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The document distinguishes energy system resilience—the ability to maintain critical services during disasters—from reliability, which concerns day-to-day grid performance. It argues that aging infrastructure, volatile weather, and increasing demand necessitate a shift toward decentralized, renewable energy systems. A primary recommendation is the creation of 'resilience hubs': trusted community spaces powered by clean energy microgrids and energy efficiency measures that provide essential services during crises. The guide suggests scaling these efforts through collaborative funding, updated building codes, the use of electric vehicles as mobile batteries, and partnerships with insurers to incentivize resilient construction.

The guide outlines ten ways US cities can advance electric mobility through permitting reform, building codes, targeted public charging, and shared e-mobility services to ensure an equitable transition.

The report evaluates the costs of maintaining Canadian public infrastructure under different climate scenarios, concluding that proactive adaptation is more cost-effective than reactive repairs or inaction. It estimates that without adaptation, annual infrastructure costs could reach 14 billion dollars by the 2050s and 19 billion dollars by 2085. Proactive adaptation, requiring an average annual investment of 4 billion dollars, could reduce total costs by nearly 9 billion dollars per year compared to no adaptation. The document recommends six strategic priorities for federal, provincial, and territorial governments to accelerate resilience, including updated building codes and increased funding for municipalities and Indigenous governments.

RMI proposes five policies to accelerate heat pump adoption in Illinois: increasing incentives for heat pumps and weatherization while phasing out gas equipment subsidies, providing 0% financing, reforming electric and gas rate designs, implementing an AC-to-heat pump replacement policy, and adopting electric-friendly standards for new construction. The brief notes that while heat pumps can reduce energy bills for most Illinois households—particularly those using propane or electric resistance heat—high up-front costs remain a primary barrier.

The Middle East, particularly Gulf nations, is positioned to export its advanced district cooling infrastructure and engineering know-how to regions facing escalating heat crises, such as Europe, Asia, and Africa. As global cooling demand is projected to triple by 2050, the document suggests that the region can redefine its geopolitical role from an oil and gas provider to a leader in climate adaptation and green infrastructure finance.

Buildings account for 18% of Canada's GHG emissions, with residential space heating as the primary energy driver. The document argues that deep energy retrofits (DERs)—defined as achieving a minimum 50% reduction in energy consumption—are essential for net-zero targets. While high upfront costs are a barrier, the green building industry could contribute CAD 150 billion to the economy by 2030, with annual energy bill savings estimated at CAD 10.8 billion. The brief recommends adopting the highest tier of the National Building Code, implementing innovative financing like Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), and scaling prefabricated retrofit models like Energiesprong.

The policy brief outlines how climate change and historical land management have increased wildfire risk across Canada, leading to record-breaking seasons and significant financial losses. It proposes five key government interventions: restricting development in high-hazard zones, mandating fire-resilient building codes, implementing fuel management and Indigenous cultural burning, increasing firefighting capacity, and accelerating carbon emission reductions.

An event attribution study by World Weather Attribution found that human-induced climate change, primarily from fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, has increased the intensity of 30-day maximum rainfall in northern Pakistan by approximately 15%. The study highlights that while the event had a return period of about five years, the resulting high death toll—300 fatalities nationwide as of August 3, 2025, including 140 children—was exacerbated by rapid urbanization, informal settlements, and poor building code enforcement. The report emphasizes a significant funding gap for adaptation, noting that Pakistan requires US$152 billion for adaptation between 2023 and 2030, much of which remains unfinanced.

The building sector accounts for 18% of Canada's GHG emissions, necessitating a focus on upgrading approximately 11 million existing residential buildings. Achieving net-zero requires a balance of deep energy retrofits (DERs), fuel-switching to heat pumps, and expanding clean electricity. An annual investment of CAD 10-15 billion until 2040 could generate 200,000 jobs and CAD 48 billion in economic development. The document recommends strengthening building codes, implementing PACE financing, and integrating energy efficiency with affordable housing policies.

The report evaluates the use of bio-based materials from agricultural and forestry residues as a mechanism for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in the building sector. Using BEAM life cycle assessment software, it estimates a cumulative global carbon removal capacity of 3.6 Gt CO2 by 2050, with an additional 16.5 Gt CO2 in avoided emissions. The analysis highlights that while non-timber biomass offers significant potential, the integration of mass timber could increase storage by fivefold. Implementation is hindered by challenges in carbon accounting, durability, and building code compliance, though emerging policies in the EU, Canada, and the US are beginning to incentivize biogenic carbon storage.

The document details the link between rising global temperatures and the intensification of extreme weather events in Canada, such as hail, windstorms, and hurricanes. It highlights significant insured losses in provinces like Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario, and notes a trend of tornado-prone areas shifting eastward. The text emphasizes the need for improved early warning systems, resilient building codes, and nature-based coastal protections to adapt to these increasing risks.

