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The report examines how mining-producer countries use local content policies to translate extractive activities into domestic economic development. Key findings indicate a primary focus on local employment and contracting, with a significant emphasis on benefits for communities near mine sites. While many governments employ mandatory requirements and incentives, the report identifies critical gaps in the use of 'rules of origin' and data-based monitoring tools. Despite challenges such as limited technical capacity and infrastructure deficits, the report concludes that these policies are generally successful when they balance local community benefits with national development and avoid unrealistic industry burdens.

The report examines country platforms (CPs) as vehicles to integrate climate finance with national development goals in emerging economies. It argues that CPs must be country-led and grounded in macro-fiscal analysis to avoid debt vulnerabilities and ensure social inclusivity. Using the South African Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) as a primary example, the document outlines criteria for effectiveness—including whole-of-government approaches and credible project pipelines—and proposes a four-quadrant analytical framework to guide their design. It also highlights the role of philanthropy in funding early-stage technical work and the necessity of overcoming structural path dependencies to achieve genuine economic diversification.

The document addresses the financing gap for urban Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in India, where investment remains heavily dependent on public funds. It proposes a three-step guidance framework: identifying the enabling policy environment, leveraging financial and business mechanisms, and applying a nine-factor project evaluation framework. The guide maps existing Indian national and sub-national policies—including forestry, water, and infrastructure schemes—that can be leveraged for NbS. It also catalogues various financial instruments (such as municipal bonds, green bonds, and blended finance) and business models (including carbon credits and user-pay systems) to improve project bankability. A repository of nine global and domestic case studies, such as Chennai's municipal bonds for stormwater drainage and Chicago's Tax Increment Financing for green roofs, illustrates replicable approaches for Indian urban contexts.

The document examines the evolution of carbon pricing globally and regionally, with a deep dive into Southeast Asian markets. It analyzes the impact of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on regional exports and the progress of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Specific country updates detail Indonesia's operational ETS, the Philippines' legislative efforts toward a cap-and-invest system, and Viet Nam's pilot phase for a national compliance market.

The document details the global nickel market, highlighting Indonesia's dominance in production and the shifting demand from stainless steel toward electric vehicle batteries. It outlines the technical processing pathways for Class I and Class II nickel, the geopolitical impact of export bans, and the environmental footprints associated with different mining and refining methods.

The report provides a comparative analysis of how 16 countries and territories are operationalising OECMs through five primary legal and policy pathways: ministerial instruments, national guidelines, administrative procedures, sector-based recognition, and mechanisms for areas beyond national jurisdiction. It finds a high degree of global convergence and alignment with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Decision 14/8 criteria, while noting that countries adapt these standards to fit their specific governance and legal contexts. The document highlights the rapid growth in OECM reporting between 2021 and 2025 and provides recommendations for scaling these frameworks globally.

The report analyzes how 16 reporting jurisdictions and several others in development operationalize OECMs through five primary pathways: ministerial instruments, national guidelines, administrative procedures, sector-based recognition, and mechanisms for areas beyond national jurisdiction. It finds a strong global convergence toward the terminology and criteria of CBD Decision 14/8, while noting that most countries prefer non-legislative policy tools over new laws to achieve conservation outcomes.

The document examines the rapid growth of Indonesia's nickel sector driven by global demand for clean energy technologies, noting that this expansion has caused high carbon emissions, workplace accidents, and social conflicts. It identifies gaps in Indonesia's regulatory framework regarding biodiversity, human rights, and sustainability reporting when compared to international standards. To address these, the brief recommends mandating ecosystem assessments, human rights due diligence, decarbonization plans, and improved benefit-sharing mechanisms for local communities.

The paper contends that traditional industrial policy is overly focused on manufacturing and must be expanded to include services, which now account for roughly two-thirds of global GDP. It identifies five pillars for a services-led industrial policy: infrastructure, investment/FDI, skills and human capital, regulatory quality, and connectivity. The author highlights that services offer developing economies advantages in terms of lower capital intensity, smaller minimum scale, and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the document notes that the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) provides governments with more policy space for experimentation than the rules governing manufacturing trade.

Viet Nam, Indonesia, and the Philippines collectively drive nearly 60% of ASEAN’s power demand and emissions, with a heavy historical reliance on coal. While coal still dominates their energy mixes, all three nations are pivoting toward clean energy, attracting $4.6 billion in investment in 2024. Each country aims for renewables to exceed 50% of their installed capacity mix by 2030–2034. Viet Nam has led the region in new wind and solar generation, the Philippines operates a fully liberalised electricity market to attract FDI, and Indonesia is leveraging its mineral industrialisation to build an electric vehicle ecosystem while planning significant solar expansions.

