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In 2025, global coal capacity increased by 3.5% while production fell by 0.6%, as coal is increasingly used as 'system insurance' rather than a primary energy source. While the number of countries pursuing new coal projects dropped to 32, China and India continue massive expansions. In Indonesia, the growth of captive coal plants for nickel and aluminium processing contradicts national climate commitments, with the RUPTL 2025-2034 continuing to plan for on-grid coal investment despite a formal moratorium.

Global coal mine methane (CMM) emissions remained broadly steady at 34.7 million tonnes in 2023, despite an 8% increase in global coal production since 2021. This trend undermines the Global Methane Pledge's goal to cut anthropogenic methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Analysis reveals significant data gaps, as six of the nine largest emitters failed to submit official 2023 CMM data to the UNFCCC. Independent estimates from the IEA, GEM, and satellite data often diverge sharply from official figures, particularly in South Africa, Indonesia, and Russia, suggesting widespread underreporting and a reliance on outdated emission factors rather than mine-level measurements.

The document warns that the European Central Bank's potential interest rate hikes, prompted by inflation from the war against Iran, could disproportionately hinder renewable energy deployment compared to fossil fuels. It argues that reducing fossil fuel dependence is essential for long-term price stability and proposes the use of 'green' targeted longer term refinancing operations (TLTRO) to support the energy transition.

The document examines how Spain's rapid expansion of wind and solar power has decoupled its electricity prices from volatile fossil fuel markets, particularly during the 2026 conflict in Iran. While Spain has achieved lower electricity costs and increased industrial competitiveness compared to other major EU economies, the author notes a critical shortfall in grid infrastructure investment. The text advocates for a reform of the EU's marginal pricing system and a shift toward domestic clean energy generation to ensure broader European energy security.

The statement contends that the global fossil fuel system is inherently violent and volatile, citing 2026 conflicts in the Middle East and Venezuela as evidence. It advocates for the Santa Marta conference as a mechanism to move beyond the industry-influenced COP process to implement concrete actions, such as 'polluters pay' taxes on fossil fuel profits and grant-based climate finance for the Global South. The author asserts that the economic cost of fossil fuel price spikes outweighs the cost of transitioning to net zero, noting that 91% of new renewables projects are now cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives.

The document demonstrates how banks can move beyond high-level corporate ambition assessments by using bottom-up, asset-level data to project emissions trajectories. Using ArcelorMittal as a case study, it shows that comparing these projections against company targets and global/regional transition pathways reveals 'execution gaps' and exposure to transition risks. This 'transition intelligence' allows sustainability, risk, and front-office teams to identify specific technology lock-in risks and structure tailored transition-finance products.

Between 2021 and 2024, European banks provided US$41.9 billion to companies developing over 320 new gas power plants globally, with 63% of this funding coming from a small group of French and UK banks. The report links gas reliance to electricity price volatility, air pollution causing premature deaths, and the climate crisis, urging banks to shift funding from gas expansion to renewables.

The report outlines a five-step strategy for the European Union to achieve energy sovereignty by transitioning away from fossil fuel imports, which currently account for nearly 60% of its primary energy supply. It emphasizes that 89% of final energy demand can be met through electrification using existing technologies, which would significantly lower exposure to supply shocks since 81% of electricity production is domestic. The document proposes specific actions: accelerating electrification, interconnecting the European power grid, deploying energy storage to replace gas for balancing, decarbonizing heavy industry, and using the EU Methane Regulation to phase out high-risk imports from suppliers like Russia and the United States. Financially, the report notes that EU clean energy investments reached approximately 346 billion euros in 2025, but argues that 1,500 billion euros per year are needed until 2050 to complete the transition.

The report outlines a five-step strategy for the EU to transition from risky fossil fuel imports to domestic clean energy, emphasizing electrification, grid connectivity, flexibility, industrial decarbonization, and the use of the EU Methane Regulation to phase out high-emission imports.

The policy brief asserts that the European Union's reliance on fossil fuel imports—nearly 60% of its primary energy supply—creates critical vulnerabilities. It proposes a five-step strategy focusing on electrification, grid interconnection, flexible energy systems, industrial decarbonization, and the use of the EU Methane Emissions Regulation (MER) to phase out high-risk suppliers. The document highlights that 89% of final energy demand can be electrified with current technology, which would significantly reduce exposure to external shocks and improve industrial competitiveness.

