Search Climate Insights Directory

The Union of Concerned Scientists views the D.C. Circuit Court's decision to keep the Clean Power Plan in effect as a victory for climate action, noting that many U.S. states are already making significant progress toward the plan's 2022 and 2030 carbon emission benchmarks.

The European power sector saw a record increase in renewables generation in 2015, yet CO2 emissions fell by only an estimated 0.5% due to offsetting increases in coal generation in several countries and a rebound in electricity demand. While the UK experienced a collapse in coal generation, this was countered by growth in the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland. The report forecasts a further 21% drop in EU ETS emissions from 2014 to 2020, suggesting the EU is on track to surpass its 20% economy-wide CO2 cut target.

The document outlines a strategy for Virginia to exceed its Clean Power Plan goals through a revenue-raising carbon trading program and mandatory energy standards. It highlights the state's significant renewable energy potential and projects substantial economic and health benefits, including billions in capital investments and pollution avoidance by 2030.

The document outlines a pathway for California to halve its oil use by 2030 by extending and enhancing existing policies on vehicle efficiency, electrification, and land use planning.

The report finds that while a majority of US registered voters believe global warming is happening and support various clean energy policies, significant ideological divides persist. Democrats and liberal/moderate Republicans generally align with the mainstream public in supporting climate action, whereas conservative Republicans remain the most skeptical group, though they have shown the largest increase in belief that global warming is occurring over a two-year period. Public awareness of the scientific consensus on human-caused warming remains very low across all political groups.

The document argues that solar PV installations on packhouses are financially viable, particularly for larger systems, due to high daytime energy needs for cooling. It provides a model of financial feasibility and four case studies demonstrating electricity cost reductions and CO2 emissions avoidance. The brief also outlines the regulatory and technical requirements for feeding excess electricity back into the grid within various Western Cape municipalities.

The report analyzes the complex system of producer subsidies for coal in China, including direct financial support, tax breaks, and preferential financing. It highlights how these subsidies, often provided to state-owned enterprises, create market distortions that hinder the transition to renewable energy and maintain coal overcapacity despite environmental goals.

The document analyzes the climate impact of phasing out federal fossil fuel leases in the U.S. It finds that while current policies project an 11% increase in production by 2040, a 2°C pathway requires a 40–60% reduction. Ceasing new federal leases could reduce global CO2 emissions by approximately 100 million tonnes per year by 2030, primarily through reduced coal and offshore oil production.

The report analyzes the intersection of climate change, World Heritage sites, and tourism, arguing that climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' that degrades the outstanding universal value (OUV) of these sites while simultaneously threatening the tourism economies that depend on them. Through 30 case studies across 29 countries, it demonstrates that impacts range from glacier melt and sea-level rise to increased wildfire regimes and ocean acidification. The document emphasizes that while sustainable tourism can support conservation, unplanned development often increases site vulnerability. It concludes with recommendations for intergovernmental organizations, governments, and site managers to integrate climate science into management plans, reduce tourism's carbon footprint, and empower local and indigenous communities in adaptation efforts.

The report analyzes how China's coal power growth was driven by a combination of government capacity targets, stable electricity tariffs, and preferential access to low-cost debt for state-owned enterprises (SOEs). It finds that SOEs have become increasingly financially self-sustaining, using tariff revenues intended for depreciation to fund new capital expenditures, which limits the effectiveness of recent government efforts to constrain coal growth. While macroeconomic shifts and new environmental policies are slowing demand, the report argues that the financial autonomy of SOEs allows them to continue expanding coal assets independently of external policy support.

The guide suggests that while direct arguments about global warming are often counterproductive, common ground can be found by discussing shared environmental values, concerns about air pollution and biodiversity, and support for renewable energy and energy-efficiency behaviors.

The author argues that corporate organizations must take the lead in climate action because a small number of companies are responsible for a significant portion of global emissions. The text posits that investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency is beneficial for both the environment and corporate bottom lines, and that corporate action can help governments exceed their INDC declarations for COP 21.

Earthjustice condemns the U.S. Senate's vote on S.J. Res. 24, which sought to repeal the Clean Power Plan, describing the plan as the most significant U.S. action on climate change to date. The organization notes that the President intended to veto the resolution and highlights the contrast between the Senate's action and the efforts of world leaders to address climate change in Paris.

The report identifies 'climate equity hotspots' along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts, where projected sea level rise and tidal flooding combine with socioeconomic risks such as poverty and minority population share. It argues that federal and state agencies must prioritize these vulnerable communities in funding and infrastructure investments to ensure an equitable response to climate change. The analysis evaluated thirty-five coastal counties across nine states and provides case studies for five specific locations, including Dorchester County, MD, and Plaquemines Parish, LA, to illustrate the challenges of environmental injustice and sinking lands.

The New Earswick Good Life Initiative (GLI) was an 18-month participatory action research project in York, UK, designed to build community resilience and foster sustainable lifestyles. The project found that successful pro-environmental behavior change requires more than locally relevant ideas; it necessitates time, the transformation of social relationships, and the strengthening of local institutions and power balances. The paper argues that building social capital, leadership skills, and support networks is essential for communities to effectively engage with policy and take local responsibility for their environment.

Pennsylvania is required to reduce power sector emissions by 24-25 percent below 2012 levels by 2030 under the Clean Power Plan. Analysis indicates that current clean energy policies and improved power plant efficiency could achieve a 13 percent reduction by 2030. To fully meet or exceed targets, the state can expand its energy efficiency programs (Act 129) and alternative energy portfolio standard (AEPS) after 2021, potentially cutting emissions by 46 percent below 2012 levels by 2030. Such measures are described as cost-effective, with potential for the state to earn over $160 million annually by selling unused emissions allowances between 2022 and 2030.

The report estimates that China provided USD 21-38 billion to overseas coal power projects between 2005 and 2014, with a further USD 35-72 billion planned. This financing is primarily debt used to support Chinese equipment exports and construction contracts, driven by domestic overcapacity and strategic political goals. The report analyzes China's September 2015 commitment to control public investment in high-carbon projects, estimating that up to USD 18 billion in planned investment could be discontinued, though it warns that other international lenders or export credit agencies might fill the void.

The Union of Concerned Scientists proposes a green bank for Michigan, estimating that an initial public investment of $105 million could leverage $3.3 billion in total clean energy investments by 2030. This financial mechanism would support the deployment of 685 MW of solar capacity and reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by 3.9 million tons, contributing 13% of the emissions reductions required for the state to meet Clean Power Plan targets. The document outlines various financial products the bank could offer, such as credit enhancements and warehousing, and identifies existing Michigan programs that could be integrated into this structure.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzes how a hypothetical Pennsylvania green bank, with an initial $135 million capitalization, could leverage $4.2 billion in total investment by 2030. This initiative would support 780 MW of wind and solar capacity, save $375 million annually on electricity bills, and reduce CO2 emissions by 4.8 million tons per year, contributing 11% of the state's required reductions under the Clean Power Plan.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzes how a hypothetical Virginia green bank with $90 million in initial capitalization could leverage $2.8 billion in total investment by 2030, significantly reducing carbon emissions and supporting the deployment of 575 MW of wind and solar capacity.