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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 July 2023 report 'Pedal to the Metal' by Global Energy Monitor assesses the global iron and steel plant fleet, highlighting a critical gap between current capacity developments and the decarbonization targets required for net-zero emissions by 2050. While there is a growing shift toward Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology, the continued expansion of coal-based Blast Furnace-Basic Oxygen Furnace (BF-BOF) capacity, particularly in Asia, threatens to lock in high emissions and create significant stranded asset risks.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) issued a statement regarding the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine, highlighting the resulting humanitarian and environmental crises and the broader impacts of Russia's invasion on sustainable development.

This report analyses the development trajectories of the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan) up to 2040. It identifies systemic barriers including governance failure, conflict, and climate-induced food insecurity, while modelling an 'Integrated Development Push' scenario to demonstrate how coordinated reforms in governance, agriculture, and human capital could significantly reduce extreme poverty and boost regional GDP.

This policy brief argues that US 'Buy Clean' standards for steel must be flexible and based on recycled content reporting to avoid bankrupting primary steel producers. It suggests a sliding-scale emissions target to incentivize the transition toward green hydrogen and zero-carbon electricity without causing emissions leakage or industry bifurcation.

In a speech delivered at the South African Institute of International Affairs on 26 April 2023, President Sauli Niinistö of Finland addresses the intersection of global crises, including climate change, food insecurity, and the war in Ukraine. He emphasizes the necessity of international cooperation, the importance of a fair climate transition for Africa, and Finland's decision to join NATO in response to Russian aggression.

This report by Ember analyzes global electricity source trends in 2022, detailing the growth of renewables like solar and wind, the continued dominance and record highs of coal, and the fluctuations in hydro, nuclear, gas, and bioenergy generation. It compares current trends against the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario to highlight the growth rates required to limit global warming to 1.5C.

This report by Ember provides a detailed analysis of global electricity generation, demand, and emissions for 2022, evaluating progress toward net-zero targets. It highlights a record growth in wind and solar power, offset by a continued reliance on fossil fuels and a historic decline in nuclear generation. The report notes that while emissions intensity is at its lowest level, absolute power sector emissions reached an all-time high in 2022.

This briefing examines the need for reform within international financial institutions (IFIs), specifically the IMF and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), to better support climate-vulnerable developing nations. It highlights how the current global financial system, characterized by structural imbalances and risk aversion, exacerbates debt crises in the global south, hindering their ability to invest in climate resilience. The document focuses on the Bridgetown Agenda as a framework for reform, proposing mechanisms such as the rechanneling of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and the modernization of MDB Capital Adequacy Frameworks to unlock significant additional lending for climate action.

This briefing by Energy Innovation outlines policy options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. industrial sector, which is responsible for a quarter to a third of national emissions. The document proposes a combination of trade mechanisms, financial incentives, R&D support, and regulatory standards to accelerate the deployment of clean industrial technologies and maintain U.S. competitiveness.

The Türkiye Electricity Review 2023 by Ember analyzes Türkiye's power sector in 2022, highlighting a return to peak coal generation driven by expensive imports from Russia, the critical role of hydropower in mitigating gas supply crises from Iran, and the gap between ambitious solar capacity targets and current installation barriers.

This policy brief provides a state-of-play analysis of the WTO Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on Electronic Commerce as of December 2022. It examines the evolving global e-commerce governance landscape, including national regulatory trends and the rise of Digital Economy Agreements, while detailing the progress of JSI negotiations, the restructuring of the consolidated negotiating text, and the efforts to address the digital divide and development concerns.

This report provides a status update on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-commerce as of December 2022. It analyzes the initiative's progress during its fifth year, contrasting it with broader trends in national, regional, and multilateral digital governance. The report highlights a shift toward a potentially less ambitious agreement for the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), focusing on resolved trade facilitation issues while deferring controversial market access and data flow topics.

This report provides a status update on the WTO Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on e-commerce as of December 2022. It analyzes the evolving landscape of digital trade governance at national, regional, and multilateral levels, noting a trend toward more flexible regional Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs) and an increased focus on the digital divide within the WTO's broader Work Programme. The author suggests that the JSI is likely moving toward a less ambitious agreement focusing on minor facilitation points to ensure a conclusion by the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13).

An analysis by Ember reporting that wind and solar growth in the EU saved €12 billion in avoided gas costs in the year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while helping the EU reduce its reliance on Russian gas imports from 40% to 16%.

This briefing note by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights (GIESCR) reviews the 2023 activities of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) regarding climate change. It details the Committee's focus on mitigation policies, adaptation strategies, and the transition away from fossil fuels across various State parties' Concluding Observations (COBs) and Lists of Issues (LOIs).

RMI argues against the use of climate finance from wealthy nations to support natural gas development in the Global South, asserting that such a move would jeopardize the 1.5°C global warming target and the goals of the Paris Agreement. The document contends that fossil gas is a poor investment for developing countries due to supply dependency, price volatility, and the risk of methane leakage.

The Climate Change Performance Index 2023 executive summary evaluates the climate mitigation efforts of the 60 largest emitters. It highlights that no country is currently on a 1.5°C pathway, leaving the top three ranks unoccupied. While Denmark leads in most categories, major emitters like China and the US are ranked in the 'very low' category. The report notes a wide disparity in performance among EU member states and identifies Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan as the worst overall performers.

The NewClimate Institute reports that global expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fossil gas is undermining the Paris Agreement and the 1.5°C warming limit. Despite some policy progress in the US, China, and the EU, current 2030 targets put the world on a path toward 2.4°C of warming, while the pipeline of new LNG capacity threatens to significantly increase emissions by 2030.

A November 2022 briefing by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) identifies 30 fossil fuel companies responsible for 43% of the energy sector's global methane emissions. The analysis breaks down emissions by fuel sector (oil/gas and coal) and ownership type (national/state-owned vs. international/investor-owned), highlighting the disproportionate impact of a small number of large producers.