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The document defines cap-and-trade as a market-based system that sets a maximum limit on greenhouse gas emissions, creating a carbon price through the supply and demand of emission allowances. It details the differences between upstream and downstream regulation, compares cap-and-trade to carbon taxes, and lists existing programs such as the EU-ETS and RGGI.

The document provides a comparative analysis of climate policy tools in the US and China. It details the US's reliance on subnational carbon pricing and evolving SEC disclosure rules, and China's implementation of the world's largest emissions trading system (ETS) and its 'common but differentiated responsibilities' approach to international finance. It concludes by suggesting cooperation on sustainable procurement, emission accounting standards, and subnational carbon market exchanges.

The briefing examines the climate policy landscapes of the U.S. and China, noting that while the U.S. lacks a national carbon price, it has significant subnational activity. China has established the world's largest emissions trading scheme (ETS) but maintains that it is not obligated to provide international climate finance as a developing nation. Both countries are advancing corporate climate disclosure rules, though they differ on the requirement for Scope 3 emissions. The paper suggests cooperation on sustainable procurement, data standards for emission accounting, and subnational carbon market exchanges.

The document proposes a two-step emissions target mechanism—periodic evaluation and triggered policy changes—to ensure a U.S. carbon tax meets national GHG goals. It suggests four types of trigger responses: automatic tax rate adjustments, increased government spending for emissions reduction, activating 'back-stop' regulations, or streamlined legislative modification. Additionally, it identifies three categories of complementary policies to enhance cost-effectiveness: support for low-carbon innovation (RDD&D), consumer energy savings incentives, and policies targeting 'uncovered' emissions or non-climate co-benefits.

Michigan can achieve 98 percent of its Clean Power Plan emission reductions through existing clean energy policies, with the remainder achievable via better use of natural gas and coal plant efficiency. The state could further increase reductions by raising its renewable energy and energy efficiency standards, and potentially generate over $160 million annually through a market-based carbon pricing program.

The report assesses G20 countries' efforts to meet their Paris Agreement commitments, noting that while all have taken concrete actions, progress and ambition vary. Key highlights include India's aggressive solar targets, China's integration of environmental stewardship into its 13th Five-Year Plan, and Indonesia's peatland restoration efforts. However, challenges remain, such as Turkey's planned expansion of coal power and Saudi Arabia's lack of a formal 2030 GHG target.

The document examines how a national carbon price would induce emissions reductions across the U.S. economy, with the most immediate and significant impacts occurring in the electricity sector. It argues that while U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts are conservative, empirical evidence from places like British Columbia suggests that carbon pricing can drive substantial behavioral changes and technological innovation. The authors advocate for a combination of carbon pricing and complementary policies, such as R&D funding and energy-efficiency standards, to overcome market barriers and achieve a target of reducing emissions by more than 80 percent by 2050.

The report argues that while land restoration offers high economic returns—estimated at $7 to $30 for every dollar invested—it remains severely underfunded with an annual gap of approximately $300 billion. It identifies seven systemic barriers to investment, including the lack of market value for public benefits and long investment horizons. The authors recommend a cross-sectoral government approach, the use of carbon taxes to fund restoration, and the implementation of risk-mitigation tools like first-loss guarantees and tax credits to attract private capital. The document also provides a framework for economic valuation to make the full suite of ecosystem services visible to decision-makers.

The document highlights that wind power purchase agreements (PPAs) are cheaper than new coal and natural gas plants across most U.S. regions, even without federal tax incentives. It provides specific examples of solar PV projects outcompeting fossil fuels in states like Utah, Colorado, and Georgia. To sustain these trends, the text recommends increasing federal R&D funding, reforming tax incentives to be refundable, and establishing long-term regulatory certainty through carbon pricing or greenhouse gas standards.

The document outlines the South African government's plan to implement a carbon tax in January 2019 to shift the social costs of emissions to polluters. While it acknowledges the tax as a cost-effective tool for economic reorientation, WWF South Africa argues that the initial rate of R120 per tonne, combined with allowances of 60% to 95%, is insufficient to incentivize emission reductions. The document recommends a higher tax rate of R162 to R433 per tonne and suggests that revenues be used for pro-poor programs in energy and transport.