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The guide provides a structured approach based on the XLRM framework to assess investments in water supply systems. It emphasizes comparing 'environmental additional investments' (IAA) against traditional infrastructure and efficiency measures. Using two Colombian case studies (Río Chinchiná and Río Chicamocha), the document demonstrates how nature-based solutions like ecosystem restoration can improve water regulation and increase low-flow (Q95) availability, thereby reducing the gap between water supply and demand. It also analyzes the Colombian regulatory framework, specifically Resolution CRA 907 of 2019, which allows certain environmental costs to be recovered through tariffs.

The paper synthesises evidence on residential energy efficiency interventions (REEIs) to estimate their overall impact on energy consumption and emissions, while examining causes of variation and cost-effectiveness.

A campaign in Western Kenya promoting the use of rockbeds in cooking fires achieved a 67% awareness rate among surveyed households, with 85% of those aware adopting the technology. The intervention is highly cost-effective, costing approximately USD 0.06 per ton of CO2e over five years, with each adopter reducing annual emissions by about 480 kg of carbon dioxide-equivalent.

The report outlines a 'Reinventing Fire' scenario for China to decouple economic growth from energy consumption and carbon emissions by 2050. By prioritizing demand reduction, electrification, and a shift to non-fossil energy, China could maintain GDP growth while reducing primary energy demand to 2010 levels. Key strategies include structural industrial shifts, passive building design, multimodal transportation optimization, and a three-stage transition of the power sector from coal to renewables. The analysis suggests this transition is cost-effective, with a potential net present value savings of 21 trillion RMB.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of decarbonizing Indian Railways (IR) by 2030. It evaluates various pathways for the traction and non-traction segments, concluding that transitioning to renewable energy—specifically through captive generation at an accelerated rate—is significantly cheaper than a business-as-usual scenario. The report emphasizes the necessity of full electrification and identifies regulatory barriers regarding state-level net metering and open access policies.

The report assesses the decarbonization of Indian Railways (IR), the world's second largest railway network and India's largest electricity consumer. It identifies that transitioning to an electrified network is a prerequisite for decarbonization. The study compares eight pathways based on procurement (captive generation vs. purchasing), rate (accelerated by 2020 vs. normal by 2030), and technology (solar vs. solar-wind mix). Findings indicate that accelerated captive generation is the most cost-effective pathway for both traction and non-traction segments, offering savings of 32% and 61% respectively over business-as-usual scenarios. Implementation challenges include inconsistent state policies on net metering and open access, as well as the need for load balancing technologies like power banking and pumped hydro storage.

The document evaluates the performance of the 'Storm Resistant Housing for a Resilient Da Nang City' project during Typhoon Nari. It finds that while the storm caused severe damage to infrastructure and thousands of homes in Da Nang, the 244 households in the project incurred no damages, demonstrating that proactive storm-resistant preparation is more cost-effective than post-disaster recovery.

The document evaluates the EU's climate policy instruments, finding that while 2020 targets are likely to be met, the reductions were driven more by the economic crisis than by policy. It highlights low cost-effectiveness due to a lack of uniform carbon pricing and notes that energy efficiency targets are at risk.

The Help My House (HMH) pilot program provided on-bill financing (OBF) for energy efficiency retrofits in 125 homes across eight South Carolina electric cooperatives. The program demonstrated that 'whole house' upgrades—primarily attic insulation, air sealing, and HVAC replacements—could reduce electricity use by an average of 34% (approximately 11,000 kWh per year), with energy savings typically exceeding the annual loan repayments. The pilot achieved a 93% realization rate compared to predicted savings and significantly increased member satisfaction, leading several participating cooperatives to launch their own ongoing OBF programs. While the retrofits reduced coincident peak demand, they had no net impact on the system load factor, suggesting that the simultaneous deployment of load control devices is necessary to improve system efficiency.

