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The briefing outlines six trends for financial institutions in 2023: the rise of short-term transition plans, political backlash against ESG investing, the growth of renewables over plateauing fossil fuels, the need for climate upskilling of employees, increased regulatory scrutiny on greenwashing, and the shift toward using transition-relevant data for portfolio steering.

The report evaluates the voluntary carbon offsetting practices of eight major European airlines, including easyJet, Ryanair, and Lufthansa. It finds that while some airlines like easyJet have high volumes of offsets, the overall quality of credits is often low due to a reliance on cheap forestry projects in developing countries. The study highlights a significant lack of transparency in reporting and warns that promoting 'carbon neutral' flying may encourage air traffic growth, contradicting the need for sector decarbonization through sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

A study by Öko-Institut for Carbon Market Watch finds that major European airlines rely on low-quality, cheap carbon offsets and lack transparency in reporting, often using misleading claims like 'carbon-neutral flying' to mask a lack of substantive emissions reductions.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) has developed 'Konsumtionskompassen' (version 1.0), a digital tool that estimates the climate impact of household consumption across all Swedish municipalities down to the postal code level. The tool covers over 110 consumption categories, identifying 'hotspots' to help local governments implement targeted climate measures. Findings indicate significant disparities in footprints between resource-poor and resource-rich areas, and highlight that while average footprints are similar across municipalities, the composition of emissions varies by urbanisation and geography.

The document details EU member state reactions to the proposed extension of the Emission Trading System (ETS) to road transport and buildings (RTB). While many delegations support the measure to meet the -55% emission target by 2030, significant concerns persist regarding socio-economic impacts on vulnerable groups, the sufficiency of the Social Climate Fund (SCF), and the timing of implementation. The briefing also notes discussions on the Effort Sharing Regulation, LULUCF targets, and CO2 standards for vehicles.

The report argues that blending green hydrogen into existing natural gas infrastructure for buildings and power generation is inefficient, costly, and risky. It finds that electrification is a superior alternative for the building sector due to higher energy efficiency and lower costs. In the power sector, hydrogen-fired turbines face significant NOx pollution challenges and risk becoming stranded assets. The authors recommend that green hydrogen be reserved for 'hard-to-decarbonize' sectors like industrial feedstocks, aviation, and marine shipping, while urging regulators to maintain a high burden of proof for any ratepayer-funded hydrogen projects.

The testimony asserts that while electrification is critical, approximately 60% of U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions come from sectors like heavy industry and long-haul transport that are difficult to electrify. Hydrogen is presented as a versatile, carbon-free energy carrier capable of addressing these gaps. The author highlights specific opportunities in long-haul trucking, aviation, marine shipping, and ironmaking, while noting that the U.S. may require between 8 and 18 quads of hydrogen per year by 2050 for full decarbonization. To achieve this, the document advocates for federal R&D, the development of Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the implementation of production tax incentives to reduce costs through scaling.

The paper examines the transition of the EU Energy Taxation Directive from a volume-based system to one based on energy content and environmental impact. It highlights how the current system favors fossil fuels and industries over households and greener alternatives. The proposed revision aims to expand the scope to aviation, shipping, and fishing, introduce taxes for hydrogen, and implement differentiated rates that penalize high-carbon fuels while favoring renewables.

The briefing outlines five trends for climate-aligned finance in 2022: the substantiation of net-zero commitments through interim targets, the publication and assessment of credible transition plans, a shift toward real-economy impact over paper alignment, the adoption of forward-looking data and metrics, and the expansion of sectoral alignment agreements for high-emitting industries.

The document asserts that only hydrogen produced from 100% renewable electricity is a true climate solution, though it remains energy-intensive and costly. It warns that current hydrogen production is dominated by fossil-fuel-based steam methane reformation and that 'blue' hydrogen may have a higher greenhouse gas footprint than burning natural gas or coal for heat. The author recommends prioritizing direct electrification for transportation and buildings, reserving green hydrogen for maritime shipping, aviation, high-heat industrial processes, and long-distance trucking.

The report analyzes the role of hydrogen in the energy transition, contrasting 'green hydrogen' (produced via renewable-powered electrolysis) with the current industry standard of steam methane reformation (SMR) from fossil fuels. It warns that the oil and gas industry uses hydrogen rhetoric to justify continued fossil fuel infrastructure and delay electrification. The authors argue that green hydrogen should be reserved for 'hard-to-electrify' sectors like maritime shipping and high-heat industrial processes, while being rejected for use in passenger vehicles, home appliances, and gas-fired power plants due to energy inefficiency, high costs, and pollution risks.

