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Vietnam's PDP8 aims to peak coal capacity at 30 GW by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050, but the briefing argues that all coal projects not yet in construction must be cancelled to align with the JETP agreement. While Vietnam is leading global coal project cancellations in 2023, concerns remain regarding the use of experimental fuels for plant conversion and the government's crackdown on civil society leaders essential for a just transition.

The document analyzes the lithium supply chain for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, highlighting a distributive injustice where the 'Lithium Triangle' (Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile) suffers environmental degradation and water scarcity while North America gains from reduced urban pollution. It argues that science diplomacy—integrating scientific evidence into transnational policy—can establish sustainability thresholds and geochemical tracing methods to ensure responsible sourcing. The authors recommend using sustainability science to define mining standards and employing lithium isotope analysis to verify the origin of materials, drawing parallels from successful agricultural supply chain policies.

The We Mean Business Coalition's framework for Responsible Policy Engagement (RPE) addresses the 'advocacy gap' where corporate climate commitments are not matched by their political influence. It defines RPE as engagement that supports policy interventions to reduce emissions in line with net zero by 2050. The report identifies drivers for RPE, including investor pressure via the Global Standard on Responsible Climate Lobbying and increased scrutiny from civil society and regulators. It outlines a business case for RPE based on risk reduction, regulatory certainty, and reputation. The core of the document is a resource library categorized into five action areas: committing to speak up, establishing governance, direct engagement, aligning trade associations, and allocating advocacy spending. It emphasizes the 'ambition loop,' where corporate advocacy spurs ambitious government policy, which in turn enables companies to meet their own climate targets.

The Southeast Asian Working Group on Fossil Gas and Energy Transition argues that Vietnam's PDP8 fails to provide a genuine energy transition by maintaining significant roles for coal and fossil gas. While the plan increases renewable capacity to over 70 GW by 2030, the group claims the resulting renewable share of 30.9% to 39% is lackluster. The group specifically warns against the 'meteoric rise' of LNG and the use of ammonia and hydrogen as transition fuels, calling on international financiers to stop promoting gas and instead support a 1.5°C-aligned transition through the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

The document is a petition addressed to Japanese government officials, banks, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) regarding the Cirebon coal-fired power plant projects in Indonesia. The authors demand the immediate suspension of loan disbursements for Cirebon 2 (1,000 MW) and a responsible, rapid early retirement of Cirebon 1 (660 MW). They argue that these projects have caused severe damage to the livelihoods, health, and culture of local coastal communities, specifically affecting small-scale fishing and salt production. The petition highlights allegations of corruption, noting that a former Cirebon Regent was indicted by the KPK for receiving bribes from Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. and Cirebon Energi Prasarana (CEPR) to expedite permits for Cirebon 2. The authors criticize the use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as an inadequate solution and call for a 'just' energy transition that includes environmental restoration and genuine community participation, rather than technical fixes like biomass co-firing.

Japan has the lowest share of clean electricity among G7 nations, with wind generating less than 1% of its power in 2022. While the 6th Strategic Energy Plan targets 59% clean power by 2030, it only allocates 5.7 GW to offshore wind, representing just 4% of the collective G7 target of 150 GW. Alternative pathways from Berkeley Lab and the Renewable Energy Institute suggest that leveraging Japan's theoretical offshore wind potential of 392 GW could enable the country to reach 80% to 90% decarbonised electricity by 2035.

A coalition of 181 organizations calls on G7 leaders to end the promotion of 'false energy transition solutions'—specifically Japan's Green Transformation (GX) policy—and to cease all international public finance for fossil fuels. The statement argues that current G7 commitments are insufficient, citing continued investments in gas and ammonia co-firing in Southeast Asia and Africa, and urges a shift toward renewable energy and fair funding mechanisms for the Global South.

The study analyzed bilateral climate finance from 2016 to 2020 for ten countries with low governance scores, finding a total disbursement of US$1.3 billion. The funding was heavily skewed toward mitigation (92%) and dominated by Japan, which provided US$1 billion specifically for natural gas-fired power plants in Uzbekistan.

The document outlines the EV battery supply chain—divided into upstream (mining), midstream (processing/refining), downstream (assembly), and end-of-life—highlighting China's current dominance. It discusses the environmental and human rights risks associated with mining critical minerals like lithium and cobalt, and details US legislative tools such as the Inflation Reduction Act designed to 'de-risk' the supply chain and foster domestic economic growth.

The assessment finds that data transparency in Asia is generally insufficient, with 24 out of 39 economies scoring poorly. While high-income nations and a few lower-middle income economies like India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka show better transparency, the region overall struggles with publishing lags, geographical granularity, and time granularity. Only seven economies provide hourly data, and 75% of economies fail to make data available in a timely manner, hindering the analysis required for a renewable energy transition.