The report finds that federal incentives were critical for the viability of U.S. wind and solar projects in 2010, bridging roughly half the gap between generation costs and market prices. While cost reductions have made wind nearly viable with federal support alone by 2013, the report argues that current tax-based incentives are inefficient because project developers often lack the tax liabilities to fully utilize them, necessitating costly tax-equity financing. The authors propose replacing the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind with a Taxable Cash for Production (TCP) incentive and offering solar PV projects a 20% 1603 Cash Grant instead of a 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) to maintain support while significantly reducing costs to federal and state governments.

The analysis finds that while Boulder has achieved significant energy savings, current programs are insufficient to meet its 2012 Kyoto-based emissions targets. Residential lighting programs and audits are the most cost-effective, while renewable energy systems show below-average returns. The report recommends transitioning to a longer-term, integrated approach focusing on deep retrofits and exploring municipalization of the energy supply to close the emissions gap.

The report finds that U.S. government support for biofuels is extensive and inefficient, with total subsidies projected to exceed $92 billion between 2006 and 2012. The largest contributors are volumetric excise tax credits and market price supports driven by renewable fuel mandates. The analysis argues that these subsidies are an expensive way to achieve energy security and greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, noting that the cost per tonne of CO2-equivalent displaced is significantly higher than purchasing carbon offsets on climate exchanges. The report warns that pending legislation, such as the Renewable Fuels Standard, could further increase these costs, potentially exceeding $130 billion per year by 2030.

The report compares conventional, advanced, and hybrid-electric diesel and gasoline vehicles across five passenger vehicle classes. It finds that while diesel engines offer higher inherent fuel economy, they are less cost-effective than improved gasoline vehicles for reducing oil use and heat-trapping gases due to higher up-front costs and the higher petroleum intensity of diesel fuel. The report also highlights significant public health concerns, noting that diesel vehicles historically emit substantially more toxic soot and nitrogen oxides than gasoline vehicles. While new federal Tier 2 standards aim to close this gap, the report argues that diesel's future depends on overcoming technical challenges in emissions control and ensuring real-world performance matches certification. It recommends maintaining strict emissions standards, modifying CAFE to use energy-equivalent measures, and expanding inspection and maintenance programs to include diesel vehicles.

The report analyzes China's energy system, which was heavily coal-dependent in 1990, and projects environmental loadings up to 2020. It compares a Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario with two enhanced environmental scenarios, demonstrating that while BAU leads to significant increases in SO2 and CO2 emissions, targeted policy interventions in energy mix, efficiency, and clean coal technology can mitigate these impacts. The study recommends shifting toward hydropower, nuclear power, and natural gas, alongside the implementation of pollution levies and integrated planning to achieve sustainable development.

The briefing assesses the viability of nuclear power as a solution to global warming, concluding that it is an ineffective strategy compared to energy efficiency. Analysis shows that even under highly optimistic assumptions—such as reduced construction times and costs—massive nuclear investment cannot prevent CO2 growth in high or medium energy demand scenarios. In the United States, the author asserts that investment in electrical efficiency displaces nearly seven times more carbon per dollar than investment in nuclear power. The document emphasizes that the primary driver of future emissions is the level of energy demand, and that efficiency improvements in the commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors offer vast, low-cost opportunities to reduce carbon output.

The Help My House (HMH) Loan Pilot Program provided on-bill financing (OBF) for energy efficiency upgrades in 125 homes across South Carolina. The program demonstrated that low-interest loans tied to the electric meter could significantly reduce residential electricity use and costs while maintaining high member satisfaction. On average, participating homes reduced electricity use by 34%, with an average annual savings of nearly 11,000 kWh. The pilot's financial model showed that energy savings exceeded loan repayments, providing participants with immediate annual net savings and long-term financial benefits.

The report evaluates the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), concluding that its -30% target for non-ETS sectors is insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals and may only result in a 26.6% reduction due to flexibilities. It advocates for project-based transfers of Annual Emission Allocations (AEAs) to ensure additionality and avoid carbon lock-in in lower-income Member States. Specific opportunities for such projects are identified in the building, waste, and gas sectors of Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary.