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The report evaluates a pilot project by Oorja Development Solutions that integrated solar milling services with existing solar irrigation infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh. Findings indicate that while solar mills reduce costs and travel distances for households, sustained adoption is hindered by operational issues such as operator unavailability and inconsistent grinding quality. The study highlights positive shifts in women's mobility and autonomy due to the proximity of the mills, as well as dietary improvements from more frequent, small-batch processing. It recommends that Indian policy frameworks, specifically PM-KUSUM, be expanded to incentivize multi-use solar systems and gender-inclusive designs.

The evaluation of solar-powered community mills in Uttar Pradesh shows that utilizing idle solar irrigation capacity for milling reduces costs and travel distances for smallholders while improving food freshness. While the project yielded modest gains in women's autonomy and mobility, sustained adoption was hindered by operational challenges such as operator unavailability and infrastructure issues. The document recommends integrating secondary-use models into India's PM-KUSUM scheme to optimize solar asset utilization.

The document argues that while India has expanded clean cooking via LPG subsidies, this pathway creates fiscal burdens and import dependencies. It advocates for a shift toward biogas in rural regions and e-cooking in urban areas, noting that both are more cost-effective over their lifecycles than LPG. The brief provides evidence from fieldwork in several Indian states and cities, highlighting that e-cooking could save the government over INR 2 trillion in subsidies by 2050. Key barriers identified include high upfront costs and inadequate maintenance services, which the authors suggest addressing through redirected subsidies and decentralized service centers.

The report details a randomized control trial (RCT) involving 242 SunCulture customers in Kenya to test whether providing free electric pressure cookers (EPCs) powered by solar irrigation batteries could reduce reliance on polluting fuels. The pilot found that while EPCs are feasible and generally liked, their adoption is hindered by intra-household gender dynamics—where men typically control battery use while women control cooking—and competition with other appliances like televisions. Although the intervention increased EPC usage by 49 percentage points, the impact on displacing traditional fuels like firewood and charcoal was not statistically significant, likely due to the availability of LPG among the relatively wealthier study participants. The authors recommend integrating secondary-use mechanisms into solar irrigation programs, redirecting LPG subsidies toward e-cooking, and developing 'priority ports' to ensure energy is allocated to cooking.

The report argues that India's reliance on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and piped natural gas (PNG) creates energy security risks and fiscal burdens due to high import dependence and subsidies. It advocates for a shift toward decentralized biogas for rural households and e-cooking for urban areas to align with net-zero goals. Fieldwork in Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand shows that biogas is highly satisfactory and reduces firewood use by 70%, though high upfront costs remain a barrier. In urban centers like Delhi and Bengaluru, e-cooking is found to be cheaper in operational expenditure than LPG or PNG, with the potential to save the government up to INR 2.4 trillion in subsidies by 2050 under a high-growth scenario.

The document outlines the transition of the EU CBAM from a reporting-only phase to a mandatory financial compliance phase starting January 1, 2026. It details the obligations for 'Authorised CBAM Declarants', the calculation of embedded emissions using either actual verified data or punitive default values, and the requirement to purchase CBAM certificates linked to EU ETS prices. The guide emphasizes the competitive advantage for low-carbon producers and provides a three-stage implementation checklist for exporters to minimize costs and ensure market access to the EU.

The document explores how indigenous and rural communities in Indonesia, India, Mexico, and Colombia are implementing community-centered connectivity and media to resist digital colonialism and preserve cultural integrity. It highlights specific models of digital sovereignty, such as the Kasepuhan Ciptagelar's hybrid network in Indonesia and indigenous mobile virtual network operators in Mexico, while arguing that communication justice requires moving beyond simple technical access to protect local languages and knowledge systems.

The author contends that American steel producers, such as U.S. Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs, are falling behind Asian competitors by abandoning decarbonization plans in favor of coal-intensive production. This failure to adapt to demands for greener steel, exemplified by the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, threatens U.S. market access and causes billions in annual health damages. The text highlights that while a Korean company, Hyundai, is investing $6 billion in low-carbon steel in Louisiana, major U.S. firms continue to rely on polluting methods despite minimal cost increases for end-products like vehicles.

Between May and December 2025, India's system operator curtailed an estimated 2.3 TWh of solar energy, resulting in approximately 2.11 million tonnes of missed CO2 emission reductions. While generators are compensated for this loss, the costs are passed to consumers, and the practice wastes the value of clean energy assets. With solar capacity reaching 135.8 GW in 2025 and growing faster than demand, the report warns that curtailment could become routine unless system flexibility—such as battery storage—is accelerated to keep pace with capacity additions.

