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Decarbonizing Low-Temperature Industrial Heat in the U.S.
Low-temperature industrial heat (up to 165C) accounts for approximately 35 percent of U.S. industrial process heat demand and produced 171 million metric tons of CO2 in 2021. Industrial heat pumps are identified as the most efficient and cost-effective zero-carbon solution for this range, outperforming alternatives like electrolytic hydrogen, bioenergy, and carbon capture and sequestration. Modeling suggests that a full transition to heat pumps by 2050 would reduce industry GHG emissions by 284 MMT (16 percent) relative to a business-as-usual case and prevent over 3,000 premature deaths by 2050. Economically, this shift could increase U.S. GDP by over $42 billion in 2030 and create 275,000 jobs in 2030. While heat pumps have higher capital costs than natural gas technologies, the gap is small and likely narrowing due to rising natural gas prices and falling electricity costs. The report recommends federal financial support via the DOE's AMMTO and IEDO offices, as well as the implementation of technology-neutral energy efficiency and GHG emission standards.
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Document type: Report
The Bottom Line: Why Canada’s Energy Security Hinges on Renewables
The document asserts that Canada's reliance on oil, gas, and coal exposes it to global market volatility and geopolitical risks, as evidenced by record-high fuel prices in 2022. It argues that renewable energy sources like wind and solar are now more cost-effective than fossil fuels and provide long-term price stability because they do not require input fuels. The brief highlights Canada's existing hydroelectric capacity and transmission infrastructure as key assets for integrating variable renewables. It recommends accelerating the electrification of transportation and heating, improving interprovincial grid connectivity, and investing in energy storage to achieve a non-emitting electricity grid by 2035.
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Document type: Policy brief
Why Government Support for Decarbonizing Oil and Gas Is a Bad Investment
The document contends that the Canadian oil and gas industry has sufficient windfall profits to fund its own decarbonization and that public subsidies for the sector, particularly for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), create significant opportunity costs. It highlights that previous government supports have sometimes increased overall emissions by enabling higher production. The authors advocate for shifting public investment toward proven low-carbon technologies like wind, solar, and energy efficiency to meet Canada's 2030 climate targets.
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Document type: Policy brief
Navigating Energy Transitions
The report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5C requires a rapid decline in oil and gas production, with a minimum 65% reduction by 2050. It argues that developing new oil and gas fields is incompatible with this goal and would likely create stranded assets. To replace fossil fuels, the world must significantly scale up wind and solar deployment; the annual investment gap for these technologies is estimated at USD 450 billion until 2030, a sum that could be covered by redirecting funds currently slated for new fossil fuel exploration (USD 570 billion annually). The report also examines the 'dash for gas' in Europe following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, concluding that existing infrastructure can meet medium-to-long-term demand if consumption is reduced. Finally, it highlights legal risks from investment treaties, which could cost governments up to USD 340 billion in compensation claims, and criticizes the lack of transparency and ambition in corporate net-zero targets.
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Document type: Report
The 7th ASEAN Energy Outlook 2020 - 2050
The 7th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO7) analyzes energy demand, supply, and electricity generation across the ASEAN region through four scenarios: Baseline, AMS Targets (ATS), APAEC Targets (APS), and Least-Cost Optimisation (LCO). It finds that without policy intervention, energy demand will triple by 2050 and fossil fuels will continue to dominate. However, implementing national and regional policies can significantly reduce total final energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The report emphasizes the need for increased energy efficiency, higher renewable energy penetration, and regional grid interconnection to ensure energy security and sustainability.
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Document type: Report
Rewarding What Matters in Energy Efficiency
The report examines the shift from traditional energy efficiency programs, which focus on raw energy savings, toward 'climate-forward efficiency' that prioritizes GHG reductions. It identifies two types of performance incentive mechanisms (PIMs): 'explicit GHG' PIMs, which directly reward carbon reductions, and 'policy intent' PIMs, which implicitly encourage GHG reductions through fuel switching or time-based savings. The document highlights early implementations in New York, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., and suggests that tracking metrics and scorecards can serve as a starting point for states not yet ready for full PIMs.
