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THE ROLE OF END-USER SUBSIDIES IN CLOSING THE AFFORDABILITY GAP
The document analyzes how end-user subsidies—direct or indirect payments to consumers—can bridge the affordability gap for basic electricity access. It evaluates two primary methodologies for calculating this gap (SEforALL's 'Taking the Pulse' and the World Bank's 'Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report') and identifies key design attributes such as financing structures, delivery modalities, and verification systems. Through case studies, it finds that Ghana's programme succeeded due to accurate targeting and pricing, while Uganda's faced challenges with high costs and payment delays. Togo's CIZO programme is highlighted for its innovative use of mobile money for subsidy delivery. The brief concludes that improving demographic and consumption data is essential to avoid market distortion and ensure subsidies reach the poorest households.
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Document type: Policy brief
PARIS ALIGNMENT OF POWER SECTOR FINANCE FLOWS IN INDIA
The document analyzes India's power sector financing between 2013 and 2019, noting that while utility-scale renewables dominate tracked commitments, continued investment in coal-fired power remains a significant barrier to Paris Agreement alignment. It highlights the risk of stranded assets in the thermal sector and recommends a shift toward green bonds, improved transmission infrastructure, and the accelerated decommissioning of old coal plants to meet 2030 climate targets.
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Document type: Policy brief
CLIMATE–POVERTY CONNECTIONS
The report argues that climate mitigation and socioeconomic development can be achieved simultaneously through synergistic solutions. It introduces the Drawdown Lift Human Well-Being Index (HWI), based on the Doughnut Economics model, to assess 12 dimensions of human well-being. The analysis focuses on five groups of solutions: Improving Agriculture and Agroforestry, Protecting and Restoring Ecosystems, Adopting Clean Cooking, Providing Clean Electricity, and Fostering Equality. The report provides evidence that these solutions can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while directly improving food security, health, income, and gender equality in low- and middle-income countries.
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Document type: Report
Post-COVID Economic Recovery and Natural Capital: Lessons from Brazil, France, India, and Uganda
The report finds that most pandemic recovery plans in Brazil, France, India, and Uganda missed the opportunity to invest in natural capital, often prioritizing business-as-usual practices. In Brazil, 87.3% of the reviewed budget for the Legal Amazon region had a negative impact, primarily due to agricultural subsidies. France's recovery plan showed a mixed impact, with 27% positive and 25% negative, largely due to corporate tax reductions. India's package was similarly mixed, with 18% positive and 24% negative, including significant funding for coal mining infrastructure. Uganda showed the most positive trend, with 34% of its 2020/21 budget having a positive impact, though this declined in the 2021/22 budget. The report recommends that governments implement environmental conditionality for corporate support, strengthen natural capital accounting, and align national strategies to ensure long-term economic stability through nature-positive investments.
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Document type: Report
SIZING UP COAL MINE METHANE
Global Energy Monitor (GEM) finds that operating coal mines emit 52.3 million tonnes of methane per year, exceeding IEA estimates for oil and gas. The analysis identifies China, specifically Shanxi province, as the primary source of these emissions. GEM warns that proposed mine projects could add another 11.3 million tonnes annually, effectively locking in emissions equivalent to the coal-based CO2 emissions of the United States. To meet Net Zero 2030 targets, the report argues for a faster coal phase-out and the cancellation of new projects, as current mitigation measures are often insufficient or circumvented.
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Document type: Report
Boom and Bust Gas
The report finds that global gas-fired power capacity in development (615 GW) now exceeds that of coal (457 GW), representing an estimated US$509 billion in capital expenditure. This expansion is described as ubiquitous across all continents, directly conflicting with the IEA's 1.5°C net-zero pathway. The authors argue that these investments face significant stranded asset risks as clean energy portfolios (CEPs) increasingly outcompete gas on cost, particularly in the US and Australia.
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Document type: Report
South African Renewable Energy Masterplan
The South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) outlines a framework to localise the wind, solar PV, and battery energy storage value chains. It argues that localising 70% of components and 90% of Balance of Plant (BoP) and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) could create 36,500 direct jobs and contribute R420 billion to GDP by 2030. The plan emphasizes the need for market certainty through consistent public procurement and the transition to a points-based local content scoring system to incentivize high-value manufacturing over simple CAPEX spend. It specifically targets 'Just Transition hotspots' like Mpumalanga to pivot coal-sector workers into the green economy.
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Document type: Report
Gas Pressure: Exploring the case for gas-fired power in South Africa
The report argues that South Africa does not need new gas-fired power generation until at least 2035, if ever, due to the falling costs of renewables and battery storage. It warns that current government momentum toward gas-to-power, including the RMI4P program and proposed LNG terminals, risks creating stranded assets and increasing electricity costs for consumers. The authors recommend a moratorium on gas-to-power development, focusing instead on rapid renewable deployment and energy efficiency.
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Document type: Report
Protest and Insecurity: Trends in the Global South since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
The document identifies a substantial increase in protests in the Global South after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, driven by food and energy insecurity. Analyzing ACLED data, the authors found food protests in 32 countries and fuel protests in 37 countries. While many protests are isolated, in some nations—such as Paraguay, Guatemala, and Peru—these grievances constituted a significant portion of all unrest events. The report argues that such protests serve as warnings of household hardship and can lead to severe political consequences, citing the flight of Sri Lanka's president as an example.
