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Denmark's power sector shifted from 3% renewable generation in 1990 to over 80% by 2020, driven by a 24-fold increase in wind capacity and a 76% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. This transformation resulted from sustained R&D investment, feed-in tariffs, streamlined institutional planning via the Danish Energy Agency, strong international grid interconnection, and community ownership models. The government has set ambitious 2030 targets, including 100% renewable electricity generation, supported by a social safety net and dialogues with unions to ensure a fair transition for fossil fuel workers.

The report evaluates the technical and economic viability of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), contrasting them with large-scale nuclear power plants (NPPs) and variable renewable energy (VRE). It specifically analyzes the Romanian nuclear landscape, including the planned NuScale SMR in Doicești and the expansion of the Cernavodă plant. The authors argue that SMRs' modularity and standardization can mitigate the cost overruns typical of large NPPs. They recommend EU-level harmonization of licensing, the creation of a Joint Platform for SMR Procurements to achieve economies of scale, and improved public transparency in Romania.

Heat pumps are identified as a cornerstone for sustainable buildings, capable of significantly reducing CO2 emissions by replacing fossil fuel heating. While technologically mature and often cheaper over their lifetime than gas boilers in several major economies, their rollout is hindered by high upfront costs, poor building insulation, and a shortage of skilled technicians. The document highlights that meeting 2030 climate pledges will require tripling the global heat pump workforce to over 1.3 million and implementing strategic policies such as financial incentives, building codes, and innovative business models like heat-as-a-service.

The briefing finds that low to middle income groups in Sweden were most affected by the 2022 energy price crisis, with an average welfare impact of -3.8%. It highlights that sparsely populated areas suffered greater impacts than densely populated ones. The analysis suggests that direct compensation targeting income deciles 1 to 5, specifically deciles 3 to 5, would be more effective than fuel tax reductions, which primarily benefited high-income groups and risked undermining long-term climate goals.

The Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) is a free, open-source System Dynamics model created in Vensim to help policymakers assess the effectiveness of climate and energy policies. It allows users to model policies such as renewable portfolio standards and fuel economy standards across sectors including transportation, electricity, and agriculture. The model tracks 12 pollutants, economic impacts on GDP and jobs, health outcomes, and energy sector composition. Its methodologies have been peer-reviewed by experts from institutions such as MIT, Stanford, and various national laboratories.

The Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) is a free, open-source tool developed by RMI and Energy Innovation to model the environmental, economic, and health impacts of energy policies across the lower 48 US states. The tool supports the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program by enabling states to calculate GHG inventories, project emissions through 2050, build scenarios to meet reduction targets, and quantify the co-benefits of mitigation measures, such as public health improvements and economic development.

The report examines the impact of housing commodification in European cities, contrasting the neoliberal policies of the UK and Germany with the social housing models of Vienna, France, and Barcelona. It highlights how public investment and political commitment to housing as a human right, rather than a market asset, lead to lower rent burdens and better urban quality of life.

The study assesses decarbonisation pathways for Ulaanbaatar's heating sector, finding that solar assisted ground source heat pumps (SAGSHP) are more cost-effective and less electricity-intensive than full electrification. While SAGSHP increases fixed costs by 30%, it reduces total costs by 9% due to lower electricity demand and reduced requirements for power capacity and grid expansion. The authors argue that reducing the burden on the power sector is essential to decouple heat and power supply and facilitate the penetration of renewables.

The document examines how hybrid clean energy systems—specifically pairing solar generation with geothermal district heating and cooling—can address systemic energy injustices. It highlights that low-income communities and communities of color face higher risks from extreme heat and aging gas infrastructure, such as leaks in Massachusetts. The author advocates for a holistic approach, citing a Massachusetts pilot project that repurposes gas rights-of-way for geothermal networks and research from Croatia showing the efficiency of solar-geothermal hybrids. Such systems can reduce energy costs, eliminate methane emissions, and improve security through microgrid capabilities, provided that new market frameworks and data-processing technologies are implemented to manage the complexity of distributed energy systems.

The Consumption Compass is an Excel-based tool launched in April 2022 that provides CO2e estimates for all Swedish municipalities and postcodes. It employs a combination of bottom-up and top-down methodologies to downscale national consumption-based emissions data. The bottom-up approach is used exclusively for personal vehicle emissions, while the top-down approach utilizes four different approximations: MOSAIC lifestyle profile data, household expenditure surveys, other specific datasets (such as energy consumption and air travel), and per capita disposable income as a proxy. The tool integrates data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), InsightOne, and the Klimatkalkylatorn database to help local authorities prioritize climate actions.