The report examines the diverse strategies employed by three major ASEAN economies—Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Indonesia—to unlock clean energy investments. Viet Nam is focusing on gradual liberalisation and corporate power purchase agreements (DPPA) to potentially double its renewable energy share. The Philippines is leveraging a long-standing liberalised market, utilizing Green Energy Auctions (GEA) and 100% foreign ownership to attract capital. Indonesia is implementing PPA reforms to manage currency risk and integrating carbon market mechanisms to incentivise developers, with solar identified as the most viable near-term expansion option.

The analysis of 10 MW solar projects in Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Indonesia reveals that PPA pricing and capital expenditures are the primary determinants of profitability. While project returns vary by country, integrating batteries can significantly boost the Internal Rate of Return (IRR), particularly in Indonesia and Viet Nam. The report highlights that a 10 percentage point change in PPA prices or capital costs can shift IRRs by up to 45 percentage points. Beyond technical economics, the document identifies policy bottlenecks—such as curtailment in Viet Nam and permitting delays in Indonesia and the Philippines—as critical risks to investment, while noting recent regulatory efforts like the Philippines' EVOSS and Indonesia's Presidential Regulation 112 to improve bankability.

Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Indonesia are transitioning from coal-reliant economies to renewable energy hotspots, collectively accounting for nearly 60% of ASEAN's power demand and emissions. While all three have set ambitious 2030 targets for renewables to exceed 50% of installed capacity, they face bottlenecks in permitting, grid infrastructure, and financial risk. The report highlights that solar-plus-battery integration significantly improves internal rates of return (IRR), particularly in Indonesia, and emphasizes the role of market reforms—such as Viet Nam's Direct Power Purchase Agreements and the Philippines' removal of foreign ownership restrictions—in attracting private capital.

The report provides a detailed appendix of advertising campaigns from four major oil companies—BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell—from 2000 to 2025. It identifies the agencies and professionals involved and describes the strategic goals of these campaigns, which often focused on rebranding the companies as environmentally responsible, promoting natural gas as a 'bridge' fuel, and shifting focus toward individual carbon footprints and low-carbon technologies like algae biofuels and carbon capture.

Carbon Market Watch argues that Verra's VM0052 methodology for coal transition credits is flawed and risks issuing low-quality credits that do not represent real emission reductions. The briefing identifies critical failures in additionality testing, baseline setting, leakage prevention, and just transition safeguards, specifically highlighting risks in the Philippines' energy context. It recommends a total suspension of the methodology until significant revisions are made to prevent overissuance and carbon leakage.

Carbon Market Watch concludes that Verra's VM0052 methodology for coal-to-clean carbon credits is inadequate and should not be used to issue credits in its current form. The report identifies critical risks of carbon leakage, over-estimation of emission reductions due to static baseline assumptions, and potential double counting. It also finds that the 'just transition' requirements are too vague and susceptible to manipulation, particularly regarding benefit-sharing and worker compensation. Using the South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation (SLTEC) project in the Philippines as a case study, the report illustrates how independent power producers could build new coal plants to replace retired capacity, nullifying climate benefits. The author urges Verra to suspend the methodology and implement substantive revisions.

Carbon Market Watch argues that Verra’s VM0052 methodology for coal transition credits is significantly flawed and should be put on hold. The briefing identifies critical risks of carbon leakage due to low renewable energy pairing requirements, weaknesses in baseline-setting and additionality tests, and inadequate safeguards against double issuance. It also finds that just transition provisions are unreliable, particularly regarding benefit-sharing and stakeholder mediation. Using a case study of the South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation (SLTEC) in the Philippines, the document illustrates how the methodology could allow for the overissuance of credits that do not represent real emission reductions.

The document assesses the ESG landscape of Indonesia's nickel industry, which is critical to the global energy transition. While Indonesia has seen massive economic growth from nickel downstreaming, it faces significant challenges including high carbon intensity, workplace fatalities, and rising agrarian disputes. The brief maps Indonesian regulations against international standards (such as IRMA and ICMM), identifying gaps in human rights due diligence, anti-corruption mandates, and sustainability reporting. It recommends strengthening biodiversity monitoring, mandating free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), and establishing climate governance systems to align with global best practices.

The report identifies a significant pipeline of planned coal capacity in South and Southeast Asia, primarily driven by a small group of parent companies and funded by a concentrated network of Asian and international banks. It argues that existing bank policies are largely superficial, focusing on project-level restrictions while allowing corporate finance to continue flowing to coal developers.

The statement asserts that climate change is a justice issue, as historically wealthy industrialized nations caused the crisis while disadvantaged communities in the Global South suffer disproportionately. It argues that 'communication and information deficits'—such as limited media access and a lack of public interest journalism—prevent the knowledge of affected communities from reaching policymakers. To address this, the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) proposes several measures, including promoting ICT access for Indigenous groups and supporting the sharing of traditional ecological knowledge, which it will present at COP30.