Search Climate Insights Directory

The report argues that only durable CDR, which stores carbon for millennia, can effectively neutralise residual fossil fuel emissions, yet private sector uptake remains low and concentrated among a few tech companies. It warns that some firms use CDR to avoid deep emission reductions and notes a lack of transparency regarding the social and environmental impacts of supported projects. The document recommends that governments regulate CDR and that voluntary standards require companies to set separate targets for emission reductions and durable CDR support.

The EU is seeing growth in cleantech manufacturing and solar capacity, but the overall pace of transition remains insufficient. Significant financing gaps, fossil fuel dependencies, and misaligned agricultural policies continue to obstruct the path to climate neutrality.

The report argues that the financial sector's climate governance chain is fundamentally broken, as voluntary net-zero commitments by financial institutions and cooperative initiatives have failed to stop the flow of capital into fossil fuels. It introduces an "impact levers" framework to provide actor-specific recommendations for banks, asset managers, pension funds, and regulators to move from voluntary pledges toward enforceable standards and systemic accountability to support a Paris-aligned economy.

The document evaluates the use of renewable hydrogen in Southeast Asia's power sector, arguing that while it can address seasonal storage and peaking needs, the practice of co-firing hydrogen and ammonia in fossil fuel plants is often cost-inefficient and may delay the transition away from fossil fuels. It recommends prioritizing renewable energy and grid infrastructure to lower costs and enhance global competitiveness.

The report examines economic and societal trends affecting Germany's material prosperity and climate protection, utilizing mini-scenarios to 2040 to identify necessary actions for policymakers and experts.

The EU agrifood sector has significant untapped potential for climate action, but current policies are expected to yield only modest emissions reductions. Key opportunities for deep reductions include food waste reduction and the shift toward plant-based foods, which could improve public health and farmer income. However, progress is hindered by CAP subsidies that favour animal-based production and a lack of economic incentives for sustainable protein innovation. While EU long-term climate scenarios rely heavily on technology and assume only moderate dietary shifts, current trends in declining beef consumption suggest that more ambitious progress is feasible if supported by targeted policy and investment.

The 2025 Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor finds that most major global companies fail to align their business models with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal. While some companies like Apple, H&M Group, and Stellantis show 'moderate' integrity, none of the 20 companies in the sector deep dives achieved 'reasonable' or 'high' integrity ratings. The report argues that GHG emission reduction targets alone are insufficient and must be complemented by transition-specific alignment targets to ensure credible decarbonisation.

The analysis of Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, Toyota, and Volkswagen reveals a general failure to set credible decarbonisation targets or address key transitions. Most companies lack ambition in emission reductions, and current battery electric vehicle sales trajectories are insufficient for 1.5°C alignment. While some progress exists in near-zero steel and aluminium procurement by Ford and General Motors, other critical areas like battery production emissions remain neglected.

The report finds that emission targets in the tech sector are losing meaning as actual emissions rise and accounting frameworks remain inconsistent. While some companies like Google, Microsoft, and Apple are implementing promising renewable energy and supply chain strategies, these are not yet industry standards. The document warns that 1.5 °C-aligned validations may mislead stakeholders by ignoring rising emissions and recommends transition-specific targets, robust electricity accounting standards, and government regulation of energy consumption growth.

The report examines climate governance, targets, monitoring processes, and compliance mechanisms in the UK, EU, Germany, US, Japan, and South Korea. It argues that monitoring frameworks are essential for translating long-term net-zero visions into actionable policies and corrective actions, specifically to support Southeast Asian nations in their energy transitions.

The Oxford Principles for Responsible Engagement with Article 6 establish a framework for host countries, buyer countries, and private entities to ensure that carbon trading under the Paris Agreement supports global climate goals. The guidance focuses on three core principles: aligning the use of mitigation outcomes with the Paris Agreement, ensuring the climate and social integrity of those outcomes, and maintaining robust accounting and transparency. Key recommendations include requiring buyer countries to take robust domestic action before using credits, cancelling at least 2% of internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs), and directing at least 5% of proceeds toward adaptation.

The document outlines five strategic priorities for Germany to integrate climate policy into its foreign and security strategy: deepening partnerships with the Global South, strengthening multilateralism, securing sustainable supply chains for raw materials and hydrogen, promoting green technology exports, and addressing climate-driven security risks.

The Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor (CCRM) methodology v5.0 provides a stepwise framework for assessing corporate climate claims across four key areas: emissions tracking, target setting, sectoral transitions, and responsibility for ongoing emissions and removals. The 2025 update introduces revised weightings for scoring, a new progress assessment for five-year emission trends, a full methodological revision of sectoral transition evaluations, and updated scientific insights regarding durable carbon dioxide removal.

The report argues that foundations must move beyond vague sustainability principles to adopt coherent, climate-aligned investment strategies. It emphasizes that reducing portfolio emissions alone is insufficient for real-world impact; instead, foundations should employ a mix of capital allocation and stewardship strategies to support the transformation of the broader economy, including maintaining investments in essential high-emissions sectors to facilitate their transition.

The document analyzes the implementation of just transition policies in European regions, emphasizing the role of subnational authorities in tailoring climate policies to local contexts. It identifies best practices in economic diversification, worker retraining, the application of the Polluter Pays Principle in environmental restoration, and the necessity of multi-level governance and inclusive funding to ensure a climate-neutral economy that leaves no one behind.

The report projects that Viet Nam's power sector labour force will grow from approximately 300,000 full-time employees (FTE) today to 500,000 FTEs by 2035. While coal-related jobs will decline, job creation in renewable energy—specifically solar PV and wind—is expected to outweigh these losses, with wind and solar accounting for over half of the direct labour force (around 300,000 FTEs) by the 2030s. The analysis emphasizes that the JETP scenario offers a more gradual build-up of technologies to reduce market volatility and suggests that increasing local content shares and implementing reskilling programmes are essential for a stable transition.

The report analyzes how the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) affects Guangdong province, a major hub for iron, steel, and aluminium exports. While initial exposure is limited, the report warns that pressure will increase as CBAM expands. It recommends that Guangdong accelerate industrial decarbonization—specifically through electrification and green hydrogen for steel and renewable energy for aluminium—and establish a carbon pricing system compatible with the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). Additionally, it suggests that EU policymakers enhance dialogue on emissions accounting, allocate CBAM revenues to support climate action in developing economies, and engage in international platforms like the Climate Club.

The NewClimate Institute assesses the draft SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard (CNZS) v2.0, noting improvements in target boundaries and scope 2 emissions requirements while calling for stricter rules on indirect mitigation, more frequent validation renewals, and the inclusion of activity-level alignment targets.

The study evaluates the Klimaschutzverträge (KSV) scheme in Germany, finding risks that 'low-carbon' hydrogen may receive indirect subsidies and that removing emissions reduction criteria from bid evaluations could disadvantage green hydrogen. It recommends implementing a holistic sustainability standard for all hydrogen imports and explicitly accounting for transport emissions to ensure resource efficiency.

The study evaluates the H2Global mechanism, specifically the BMWK pilot auction, finding that while some EU-aligned standards for renewable energy are present, the mechanism lacks universal minimum sustainability standards. It identifies gaps in protecting local water and land resources from competing uses and notes that local value creation measures are insufficient to ensure sustainable economic benefits for producer countries.