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The document asserts that the Paris Agreement's success is hindered by a failure to recognize that a public mandate is essential for reducing emissions and transforming personal behaviors. It highlights the neglect of Article 12 and Article 11 of the Paris Agreement, which mandate climate education and public participation. The author notes that while the UK's Committee on Climate Change now acknowledges that net zero is impossible without engaging people, central government ministries still lack a dedicated strategy or budget. The document calls for a 'step change' in public engagement leading up to COP26 in Glasgow, proposing the launch of a Climate Engagement Initiative to ensure citizens' rights to understand climate impacts are upheld.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development evaluates Canada's new climate plan, highlighting the carbon pricing trajectory, the commitment to a national adaptation plan, and CAD 15 billion in low-carbon economy investments. While acknowledging the plan as a 'good start', the statement emphasizes the need for further just transition policies, increased provincial ambition, and private sector investment to ensure national competitiveness in the global race to net zero.

Five years after the Paris Agreement, there has been a significant increase in net-zero commitments from major economies and businesses, though current pledges only limit temperature rise to 2.1ºC. The author argues that green recovery plans provide better economic and employment benefits than traditional stimulus and calls for mandatory climate-related financial disclosures and the removal of fossil fuel subsidies to unlock further private investment.

The policy brief argues that while free allocation in the EU ETS protects against carbon leakage, it mutes the carbon price signal for consumers, leading to underinvestment in material efficiency. To solve this, the authors propose a 'climate contribution'—a weight-based charge on the consumption of carbon-intensive materials sold in Europe. This mechanism would pass carbon costs to users and generate revenue for climate action without the high administrative complexity or trade conflict risks associated with border-focused CBAMs. The brief compares this approach against three other CBAM scenarios, concluding that combining dynamic free allocation with a climate contribution maintains a level playing field for exports and avoids 'resource shuffling' and downstream leakage.

The report finds that global power sector investment in 2018 was significantly misaligned with Paris Agreement goals, with 29% of new investment (USD 129 billion) flowing into fossil fuels. No major country or region is decarbonizing its power sector at the required pace, and no major investor category is fully aligned with Paris-aligned emissions intensity targets. The authors highlight a critical data gap, noting that asset-level transaction data was available for only 23% of tracked high-emissions power finance due to corporate balance sheet borrowing. To achieve alignment, the report recommends halting new carbon-intensive investments, accelerating the retirement of fossil-fuel plants, and scaling up low-carbon investments through public-private collaboration and improved climate risk reporting.

The policy brief contends that relying on carbon offsets to meet climate targets is risky and unsustainable due to issues with environmental integrity and the risk of 'double counting' under the Paris Agreement. It argues that offsets can displace domestic climate action and mask the scale of the climate crisis by offering a cheap alternative to deep sectoral transformation. To address these failures, the document proposes shifting from a 'compensation' model to a 'contribution' model, where companies fund host country climate efforts without claiming carbon neutrality. Additionally, it suggests 'practice-based credits' that reward the implementation of sustainable practices rather than quantified results, which is particularly useful for land-use projects where permanence is difficult to guarantee. The brief emphasizes that these alternatives better align with sustainable development goals and protect companies from reputational risks associated with fraudulent offsetting claims.

The author contends that because a link between the EU carbon market and the UK is now impossible after Brexit, the UK should adopt a carbon tax on January 1st. This is presented as a superior alternative to a 'risky and highly complex' UK-only Emissions Trading System, providing necessary certainty for businesses and investors.

The report estimates that a net increase in investment of approximately 66 billion SEK is required to decarbonise Swedish heavy industry by 2045. This includes 50 billion SEK for the four largest emission sources—steel, petrochemicals, refining, and cement—and 15 billion SEK for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the pulp and paper sector to achieve net-zero. The analysis reveals that financing challenges vary by sector: steel and petrochemicals face high capital expenditure (CAPEX) hurdles due to the need for transformative new processes, while cement and refining are primarily constrained by high operational expenses (OPEX) associated with adding CCS. The report argues that while the total costs are manageable compared to other national infrastructure spending, current carbon pricing under the EU ETS is insufficient to drive these investments, necessitating increased public risk-sharing and targeted industrial policy.

