Singapore/Belém, Brazil – Global energy stakeholders have been in overdrive in recent days. From the charged discussions at last week’s Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) to the opening of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, this week, they all echo one fundamental message: the race to decarbonization must not come at the expense of energy security, yet every choice made today will decide the planet’s fate.

One major debate at SIEW focused on the deep-rooted role of nuclear power; specifically, on how it can be built in harmony, and not in hierarchy, with other energy technologies. Experts noted that nuclear and renewables must operate in tandem—not competing, especially in the dispatch domain—as they cautioned that a single policy misstep could fracture balance and strangle grid flexibility.

Sweden offers a grounded example: 70 percent of its power is drawn from renewables and nuclear, with nuclear serving as its baseload capacity backbone. Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch, who is also the country’s Energy Minister, emphasized that the success of any energy system depends on respecting physics, not bending it to political agendas.

“Take politics out of energy policy and put physics back in … when it comes to energy, no grand political speech and rhetoric could ever override the basic laws of physics – that’s just the way it is,” she stressed.

Busch stipulated that effective policymaking must see the energy network as one living organism, wherein generation capacities, the grid, and power delivery to consumers are interlinked. Fragmented planning and policymaking, she warned, could jeopardize the stability of a nation’s energy future.

“Production, transmission and consumption of electricity cannot be viewed as separate parts – they all interact and affect each other in different ways. The power grid is probably the biggest and most complicated man-made machine,” she explained.

The energy markets of Singapore, the United States, and France stood firm on one shared principle: that countries venturing into this technology must uphold the highest safety standards—with France reminding the world that “safety, safety, safety” must always anchor the nuclear equation.

Circling back home, the Philippines may be able to take a hard cue from Singapore; a market that is building its nuclear ambition parallel to ours, but has been moving not on impulse but on intellect and a high degree of prudence. While Manila appears fumbling with fragmented policies, Singapore is underpinning its nuclear ambition with a two-year, data-driven study to test the true “suitability of new nuclear technologies” to its energy market.

The study, to be undertaken by British firm Mott MacDonald, will put advanced nuclear technologies under the microscope, primarily scrutinizing small modular reactors (SMRs) for safety, maturity, and commercial readiness. This meticulous approach leaves no corner unchecked before Singapore commits to a nuclear energy future.

Singapore is likewise leveling up on capacity enhancement. Energy Market Authority (EMA) Chief Executive Puah Kok Keong announced their three-year partnership (spanning 2026-2028) with the World Nuclear Association (WNA) to deepen technical expertise on nuclear energy through workshops, regional forums, and structured knowledge sharing across government and industry. This is on top of existing international collaborations with the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Singapore’s nuclear strategy demonstrates one thing unmistakably: this is no marathon, but a sprint demanding precision, meticulous pacing, and broad collaboration. Every safety, security, and market risk is assessed and studied before a single policy is penned or reactor ordered. These moves are not made on a whim or dressed up as outcomes of courtesy travels/missions; they are deliberate and grounded on rigorous planning.

The climate scorecard: Wins and wake-up calls

Following the release of the Biennial Transparency Report (BTR), UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell emphasized that climate actions are delivering measurable progress, but they still need to be broadened and accelerated if nations are to stay on course for global targets.

“The report shines a light on factors driving success, and factors that are holding back faster progress,” he noted.

The BTR Synthesis Report provides a first snapshot of how countries are faring on climate action, revealing a patchwork of progress based on data reported through 2022.

Stiell expounded that “this report – along with our recent reports on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans – all point in the same direction: the Paris Agreement is working, driving climate actions across economies and societies.” Cited as key levers to decarbonization have been renewables, electric vehicles (EVs), energy efficiency, reforestation, and emissions trading. According to the UN official, countries worldwide are operationalizing the Paris Agreement through reinforced policies, institutional innovation, and whole-of-society strategies; forces that have been driving tangible transformation across economies.

Nevertheless, Stiell qualified that more finance—and of higher quality—must flow to where it is urgently needed, as developing countries still grapple with severe shortfalls in both funding and technology support. The UN similarly flagged gaping capacity and persistent data gaps as critical obstacles that must be urgently addressed if the world is to take meaningful, Paris-aligned strides toward decarbonization.

Methodology for carbon markets

In a landmark move, the UN Supervisory Body for Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement formalized its first methodology for calculating emissions reduction—beginning with methane from landfills and signaling that renewables will be next in line.

The inaugural Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism methodology sets the rules for managing landfill methane and how it can qualify for UN-backed carbon credits. This is seen as a calculated step to tackle one of the most potent greenhouse gases, which may then help abate climate-warming emissions. The supervisory body indicated that, with this turning point, the UN carbon market is now fully operational, and “activities can now be submitted for registration using this first Paris-aligned methodology.”

As specified under the methodology, projects that simply burn off methane (flaring) could see their crediting level drop quickly, while methane-to-energy projects retain higher credits over time. This intrinsically creates a framework that rewards innovation, incentivizes superior solutions, and blocks the entrenchment of unsustainable practices.

Martin Hession, chair of the Article 6.4 UN Supervisory Body, highlighted the development as a breakthrough, as this will serve as the first practical application of Paris-aligned crediting, hinting that many more innovative methodologies may follow as the world seeks credible emissions reductions.

“Starting with landfill methane, we’re showing how carbon markets aligned to the Paris Agreement can deliver real-world solutions - and there’s plenty more to come,” he said.

As things stand today, the race to keep warming below 1.5°C grows harder as major economies like the United States pulled back from the Paris Agreement while some energy markets are relapsing into fossil fuels. But COP30 remains a critical test of whether the world can still chart a credible path toward meaningful decarbonization moving forward.