The guidance outlines a target-setting framework for the aviation sector based on the Science Based Targets initiative's (SBTi) Sectoral Decarbonization Approach (SDA). It defines carbon intensity pathways derived from the IEA's Sustainable Development Scenario, requiring the sector to reduce average carbon intensity by approximately 35-40% between 2019 and 2035, and 65% by 2050. The framework covers Well-to-Wake (WTW) emissions, excluding non-CO2 factors due to scientific uncertainty. It provides specific instructions for aircraft operators to converge toward sector intensity levels and for aviation service users to address Scope 3 emissions, including a linear annual reduction rate of 0.4% for business air travel. The document also specifies criteria for the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and explicitly excludes out-of-value-chain carbon offsets from meeting science-based reduction targets.

The document challenges the notion that heavy transport and industrial heat are 'hard-to-abate' sectors, suggesting that they can be decarbonized profitably. It emphasizes the role of plummeting renewable energy costs and the potential for massive efficiency gains in trucking, aviation, shipping, and the production of steel and cement. The author advocates for 'integrative design' and structural efficiency to drastically reduce the volume of materials needed, thereby lowering both costs and emissions.

The document argues that Green Public Procurement (GPP) can leverage the significant purchasing power of governments to stimulate demand for low-carbon materials in energy-intensive industries. It focuses on hard-to-abate sectors such as steel and cement, noting that five basic industrial materials account for 20% of global CO2 emissions. The brief, produced by UNIDO and the Leadership Group for Industry Transition, aims to provide methodologies for GPP design to help reach Paris Agreement targets.

The document highlights the necessity of public-private collaboration to decarbonize heavy industry, which contributes approximately 30% of global CO2 emissions. It identifies the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT), launched by Sweden and India, as a key arena for international cooperation toward net-zero emissions by 2050. The brief examines specific policy tools such as green public procurement, carbon contracts for difference, and carbon border adjustments, while referencing implementation experiences in countries including South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, and the UK.

The strategic environmental assessment (SEA) concludes that the Transport and Mobility Development Plan 2021-2035 generally supports environmental goals, though its high level of generality creates uncertainty regarding the actual realization of these benefits. The plan aims to reduce the transport sector's environmental footprint by shifting freight from roads to rail and sea, increasing the share of public and active transport to 55% by 2035, and reducing transport CO2e emissions to 1,750 kt by 2035. Key environmental concerns include the potential for increased car use due to road infrastructure improvements and the impact of new infrastructure on biodiversity and the Natura 2000 network. The report recommends a stricter application of the '4-step principle' for infrastructure investment and the definition of clear priorities to ensure environmental goals are not superseded by demands for road convenience.

A joint letter from civil society organizations calling on the European Commission to prevent the adoption of unsustainable fuels in the maritime and aviation sectors. The authors argue that crop-based biofuels and liquefied natural gas (LNG) may increase emissions or create stranded assets, and instead advocate for the promotion of green electro-fuels produced from renewable electricity to support the European Green Deal's 2050 carbon neutrality goal.

The aviation sector has successfully lobbied the ICAO Council to change the CORSIA baseline to 2019 levels, effectively postponing the start of emission offsetting until at least 2024 due to the 2020 drop in flights. The author contends that this change is unnecessary given the low cost of offsets and that governments are failing by providing billions in bailouts—approximately 30 billion euros in the EU and 50 billion in the US—without binding environmental strings. The text calls for regional and national actions, such as kerosene taxes and the EU carbon market, to replace the failing global scheme.

The document examines the climate impact of the European Central Bank's (ECB) asset purchase programs, specifically the Corporate Sector Purchase Programme (CSPP) and the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP). It highlights a significant lack of transparency regarding the value of held assets and argues that the ECB's 'market neutrality' principle results in a portfolio heavily weighted toward carbon-intensive sectors. The report identifies 38 fossil fuel companies in the ECB's portfolio, including 10 linked to coal and several majors like Shell, Total, and Eni. It concludes with recommendations for the ECB to exclude companies without 1.5°C-aligned exit plans and to adopt a 'brown taxonomy' to better target asset purchases.

The research identifies 61 consumption options with positive mitigation potential by synthesizing 53 studies. The highest potentials are found in transport (car-free living, electric vehicles, reduced flying), housing (renewable electricity, renovation), and food (vegan diets). The top 10 options combined offer an average mitigation potential of 9.2 tCO2eq/cap, which the authors suggest can significantly contribute to 1.5-2°C targets, especially in high-income contexts.