Search Climate Insights Directory

The policy brief highlights a gap between current European electricity interconnection expansion plans and the actual needs of the power system. It asserts that doubling interconnection capacity is essential to integrate renewables cost-effectively and reduce reliance on fossil gas. The author identifies critical border corridors requiring urgent attention and proposes three pathways forward: accelerating the 22 GW of projects already in the pipeline, investing in non-wire solutions like storage and demand response, or increasing domestic renewable capacities at a higher cost.

The EU power system successfully navigated the 2022-2023 winter without a return to coal, as record renewable generation and significant electricity demand reductions—driven by emergency legislation, high prices, and mild weather—led to renewables providing a higher share of electricity than fossil fuels for the first time in a winter period.

In 2022, solar and wind power continued their rapid growth, with solar being the fastest-growing source and wind recording the largest absolute increase. Conversely, nuclear power saw a significant decline, primarily driven by outages in France and Germany. Coal generation reached an all-time record high of 10,186 TWh, although its overall share of the global electricity mix slightly decreased. Hydro power rebounded after a poor 2021 but remains below 2020 levels due to droughts in Europe. Fossil gas generation remained relatively stable despite supply chain disruptions. To align with the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario by 2030, the report argues that solar and wind must sustain high annual growth rates, coal and unabated gas must be phased out, and nuclear power must grow more rapidly than its recent historical average.

The document explains the mechanics of the GloBE rules, which aim to ensure a 15% minimum effective tax rate (ETR) for large multinational enterprises (MNEs) with consolidated revenues of €750 million or more. It outlines three primary policy responses for developing countries: implementing a Qualified Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax (QDMT) or a general national minimum tax, revising existing tax incentives that lower the ETR, or focusing on other priorities if the impact is minimal. The guide also provides a step-by-step methodology for countries to assess their exposure using country-by-country (CBC) reports and analyzes legal obstacles, such as fiscal stabilization clauses in investment contracts and Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), that may hinder tax reforms.

New home construction in the US generates over 50 million tons of embodied carbon emissions annually. Analysis of 921 model homes across the US, Canada, and Europe indicates average cradle-to-gate emissions of 184 kg CO2e/m2. Reductions of 30% to 50% are achievable using existing, cost-parity materials by targeting concrete, insulation, cladding, and interior surfaces, which comprise over 70% of total emissions. Further reductions up to 140% are possible through low-emitting and carbon-storing materials.

The UN 2023 Water Conference, held in New York, focused on accelerating progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) through the Water Action Agenda. The event resulted in approximately 700 voluntary commitments totaling USD 300 billion and the announcement of a UN Special Envoy for Water. Discussions emphasized the water-food-energy nexus, the human right to water and sanitation, and the need for innovative finance and improved global water data. While the conference generated significant political momentum and new partnerships, analysis suggests that many pledges lack quantifiable targets and that the international community must quadruple its efforts to meet 2030 goals.

The document examines the unprecedented global outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza, highlighting the virus's increasing ability to infect mammals and the risk of potential human-to-human transmission. It details the devastating ecological impact on bird populations and the economic toll on poultry farms, particularly in the United States. The authors argue that current biosecurity efforts are lagging and call for urgent improvements in vaccine development, the implementation of safer industrial farming practices—specifically regarding mink and pig farms—and the expansion of wild bird surveillance to prevent a future pandemic.

Thirty-seven global NGOs are calling on the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) to stop financing fracked gas export projects in South Texas, arguing that the Texas LNG and Rio Grande LNG terminals are incompatible with the 1.5°C climate goal and violate Indigenous and environmental rights.

The briefing reveals that small-scale coastal fishing (SSCF), despite representing 75% of the EU fleet, received only 20% of European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) spending between 2014 and 2021. It highlights a lack of transparent reporting by Member States on SSCF action plans and notes that higher public aid intensity has not sufficiently increased investments in small-scale projects. The document argues that funding disproportionately favors larger vessels, particularly in the Mediterranean, and recommends that the European Commission mandate more granular data collection and that Member States provide local administrative support to help small-scale fishers access funds.

The report evaluates the potential for scaling the CO2 Performance Ladder (CO2PL) in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The CO2PL serves as both a carbon management system for organizations and a procurement tool that provides certified suppliers with an award advantage in tenders. The study finds a general demand for third-party verified, easy-to-use tools to reduce carbon emissions, though implementation faces challenges such as risk aversion among public procurers, legal concerns regarding the link between criteria and the subject matter of contracts, and capacity constraints in smaller procuring entities. The report recommends aligning the CO2PL with common measurement methods like Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), engaging with European city networks, and providing specific support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to ensure inclusive participation.

