Search Climate Insights Directory

This report by Climate Policy Initiative and E3G analyzes the financial interactions and Paris Agreement alignment of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and National Development Banks (NDBs) in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). It identifies a lack of comprehensive documentation on climate finance flows between these institutions and highlights significant divergence in how MDBs and NDBs mainstream climate considerations into their operations. The report provides recommendations to optimize operating models, clarify institutional mandates, and share technical expertise to scale up climate-related on-lending.

This report by Ember analyzes the underreporting of coal mine methane (CMM) emissions, finding that global emissions may be up to twice as high as government figures reported to the UNFCCC. It highlights systemic failures in monitoring, noting that 97% of reported emissions rely on general emission factors rather than direct measurement, and recommends mandatory direct monitoring, satellite verification, and international support for low-income countries to mitigate this potent greenhouse gas.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics argues for a rigorous, science-based definition of 'unabated fossil fuels' to prevent the use of weak policies and inadequate technologies from undermining the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C. It highlights that while the term has become central to G7, G20, and UN climate negotiations, the lack of a consensus definition allows for interpretations that may include low carbon capture rates or ignore upstream emissions.

The 2023 update report by the NewClimate Institute analyzes projected greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions up to 2030 for 25 countries, comparing current policy outcomes against Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). While aggregated emissions projections remain stable, the report identifies significant shifts in individual countries and a persistent gap between current policies and the 43% reduction required for Paris Agreement alignment.

Ember provides formal feedback on Indonesia's Comprehensive Investment and Policy Plan (CIPP) under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), arguing that the current plan underestimates emissions by excluding captive power and lacks sufficient ambition in solar and wind deployment. The organization calls for a re-evaluation of bioenergy risks, more transparent financing details regarding GFANZ, and a stronger commitment to coal retirement that aligns with the IEA's 1.5 degree scenario.

This background note provides energy production and demand forecasts for Africa and the global community up to 2043, based on the International Futures (IFs) forecasting platform. It details the transition of energy sources, the growth of African energy demand driven by population increases, and the status of fossil fuel reserves and renewable energy projects across the continent.

This background note from the Institute for Security Studies projects that Africa, following its current development trajectory, will eventually become the primary global source of carbon emissions from fossil fuels, surpassing the emissions of the EU, USA, India, and China by 2061.

This background note provides historical data and forecasts for global and African energy demand and production up to 2043, highlighting the role of population growth in driving energy needs and the slow transition away from fossil fuels.

The fourth edition of the Production Gap Report by the Stockholm Environment Institute highlights a significant discrepancy between national net-zero promises and actual fossil fuel production plans, projecting that production in 2030 will far exceed levels consistent with global warming limits of 1.5°C and 2°C.

This guide, prepared by the Climate Bonds Initiative, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Green Climate Fund, provides a step-by-step framework for corporate issuers to finance their climate transition using thematic bonds. It details the process of creating a credible transition plan, selecting appropriate debt labels—such as green, sustainability, or sustainability-linked bonds—and establishing a sustainable financing framework to ensure alignment with the Paris Agreement goals.

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative examines the role of fossil gas in sustainable finance taxonomies, arguing that fugitive methane emissions significantly increase the climate impact of gas-fired power generation, often making it comparable to coal. It analyzes various global taxonomies and concludes that the strict criteria for fossil gas inclusion in the EU Taxonomy make such projects economically unviable compared to renewable energy alternatives.

The 'Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2023' executive summary reports that average annual climate finance flows reached nearly USD 1.3 trillion in 2021/2022, nearly doubling from 2019/2020 levels. Despite this growth, current flows represent only about 1% of global GDP and remain heavily concentrated in a few geographies and sectors, primarily mitigation in energy and transport. The report emphasizes a massive gap between current flows and the estimated annual needs, which are projected to rise from USD 8.1 trillion to over USD 10 trillion by 2031-2050 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

This report by RMI argues that financial institutions (FIs) can use asset-level emissions modeling and remote detection technologies to identify and fund methane abatement in the oil and gas sector. It highlights that methane emissions from equivalent volumes of oil and gas can vary by a factor of 10 or more, and that a significant portion of these emissions can be reduced through cost-neutral or profitable investments. The document advocates for the use of 20-year Global Warming Potential (GWP) metrics to better reflect near-term climate risks and the impact of new regulations, such as the US Inflation Reduction Act's methane fee.

This briefing from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) provides a financial update for the first three months of the 2023-2024 fiscal year (July to September 2023), detailing party contributions and operational expenditures.

RMI has developed a calculator to determine the emissions parity between natural gas and coal, highlighting that methane leakage can make gas as damaging to the climate as coal. The briefing argues that the perception of natural gas as a 'cleaner' fuel is often incorrect because even low leakage rates can negate the greenhouse gas benefits of substituting coal with gas.

This report by Ember analyzes global power sector emissions and electricity generation for the first half of 2023, noting that emissions plateaued due to a historic decline in hydropower output that offset gains from wind and solar growth.

This guide by RMI explains the importance of integrating embodied carbon reporting into Scope 3 climate disclosures for the real estate industry. It details the regulatory and investor pressures driving this shift, provides a framework for categorizing and calculating embodied emissions, and outlines a path toward net-zero targets.

The Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) proposes the establishment of a Global Credit Guarantee Facility (GCGF) to reduce the cost of capital for renewable energy investments in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). The facility would primarily mitigate credit risk—including sovereign, off-taker, and average foreign exchange risk—through partial guarantees, while transferring political and residual FX risks to existing institutions like MIGA and TCX.

The report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) analyzes global coal mining employment and the necessity of a 'just transition' for workers. Using a new dataset from the Global Coal Mine Tracker, GEM estimates that nearly 2.7 million people are directly employed at operating coal mines. The report warns that hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk due to planned mine closures by 2035 and 2050, regardless of climate policies, and that significantly more layoffs would occur if the world adheres to 1.5°C and 2°C warming scenarios.

This policy brief by RMI examines the potential for the Great Lakes region of the United States to become a globally competitive hub for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). It analyzes the region's strengths in feedstock availability, existing ethanol infrastructure, and logistics, while identifying a significant gap in coordinated state-level industrial policy to support the SAF value chain.