating or planning gas infrastructure globally and in Europe. The document highlights that 11 of these companies plan 62 new fossil gas projects, with Total, Shell, Engie, and Enel being major developers. It argues that natural gas is not a low-carbon alternative due to high life-cycle emissions and methane leaks, and is more expensive than wind or solar energy. The briefing calls for the ECB to immediately exclude corporations developing new fossil fuel projects from its asset purchases.

The briefing asserts that the European Central Bank (ECB) is fueling a 'gas frenzy' by purchasing assets from companies heavily invested in fossil fuel infrastructure. It highlights that 24 companies benefiting from ECB asset purchases are active in gas expansion, with 11 companies developing 6,215 new gas projects. The document challenges the narrative of natural gas as a 'transition energy,' citing its carbon emissions, methane leaks, and higher costs compared to renewables. It specifically names Total, Shell, Engie, and Enel as major developers of gas projects, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), and urges the ECB to integrate ethical and environmental criteria into its asset purchases to align with the Paris Agreement.

The document argues that public funds alone cannot meet Africa's growing energy demands, which require an estimated $120 billion annual investment until 2040. It advocates for 'green financing'—blending public and private capital—to overcome high infrastructure costs and investment risks. Using Kenya's experience, the brief details how instruments like Partial Risk Guarantees, concessional loans, and Feed-in Tariffs have attracted private investment for wind, solar, and geothermal projects. It specifically recommends that the EU and development partners provide technical assistance and risk-mitigation products to create enabling environments for private sector energy investments across the continent.

The document argues for a comprehensive AU-EU partnership that integrates the green transition with Africa's broader developmental goals, such as industrialisation and employment. It highlights the critical gap in energy access—with 600 million Africans lacking electricity as of 2018—and the underutilisation of Africa's solar resources. The authors recommend using public finance to de-risk private investment in renewables and addressing 'nexus issues' linking energy to agriculture, the digital economy, and trade. It also notes the tension in countries like Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and Mozambique, which are pursuing renewable energy while continuing to develop fossil fuel reserves.

The document highlights the critical link between air pollution, human health, and climate change, specifically focusing on short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). It argues that because air pollution has a more immediate and tangible impact on public health than long-term climate change, it can serve as a powerful catalyst for policy action. The brief details the health burdens of PM2.5 and tropospheric ozone, including millions of asthma-related hospital visits and pre-term births. To facilitate this, the Stockholm Environment Institute promotes the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) and Integrated Benefits Calculator (IBC) to help cities and nations model emission projections and quantify health and climate benefits simultaneously.