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The report advocates for moving beyond GDP by adopting a 'comprehensive wealth' framework that measures natural, human, social, produced, and financial capital. Using data from 1995 to 2020, the report demonstrates that GDP often masks unsustainable development trends. In Trinidad and Tobago, fossil fuel reliance led to declining comprehensive wealth and well-being from 2008. Indonesia showed a decrease in well-being created per unit of wealth between 1995 and 2020. Ethiopia is advised to shift produced capital investments from manufacturing toward modern farming to enhance wealth growth.

The report argues that GDP is an insufficient measure of national progress as it ignores costs to nature and society. By analyzing Indonesia's comprehensive wealth—which includes produced, human, natural, financial, and social capital—the study finds that while Indonesia's comprehensive wealth nearly tripled between 1995 and 2020, its GDP grew at a significantly slower rate, suggesting the country is not fully benefiting from its increasing assets.

Between 1995 and 2020, Ethiopia's comprehensive wealth grew at an average annual rate of 3.3%, with human capital serving as the primary driver. However, real per capita wealth declined in 2018/19 and 2019/20, coinciding with increasing environmental pressures on ecosystems and climate.

The document describes La Niña as the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, characterized by the movement of cold water to the central and eastern Pacific surface. For 2024, there is an 85% chance of a transition to neutral conditions between April and June, and a 60% chance of La Niña developing by June to August. The text highlights that multi-year La Niña events are increasing in frequency, with five of the last ten occurring in the past 25 years. While La Niña temporarily lowers global average surface temperatures by about 0.1C, it does not offset human-caused warming; recent La Niña years have been among the top 10 hottest years ever. Regional impacts include drier conditions in East Africa and the southern US, and wetter conditions in Southeast Asia, India, and northern South America, affecting various crop yields and increasing the risk of floods and droughts.

The testimony details the devastating effects of nickel mining on Kabaena Island, Indonesia, specifically impacting the Bajau people. It reports significant environmental degradation, including deforestation and water contamination, which has led to health issues, loss of livelihoods, and child fatalities. The document argues that while electric vehicles are necessary for climate goals, the current extraction model is destructive, calling for the adoption of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance standards and a greater focus on recycling to reduce mining demand.

This report analyzes how G20 nations are advancing the bioeconomy, categorizing approaches into biotechnology, bioresources, and bioecology. It highlights the potential for the global bioeconomy to reach US$ 30 trillion by 2050 and emphasizes the need for equitable, biodiversity-regenerative models. The document details technological advancements in biorefineries and bio-based materials, the role of indigenous knowledge, and the importance of sustainable finance and international cooperation to align economic growth with planetary boundaries.

The document assesses the current state of bioeconomy strategies across G20 nations, identifying three primary thematic axes: biotechnology (R&D&I), bioresources (sustainable use of biodiversity), and bio-ecology (sustainable development). It highlights the significant economic potential of the sector, citing estimates that its value could reach US$30 trillion by 2050. The report emphasizes the necessity of integrating indigenous and local knowledge, ensuring social equity, and aligning bioeconomy growth with biodiversity conservation and climate action. It further examines policy enablers such as Green Public Procurement and carbon pricing, and discusses financing mechanisms including nature markets and sustainability-linked bonds. The report concludes by proposing five key themes for the G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy's program of work: integration into growth plans, livelihoods and equity, enabling finance, facilitating biotrade, and measurement methodologies.

The document outlines the necessity of a Global Just Transition to phase out fossil fuels by 2050, emphasizing the disproportionate economic burden on developing nations. It proposes a framework for financing this transition through new multilateral funds, the redirection of USD 5.9 trillion in annual fossil fuel subsidies, and systemic reforms to debt, taxation, and international financial institutions.

The report argues that Southeast Asia is at an energy crossroads, where planned gas infrastructure expansion could lock the region into economically volatile fuels and high capital costs, while renewable energy offers a cost-competitive and sustainable alternative. It highlights that in-development gas power and LNG projects would require over $220 billion in investment and could double the region's gas-fired capacity. The document details specific national strategies in Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, noting a trend of viewing gas as a 'transitional fuel'. It further critiques the role of international finance, particularly from Japan and South Korea, and the promotion of carbon capture and storage (CCS) as potential delays to the energy transition. Conversely, it presents data showing that utility-scale solar and wind could meet nearly two-thirds of the projected increase in energy demand by 2030, provided that grid infrastructure and cross-border electricity trade, such as the ASEAN Power Grid, are developed.

