Search Climate Insights Directory

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation successfully raised 200 crore INR in January 2019 through green municipal bonds for projects like waste management and the cleaning of the Sabarmati River. This success was attributed to the city's AA+ credit rating and supportive national frameworks, including the AMRUT programme and regulatory easing by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

The Bhungroo rainwater harvesting system in Gujarat, India, empowers marginal women farmers by providing them with ownership of water-management technology. This has led to increased agricultural productivity, the conversion of fallow land to cultivable land, and the eventual transfer of land ownership to women. The initiative has reached over 20,000 farmers and contributed to the reverse migration of approximately 6,100 farmers.

This case study examines the implementation of a solar pump cooperative in Dhundi, Gujarat, which provides irrigation and generates income for farmers by selling excess electricity to the grid. The model incentivizes sustainable groundwater use and reduces carbon emissions by replacing diesel pumps.

The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) issued a call to action in April 2020 to protect the decentralised renewable energy (DRE) sector from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report argues that the sector is critical for achieving universal electricity by 2030 and proposes a series of financial, policy, and technical interventions to prevent sector collapse and accelerate sustainable electrification.

This briefing paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the Green Climate Fund's (GCF) allocation of energy finance between 2015 and July 2018. It finds that the GCF significantly underfunds energy access projects compared to large-scale renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, and that funding largely bypasses 'high-impact' countries and low-income nations most in need of energy access.

This research paper quantifies the potential 2030 impact of greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments made by non-state and subnational actors (NSAs)—including regions, cities, and businesses—within ten major emitting economies.

This report analyzes the factors contributing to the slow growth of solar energy in Indonesia compared to the rapid expansion in India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, suggesting that Indonesia can lower energy prices by adopting supportive policies, streamlining decision-making, and rethinking local content requirements.

The 2020 Global Electricity Review by Ember analyzes global electricity generation changes in 2019, highlighting a record 3% fall in global coal-fired generation and a corresponding 2% drop in power sector CO2 emissions. While the EU and US saw significant coal collapses, China's coal generation rose, making it responsible for over half of global coal generation for the first time. Wind and solar generation grew by 15%, though the report notes that this growth rate is slowing and may be insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals without concerted global effort.

The 2020 report by Global Energy Monitor indicates a general global decline in the coal power pipeline, with construction starts and pre-construction development falling significantly since 2015. However, the global coal fleet grew in 2019 by 34.1 GW, primarily due to a surge of plants entering operation in China. Conversely, the OECD, US, and EU saw continued declines in capacity and generation. Despite these trends, the report notes that current reductions are insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement's goal of reducing coal use by 80% by 2030.

Boom & Bust 2020 is a report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzing global coal-fired power plant development in 2019. It details a general decline in the pipeline for new coal capacity, driven by financial restrictions and climate commitments, though this trend is countered by significant new capacity coming online in China.

This report by Global Energy Monitor and partners tracks global coal-fired power plant plans as of 2019. It highlights a general decline in new coal plans and construction globally, though China remains a significant outlier due to the completion of projects permitted years prior. The report details the shift in financing away from commercial banks toward public funding and examines regional trends across the OECD, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The 'Boom and Bust 2020' report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzes global coal power plant trends in 2019. It highlights a general decline in new coal project proposals and construction, though China remains a significant outlier with continued capacity increases. The report emphasizes the growing gap between current trends and the IPCC's requirement to reduce coal power by 80% by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

This report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzes global coal-fired power plant trends in 2019, noting a general decline in new project planning and construction, contrasted by a net increase in global capacity driven primarily by China.

The 2019 Global Coal Plant Tracker report reveals a contradictory trend: while the global pipeline for new coal plants has shrunk by two-thirds since 2015 and generation fell by 3% in 2019, net global capacity actually increased by 34.1 GW due to a surge of new plants in China. Western commercial banks have largely ceased direct financing for coal, but Chinese state banks and Indian state-owned finance corporations continue to provide significant funding. The report emphasizes that current trends are insufficient to meet the IPCC's goal of an 80% reduction in coal use by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

This report by Global Energy Monitor, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and CREA analyzes global coal power plant trends in 2019. It highlights a general decline in new coal development and operational capacity globally, though this trend is heavily skewed by China, which continued to increase its capacity. The report details the financial pressures on the coal industry, the role of public funding, and regional shifts in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the OECD.

This case study examines the role of the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) Incubator in supporting five selected grantees to scale their resilience innovations. It details the Incubator's methodology, which includes gap analysis, leadership training, and business model development, and evaluates the progress of projects focused on food systems, risk financing, urban habitat, water governance, and smallholder market access across Africa and Asia.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) case study outlines a framework for 'learning from failure' in resilience-building initiatives. By utilizing Challenge Funds to distribute risk and establishing a high-trust relationship between the GRP Secretariat and grantees, the organization encourages an iterative 'probe-sense-respond' approach. Key findings emphasize the need for flexible targets, a 'do no harm' principle in vulnerable contexts, and a systematic MEL process that captures not just what failed, but why. Case studies from Kenya, the Philippines, and the Sahel demonstrate how pausing unsuccessful pilots and redesigning products based on real-time evidence leads to more effective, scalable resilience solutions.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the increasing trend of states terminating old-generation bilateral investment treaties (BITs) to reform investment regimes. It details the legal mechanisms for termination under international law, analyzes common termination and survival clauses, and provides recommendations for states on how to manage the extinction of these treaties and draft new ones.

This report summarizes a November 2019 workshop convened by RMI and India's Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) to support the deployment of 5,595 e-buses under the FAME Scheme, Phase II. It highlights the potential for India to become the world's second-largest e-bus market by 2030 and details the projected environmental and economic benefits of the sanctioned e-bus rollout, including 1.2 million tons of avoided CO2 emissions and $500 million in oil import savings.

This report synthesizes lessons from six country case studies to provide recommendations for designing 'Energy Safety Nets'—social assistance mechanisms intended to ensure the poorest populations can afford both the initial connection to and the ongoing consumption of modern energy services to meet SDG7 goals by 2030.