Climate change is intensifying extreme weather globally, with warmer temperatures providing more energy for storms. In Canada, this manifests as more frequent and severe convective storms, including hailstorms, windstorms, and hurricanes. Significant economic losses have already occurred, such as a $3.2 billion hailstorm in Calgary in 2024. Regional projections indicate increased storm intensity in the Prairies, eastern Canada, and Atlantic Canada, while the Pacific coast faces a higher likelihood of extreme atmospheric river events. Adaptation needs include improved forecasting, updated building codes for wind and hail resilience, and revised land-use policies to move development away from high-risk areas.

The document highlights the escalating risk of wildfires in Canada, using the Jasper, Alberta fire as a case study to illustrate the dangers of fragmented governance and outdated policies. It proposes a three-pronged adaptation toolkit focusing on restricting new development in high-risk areas, retrofitting existing buildings with FireSmart materials, and implementing landscape-level risk reduction such as fuel thinning and Indigenous cultural burning.

The document highlights the urgent need for Canada to enhance wildfire preparedness, citing the Jasper fire as a critical warning. It identifies gaps in current zoning and governance and proposes a three-pronged adaptation toolkit involving land-use regulation, building retrofits, and landscape-level fuel management.

The report finds that human-induced climate change increased the intensity and likelihood of heavy rainfall associated with Hurricane Milton in central Florida. Using the IRIS model, the analysis indicates that climate change increased the frequency of storms with Milton's wind speeds by approximately 40%, meaning the storm would have likely made landfall as a Category 2 rather than a Category 3 hurricane without global warming. Additionally, sea surface temperatures along Milton's track were 1°C warmer than in a world without climate change, making such temperatures 400 to 800 times more likely. The report also assesses Florida's adaptation measures, noting that while building codes are among the toughest in the US, the state's planning remains largely reactive and fails to adequately address social vulnerabilities in low-income and minority communities.

The report identifies a significant 'charging access gap' for U.S. residents in multifamily housing (MFH), who often lack on-site charging and must rely on public infrastructure. Analyzing 69 cities, the study found that no city achieved a 'best in class' ranking, with many cities—particularly in the Upper Midwest and Texas—showing high ratios of MFH units per public charger. The authors argue that this lack of reliable charging is a critical barrier to equitable EV adoption, especially for lower-income and non-white drivers. To address this, the report recommends a combination of EV-ready building codes, right-to-charge laws, curbside charging expansions, and streamlined utility interconnection rules.

The report argues that Manitoba requires a massive, publicly led effort to implement deep energy retrofits (DERs)—defined as improvements reducing energy use by at least 50%—to meet 2050 net-zero targets. It estimates that 200,000 home retrofits are needed, requiring an annual investment of CAD 1.2 billion. The authors propose the creation of a Manitoba Green Bank to provide low- or no-interest financing and the adoption of a retrofit code by 2025. The strategy emphasizes a 'just transition' by prioritizing low-income renters and utilizing social enterprises to train underrepresented groups, including women and Indigenous Peoples, for the thousands of green jobs expected to be created.

The report argues that achieving cost-optimal carbon neutrality in Canada's building sector requires a massive shift toward electrification, primarily through heat pumps, and a significant reduction in gas network reliance. It warns that current regulatory inertia and the continued expansion of gas infrastructure create risks of 'stranded assets' and higher costs for taxpayers. The authors recommend that provincial governments provide clear long-term strategic guidance, mandate net-zero targets, and empower regulators to prioritize electrification over gas expansion to protect long-term affordability and reliability.

The report identifies systemic barriers to climate-resilient Indigenous housing in Canada, rooted in colonial policies and exacerbated by funding gaps and capacity constraints. It highlights the disproportionate risk First Nations face from flooding, wildfire, and permafrost thaw, while recommending a shift toward prevention-focused funding, modernized building codes, and the integration of Indigenous Knowledge.

The report identifies 22 systemic barriers to net zero carbon buildings, categorized as financial, investment risk/opportunity, market readiness, and regulatory. Using network analysis, it establishes that financial barriers are the most critical from a demand perspective but are often dependent on the mitigation of regulatory and market readiness barriers. The authors map 31 policy and 44 financial instruments, categorizing them into fundamental inputs (such as capacity development and fiscal instruments) and dependent inputs (such as debt instruments and asset finance models). The report highlights five high-impact pathways for cities: phasing out fossil-fuel appliances, implementing energy efficiency building codes, deploying results-based grants for cooling, using skills development for embodied carbon reduction, and publishing climate risk data for adaptation. It emphasizes that mandates are central to the transition, as they enable the development of new financial mechanisms.