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152 results
IMPLEMENTING THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: A ROADMAP FOR FEDERAL AND STATE BUILDINGS POLICY
This report by Energy Innovation analyzes the building sector provisions of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), detailing how rebates, tax credits, and funding for building codes can accelerate decarbonization. It provides a roadmap for federal, state, and local policymakers to implement these incentives, emphasizing the need for complementary regulations—such as updated appliance standards and building codes—to overcome the challenge of slow building stock turnover and meet 2030 climate goals.
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Document type: Report
From Poverty to Power in Pembroke
This case study describes the Pembroke-Hopkins Park Energy Efficiency Pilot (PEEP), an initiative in rural Illinois designed to replace expensive and polluting heating sources like propane and wood with energy efficiency upgrades and electric appliances. Led by the Community Development Corporation of Pembroke and Hopkins Park (CDC-PHP) in collaboration with RMI and other partners, the project demonstrates a scalable model for rural energy transitions that prioritizes environmental justice over the installation of new fossil fuel infrastructure.
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Document type: Case study
Why Canada’s Energy Security Hinges on Renewables
This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that Canada can enhance its energy security by transitioning from volatile fossil fuel markets to a renewable-based electrified system. It asserts that wind and solar are now more cost-effective than gas or coal and that Canada's existing hydroelectric capacity provides the necessary flexibility to integrate variable renewable energy without compromising grid reliability.
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Document type: Policy brief
Medium-Size Commercial Retrofits
This report by RMI analyzes the economic and technical feasibility of electrifying mid-sized office buildings (approximately 50,000 square feet) that utilize packaged rooftop units (RTUs). The study demonstrates that cost-effective electrification retrofits exist across diverse US cities when tailored to regional climate conditions and gas utility rates, often requiring a combination of heat pumps, efficiency upgrades, and on-site solar.
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Document type: Report
Five Steps to Electrify Your Home: From Heat Pumps to Solar Panels and Induction Stoves
A guide by RMI providing a five-step framework for homeowners to decarbonize and electrify their residences, emphasizing energy efficiency, the use of heat pumps and induction stoves, and the utilization of incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act.
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Document type: Guide
Rewarding What Matters in Energy Efficiency
This report by RMI examines the shift toward "climate-forward efficiency," which prioritizes energy efficiency, electrification, and demand flexibility specifically to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It analyzes the use of Performance Incentive Mechanisms (PIMs) to align utility business models—which traditionally favor capital investment and sales growth—with state climate goals.
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Document type: Report
Key takeaways from the three Working Group reports of the IPCC Sixth Assessment
This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics summarises the key findings from the three Working Group reports of the IPCC Sixth Assessment cycle (AR6), which involved 782 scientists from 67 countries. The document outlines the human-driven causes of climate change, the risks associated with current emissions trajectories, and the urgent systemic transformations required to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
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Document type: Briefing
How RMI Is Accelerating Demand-Side Transformation to Deliver Ambitious Equitable Climate Outcomes for Buildings
This briefing by RMI outlines a demand-side strategy to decarbonize the buildings sector, which accounts for nearly 40 percent of global carbon dioxide pollution. The document advocates for a combination of full electrification, holistic energy efficiency retrofits, the reduction of embodied carbon in construction materials, and a commitment to equitable delivery for underserved communities.
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Document type: Briefing
Low-Carbon Fuels Have a Limited Role to Play in New York’s Buildings
This policy brief by RMI argues that low-carbon fuels—specifically green hydrogen, biomethane, and synthetic methane—are impractical for heating buildings in New York State. The document contends that these alternatives are energy-inefficient compared to heat pumps, require costly and risky infrastructure upgrades, pose health hazards, and divert critical resources away from energy efficiency and electrification goals mandated by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
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Document type: Policy brief
Electrifying Heating in Commercial and Institutional Buildings
This briefing from the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines the necessity of clean electrification across Canada's building, industrial, and transportation sectors to achieve net-zero emissions targets by 2050.
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Document type: Briefing
Electrifying Medium- and Heavy-Duty Fleets
This report by the Electrifying Canada task force outlines the necessity and pathways for electrifying medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) fleets in Canada to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. It identifies key barriers—such as vehicle supply, charging infrastructure, and financing—and proposes four catalysts to accelerate adoption: near-term corporate planning, proactive utility alignment, government ZEV mandates, and innovative public-private financing.
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Document type: Report
Scaling Up Clean Electricity
This report by the Electrifying Canada task force outlines the requirements and barriers to scaling up Canada's clean electricity system to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. It argues that current utility planning is insufficient to meet the projected demand growth and proposes five catalysts—including regulatory mandates and private investment—to accelerate the transition.
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Document type: Report
Développer l’électricité propre
This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), on behalf of the 'Electrifying Canada' private sector task force, outlines the requirements and obstacles for scaling up clean electricity production in Canada to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. It argues that current utility planning is insufficient to meet the projected demand and proposes five catalysts—specifically focusing on regulatory mandates, proactive planning, and private investment—to accelerate the transition.
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Document type: Report
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation at U.S. Ports
This issue brief by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines how U.S. ports are addressing climate change through mitigation strategies—such as electrification and renewable energy—and adaptation measures, including gray infrastructure and nature-based solutions, to protect operations and improve the health of near-port communities.
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Document type: Briefing
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation at U.S. Ports
This policy brief by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines how U.S. ports are addressing climate change through mitigation strategies to reduce emissions and adaptation measures to increase resilience against sea level rise and extreme weather.
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Document type: Policy brief
World entering commodities supercycle
A briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute examining the rise in agricultural and mining commodity prices since early 2020 and the resulting risks to climate goals, deforestation targets, and food security in low-income countries.
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Document type: Briefing
Accelerating to zero
This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyses the decarbonization potential of the heavy-duty vehicle sector in the EU up to 2030. It evaluates three indicative pathways to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, comparing the EU's 'Fit for 55' plan, an adjusted IEA scenario, and a linear reduction pathway. The authors conclude that while individual measures like electrification, energy efficiency, and biofuels are available, they must be combined to achieve significant reductions, though even a combined approach falls short of the most aggressive linear pathway to zero.
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Document type: Report
Three keys to accelerate the decarbonization of heavy-duty vehicles in the EU
This SEI briefing, based on a study commissioned by Scania, argues that the European Union's heavy-duty vehicle sector can achieve greater emissions reductions by 2030 than currently planned in the "Fit for 55" package. The analysis suggests that a combined approach of energy efficiency, electrification, and biofuels could reduce emissions by 24% compared to 2019 levels.
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Document type: Briefing
US Can’t Meet Climate Goals While Spending Billions on Gas Infrastructure
RMI argues that continued high spending on US gas distribution infrastructure is counterproductive to climate goals and risks creating stranded assets. The document advocates for a shift toward electrification and energy efficiency for residential and commercial buildings, while limiting gas infrastructure spending to targeted safety needs and high-value industrial applications.
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Document type: Statement
Atoms for Africa's Development: The Case for Nuclear Power Generation in Africa
This research paper argues that African countries should incorporate nuclear power into their energy mixes to address severe electrification gaps and align with global transitions toward cleaner energy. The author contends that nuclear energy is a viable economic and environmental option, provided that countries develop robust regulatory frameworks and leverage cooperative regional approaches to overcome challenges in financing and infrastructure.
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Document type: Research paper