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The BRICS bloc generated over half of the world's electricity in 2024, with China dominating renewable energy production. While solar and wind capacity have grown exponentially in China, India, and Brazil since 2015, progress has stalled in Russia and South Africa. Hydropower's share of BRICS renewable generation fell from 82% in 2015 to 45% in 2023 as solar and wind expanded. China leads the bloc in total renewable energy jobs, though Brazil has the highest proportion of such jobs relative to its population.

The briefing reports that while new coal mine capacity additions declined by 46% in 2024, approximately 2,270 Mtpa of new capacity remains under development globally. This pipeline is heavily concentrated in China, India, Australia, and Russia, which together account for nearly 90% of proposed developments. The document highlights that if fully realized, these projects could emit 15.7 million tonnes of methane annually, significantly hindering the achievement of the Paris Agreement and IEA Net Zero scenarios. It emphasizes the prevalence of 'greenfield' projects and the high methane intensity of underground and metallurgical coal mines.

The policy brief examines the barriers to phasing out oil and gas within G20 nations, noting that while renewable capacity has grown, fossil fuel subsidies and deep industrial integration persist. It advocates for measurable phase-out targets, subsidy reform, and increased concessional financing for the Global South to ensure a just energy transition.

The report examines the challenges and opportunities for a 'green recovery' in Ukraine following Russia's invasion, which caused direct damages of USD 176 billion. While Ukraine has established governance structures and transparency tools like the DREAM platform, it lacks a unified national reconstruction strategy, leaving sustainability efforts fragmented. The document highlights the town of Trostianets as a successful local model of sustainable rebuilding and suggests that Ukraine align its recovery with EU standards, such as the EU Taxonomy and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. It recommends the adoption of international green building and infrastructure certifications (e.g., EDGE, Envision) to ensure long-term resilience and climate neutrality.

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 document examines the challenges of expanding active mobility in Indonesia, highlighting how fragmented infrastructure, safety risks, and weak enforcement hinder the transition from motor vehicles to walking and cycling. Using Medan as a case study, it identifies specific gaps in accessibility for people with disabilities and suggests a multi-faceted approach involving infrastructure upgrades, financial incentives, and public awareness campaigns to reduce urban congestion and air pollution.

The document identifies significant barriers preventing Indonesian local governments from accessing climate finance, including the inability to directly access international funds and a lack of technical expertise in project preparation. It suggests that Indonesia can unlock over USD 3 billion in potential climate finance by strengthening institutional capacity, improving the 'bankability' of projects through comprehensive feasibility studies and ESG standards, and utilizing blended finance and public-private partnerships. The brief highlights specific transport projects in Jakarta, Bandung, Makassar, Medan, and Semarang, noting a heavy reliance on central government funding.

The document outlines strategies for Indonesia to reduce road transport emissions, which currently account for 95% of transport emissions. Using an 'avoid-shift-improve' framework, the assessment finds that a combination of reducing travel demand, shifting to public and active transport, and improving vehicle efficiency through electrification and biofuels could reduce emissions by up to 84% by 2050. These measures would also significantly lower premature deaths caused by air pollution, particularly from PM2.5 and NOx exposure.

The report details the EECCLiRe project's efforts to build climate resilience among Indonesian coffee smallholders through ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA). Key interventions included the use of climate field schools (CFS) to integrate scientific climate data with traditional knowledge, the promotion of agroforestry to protect heat-sensitive Arabica coffee, and the installation of plastic biodigesters to provide clean energy and organic fertilizer. The document also examines the role of ecolabels and geographical indication (GI) labels in supporting EbA by providing financial incentives, while noting challenges such as power imbalances with intermediaries and the need for context-specific, gender-responsive programming.

The document examines the intersection of trade and the bioeconomy, arguing that while international trade can exacerbate biodiversity loss, it can also be leveraged through price-based, support, and regulatory measures to promote sustainability. It highlights the economic significance of biodiversity-based trade and calls for enhanced international cooperation, particularly through the G20, to align policies, remove harmful subsidies, and support low- and middle-income countries in their transition.

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.

The report outlines a strategy for Indonesia to reach its goal of 13 million electric two-wheelers and 2 million electric four-wheelers by 2030 through a combination of policy, financing, technology adoption, and corporate engagement.

The document outlines how the shift to renewable energy creates socio-ecological risks through expanded critical mineral mining and the rise of oil and gas decommissioning. It highlights environmental degradation, such as water pollution in China and orphan wells in the US, and explains how these issues can escalate into regional conflicts or local violence, as seen in Papua New Guinea. The author argues that current approaches often separate human rights from environmental impacts and recommends integrating these perspectives, increasing data transparency on site locations and health impacts, and sharing decommissioning best practices between experienced and novice nations.

The report examines how 10 countries are integrating their climate and biodiversity commitments to maximize co-benefits and bridge the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

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.

The report finds that decentralized waste management models, such as community groups in Indonesia and waste picker cooperatives in Brazil, often exhibit greater cost efficiency and lower levelized costs of waste management (LCOW) than private or government operators. Despite this, public funding remains low and concentrated in large-scale projects, with organic waste management receiving only 1% (USD 20 million) of methane abatement finance in 2021/22. The analysis highlights that while these decentralized models provide significant co-benefits like job creation and emissions reduction, they face financial strain due to high labor dependency and a reliance on operational revenues for funding. The document recommends creating legal certainty for informal stakeholders and adopting holistic, multi-sectoral approaches to waste management to improve access to financing.

The briefing outlines key objectives for the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, emphasizing the need to scale up funding for SDG 14, integrate ocean-based solutions into national climate plans (NDCs), accelerate the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, and implement 100% sustainable ocean management through Sustainable Ocean Plans.

The report analyzes organic waste management models in Indonesia and Brazil, finding that decentralized, community-based, and household-level systems often offer greater cost-efficiency (lower Levelized Cost of Waste Management) than large-scale centralized projects. While private operators achieve economies of scale, community groups face severe financial pressure due to low operational margins and reliance on short-lived assets. The study recommends holistic policy approaches, legal recognition for informal workers, and the integration of co-benefits like job creation and methane reduction to attract more diverse funding, such as green bonds and carbon credits.

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.

The report analyzes organic waste management models in Indonesia and Brazil, finding that decentralized, community-based, and informal models often exhibit greater cost efficiency and lower levelized costs of waste management (LCOW) compared to large-scale industrial projects. While labor remains the primary operational expense across all models, decentralized systems face significant financial strain due to low operating margins and reliance on short-lived assets. The study recommends a holistic approach that integrates waste management with health and climate goals, provides legal certainty for informal workers, and implements transparent monitoring systems to unlock diverse financing sources.