Features
No Progress on the Global Stocktake at COP30
While scientists increasingly consider the 1.5°C goal impossible to achieve, public and private sector stakeholders at COP30 can still help ensure a livable future for the next generation by uniting and working to urgently phase out fossil fuels, halt and reverse deforestation and scale up renewable energy sources.
At COP30, Transportation Emissions Remain a Big Hurdle
COP30 highlighted a critical gap: despite funding pledges, transport remains underfunded and slow to decarbonise. With Asia’s rapid urbanisation driving demand for mobility, accelerated, equity-focused investments in clean and inclusive transport are urgently needed to avoid locking in high emissions and inequitable access.
Renewable Energy
Is Renewable Energy Reliable in a High-demand World?
Renewable energy has transitioned from the fringe to the backbone, with advancements in storage, forecasting and smarter grids enabling the delivery of reliable and cost-effective power. New data show that wind and solar are delivering record shares globally, supported by regional interconnections and long-duration storage that enhance resilience and grid stability.
Renewable Energy Trends 2025: Capacity to Double by 2030
Despite the positive trends, the IEA warns that the COP28 to triple clean energy capacity remains out of reach. To get back on track, countries should minimise policy uncertainties, reduce permitting timelines, increase grid investments and expand flexibility to facilitate the integration of variable renewables and derisk financing.
Fossil Fuel
Proposed Ammonia Co-firing Solutions More Expensive than Renewables
The LCOE for ammonia co-firing exceeds that of renewable electricity, rendering Southeast Asia’s plans economically unfeasible. According to experts, instead of exposing themselves to the financial, environmental and health risks associated with ammonia co-firing, ASEAN nations should prioritise the accelerated deployment of renewable energy.
Gas Turbine Shortage in Vietnam and the Philippines
Experts note that delays, exacerbated by global gas turbine shortages, and regulatory and bankability challenges are giving clear market signals to move away from gas projects and scale up renewables and battery storage deployments instead.
Region
The Most Polluted River in India Is Not the Ganga or Yamuna
India’s river pollution crisis has a new face: the Cooum in Chennai, now considered the country’s most polluted waterway. Across 46% of India’s rivers, contamination from untreated sewage, industrial discharges and waste is threatening public health, livelihoods and ecosystems, with major stretches, such as the Yamuna and Sabarmati, illustrating the depth of the challenge. The drivers, impacts and the urgent policy gaps must be addressed to reverse decades of neglect.
Water Pollution in India and Its Toll on Rivers and People
Water pollution in India remains an urgent crisis, threatening public health, ecosystems and the economy despite ongoing cleanup efforts. With 40% of monitored river stretches failing to meet basic water-quality norms and groundwater contamination on the rise, urgent, coordinated action is needed to safeguard the country’s scarce freshwater resources.
Podcasts
Most Popular
Most Popular
Videos
