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In the first half of 2025, global solar and wind generation grew sufficiently to meet and exceed total electricity demand growth, leading to renewables overtaking coal in the global electricity mix for the first time. Solar generation saw record absolute growth, while total fossil fuel generation declined slightly. Consequently, global CO2 emissions from the power sector fell marginally by 0.2%, although results varied by region, with emissions decreasing in China and India but increasing in the US and EU.

Ember argues that the NSW EPA's proposed requirements for large emitters are a positive step but lack the ambition needed to meet net zero goals. The report highlights significant underreporting of coal mine methane (CMM) in New South Wales, suggesting satellite data shows emissions could be double official figures. Ember recommends extending reporting requirements to all coal mines, mandating pre-mine drainage for open-cut mines, and requiring 70-year post-closure monitoring for abandoned mine methane. It also emphasizes the need for alignment with the EU Methane Regulation to protect the export viability of metallurgical coal.

In the first half of 2025, global solar and wind generation grew sufficiently to exceed total electricity demand growth, leading to renewables overtaking coal's share of the global electricity mix for the first time on record. While China and India saw declines in fossil fuel generation and emissions, the US and EU experienced increases due to demand growth outpacing clean energy in the US and unfavorable weather affecting wind and hydro in the EU.

A coalition of organisations and individuals is calling on the UK government to establish enforceable methane regulations for domestic and imported fossil fuels. The signatories argue that current underregulation undermines the UK's commitment to the Global Methane Pledge and risks economic misalignment with the EU Methane Regulation, which will require importers to meet specific performance standards. They propose using the Clean Air Task Force's UK Regulatory Roadmap as a practical framework to reduce emissions and maintain climate credibility ahead of COP30.

The statement critiques the 'like-for-like' principle in climate policy, which suggests matching the atmospheric lifetime or carbon cycle of emissions with corresponding removal types. The author contends that this logic allows industries to use cheap, temporary, and vulnerable removals to avoid deep emission cuts. It specifically highlights the danger of offsetting methane emissions with temporary storage, noting that methane has a permanent climate impact as it breaks down into CO2. The document also discusses the EU Green Claims Directive, noting a divide between the European Parliament's preference for permanent removals for fossil emissions and the more permissive stance of the European Commission and Council. The author concludes that all residual emissions should be balanced only by high-quality removals that lock away CO2 for centuries or millennia.

Spain has significantly lowered its wholesale electricity prices by decoupling them from volatile fossil fuel costs through the expansion of wind and solar capacity. In the first half of 2025, Spain's wholesale prices were 32% lower than the EU average, with the share of hours where prices were tied to gas costs dropping from 75% in 2019 to 19% in 2025. However, a blackout on April 28, 2025, led to a 'reinforced mode' of grid operation that increased reliance on gas for stability services. This resulted in the cost of grid balancing doubling in May 2025 and renewable curtailment tripling from 1.8% to 7.2% between May and July 2025. The report highlights a lag in investment in battery storage and grid-enhancing technologies, noting that Spain's 120 MW battery fleet is only the 13th largest in Europe despite being the 4th largest power market. To address this, Spain is implementing reforms, including adding eight synchronous compensators to the mainland grid and expanding its battery storage pipeline.

The report examines four EU climate regulations—the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the EU ETS for Shipping, and Methane Regulations—and their disproportionate effects on African economies. It highlights risks such as GDP reduction, loss of export revenue, and increased maritime costs, while calling for financial support, technical capacity building, and a shift toward global rather than unilateral regulatory frameworks.

The report examines the decarbonisation of Brazil's cement and steel sectors, highlighting the role of low-carbon hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and green finance in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

The report analyzes the decarbonization pathways for Brazil's cement and steel sectors, highlighting the role of emerging technologies like low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture, the impact of international regulations like the EU's CBAM, and the availability of green financing instruments to support the industrial transition.

The report outlines a framework for sovereign transition planning based on five pillars: robust targets, a whole-of-government approach, green public financial management (PFM), a diverse policy mix, and transparency. It argues that integrating climate considerations into core budgetary processes (green PFM) is essential for coordinating action across all government departments. To address fiscal constraints and debt overhang, the report suggests alternative financing mechanisms, including carving out transition spending from deficit limits, utilizing GSS+ and sustainability-linked bonds, leveraging national development banks and sovereign wealth funds, and employing central bank monetary tools such as green asset purchases and adjusted collateral frameworks.

