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This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes trade frictions arising from national and subnational plastic pollution measures implemented by WTO members. By examining Specific Trade Concerns (STCs) and Trade Policy Review (TPR) questions, the authors identify six primary types of regulatory issues—timing, transparency, stakeholder engagement, proportionality, justification, and discrimination—and provide recommendations to help policy-makers design measures that minimize trade disruptions.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the impact of consumption-based emissions (CBEs) on the EU's carbon footprint, noting that the EU has been a net importer of CO2 emissions since 2015 and recommending binding EU-level targets and standardized accounting to mitigate these emissions.

This policy brief examines the opportunities and barriers for the European Union to reduce consumption-based emissions (CBEs), which include emissions from the entire supply chain of goods and services consumed within the EU regardless of where production occurs. Based on policy analysis and case studies from France, Denmark, and Sweden, the brief argues that while territorial emissions have decreased, the EU's carbon footprint remains significant due to imports, necessitating coordinated EU-level targets and a shift from simple efficiency gains to systematic changes in consumption patterns.

This report analyzes the inclusion of fossil fuel production in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the world's top 20 producing countries and provides a framework for incorporating the COP 28 agreement to transition away from fossil fuels into third-generation NDCs and long-term low-emissions development strategies (LT-LEDS).

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics argues that maintaining climate policy continuity in the EU can enhance energy security, reduce costs for citizens, increase global competitiveness, and create employment opportunities, provided it is paired with robust social policies.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) production in Canada poses excessive economic and environmental risks. The document asserts that new facilities will undermine Canada's climate commitments, face a global supply glut by the end of the decade, and struggle to compete with lower-cost producers like Qatar and the United States, potentially leading to stranded assets and taxpayer losses.

The research paper argues that China is justified in its skepticism toward the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project. The author contends that the project would undermine China's energy security by increasing dependence on a single source, create unnecessary capital expenditure due to market oversaturation in the Bohai Economic Rim, and conflict with China's goal to peak carbon emissions by 2030.

This research paper argues that South Africa's current skills planning system is inadequate for the emerging green hydrogen economy (GHE) due to a reliance on quantitative data and a lack of anticipatory capacity. The author advocates for the integration of strategic foresight (SF) and skills foresight (SF) into the post-school education and training (PSET) system, specifically within technical vocational education and training (TVET). The paper proposes four priority areas: strengthening skills anticipation systems, enhancing TVET sector responsiveness, developing transversal skills, and fostering a renewed education-related social compact to bridge the gap between TVET and universities.

This report by Ember analyzes global electricity generation trends in 2023 across solar, wind, coal, gas, hydro, nuclear, and bioenergy. It highlights record growth in solar and wind, a slight increase in coal generation driven by droughts in China, and the gap between current growth rates and the IEA Net Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario requirements.

In 2023, the world's top six electricity emitters showed diverging trends: China, India, and Russia saw emissions increases driven by demand and coal reliance, while the US, EU, and Japan recorded declines. China led global renewable growth but remains the largest emitter. The EU achieved its largest absolute emissions reduction since 2000, and the US continued its long-term decline in coal. However, most of these regions still need to accelerate clean energy deployment to align with IEA Net Zero targets.

The Boom and Bust Coal 2024 report by Global Energy Monitor analyzes global coal power capacity trends, highlighting a net increase in operating capacity in 2023 driven primarily by China, despite a general global decline in new construction starts outside of China.

A briefing by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) analyzing the potential methane emissions from 74 proposed oil and gas extraction projects scheduled to reach peak production by 2030. The report highlights a conflict between new fossil fuel expansion and global methane reduction commitments, noting significant discrepancies between company-reported emissions and GEM's estimates for projects under development.

This executive summary outlines the findings of a survey comparing foreign policy perspectives between Germany and the IBSA countries (India, Brazil, and South Africa). It highlights divergent views on the war in Ukraine, the dominance of the US dollar, and the role of BRICS+, while identifying shared hopes for the G20 and a mutual desire for UN Security Council reform.

This research paper analyzes the tension in German foreign policy between corporate profit interests and value-based rhetoric, specifically regarding trade and investment in Africa. The author argues that Germany is shifting from a broad 'exportist' geoeconomic approach toward a more selective strategy focused on risk mitigation and the securing of critical resources, such as LNG and minerals, while urging a transition toward supporting African economic self-determination and regional industrialization.

This February 2024 briefing by Global Energy Monitor examines the Russian steel industry's continued reliance on coal-based blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) technology despite international pressure to decarbonize. The report highlights the potential for a transition to hydrogen-based direct reduced iron-electric arc furnace (DRI-EAF) production to meet EU carbon tariffs and corporate sustainability requirements, while noting that Russia currently prioritizes refurbishing old blast furnaces and pursuing unproven carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects.

This research paper examines the implications of the expired 123 Agreement between the US and South Africa, the operational status of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant, and South Africa's broader nuclear energy strategy, including a new plan to procure 2500 MW of additional nuclear power.

A December 2023 briefing by Global Energy Monitor reporting on the global expansion of gas transmission pipelines, highlighting that Asia accounts for over 80% of current construction costs and length.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics argues for a rigorous, science-based definition of 'unabated fossil fuels' to prevent the use of weak policies and inadequate technologies from undermining the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C. It highlights that while the term has become central to G7, G20, and UN climate negotiations, the lack of a consensus definition allows for interpretations that may include low carbon capture rates or ignore upstream emissions.

This document describes the data collection methodology and definitions used by Ember to track national ambitions for renewable energy deployment in the power sector across 57 countries and the European Union, focusing on targets for 2030.

The 2023 update report by the NewClimate Institute analyzes projected greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions up to 2030 for 25 countries, comparing current policy outcomes against Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). While aggregated emissions projections remain stable, the report identifies significant shifts in individual countries and a persistent gap between current policies and the 43% reduction required for Paris Agreement alignment.