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This report analyzes the emerging role of grid-scale batteries in the European Union as of 2025, highlighting their ability to compete with expensive gas-fired power during peak demand hours and reduce the curtailment of renewable energy. Using Italy as a primary example and California as a comparative case study, the document details how falling battery costs and widening price spreads are driving a record project pipeline aimed at lowering wholesale electricity prices and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

This case study by the Stockholm Environment Institute uses Pärnu City and County in Estonia to illustrate the development and impact of urban heat islands (UHI). It employs satellite-derived land surface temperature data and social vulnerability mapping to demonstrate how heat risk is an interaction between physical hazards, population exposure, and social sensitivity.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the 2024 reform of the European Union's public procurement framework. It argues that while green public procurement (GPP) is a powerful lever for the green transition—given that public procurement accounts for approximately 14% of EU GDP—its implementation is hindered by legal uncertainties, administrative burdens, and capacity gaps. The document advocates for the use of robust, third-party verified tools such as ecolabels and life-cycle costing to simplify GPP and recommends specific legal and structural reforms to the EU directives to foster their uptake.

This report by Ember examines the critical role of electricity interconnectors in maintaining European energy security, preventing blackouts, and mitigating the impact of geopolitical conflicts and sabotage. It argues that expanding and securing cross-border grid capacity is a vital element of protecting European society against hybrid warfare and technical failures.

This report by Ember analyzes the final National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of EU Member States to project the bloc's energy trajectory for 2030. The findings indicate a structural shift toward a cleaner, electrified economy characterized by declining gas demand and rising renewable energy generation, though some targets still fall short of REPowerEU ambitions.

A statement by Trend Asia and a global coalition of civil society organizations arguing that large-scale forest biomass combustion for energy is not carbon neutral, harms biodiversity, violates community rights, and obstructs the transition to clean energy. The signatories call for the cessation of forest biomass expansion and the removal of related subsidies.

This briefing summarizes a high-level roundtable discussion hosted by Ember and partners during the PCI Energy Days in Brussels on November 4-5, 2024. The discussion focused on the necessity of an integrated power grid in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to manage the rise of intermittent renewables, ensure energy security, and facilitate the transit of clean energy from coastal regions to landlocked countries.

The 'SEI strategy 2025–29' outlines the Stockholm Environment Institute's strategic framework to address global environmental and sustainable development challenges. The strategy focuses on three primary impact areas—climate transitions, nature and resources, and health and wellbeing—while introducing 'accelerating implementation' as a new strategic outcome to move from policy goals to on-the-ground action.

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.

The report by Ember argues that the European Union must rapidly scale up 'clean flexibility' solutions, particularly battery storage, to complement the fast growth of wind and solar power. It highlights that without such flexibility, the EU will fail to capture abundant renewable energy, leading to higher reliance on fossil fuels and increased costs. The document provides evidence of current solar dominance in several Member States and simulates the potential for batteries to reduce fossil fuel imports and costs by 2030.

This report by Ember advocates for the implementation of transparent grid hosting capacity maps to accelerate the energy transition in Europe. It outlines how such maps can reduce grid connection queues and optimize network use, discusses new EU legislative requirements for TSOs and DSOs, and proposes a framework for an "ideal" map including substation-level granularity and open-source data access.

This research paper by Ember analyzes draft National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) from EU Member States to determine if current national ambitions align with the REPowerEU plan and the Fit-for-55 package. The analysis finds that while renewable energy targets have increased significantly since 2019, the EU is still projected to fall short of its 2030 goals for renewable electricity share, solar capacity, and wind capacity.

The Global Electricity Mid-Year Insights 2023 report by Ember analyses global electricity generation from January to June 2023. It finds that global power sector emissions plateaued, increasing by only 0.2%, as significant growth in wind and solar was offset by a historic decline in hydropower generation caused by droughts.

This guide by Zero Carbon Analytics explains the role of heat pumps in decarbonising buildings and industry, detailing their technical operation, economic viability, and the policy barriers to their global adoption.

The Europe Gas Tracker Report 2023 by Global Energy Monitor analyzes the rapid expansion of gas infrastructure in the European Union following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The report argues that a 'gas panic' has led to uncoordinated buildouts of LNG terminals and pipelines that risk creating massive overcapacity and locking the region into fossil fuel dependency, potentially undermining the EU's climate goals under the European Climate Law and the Fit for 55 package.

This report analyzes Green Public Procurement (GPP) in the EU, highlighting that public procurement accounts for 15% of global GHG emissions. It focuses on the construction and road transport sectors—each contributing 12% of government procurement emissions—and provides 17 recommendations based on case studies from eight EU Member States to harmonize fragmented policies and help the EU achieve a 55% emissions reduction by 2030.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the implementation of Green Public Procurement (GPP) across eight EU Member States, focusing on the road transport and construction sectors. It identifies significant gaps between stated climate targets and actual procurement practices, highlighting barriers such as fragmented governance, lack of standardized data, and limited capacity among procurement officers. The document provides best practice examples from various regions and offers 17 policy recommendations to harmonize GPP across the EU to support the 2030 climate target of a net 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

This report by Ember provides a detailed analysis of electricity generation sources within the European Union for 2022, comparing these figures against trends from 2000 and 2015. It details the growth of solar and wind power, the temporary rise in coal, the stability of gas, and the significant declines in nuclear and hydro generation during 2022.

This report by Ember analyses electricity generation data for the European Union from May to August 2022, highlighting a record share of solar power and its role in reducing the need for expensive fossil gas imports during an energy crisis.

The Global Energy Monitor's Europe Gas Tracker Report 2022 details planned gas infrastructure expansions in the EU, including pipelines and LNG terminals, and notes their incompatibility with climate goals.