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Trend Asia criticizes the 2024 vice-presidential candidates for offering technical 'gimmicks' rather than substantive solutions for grassroots issues. The organization argues that the candidates' visions for energy transition and sustainable development remain rooted in extractivism, ignore the legal and social vulnerabilities of local communities, and rely on 'false solutions' like CCUS and geothermal energy while failing to address the structural causes of the climate crisis and the harms of the coal industry.

The author argues that for MC13 to be successful, the WTO must move beyond non-binding declarations toward binding commitments. Key proposals include an exemption for least developed countries (LDCs) from food export restrictions to ensure food availability. However, significant disagreements persist between developing nations (such as India and China) and developed nations (including the US and EU) regarding public stockholding and the reduction of trade-distorting domestic support.

The document analyzes the EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR), highlighting its shift toward mandatory due diligence for commodities like cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, and wood. It argues that while the EUDR is a significant step, it contains gaps regarding ecosystem coverage and the exclusion of financial institutions. The paper recommends expanding the regulation to include high-carbon biomes (such as savannahs and grasslands) and financial institutions to ensure capital flows toward sustainable agriculture. It also warns of a 'two-tier commodity trading system' where high-risk products are diverted to markets with less restrictive rules, such as the US and China, and emphasizes the need for collaborative frameworks with producer countries like Brazil, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Finally, it suggests using transition plans and third-party certifications, including the Climate Bonds Standard, to facilitate compliance and mobilize investment for a net-zero transition.

The report finds that while Southeast Asia has increased its operating utility-scale solar and wind capacity by 20% since January 2023 to 28 GW, the transition is hindered by low construction rates for prospective projects and continued reliance on fossil fuels. Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand are regional leaders, but only 3% of the region's 220 GW prospective capacity is currently under construction. Despite these hurdles, the report suggests the ASEAN collective target of 35% renewable energy capacity by 2025 is attainable given existing capacity and pipelines.

The document examines the ecological and human rights risks of various geoengineering approaches, asserting that these speculative technologies could lead to ecosystem collapse and perpetuate neocolonialism.

The report examines how the rivalry between the US and China in the technological domain threatens Indonesia's economic growth and national security. It highlights vulnerabilities in investment flows, market access for electronics and critical minerals, and risks related to cyber-espionage and technological interoperability. The authors argue that Indonesia's current regulatory and institutional framework is inadequate, as it fails to integrate geopolitical and security considerations into its technology strategies. To address these gaps, the report recommends investing in national tech champions, formulating domestic technological norms, and establishing a dedicated office for critical minerals, emerging technologies, and cybersecurity.

The document examines how the technological rivalry between the United States and China impacts Indonesia's aspirations to become a regional subsea cable hub. It highlights Indonesia's current 'underdeveloped' hedging strategy, characterized by a preference for affordable Chinese hardware and U.S. software, while lacking a comprehensive national risk mitigation plan. The authors argue that Indonesia's pragmatic, agency-led procurement often overlooks foreign policy implications and risks dependency on single powers. To address this, the brief recommends mapping stakeholders, integrating the Ministry of Foreign Affairs into procurement decisions, collaborating with ASEAN on governance frameworks, and establishing a formal foreign technology investment review mechanism.

The global mini-grid market has seen significant growth, with installations in 2024 projected to be six times higher than in 2018. There is a clear transition from diesel to solar PV, with solar's share of installed capacity rising from 14% in 2018 to 59% in 2024. While funding has increased—with total committed funding for ongoing programmes exceeding USD 3.1 billion—a significant financing gap remains, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The sector is shifting toward Productive Use of Energy (PUE) business models and innovative technologies like mesh grids and lithium-ion batteries to improve financial viability. However, the report notes that regulatory implementation often lags behind formal policy, and there is a critical need for standardized reporting and better data sharing to attract private investment.

The 2024 State of the Global Mini-Grids Market report highlights a significant expansion of the sector, with installations increasing six-fold since 2018. It documents a transition from diesel-heavy systems to solar photovoltaic (PV) and lithium-ion battery storage, driven by a 90% drop in solar panel costs over the last decade. The report emphasizes the shift toward Productive Use of Energy (PUE) to ensure financial viability and the emergence of innovative models like mesh grids for low-density areas. While total committed funding has exceeded 3.1 billion USD, the report identifies a persistent financing gap and slow disbursement rates, averaging 57% as of March 2024. It recommends the adoption of integrated energy planning, standardized regulatory tools, and a greater focus on local developers to achieve universal electricity access by 2030.

The 2024 Global State of the Mini-Grid Market report highlights a significant expansion in mini-grid installations, with a marked shift from diesel to solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity. It identifies a substantial funding gap despite an increase in total authorized funding to over 3.1 billion USD. The document emphasizes the transition toward integrated energy planning, the importance of Productive Use of Energy (PUE) for financial viability, and the role of digital tools in reducing operational and development costs. It provides detailed case studies on Sierra Leone, India, and Kenya to illustrate diverse regulatory and economic approaches.

