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The 'Greenprints for the Future' guide outlines a four-step educational framework—Learn, Connect, Investigate, and Act—designed to teach students in grades 6-12 about biodiversity and sustainability. The activity culminates in the creation of a Student Project Plan to address a local environmental issue, which can be submitted for funding based on its originality, feasibility, and potential for lasting impact.

India is pursuing a "build now, decarbonize later" strategy in its steel industry, focusing on expanding capacity through emissions-intensive blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) routes. This approach risks creating stranded assets valued between US$124187 billion and locking in high emissions due to a young fleet of blast furnaces. While the government has introduced roadmaps for green steel and energy efficiency, the document argues that deep decarbonization requires a fundamental shift away from coal toward green hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) and increased scrap-based secondary production.

The document outlines federal resources for capacity building—defined as empowering organizations through funding and technical assistance—categorized into local energy/infrastructure planning, local health/environmental impacts, and workforce development. It details numerous programs from agencies such as the DOE, EPA, USDA, and DOT, ranging from the $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund to smaller targeted grants like the $5 million Regional Energy Democracy Initiative. Additionally, it lists specific technical assistance providers and grant recipients for programs like Solar for All and RITAP.

Senator Chris Van Hollen recognized the 40th anniversary of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), highlighting its role in providing nonpartisan, science-based information to Congress through briefings, white papers, and the annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum to support climate action and sustainable policy.

An open letter from over 30 environmental civil society organisations to the European Commission defending the role and funding of EU LIFE operating grants. The authors assert that civil society engagement is a legal requirement under the EU Treaties and the Aarhus Convention, essential for a balanced democratic dialogue against resource-rich corporate actors. They highlight that LIFE operating grants for environmental NGOs represent only EUR 15.5 million per year (0.006% of the EU budget) but provide critical support for climate action, nature conservation, and the energy transition. The letter emphasizes that these grants are awarded through competitive processes and subject to strict accountability and transparency standards.

The document examines how current electricity rate designs in the U.S. often overcharge heat pump users because their peak demand occurs in winter, while grid peaks typically occur in summer. Using data from NIPSCO in Northern Indiana, the brief demonstrates that aligning rates with the actual cost of service could save electrified customers hundreds of dollars annually. It proposes several rate reform options—including seasonal heating rates, time-varying rates, and separate customer classes—while emphasizing the need for affordability measures for low-income households and the long-term evolution of rates as the grid transitions to clean energy.

The document outlines a three-phase framework for states to maximize federal clean energy funding: Identification, Collaboration, and Implementation. It details a wide array of available federal grants, loans, and tax credits across generation, transmission, energy efficiency, and workforce development, emphasizing the role of the DOE, EPA, and USDA in supporting the transition to a clean power system.

The document identifies smart grids as a 'safe bet' for Canada's energy transition, noting that while technologies like smart meters and virtual power plants are proven, their widespread adoption is hindered by regulatory barriers and consumer hesitation. It highlights existing provincial initiatives in Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia as models for scaling digital grid infrastructure to manage increasing electricity demand and integrate variable renewable energy.

The report tracks green finance flows in India, noting that while tracked finance reached a record high in 2021/22, further scaling is required to meet climate targets. Mitigation finance remains primarily domestic, though international contributions rose to 17% in 2021/22. The document recommends coordinated action to scale finance, enhancing adaptation funding, developing a green finance taxonomy, and improving data reporting systems.

Ghana faces significant cooling gaps, with 12.9 million people at high risk and 16.6 million at medium risk due to lack of access to cooling and electricity. While refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) demand is projected to rise from 7.04 TWh in 2015 to 20.9 TWh by 2050, the country aims to align this growth with its net-zero 2060 target by shifting toward renewables and energy-efficient cooling.

The document outlines the benefits of a net-zero electricity transition in Canada, noting that the power sector has already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 60% since 2005. It argues that a clean grid will lower household energy costs, create distributed employment, and improve public health by eliminating pollutants from coal and gas plants. The brief emphasizes that achieving net-zero by 2050 will require doubling or tripling electricity generation to support electrification across all sectors, necessitating coordination between federal, provincial, and territorial governments.

India's tracked green finance for mitigation reached INR 3,712 billion (USD 50 billion) per annum in FY 2021/22, a 20% increase from 2019/20. However, this represents only approximately 30% of the annual finance needed to meet the country's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). Mitigation finance is primarily domestic (83%), with clean energy receiving the largest share (47%). Adaptation finance saw a nearly threefold increase to INR 1,092 billion (USD 15 billion) per year, dominated by government budgetary expenditure (98%) and focused on disaster risk management. The report highlights significant investment gaps, particularly in electric vehicles and on-farm agricultural adaptation, and recommends the development of a green finance taxonomy and enhanced private sector mobilization.

