The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
This paper explores the role of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the low-carbon transition in OECD and G20 countries. It tracks GHG emissions and energy investments by SOEs and analyses the impact of SOEs on investments in renewable electricity. A descriptive analysis of SOEs’ role in the electricity sector shows the …
The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is important through its role as the “cornerstone” of EU climate change policy as well as a “role model” and “pioneer” for carbon markets. It is important that, in addition to the regulatory requirements, it be subjected to a thorough and independent review, …
The Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018 report, published by UN Environment, the Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaborating Centre, and Bloomberg New Energy Finance, finds that falling costs for solar electricity, and to some extent wind power, is continuing to drive deployment. Last year was the eighth in a row in …
A growing number of businesses around the world are turning to internal carbon pricing as a tool to manage climate-related risks and transition to a low-carbon economy. There are early signs that internal carbon pricing is making inroads into progressive Indian businesses as well. But the early movers have reported …
Despite its limited contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, the African continent is highly vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. Progress is being made globally towards mobilising and scaling up climate finance – notably with the recent establishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). However, the amount of …
Despite its limited contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, the African continent is highly vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. Progress is being made globally towards mobilising and scaling up climate finance – notably with the recent establishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). However, the amount of …
This report discusses how to leverage the power of public procurement laws, policies and practices to drive low-carbon innovation in the infrastructure sector. It identifies the most promising parts of the procurement cycle to drive innovation and explains how they can best be utilized to support the transition toward a …
This inaugural edition of the climate resilience handbook consists of a series of articles, which provide insights on three distinct areas of action: strategies for climate resilience, financing for climate resilience, and how to leverage risk management tools to increase climate resilience. 2017 sparked new momentum towards building organizational climate …
The failure of 59 of the world’s largest banks to recognize climate risks and opportunities threatens to undermine efforts to support the transition to a low-carbon economy. This is the key finding of a report by Boston Common Asset Management report titled "Banking on a Low-Carbon Future". Banks play a …
The Energy Outlook considers the energy transition from three different viewpoints (sectors, regions and fuels) and by exploring a number of different scenarios. In the Evolving Transition scenario, world GDP more than doubles by 2040, driven by increasing prosperity in fast-growing emerging economies, as more than 2.5 billion people are …
Australia has abundant energy resources. It is a leading exporter of coal, uranium and liquefied natural gas (LNG), much of which is destined for Asia’s growing markets.At home, Australia’s energy sector is undergoing a significant transformation. The power system is seeing higher shares of variable wind and solar power; South …
This report is the first to bring together an overview of policy options available to national governments as well as guidance on how to design national urban policies around low-carbon, inclusive, sustainable development goals. The report clarifies the critical role of national governments in driving successful urban development and provides …
This discussion brief explores the possibility of a “climate test” for new industrial development by focusing on a case study in the U.S. State of Washington. The debate in Washington over a new chemical facility – to make methanol, a building block of plastics – has centered on its GHG …
A new report ‘Driving disruption’ analysing 16 of the world’s largest publicly-listed automotive companies with a total market capitalization of US$790 billion reveals that the industry must adapt rapidly to address technological disruption and environmental regulation or risk falling behind. The companies analysed in the report from CDP – voted …
Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) affect the transfer of technologies between countries in the form of foreign direct investment and trade in equipment goods. The impact of IPRs is a contentious issue for climate change mitigation. Opponents to IPRs claim that they are a barrier for technology transfer. Others argue that …
This paper estimates the potential scale of stranded assets in the coal power sector in China under different policy scenarios. A number of factors are putting significant pressure on the coal-power sector: a recent investment bubble in new capacity, structural slowing in electricity demand growth, upcoming moves to liberalize electricity …
Viet Nam has had rapid economic growth in recent years, but this growth has been energy dependent, even as the energy system has become more carbon intensive. This study uses a bottom-up model to evaluate 63 measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from household electricity, industry, power generation, and transport. …
The Philippines currently has a low level of per capita greenhouse gas emissions. However, emission levels are growing at an increasing rate, with 4% annual growth between 2006 and 2012. The country’s energy system is becoming more carbon intensive to satisfy escalating energy demand caused by strong economic growth. This …
This paper explores ways of financing the transition from brown, carbon-intensive models of economic development to low-carbon, green economies. Countries are beginning to better understand their progress in transitioning from brown to green models of economic development. However, there is no single set of indicators to allow an assessment of …
There was little improvement in EU Member States’ 2050 climate plans between 2015 and 2017, this new analysis from WWF shows. This makes the proposed Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union, currently under discussion, critical to ensuring EU Member States produce effective long-term emissions reduction strategies. WWF found …
