Search Climate Insights Directory

This briefing by Energy Innovation analyzes the projected impacts of the methane fee included in the Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376). The analysis indicates that the fee would significantly reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions, stimulate job growth, and increase U.S. GDP with minimal financial impact on the oil and gas industry's profitability.

This policy brief outlines a pathway for the United States to achieve 90 percent zero carbon electricity by 2035, leveraging falling technology costs to drive economic recovery and emissions reductions without increasing consumer electricity bills.

This policy brief outlines a pathway for the United States to achieve 90 percent zero carbon electricity by 2035, leveraging falling costs of solar, wind, and battery technologies. It details the economic and health benefits of this transition and provides specific policy recommendations for federal departments, agencies, and national laboratories to accelerate decarbonization.

This briefing from the World Resources Institute argues that the United States can create significant employment and economic growth while advancing climate goals by investing in tree restoration. It proposes specific federal policy changes to fund reforestation on private, municipal, and state lands and critiques the Trillion Trees Act for potentially increasing emissions and causing a net loss of trees.

This research paper evaluates the Pan-Canadian Framework (PCF) using the Canada Energy Policy Simulator (EPS), a tool developed by the Pembina Institute and Energy Innovation. The analysis finds that the PCF is insufficient to meet Canada's 2030 Paris Agreement goals and suggests that extending and strengthening these policies would improve environmental, economic, and public health outcomes.

This policy brief examines the disconnect between water resource management and economic development planning in the Berg Water Management Area (WMA). It warns of severe economic losses and job deficits by 2040 due to water constraints and advocates for integrated planning, the potential creation of a regional water utility, and increased support from the Western Cape Government to help municipalities manage water augmentation and financing.

This policy brief summarizes a study by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and PUC-Rio on the economic impacts of hydropower plants (HPP) in Brazil. Analyzing 82 municipalities between 2002 and 2011, the research finds that while dam construction often provides short-term boosts to employment and revenue, these effects typically dissipate after five or six years and rarely transform the underlying structure of local economies.

This executive summary report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), in collaboration with ICF and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), provides the first comprehensive inventory of energy subsidies in India for the financial years 2014 to 2016. The report maps subsidies across coal, oil and gas, renewable energy, and electricity transmission and distribution (T&D), analyzing their magnitude, trends, and socio-economic and environmental impacts.

This executive summary describes a study by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and PUC-Rio's Núcleo de Avaliação de Políticas Climáticas, under the INPUT project, regarding the economic impacts of agricultural expansion in the MATOPIBA region of Brazil. The research focuses on the growth of grain production, specifically soy and corn, and its effects on local municipalities within the Cerrado biome compared to those outside it.

This briefing describes the economic and environmental impacts of sugarcane mill expansion in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul between 2005 and 2012. Based on a study by INPUT researchers, the document highlights how the industry has reshaped local municipal economies, shifted land use from pasture to sugarcane, and contributed to a reduction in deforestation.

The NewClimate Institute, in partnership with BSR and We Mean Business, produced this report to analyze how the Paris Agreement and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) will impact the global economy and the private sector. The analysis focuses on energy sector changes, specifically renewable energy growth, clean energy investments, energy efficiency, and the competitiveness of renewables, alongside carbon pricing and climate risk management.

This report by Energy Innovation describes California's climate and clean energy policy framework, highlighting the state's success in decoupling economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions. It details the combination of performance standards and a cap-and-trade program, the resulting growth in green jobs and clean technology, and the state's influence on federal and other state-level policies.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the maritime security challenges facing Benin in the Gulf of Guinea, focusing on piracy, illegal fishing, and environmental degradation. It examines the resource disparities between Benin's navy and other maritime agencies, the economic impact of insecurity on the port of Cotonou, and the transition from temporary security measures to a sustainable national maritime strategy.

This briefing note examines the vulnerability of Kenya's tourism sector to climate change, detailing specific environmental risks, economic impacts, and strategies for business adaptation and emission reduction to promote sustainable tourism.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe) examines the vulnerability of India's trucking industry to diesel price increases. It identifies structural issues—such as extreme fragmentation, lack of entry barriers, and dependence on brokers—that prevent truck operators from passing increased fuel costs to customers. The report recommends short-term measures like fixing minimum freight rates and reducing tollgate delays, alongside long-term structural reforms to improve fuel efficiency and professionalize the industry.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the impact of British Columbia's carbon tax and provides recommendations for its future. The document argues that the tax has successfully reduced emissions without hindering economic growth and suggests maintaining the current policy structure while addressing emerging challenges such as natural gas expansion and price misalignment with the United States.

A fact sheet detailing the potential economic, employment, and environmental benefits of implementing a national energy efficiency resource standard (EERS) in Georgia.

This fact sheet outlines the potential economic and environmental benefits of implementing a national energy efficiency resource standard (EERS) in Virginia by 2020.

This executive summary from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment argues that four specific Canadian environmental regulations will generate significant direct health benefits and healthcare cost savings by 2050, primarily by reducing respiratory-related emissions.

This report by Sasol outlines the company's proposal to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) regarding hydrogen sulphide (H2S) emission standards for its Synfuels facility in Secunda. Sasol argues that the published 2010 standard of 1,000 mg/Nm³ is unachievable within the required timeframes due to technical constraints, the uniqueness of the Sasol process, and market limitations for sulphuric acid. The company proposes alternative standards based on stack averaging and specific points of compliance to ensure practical and sustainable air quality improvement.