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The report examines Indonesia's energy transition, highlighting the risk of stranded assets due to coal overcapacity and the potential for renewable energy to revitalize coal-dependent provinces. It compares the RUPTL 2021-2030 and JETP frameworks, suggesting that replacing planned coal capacity with solar power in regions like East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and South Sumatra could create 96,000 high-skilled jobs and attract $9.4 billion in investment.

The article examines the shift in India's renewable energy procurement toward Firm & Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE) tenders introduced by SECI in 2023. It argues that these tenders require a move away from cost-centric models toward advanced risk management, as developers must now match hourly demand profiles. To remain competitive, the authors suggest developers must evolve into 'Developers 2.0' by enhancing trading capabilities and addressing challenges such as price cannibalization and volume uncertainty.

The report identifies Drax power station as the UK's largest single CO2 emitter in 2023, emitting 11.5 million tonnes of CO2. It highlights that power stations, steelworks, and refineries are the primary sources of emissions, with the power sector accounting for 12% of total UK emissions. The document criticizes the use of biomass for power generation, arguing that the assumption of carbon neutrality is flawed and that the sector's reliance on imports creates energy security risks. It suggests that energy security can be achieved through the rapid deployment of cheaper renewables, energy storage, and grid upgrades rather than through subsidies for large emitters.

National wind targets from 70 countries and the EU aim for a collective capacity of 2,157 GW by 2030, which represents a 2.4x increase from 2022 but falls short of the 2,742 GW required for a tripling. While global forecasts suggest these targets are achievable in aggregate, this is primarily due to China's expected over-performance; most other countries are projected to fall short of their own targets. The report highlights significant implementation gaps in the US and India, while noting that Brazil and Türkiye are likely to exceed their targets due to low initial ambition.

Malaysia possesses significant untapped solar resources that could reduce its reliance on volatile fossil fuel prices and improve energy security. While the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) targets 70% renewable capacity by 2050, the report suggests that more ambitious targets, such as those proposed by IRENA, could further benefit the country. In Peninsular Malaysia, solar generation costs dropped 64% between 2016 and 2021, becoming 53% cheaper than fossil fuel options by 2023. To manage the 'twin peaks' of daily demand (4 pm and 8 pm), the report advocates for a combination of solar for daytime peaks and hydropower and battery energy storage systems (BESS) for evening peaks. Key barriers include the need for grid interconnections between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak, as well as the requirement for clearer policies on wheeling charges and BESS bankability.

The report finds that Türkiye's domestic coal power plants are incapable of providing baseload electricity, characterized by an average availability rate of 52% and significant annual production losses of 22 TWh due to malfunctions. Despite this poor performance, coal-fired generation reached a record 118 TWh in 2023, contributing 20% of the country's total carbon emissions. The analysis highlights that domestic lignite plants are particularly inefficient, with energy efficiency 15% below the EU average, and some wind farms now achieve higher capacity factors than these coal plants. The document argues that Türkiye lacks a coal phase-out strategy, with some licenses extending to 2069, and recommends transitioning to cheaper renewable energy to meet its 2053 net zero target and mitigate potential EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) costs.

China's large generation state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have significantly diversified into renewable energy, contributing to a relative decline in coal power's share of the generation mix from over 70% in the mid-2000s to about 60% in 2023. While this strategy has accelerated the transition, the report warns that China is approaching a critical turning point where coal generation may enter an absolute decline, potentially peaking around 2025. The authors argue that current diversification efforts are insufficient to address the systemic risks to the 'coal-electricity ecosystem,' which includes coal production, logistics, and chemical industries. They propose a 'beyond-diversification' approach that emphasizes a just transition for coal-dependent regions, comprehensive economic restructuring, and coordinated stakeholder bargaining to mitigate social tensions and the rural-urban divide.

Ember argues that the Boggabri coal mine's fugitive emissions are severely under-reported, using a self-led estimate that is 95 times lower than NSW state guidance. The submission warns that the proposed Modification 10, which involves mining deeper coal seams between 2033 and 2040, could result in Scope 1 emissions being 9 million tonnes higher than reported if state-recommended factors were used. Ember highlights a lack of assessment regarding how increased mining depth affects methane release and calls for a peer-reviewed assessment of pre-mine drainage mitigation before approval.

In the first half of 2024, wind and solar power generated 30% of the EU's electricity, surpassing fossil fuels (27%) for the first time. This transition occurred despite a 0.7% increase in electricity demand. Fossil fuel generation fell by 17%, with coal dropping by 24% and gas by 14%. Renewables overall provided 50% of the EU's electricity, aided by a 21% rebound in hydro generation. Power sector emissions decreased by 17% compared to the same period in 2023, and are 31% lower than in the first half of 2022. While capacity additions are high, the report notes a gap between national ambitions and the EU's 2030 targets under the REPowerEU plan, particularly for wind energy.

The report highlights a significant gap in emissions reporting among Indonesia's ten largest coal mining companies, where six fail to include coal mine methane (CMM) in their inventories. Despite national regulations and international standards, CMM emissions are often overlooked in favour of carbon dioxide reductions, potentially doubling the reported emissions of some companies. The document warns that increasing coal production quotas amidst declining global demand creates stranded asset risks and environmental impacts. It recommends that companies adopt comprehensive GHG inventories, re-assess investment risks in light of global methane pricing trends, and implement technical abatement measures such as pre-mine drainage.

