Civil society groups are pushing for a new mechanism to help countries make a just energy transition as one of the main deliverables at the COP31 climate summit in Türkiye this November. Nicholas Institute expert Sandeep Pai spoke to Climate Home News about considerations and challenges for international negotiators in developing such a mechanism.

A first-of-its-kind report from researchers at Duke University and the University of Cape Town maps the most credible research and development opportunities for processing lithium and rare earth elements, critical minerals vital to the clean energy transition. The researchers offer recommendations to companies and countries trying to go beyond mining and expand their processing capability.

Duke University and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have awarded Joint Sustainability Research Initiative Grants to four collaborative research projects, including one co-led by Ashley Ward and another co-led by Sandeep Pai. 

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) produce more than half of all global coal, oil and gas, but they are often absent from planning for a just energy transition. Sandeep Pai (Nicholas Institute) and Sahba Chauhan (IKEA Foundation) write about how SOEs can use existing tools to move away from fossil fuels without upending the lives of the workers and communities who rely on them.

“At the end of the day, energy security triumphs any other climate considerations,” Nicholas Institute expert Sandeep Pai told AP News. Oil and gas shortages caused by the Iran war have meant much of Southeast Asia is now turning back to coal for energy security, disrupting a trend toward lower-emission electricity generation.

Nicholas Institute expert Sandeep Pai spoke to The Wire about his recently published research on India's efforts to repurpose coal-powered facilities into new, cleaner electricity generation capacity. "A just transition in the energy realm could take different approaches," he said. "Many see coal asset repurposing, from closed mines and plants to new uses like solar, as an essential tool for a just transition."

Nicholas Institute expert Sandeep Pai is the featured guest on this episode of The Carbon Circle. The wide-ranging interview discusses his path to decarbonization research, India’s reliance on and recent moves away from domestic coal, and the importance of critical minerals in a clean energy transition.

Launched in 2021 by Sandeep Pai and Shreya Jai, The India Energy Hour features insightful conversations with prominent figures in academia, civil society and government about the critical challenges of and prospects for India’s energy transition.

This week, the United States and India signed an agreement aimed at strengthening supply chains for critical minerals that are foundational for energy, manufacturing and defense technologies. The two countries can translate the agreement's diplomatic language into tangible and durable cooperation by focusing on four areas, write Sandeep Pai and Jonathan Phillips, experts with the James E. Rogers Energy Access Project at Duke, in Outlook Business.

Duke University expert Sandeep Pai joined the KankeTalks podcast to explore a range of topics on India's energy future, including whether India is prepared for an energy crisis, the strategic challenges of being 85% dependent on oil imports and the hidden winners and losers in the country's transition from coal to renewables. The conversation also touched on the impact of the U.S.-Iran conflict on gas prices, the reality of the electric vehicle revolution and the geopolitics of rare earth minerals.

Ongoing uncertainty around liquid natural gas exports is affecting fossil fuel production around the world. Nicholas Institute expert Sandeep Pai told BBC World Business Report (starting at 19:09) that the current crisis nonetheless does not spell a comeback for coal in India and other countries. “I think the long-term trajectory is set,” Pai said. “All the investments are going in renewables. However, you will see some rise, maybe for a year or two until the whole crisis is settled.”

The first in a Critical Mineral Collaboration Series, this webinar convened policymakers, industry leaders and scientists to explore how countries across the Global South can collaborate to strengthen critical mineral value chains. Panelists—including Sandeep Pai—discussed strategies for building and scaling regional processing and refining capacity, enabling countries to move beyond raw material exports toward higher-value manufacturing and deeper downstream integration.

Discussions at the third annual “From Billions to Trillions” summit ranged from filling clean energy investment gaps to addressing AI energy demand to navigating political risks … and much more.

Could rising fuel costs from the 2026 Iran war mean an increased global reliance on coal? Nicholas Institute expert Sandeep Pai told the BBC World Business Report that likelihood is low. “There is no momentum towards coal at a global level,” he said. “In some countries, they might build a few more coal plants because of this crisis. Once this crisis subdues, I do believe this is a short-term phenomenon.”

Coal is integral to Asia’s emergency energy plans as the Iran war disrupts oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Its wide availability in Asia makes it the default backup when renewables or gas fall short, Nicholas Institute expert Sandeep Pai explained to The Associated Press.