Search Climate Insights Directory

This research paper examines the human rights records of the BRICS nations, arguing that there is a significant gap between the human rights protections declared in their constitutions and their actual implementation. The authors express concern that the expansion of BRICS to include more autocratic regimes may create a safe haven for governments seeking to avoid Western-led human rights sanctions while pursuing economic and geopolitical dominance.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the proposal to expand the contributor base for climate finance to include emerging economies. It argues that while some emerging countries already contribute voluntarily, mandating their contributions at the current rate of developed countries would only provide an additional USD 51.19 billion, which is approximately 5.12% of the estimated USD 1 trillion annual need for developing countries. The document emphasizes that developed countries must maintain primary responsibility and calls for clearer definitions of 'developed countries' and 'climate finance' during the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) negotiations at COP29.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the proliferation of Border Carbon Adjustment (BCA) instruments, such as the EU CBAM, and argues for a strategic approach to international cooperation. The author suggests that because comprehensive multilateral agreements are hindered by political sensitivities and existing design choices, the international community should first prioritize cooperation on technical, 'low-hanging fruit' issues to avoid trade restrictions and reduce compliance costs for exporters, particularly those in less developed economies.

Ember analysis indicates that global solar capacity additions will reach 593 GW in 2024, a 29% increase over 2023. This growth is driven by continued dominance in China and the US, as well as emerging markets like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, significantly exceeding several industry forecasts.

The Hong Kong Green Market Briefing 2023, published by the Climate Bonds Initiative, provides a comprehensive analysis of the sustainable debt market in Hong Kong as of December 31, 2023. The report highlights a significant surge in aligned GSS+ debt originating from the HKSAR, driven primarily by government green bond issuance, and examines the role of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) and the Common Ground Taxonomy (CGT) in connecting Chinese and international capital.

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.

This case study examines how Gogoro transitioned from a stealth startup to a global leader in light electric vehicle (EV) battery swapping by employing an 'emergence strategy.' The company focused on the two-wheeled urban scooter market, utilizing a combination of technical innovation, open battery standards, and diverse business models to scale rapidly across multiple countries.

This report assesses power sector data transparency across 39 Asian economies, evaluating them against six criteria: time granularity, publishing lag, geographic granularity, fuel breakdown, ease of access, and additional data. The analysis finds that overall transparency is insufficient to support a coal-to-clean electricity transition in the region, with more than half of the economies scoring poorly.

This report identifies best practices in power sector data transparency across Asia and Oceania, highlighting New Zealand, Australia, and India as leaders. It details the technical requirements for high-quality data—such as hourly granularity, real-time publishing, and unit-level geographical detail—and provides a case study on the public-private partnership between India's NITI Aayog and the Vasudha Foundation to create a centralized energy data platform.

The Asia Data Transparency Report 2023 evaluates power sector data transparency across 39 economies in Asia-Pacific and Central Asia. It finds that over half of the region suffers from poor or insufficient data transparency, which hinders the transition from coal to clean electricity. The report identifies high-performing economies, provides a case study on India's public-private partnership for data aggregation, and offers nine recommendations to improve data governance.

This report by Ember provides a detailed analysis of global electricity generation, demand, and emissions for 2022, evaluating progress toward net-zero targets. It highlights a record growth in wind and solar power, offset by a continued reliance on fossil fuels and a historic decline in nuclear generation. The report notes that while emissions intensity is at its lowest level, absolute power sector emissions reached an all-time high in 2022.

This October 2022 briefing by Global Energy Monitor warns that the global trend of replacing coal-fired power plants with gas-fired capacity threatens climate goals and creates significant stranded asset risks. The report argues that the 'bridge fuel' narrative is undermined by methane leakage, volatile gas prices, and the superior economics of renewables with storage.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the historical and current tensions between international trade rules and environmental protection. It highlights the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE), arguing that the removal of harmful subsidies in fossil fuels, fisheries, and agriculture is essential for achieving sustainable development and meeting climate goals.

This policy brief analyzes the services market access negotiations under the WTO E-commerce Joint Statement Initiative (JSI). It highlights a significant trade imbalance, where developed nations are net exporters of the targeted digital services while developing nations are net importers. The brief identifies key challenges, including the 'technological neutrality' of GATS, the undecided legal architecture of the JSI, and a lack of gender and social inclusion considerations. It recommends that developing countries pursue a 'built-in development dimension' through progressive liberalization and multi-stakeholder national assessments.

This report examines the acceleration of e-governance and the use of social media by governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a specific focus on South Africa's digital innovations and the broader challenges facing the African continent.

This report by Ember evaluates the availability, quality, and transparency of timely electricity data across various countries in Asia and Oceania. It establishes a scoring framework based on eight criteria—including time granularity, fuel breakdown, and ease of access—to rank national data sources and identify gaps that hinder the tracking of the energy transition.

The Goal 9 assessment evaluates progress toward rewarding countries and jurisdictions that reduce forest emissions through public policies, results-based finance, and private-sector sourcing. As of 2020, nearly USD 4.7 billion in results-based finance has been committed since 2010, with disbursements increasing to over USD 260 million annually in recent years. The report also highlights the role of carbon markets, which have channeled USD 2.5 billion to forest projects over 20 years, and the emergence of domestic compliance schemes that allow forest carbon credits.

First Commercial Bank issued a TWD1bn/USD33m senior unsecured green bond on March 27, 2020, to fund renewable energy projects, including solar and wind power generation and storage. The bond is expected to avoid 14,546 tons of CO2 emissions per year. The Climate Bonds Initiative anticipates increased green bond issuance in Taiwan's wind sector following the 2020 feed-in tariff (FiT) rate announcements.

Mega International Commercial Bank issued a TWD1bn/USD33m green bond on March 11, 2020, to fund solar and wind farms (50%), electric vehicles and charging infrastructure (20%), water treatment, and waste-to-energy projects. The bond is listed on the Taipei Exchange and was assured by Deloitte.

The 2020 Global Electricity Review by Ember analyzes global electricity generation changes in 2019, highlighting a record 3% fall in global coal-fired generation and a corresponding 2% drop in power sector CO2 emissions. While the EU and US saw significant coal collapses, China's coal generation rose, making it responsible for over half of global coal generation for the first time. Wind and solar generation grew by 15%, though the report notes that this growth rate is slowing and may be insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals without concerted global effort.