Search Climate Insights Directory

The document details the technical approach for calculating and harmonising monthly wind and solar capacity data. It defines 'installed capacity' as the maximum potential output and explains the process for converting solar data between AC and DC values, using a default conversion factor of 1.3. The methodology describes how onshore and offshore wind are distinguished, often relying on IRENA data when primary sources lack a breakdown. It also specifies the publication schedule (twice monthly) and the use of proxies and linear interpolation to estimate missing data for global aggregates and specific countries. Detailed country-specific sections list data sources, publication lags, and specific adjustments for 25 territories, including the US, China, and the EU.

The analysis of 15 draft NECPs reveals a significant increase in wind and solar capacity targets since 2019, bringing the EU closer to REPowerEU goals, though still falling short. While renewable electricity is projected to generate 66-67% of EU electricity by 2030, the report highlights a critical lack of quantified targets for electricity storage and clean flexibility. Furthermore, the document criticises the poor quality and transparency of data provided in the draft plans, which hinders accountability and investment signals.

The statement urges the Spanish government to join the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, highlighting Spain's vulnerability to extreme weather and its existing domestic progress in renewable energy. It argues that joining the treaty would align Spain with international legal duties to limit fossil fuel extraction and provide a model for other EU nations. The document emphasizes that a just transition could create up to 560,000 jobs in five years and prevent 25,000 annual deaths caused by air pollution.

A coalition of organizations calls on Spain to join 18 countries in pursuing a legally binding Fossil Fuel Treaty based on just transition, non-proliferation, and planned phase-out. The declaration argues that Spain's continued dependence on fossil fuels creates economic and geopolitical vulnerabilities and urges the government to lead at the upcoming 2026 conference in Colombia.

The 'People Power Now' manifesto argues that the climate crisis and global pandemics are results of a capitalist economic model that prioritizes profit over people and nature. It calls for a systemic shift toward a 100% renewable energy system that is decentralized, community-controlled, and grounded in social and climate justice. The manifesto demands that energy be treated as a common good rather than a commodity, emphasizing energy sufficiency to end overconsumption in the global North. It advocates for a just transition that protects energy sector workers and requires rich countries to provide climate finance, funded by redirecting military spending and ending tax havens. Central to this vision is the dismantling of patriarchy, racism, and classism to ensure a recovery from Covid-19 that prioritizes the sustainability of life and the rights of marginalized communities.

The document presents a manifesto for 'Energy Sovereignty Now!', calling for a shift away from capitalist and neoliberal energy models toward a system centered on human rights, environmental justice, and community control. It outlines ten demands, including the transition to 100% renewable energy, the recognition of energy as a common good rather than a commodity, and the implementation of a just transition that protects workers and marginalized groups. The manifesto emphasizes the historical responsibility of the Global North to provide climate finance and lead in emission reductions, while advocating for decentralized, small-scale renewable technologies managed democratically by local communities.

The document presents a manifesto for a 'just transition' of the energy system, arguing that the current capitalist model drives ecological collapse and social inequality. It advocates for energy to be treated as a common good rather than a commodity, calling for a shift toward 100% renewable energy through small-scale, decentralized, and community-managed technologies. The manifesto emphasizes 'energy sufficiency,' demanding a drastic reduction in overconsumption in the Global North to allow for equitable access to energy in the Global South. It links climate justice to broader social struggles, including feminist, anti-racist, and anti-capitalist movements, and calls for the redirection of public funds—such as military spending and taxes on the wealthy—toward a people-centered energy revolution.

The report argues that excessive financial speculation in agricultural commodity derivatives and the financing of land grabs by European banks, pension funds, and insurance companies contribute to food price volatility and human rights abuses. It identifies key institutions such as Deutsche Bank, Barclays, and BNP Paribas as significant actors in these markets and recommends strict EU regulations, including position limits and bans on index funds for agricultural commodities, to protect the right to food.

The document critiques carbon markets, specifically 'cap and trade' and 'carbon offsetting', as mechanisms that allow major polluters to avoid reducing emissions at the source. It highlights the failure of the EU ETS and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), noting that global emissions continue to rise. The briefing emphasizes the severe impacts on indigenous peoples and local communities, citing REDD as a driver of land grabbing and forced displacement. It specifically warns against the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which could institutionalize these markets, and calls for a transition to agroecology and a just energy transition instead.

The document critiques carbon emission markets, including 'cap and trade' and 'offsetting' mechanisms, as ineffective tools for climate action. It asserts that these systems allow historical polluters to avoid reducing emissions at the source while causing human rights abuses and 'climate colonialism' in the Global South. The briefing specifically warns against the adoption of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement at COP25, arguing that it would institutionalize these flawed mechanisms and prioritize corporate interests over climate justice.

