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The 2020 assessment of NYDF Goal 9 reveals that while nearly USD 4.7 billion in results-based finance has been committed since 2010, only 40 percent has been disbursed. The report highlights a significant gap in funding for the implementation phase of REDD+ activities and notes that carbon markets have channeled USD 2.5 billion to forests over 20 years. While private sector demand for forest carbon offsets is rising among airlines and petroleum companies, current carbon prices remain too low to meet Paris Agreement objectives. Additionally, the report details various domestic compliance schemes in countries like Australia, Canada, and China that allow for forest carbon credits.

The document outlines design principles for output-based allocations (OBA) to address competitiveness concerns in carbon pricing, specifically for Alberta, the Canadian federal government, and provinces using cap-and-trade systems.

Carbon Market Watch argues that including road transport and buildings in the EU carbon market would fail to reduce emissions and instead provide an excuse for inaction. For transport, the author suggests CO2 standards for new vehicles are more effective, while for buildings, they advocate for energy efficiency standards and deep renovations. The document warns that adding these sectors would risk market instability by increasing the number of pollution permits and potentially undermining existing regulations.

Nova Scotia has achieved significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions between 2005 and 2018 while maintaining economic growth, driven by fuel switching in electricity, energy efficiency, and a growing clean tech sector. However, the province faces structural unemployment in rural and Indigenous communities, high energy costs for households, and difficulties in decarbonizing the transportation sector to meet its target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

The document explains the fundamental differences between emissions trading systems and offsetting mechanisms, evaluates the failures of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation, and details the challenges facing the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It specifically addresses risks such as 'hot air' trading, double counting, and the lack of environmental integrity in forest-based offsets (REDD+), while also examining the CORSIA aviation offsetting scheme and the voluntary carbon market.

The document analyzes a proposed $0.25 per gallon federal gas tax increase, finding it would generate approximately $1.1 trillion in revenue through 2050 and reduce total fuel consumption by over 1.3 billion barrels. The tax would incentivize the adoption of electric vehicles, adding roughly 2.5 million additional EVs to U.S. roads by 2050. Additionally, the report notes that a $0.25 gas tax is equivalent to a carbon tax of $25 to $29 per ton, which exceeds the record high allowance auction prices of the California-Quebec and Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative cap-and-trade systems.

China is the world's largest primary energy consumer and energy-related CO2 emitter. While the country is on track to meet most 2020 targets from its 13th Five-Year Plan, energy-related CO2 emissions continued to grow through 2018, surpassing 10 GtCO2. The report's 'Continuous Improvement Scenario' projects that primary energy consumption will peak in 2029 at 5,400 Mtce and CO2 emissions will peak in 2025 at 10,930 MtCO2, subsequently declining to 5,010 MtCO2 by 2050. This outlook assumes the maximum adoption of commercially available energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, leading to a power system where non-fossil sources generate 89% of electricity by 2050.

Carbon Market Watch argues that while the proposed EU state aid guidelines for indirect cost compensation under the EU ETS show improvement by reducing eligible sectors and requiring energy efficiency investments, they remain insufficient. The author contends that there is no evidence of carbon leakage to justify these subsidies, which cost nearly 1.2 billion Euros between 2017 and 2018, and argues that EU ETS auctioning revenues should be used entirely for carbon neutrality rather than being returned to industry.

The report outlines the physical and economic risks Canada faces due to climate change, such as sea-level rise and the global shift away from carbon-intensive exports. It proposes a holistic approach to climate policy that integrates health, well-being, and economic competitiveness, moving beyond narrow emission targets. The document highlights existing Canadian subnational innovations in carbon pricing and coal phase-out while recommending that governments expand the scope and ambition of their climate actions to ensure long-term prosperity.

The report outlines the dual threats of physical climate impacts and global economic transitions facing Canada. It proposes a comprehensive framework that integrates health, wellness, and economic prosperity, moving beyond siloed mitigation and adaptation strategies. The document highlights existing sub-national policy successes and recommends that Canadian governments broaden their climate objectives, increase policy ambition, and leverage international leadership to ensure a resilient future.

The briefing examines the shared origins of air pollution and climate change, primarily fossil fuel combustion, and advocates for integrated policy frameworks. It details the significant health and economic burdens of air pollution, particularly in urban areas and for vulnerable groups. The text demonstrates that the health co-benefits of climate mitigation, such as carbon pricing, often outweigh the policy costs. It provides examples of coordinated efforts in Chile, California, the EU, Madrid, and London, while warning that uncoordinated policies—such as incentivizing diesel vehicles for lower CO2 or installing SO2 filters that reduce plant efficiency—can create counterproductive outcomes.

