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This research note by Energy Innovation argues that the U.S. Treasury Department must maintain the "three pillars" (incremental, deliverable, and hourly-matched clean electricity) in the final rules for the Section 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit. The author contends that weakening these rules would undermine climate goals, increase electricity costs for consumers, and stifle the development of a flexible, domestic electrolyzer industry.

The Western Balkans have seen a 70% increase in prospective utility-scale solar and wind capacity over the past year, reaching 23 GW. This capacity could potentially displace planned gas-fired power plants and avert 103 million tonnes of lifetime CO2 emissions. However, only 6% of this prospective capacity is currently under construction, and the region remains heavily dependent on coal and hydropower.

This report details a series of national dialogues in Brazil regarding Border Carbon Adjustments (BCAs), specifically focusing on the impacts of the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). While the immediate economic impact of the EU CBAM on Brazil is estimated to be limited, the report highlights significant risks if such mechanisms proliferate to other major trading partners like the United States and Japan. The document synthesizes the concerns of the Brazilian government and industrial sectors, emphasizing the need for standardized emissions reporting, the recognition of non-price-based climate efforts, and the provision of financial support for technological adaptation in developing countries.

This report examines the potential socio-economic and environmental impacts of Border Carbon Adjustments (BCAs), specifically the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), on Trinidad and Tobago. As a hydrocarbon-dependent economy and a major global exporter of ammonia and fertilizers, the country is highly vulnerable to import charges based on carbon emissions. The report analyzes sectoral vulnerabilities, stakeholder responses, and the role of the financial sector in supporting decarbonization, while providing policy recommendations to mitigate economic risks and leverage opportunities for green industrial transformation.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes trade frictions arising from national and subnational plastic pollution measures implemented by WTO members. By examining Specific Trade Concerns (STCs) and Trade Policy Review (TPR) questions, the authors identify six primary types of regulatory issues—timing, transparency, stakeholder engagement, proportionality, justification, and discrimination—and provide recommendations to help policy-makers design measures that minimize trade disruptions.

This report examines the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in facilitating the transition to a global circular economy to address the 'triple planetary crisis'. It analyzes current trade measures, identifies a disproportionate focus on end-of-life waste management over upstream resource reduction, and proposes a framework for regulatory alignment and mutual recognition of circular goods and services to prevent market fragmentation and 'circular resource nationalism'.

A statement by Hon. Kerrie D. Symmonds, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Barbados, delivered at the Global Review of Aid for Trade 2024. The speech critiques the 18-year history of the Aid for Trade initiative, arguing that its original assumptions failed to account for the volatility of development gradients, the climate crisis, and the extreme vulnerability of small island developing states.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the impact of consumption-based emissions (CBEs) on the EU's carbon footprint, noting that the EU has been a net importer of CO2 emissions since 2015 and recommending binding EU-level targets and standardized accounting to mitigate these emissions.

This policy brief examines the opportunities and barriers for the European Union to reduce consumption-based emissions (CBEs), which include emissions from the entire supply chain of goods and services consumed within the EU regardless of where production occurs. Based on policy analysis and case studies from France, Denmark, and Sweden, the brief argues that while territorial emissions have decreased, the EU's carbon footprint remains significant due to imports, necessitating coordinated EU-level targets and a shift from simple efficiency gains to systematic changes in consumption patterns.

This research paper uses Sweden as a case study to investigate if financing acts as a significant barrier to radical emission reductions in energy-intensive industrial sectors.

This report analyzes the inclusion of fossil fuel production in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the world's top 20 producing countries and provides a framework for incorporating the COP 28 agreement to transition away from fossil fuels into third-generation NDCs and long-term low-emissions development strategies (LT-LEDS).

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics argues that maintaining climate policy continuity in the EU can enhance energy security, reduce costs for citizens, increase global competitiveness, and create employment opportunities, provided it is paired with robust social policies.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) discusses the integration of sustainability and energy efficiency into the reconstruction of Ukraine's building sector, drawing on lessons from post-disaster recoveries in Bosnia and Croatia.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) production in Canada poses excessive economic and environmental risks. The document asserts that new facilities will undermine Canada's climate commitments, face a global supply glut by the end of the decade, and struggle to compete with lower-cost producers like Qatar and the United States, potentially leading to stranded assets and taxpayer losses.

A June 2024 briefing by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) examines methane emissions from abandoned coal mines in the European Union (EU), highlighting significant data gaps and the potential for substantial unreported emissions. The report estimates that underground mines closed since 2015 could emit approximately 200 kilotonnes of methane per year, with Poland identified as the largest contributor.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines how to pragmatically integrate sustainability into Ukraine's reconstruction, focusing on energy efficiency in the residential sector. It draws lessons from post-war reconstruction in Bosnia and Herzegovina and post-disaster recovery in Croatia to suggest funding strategies for the EUR 50 billion Ukraine Facility.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the economic opportunity for Germany to rejuvenate its economy by expanding its manufacturing of clean technologies, specifically batteries and heat pumps, amidst global competition from China and the US.

This research paper by Ember analyzes draft National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) from EU Member States to determine if current national ambitions align with the REPowerEU plan and the Fit-for-55 package. The analysis finds that while renewable energy targets have increased significantly since 2019, the EU is still projected to fall short of its 2030 goals for renewable electricity share, solar capacity, and wind capacity.

The NewClimate Institute report evaluates the European Union's climate partnerships, including the Global Gateway and Just Energy Transition Partnerships. It argues that while these tools aim to bolster EU climate diplomacy and counter global influences, they are currently hindered by institutional fragmentation, a lack of a coherent strategic vision, and coordination failures between the EU and its Member States.

This briefing by Ember reports that in April 2024, fossil fuels generated less than a quarter of the European Union's electricity for the first time, reaching a record low of 23%. This decline was driven by record wind and solar output and a recovery in hydropower, leading to a 22% year-on-year drop in power sector emissions for that month.