The guide outlines five strategies for cities to leverage utility franchise agreement renegotiations: incorporating climate strategies, planning for equity, investing in resilient infrastructure, embracing collaboration, and understanding negotiation leverage. It highlights specific examples, such as San Diego's climate equity fund and Colorado's powerline undergrounding, to demonstrate how cities can align utility operations with community-wide clean energy goals.

ClientEarth argues that the recast Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) must remove support for fossil-fuel technologies, including natural gas and high-efficiency cogeneration, to avoid carbon lock-in. The organization recommends raising the 2030 EU energy efficiency target to at least 45% and making national contributions legally binding. It further advocates for the 'Energy Efficiency First' (EE1st) principle to be extended to all planning and investment decisions, not just 'major' ones, and calls for a more robust role for energy communities in achieving energy savings.

ClientEarth argues that the draft CEEAG contains political compromises that undermine environmental ambitions, specifically criticizing the continued support for fossil gas, low-carbon hydrogen, and biomass. The organization advocates for the strict integration of the 'Energy Efficiency First' principle, the 'energy solidarity principle', and more rigorous safeguards to prevent 'carbon lock-in'. Key recommendations include limiting hydrogen aid to renewable sources, phasing out support for high-efficient cogeneration and small hydropower, and implementing stricter conditions for the closure of coal activities to ensure they occur by 2030.

ClientEarth argues that the GBER must be revised to eliminate aid for environmentally harmful activities and prioritise sustainable energy transitions. The organisation recommends integrating the 'do no harm' principle, increasing transparency in state aid reporting, and excluding fossil-fuel-based technologies like high-efficient cogeneration and hydrogen from block exemptions. Conversely, it proposes new aid categories for energy communities, zero-exhaust-emission vehicles, and sustainable battery storage to accelerate the green transition.

The strategy outlines a comprehensive plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina to transition to a green economy by 2030 and achieve significant emission reductions by 2050. It identifies high vulnerability in agriculture, water management, and forestry due to increasing temperature extremes and erratic precipitation. The document proposes a low-carbon development path focusing on replacing inefficient coal-fired power plants with renewables, improving building energy efficiency, and modernising transport. A total investment of approximately BAM 16.7 billion is estimated for mitigation and BAM 170 million for adaptation by 2030.

The report argues that a coal-free Czechia by 2030 is feasible through a least-cost pathway focused on rapid expansion of wind and solar power, supplemented by flexible gas generation and large-scale heat pumps. It estimates that this transition would reduce power sector emissions by 85% and create approximately 45,000 direct jobs, while requiring €11bn in power sector capital investment.

The document critiques the Coal Replacement Bonus and the South Bonus introduced in Germany's Coal Phase-out Law, arguing that they overcompensate gas-based CHP plants, risk creating a carbon lock-in effect, and may delay the phase-out of hard coal by offering more attractive financial incentives than closure auctions.

The study assesses the integration of climate adaptation into energy efficiency projects in the Baltic Sea Region, finding that mitigation and adaptation are largely treated as separate policy areas. While new buildings more frequently implement adaptation measures above minimum standards, retrofitted buildings primarily focus on mitigation. The report identifies key synergies, such as green roofs and automated indoor climates, but notes that their implementation is often ad hoc rather than planned. Significant barriers include a lack of legal requirements, funding gaps, and limited awareness among developers.

The NewClimate Institute proposes a virtual Article 6 pilot in Khovd, Mongolia, to replace coal-based district heating with ground source heat pumps (GSHP). The project aims to reduce GHG emissions and air pollution while testing the application of Article 6 carbon market mechanisms, arguing that the project is additional due to high upfront costs and low local technological maturity.

Reaching climate neutrality in Estonia by 2050 is technically possible and potentially profitable in the long term, requiring an estimated total investment of 17.3 billion EUR between 2021 and 2050. The strategy emphasizes accelerating energy efficiency in buildings, transport, and industry, alongside a transition to renewable energy and carbon sequestration in the LULUCF sector. While the first decade (2021-2030) will be investment-heavy, resulting in higher costs than revenues, subsequent decades are expected to see revenues outweigh costs. The transition will likely cause a modest negative impact on GDP (approximately 10%) and long-term employment in fossil-fuel sectors, particularly oil shale in Ida-Virumaa, but will create short-term construction and technology jobs.