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This research paper proposes 'transition compacts'—negotiated, sector-specific packages bundling trade disciplines, investment, technology transfer, and transition timelines—as a more equitable alternative to the current patchwork of unilateral green industrial policies and carbon border adjustments. The author argues that existing frameworks, including the WTO and Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), suffer from structural flaws or a lack of binding equity provisions, whereas transition compacts would link market access to verified emissions performance and binding support for developing nations.

This report by Ember argues that Asia's economic rise is intrinsically linked to the rise of electricity, shifting the global energy paradigm from resource extraction to technology manufacturing.

This report by Ember analyzes the declining role of gas in the global electricity mix as of 2025, noting that gas share has fallen for five consecutive years. The analysis highlights that while global gas generation has not yet peaked in absolute terms, its growth has slowed significantly as renewables increasingly meet new electricity demand, particularly in the G7 and large emerging economies.

This fact sheet by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the global economic and energy impacts 100 days into the Iran war, specifically focusing on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. It details spikes in oil and gas prices, disruptions to fertiliser and food supply chains, and a subsequent surge in clean energy policy and investment, particularly within Asia.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes infrastructure spending and financing in Africa, highlighting a significant gap between current investment levels and the needs driven by rapid population growth. It details the dominance of public and development funding, the constraints imposed by rising sovereign debt, the modest role of private investment, and the declining trend in development finance disbursements.

This report by Ember examines the dual challenge facing Asia-Pacific power grids: managing the variability introduced by rapid renewable energy expansion and adapting to increasing climate volatility. It argues for a shift from reactive asset-level hardening to systemic adaptation, proposing that artificial intelligence (AI) can serve as a strategic coordination layer to integrate fragmented data, link siloed analytical models, and support complex decision-making to ensure grid reliability in a warming climate.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines how the US-Israel invasion of Iran on 28 February 2026 triggered an energy crisis that accelerated the transition to clean energy. It analyzes the outperformance of clean energy equity funds over oil and gas funds, shifts in investor sentiment regarding the necessity of natural gas, and the impact of regional cost-of-capital differences on renewable energy investments.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) has issued guidelines for its May 2026 Innovation Challenges, a call for proposals seeking transformative resilience solutions from entrepreneurs and organisations in the Global South. The initiative offers selected winners up to US$50,000 in funding and a comprehensive support package including mentoring, a leadership academy, and communications assistance to scale innovations that address climate and environmental risks.

This report analyzes the integration of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) into national systems in Vietnam, Namibia, Suriname, and Mozambique to boost sustainable exports. It emphasizes the need for strong regulatory foundations, continuous support for smallholders to prevent loss of certification, and the use of VSSs to diversify markets and reduce dependence on a few large buyers.

This report argues that electricity planning in Southeast Asia (specifically Indonesia, Viet Nam, Thailand, and the Philippines) is overly focused on GDP and industrial growth, leading to a 'well-being gap' where essential services and households lack reliable power despite sufficient aggregate generation. Using a Decent Living Standards framework, it estimates a 'Sufficiency Floor' of 620–1,270 kWh per capita per year and calls for a governance shift toward guaranteed delivery of this minimum requirement through tariff reforms and Beyond GDP frameworks.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines how the start of the Iran war and subsequent fossil fuel price shocks have accelerated consumer and government interest in clean energy technologies, specifically solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and electric vehicles (EVs), across six European markets: Germany, Italy, France, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

The research paper 'The New Twin Fossil Shock' analyzes how two major energy crises in the 2020s—the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and the 2026 shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz—are accelerating the global transition to an 'electric age.' The authors argue that unlike the oil shocks of the 1970s, current alternatives such as solar, wind, and electric vehicles (EVs) are cost-competitive, scalable, and provide a permanent route out of fossil fuel dependency.

This report by Ember and the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) argues that falling costs for 'electrotech'—solar, batteries, and electric end-use technologies—provide a faster and cheaper path to energy access and economic development for emerging markets than traditional fossil-fuel-based models. It highlights how many CVF nations are already leapfrogging developed economies in solar penetration and electrification, reducing their dependence on expensive fossil fuel imports.

The Industrial Transformation Technology and Investment Model (ITTIM) is a free, open-source Excel-based tool designed to map transition pathways for achieving non-emitting industrial sectors. It estimates energy use, CO2 emissions, expenditures, and capital investment needs across various regions and subindustries, utilizing a cumulative six-tier technology framework to mitigate 97% to 99% of industrial energy-related and cement calcination emissions.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies outlines the challenges Africa faces in transitioning to a low-carbon future, emphasizing that the region will suffer disproportionately from climate change despite its low contribution to the cause. It argues for a gradual energy transition, the necessity of climate finance, and the implementation of a fair global carbon tax to support sustainable development and resilience.

This research paper provides a historical and contemporary overview of governance in the Global South, examining how colonial legacies, Cold War geopolitics, and structural adjustment programmes have shaped modern state structures. It analyzes governance performance using World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) and highlights a divergence between political participation and institutional capacity across different regions.

This briefing from the International Institute for Sustainable Development reviews global and regional carbon pricing trends, focusing on Southeast Asia. It analyzes the impact of the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the implementation of Paris Agreement Article 6, and provides updates on carbon pricing developments in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam.

A briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics analyzing how Vietnam's investment in solar power mitigates the economic impact of soaring fossil fuel prices caused by a conflict in Iran, while warning that continued reliance on coal and LNG imports increases future vulnerability to price shocks.

This report by Ember examines the risks associated with integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the power sector, specifically within the ASEAN region. It details technical, operational, and governance challenges—including data limitations, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and regulatory gaps—while providing policy recommendations to ensure a safe and efficient energy transition.

This report by Ember examines how artificial intelligence (AI) can accelerate the integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) in ASEAN power systems. It identifies five commercially proven AI applications—forecasting, predictive maintenance, dispatch optimisation, real-time control, and dynamic line rating—that address the technical challenges of wind and solar variability to improve grid stability, reduce operational costs, and defer expensive transmission investments.