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The report analyzes the 2022 reporting practices of 100 large EU companies, finding that while adoption is high, significant issues exist regarding the precision of legislation, the complexity of reporting forms, and the relevance of defined activities for many sectors. It highlights a discrepancy between the eligibility reported by financial and non-financial companies and recommends simplifying reporting requirements and clarifying key legal terms.

The report analyzes the economic and environmental consequences of delaying the liberalisation of Poland's 10H distance rule for onshore wind energy. It finds that each year of delay reduces potential installed capacity by 1.5 GW and increases cumulative electricity costs between 2026 and 2030 by approximately 6-7 billion PLN. The study highlights that while the proposed government changes could unlock up to 27 GW of additional potential and increase available land to 7.1% of Poland's area, administrative barriers remain. Faster implementation of these changes would reduce CO2 emissions by 5 million tonnes per year of acceleration and decrease reliance on energy imports and fossil fuels.

The briefing argues that adopting a 45% renewable energy target by 2030 would halve EU fossil gas imports compared to the 40% target in the Fit for 55 plan, resulting in €43 billion in additional savings in 2030 and an estimated €200 billion between 2025 and 2030. It warns that relying on LNG diversification creates new dependencies and exposes the EU to global price shocks and high methane emissions, particularly from the US. The analysis highlights that countries like Italy, France, and Poland would see significant cost reductions, while warning that Poland's current plans for increased gas power generation could lead to power shortages and reduced competitiveness.

Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, European states have proposed 195 bcm/y of additional LNG import capacity to reduce reliance on Russian gas. While 9.1 bcm/y is already online and 33 bcm/y is under construction, the briefing warns that global market tightness will keep prices high until 2026. Furthermore, 15- to 20-year supply contracts signed in 2022 may undermine the EU's goal to reduce gas demand by 35% by 2030. The document also notes a lack of concrete evidence for converting this new infrastructure to hydrogen, despite claims by German project promoters.

The document argues that predictions of a dramatic wave of migration to Europe driven by food insecurity following the invasion of Ukraine are not supported by data from the first eight months of 2022. It explains that migration drivers are complex and that severe food insecurity can actually decrease the ability of the poorest people to migrate due to the high costs of travel. While the invasion has directly displaced foreign students in Ukraine and may indirectly shift migration patterns toward oil-rich economies in the Global South, it is unlikely to have significantly increased irregular migration to Europe or decreased global remittance flows.

The letter asserts that the Energy Charter Treaty's modernisation process is insufficient, as it maintains investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms and protects fossil fuel assets for at least a decade in the EU and UK. It notes that several EU Member States, representing over 70% of the EU population, have already announced their withdrawal. The authors urge the European Commission to facilitate a coordinated EU withdrawal to avoid legal limbo and prevent fossil fuel investors from hindering climate action.

The Climate Change Performance Index 2023 finds that none of the 60 largest emitters are on a 1.5°C pathway, leaving the top three ranks unoccupied. Denmark is the current frontrunner, leading in almost all categories, while China and the US are categorized as 'very low' performers. The report highlights a wide disparity in performance among EU countries and identifies Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan as the worst overall performers due to heavy oil reliance and weak renewable energy adoption.

ClientEarth recommends that the new EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strategic Plans explicitly guarantee Aarhus Convention rights, establish a common EU-wide remote sensing data platform, and align with the Nature Restoration Law and Deforestation Regulation to improve forest governance and enforcement.

The document argues that power grids must become the backbone of the energy system to achieve a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, transporting 50% or more of Europe's energy. It identifies critical barriers including underinvestment, lack of data transparency, inefficient connection queues, and fragmented system planning. Ember recommends shifting to a "first ready, first served" approach for grid connections, introducing clear investment incentives, and establishing an integrated, system-level planning framework coordinated by an independent body to ensure grid development anticipates rather than lags behind clean energy growth.

The report evaluates eight scenarios for Estonia's electricity sector to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. It identifies 'All Technologies' and 'Renewables and Storage (offshore wind)' as the most balanced options in terms of cost, risk, and feasibility. The analysis emphasizes the critical need for large-scale battery storage, grid reinforcement, and simplified planning processes. While nuclear energy could offer the lowest prices in 2050, it is deemed the highest risk due to a lack of domestic history and potential implementation delays. The report concludes that the final choice is a political decision, as most scenarios can meet carbon neutrality goals.

