Search Climate Insights Directory

This report by RMI analyzes trends in the deep decarbonization of China's industrial sector, which accounts for over 65 percent of the nation's energy consumption and over 70 percent of its carbon emissions. The analysis identifies five key trends: energy efficiency improvements, the scaling of recycling and reuse, increased electrification, the development of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), and the growth of hydrogen utilization.

The Stockholm Environment Institute reports a strategic dilemma for Sweden's road freight decarbonization: while biofuels are the most viable tool for meeting the 2030 goal of a 70% emission reduction, electrification is the more cost-effective long-term strategy for complete decarbonization by 2045. Stakeholder scenarios suggest that while battery electric trucks will dominate short-haul and urban delivery, electric road systems and hydrogen fuel cells are better suited for long-haul and heavy freight. The report warns that over-investing in biofuels for near-term targets may slow the necessary transition to electrification infrastructure and increase long-term costs.

This briefing by RMI outlines the progress made in the US electricity landscape during 2018 and identifies the structural barriers and regulatory questions that must be addressed in 2019 to accelerate the clean energy transition. It focuses on the need to reform utility business models, modernize grid planning, integrate beneficial electrification, and ensure an equitable transition for low-income customers and communities affected by the retirement of uneconomic fossil fuel assets.

The report 'Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape 2019', produced by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and Climate Policy Initiative, analyzes public and private finance commitments for electricity and clean cooking in 20 high-impact countries (HICs) from 2013 to 2017. It finds that while electricity finance reached a record high in 2017, it remains far below the levels required to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) by 2030, particularly for residential users and in Sub-Saharan Africa. Clean cooking finance saw a severe decline in 2017, further widening the investment gap.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analyzes the incremental costs of building zero-energy (ZE) and zero-energy ready (ZER) single-family homes in the United States. It argues that the cost premiums for these homes are modest and often fall below consumer willingness-to-pay and long-term savings thresholds, suggesting that outdated perceptions of high costs are a primary barrier to market penetration.

The 2019 report 'Dynamiser le financement de l’accès à l’énergie : UN TOUR D’HORIZON', produced by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and Climate Policy Initiative, analyzes public and private financing for electricity and clean cooking access across 20 developing countries from 2013 to 2017. It highlights a significant gap between current investments and the funding required to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) by 2030, noting that while electricity funding reached a record in 2017, clean cooking finance collapsed and most funds do not reach the most vulnerable populations.

The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Electricity is a guide by RMI that outlines strategies for cities to transition to carbon-free renewable energy. It emphasizes a two-step process: committing to 100 percent renewable energy targets and implementing comprehensive action plans. The document details four specific actions: upgrading to smart LED streetlighting, creating electric districts by removing fossil-fuel infrastructure, installing municipal solar PV, and securing renewable energy supplies through mechanisms like power purchase agreements.

This briefing by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) argues that the mining industry represents a significant, untapped opportunity for gigaton-scale carbon emissions reductions. It highlights that while mining is inherently energy-intensive, the transition to renewable energy is now economically viable due to falling costs of solar PV and wind, which can replace expensive diesel generation at remote sites and reduce reliance on fossil-fuel-dominated grids.

This fact sheet from Sustainable Energy for All outlines the global state of electricity access, highlighting the concentration of energy poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, the impact of GDP on electrification rates, and the financial requirements for achieving universal energy access by 2030.

RMI's briefing outlines a market-driven pathway to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C by the end of the century. The analysis suggests that a nearly 100 percent renewable energy system is feasible by the mid-2050s if the adoption of clean energy follows the disruptive S-curve patterns seen in previous industrial revolutions, such as the rise of the automobile.

This technical report by the Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre, commissioned by Nordic Energy Research, analyzes the potential for Estonia to transition to a carbon-neutral power sector by 2050. It evaluates the current state of Estonia's energy system—which is heavily dependent on oil shale—and uses three quantitative models (LEAP, Balmorel, and EMPS) to simulate various low-carbon scenarios, including the impacts of electrification in transport and heating and the necessary developments in transmission grids and international interconnections.

The Port Innovation Workshop Final Report details a two-day event convened by the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, in collaboration with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and Rocky Mountain Institute, to identify strategies for improving the sustainability and energy efficiency of cargo container operations. The workshop produced 44 ideas categorized as Port Leadership, Partnership, or Blue Sky opportunities, focusing on electrification, logistics optimization, and radical redesigns of port infrastructure to reduce emissions and operational waste.

This report by Ember analyzes the North Sea's position as the world's largest offshore wind basin, detailing its current capacity, recent installation records, and the strategic necessity of international collaboration to overcome supply chain challenges and enhance European energy security.

This report by Ember examines how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz exposes the fragility of global fossil fuel dependencies, particularly in Asia, and argues that scaling 'electrotech' (EVs, solar, wind, batteries, and heat pumps) provides a viable path to energy security and economic independence.

This briefing from Energy Innovation provides a blueprint for U.S. state policymakers to maintain energy efficiency and electrification progress in buildings and industry following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which the author projects will negatively impact the U.S. economy.

This fact sheet from Energy Innovation outlines how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides foundational support for decarbonizing the United States building sector through rebates, tax credits, and funding for building codes, while emphasizing the need for complementary state, local, and Tribal government actions to ensure successful implementation.

This executive summary presents a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) assessment of three mobility scenarios for Indonesia to achieve net-zero transport by 2050. The analysis compares strategies based on 'avoid, shift, and improve' interventions, concluding that a combined approach of public transport investment and private vehicle electrification yields the highest societal benefits.

This document is an appendix to a toolkit by RMI that provides a comprehensive set of questions for regulators to use when evaluating how utilities incorporate Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentives into their Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs). It aims to help regulators identify cost-saving opportunities and assess the rationale behind utility assumptions regarding clean energy tax credits, hydrogen, carbon capture, and electrification.

This fact sheet details the technical and financial assumptions used in an analysis of heat pump adoption in California, specifying system efficiencies, energy load sources, and utility rates for electricity, natural gas, and propane.

This case study details a deep energy retrofit of the Carol Avenue Apartments in Boston, a 33-unit affordable housing property built in 1910. The project, scheduled for completion in late 2024, focuses on eliminating on-site fossil fuel combustion through electrification, improving the building envelope from the interior to preserve a historic brick façade, and installing rooftop solar PV systems.