The report highlights New Zealand's climate leadership through policies like the Zero Carbon Bill 2019 and the ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling. It notes that while the green bond market is small, it is growing, with total green and sustainability debt from New Zealand entities reaching NZD3.7bn. The document identifies significant investment needs in infrastructure, particularly in Auckland, and explores five key sectors for green investment: renewable energy, low-carbon transport, sustainable water management, sustainable waste management, and green buildings.

The report argues that the world is falling short of the Paris Agreement's temperature goals and must prioritize international cooperation on forests. It introduces 'International Mitigation Partnerships' as a framework under Article 6 to channel finance and technical support toward natural climate solutions, specifically REDD+. The authors provide a three-part typology of these partnerships: Simple Recognition of Results, Bilateral Credit Transfer, and Multi-lateral Partnerships. The document emphasizes that such partnerships can lower the cost of climate action, support the international aviation sector's CORSIA obligations, and provide co-benefits for biodiversity and sustainable development.

The research assesses offsetting schemes, emissions trading schemes (ETS), and climate levies against four criteria: effectiveness, non-discrimination (NMFT), common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR-RC), and administrative burden. The authors conclude that a climate levy is the most suitable instrument because it provides the highest investment certainty for ship owners, has lower transaction costs than trading schemes, and allows for revenue redistribution to support impacted states. The paper urges the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to adopt a robust carbon price quickly due to the long lifespan of ships currently being built.

The report analyzes six water quality trading (WQT) and offset programs—including the Lake Simcoe Phosphorus Offsetting Program, the Lake Taupō nitrogen trading program, and the Tualatin River program—to derive lessons for Manitoba. It identifies that successful programs typically require a regulatory cap on pollutant discharges and significant variations in abatement costs between point sources (PS) and nonpoint sources (NPS). Key findings emphasize the importance of load-based rather than concentration-based regulations, the use of offset ratios to account for uncertainty and time lags, and the necessity of engaging agricultural producers through trusted intermediaries and simplified procedures. The report also highlights 'credit stacking,' where landowners receive multiple payments for combined benefits, such as nitrogen reduction and carbon sequestration, as a driver for program uptake.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) opposes Bill 4, which proposes repealing the Climate Change Mitigation and Low-carbon Economy Act, 2016. CAPE argues that Ontario's cap-and-trade program is essential for reducing emissions in the transportation (33%), buildings (22%), and industry (18%) sectors, and has collected $2.8 billion to fund public transit, electrification, and energy efficiency. The organization emphasizes that climate change is the "greatest public health threat of this century," citing recent extreme heat in Ontario and Quebec, as well as an increase in Ontario wildfires (1,312 in 2018 compared to a 10-year average of 716). CAPE recommends that if the government proceeds with the repeal, it must immediately implement a replacement plan that commits to reducing emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 to align with the 1.5 degrees C warming limit.

The author suggests that the Talanoa Dialogue should be used as a platform for countries to share and replicate successful low-carbon policies. Based on a specific scenario, replicating successful policies in sectors covering 65% of global emissions could reduce emissions by approximately 10 GtCO2e by 2030 compared to current policies, effectively halving the reductions needed to keep temperature rise below 2 °C.

The document outlines four primary categories of financial interventions for regional governments to accelerate the energy transition: increasing capital availability, implementing first-cost solutions, creating market incentives, and reducing procurement costs. It details specific mechanisms such as green investment banks, energy savings performance contracts, carbon pricing, and reverse auctions, providing examples of legislation and programs from various global jurisdictions to illustrate their application.

SEI scientists Peter Erickson and Michael Lazarus argue that limiting fossil fuel supply, specifically high-cost and high-emissions oil in California, is essential for solving the climate crisis. They contend that reducing production helps avoid stranded assets and that California's projected decrease in oil demand by 2030 allows for a production phase-down without increasing oil imports.

The document critiques the use of carbon offsetting within carbon pricing schemes, asserting that it allows entities to avoid genuine emission reductions. It highlights that while the EU has excluded international offsets for post-2020 domestic targets, Canada and China continue to support or allow them. The author specifically warns that the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) planned sector-wide offsetting scheme risks using low-quality credits to bypass the polluter pays principle. Referencing a European Commission study, the text claims only 2% of UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects clearly reduce emissions.