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The paper explores the use of section 111 of the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants and industrial facilities, which account for half of the country's total emissions. It highlights the flexibility available to states to implement market-based emissions-trading mechanisms rather than traditional source-specific limitations. However, it notes specific design challenges for cap-and-trade programs under federal guidelines, such as restrictions on offsets and uncertainties regarding trading between different source categories.

The document proposes an eight point action plan to help Mexico meet its INDC targets while improving economic competitiveness, energy security, and public health. It asserts that Mexico can achieve its unconditional greenhouse gas emission reduction target using 19 policies, resulting in cumulative net expenditure savings of over 500 billion pesos (approximately 2 percent of 2015 GDP) by 2030. Furthermore, the paper states that by enhancing existing policies and adding two more, Mexico can reach its conditional emission reduction target while maintaining cost savings.

The document examines the social cost of carbon (SCC) as a tool for cost-benefit analysis in government regulation, noting that the chosen SCC value directly determines the stringency of climate regulations. It argues that SCC calculations rely on judgment calls and assumptions beyond standard science or economics, which can be hidden from policymakers.

The document outlines a strategy for Guangdong Province to implement a reporting scheme for enterprise energy consumption and GHG emissions to inform government decision-making on low-carbon development. It suggests a three-step policy roadmap and identifies existing tools, such as the WRI GHG Protocol Tool and the Guangdong GHG Information Management Platform, as means to implement the first stage.

The report outlines the outcomes of a March 2010 workshop convened by the World Resources Institute, where experts from over ten GHG inventory programs discussed the evolution of corporate GHG accounting. It identifies a shift toward value-chain management and the increasing role of climate policy in developing countries as drivers for expanding accounting capacity. The document concludes that future efforts must focus on increasing the scale of accounting capacity, transitioning from measurement to management, and improving coordination between programs.

The paper examines how the U.S. and EU are considering trade measures to address industrial competitiveness, carbon leakage, and free-riding in their post-2012 greenhouse gas emissions legislation. It highlights a potential conflict between these unilateral measures and the principles of the WTO and UNFCCC, noting that U.S. proposals could penalize developing countries even if they comply with international agreements. The author argues that the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties should establish guiding principles for trade measures to prevent legal disputes and protect the UNFCCC's legitimacy as a global standard-setter.

The document outlines a strategy for the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stating that a 26 percent reduction below 2005 levels by 2025 is achievable through a comprehensive approach including the Clean Power Plan. It identifies the power sector as the primary opportunity for reductions, potentially reaching 30 percent by 2025 if policies are strengthened or renewable costs decline. For longer-term goals, the paper argues that Congressional action, specifically a national carbon price, could enable reductions of 40-42 percent by 2030 and 50-53 percent by 2040.

The report assesses federal policies and programs aimed at meeting the U.S. target of a 17 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 relative to 2005 levels. While policies like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, renewable energy tax credits, and vehicle standards are driving reductions, government projections indicate that additional actions are necessary to meet the target and sustain reductions after 2020. The report notes a lack of promising initiatives in Congress but suggests that federal agencies can utilize existing authority to implement further standards for power plants, appliances, and HFC consumption.

The document outlines a framework for managing the intersection of energy security and climate change, identifying three primary challenges: the evolving nature of their definitions and goals, variables creating future uncertainty, and the potential for trade-offs and unintended consequences. It argues that a successful strategy must address both the design of the future state and the specific pathway used to achieve it.

The report evaluates how companies are managing 'cutting-edge' climate issues, noting that while GHG target-setting and data verification have become more common, significant barriers remain. It argues that current corporate goals are insufficient for the scale of necessary emission reductions and outlines six strategic actions—including expanding GHG reporting, realigning value chains, and factoring climate risks into long-term investments—to establish a new benchmark for corporate leadership in a low-carbon future.

The paper proposes a 'data loop' framework to improve greenhouse gas emissions reporting through collaboration between governments and the private sector. It argues that transparent, credible data is essential for national climate policies and international reporting under the Paris Agreement. By combining these data loops with 'ambition loops'—feedback cycles that foster more ambitious climate action—governments can leverage mechanisms like carbon pricing and the Science Based Targets initiative to accelerate climate progress, primarily focusing on the Asia region.

The document argues that technical capacity and economic wealth are insufficient to ensure ambitious climate action, as 'political will' is often obstructed by vested interests. It proposes a systematic assessment of political and institutional contexts, ideologies, and narratives to help stakeholders build political power and develop strategies for enacting durable, ambitious policies. The guide specifically addresses the needs of multi-sector national coalitions facing challenges in cross-sector coordination, accountability systems, and policy monitoring.

The document outlines a framework for matching policy instruments to the innovation stage of renewable energy technologies. It argues that grants are best for R&D and demonstration to manage high uncertainty, while loan guarantees suit commercialization and early deployment to share technical risk. Tax credits and feed-in tariffs are recommended for later innovation stages to offset upfront costs, and Renewable Electricity Standards (RES) are most effective for mature technologies in early deployment. The brief also emphasizes that a favorable regulatory environment is essential to prevent interconnection and pricing hurdles from undermining these incentives.

The document outlines the necessity of establishing credible platforms for accounting and reporting corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to address climate change. It identifies common challenges in program design—including objective setting, geographic scope, reporting specifications, and quality assurance—and offers guidance based on the experience of the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to help stakeholders develop customized GHG programs.

The document argues that for a federal cap-and-trade program in the United States to maintain state-level climate innovation, it must account for state-achieved emission reductions by retiring federal greenhouse gas emission allowances. Without this mechanism, state actions would simply free up allowances for use in other states, creating a 'leakage' effect that results in no net environmental benefit.

The United States proposed greenhouse gas reduction targets of 17% by 2020 and 26-28% by 2025 relative to 2005 levels. WRI analysis suggests these targets are achievable through the aggressive implementation of federal and state policies, including President Obama's Climate Action Plan. However, further significant action is required to align the U.S. trajectory with a 2°C long-term goal.

The document argues that U.S. agricultural producers can benefit from proposed climate policies provided they actively engage in the policy dialogue. It serves as the first of two Farm Bill Policy Notes aimed at identifying opportunities for the industry to participate in climate discussions during a period of high public awareness of climate change.

The document introduces the green economy model (GEM) as a response to the analytical and knowledge gaps that hinder national climate ambition. The GEM is intended to improve the understanding of climate and socioeconomic linkages, provide decision-makers with policy development tools, and build technical capacity for low-carbon policymaking.

The document argues that carbon dioxide removal is a necessary complement to emissions reductions and outlines a strategy for the U.S. to lead the sector. It recommends focusing on research, development, and demonstration (RD&D), building market demand, and establishing governance frameworks to ensure safety, climate impact, and local economic benefits.

WRI analysis indicates that Ohio can reduce its CO2 emissions by 27 percent below 2011 levels by 2020 by leveraging existing state policies and infrastructure. Key drivers include the Renewable and Advanced Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS), which could yield a 7 percent reduction, and the Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS), which could provide a 10 percent reduction. Infrastructure opportunities include increasing combined heat and power (CHP) capacity, improving the operating capacity of combined cycle natural gas (NGCC) plants, and enhancing the efficiency of coal-fired power plants.