The study evaluates eight electricity generation pathways for Estonia, concluding that 'All technologies' and 'Renewable + Storage (offshore wind)' offer the best balance of benefits, costs, and feasibility. While all pathways can reach carbon neutrality by 2050, they require substantial investments averaging €8.0 billion. Key findings highlight the necessity of onshore wind, solar PV, and a massive build-out of battery storage (up to 9.3 GW by 2050) to manage intermittency. The report recommends streamlining planning processes, expanding the balancing market, and implementing risk-reduction instruments like contracts for difference to attract investment.

One year after COP26, progress on climate pledges is described as "mixed at best," with some advancements in renewable energy and net-zero targets countered by a resurgence in fossil fuel reliance due to the Russia-Ukraine war. While 24 countries updated their emissions targets and renewable capacity reached new heights, global fossil fuel subsidies nearly doubled in 2021. Financial commitments remain unmet, with developed nations still $17 billion short of the $100 billion annual goal for 2020. Efforts to curb methane and deforestation have seen expanded participation, but accountability for city-level net-zero pledges remains low due to a lack of reported emissions data.

The document outlines legal and administrative pathways for Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) and Citizen Energy Communities (CECs) to challenge Member State failures in implementing EU directives. It details EU-level options, such as infringement complaints to the European Commission and petitions to the European Parliament, alongside national remedies including ombudspersons, regulatory authority complaints, and court actions based on principles like direct effect and state liability. The guide also provides a preliminary analysis of which specific provisions of RED II and IEMD may have direct effect and examines transposition challenges in Hungary, France, and Belgium.

The EU cement sector emits 114 megatonnes of CO2 annually, with 60% resulting from the chemical process of clinker production. Carbon Market Watch argues that the EU ETS has failed to trigger significant reductions over the last decade due to the overallocation of free allowances, which generated €3 billion in windfall profits for the industry between 2008 and 2019. The briefing recommends increasing the minimum annual benchmark improvement rate to 1%, fully replacing free allowances with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by 2026 to generate up to €13 billion annually for the Innovation Fund, and promoting material efficiency to reduce emissions by up to 65%.

The document analyzes the link between the EU's dependence on Russian fossil fuels and its current inflationary crisis, highlighting how wind and solar energy have provided significant cost savings. It advocates for the adoption of the RePowerEU proposal to increase renewable energy and energy efficiency targets to ensure long-term energy security and maintain the EU's global climate leadership.

The document analyzes the global pipeline of coal-to-gas conversions, identifying approximately 89.6 GW of such projects in development. It argues that these projects risk locking in fossil fuel use for decades and creating stranded assets, especially as the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for renewables with storage becomes more competitive than gas. The report highlights East Asia, Europe, and North America as the regions with the most significant coal-to-gas activity and warns that methane leakage from gas infrastructure can make gas-fired power more damaging to the climate than coal if leakage exceeds 3%.

The Agenda 2030 Compass is a decision-support system consisting of a Context Mapper and a Strategy Analyser. It enables organisations to quantify how a planned action affects the 17 SDGs, accounting for context-specific synergies and trade-offs. The tool was developed through a collaboration between the Stockholm Environment Institute, Jernkontoret, and the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence, and has been pilot-tested in Swedish case studies involving e-scooters, housing, urban mobility, and regional innovation.

The Agenda 2030 Compass is a tool developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute, Jernkontoret, the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence, and Swedwise to help decision-makers evaluate how investments, policies, or products affect the SDGs. It consists of a Context Mapper, which identifies potential SDG interactions based on local factors like socio-economic conditions and energy mix, and a Strategy Analyser, a workshop-based process used to score direct impacts and identify indirect synergies and trade-offs. The tool was pilot-tested in four Swedish case studies involving electric scooters, smart energy housing, urban mobility, and regional innovation strategies.

ClientEarth asserts that the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) obstructs climate policy by allowing fossil fuel companies to sue governments for compensation over environmental regulations. The organization argues that recent 'modernisation' efforts are insufficient, as they maintain a 'flexibility mechanism' that would allow litigation until the late 2030s and include protections for biomass and carbon capture. The document calls for a coordinated withdrawal of the EU, its member states, and the UK to eliminate the 'chilling effect' of the treaty on the European Green Deal and other climate commitments.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) asserts that the modernized Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) remains problematic due to persistent investor protections and unclear fossil fuel carve-outs. IISD notes that the ECT has been a primary vehicle for fossil fuel investors to challenge climate laws, with 17% of all such disputes brought under this treaty. The organization argues that retrofitting the ECT is insufficient and calls for a new investment treaty designed specifically to advance climate-friendly investments.