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Document type: Briefing
THE ROLE OF END-USER SUBSIDIES IN CLOSING THE AFFORDABILITY GAP
The document argues that end-user subsidies are essential for achieving universal electricity access by reducing product costs for the poorest households. It analyzes two primary methodologies for calculating the affordability gap—the SEforALL 'Taking the Pulse' and the World Bank 'Market Trends' approaches—and identifies key design attributes including financing structures, delivery modalities, and verification systems. Through case studies, it demonstrates that successful programmes, like those in Ghana and Togo, rely on accurate demographic data and effective public-private partnerships, whereas the Ugandan experience highlights risks such as payment delays and inaccurate subsidy thresholds. The brief concludes that harmonized data metrics and a modified energy burden threshold for emerging economies are necessary to prevent market distortion and improve targeting.
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Document type: Policy brief
PARIS ALIGNMENT OF POWER SECTOR FINANCE FLOWS IN INDIA
The document examines India's power sector financing between 2013 and 2019, noting that while utility-scale renewables dominate tracked commitments, continued investment in coal-fired power creates significant misalignment with Paris Agreement temperature goals. It highlights the risk of stranded assets in the thermal sector and proposes innovative financial mechanisms, such as green bonds and foreign exchange hedges, to accelerate the energy transition.
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Document type: Briefing
Corporate Partnership Report Overview of WWF-US Corporate Partnerships, Fiscal Year 2021
The WWF-US Corporate Partnership Report for FY2021 outlines the organization's strategic approach to private sector engagement, categorizing partnerships into sustainable business practices, communications and awareness, philanthropy, and employee engagement. The report lists numerous corporate partners across various budget tiers, highlighting specific collaborations on issues such as plastic waste, deforestation, and climate targets. In FY21, income from these corporate partnerships accounted for 3% of the WWF-US office's total income.
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Document type: Report
Indonesia's Energy Policy Briefing
The document reports an increase in Indonesia's projected fossil fuel subsidies for 2022 and notes that the country missed its 2021 renewable energy investment and electricity mix targets due to pandemic-related project delays.
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Document type: Briefing
IPCC Sixth Assessment Report: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
The document outlines the escalating impacts of human-induced climate change on humans and ecosystems, emphasizing that the most marginalized populations are hit hardest. It highlights the role of 'attribution literature' in linking extreme weather to human activity and discusses the critical need for transformative adaptation and nature-based solutions. The briefing warns that the costs of inaction far exceed those of mitigation and adaptation, noting significant GDP losses in vulnerable nations and the potential for mass migration and biodiversity loss.
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Document type: Briefing
Carbon Market Watch response to consultation: “Draft Consensus Statement on High Quality Tropical Forest Carbon Credits”
Carbon Market Watch (CMW) critiques a draft guidance document for companies purchasing tropical forest carbon credits, primarily arguing that the draft implicitly supports 'offsetting'—which CMW deems scientifically inaccurate when substituting fossil carbon with biological carbon. CMW demands the removal of the word 'consensus' from the title, as the draft does not reflect the views of many NGOs and CSOs. The response emphasizes the need for mandatory transparency regarding how much revenue from credit transactions actually reaches indigenous peoples and local communities (IPs and LCs) versus intermediaries. CMW also insists that 'corresponding adjustments' under the Paris Agreement must be mandatory for any claims of emission reductions to prevent double counting.
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Document type: Statement
In what ways has the digital era changed the notion of public space?
The document examines the shift from physical to digital public spaces, highlighting the rise of 'surveillance capitalism' and 'data colonization' by tech giants and states. It defines 'democratic public communication spaces' as those that strengthen excluded voices and guarantee data sovereignty. The authors warn of 'voice poverty' and the erasure of linguistic diversity, noting that only 7% of the world's languages appear online. To combat these injustices, the paper recommends revitalizing public interest media, supporting community-managed infrastructure, and implementing comprehensive media literacy training.
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Document type: Research paper
Climate Politics
The document argues that climate change is a scientific imperative that should be central to all levels of political reporting, regardless of party affiliation. It encourages journalists to hold candidates accountable for their climate records, explore the implications of the Green New Deal and similar global investment programs, and humanize the crisis by focusing on local impacts and environmental justice. Additionally, it highlights the influence of youth activists and the importance of tracking campaign financing from fossil fuel interests to reveal a candidate's true environmental allegiances.
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Document type: Guide
Building Back Greener: International Environmental Protection and Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the Context of COVID-19
The report argues that while COVID-19 provided a temporary respite for the environment, it exacerbated social inequalities and led to a rebound in carbon emissions. It contends that current 'green recovery' efforts are insufficient, primarily limited to wealthy nations and focused narrowly on decarbonisation while neglecting nature and social justice. The authors advocate for a structural shift toward a circular economy, nature-based solutions, and innovative finance like debt-for-nature swaps to ensure a sustainable and equitable transition.
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Document type: Report
PIPE DREAMS
Global Energy Monitor identifies 193,400 km of gas pipelines in construction or pre-construction, representing a US$485.8 billion stranded asset risk. The report highlights that China, India, Russia, Australia, the U.S., and Brazil are leading this expansion despite IEA warnings that gas usage must peak soon to align with the 1.5°C net-zero scenario. While some financial institutions and 39 countries have committed to ending public finance for fossil fuels by 2022, the gas industry continues to push for massive infrastructure growth, often justified by the potential for future hydrogen upcycling.
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Document type: Report
Indonesia’s Energy Policy Briefing
The document analyzes Indonesia's energy landscape, highlighting a projected increase in LPG subsidies to IDR 66.3 trillion in 2022 and a decline in diesel subsidies. It examines the National Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) 2021–2030, noting that while it targets a 24.8% renewable energy share by 2030, coal remains dominant. The briefing also discusses the challenges of coal phase-out, the introduction of a carbon tax, and the gap between Indonesia's COP 26 commitments and its actual NDC targets.
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Document type: Briefing