In 2025, India's renewable energy curtailment was primarily driven by transmission infrastructure mismatches and system-wide emergency conditions managed via Tertiary Reserve Ancillary Services (TRAS). While non-fossil fuel capacity reached 266.7 GW by December 2025, the gap between rapid project deployment and slower transmission construction led to significant energy loss, particularly for projects under temporary general network access (T-GNA). Emergency TRAS-down events, often triggered by demand forecasting errors, also caused notable curtailment, such as 93.3 GWh of solar output on 12 October 2025.

India needs to build system flexibility to absorb high and variable renewable generation, moving beyond simple capacity additions. The report identifies three primary levers: improving the flexibility of the coal fleet by lowering minimum technical limits, scaling energy storage (BESS and pumped hydro), and accelerating demand-side flexibility through smart meter deployment and attractive time-of-day tariffs.

In 2025, India experienced significant solar curtailment, estimated at 2.3 TWh between late May and December, primarily due to the inability of the coal fleet to ramp down sufficiently during periods of low daytime demand. This was exacerbated by weaker-than-forecast demand growth in 2025, driven by mild temperatures and increased behind-the-meter solar generation. The report highlights that while operational errors in forecasting contributed to the issue, the structural lack of flexibility in coal plants—many of which must operate above a minimum thermal load of 55%—creates a systemic challenge as solar capacity continues to grow faster than demand.

The research paper examines 'Africa+1' summits—high-level meetings between African nations and a single external power—as a strategic arena for geopolitical influence. It traces the evolution from early French-led summits to a 'second generation' involving Asian powers like Japan, China, India, and Turkey, and more recent engagement from Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Italy. The author argues that Africa's demographic growth and critical mineral wealth have increased its strategic value, allowing African states to exercise greater agency by leveraging rivalries between global powers. However, the document critiques the summit format as often being performative and asymmetric, noting a gap between multi-billion-dollar pledges and tangible results. It highlights proposals for reform, such as unified AU representation, to move toward more equitable partnerships.

India is positioning itself as a green hydrogen hub by designating ports like V. O. Chidambaranar (VOC), Paradip, and Deendayal for hydrogen projects. While domestic coastal corridors provide learning opportunities, they lack the scale to be commercially viable, with e-fuel demand on the VOC–Deendayal route estimated at only 19–20 kilotons annually. In contrast, an international corridor linking Rotterdam, India, and Singapore could unlock over 1 million tons of annual e-fuel bunkering demand by 2030. The document highlights that while green methanol vessels have a total cost of ownership (TCO) nearly 80% higher than conventional vessels, IMO incentives and India's low-cost e-fuel production could make ammonia-powered vessels more competitive, potentially reducing TCO by 16% to 28% on routes to Singapore and Rotterdam respectively.

A survey of 10,751 Indian adults conducted between December 2024 and February 2025 reveals widespread concern over extreme heat and air pollution. Worry is most pronounced among younger and middle-aged adults, women, and urban residents, with a notable trend of higher concern for air pollution among those with higher education levels.

The author contends that recent violations of international law—including US actions in Venezuela and conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza—demonstrate the impotence of violence. The text advocates for a shift toward 'non-violence' as a political tool and a global common good, linking peace to social and environmental justice. It calls on the European Union to champion this approach by upholding the UN Charter, the Paris Agreement, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The author contends that recent military actions by the US, Russia, and Israel signal a collapse of international law and a return to the 'law of the strongest'. The text argues that violence is a symptom of powerlessness and suggests that Europe should instead promote a 'new' paradigm based on non-violence, the UN's 2030 Agenda, and the Paris Climate Agreement to achieve sustainable peace and climate justice.

The report examines asset ownership, lease-to-own, and energy-as-a-service models for solarizing health facilities in India and Kenya, highlighting the need to shift from philanthropic grants to blended finance and flexible service-based models to ensure long-term operational sustainability.

The author contends that democracy and autocracy are mutually obstructive and that the EU must leverage financial tools like the Global Gateway and the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to build an alliance of democracies, particularly in the Global South, to prevent a global shift toward authoritarian dominance.

Climate Strategies' 2026-2029 strategy focuses on accelerating the science-policy nexus to deliver inclusive and effective climate action. The organisation operates as a neutral knowledge broker, connecting a network of over 120 members with policymakers to address systemic gaps in climate finance, adaptation, and fossil fuel phase-out. Its strategic framework is built around five impact areas: Prosperity Post Fossil Fuels, Nature and Resilient Food Systems, Global Majority-Powered Change, Equitable Carbon & Climate Innovation, and Building Evidence-Based Climate Narratives. The strategy emphasises the need for Just Transitions, the inclusion of Global Majority perspectives in policy recommendations, and the use of evidence-based narratives to counter climate obstruction and misinformation.