The sister publications, REN21’s Renewables 2013 Global Status Report and Frankfurt School – UNEP/BNEF’s Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2013 were launched together on 12 June, 2013.  Together they see $244 billion invested in renewables worldwide during the course of 2012 - the second highest ever - with a clear shift towards developing countries.

A newly released roadmap document outlines a strategy for integrating renewable energy technologies into buildings in China’s Changjiang River (CJR) basin.  The region covers an area of 1.8 million km² with a population of over 500 million. It includes China's major industrial centres and generates 40% of the country's GDP. The region is also growing quickly, with 500 million m2 of new construction added each year.