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This RMI fact sheet explains the technology, benefits, and market opportunities for geothermal heat pumps (also known as ground-source heat pumps) in the United States. It highlights their efficiency in both hot and cold climates, their role in reducing building emissions, and the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on lowering installation costs.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates Canada's 2023 federal budget, noting significant investments in clean energy, freshwater protection, and climate adaptation, while warning that continued financial support for fossil fuels and carbon capture and storage (CCS) may undermine net-zero goals.

This research paper analyzes the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's (EBRD) new Paris alignment methodology released in December 2022. While the methodology expands exclusions for fossil fuel financing, the author argues it remains insufficient because it does not fully exclude midstream and downstream gas infrastructure, potentially allowing projects that are inconsistent with a 1.5°C warming limit.

This consultation brief by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the conflict between financial institutions' net zero portfolio targets and the need to finance the managed early retirement or retrofitting of unabated coal-fired power plants.

This briefing by the Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI) examines the status of climate change adaptation in Ghana, focusing on the opportunities and barriers to locally-led adaptation. Based on case studies across three ecological zones, the analysis highlights that while local communities are actively employing indigenous knowledge and innovative practices to build resilience, they are constrained by limited financial resources, inadequate institutional support, and poor coordination between national and sectoral strategies.

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI) evaluates Nigeria's climate change adaptation policy landscape and the role of locally-led adaptation. It analyzes the alignment between national frameworks, such as the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP), and the iterative, indigenous practices used by local communities to build resilience. The paper identifies significant gaps in financing, capacity, and stakeholder inclusion while highlighting the potential for scaling community-led Nature-based Solutions (NbS).

This research paper by the World Resources Institute analyzes version 1.0 of the White House Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST). While the update identifies more disadvantaged communities than the beta version, the authors argue it fails to account for cumulative burdens—where multiple environmental, health, and socioeconomic stressors overlap—which disproportionately affect communities of color.

This research paper evaluates whether the methane-targeted mitigation actions listed in countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are sufficient to meet the goals of the Global Methane Pledge.

This policy brief by Ember analyzes the Australian Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications’ Inquiry into the Safeguard Mechanism, arguing that while the committee acknowledged the significant climate impact of coal mine methane, its final recommendations failed to provide sufficient measures to address the issue.

This policy brief by Ember analyzes the findings of the Australian federal Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications' inquiry into the Safeguard Mechanism (Crediting) Amendment Bill 2022. While the Committee acknowledged the significant climate impact of coal mine methane emissions, Ember argues that the final recommendations failed to mandate rigorous measurement standards or direct onsite mitigation, relying instead on a system of offsets and declining intensity baselines that may not sufficiently address methane's specific warming properties.

This executive summary describes RMI's research and stakeholder discussions regarding China's transition to a "New Power System" to meet its goals of peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

This policy brief summarizes a study on the relationship between socio-economic status, living and working conditions, and air-pollution exposure in Bangkok, proposing six policy recommendations to mitigate health impacts and reduce exposure inequality.

Ember analyzes loopholes in the EU methane regulation that could lead to an additional 2.2 million tonnes of methane emissions by 2050. The report highlights that coal mines are the largest energy sector methane source in the EU, dominated by Polish operations, and argues that tightening venting thresholds and prioritizing the closure of high-methane mines are cost-effective ways to meet climate goals.

This report examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in the cotton sectors of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, analyzing how these standards interact with regional policy and trade to address environmental degradation and social challenges.

This research paper examines securitization trends in Swedish climate adaptation policy between 2005 and 2022, analyzing whether the approach aligns with threatification, riskification, or normal politics through the lens of discourses, actor constellations, and tools.

This report provides a status update on the WTO Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on e-commerce as of December 2022. It analyzes the evolving landscape of digital trade governance at national, regional, and multilateral levels, noting a trend toward more flexible regional Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs) and an increased focus on the digital divide within the WTO's broader Work Programme. The author suggests that the JSI is likely moving toward a less ambitious agreement focusing on minor facilitation points to ensure a conclusion by the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13).

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues that increasing climate change literacy across Africa is essential for moving from reactive coping mechanisms to transformative adaptation. It highlights significant gaps in public understanding of the human causes of climate change, particularly among women and rural populations, and advocates for the integration of climate literacy into education and national development agendas to build climate-resilient development pathways.

This executive summary describes the States’ Electricity Transition (SET) Scoring system developed by Ember to evaluate the electricity transition across 16 Indian states, which represent 90% of India's annual power requirement. The analysis focuses on four dimensions: decarbonisation, power system performance, power ecosystem readiness, and policies and political commitments. While some states like Karnataka show strong performance across all metrics, others, particularly Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, require significant improvements in decarbonisation and system performance to meet national targets.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) submitted a critique of South Africa's 2023 Budget Review, arguing that the fiscal framework prioritizes debt stabilization and austerity over the realization of socio-economic rights. The IEJ contends that cuts to public services, the failure to protect social grants from inflation, and the conditions attached to Eskom's debt relief exacerbate poverty and inequality. The submission calls for a new macroeconomic framework targeting unemployment and poverty, the implementation of a permanent basic income support system, and the use of progressive taxation to create fiscal space for public investment.

This policy brief by RMI discusses the potential of a new US tax credit for low-emission hydrogen production, established via the Inflation Reduction Act, to catalyze the clean hydrogen economy and industrial decarbonization. The document argues that the US Treasury's implementation of the credit—specifically regarding standards for grid-connected electrolyzers—will determine whether the incentive drives genuine emissions reductions or inadvertently increases greenhouse gas emissions.