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Document type: Report
Key takeaways from the three Working Group reports of the IPCC Sixth Assessment
The briefing outlines the scientific consensus that human activities, primarily fossil fuel combustion, are unequivocally causing climate change, leading to unprecedented warming and extreme weather. It warns that current national commitments are insufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C, potentially leading to 2.8°C by 2100, which would severely threaten food security, health, and biodiversity. To avoid this, the document argues for urgent, transformative changes, including widespread electrification, a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, and significant methane reductions by 2030. While noting that investment in fossil fuels still outweighs adaptation and mitigation funding, it highlights progress in the falling costs of solar, wind, and battery technologies, as well as the increasing adoption of electric vehicles and climate legislation.
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Document type: Briefing
How RMI Is Accelerating Demand-Side Transformation to Deliver Ambitious Equitable Climate Outcomes for Buildings
RMI advocates for a shift toward demand-side solutions in the buildings sector to address its contribution to nearly 40 percent of global carbon dioxide pollution. The strategy focuses on electrifying heating and cooking, implementing comprehensive energy efficiency retrofits, and reducing the embodied carbon of construction materials like steel and concrete, while centering benefits for underserved communities.
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Document type: Briefing
By the Numbers: Low-Income Energy Assistance
RMI's analysis of historical data reveals that the US federal government grossly underfunds the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), with funding needing to increase 10 to 20 times above 2021 levels to cover all eligible families. Significant gaps in service exist, particularly in California and Texas, driven by both funding shortages and barriers to access such as lack of awareness and complex application procedures. While recent legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act provides targeted funds for weatherization and efficiency, RMI argues for a comprehensive approach that centers community-based organizations to resolve underlying energy justice issues.
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Document type: Fact sheet
The Inflation Reduction Act is the Biggest Climate Investment in History. The Fight Doesn’t Stop Here.
Earthjustice views the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as a transformative investment in clean energy but warns that it includes "poisonous handouts" to the fossil fuel industry. The organization commits to using legal action and advocacy to ensure the $60 billion allocated for frontline communities is equitably distributed, to oppose the expansion of oil and gas leasing in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico, and to prevent the weakening of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Earthjustice specifically criticizes the IRA's support for carbon capture and blue hydrogen, arguing these technologies prolong fossil fuel dependency rather than promoting true solutions like electrification and renewables.
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Document type: Statement
JUST ENERGY TRANSITIONS AND NATURAL GAS IN AFRICA: BALANCING CLIMATE ACTION AND STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATION
The document examines the tension between Africa's significant natural gas resources and the global shift toward net-zero emissions. It argues that while gas provides short-term revenue and energy security, long-term investments face high risks of becoming stranded assets due to declining global demand and the falling costs of renewable energy. The paper advocates for leveraging climate finance to scale up renewables and green hydrogen, which it presents as more sustainable pathways for economic diversification and energy access.
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Document type: Research paper
A GREEN FUTURE FOR STEEL
The report argues that the EU steel sector faces a critical investment window as 74% of blast furnace capacity requires renewal by 2030. It advocates for a combination of carbon pricing, circular economy measures, and innovative finance tools like Carbon Contracts for Difference (CCfDs) to scale low-carbon technologies such as green hydrogen and Direct Reduced Iron (DRI). The document emphasizes that while public funds are insufficient, the green bond market and transition finance instruments can mobilize the necessary private capital, provided there are science-based standards to prevent greenwashing.
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Document type: Report
ESCENARIO RUTA A CERO NETO 2050
The report outlines a 'Route to Net Zero' for Colombia by 2050, arguing that current national energy plans are insufficient for carbon neutrality. It proposes a strategy centered on high electrification (targeting 60% of final energy consumption by 2050), a massive expansion of non-conventional renewable energy (FNCER), and a gradual phase-out of fossil fuels. The analysis emphasizes that decarbonization must be paired with a 'just transition' framework to protect communities and workers dependent on the mining and hydrocarbon sectors, particularly in regions like La Guajira and Cesar.