The report argues that GDP is an insufficient measure of national success because it ignores the depletion of assets and non-market well-being. By analyzing data from 1995 to 2020 for Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago, the study demonstrates that comprehensive wealth (CW)—which includes natural, human, social, produced, and financial capital—reveals critical sustainability trends invisible to GDP. Key findings include the unsustainable depletion of fossil fuel assets in Trinidad and Tobago, the inefficient management of natural capital in Indonesia, and the critical need for increased agricultural productivity and wealth accumulation in Ethiopia.

Singapore's path to net-zero by 2050 depends heavily on importing renewable energy from neighboring countries due to severe domestic land constraints. While the Singapore Green Plan 2030 targets 2 GW of solar and 4 GW of imports, analysis suggests these must be significantly scaled up—potentially to 16 GW of imports by 2045—to align with IEA net-zero milestones. Such a transition would reduce per capita power sector emissions by 52-58% by 2035 and decrease reliance on volatile gas prices. The report emphasizes that Singapore's financial capacity allows it to lead regional grid investments, such as the LTMS-PIP and potential links to India and the UAE, to secure its energy future and accelerate Southeast Asia's clean energy transition.

Global operating coal capacity increased by 48.4 GW in 2023, reaching a total of 2,130 GW, primarily driven by a surge of new plants in China. While construction starts hit record lows outside of China, China's new construction starts reached an eight-year high of 70.2 GW. Despite a growing number of countries committing to 'No New Coal', 75% of global operating coal capacity still lacks a specific closure commitment, hindering alignment with the Paris Agreement goals.

The document argues that biomass power in South Korea is a 'false solution' to climate change that causes significant carbon emissions and deforestation. It highlights that biomass has become the second-largest renewable electricity source in Korea due to high REC weightings, despite being more expensive than solar and wind. The authors call for the immediate removal of REC weightings for new utility-scale biomass facilities and a phased sunset of weightings for existing plants by 2025 and 2028.

Using updated CoastalDEM elevation data and IPCC medium-to-high emissions scenarios, Climate Central projects that by 2100, annual coastal flood risk zones will expand to include areas where an additional 93 million people currently live. The report highlights severe population impacts in Asia, particularly in China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam, and provides the first full assessment of population exposure in Arctic nations.

The E-Mobility Program seeks 169.92 million USD from the Green Climate Fund to leverage a total investment of 454.4 million USD for the transition to zero-emission urban mobility. The program focuses on the large-scale deployment of battery electric buses (BEBs), the integration of non-motorized transport (NMT), and the implementation of ecosystem-based adaptation measures to increase the resilience of urban transport infrastructure against flooding and extreme heat. It targets a total GHG emission reduction of 11,415,080 tCO2eq over the asset lifetime and aims to benefit approximately 3.68 million people.

The guide establishes a methodology for assessing corporate climate responsibility across four key areas: emissions tracking and disclosure, target setting, emission reduction measures, and responsibility for unabated and residual emissions. It emphasizes alignment with 1.5°C-compatible pathways, the necessity of covering all emission scopes (including Scope 3), and the distinction between genuine emission reductions and misleading offsetting or 'insetting' claims. The document provides specific benchmarks for various industrial sectors and detailed criteria for high-integrity renewable electricity procurement and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategies.

The report highlights a contradictory global trend: while most countries are reducing coal construction and many are committing to phase-outs, global coal capacity increased by 11% since 2015, reaching a record high in 2023. This growth is driven primarily by China, which accounted for two-thirds of the 2023 increase. Outside China, new construction starts reached their lowest level since 2015. The report notes that only 15% of global operational capacity has a documented phase-out plan aligned with the 1.5°C goal. Regional analyses show significant progress in the EU and UK, though some countries lag behind 2030 targets, and a volatile situation in Sub-Saharan Africa where South Africa remains heavily dependent on coal despite an energy crisis.

The report finds that global coal capacity reached a record high in 2023, totaling 2,130 GW, driven largely by China. While new construction starts reached a nine-year low outside China, they hit an eight-year high within China. Only 15% of global operating coal capacity has retirement commitments aligned with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal. In Indonesia, the transition is hindered by the rapid growth of 'captive' coal plants for nickel smelting, a reduction in renewable energy targets, and a financial taxonomy that classifies captive coal as 'transition' activities.

This document is a Japanese translation of an excerpt from the 'Boom & Bust Coal 2024' report by Global Energy Monitor and its partners. It tracks global coal-fired power plant plans as of April 2024, highlighting a contradiction where global coal capacity reached record highs in 2023 despite a general trend of shrinking development pipelines in most countries except China.

The report finds that while many countries are reducing planned coal capacity, global operational capacity reached a record high in 2023, driven largely by China. It highlights a divergence between China's increasing construction and the decline in other regions. In South Korea, the report argues that current plans are insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals and that continued reliance on coal, including ammonia co-firing, poses significant financial risks to the state utility and the national economy.