Search Climate Insights Directory

The document outlines four primary categories of financial interventions for regional governments to accelerate the energy transition: increasing capital availability, implementing first-cost solutions, creating market incentives, and reducing procurement costs. It details specific mechanisms such as green investment banks, energy savings performance contracts, carbon pricing, and reverse auctions, providing examples of legislation and programs from various global jurisdictions to illustrate their application.

The document outlines four key actions for state, provincial, and regional governments to address land use's role in climate change: sustainable land management, open space conservation, agricultural methane capture, and regenerative agriculture. It emphasizes that land use is best managed at the subnational level to capture rural impacts and cross-jurisdictional effects, noting that while agriculture, forestry, and other land use account for 24% of global emissions, the sector can offset this by 20% through carbon removal.

The document identifies buildings as contributing almost one-third of global emissions and proposes three primary actions for regional governments: implementing net-zero building codes for new constructions, requiring energy efficiency upgrades for existing buildings, and establishing energy efficiency resource standards (EERS) for utilities.

The document outlines three primary actions for regional governments to mitigate the climate impact of waste: diverting organic waste from landfills, banning the open burning of municipal and agricultural waste, and implementing gas collection and energy recovery systems at landfills.

The document outlines five specific actions to decarbonize regional industry: methane containment, transitioning to clean industrial processes, implementing shared industrial flows (such as eco-industrial parks), decarbonizing ports and airports, and transitioning to clean industrial vehicles. It provides a framework for regional authorities to eliminate waste, electrify processes, and implement regulatory penalties for emissions, supported by references to policies from jurisdictions such as California, Brazil, and Hong Kong.

The document outlines five specific actions for achieving carbon-free electricity: implementing Renewable Portfolio Standards, phasing out coal plants, modernizing rate designs, integrating distributed energy resources into grid planning, and expanding community solar access.

The document outlines a four-step process for governments to leverage mining investments for national development: aligning with national objectives, taking stock of current capabilities, crafting specific policies, and establishing monitoring mechanisms. It details five types of local content policies: local procurement, direct employment, horizontal linkages (infrastructure and capabilities), downstream beneficiation, and the fostering of national mining firms. The guide emphasizes that policies must be context-specific, gender-equitable, and compliant with international trade and investment laws, while warning that automation may reduce future employment and procurement opportunities.

The document outlines a four-step process for governments to integrate the mining sector into national development plans through local content policies. It categorizes these policies into five main types: local procurement, direct local employment, horizontal linkages (infrastructure and capacity), downstream linkages (product enrichment), and the strengthening of national mining companies. The guide emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all model, as success depends on a country's specific industrial base, skills availability, and business climate. It also addresses cross-cutting challenges, such as the impact of automation on employment and the potential conflicts between local content requirements and international trade and investment laws.

The document identifies five critical areas for legal reform to prevent illegal forest conversion: land allocation, clearance permits, conversion timber rules, environmental protections, and community rights. It highlights how contradictory laws, lack of transparency, and failure to recognize customary land tenure lead to uncontrolled deforestation and social conflict. The toolkit uses case studies from nine tropical countries to illustrate legal gaps and provides checklists for policy-makers to ensure comprehensive and enforceable regulations.

The USDA's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) opened a one-year application window on August 6, 2018, offering approximately $100 million in zero-interest loan capital via the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP). These loans allow rural cooperatives to implement energy efficiency measures or transition to renewable energy systems for their members without upfront costs, with the installation costs paid back through monthly electricity bills. Eligible projects include lighting, building envelope upgrades, water and waste efficiency, energy storage devices, and on- and off-grid renewable energy systems, provided the utility can justify the cost-effectiveness for the end-user. The application process involves submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) to the RUS, which are reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis, with the window remaining open through September 2019.

The document outlines a four-step framework for governments to implement local content policies in mining: aligning with national development goals, conducting a situational inventory, selecting appropriate policy instruments, and establishing monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. It categorizes local content policies into five types: local procurement, direct local employment, horizontal linkages (diversification beyond mining), downstream linkages (processing minerals), and the development of domestic mining companies. The guide warns that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions and highlights risks such as technological automation reducing employment and potential conflicts with international trade and investment laws, specifically WTO regulations.

The guide outlines a four-step process for governments to integrate mining investments into national development plans through local content policies. It details five types of policies: local procurement, direct local employment, horizontal links to non-mining sectors, downstream value addition, and the strengthening of national mining companies. The document emphasizes that there is no universal model, as success depends on a country's specific socioeconomic context, infrastructure, and capacity. It also warns of challenges such as technological automation reducing employment and potential conflicts with international trade and investment laws, specifically WTO rules regarding performance requirements.

The document examines how multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the mining sector use debt financing to reduce taxable income in host countries. It details common profit-shifting techniques, such as 'debt push down' and the use of hybrid instruments, and evaluates various regulatory responses. The primary recommendation is the adoption of OECD BEPS Action 4, which limits net interest deductions based on a fixed ratio of EBITDA, complemented by withholding taxes and transfer pricing rules.

The document examines how multinational mining companies use debt financing to shift profits out of host countries and proposes a combination of the OECD BEPS Action 4 framework and other fiscal measures to protect the tax base in developing nations.

The document examines how multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the mining sector use debt financing to shift profits from host countries to offshore jurisdictions. It details common base erosion techniques—such as debt 'push downs', interest rate markups, and hybrid instruments—and evaluates various policy responses. The primary recommendation is the implementation of BEPS Action 4, which links net interest deductions to a fixed ratio of taxable EBITDA (between 10% and 30%). The guide also discusses complementary measures including thin capitalisation rules, interest withholding tax (IWT), and transfer pricing regulations, while emphasizing the need to balance tax base protection with the maintenance of an attractive investment climate.

The document outlines a risk-based framework for governments to oversee the valuation of mineral exports, focusing on the technical processes of sampling, preparation, and analytical testing. It proposes three primary policy responses—direct measurement, monitoring company processes, or a hybrid approach—depending on the risk of undervaluation. The guide details the costs and requirements for establishing ISO-accredited laboratories, suggests various financing models, and recommends adopting international reporting standards like JORC or SAMREC to ensure transparency and legal defensibility in tax and royalty collection.

The document argues that tax incentives in the mining sector are often inefficient and ineffective because mineral resources are immobile, making them less responsive to fiscal lures than other investments. It details how specific incentives—such as temporary tax holidays, withholding tax relief, and cost-based incentives—can trigger 'behavioral responses' like high-grading (écrémage) and abusive transfer pricing, which further erode the tax base. The guide provides a step-by-step methodology for modeling the budgetary cost of these incentives and offers specific policy recommendations to protect national revenues, including the use of accelerated depreciation over tax holidays and the implementation of 'bracket' rather than 'class' progressive royalties.

The document outlines four specific actions for cities to achieve carbon-free electricity: implementing LED smart streetlighting, creating electric districts by removing natural gas infrastructure, installing municipal solar photovoltaics, and leveraging renewable energy supply mechanisms like power purchase agreements.

The document outlines three primary actions for cities to reduce their carbon footprint through biological resource management: diverting organic waste from landfills to prevent methane emissions, expanding urban forestry to create carbon sinks and reduce cooling energy needs, and promoting plant-based diets to lower food-related emissions.

The document identifies that industry accounts for 7% of carbon emissions in major cities and proposes three primary actions to mitigate this: implementing clean industrial heat solutions, replacing inefficient motors with high-efficiency models, and establishing voluntary energy management and operator training programs. It emphasizes the need for cities to partner strategically with corporate residents due to limited jurisdictional control.