The World Resources Institute outlines ten priorities for President Biden to address the climate crisis, centered on the principles of inclusive prosperity, focusing on carbon-heavy sectors, and supporting subnational action. Key recommendations include committing to a 45-50% emissions reduction by 2030, passing a $2 trillion climate-smart stimulus package, and phasing out new passenger vehicle sales of polluting cars by 2035. The plan emphasizes a 'whole-of-government' approach combining standards, investments, carbon pricing, and environmental justice to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The report analyzes rural transportation in four Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, finding that while rural households face barriers like lower incomes and limited charging infrastructure, they stand to gain the most financially from electric vehicle (EV) adoption due to higher mileage and less efficient existing fleets. It proposes a comprehensive strategy including EV incentives, expanded public transit, active transportation planning, and broadband expansion to reduce the need for travel.

The paper evaluates the 2008–09 green stimulus, finding that while it supported GDP and job creation in economies like the US, China, South Korea, and the EU, it failed to create a long-term low-carbon trajectory due to a lack of structural reforms and the persistence of fossil fuel subsidies.

Carbon Market Watch criticizes the EU's 2021-2030 state aid guidelines for compensating electricity-intensive industries against 'indirect costs' from the EU ETS. The author contends that the final rules expand the list of eligible sectors—including oil refineries and plastic producers—via an opaque 'qualitative assessment' and remove stringent climate conditions. The document further claims that the formula for calculating aid is weakened, ignoring the decarbonization of the power grid and risking windfall profits for industry while undermining the EU Green Deal.

The report argues that while Canada's greenhouse gas reduction goals are achievable, neither federal nor provincial governments are currently on track to meet them. It emphasizes that the energy sector is responsible for 80% of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions and urges the public to look beyond carbon pricing and pipelines to recognize the broader transformative potential of the energy transition. The text notes that other countries are managing this transition more organizedly, gaining economic advantages and avoiding future costly re-engineering risks.

The document outlines design principles for output-based allocations (OBA) to address competitiveness concerns in carbon pricing, specifically for Alberta, the Canadian federal government, and provinces using cap-and-trade systems.

Carbon Market Watch proposes ten principles for the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Measure (CBAM), arguing that it must replace free allocation of allowances in the EU ETS to adhere to the 'polluter-pays' principle. The organization recommends that CBAM cover direct and indirect emissions in high-emitting sectors like steel, cement, and bulk chemicals, and be implemented as an extension of the EU ETS. Key social and diplomatic recommendations include exempting Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), recycling revenues into climate action, and using the mechanism to complement international climate diplomacy and product requirements.

Carbon Market Watch argues that including road transport and buildings in the EU carbon market would fail to reduce emissions and instead provide an excuse for inaction. For transport, the author suggests CO2 standards for new vehicles are more effective, while for buildings, they advocate for energy efficiency standards and deep renovations. The document warns that adding these sectors would risk market instability by increasing the number of pollution permits and potentially undermining existing regulations.

The We Mean Business Coalition argues that integrating climate ambition into economic recovery is a strategic necessity for long-term growth and resilience. The statement highlights that green recovery measures are more effective at creating jobs and increasing GDP than traditional stimulus. It calls for specific policy actions, including the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, mandatory TCFD-aligned financial disclosures, and the requirement that companies receiving public financial assistance adopt science-based targets consistent with a 1.5°C warming limit.

RMI commemorates Ted Halstead, the founder of the Climate Leadership Council, noting his efforts to build a broad coalition of business and environmental leaders to advocate for a carbon tax and dividend framework as a cost-effective and equitable climate solution in the US.

Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute (WRI), issued a statement mourning the death of Ted Halstead, the Founder and CEO of the Climate Leadership Council, who died following a hiking accident. Steer highlighted Halstead's role in building a bipartisan coalition to advance climate policy through carbon pricing and committed WRI to continuing these efforts.

The document argues that CCfDs can mitigate regulatory and price uncertainty in carbon markets while providing innovation incentives for low-carbon industrial technologies. It positions CCfDs as one element of a broader five-part policy package including climate contributions, renewable CfDs, green public procurement, and product carbon requirements. The brief examines the economic costs and social values of CCfDs, suggests national-level implementation to be practical despite state aid complexities, and discusses their potential integration with COVID-19 Recovery Funds to ensure long-term business cases for green industrial investments.