In 2023, 234 new species of vascular plants and vertebrate animals were discovered in the Greater Mekong region, which includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam. These discoveries, which bring the total since 1997 to 3,624, underscore the region's status as a biodiversity hotspot and the critical role of natural history museums and citizen science in taxonomic research. However, many of these species, such as the critically endangered Truongsonia lecongkietii palm and the Chiloschista quangdangii orchid, face immediate threats from habitat destruction, illegal trade, and climate change.

The report argues that climate adaptation is now a business imperative due to increasing physical risks and economic losses. It identifies three 'entry points' for private finance: 'Protect' (safeguarding existing assets and supply chains), 'Grow' (investing in early-stage and mature companies developing resilience technologies), and 'Participate' (co-investing in public sector infrastructure projects). The analysis highlights that adaptation investments can yield high benefit-to-cost ratios, particularly in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), and that valuation multiples for resilience solution providers are promising, with a median of 9 times revenue.

ASEAN's solar and wind generation grew by 43% annually between 2015 and 2022, largely driven by Viet Nam's Feed-in Tariff policies. However, growth slowed in 2022, and the region currently utilizes less than 1% of its theoretical solar and wind potential. To meet the IEA's 2050 net zero scenario, ASEAN must reach a 23% share of solar and wind in total electricity generation by 2030, requiring the addition of 164 GW of solar and 65 GW of wind capacity. The report argues that achieving this requires removing regulatory barriers like local content requirements, investing in grid modernization and storage, and implementing attractive pricing mechanisms.

The Greening Transportation Infrastructure Development Integrated Program (GRID IP) is a multi-country initiative designed to mitigate the environmental impacts of roads, rail, waterways, and ports. By intervening in the upstream phases of the infrastructure lifecycle—specifically through policy reform, integrated spatial planning, and the mobilization of green finance—the program seeks to prevent habitat fragmentation, forest loss, and GHG emissions. The program is structured around four components: improving enabling conditions, inclusive planning and design, developing finance and de-risking mechanisms, and global knowledge management. It targets specific sites, including ports in Malaysia and Suriname, and road networks in Nepal, the Philippines, and Ukraine, with an overall GEF program financing request of $23,794,476 and total co-financing of $408,915,662.

The study examines the interrelationship between climate change mitigation (CCM) and adaptation (CCA), arguing that integrating these actions can increase cost-effectiveness and leverage climate finance. It finds that while most analyzed countries (Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Africa) and Germany acknowledge co-benefits, they lack explicit, integrated implementation plans and face a significant funding imbalance, with mitigation receiving substantially more finance than adaptation. The report recommends a 'whole-of-government' approach, including green budgeting and standardized taxonomies, to better identify and fund synergistic projects.

The document highlights a critical lack of tracked financing for oil and gas methane abatement in Southeast Asia, despite the sector being the region's second-largest methane contributor. It identifies key barriers such as limited technical capacity, data gaps, and underdeveloped regulations. The brief argues that methane abatement offers a low-cost, quick-win opportunity for near-term climate mitigation and suggests that state-owned enterprises and international financial institutions play pivotal roles in scaling these efforts.

The document argues that the industrial agro-food model is a patriarchal capitalist system that causes systemic socio-environmental crises, disproportionately affecting women through land dispossession, health risks from toxic chemicals, and increased violence. It details how monocultures—such as palm oil, soy, and pineapple—lead to deforestation, water pollution, and the loss of food sovereignty. The report emphasizes that women are central to biodiversity conservation and calls for a transition toward a feminist economy and community-led land management to replace corporate-driven agro-extractivism.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment finds the world is off track to eliminate deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. In 2022, global gross deforestation reached 6.6 million hectares, a 4% increase from 2021. While some countries like Indonesia and Malaysia show progress, massive losses continue in tropical Latin America and the Caribbean. The report highlights a critical funding gap, noting that 'gray' public finance (subsidies driving deforestation) vastly outweighs 'green' finance. It also emphasizes the ongoing violence against environmental defenders and the systemic lack of legal recognition for Indigenous Peoples' and local communities' land rights.

The report argues that empowering consumers to manage their energy demand and production can shift approximately 900 TWh—about 27% of global residential electricity consumption—away from fossil fuels. It categorizes empowerment solutions into supply-side (e.g., 24/7 PPAs, energy cooperatives, P2P trading), demand-side (e.g., time-of-use tariffs, on-bill schemes), and data-based (e.g., smart meters, granular energy certificates) interventions. The document emphasizes that the path to 24/7 CFE varies by country maturity, dividing nations into 'Potential', 'Progressive', 'Aspirer', and 'Frontier' archetypes, each requiring different policy 'recipes' to overcome barriers such as low smart meter penetration and restrictive electricity market regulations.

The playbook argues that infrastructure is a primary driver of biodiversity loss and climate change, contributing approximately 79% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It advocates for a shift from 'no net loss' to 'nature-positive' development, where biodiversity gain is central to design. Based on an analysis of nearly 200 projects, the guide categorizes solutions across transport, energy, water, buildings, and coastal protection. Key findings highlight an implementation bias toward well-known solutions like reforestation, while more complex options like peatland restoration remain underutilized. The document emphasizes that nature-based solutions can complement or replace 'grey' infrastructure, offering superior adaptability to climate change and providing diverse co-benefits including improved water quality, carbon sequestration, and social well-being.