Search Climate Insights Directory

The letter argues that current EU biomethane policies, such as REPowerEU and REDIII, create structural incentives to maintain industrial livestock production by relying on manure as a feedstock. The authors claim this contradicts European Green Deal goals, which may require a 10-15% reduction in livestock production. They highlight risks to rural communities, including increased heavy goods vehicle traffic on narrow roads, water pollution, and methane leaks. The signatories call for an independent EU-wide impact assessment, a restriction of biomethane to hard-to-electrify industrial sectors using unavoidable waste, and a prioritisation of energy efficiency and agroecology.

ClientEarth argues that the European Commission's proposed revision of the EMFAF lacks a necessary Impact Assessment and fails to address the misalignment of public resources. The organization recommends the full transposition of WTO fisheries subsidy prohibitions into EU law, specifically by strengthening inadmissibility criteria for funding. It advocates for a strategic reallocation of funds toward small-scale, low-impact fisheries, which it describes as more economically resilient and employment-efficient than industrial fleets. Additionally, ClientEarth calls for a binding minimum of 25% of national envelopes to be dedicated to biodiversity restoration and the removal of fossil fuel tax exemptions for the fishing sector to support a genuine energy transition.

The report analyzes the evolution of 'net zero' and 'nature positive' concepts, detailing how they are operationalized through taxonomies and methodologies in the financial sector. It highlights the interdependence of climate and nature crises, arguing for an integrated 'net-zero nature-positive' (NZNP) finance approach to manage compounding risks and leverage synergies, while noting that a unified NZNP definition and measurement protocol do not yet exist.

The analysis finds that recent federal policy shifts—including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and the repeal of various EPA standards—will lead to higher energy costs for households, significant GDP and job losses, and increased healthcare spending due to worsening air pollution. While a temporary boom in renewables is expected due to safe-harbor tax credit rules through 2030, the report forecasts a sharp contraction in clean energy capacity and a continued reliance on coal power after 2031.

A coalition of organizations warns that the EU's upcoming Livestock Strategy may fail to address the scale of animal farming's contribution to global warming. The letter argues that methane from agriculture is a critical driver of near-term warming and calls for the EU to set Paris Agreement-aligned targets, support herd size rebalancing through an Agri-food Just Transition Fund, and avoid treating biogenic methane differently from fossil methane.

The Clean Air Task Force asserts that the EU ETS review is critical for bridging the cost gap between conventional jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). While ReFuelEU Aviation established demand, the author notes that no large-scale e-SAF project in the EU had reached a final investment decision as of mid-2026. The document recommends extending the SAF allowance mechanism beyond 2030, mandating the reinvestment of ETS aviation revenues into sector decarbonisation, and carefully integrating high-quality carbon removals into the long-term strategy.

Madagascar has implemented a National Strategy for Organic Agriculture and Law No. 2020-003 to transition traditional farming into a certified organic sector. Supported by IISD, the government is piloting "organic territories" (TVABs) in the Diana, Sava, and Analanjirofo regions to achieve economies of scale and protect crops from contamination. Between 2020 and 2024, organic farmland increased from 103,817 to 169,893 hectares, and the number of organic producers grew to 62,000. Key priorities include strengthening internal control systems for certification and navigating new regulations like the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation.

The report argues that clean flexibility solutions are ready to scale across the EU to replace fossil-based grid balancing. It projects a fourfold increase in battery capacity by 2030, which would allow batteries to deliver over 80% of the power that all EU gas plants combined can generate in a single hour. Additionally, the report highlights the role of smart EV charging and heat pumps in absorbing surplus renewable generation and reducing peak demand, provided that regulatory barriers are removed and smart meter rollout is accelerated.

The EU battery fleet is projected to grow fourfold from 37 GW in 2025 to 178 GW by 2030, significantly reducing the need for gas-based backup. By 2030, utility-scale batteries could provide short-term flexibility at 20% lower cost than new gas peakers. Additionally, the report highlights the role of demand flexibility: by 2030, 50% of electric vehicles (EVs) could use smart charging to absorb 7% of peak wind and solar generation, and 15% of heat pump demand could be shifted to high-renewable periods, reducing peak demand by 3%. The report recommends that policymakers avoid overbuilding gas capacity, set ambitious non-fossil flexibility targets by January 2027, and accelerate smart meter rollout to enable these technologies.