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Document type: Report
Clean Energy 101: Heat Pumps
Heat pumps are all-electric appliances that move heat rather than generating it, allowing them to provide both heating and cooling with high efficiency. They are available as air-source or ground-source systems and can be ducted or ductless. While upfront costs can be a barrier, they offer long-term savings over gas or electric resistance furnaces and eliminate indoor fossil fuel combustion risks. Recent technological advances have made them viable in cold climates, and they are increasingly integrated into climate action plans to improve energy security and public health.
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Document type: Guide
How better electricity policy can keep Ontario open for business
The Canadian Climate Institute outlines four recommendations to improve Ontario's electricity policy: clarifying long-term emissions targets, expanding the mandates of the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) and Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to include climate goals, replacing ad hoc directives with a comprehensive long-term plan, and commissioning periodic technical pathway reports.
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Document type: Policy brief
New Generation
The report demonstrates that Europe can achieve a 94-96% clean power system by 2035 at no extra cost compared to stated policies, provided wind and solar deployment quadruples. This transition would enable wider electrification, potentially halving fossil fuel consumption by 2030 and saving between €530 billion and €1 trillion by 2035. Key requirements include expanding interconnection, deploying electrolysers for green hydrogen, and phasing out coal by 2030 and unabated baseload gas after 2025.
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Document type: Report
California Energy Policy Simulator 3.3.1 Update
The California Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) 3.3.1 update finds that current policy commitments will leave California's 2030 emissions nearly 20% above the SB 32 target. To address this, Energy Innovation proposes a 'Deeper Decarbonization Scenario' focusing on rapid electrification of vehicles, appliances, and industry, alongside a strengthened clean energy standard. This approach is projected to lower 2030 emissions to 230 MMT of CO2e and generate significant economic and public health benefits, including $60 billion in monetized social benefits by 2050, while reducing reliance on unproven carbon dioxide removal technologies.
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Document type: Report
Global reaction to energy crisis risks zero carbon transition
The report argues that governments are reacting to the energy crisis by prioritizing short-term fossil fuel security over long-term decarbonization, risking a 'gold rush' for new gas infrastructure and domestic production. While some progress in renewables and green hydrogen is noted, the authors highlight a prevalence of 'bad practices' such as fossil fuel subsidies, tax cuts for petrol, and the expansion of LNG facilities. The document provides a framework of 'do's and don'ts', urging governments to instead focus on energy efficiency, electrification, behavioral changes, and the reinvestment of fossil fuel windfall profits into clean energy to avoid stranded assets and irreversible warming.
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Document type: Report
Policy priorities for mobilizing investment in Swedish green industrial transitions
The report finds that neither the scale of capital investment nor access to financing are primary obstacles to Sweden's green industrial transition. Instead, the most critical barriers are the lack of market demand for more expensive green products, insufficient infrastructure (particularly renewable electricity), and slow permitting processes. The authors recommend that policymakers focus on market formation through carbon pricing and the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), while continuing direct support for R&D and demonstration projects through programs like Industriklivet.
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Document type: Report
CUTTING BILLS AND CREATING JOBS THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES OF THE CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION
The report examines the economic opportunities of transitioning to net-zero emissions by 2050 across several major economies. It argues that public investment can drive innovation and growth through signalling, crowding-in private capital, and reducing unit costs. While fossil fuel-exporting nations like the US, Canada, and Indonesia may face long-term GDP losses as global demand for hydrocarbons falls, the report finds that most subject economies—including the EU, UK, India, Japan, and South Africa—experience net gains in GDP and employment. The transition is predicted to significantly reduce household expenditure on fossil fuels, improve public health by reducing pollution, and enhance energy security, particularly for the EU in the context of reducing dependence on Russian gas.
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Document type: Report