CLIMATE: HOW TO WIN

This policy brief by Energy Innovation argues that avoiding catastrophic climate change requires the 20 largest carbon-emitting countries to rapidly implement a specific set of well-designed, sector-specific energy policies. The author emphasizes that the next 15 years are crucial to prevent irreversible damage and runaway feedback loops, suggesting that the use of 'Best Practice Networks' (BPNs) can provide the technical expertise necessary for countries to design and implement these policies effectively.

• The next 15 years are critical for climate action because carbon accumulation causes irreversible damage and may trigger runaway feedback loops, such as methane release from thawing arctic tundra or accelerated ice melt in Greenland and Antarctica that could make most coastal cities uninhabitable.
• Global climate success depends on the 20 largest carbon-emitting countries, as they are responsible for 80 percent of carbon emissions. The United States and China are the top two emitters in this group.
• Effective carbon reduction must be targeted across four primary energy sectors: electricity, buildings, industry, and transportation. Energy-created greenhouse gases account for approximately 75 percent of climate forcing.
• Specific 'killer app' policies are identified for each sector: building codes and appliance standards for buildings; fuel efficiency standards and fleet electrification for transportation; renewable portfolio standards (RPS) and decoupling for utilities; and equipment standards for industry. Carbon pricing and R&D are noted as policies that benefit all sectors.
• Policy design is critical to avoid unintended consequences; for example, poorly designed fuel efficiency standards in the U.S. (CAFE) are cited as having wasted 30 years of improvements and costing the U.S. more than $1 trillion.
• To bridge the gap between political commitment and implementation, the author proposes using 'Best Practice Networks' (BPNs)—such as those pioneered by the ClimateWorks Foundation—to provide decision-makers with technical expertise, case studies, and computer models.

APA

Harvey, H. (2016). CLIMATE: HOW TO WIN. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Climate_HowToWin-final.pdf

Chicago

Harvey, Hal. CLIMATE: HOW TO WIN. Energy Innovation, 2016. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Climate_HowToWin-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Harvey |first1=Hal |title=CLIMATE: HOW TO WIN |publisher=Energy Innovation |date=April 2016 |url=https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Climate_HowToWin-final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{harvey2016climate, author = {Harvey, Hal}, title = {{CLIMATE: HOW TO WIN}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2016}, month = apr, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Climate_HowToWin-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }