Search Climate Insights Directory

This policy brief presents insights from informal bilateral discussions conducted by Ember and the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA) with transmission system operators (TSOs) from six Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. The document examines CEE TSO perspectives on the European Commission's upcoming European Grids Package, highlighting a tension between the shared ambition to modernise grids and concerns regarding EU-level governance, funding complexity, and the perceived dominance of Western European interests in policy shaping.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the global trend of 'green industrial policies' and the risks they pose to emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). It argues that current policies in major economies often prioritize domestic benefits and geopolitical security over global fairness, potentially creating a 'two-speed' transition that hinders global climate goals. The document proposes several pathways to ensure a more inclusive transition, including scaled-up climate finance, technology transfer, and the adaptation of trade rules.

This guide from the Climate Policy Initiative defines carbon finance as the policies, instruments, and markets used to reduce or offset greenhouse gas emissions through pricing or trading systems, including carbon taxes, credits, and border adjustments.

The report 'Shockproof: how electrification can strengthen EU energy security' by Ember argues that accelerating the electrification of the EU economy, powered by homegrown renewables, is the primary mechanism to reduce the bloc's high dependency on imported fossil fuels. It suggests that fossil import dependency could be halved by 2040 through the adoption of mature technologies like electric vehicles and heat pumps.

The report examines how the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is incentivising exporting countries to establish domestic carbon pricing systems to retain revenues and reduce trade costs.

This paper uses network modelling and data from 102 non-EU countries to identify critical intervention points for EU climate adaptation. It highlights water, agriculture, livelihoods, and conflict as key nodes where strategic adaptation can prevent systemic risk cascades across borders.

Ember's response to the EU Electrification Action Plan call for evidence argues that while technology for electrification is available, high costs and disproportionate taxation of electricity compared to fossil fuels are major barriers. Ember recommends rebalancing energy taxation, incentivizing smart consumption via dynamic tariffs, reforming grid planning to prioritize fossil-fuel displacement, and expanding market access for battery storage to lower total system costs.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the commercial agricultural sector in the Western Cape, South Africa, detailing its climatic conditions, production statistics, investment trends, and trade dynamics. It specifically examines the impact of extreme weather events, the shift toward digital agricultural investments, and the implications of new European Union sustainability directives on South African exports.

In the first half of 2025, China, India, the EU, and the US accounted for 63% of global electricity demand and 64% of power sector CO2 emissions. While China and India saw declines in fossil fuel generation and emissions due to clean energy growth outpacing demand, the US and EU experienced increases in emissions, driven by demand growth in the US and declines in wind and hydro output in the EU.

In the first half of 2025, global solar and wind generation grew sufficiently to exceed total electricity demand growth, resulting in renewables overtaking coal in the global electricity mix for the first time. While global power sector CO2 emissions fell marginally by 0.2%, results varied by region, with emissions decreasing in China and India but increasing in the US and EU.

This submission by Ember to the New South Wales (NSW) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides recommendations to strengthen proposed climate change requirements for large greenhouse gas emitters, specifically focusing on coal mine methane (CMM) reporting and abatement to align with NSW's Net Zero Emissions targets.

The report 'Global Electricity Mid-Year Insights 2025' by Ember analyzes global electricity generation from January to June 2025. It finds that solar and wind growth exceeded global demand growth, leading to renewables overtaking coal's share in the global electricity mix for the first time on record and causing power sector CO2 emissions to plateau.

This report by the African Future Policies Hub analyzes the economic and administrative burdens placed on African nations by evolving European Union (EU) climate regulations, specifically the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for shipping, and Methane Regulations. The authors argue that these measures often lack adequate mitigation for developing countries, risking significant GDP losses, increased trade costs, and the exclusion of smallholder farmers from EU markets.

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative analyzes the decarbonisation pathways for the cement and steel industries in Brazil. It identifies key emission sources, evaluates emerging technologies like low-carbon hydrogen (LCH) and carbon capture and storage (CCS), and examines the financial and regulatory frameworks—including the Brazilian Emissions Trading System (SBCE)—necessary to transition these hard-to-abate sectors toward a low-carbon economy to maintain international competitiveness.

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative analyzes the market, policies, and investment opportunities for decarbonizing the cement and steel industries in Brazil. It identifies critical emission sources, evaluates emerging technologies like low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture, and outlines the regulatory landscape, including the Brazilian Emissions Trading System (SBCE) and the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

The 2025 Forest Declaration Assessment executive summary reports that global forests remain in crisis, with deforestation and degradation continuing at high levels despite international commitments. The document highlights a systemic failure to meet 2030 goals, driven by agricultural expansion and poor governance, while noting that current funding and corporate actions are insufficient to reverse the trend.

The 2025 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that global forests remain in crisis, with deforestation and degradation rates failing to decline significantly. The document highlights a systemic failure where corporate commitments are insufficient, public and private financing is misaligned with conservation goals, and governance is undermined by power imbalances and illegal activities. While some national reforms and restoration efforts show promise, the report calls for systemic changes, mandatory regulations, and inclusive governance to meet 2030 targets.

The 2025 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that global forests remain in crisis, with 8.1 million hectares lost in 2024 and primary tropical forest losses emitting 3.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases. Deforestation is driven largely by permanent agriculture (86%), while forest degradation is accelerating, particularly in the Amazon. The report finds that corporate voluntary commitments are insufficient—only 3% of Forest 500 companies meet expectations—and public financing for forests (approx. $5.7 billion annually) is a fraction of the funding for harmful agricultural subsidies. Governance remains biased toward powerful interests, with 61-94% of tropical deforestation for agriculture estimated to be illegal. The assessment calls for systemic changes, including mandatory regulations, integrated landscape approaches, and inclusive decision-making involving indigenous peoples and local communities.

The 2025 Forest Declaration Assessment is an executive summary produced by a civil society coalition to monitor progress toward global forest goals. It concludes that the world is 'off track' to meet 2030 targets, citing continued large-scale deforestation, increasing forest degradation, and a significant gap between international commitments and actual implementation in governance, finance, and corporate behavior.

The Forest Declaration Assessment 2025 reports that global forests remain in crisis, with deforestation and degradation rates failing to decline significantly by the halfway point of the decade. The document highlights a systemic failure in corporate commitments, a drastic misalignment of public and private finance, and persistent governance barriers, while noting that inclusive, participatory approaches and specific national reforms offer potential pathways to recovery.