The document serves as a technical resource for designing and issuing gender bonds in Africa, aligning with International Capital Market Association (ICMA) standards. It details the issuance process for both use-of-proceeds (UoP) and performance-based bonds, emphasizing the need for gender-disaggregated data, internal working groups, and external reviews. The guide highlights the growth of the gender bond market in Africa, citing recent issuances in Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tanzania, and provides case studies and frameworks to help issuers direct capital toward women-owned MSMEs, housing, and leadership diversity.

The briefing argues that the COVID-19 crisis exposed systemic fragilities and provides an opportunity to build resilience against climate change, biodiversity loss, and inequality. It outlines ten priority options, including the adoption of green economy principles, the use of 'Green Deals', the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, and the implementation of gender-responsive recovery plans. The authors emphasize that recovery spending must align with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, particularly in the global South where public debt may limit fiscal space.

The policy brief contends that existing social contracts are broken due to rising inequality and distrust in institutions, which undermines climate resilience. It proposes building an intersectional alliance of climate and inequality champions to redefine a social contract that integrates climate justice, decent work, and human rights to facilitate a fair green transition. The document highlights various global examples of this shift, including citizen assemblies in France and legal challenges in South Africa.

China is leading global utility-scale solar and wind expansion, with a massive pipeline of prospective capacity concentrated in six northwestern and northern provinces. However, the 'megabase' strategy faces significant hurdles, including rising curtailment and a transmission network that remains heavily reliant on coal. While the growth of green hydrogen and standalone battery storage offers a path toward local industrial decarbonization, there is a risk that these renewables will merely supplement rather than replace coal-based industries. The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) continues renewable growth but maintains a role for fossil fuels, suggesting that transmission and market flexibility remain the primary bottlenecks for a full transition.

China leads the world in planned utility-scale solar and wind capacity, with over 500GW already under construction. However, the transition has shifted from a 'capacity race' to a 'system integration' phase, where transmission bottlenecks and a continued reliance on coal-fired power for grid stability lead to increasing curtailment, particularly in the northwest and northern regions. While green hydrogen and local consumption offer paths for industrial decarbonization, there is a risk that these technologies may be used to justify the continued expansion of coal-based chemical industries.

Global Witness asserts that 'supermajor' oil companies are conducting a 'brazen wealth transfer' by paying billions to shareholders while increasing oil and gas production. The statement highlights that companies like Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, and Chevron are ignoring scientific consensus and rowing back on climate pledges despite record profits and the increasing frequency of climate disasters.

The EastMed gas pipeline, a proposed €7 billion project to transport Israeli gas to Europe via Cyprus and Greece, is criticized for its reliance on Energean, a company whose co-founders allegedly profited from a banking scheme that contributed to Cyprus's 2013 financial crisis. The project is further condemned for risking military tensions between Greece and Turkey and for its high carbon footprint, which would undermine the EU's goal to reduce gas consumption by 90 percent by 2050. Global Witness calls for the EU to remove all gas projects from its Project of Common Interest (PCI) list and amend the TEN-E Regulation to end support for fossil gas infrastructure.

Global Witness asserts that tensions between NATO allies in the eastern Mediterranean over fossil gas are futile, as the EU's projected 90 percent reduction in gas demand by 2050 renders these reserves unnecessary. The report highlights that extracting discovered gas in disputed waters would produce carbon emissions comparable to the annual output of France and Spain combined. It specifically calls for the cancellation of the €6 billion EastMed pipeline, which is currently a "Project of Common Interest," arguing that its operation would cause immense environmental damage and further escalate regional conflict.

Global Witness reports that the EU has spent nearly €5 billion in taxpayer-funded grants and loans on 41 gas projects since 2013, with approximately €439 million wasted on seven projects that failed or are unlikely to function. The author contends that the TEN-E regulation creates a conflict of interest by allowing the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG) to influence project selection. The report specifically highlights the BRUA pipeline, which received €431 million but faces significant viability issues regarding Black Sea gas extraction. Global Witness calls for the European Commission to remove all gas projects from the fifth Project of Common Interest (PCI) list and to reform the TEN-E regulation to redirect funds toward renewable energy.

An investigation by Global Witness found that ten European companies imported approximately €2 million worth of high-risk timber from Industrie Forestière du Congo (IFCO) in 2018. The report alleges that IFCO engaged in illegal logging practices, including operating outside boundaries and failing to pay taxes, while potentially maintaining links to sanctions-listed Hezbollah financiers via its predecessor, Cotrefor.