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The study analyzes 122 trials across 25 countries to evaluate interventions for reducing residential energy consumption, finding that while both monetary and non-monetary tools are effective, monetary incentives generally yield more pronounced results.

Despite pledges for carbon neutrality, China's power and steel sectors continued to announce coal-based projects in early 2021. While CO2 emissions growth showed signs of cooling in the second quarter of 2021 due to government controls on financial excesses and industrial output, the volume of new coal projects remains high, risking the creation of stranded assets and undermining 2030 emission reduction targets.

Despite a slowdown in emission growth in Q2 2021, China's power and steel sectors continued to announce significant new coal-based capacity in the first half of the year. The report highlights a contradiction between economic growth driven by construction and decarbonization goals, noting that zero-emission power only met 30% of electricity demand growth between H1 2019 and H1 2021. While government measures to control fiscal overspending and industrial output led to a slowdown in CO2 emission growth in the second quarter, the continued announcement of coal-based projects risks creating stranded assets and hindering the transition to low-carbon technologies.

The 47th G7 summit reaffirmed commitments to a "green revolution" and the goal of halving collective carbon emissions by 2030, while pledging to end new direct government support for international carbon-intensive fossil fuel energy. However, the document highlights a disconnect between these goals and African realities, where fossil fuels account for approximately 80% of energy supply and many states are planning coal-fired power expansions. While the G7 welcomed the commitment of up to $2 billion via Climate Investment Funds, the document notes this is insufficient compared to the $20-30 billion per year the African Development Bank estimates Africa requires for climate action until 2030. Furthermore, the $100 billion promised by developed countries since COP15 remains unrealised.

The document advocates for a multifaceted approach to plastic pollution that combines a circular economy with the use of renewable, plant-based feedstocks to replace virgin plastics derived from fossil fuels. It emphasizes that because infinite recycling is impossible, some virgin plastic remains necessary for health and safety standards. To prevent new environmental issues, the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) urges policymakers to implement sustainability metrics—covering carbon emissions, water use, and impacts on wildlife and communities—to ensure plant-based plastics are responsibly sourced and managed.

The document highlights the financial backing of Pemex by global banks and investors following a pipeline leak and fire in the Gulf of Mexico. It criticizes Pemex's plans to expand production by 2050 and calls for the financial sector to end support for oil and gas expansion, particularly high-risk offshore drilling, ahead of COP 26.

The document highlights the challenges of rapid urbanization in India, where urban freight contributes significantly to emissions, congestion, and road fatalities. It argues that with demand for urban freight expected to rise by 140 percent this decade, implementing specific freight management measures is essential to lower logistics costs and meet climate goals.

The report finds that Canadian governments provided over CAD 23 billion in support for oil and gas pipelines between 2018 and 2020, with over CAD 10 billion provided after the onset of COVID-19. This support, which includes loans, loan guarantees, and equity investments, is argued to undermine Canada's climate commitments and expose taxpayers to significant financial risk due to cost overruns, legal challenges, and declining private sector interest in fossil fuel infrastructure.

The document highlights that steelmaking is a highly emission-intensive process, contributing approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions annually. It argues that reducing these emissions is essential for achieving net-zero by 2050 and meeting Paris Agreement commitments, suggesting that G7 nations should lead international cooperation to establish the groundwork for a global industrial transition.

The report identifies three primary opportunity areas to reduce the negative impacts of India's growing freight demand: increasing the share of rail transport, optimizing truck usage, and adopting zero-emissions vehicles and fuel economy technologies. Implementing these solutions could save 10 gigatons of cumulative CO2 emissions by 2050 and lower logistics costs from 14 percent to 10 percent of GDP.

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) has called on the Institute of Physics (IOP) to end its financial ties to the fossil fuel and arms industries. SGR identifies ongoing concerns regarding the IOP's lack of transparency in investments and its acceptance of sponsorship from arms companies. The letter demands a rapid phase-out of investments in companies whose activities are not aligned with the Paris Agreement's 2°C goal, the adoption of fossil fuel-free indexes, and the elimination of links to the military technology sector, citing examples of other professional bodies that have already divested.

The document outlines a comprehensive set of recommendations to transform the EU textile sector from a linear to a circular and resource-sufficient model. It advocates for mandatory ecodesign requirements to ensure durability and non-toxicity, a ban on the destruction of unsold goods, and the implementation of a digital product passport for transparency. The authors call for the phase-out of fossil-fuel derived synthetic fibres, the introduction of taxes on virgin resources, and the establishment of an EU-wide Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need for binding due diligence legislation to address human rights and environmental abuses in global supply chains and suggests stricter regulations on the export of textile waste to non-EU countries.

