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The manual outlines a pedagogical framework to move beyond simple renewable energy substitution toward a systemic change based on energy sufficiency and sovereignty. It critiques 'energy extractivism'—the exploitation of resources in the Global South for external consumption—and 'green extractivism,' where climate mitigation narratives justify local land and resource loss. The guide promotes circular design to combat planned obsolescence and provides examples of community energy models in Gambia, Brazil, Denmark, and the UK, while detailing Scotland's policy strategy for local renewable ownership.

The document assesses the failures of the 2014 EU Public Procurement Directives, noting that their voluntary nature and legal fragmentation have hindered the mainstreaming of green public procurement (GPP). It highlights that public procurement represents approximately 15% of EU GDP and 10% of its greenhouse gas emissions, presenting a significant opportunity for climate impact. The authors propose three primary reform opportunities: making GPP mandatory to simplify procedures and reduce legal uncertainty, linking 'buy European' initiatives to environmental requirements to boost green competitiveness, and implementing systemic data collection to improve monitoring and accountability.

The document examines the transition to a sustainable bioeconomy in the tropics, focusing on the institutional, business, and technological environments of specific bioresources in Thailand, Kenya, and Colombia. It highlights a systemic gap where public policies prioritize economic growth and productivity over environmental and social sustainability, particularly for smallholder farmers. While Thailand leads in high-value bioproducts like bioplastics from cassava, it faces challenges with soil degradation and labor shortages. In contrast, Kenya and Colombia primarily use cassava for food security, with nascent industrial sectors. The paper also explores non-timber forest products (NTFPs), such as croton in Kenya and açaí in Colombia, noting that while they offer high value and conservation potential, they are hindered by complex regulatory permits and a lack of scaled investment. The authors recommend shifting from monocultures to sustainable production systems, strengthening smallholder cooperatives, and streamlining biodiversity regulations to ensure an inclusive and ecologically sound bioeconomy.

WWF expresses caution regarding plastic crediting, stating it should only be an additional approach to robust plastic waste reduction strategies. The organization opposes the terms "plastic neutral" and "plastic neutrality," arguing they are misleading and do not convey true environmental impact. For crediting to be credible, WWF asserts it must drive investment toward circular systems and comprehensive Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), adhere to ISEAL standards, and ensure social safeguards, including living wages for waste pickers. The document emphasizes that credits must prove additionality and match the specific polymer and form of the plastic produced by the buyer to prevent the neglect of low-value plastics.

The document argues that SADC must transition from reactive to anticipatory skills governance to address critical gaps in access, relevance, and applicability. It advocates for the integration of 'skills foresight' and 'systemic innovation' to prepare the region's workforce for green and digital economies, emphasizing the need for regional accreditation systems and updated curricula that include systems and futures literacy.

Ecuador's waste sector accounts for 18% of the country's annual methane emissions, with a significant portion concentrated in the cities of Guayaquil and Quito. While the government has established a legal framework promoting the waste hierarchy and inclusive circular economy, implementation is hindered by a lack of long-term planning, insufficient funding for infrastructure, and poor data quality. Current mitigation efforts are limited to landfill gas capture in the three largest disposal sites, while organic waste treatment remains largely decentralized and under-prioritized. The report recommends developing a national integrated solid waste management plan with specific methane targets and improving waste tariff systems to ensure financial sustainability.

The document outlines a comprehensive approach to reducing methane emissions from solid waste, which accounts for approximately 20% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. It proposes a policy matrix categorized into legislative/regulatory, market-based, voluntary, and information/education approaches, mapped across the integrated solid waste management (ISWM) chain. The guide emphasizes that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius requires the global implementation of solutions across all three categories of the ISWM chain: waste prevention/minimization, source separation/treatment of organics, and improved landfill engineering. It provides detailed case studies from Colombia, Germany, India, Italy, Peru, the Republic of Korea, and the United States to illustrate how different policy combinations are applied based on national contexts.

The waste sector accounts for approximately 20% of global anthropogenic methane emissions, equivalent to 5.4 Gt CO2e annually. This guide proposes a policy matrix organized by the solid waste management (SWM) chain to help policymakers implement a combination of legislative, market-based, voluntary, and educational tools. Key strategies include waste prevention, organic waste diversion (composting and anaerobic digestion), and improved landfill engineering (gas capture and biocovers). The document emphasizes that meeting the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit requires a comprehensive approach across the entire SWM chain rather than isolated solutions. It provides case studies from Colombia, Germany, India, Italy, Perú, the Republic of Korea, and the United States to illustrate how different nations layer these policy tools to reduce emissions.

The document argues that traditional corporate climate leadership, focused on 'net zero' and offsets, is insufficient to address the climate crisis. It introduces the 'Drawdown-Aligned Business Framework,' which urges employees to advocate for comprehensive changes across eight leverage points: emissions reductions, stakeholder engagement, procurement, investments, disclosures, policy advocacy, business model transformation, and long-term thinking. The guide emphasizes that every job must become a 'climate job' and that companies must prioritize climate justice and the elimination of fossil fuel dependencies to achieve drawdown—the point when atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations begin to steadily decline.