The report identifies the EU's reliance on fossil fuel imports—nearly 60% of primary energy supplies—as a structural geopolitical risk. It proposes a five-step framework (Electrify, Connect, Flex, Decarbonise, and Shield) to enhance energy sovereignty. Key recommendations include increasing electrification, expanding the interconnected grid, deploying energy storage, decarbonising heavy industry, and using the EU Methane Emissions Reduction (MER) regulation to phase out high-risk suppliers like Russia and the USA. The document emphasizes that while clean energy investments reached approximately 346 billion EUR in 2025, they must scale to 1.5 trillion EUR annually by 2050 to achieve the transition.

The report argues that the abrupt closure of USAID in 2025 has had catastrophic short-term effects on funding-dependent newsrooms in Africa, leading to mass layoffs and a decline in investigative capacity. It highlights the role of Internews as a primary implementer of these projects and warns that the loss of funding increases the risk of 'media capture' by political actors, the 'juniorisation' of newsrooms as senior staff leave, and a shift toward commercial rather than public service reporting. The author concludes that the resulting vacuum in public accountability work may accelerate democratic backsliding in fragile states.

The document argues that AI has entered its '1911 Moment,' shifting from experimental curiosity to real-world military and diplomatic application. It defines the spectrum of AI capabilities from Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) to theoretical Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) and details current deployments of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) and AI-driven decision support in conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and elsewhere. The authors contrast the 'normal technology' view of AI with the 'exceptional technology' view, noting that the choice between these frameworks dictates whether policy should focus on governing deployment or controlling the models themselves. Finally, it highlights the use of 'compute diplomacy' and AI chip export controls as modern instruments of economic statecraft.

The report argues that rising geopolitical instability and the military occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant have exposed gaps in nuclear safety norms. It suggests that the Pelindaba Treaty may be insufficient for contemporary armed conflicts and recommends strengthening international regulations, expanding the IAEA's mandate, and protecting nuclear personnel and infrastructure to safeguard nuclear energy in Africa and globally.

The CEO of Mighty Earth critiques the continued sale of internal combustion engines and the scaling back of EV investments by US automakers, contrasting this with China's aggressive expansion in EV production, supply chain decarbonization, and market share.

The EU significantly expanded its renewable energy capacity between 2022 and 2025, with solar PV reaching 406 GW and wind reaching 246 GW. This transition reduced the bloc's reliance on imported fossil fuels, saving an estimated EUR 58 billion in coal and gas import costs. While countries like Spain have successfully delinked electricity prices from gas costs, others like Italy remain highly vulnerable due to continued dependence on imported fossil fuels, particularly during the 2026 Strait of Hormuz blockade.

The study finds that while Ethiopia, Senegal, and South Africa generally maintain cautious, non-aligned international postures, their regional approaches vary significantly. Ethiopia has adopted a highly assertive posture regarding sea access and geostrategic relevance; Senegal demonstrated assertive interventionism during the 2017 Gambian crisis to protect internal security; and South Africa maintains a 'reluctant hegemon' image, experiencing setbacks in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to military and agency constraints.

Conflict in the Middle East is disrupting critical energy imports to Bangladesh, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, leading to fuel rationing, power cuts, and industrial shutdowns. ZCA analysis indicates that sustained high prices for oil, gas, and coal could increase Bangladesh's annual fossil fuel import bill by USD 4.8 billion (a 40% increase from 2025 levels), further straining foreign exchange reserves. The document argues that this recurring volatility, echoing the shocks from the Russia-Ukraine war, underscores the urgent need for Bangladesh to pivot toward renewable energy to avoid long-term fiscal distress and energy insecurity.

The RMI framework establishes rules for the issuance, transfer, and retirement of Book-and-Claim Units (BCUs) for low-emissions iron and steel. It introduces a dual functional-unit system (iron and crude steel) with eligibility thresholds anchored to ResponsibleSteel's Decarbonization Progress Level 3 (DPL3). To prevent fossil lock-in, the framework mandates route-specific criteria, including a 2035/2040 phase-out for BF-BOF eligibility and strict 90% capture rates for CCS/CCUS. It defines rigorous accounting methods—direct and enhanced substitution—to prevent over-claiming and double counting, while prohibiting on-product claims to maintain the incentive for physical green steel procurement.

The Council on Strategic Risks proposes that the US government invest $10 billion annually over 10 years in biodefense, noting that the FY26 request of $4.02 billion is insufficient given threats from Russia, North Korea, China, and Iran. The author suggests that 2% of the proposed $500 billion defense spending increase could fund critical enhancements in wastewater surveillance, medical countermeasure discovery via supercomputing, biomanufacturing, and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).