The briefing argues that the EU-Mercosur trade deal was concluded without a complete sustainability impact assessment (SIA), which the European Ombudsman identified as maladministration. It highlights concerns that the agreement could increase deforestation in Mercosur countries, particularly Brazil, and criticizes the European Commission's attempt to seek pre-ratification commitments rather than renegotiating the text. Furthermore, the document opposes any effort by the Commission to 'split' the trade and political components of the agreement to bypass the requirement for unanimity in the Council and ratification by the 27 EU Member State parliaments, asserting that such a move would violate the original 1999 mandate and principles of sincere cooperation.

The report assesses the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on African infrastructure, economic growth, trade, and debt sustainability. While finding that Chinese investment helps close the infrastructure gap and can boost GDP, the authors note risks including debt distress in specific countries, environmental degradation, and the crowding out of local manufacturing by Chinese imports. Case studies in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria demonstrate positive outcomes in transport and energy, though the failure of Nigeria's NIGCOM satellite highlights risks of using the continent as a testing ground. The report concludes that benefits generally outweigh costs, provided African nations improve project management and negotiate more symmetrical trade and loan terms.

The document argues that transport is a critical driver of development but a major source of emissions, accounting for 23% of energy-related CO2. It defines sustainable transport as safe, affordable, and efficient mobility that minimizes environmental impacts. The report details the evolution of international policy from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the Sustainable Development Goals, and provides examples of successful interventions, such as Jakarta's BRT system and various cities' shifts toward active mobility (cycling and walking). It specifically notes the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for structural changes in urban transit, though it warns that 30 major economies continue to provide significant subsidies to fossil fuels over clean energy.

The report examines the impact of COVID-19 on the energy sectors of South Korea and Indonesia and evaluates their fiscal recovery programs. South Korea's Green New Deal (GND) explicitly integrates climate goals with economic recovery, focusing on green infrastructure and low-carbon energy. In contrast, Indonesia's National Economic Recovery (PEN) program primarily targets short-term health and social stability, with only 0.9% of its budget allocated to energy transition. The study identifies structural barriers in both nations—such as South Korea's centralized market and Indonesia's high financing costs—and recommends that future stimulus include specific emission targets and incentives to attract private investment.

Indonesia's LPG subsidies are regressive, primarily benefiting wealthier households and straining the national budget. The report analyzes proposed targeting mechanisms, such as facial biometrics, and evaluates the climate impact of switching to electric induction stoves. By examining how India and Mexico implemented fuel tax increases and targeted social protections during economic crises, the report argues that Indonesia can leverage low oil prices to reform subsidies and redirect funds toward vulnerable populations.

On Earth Day 2021, Covering Climate Now highlights President Joe Biden's pledge to cut US carbon pollution by 50 percent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels and the ongoing efforts of activists like Greta Thunberg to end fossil fuel subsidies. The statement calls on journalists to scrutinize government claims against scientific necessity and to treat climate change as an emergency across all news beats.

RMI analysis indicates that Colorado's plan to add nearly 200 new highway lane-miles by 2030 could induce 1 to 1.5 billion additional annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT), equivalent to adding 70,000 more vehicles to the roads each year. The report argues that road expansion fails to provide long-term congestion relief because travel demand increases proportionally to new capacity, a phenomenon known as induced travel. These expansions are estimated to increase cumulative direct and upstream greenhouse gas emissions by 8 to 15 million tons of CO2-equivalent through 2050, costing over $3 billion in direct project costs. RMI advocates for shifting investment toward public transit, micro-mobility, and compact, mixed-use community development to achieve a 10 percent reduction in VMT by 2030.

A September 2021 survey of 898 registered U.S. voters shows broad support for international climate action, including a 73% approval rate for the U.S. pledge to reduce carbon pollution by 50% by 2030. While 66% of voters believe the U.S. should reduce emissions regardless of other countries' actions, there is even stronger consensus that developing countries (81%) and other industrialized nations (74%) should do more to address global warming. Support for providing financial and technical aid to developing countries for mitigation (66%) and adaptation (61%) has increased since March 2021, though significant partisan divides remain, particularly among conservative Republicans.