The report identifies New Zealand, Australia, and India as leaders in power data transparency, evaluating them across six criteria: time granularity, publishing lag, geographical granularity, fuel breakdown, ease of access, and additional data. It specifically examines the partnership between India's NITI Aayog and the Vasudha Foundation to create a centralized, open-access data platform for the country's energy transition. The document concludes with recommendations for improving data transparency across Asia, emphasizing machine-readable formats, unique identifiers, and the removal of access restrictions.

The Asia Data Transparency Report 2023 finds that over half of the surveyed Asian economies have poor or insufficient power sector data transparency, affecting the electricity needs of 684 million people. While high-income economies generally score better, some lower-middle income nations like India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka are demonstrating good practice. The report emphasizes that granular, real-time, and open-access data is essential for grid optimization and evidence-based policymaking to meet decarbonisation targets. It highlights a successful public-private partnership in India between NITI Aayog and the Vasudha Foundation and provides nine practical recommendations for improving data governance, including the use of machine-readable formats and unique identifiers.

The report analyzes how UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) are increasingly integrating climate change into their oversight of State obligations. In 2022, HRTBs made 95 references to climate change in their pronouncements, reflecting a trend toward treating the climate crisis as an urgent human rights issue. Key focus areas include the obligation of developed states to mitigate emissions, the need to phase out fossil fuels, and the protection of vulnerable groups such as children, women, persons with disabilities, and Indigenous Peoples. A landmark decision by the Human Rights Committee in Billy et al. v. Australia established a State's duty to protect individuals under its jurisdiction from climate impacts and provide effective remedies. The report emphasizes the growing role of HRTBs in defining extraterritorial obligations and the duty to regulate private corporate actors contributing to environmental degradation.

The report analyzes the increasing engagement of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) with climate change, noting that in 2022, 52 percent of outputs to States included climate-related recommendations. It highlights a shift toward more specific demands regarding mitigation, the phasing out of fossil fuels, and the protection of vulnerable groups, including children, women, and Indigenous Peoples. A landmark decision by the Human Rights Committee in Billy et al. v. Australia established a State's duty to protect individuals from climate impacts and provide effective remedy. The document argues for further HRTB guidance on extraterritorial obligations and the regulation of private business actors to prevent climate-induced human rights violations.

The document outlines the benefits and application of the Climate Bonds Initiative's certification for commercial and residential buildings in Tokyo and 16 other Japanese cities, aiming for a zero-carbon future by 2050.

The report examines the potential of agrivoltaics in India to resolve land-use competition between food security and renewable energy. While pilot projects show that agrivoltaics can maintain or increase yields for certain crops, the practice remains in a demonstration phase. The authors argue that scaling up requires the development of national standards, reforms in land-use and tax laws, and the testing of viable business models. Arid, semi-arid, and peri-urban regions are identified as high-potential areas. Key barriers include high capital costs for elevated structures, a lack of capacity building for farmers, and a rigid uniform ceiling tariff regime that fails to account for locational land rent variations.

The report examines 93 unique plastic pollution reduction measures notified by nearly 70 WTO members. It finds that prohibitions on single-use plastics and import restrictions on plastic waste are the most common tools. The analysis highlights a lack of product diversity in current bans and suggests that WTO members could benefit from enhanced transparency, geographic expansion of successful measures, and the exploration of new thematic areas beyond common single-use items.

The MAPS dataset provides survey data from over 12,000 respondents across 16 'Programs for Development with a Territorial Focus' (PDET) regions in Colombia. Comparing data from 2019 and 2021, the study finds that while overall support for the peace agreement increased over time, perceptions of security deteriorated and satisfaction with the implementation of specific provisions generally declined. The authors argue that the dataset's regional representativity reveals variations in support and trust that are often obscured in nationally-representative surveys.

The We Mean Business Coalition calls on G7 leaders to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies by 2025 or sooner, redirecting the over $80 billion spent in 2021 toward renewables and energy efficiency to accelerate the clean energy transition and avoid significant global GDP losses.

A coalition of environmental and social organizations urges G7 nations to cease the promotion and financing of fossil fuel-based technologies, such as ammonia and hydrogen co-firing, in climate-vulnerable developing nations. The statement specifically criticizes Japan's Green Transformation (GX) policy and the continued investment in fossil gas in Southeast Asia, arguing that these 'false solutions' risk stranded assets and undermine the 1.5-degree Celsius Paris Agreement goal.