A solar panel on the ground next to someone with a wash basin.

SUBSIDY WATCH BLOG

Explore news, commentary and analysis related to subsidies and sustainable development.

Organizations

Sectors

Countries

Contributor

Sort By

A New Narrative in Climate Talks: Cutting Emissions with Both Arms of the Scissors

May 17, 2018 | Ivetta Gerasimchuk

Fossil fuel supply needs to be phased out as well as demand, and should be accomplished in a predictable manner, to ensure a just transition.

Accelerating the Ongoing Energy Transition: The next 10 years and beyond

April 20, 2018 | Peter Wooders

I recently attended the 4th Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, where I participated in a panel discussion alongside ministers and senior experts assembled to share what we can learn from these and other experiences in the transition away from coal, oil and gas around the world.

Blog: Will Indonesia Miss the 23 Per Cent Renewable Energy Target?

March 28, 2018 | Richard Bridle

At an event held in Jakarta on March 28, 2018, at the Tugu Kunstkring Paleis, on behalf of the International Institute for Sustainable Development’s Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI), I launched a report analyzing the perceptions that energy sector stakeholders hold about progress towards this objective.

Blog: Financing and Accelerating Sustainable Energy Access through Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform: Practitioners discuss opportunities at the SDG 7 Conference in Bangkok

March 12, 2018 | Anna Zinecker

Are fossil fuel subsidies necessary to achieve the rapid progress needed for universal energy access by 2030? Practitioners discuss opportunities at the SDG 7 Conference in Bangkok.

Fossil Fuel Subsidies or $112 for Families? Let women decide

March 8, 2018 | Laura Merrill , Shruti Sharma

Mothers, grandmothers and daughters often have a lot on their plates—even more so in developing countries where health, education and social protection are scarce, and energy systems are often emerging.

Blog: Trudeau’s India Visit: Cooperating on climate action will boost other agendas

February 21, 2018 | Vibhuti Garg , Ivetta Gerasimchuk

The agenda for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to India this week includes trade, education, infrastructure, and skill development. Climate change action could boost collaboration in all of these areas and should not be left off the table

Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Research Suggests Emission Reductions Equivalent to at Least a Quarter of the Commitments Countries Made at Paris

February 8, 2018 | Laura Merrill , Ivetta Gerasimchuk , Peter Wooders , Andrea Bassi

Research released in a letter to Nature describes how a single policy instrument, fossil fuel subsidy reform (FFSR), could deliver carbon emission reductions of between 0.5 to 2 Gt, or between 1 and 4 per cent, globally by 2030.

Five Things You Should Know (and Figures You Should See) about Energy Pricing Reforms in the Gulf

January 24, 2018 | Tom Moerenhout

Since the oil price drop in the summer of 2014, Gulf countries have made significant advances to reform fossil fuel prices.

Seeing Through the Smog

December 7, 2017 | Vibhuti Garg

With a rising population and fast-growing economy, energy demand in India is increasing rapidly. Is the country embarking upon a clean energy or a fossil fuel-dependent approach to meet this rising demand?

Part of the policy solution: fossil fuel subsidy reform and taxation at the UNFCCC

December 1, 2017 | Anna Zinecker , Laura Merrill

Fossil fuel subsidy reform was high on the agenda at the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 23). At several events, experts and political leaders sent a clear signal to move fast to reform fossil fuel subsidies, which stood at over USD 425 billion in 2015.

Germany and Mexico Publish Peer Reviews of Fossil Fuel Subsidies Under G-20

November 16, 2017 | Lourdes Sanchez

Germany and Mexico released their voluntary peer reviews of fossil fuel subsidies under the G-20, during the twenty-third Conference of Parties (COP23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Ending Coal: From Diplomacy to Implementation

November 16, 2017 | Ivetta Gerasimchuk

Diplomatically, coal power is on the wrong side of history. Spearheaded by Canada, the UK and the Marshall Islands, the Powering Past Coal Alliance has just been launched at the UN climate talks in Bonn.

Blog: No New Coal in Java: Indonesia takes a first step at phase-out

October 17, 2017 | Richard Bridle

Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Ignasius Jonan recently announced that there would be no new coal plants in Java. The announcement heralds, at last, a step away from the coal-dominated future that had been proposed. Why has this decision been taken? And how should Indonesia seek to power its economy with coal now taken off the menu?

Country Reviews of Fossil Fuel Subsidies: Guiding countries through the process

October 5, 2017 | Ivetta Gerasimchuk

Self- and peer reviews of government support to oil, gas and coal are a first step and practical tool for phasing out wasteful fossil fuel subsidies (FFS). The G7, G20, European Union and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) governments have all committed “to rationalize inefficient FFS that encourage wasteful consumption.” But how can we support them?

Blog: From Paris to Lofoten and Back: A Call for a Managed Decline of the Fossil-Fuel Industry

September 19, 2017 | Ivetta Gerasimchuk

Two events this September set a new bar for climate change leadership. First, over 340 non-governmental organisations from 67 countries signed the Lofoten Declaration. This document calls for an end to exploration and expansion of new oil, gas and coal reserves, a managed decline of the oil, coal, and gas industry, and a just transition to a safer climate future.

Health Organizations, Help Indonesia Kick the Coal Habit

September 18, 2017 | Erica Petrofsky

Indonesians’ lungs have been exposed to significant pollution in the past few years, from forest fire haze to increasing amounts of motor vehicle exhaust. A study looking at the greater Jakarta area attributed 3,700 premature deaths per year to air pollution from 2012 to 2015. The national and regional governments of Indonesia are trying to tackle some of these issues through, for example, banning land clearance by burning and improving public transit. But there’s one area, power generation, where current government policies are on course to make Indonesia’s air pollution worse.

Blog: How Indonesia Might Turn Its Back on a Future of Cheaper Renewable Electricity

August 9, 2017 | Lourdes Sanchez

Short-term gain can lead to long-term pain. This might be the case with Indonesia’s recent decision to bet on coal as its preferred source to supply reliable and affordable electricity. Indonesia’s decision comes at a time when the rest of the world is moving in the opposite direction: countries are increasingly switching from coal to renewables and encouraging competition between power generators to obtain the best prices.