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The global electricity sector has transitioned from fossil-fuelled growth to clean growth, with clean power meeting all global demand growth in 2025. This shift is driven largely by the plateauing of fossil generation in China and the rapid scale-up of solar and wind power. Battery storage is now emerging as a critical technology to displace fossil fuels during non-daylight hours, particularly in high-solar regions.

This report by Ember analyzes global electricity demand and supply trends in 2025 and over the preceding two decades. It details the growth of low-carbon sources, specifically solar and wind, and the relative decline of fossil fuels, while noting the impact of weather and policy on national energy mixes.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) submitted recommendations to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade regarding the renegotiation of older-generation bilateral investment treaties (BITs). The IISD advocates for terminating outdated treaties and replacing them with a new generation of frameworks that prioritize sustainable development, climate action, and national regulatory autonomy over blanket investor protections.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) submitted recommendations to the Australian government regarding the renegotiation of older-generation bilateral investment treaties (BITs). The IISD argues that these treaties prioritize investor protection and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) over public policy and urges a shift toward treaties that facilitate sustainable investment and climate action.

This report by Ember analyzes the evolving potential of geothermal electricity in Europe, highlighting how technological advances in drilling and reservoir engineering are making geothermal a cost-competitive, firm, low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels. It emphasizes that while Europe pioneered many of these technologies, it now risks losing its leadership to the US and Canada due to a lack of coordinated EU-level policy and investment frameworks.

This guide, published by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) in February 2026, provides structured 'Litigation Notes' to help lawyers integrate the findings of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) July 23, 2025, Advisory Opinion (AO) on State obligations regarding climate change into current and future legal cases. The document breaks down the ICJ's conclusions into thematic areas, including government framework litigation, adaptation, remedies and reparations, the right to a healthy environment, corporate conduct, climate finance, speculative interventions, and regulatory backsliding. It aims to translate the ICJ's normative clarity into practical tools for promoting climate justice across national, regional, and international courts.

This litigation note, published by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) in February 2026, provides a guide for legal practitioners to integrate the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) July 23, 2025, advisory opinion (AO) on climate change into government framework litigation. It specifically focuses on 'Ambition Gap' and 'Implementation Gap' cases, detailing how the ICJ's findings on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), due diligence, and human rights can be used to challenge insufficient government climate policies.

In 2025, the European Union's power sector reached a tipping point as wind and solar generation surpassed fossil fuels for the first time, accounting for 30.1% of electricity. While solar generation hit record highs and coal reached a historic low, gas power saw a slight increase, though it remained below pre-crisis levels.

This end-of-year commentary by Ember synthesises key findings from 2025 regarding the global energy transition, highlighting how solar and wind power have begun to outpace global electricity demand growth and reshape energy dynamics through the rise of "electrotech" and battery storage.

This report by Ember analyzes how electricity pricing structures in the European Union act as a barrier to the adoption of heat pumps. It argues that while heat pumps are significantly more efficient than gas boilers, high electricity prices—often inflated by policy-related levies—make them less cost-competitive. The report evaluates various policy interventions, such as removing levies or shifting them to gas, to lower the electricity-to-gas price ratio and accelerate the electrification of household heating to meet REPowerEU 2030 goals.

This report by Ember assesses the current state and future requirements of Europe's electricity interconnection. It finds that the EU is not on track to meet its 2030 interconnection targets, with 80% of the power system expected to miss the goal. To reach an optimal grid by 2040, Europe needs to nearly double its interconnection capacity, adding 151 GW, which requires an estimated €150 billion in investment. The report identifies a €30 billion public funding gap in the proposed Connecting Europe Facility for Energy (CEF-E) budget for 2028-2034, suggesting that this gap must be filled by EU loans and private funding to ensure energy security and cost-effectiveness.

In the first half of 2025, global solar and wind generation grew sufficiently to exceed total electricity demand growth, resulting in renewables overtaking coal in the global electricity mix for the first time. While global power sector CO2 emissions fell marginally by 0.2%, results varied by region, with emissions decreasing in China and India but increasing in the US and EU.

The report 'Global Electricity Mid-Year Insights 2025' by Ember analyzes global electricity generation from January to June 2025. It finds that solar and wind growth exceeded global demand growth, leading to renewables overtaking coal's share in the global electricity mix for the first time on record and causing power sector CO2 emissions to plateau.

This report by Ember analyses the critical role of electricity grid availability in determining the location and growth of data centres in Europe. It argues that grid congestion in traditional hubs is pushing investment toward the Nordics and Southern Europe, and recommends proactive grid planning, flexible connection agreements, and strategic siting to support the EU's AI ambitions.

This research paper examines the capacities and skills required for the locally led design and implementation of knowledge co-production processes, specifically focusing on disaster risk and climate adaptation challenges. The analysis is based on lessons from real-world labs implemented under the Horizon Europe project, DIRECTED, in Denmark, Italy, Germany, and Austria/Hungary.

The 2024 Global Electricity Source Trends report by Ember analyzes global electricity generation across solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, gas, and coal, highlighting record growth in solar and wind alongside fluctuating trends in fossil fuels and nuclear power.

The report analyzes three mega-trends shaping the global electricity transition: the exponential growth of solar power and battery storage, structurally higher electricity demand driven by electrification and data centers, and the decoupling of electricity demand from fossil fuel growth in China and India.

This report by Ember analyzes the European Union's progress toward phasing out Russian gas by 2027. It finds that despite political commitments, Russian gas imports increased in 2024, and the EU is significantly over-investing in gas infrastructure that is likely to be underutilised by 2030. The report argues that the EU is risking a new dependency on volatile global LNG markets and recommends legally binding targets to end Russian gas imports.

This report by Ember details the record growth of solar energy in the European Union in 2024, noting increases in both generation and installed capacity across all member states. It argues that to sustain this growth and manage the resulting price volatility—SSS, the EU must accelerate the deployment of 'clean flexibility' solutions, including batteries, smart electrification, and grid modernization.

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.