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The report examines the role of state-owned power companies (SPCs) in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), noting they control approximately 50% of global power station capacity. Through four case studies, it explores specific transition elements: Eskom (South Africa) on just energy transition (JET), NTPC (India) on renewable energy deployment, EVN (Viet Nam) on grid integration, and PLN (Indonesia) on early coal retirement. Key findings highlight that while SPCs can lead low-carbon action due to declining technology costs, they are often hindered by high debt, fossil fuel subsidies, and a lack of comprehensive legal frameworks. The report recommends that governments mandate specific emission targets for SPCs, shift public finance from fossil fuels to clean energy, and that SPCs establish dedicated JET offices and improve data transparency to build stakeholder trust.

The report examines how unreliable electricity and the use of medical equipment designed for high-income countries undermine healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa. Based on data from 29 facilities in Kisumu County, Kenya, it finds that many essential devices are underutilized or non-functional due to power instability, high energy consumption, and a lack of maintenance. It argues for the adoption of energy-efficient, context-aware medical appliances and decentralized renewable energy systems to improve health outcomes and reduce operational costs.

This report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) analyzes the potential for repurposing abandoned and soon-to-be-closed surface coal mines into solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants. It argues that these sites are ideal for solar development due to their existing proximity to grid infrastructure and the need for land reclamation, offering a pathway to align clean energy goals with local job creation and environmental restoration.

India requires significant expansion of its EV charging network to reach 30 percent penetration by 2030, necessitating a strategic role for distribution companies (DISCOMs). DISCOMs can act as either enablers of private investment or as charge point operators (CPOs), depending on their financial and technical capacity. Key recommended actions include long-term load planning, streamlining CPO entry processes, and piloting load mitigation strategies.

The report examines how six Indian ports can transition into green hydrogen hubs by integrating hydrogen into their value chains and leveraging Common User Infrastructure (CUI). It identifies key challenges such as high production costs and land acquisition, while emphasizing the role of storage infrastructure and the repurposing of natural gas pipelines and LNG terminals to reduce capital expenditures.

The report argues that rapid declines in battery costs have made near-continuous solar power (24/365 generation) an economic reality in sunny regions. In cities like Las Vegas, achieving 97% reliability for a constant power supply is now cost-competitive at $104/MWh, which is cheaper than new coal and nuclear power. The analysis demonstrates that a relatively small amount of storage—approximately 17 kWh of battery for every 1 kW of stable 24-hour power—is sufficient for most sunny locations. This shift allows solar to support 24/7 clean energy contracts for energy-intensive industries and significantly reduces the need for expensive grid expansions by allowing more capacity to be installed behind existing connections.

The report identifies a significant gap in India's green hydrogen sector, where announced production capacity exceeds the 2030 target of 5 million metric tons (MMT) by 2.5 times, yet commissioned capacity remains below 0.01 MMT as of 2024. To address barriers like high costs and limited infrastructure, the report outlines five strategies to unlock 2.1–5 MMT of demand by 2030: blending in high-volume sectors (0.8–3.0 MMT), substitution in niche industries (0.04–0.07 MMT), green public procurement for steel (0.4–0.6 MMT), exporting hydrogen and ammonia (0.75–1.1 MMT), and exporting hydrogen-embedded products (0.1–0.2 MMT). It also emphasizes the need for enablers such as viability gap funding, sovereign guarantees, and hydrogen hubs.

Kiri EV, founded in 2020 by Chris Maara, develops electric motorcycles and tuk-tuks tailored for African roads, aiming to reduce fuel and operational costs by 40% to 60%. The company overcame early challenges including unsuitable imports from India and China, a lack of skilled local talent, and regulatory gaps in Kenya where EVs were sometimes classified as toys. Funding was secured through personal savings, grants from the Siemens Foundation and the Kenya Climate Innovation Center, and support from develoPPP Ventures and DEG Impulse. Kiri EV focuses on youth empowerment, recruiting fresh graduates and T-VET students to bridge the skills gap and providing training to 1,600 individuals. The founder advocates for industry-friendly regulations, increased local African investment, and structural protections for local entrepreneurs against foreign competition.

The document describes how a global automaker used Climate TRACE and TASA Analytics data to move beyond coarse 'spend-based' emissions factors to granular, facility-level intelligence for steel and aluminium. By integrating Scope 1 and 2 emissions factors with rapid IO-LCA (rLCA) models, the project revealed significant emissions intensity variations across production methods and countries. Key findings highlight the potential for emissions reductions through increased scrap use in both steel and aluminium production and the inaccuracy of standard EEIO data in certain regions.

The briefing identifies residual value uncertainty as a primary barrier to EV adoption and financing in India. It posits that clear residual value estimates—determined by asset quality, value extraction ability, and consumer willingness to pay—would lower purchase uncertainty for consumers and improve loan recoupment estimates for financiers, thereby scaling both EV supply and demand.

