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This discussion paper analyzes the barriers to adopting climate risk insurance in municipalities within emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), where over 90% of losses remain uninsured. It identifies parametric insurance as a key solution due to its rapid payouts and simpler structure. The paper highlights a significant collaboration gap in the current ecosystem, where few programs engage directly with cities. To address this, it proposes three priority actions: establishing premium support mechanisms, enhancing municipal risk-layering capacity, and reforming regulatory environments to make insurance more affordable and financially viable.

The Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report 2026 by Sustainable Energy for All indicates that the world is off track to meet all Sustainable Development Goal 7 targets by 2030. While global electricity access has improved, progress is decelerating and heavily concentrated in Asia, leaving Africa with the vast majority of the unelectrified population. Clean cooking access is failing to keep pace with population growth in Africa, and global renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements are too slow to meet the required trajectories.

The Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report 2026 executive summary indicates that all Sustainable Development Goal 7 targets are off track for 2030. While global electricity access has reached nearly 92%, progress is decelerating, and the remaining deficit is heavily concentrated in Africa. Clean cooking access remains a critical gap with 2 billion people lacking access, and global energy efficiency and renewable energy shares are not improving fast enough to meet 2030 targets.

A briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics detailing Japan's role as a major trader of US liquified natural gas (LNG) to other countries, particularly in Asia, and the associated lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions.

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 research paper by the Institute for Security Studies explains the concept of the demographic dividend, focusing on the first dividend where the working-age population grows relative to dependants. It details the metrics used to identify this window of opportunity and compares the timing, peak ratios, and durations of this dividend across various global economies, with a specific focus on Africa and Nigeria.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines global 'wildcards' and megatrends—including great-power instability, generative AI, and the biosphere crisis—that could disrupt future scenarios for Africa and the world by 2043.

This briefing by RMI argues that power sector leaders should reconsider planned coal-fired generation projects due to the falling costs of renewables and storage, evolving grid needs, and the risk of creating long-term cost burdens for taxpayers and customers.

This policy brief by RMI argues that many planned grid-connected coal power plants, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), should be reconsidered in favor of cleaner, more affordable alternatives like solar paired with battery energy storage systems (BESS). The document provides a five-indicator framework to help decision-makers identify plants that are likely to become uneconomic liabilities due to rapid technological cost declines and evolving grid needs.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes Morocco's development trajectory toward 2043, comparing a 'Current Path' forecast with eight sectoral scenarios and a combined 'Agenda 2063' scenario. It highlights Morocco's transition toward higher-value manufacturing, its strategic geographic position, and critical challenges including water scarcity, energy import dependence, and regional territorial disputes.

The Boom and Bust Coal 2026 report by Global Energy Monitor analyzes global coal power capacity trends in 2025, noting a decoupling where new capacity additions increased while overall electricity generation declined. The report highlights that coal commissioning is increasingly concentrated in China and India, while other nations see a shrinking pipeline of new projects.

This research paper presents the 'Financial Flows scenario', a model using the International Futures (IFs) forecasting platform to assess the impact of increased aid, foreign direct investment (FDI), and remittances, alongside reduced illicit financial flows (IFFs), on Africa's development indicators through 2043.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes Africa's rapid population growth and its implications for the global labor market. It forecasts that Africa's population will reach 3.850 billion by 2100, driven by high fertility rates and population momentum, potentially making the continent the world's largest labor force by 2040.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the transition from annual to hourly matching for accounting scope 2 emissions. It argues that hourly matching—requiring electricity consumption to be matched by renewable generation in the same hour—provides a more accurate reflection of decarbonisation and creates stronger market signals for renewable energy deployment than current annual standards. While 100% matching can be costly, the document suggests that partial matching (e.g., 80-90%) can maintain climate benefits while reducing costs. The briefing notes that the GHG Protocol is updating its Scope 2 Guidance, with a release expected in 2027, and highlights that hourly matching is already being implemented through 45 projects globally and specific regulatory frameworks like the EU's CBAM.

This report examines the potential for 'Made in Europe' requirements (local content rules) within European Union public procurement to drive climate action, circularity, and industrial resilience, while weighing these benefits against risks to costs and trade relationships.

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 argues that 'imperfect agreements'—instruments that are incomplete, transitional, or not fully formal—can be effective tools for promoting trade and sustainable development when multilateral consensus at the WTO is stalled. The author suggests that flexible, member-driven arrangements, such as targeted trade deals and soft law commitments, can generate state practice and serve as stepping stones toward formal legal codification and WTO reform.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies compares the size, quality, and productivity of the labour force in Africa against those of China and India, utilizing forecasts through 2043. While Africa possesses a rapidly growing and youthful workforce that may attract labour-intensive industries, it lags significantly behind China and India in education, health, and overall labour productivity.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the role of social grants and large-scale employment schemes in Africa as tools to mitigate poverty and inequality in the face of limited economic absorption of the working-age population.