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This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) examines the potential for deploying mid-level ethanol blends (E25 to E40) as high-octane fuels in the United States. It discusses the technical benefits for engine efficiency, the existing compatibility of the vehicle fleet and retail infrastructure, and the potential for significant greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions compared to conventional gasoline.

The 2015 Green Bond Market Roundup by the Climate Bonds Initiative reports that $41.8 billion in labelled green bonds were issued in 2015. The document highlights growth in market supply driven by policy support, the entry of more corporate and municipal issuers, and expanding investor demand from institutional entities. It also notes an evolution in standards, such as the launch of Climate Bond Standard V2, and an increasing emphasis on reporting and third-party assurance to validate green credentials.

The 2014 Market Intelligent Report: Waste Economy by GreenCape provides an analysis of the waste sector in South Africa, with a specific focus on the Western Cape. It details the regulatory shift from 'end of pipe' to 'cradle to cradle' solutions, examines the challenges of waste-to-energy and recycling projects, and outlines municipal initiatives to manage dwindling landfill airspace.

This briefing document outlines the 'Autocomposites Commercialization Launchpad,' an RMI-led initiative designed to accelerate the adoption of carbon fiber composites in the automotive industry. The strategy focuses on a 'parts approach,' targeting the commercialization of specific, high-value components for mainstream vehicles by model year 2018, rather than attempting whole-vehicle transformation immediately. The document emphasizes the need for a collaborative 'A-Team' across the supply chain—including OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and material producers—to overcome technical barriers and share the significant upfront costs associated with design and tooling.

This report evaluates the first year of the Indian Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) market, launched in March 2011 to help meet the National Action Policy on Climate Change target of 15% renewable electricity by 2020. The authors find that the market has failed to attract significant investment or drive cost reductions due to low participation, poor enforcement of Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO) by states, and a lack of long-term price signals. While the conceptual design is deemed adequate in some areas, the execution is hampered by the financial instability of State Electricity Boards and a preference among developers for traditional feed-in-tariffs.

This report analyzes the state of the global securitization markets as of May 2012, examining whether recent activity in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) and trade finance signals a recovery that could eventually benefit climate finance. ItS It discusses how bank recapitalization pressures have reduced renewable energy lending, which relies on banks for 95% of project finance globally, making the development of securitized clean energy assets vital for recycling capital. The report evaluates market trends in Europe and the United States, the impact of regulatory frameworks like Basel III and Solvency II, and the role of standardization initiatives like the Climate Bond Standard and the Prime Collateralised Securities Initiative (PCSI).

This briefing by RMI analyzes the impact of low natural gas prices, driven by hydraulic fracturing, on the growth of renewable energy in the United States. While low wholesale gas prices create near-term financing challenges for utility-scale projects, the document argues that distributed solar PV and long-term cost declines in wind and solar will ensure continued renewable energy expansion.

This briefing proposes the "Deep Energy Efficiency Pays" (DEEP) program, a new demand-side management (DSM) approach designed to encourage whole-building retrofits over single-measure upgrades. By offering additional incentives for projects that meet a specific energy savings threshold, the program aims to align the interests of utilities, building owners, and energy service providers to achieve significant energy reductions and market transformation.

This report assesses the preparedness of Vietnam to implement Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP), with a specific focus on the timber industry. It identifies a supportive political and legal environment, including the planned Law on Green Procurement for 2015, but notes significant hurdles such as a lack of specific implementation guidelines, limited human resource capacity, and higher initial costs for sustainable goods. The report recommends using the timber industry as an entry point for SPP due to its high political profile and the existing capacity of export-oriented enterprises to provide certified products.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of international carbon market mechanisms within the context of negotiations for a post-2012 climate change agreement. It reviews the existing Kyoto Protocol instruments—International Emissions Trading (IET), Joint Implementation (JI), and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)—and explores potential expansions or new mechanisms, such as sectoral crediting and REDD, to enhance cost-effectiveness and engage developing countries in mitigation efforts.

This statement from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to Senator Olympia Snowe proposes a series of short-term measures to reduce U.S. demand for conventional crude oil by 5% to 9%. RMI argues that such a reduction would stabilize global oil prices by increasing excess capacity to between 2.5 and 3.8 million barrels per day, thereby mitigating the impact of price shocks and speculation.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol, focusing on its ability to provide a "development dividend"—socio-economic and environmental benefits for developing countries beyond greenhouse gas reductions. The analysis finds that the emerging CDM market is skewed toward a few large developing countries and dominated by low-cost industrial projects (such as HFC23 decomposition) that offer minimal sustainable development benefits. The report recommends reforming the CDM Executive Board, shifting from project-by-project to sectoral or policy-based approaches, and increasing support for small-scale projects to ensure more equitable and impactful development outcomes.

This case study examines Platanera Rio Sixaola, S.A., a small independent banana plantation in Costa Rica founded by Volker Ribniger. Despite becoming the first banana plantation in the world to earn Eco-OK certification from the Rainforest Alliance, the company faced significant financial challenges in 1994, with production costs exceeding revenues. The document details the environmental impacts of traditional banana monoculture, the specific sustainable practices implemented by Platanera Rio Sixaola, and the market pressures exerted by the 'Big Three' multinationals and European Community import quotas.

The 'Green Bond Market in Colombia ROAD MAP' is a report designed to assist the Colombian Government and the Finance Management Committee of SISCLIMA in developing a successful green bond market. It identifies the potential for green growth funding, analyzes existing barriers in both the green and ordinary bond markets, and proposes a two-phase action plan to establish foundations and expand the market.

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative details the rapid growth of the labeled green bond market in 2014, which saw issuance triple from the previous year to 366 billion USD, driven by international financial institutions, corporations, and municipal issuers.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative, produced for COP22, analyzes the growth and governance of the green bond market. It highlights the shift toward private sector issuance, the increasing role of emerging markets like China, and the necessity of reaching USD 1 trillion in annual green emissions by 2020 to support Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

This report by the Institute of Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and Climate Bonds Initiative provides a comprehensive overview of the Japanese green finance market as of 2021 and 2022. It details the growth of green bonds, the emergence of sustainability-linked and transition bonds, the identification of climate-aligned bonds not explicitly labeled as green, and the evolving regulatory and policy framework established by the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan.

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative and Transition Asia examines the financing of decarbonisation in China's steel sector, focusing on the impact of transition finance pilots and market trends following the introduction of the Hebei Province Transition Finance Guidelines for the Iron and Steel Industry (2023-2024 Edition).

This update report by the Climate Bonds Initiative examines the growth of green financial products and the role of blended finance in supporting green infrastructure investment in Indonesia.

The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) is an NGO focused on mobilizing the USD100 trillion bond market to fund climate change solutions. It offers a Partners Program to support the development of a global market for green and climate bonds through research, standards, and market development.