South Africa faces significant trade risks as its carbon-intensive export model clashes with global net zero targets and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs). Approximately 78% of its exports are sold to countries with net zero targets, and hundreds of thousands of jobs are exposed to CBAMs in the EU and UK. High embodied CO2 emissions in the basic metals and automotive sectors, combined with a carbon-intensive electricity grid, threaten competitiveness. However, the document notes South Africa's potential to pivot using its critical minerals and renewable energy resources, provided that international financial commitments like the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) are fulfilled.

The Universal Basic Income Coalition (UBIC) warns that National Treasury's new conditions for SASSA—including bank account surveillance, database cross-checks, and biometric verification—will erroneously exclude up to half of rightful beneficiaries of the child support, older persons, disability, and care dependency grants. Drawing on evidence from the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, where 90% of exclusions are estimated to be erroneous, the briefing argues that these measures prioritise fiscal savings over constitutional rights to social assistance and basic nutrition.

The document reports on a significant shift in the oil market as OPEC+ increases production, leading to lower prices and potential decline in US shale output. It highlights a landmark German court ruling establishing that high-emitting companies can be held liable for climate damages and discusses various challenges facing the LNG and gas power sectors globally, alongside regulatory uncertainties for hydrogen in the US and EU.

Nigeria faces a substantial annual climate financing gap of $15.8 billion, with tracked inflows of $1.9 billion remaining low relative to its economy. The document argues for a Country Platform for Climate Action (CPCA) to coordinate government, private sector, and international efforts, citing the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) in South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Senegal as models. While JETPs have mobilized $46.5 billion across four countries, they are criticized for narrow focuses on energy systems and inadequate local engagement. A proposed Nigerian CPCA would expand this scope to include resilience, industrial growth, and social equity, while balancing geopolitical relationships with the EU, US, China, and India to meet a $1.9 trillion energy transition target by 2060.

Ember expresses two primary concerns regarding India's draft VPPA framework: its potential to undermine power system flexibility and its role as a potentially misleading accounting mechanism for corporate clean energy claims. The organization argues that VPPAs may encourage continued investment in 'plain vanilla' solar without storage, exacerbating midday surpluses and grid balancing challenges. Ember also contends that VPPAs allow industrial consumers to claim 100% renewable energy usage through Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) without physically consuming clean power or contributing to grid stability, potentially diverting investment away from genuine 24/7 clean energy solutions.

Reclaim Finance argues that Société Générale is engaging in greenwashing by using a policy loophole to finance Adani Green Energy, despite the Adani Group's extensive coal expansion plans in India and Australia and various legal scandals involving its leadership.

Reclaim Finance accuses Société Générale of greenwashing by exploiting loopholes in its sectoral policy to continue financing the Adani Group. While the bank committed in 2020 to stop supporting new coal projects, it continues to fund Adani Green Energy, which Reclaim Finance claims redirects funds to coal expansion. The document highlights Adani's plans to increase coal power capacity by 20,550 MW in India and expand mining in India and Australia, alongside allegations of financial fraud and corruption involving Gautam Adani. Reclaim Finance calls on the AMF to intervene against this misleading communication.

The document addresses the significant underfunding of climate-smart agrifood systems, which contribute approximately 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It argues that while public and private capital have roles, concessional capital is essential for the 'missing middle'—investments with high social and environmental impact but sub-commercial returns. The playbook proposes five 'investment plays': deploying system-level approaches, supporting natural capital restoration, strengthening shared infrastructure, expanding technical assistance for innovation, and scaling local financial intermediaries. It includes a four-step framework for investor action: diagnosing the landscape, identifying financing gaps, designing instruments, and integrating partnerships.

India's transition to electric vehicles (EVs) presents a dual reality for automotive MSMEs, which comprise 80% of the auto-component manufacturing base. While the decline of internal combustion engine (ICE) components threatens traditional revenue streams, the shift creates opportunities in high-value EV components like battery housings and motor casings. However, MSMEs face significant barriers, including high capital expenditure, a 'Valley of Death' in prototype financing (TRL 4-6), and a shortage of skilled labor. To address these, the report recommends the establishment of the Automotive Component Technology Upgradation Financing Facility (AC-TUFF) to provide blended finance and risk-mitigation tools.

The report argues that direct electrification is the most efficient way to decarbonize industrial process heat, outperforming alternatives like green hydrogen, bioenergy, and carbon capture. It identifies three primary barriers: economics (high electricity costs relative to fossil fuels), grid readiness (slow interconnection and outdated planning), and technology maturity (lack of awareness and scale for high-temperature solutions). To overcome these, the authors recommend a combination of financial incentives (such as a Clean Heat Production Tax Credit), grid reforms (including surplus interconnection and real-time pricing), and foundational RD&D and workforce training.