Methane abatement is critical for near-term climate action, requiring a 45% reduction in global emissions by 2030. The report highlights that the energy sector has the highest technical abatement potential, while agriculture is dominated by behavioural change opportunities. It identifies five national sector archetypes—China's coal, India's smallholder agriculture, Brazil's livestock, Indonesia's waste, and O&G exporters—to provide scalable policy lessons. Significant financing gaps exist, with only USD 13.7bn tracked in 2021/22 against an estimated annual need of USD 48bn. The report advocates for methane-specific targets in NDCs, the use of satellite monitoring to close data gaps, and the implementation of import standards and carbon pricing to drive global supply chain reductions.

The document examines the current state of methane abatement financing and provides guidelines for structuring sustainable debt instruments. It analyzes the transition plans of 20 major companies in the oil and gas and agri-food sectors, highlighting a significant gap between the high potential for impact and the current marginal level of private investment. The report promotes the use of Use-of-Proceeds (UOP) and Sustainability-Linked Bonds (SLB) based on new sector-specific criteria from the Climate Bonds Initiative and the Methane Finance Working Group (MFWG) to avoid carbon lock-in and ensure credible decarbonization.

The briefing argues that proposed 'Omnibus I' amendments to weaken or delete Article 22 of the CS3D—which requires companies to adopt and implement 1.5°C-compatible climate transition plans (CTPs)—would contradict the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) July 2025 Advisory Opinion. The ICJ confirmed that States have a binding legal duty to regulate private sector emissions using 'stringent' due diligence. The authors warn that diluting these requirements would increase the liability risks for EU Member States, heighten the legal exposure of companies to climate litigation, and leave the final Omnibus I Directive vulnerable to legal challenges for failing to meet international and EU climate obligations.

The position paper argues against abolishing the formal complainant's right to a rejection decision and opposes the discontinuation of stricter national laws on unilateral conduct. It advocates for harmonising the rights of non-investigated parties and improving coordination between National Competition Authorities (NCAs) and the Commission to support public interest and the decarbonisation of the EU economy.

ClientEarth argues that the GBER lacks effective environmental safeguards and continues to permit harmful subsidies, particularly for fossil gas. The organisation proposes introducing horizontal conditionalities, such as the 'Do No Significant Harm' principle and the 'Energy Efficiency First' principle, and calls for the removal of block exemptions for fossil gas activities and tax reductions on fossil gas-fired electricity. Additionally, it suggests creating a tailored block exemption to support small-scale coastal fishing.

Brazil has become a top global oil producer due to pre-salt reserves, with production expected to peak at 5.3-5.4 mbd by 2029-30. While the sector is cost-competitive and the national economy has limited overall dependence on oil revenues, specific regions like Rio de Janeiro are highly vulnerable. The document argues that Brazil can leverage its renewable energy potential and critical minerals to diversify its economy into low-carbon fuels, provided it improves technological innovation and coordinates Petrobras' investments with national industrial policy.

Malaysia faces significant fiscal and energy security risks due to its heavy reliance on oil and gas exports, particularly LNG shipments to Japan, South Korea, and China. The document highlights a growing crude oil trade deficit and the threat of stranded assets as global demand shifts. To mitigate these risks, the report recommends diversifying into green manufacturing, hydrogen, and carbon capture services, while establishing a Sustainable Energy Transition Fund and a Just Transition Commission to support displaced workers in resource-dependent regions like Sabah and Sarawak.

The report argues that standard top-down cost estimation methods for energy transitions often overlook socio-spatial factors and marginalized groups. It proposes a new framework that identifies specific losses (recognitional justice), determines preventative and transformative spending (restorative justice), assigns cost burdens (distributive justice), and ensures stakeholder consensus (procedural justice). Using the planned early retirement of the Cirebon 1 coal-fired power plant as a case study, the report demonstrates how to map direct, indirect, and induced impacts across individuals, companies, and governments to more accurately calculate the financial requirements of a just transition.

The document provides a comprehensive introduction to the ETS2, a 'cap and trade' system starting in 2027 to reduce emissions in buildings and road transport by 42% relative to 2005 levels by 2030. It details the market mechanisms, including the Linear Reduction Factor and the Market Stability Reserve (MSR2), and emphasizes that carbon pricing must be paired with complementary policies—such as building renovations and EV electrification—to prevent price volatility and ensure a just transition. The guide also describes the Social Climate Fund (SCF), a €65 billion mechanism designed to support vulnerable households facing energy and transport poverty, and analyzes the distribution and potential misuse of ETS2 revenues among member states.

The 2025 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that global forests remain in crisis, with 8.07 million hectares of deforestation in 2024, leaving the world 63% off track for 2030 goals. While some natural recovery and national reforms in countries like Brazil and Indonesia show promise, the report finds that corporate commitments are largely unimplemented and public finance for forests is dwarfed by environmentally harmful agricultural subsidies. It calls for a shift from voluntary pledges to mandatory regulations and inclusive governance that secures land rights for Indigenous Peoples and local communities.