The Strategic Plan for Advancing Energy Efficiency Across Demand Sectors by 2030 outlines a framework for G20 countries to double the global annual rate of energy intensity improvement. It focuses on five pillars: buildings, industry, transport, financing, and behavioral change. The plan argues that energy efficiency is the 'first fuel' for the energy transition and proposes specific high-impact opportunities, such as rethinking building codes (RENEW), scaling motor efficiency for SMEs (SME²), and aggregating energy services (FAST). It emphasizes the need to triple annual energy efficiency investments to approximately USD 840 billion by 2030 and highlights the potential of the Indian 'Lifestyle for Environment' (LiFE) initiative to reduce global CO2 emissions by 2 billion tonnes by 2030.

In 2022, the EU electricity mix was led by nuclear (22%), gas (20%), coal (16%), and wind (15%), with solar accounting for 7.3%. While solar and wind continued their long-term growth trends, nuclear and hydro experienced significant declines due to plant closures and drought. Coal saw a temporary increase to offset these losses, while gas remained the only fossil fuel to show growth over the last two decades.

In 2022, EU electricity demand fell by 2.7% to 2809 TWh, driven by mild weather and demand reduction measures. Despite this, power sector CO2 emissions rose by 3.9% due to shortfalls in nuclear and hydro generation, which necessitated increased fossil fuel use. Wind and solar generation continued to grow, reaching a 22% market share, while nuclear generation fell to its lowest share in 40 years at 22%.

In 2022, the EU experienced a temporary 7% rise in coal generation driven by shortfalls in nuclear and hydro power, rather than a structural 'return to coal'. This was offset by a record surge in solar capacity and a significant 7.9% drop in electricity demand in Q4 2022. Solar power generated 7.3% of EU electricity, avoiding approximately 249 billion in gas import costs. Looking ahead to 2023, the report forecasts a potential 20% plummet in fossil fuel generation as French nuclear capacity returns and renewable capacity continues to grow.

The CJEU ruled in case C-330/22 that the EU Council has a margin of discretion to set TACs above scientific advice for by-catch stocks within multiannual plans to avoid premature fishery closures. However, the Court affirmed that for target stocks, the MSY deadline is a strict obligation with no flexibility to depart from scientific advice. This overturned an earlier Advocate General's opinion which argued that the 2020 deadline applied to all stocks without exception.

The report finds that while 92% of surveyed business leaders view reducing carbon emissions as an urgent priority, many struggle with the 'how' of decarbonization due to budget and technological constraints. Businesses increasingly view the voluntary carbon market (VCM) as a critical tool for immediate action, though concerns over greenwashing and market transparency persist. While science-based targets are widely supported, there is a significant demand for clearer, more realistic guidance to help organizations meet their 2030 and 2050 goals.

The report finds that low-cost, repeated behaviors like reducing food waste are significantly more common than high-cost, one-time installations like heat pumps or solar panels. While many who adopted these behaviors faced minimal difficulty, non-adopters cited lack of awareness and lack of interest for low-cost actions, and high cost and home ownership issues for high-cost technologies.

The report examines the information asymmetry between social media platforms and public interest researchers, identifying technological, legal, and ethical barriers to data access. It evaluates existing mechanisms such as transparency reporting, API access, and crowdsourced data donations, while analyzing the impact of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) and GDPR. The authors recommend the creation of an independent intermediary body to vet researchers and the alignment of international standards to ensure a safe, transparent, and evidence-based approach to studying the societal impacts of digital platforms.

The report examines the challenges and opportunities for researchers accessing social media data, focusing on the tension between data privacy and the public interest. It analyzes current tools like APIs and transparency reports, evaluates the impact of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), and proposes the creation of an independent intermediary body to manage researcher accreditation and data access across liberal-democratic states.

The report identifies a growing online mis- and disinformation ecosystem in Ireland, where far-right actors have transitioned from pandemic-related conspiracy theories to targeting immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. Based on an analysis of over 13 million posts, the study finds that social media platforms are failing to enforce community guidelines, allowing harmful content to proliferate. Twitter (X) is the most active platform, while Telegram serves as a key hub for organization. The research highlights that online disinformation fuels offline hostility and violence, including vigilante-style attacks and protests. It recommends stronger platform regulation, algorithmic transparency, and increased data access for researchers.