The report addresses the barrier of limited grid capacity in Europe's energy transition, proposing the use of hosting capacity maps to help developers of renewables, electrolysers, and data centres select optimal connection locations. It notes that while EU legislation now mandates these maps for TSOs and DSOs, there is a lack of specificity in their design. The authors provide a framework for an "ideal" map, recommending substation-level granularity, open-source data access, and the inclusion of planned grid investments to improve network efficiency and investment speed.

The UK faces a capacity shortfall of approximately 22 GW to meet its 2030 offshore wind targets. While a pipeline of 93 GW exists, the report argues that the current Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction parameters and budgets are insufficient. It recommends a 25% increase in the AR6 auction budget to secure an additional 1 GW of capacity and suggests shifting the CfD focus from price competition to delivery scale to protect the UK from volatile gas markets.

India's heavy industries emit 920 million tonnes of CO2 annually, with steel and cement contributing 18% of total national emissions. The report argues that green electrification is a critical lever for decarbonisation, starting with the transition of current electricity demand to renewable energy sources (RES) by 2030 and moving toward deep electrification and power-to-fuel technologies by 2050. By 2030, meeting the projected 253 TWh industrial electricity demand with RES would require 120 GW of capacity and could avoid 180 Mt of CO2. In the long term, a 'Potential Electrification Case' suggests that electricity's share of industrial energy consumption could triple to 34.5% by 2050, requiring 699 GW of RES capacity and potentially reducing CO2 emissions by 37% (737 Mt) compared to business-as-usual.

The report argues that a proposed shift toward unverified company-led emissions reporting (Method 2) in Australian open-cut coal mines allows operators to significantly understate their climate impact. By analyzing eight operating and two proposed mines, Ember finds that some company-led estimates are up to 135 times lower than state-based averages, leading to the 'erasure' of millions of tonnes of CO2-e from national inventories. The document criticizes the Australian government for proposing to expand this self-reporting regime without implementing the Climate Change Authority's recommendations for mandatory top-down verification and increased transparency.

The report identifies a significant gap between global solar panel manufacturing capacity and projected deployment, resulting in 'spare' capacity of 3,837 GW between 2024 and 2030. Utilizing this surplus could enable the world to exceed the COP28 target of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, reaching 13,345 GW (a 21% excess). The document argues that deploying just one-seventh of this spare capacity could meet the electricity demand growth and extend basic energy access to the entire populations of 88 analyzed Global South countries. It highlights that 80-85% of manufacturing is based in China, where companies are already facing investment delays and layoffs due to under-deployment. The report suggests a 'win-win-win' scenario where China maintains its industry, Global South nations gain energy independence and access, and developed nations fulfill their climate finance responsibilities.

Analysis of draft NECPs indicates that while EU member states have significantly increased wind and solar targets since 2019, the current trajectory falls short of REPowerEU goals. Renewables are projected to generate 66% of EU electricity by 2030, missing the 72% target. The report highlights a lack of data transparency in the drafts, particularly regarding power system flexibility and post-2030 decarbonisation pathways.

In April 2024, fossil fuel generation in the EU fell to a record monthly low of 23%, with coal and gas both seeing significant declines. This shift was driven by record-high wind and solar output, which together provided 34% of electricity, and a recovery in hydropower. Consequently, the EU power sector's emissions in April reached a record low of 38 million tonnes of CO2, contributing to an 18% year-on-year decrease in emissions for the first four months of 2024 despite a slight recovery in electricity demand.

In 2023, solar and wind power continued to grow, with solar producing a record 5.5% of global electricity and wind reaching 7.8%. China was the primary driver for both, accounting for 51% of solar growth and 60% of wind additions. Conversely, coal generation reached a record high of 10,434 TWh (35% of the global mix), largely due to droughts in China reducing hydropower output, which fell by a record 88 TWh. Fossil gas remained the second-largest source at 23%, with growth driven by the US. Nuclear generation saw a slight rebound to 9.1% of the mix, while bioenergy reached a record 697 TWh (2.4%). The report notes that while solar and wind are on a positive trajectory, coal and gas must decline sharply, and nuclear and hydro must accelerate growth to meet IEA Net Zero Emissions targets by 2030.

In 2023, the world's top six electricity sector emitters—China, the US, India, the EU, Russia, and Japan—accounted for approximately 72% of global emissions from this sector. China remains the largest emitter, though it leads the world in wind and solar growth. The US and EU have seen long-term emissions declines driven by the replacement of coal with gas and renewables. India's emissions continue to rise as demand growth outpaces clean energy additions. Russia's electricity mix remains largely unchanged over two decades, while Japan is seeing a recovery in nuclear generation and a significant increase in solar share, despite very low wind deployment.

In 2023, the share of renewables in the global electricity mix exceeded 30% for the first time, driven by record solar and wind generation. Despite this, total power sector emissions reached a record high of 14,153 million tonnes of CO2 because clean growth could not fully meet rising demand and was hampered by a record fall in hydropower. While carbon intensity hit a record low of 480 gCO2/kWh, fossil generation increased by 135 TWh, primarily in emerging economies like China and India where droughts reduced hydro output.