The Clean Air Task Force recommends that the EU increase its 2029 public procurement mandates for low-carbon steel to 50% and low-carbon concrete and mortar to 10%. It argues that the current IAA proposal is insufficient to drive investment and suggests expanding mandates to 100% by 2040. The report also proposes extending these requirements to private construction projects over 1000 m2 and private automotive fleets by 2032, while broadening the scope to include low-carbon plastics and fertilisers.

The study concludes that an EU prohibition on deep-sea minerals is legally feasible under Article 192(1) TFEU and potentially justifiable under WTO law via Article XX GATT, provided the measure is comprehensive, non-discriminatory, and grounded in the precautionary principle.

The Clean Air Task Force asserts that Europe faces an "untenable policy gap" regarding fusion energy despite the 2024 Draghi Report's call for an innovation strategy. While the US, China, Great Britain, and Germany are advancing regulations and public-private partnerships, the EU lacks a cohesive strategy to transition fusion from research to industrial application. The author advocates for a strategy that targets commercialisation in the 2030s, separates fusion from fission regulations, and utilizes public resources to de-risk common technological challenges. This call is supported by a broad ecosystem, including startups and Members of the European Parliament, who demand concrete timelines and funding commitments rather than mere intentions.

The author contends that current unilateral green industrial strategies and carbon border adjustments create an inequitable trade environment that disadvantages developing countries. To resolve this, the paper proposes 'transition compacts': plurilateral, sector-specific agreements that link market access to verified emissions performance while making equity provisions, such as technology transfer and investment, legally binding rather than aspirational. Using examples like the failed Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminium (GASSA) and the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS), the text suggests that these compacts should be designed to be resilient to the withdrawal of major powers and focused on cooperative management of the energy transition.

The guide explains the transition of the EU CBAM to its definitive phase in January 2026, emphasizing the financial impact on exporters of steel and aluminum. It highlights that the use of high default values for missing verified emissions data increases costs, while carbon prices paid in the country of origin can be deducted from CBAM liability.

Spain's strategic investment in wind and solar power has significantly reduced the influence of gas on electricity prices, keeping power costs among the lowest in the EU during the 2026 energy crisis. While high gas prices caused spikes in other European markets like Italy, Spanish consumers benefited from a decoupling effect that saved a typical household approximately €10 per month. The report also highlights policy responses following the April 2025 Iberian blackout, including reforms to battery storage and grid management, and temporary tax cuts to encourage electrification and reduce fossil fuel import dependency.

The report analyzes Tunisia's development prospects up to 2043, comparing a 'Current Path' of modest growth with various sectoral scenarios. It finds that while Tunisia has strong foundations in education and health, it faces structural stagnation, high youth unemployment, and an energy deficit. A 'Combined scenario' integrating reforms in governance, manufacturing, agriculture, and trade could significantly boost GDP, reduce extreme poverty to 0.7%, and lower the Gini coefficient to 0.30, though a persistent energy gap remains.

The report examines South Africa's development prospects to 2043, contrasting a 'Current Path' of modest growth and persistent poverty with a 'Combined scenario' where strategic interventions in manufacturing, trade, infrastructure, and governance lead to a 33% increase in GDP per capita. It highlights critical structural constraints, including a high disease burden, poor education quality, and energy insecurity, while proposing a transition toward an export-led, green economy.

The report analyzes Tunisia's economic and social outlook, contrasting a 'Current Path' of moderate growth with a 'Combined scenario' that predicts significant improvements in GDP, poverty, and inequality by 2043. It argues that current gains are insufficient to meet Vision Tunisie 2035 and Agenda 2063 goals without strategic reforms. Key recommendations include diversifying energy sources, integrating climate resilience into planning, and expanding manufacturing and agricultural productivity to overcome constraints like high youth unemployment and energy deficits.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is integrating a 'climate factor' into its collateral framework to account for climate transition risks when banks borrow from the ECB. This factor calculates an 'uncertainty score' based on sector exposure, company-specific emissions and disclosures, and asset maturity. Reclaim Finance argues that the current design is flawed due to annual rather than automatic calculations for new assets, a lack of transparency regarding the factor's parameters, and penalties that may be too small to deter the worst polluters. Furthermore, the document notes that the factor currently applies to less than 5% of pledged collateral (non-financial corporations) and urges the ECB to extend it to other asset classes, specifically credit claims, which represent nearly 30% of pledged collateral.

The We Mean Business Coalition (WMBC) advocates for a coordinated EU framework to overcome barriers to electrification, such as high upfront costs and grid constraints. The coalition proposes a 50% electrification target by 2040 and suggests realigning financial incentives, modernising electricity grids, and mobilising public finance to de-risk private investment in clean energy technologies.