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A commentary by members of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) urging the Swedish government to use its presidency of the Council of the EU in 2023 to increase the European Union's sustainability ambitions and lead on the European Green Deal.

The Climate Change Performance Index 2023 executive summary evaluates the climate mitigation efforts of the 60 largest emitters. It highlights that no country is currently on a 1.5°C pathway, leaving the top three ranks unoccupied. While Denmark leads in most categories, major emitters like China and the US are ranked in the 'very low' category. The report notes a wide disparity in performance among EU member states and identifies Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan as the worst overall performers.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics argues that the global energy crisis is driven by fossil fuel volatility rather than clean energy policies. It asserts that natural gas is incompatible with Paris Agreement climate goals and that renewable energy is now a more cost-effective and secure alternative for power generation globally, including in Africa.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) criticizes the $8.5-billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and its Investment Plan (JET-IP) as a market-centric deal that prioritizes private investor profits over South African local development. The IEJ argues that the deal's reliance on loans and private-sector 'de-risking' threatens to increase energy costs, maintain high state financial risk, and fail to provide adequate social security or local manufacturing support for workers in the coal belt.

The NewClimate Institute reports that global expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fossil gas is undermining the Paris Agreement and the 1.5°C warming limit. Despite some policy progress in the US, China, and the EU, current 2030 targets put the world on a path toward 2.4°C of warming, while the pipeline of new LNG capacity threatens to significantly increase emissions by 2030.

A statement by the Life After Coal (LAC) campaign—comprising the Centre for Environmental Rights, Earthlife Africa, and groundWork—urging the South African government to lead at COP27 by supporting climate-vulnerable nations and accelerating a domestic Just Transition away from fossil fuels.

This final evaluation report details the activities and impacts of the Economics for Nature (E4N) partnership from 2018 to 2022. E4N, a collaboration between the Green Economy Coalition (GEC), Capitals Coalition, Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP), and WWF France, aimed to integrate natural capital into national green economy planning and economic decision-making to shift toward 'nature-positive economies'.

This policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice critiques the USD 8.5 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) for South Africa, arguing that its reliance on 'de-risking' private finance through Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and blended finance shifts commercial risks to the state while privatising gains. The authors contend that this model threatens to increase energy poverty, worsen the national debt profile, and undermine the localisation of renewable energy manufacturing. The document proposes alternative financing pathways, including the regulation of PPPs, debt cancellation for 'odious debt', climate reparations, and the implementation of allocative green credit policies.

This policy brief examines Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) in South Africa, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and Senegal. It argues that these partnerships should facilitate a direct leapfrog from fossil fuels to renewable energy, rather than using fossil gas as a bridging fuel, which the author claims is economically risky, technically unnecessary, and climatically dangerous.

This report examines the role of international finance institutions (IFIs) in supporting the transition to low-carbon steel production, particularly in emerging and developing economies. It finds that IFIs have historically had limited exposure to the steel sector and are only in the early stages of developing green industrial strategies. However, the report argues that IFIs can accelerate the transition by de-risking first movers, supporting the development of green hydrogen and circular economy strategies, and creating demand for green steel through sustainable procurement in infrastructure projects.

This policy brief examines the intersection of international trade and climate change, specifically focusing on how the World Trade Organization (WTO) can facilitate cooperation to support climate mitigation and adaptation goals while ensuring a just transition for developing countries.

This policy brief by Ember provides recommendations for the European Commission's Grids Action Plan, arguing that power grids must become the backbone of the energy system to achieve a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. The document identifies critical gaps in investment, data transparency, and planning frameworks, proposing a shift toward anticipatory grid investments and integrated system-level planning to ensure grid constraints do not hinder renewable energy deployment.

This report by the World Resources Institute evaluates the progress made one year after the COP26 summit in Glasgow. It tracks commitments across national emissions targets, renewable energy, climate finance, net-zero goals, the financial sector, methane reduction, deforestation, urban emissions, and electric vehicles, noting that progress is mixed and often hindered by geopolitical tensions and economic crises.

This report provides a legal assessment of the June 24, 2022, agreement in principle to reform the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), concluding that the proposed modernization is insufficient to support global climate action goals or the energy transition.

This policy brief by RMI argues that the European Union must utilize the European Hydrogen Bank and targeted subsidies to mitigate market and first-mover risks to accelerate the deployment of green hydrogen. The document suggests that strategic public investment can unlock hundreds of billions in private capital, ensuring energy security and sustainability for industrial and transport sectors.

This report by Ember analyzes global electricity data from 75 countries to assess the energy transition in the first half of 2022 (H1-2022). It finds that renewable energy growth fully met the increase in global electricity demand during this period, preventing a rise in fossil fuel generation and associated CO2 emissions.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that Canada can enhance its energy security by transitioning from volatile fossil fuel markets to a renewable-based electrified system. It asserts that wind and solar are now more cost-effective than gas or coal and that Canada's existing hydroelectric capacity provides the necessary flexibility to integrate variable renewable energy without compromising grid reliability.

This guide details the methodology used by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) to screen and categorize self-labeled debt instruments for inclusion in the CBI Green Bond Database. The process ensures that included bonds align with the Climate Bonds Taxonomy and industry standards to support the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment evaluates global progress toward the 2030 goals of halting deforestation and restoring 350 million hectares of degraded land. The report concludes that no global indicator is currently on track to meet these targets, noting that while some regional progress exists, radical transformations in finance, governance, and production are required to shift the global forest trajectory.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment executive summary evaluates global progress toward the 2030 goals of ending deforestation and restoring 350 million hectares of degraded land. The report concludes that the world is not on track to meet these targets, noting that global deforestation rates decreased only modestly in 2021 and that financial investments for forest protection remain critically insufficient.