The report assesses the circular economy (CE) strategies of Bogotá and Buenos Aires, identifying a common over-reliance on waste management and a lack of holistic, long-term visions. It emphasizes the critical role of the informal waste sector, which supports millions of livelihoods in the region, and advocates for their formal integration into urban governance. Key recommendations include adopting the 10-R framework to move beyond recycling toward refusing and rethinking consumption, improving waste infrastructure, and implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes.

The World Resources Institute evaluates the EU's Clean Industrial Deal, praising its focus on clean-tech and the mobilization of 100 billion Euros for manufacturing, but warns that potential delays to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and a lack of specific resource efficiency targets could undermine its effectiveness.

The report outlines a strategic framework for India to secure critical energy transition minerals (CETMs) through domestic exploration, international cooperation, regular sector assessments, and the promotion of circular economy practices.

The report examines the state of green public procurement (GPP) in South Africa, noting that while the country lacks dedicated GPP legislation, the Public Procurement Act of 2024 provides a new opening for sustainable development measures. It highlights successful subnational initiatives in the Western Cape and cities like Cape Town and Tshwane, but identifies systemic barriers including a 'fear of the auditor', high perceived 'green premiums', and limited capacity among small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs). The authors recommend embedding GPP into national law, creating a centralized knowledge platform, and developing a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track environmental outcomes.

The document examines systemic barriers in Africa's mining sector, including tax avoidance, high borrowing costs, and technological monopolies. It proposes a 'resource leverage strategy' to exchange mineral access for technology transfer and local beneficiation, while advocating for the adoption of African-led financial frameworks like the African Continental Ratings Agency (AfCRA) and AMREC-PARC to foster economic independence.

The report applies the 'Unlocking a Better Future' (UBF) framework to identify policy gaps in Scotland, proposing a holistic approach to transition the economy and society. It recommends strengthening human-nature connectedness, expanding nature-based education, exploring the 'Rights of Nature', and reforming national accounting to move beyond GDP. The document also emphasizes the need for a shift from top-down to bottom-up public engagement to ensure a just transition, while proposing specific indicators to track structural transformation.

Orange County Waste & Recycling (OCWR) is implementing a two-part strategy to reduce methane emissions: diverting organic waste into compost and utilizing the Smart Landfill Program (SLP). The SLP employs real-time data, drones, and robotic dogs to identify leaks and optimize gas collection, potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 15%. Additionally, OCWR is exploring the conversion of excess landfill gas into biomethane and the installation of solar energy on closed landfills to support California's clean energy goals.

The document proposes a shift from traditional technology-replacement efficiency to a 'whole-systems' approach. It argues that combining electrification with energy end-use efficiency (reducing the demand for energy services) can reduce overall energy demand by 50-75%. The author provides sector-specific examples: in buildings, through passive design and compact urban development; in mobility, via land-use reforms and smaller, lighter electric vehicles; in freight, through modal shifts to rail and material demand reduction; and in steel, via circularity and material substitution. The brief concludes that achieving the COP28 goal of doubling energy efficiency improvement rates requires engaging a diverse range of stakeholders to trigger social tipping points.

The US chemical industry, specifically the production of hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, ethylene, propylene, and benzene, accounts for a significant portion of industrial emissions. RMI identifies 20 emissions reduction levers, 10 of which are commercially viable today and could reduce sector emissions by 34%. With additional policy and infrastructure support, this near-term reduction could reach 48%. The report emphasizes that while supply-side interventions like carbon capture and methane leak mitigation are critical, they must be paired with demand-side measures and long-term innovation in electrification and alternative feedstocks to achieve a net-zero sector by 2050.

Copper is essential for renewable energy and electric vehicles, with demand projected to grow by at least 50% by 2050. While mining faces challenges like long lead times and decreasing ore quality, recycling copper—which is 100% recyclable—can save up to 85% of the energy used in extraction. Currently, recycled copper provides about one-third of the global supply, but doubling end-of-life recycling rates from 32% to 66% could recover over 6 million tons of copper from landfills annually by 2040. Scaling this requires improving collection systems, expanding high-standard processing capacity, and increasing market demand for recycled materials across the U.S., EU, and China.

The ITIAC recommends that the DOE prioritize budget increases for offices like IEDO and AMMTO, improve industrial energy data collection, and support cross-cutting technologies such as direct electrification and clean hydrogen. It specifically calls for the creation of a chemicals technology center of excellence and a 'Fast Track' program to accelerate commercialization. The report also emphasizes the need for grid reforms to lower electricity costs for industry and the development of standards for clean goods to facilitate long-term offtake agreements.