The report details a comprehensive methodology for mapping green finance in India, defining the scope of 'green finance' to include climate finance and environmental objectives like biodiversity and resource conservation. It establishes a framework for categorizing financial flows by source (domestic/international, public/private), instrument (grants, debt, equity), and sector (clean energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, and climate adaptation). The methodology employs a variety of data sources, including government budgets, OECD CRS, and project-level databases, while applying specific assumptions such as a 70:30 debt-to-equity gearing ratio and the use of Rio Markers for international public finance. A significant portion of the document is dedicated to the granular classification of on-farm agricultural adaptation activities, categorizing government schemes into 'absolute', 'lower bound', and 'upper bound' based on their adaptation relevance.

The policy brief outlines three critical benchmarks for 1.5 °C-aligned NDCs: tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030, phasing out new fossil fuel projects with production declines of 65-95% by 2050, and eliminating fossil fuel subsidies by 2025 for G7 nations and 2030 for others. It highlights a significant 'production gap' where major producers plan to increase output despite climate imperatives. The authors recommend that new NDCs include quantitative phase-out targets, commitments to no new exploration licenses, and national roadmaps for subsidy reform that prioritize social protection and clean energy investment.

India leverages public spending—nearly 30% of its GDP—to drive environmental sustainability through green public procurement (GPP). While the country lacks a comprehensive national GPP policy, it utilizes administrative guidelines, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), and sector-specific initiatives like the BEE star rating program. However, adoption is hindered by limited regulatory frameworks, a lack of stakeholder skills, perceived higher costs of green products, and incomplete monitoring systems. The report recommends strengthening legal frameworks, establishing a National SPP Competence Centre, scaling up third-party verified tools, and creating a robust monitoring and evaluation system.

Canada has reduced power sector greenhouse gas emissions by 60% since 2005, primarily through phasing out coal. To reach net-zero, the country must mitigate another 47 Mt of CO2e while potentially doubling or tripling electricity generation by 2050. The transition relies on scaling wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, which are now often cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives. A net-zero grid is projected to reduce average household energy spending by 12% by 2050 and save households CAD 15 billion annually. Beyond economics, the shift reduces local pollutants like sulphur dioxide and mercury, which are linked to premature deaths and cognitive impairment. Key recommendations include implementing federal clean electricity regulations, facilitating interprovincial grid connections (interties), and streamlining provincial permitting processes.

The industrial sector is projected to be the highest emitting sector in the U.S. by 2030, accounting for 23% of greenhouse gas emissions (or 30% including electricity). While the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and CHIPS and Science Act provided significant initial investment, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that $700 billion to $1.1 trillion is needed to decarbonize the sector by 2050. This investment requirement is 5 to 10 times greater than the funding provided by the BIL and IRA, with 60% of necessary technologies still under development or not yet created. To address this gap, the document proposes a combination of tax credits, subsidies, and grants to reduce emissions intensity, demand-side levers to create markets for low-carbon products, and market-based mechanisms to disincentivize emissions-intensive processes.

The LoCAL+ programme aims to increase the climate resilience of approximately 3.49 million people across 85 local governments in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Niger. The initiative combines a performance-based climate resilience grant (PBCRG) system for public investments with Blended Finance Facilities to support local SMEs and producers' organisations. The programme focuses on seven key intervention areas: climate-adapted agriculture, forestry and ecosystem conservation, agroforestry, water and health, energy efficiencies and renewables, climate-resilient infrastructure, and coastal areas in Ivory Coast. It is implemented by the West African Development Bank (BOAD) as the Accredited Entity, with UNCDF as an implementing partner and various national agencies as executing entities.

COP 29 concluded with a new climate finance goal of at least USD 300 billion per year by 2035 for developing countries, though this remains below their identified needs. The conference saw a lack of progress on the COP 28 energy package, including the rejection of proposals for annual progress reports on transitioning away from fossil fuels and a failure to reiterate calls to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. While the national adaptation plan (NAP) assessment was delayed to 2025, agreements were reached on indicators for the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience and the establishment of the Baku Adaptation Road Map. Additionally, the Lima work programme on gender was extended by 10 years, but the document notes a failure to explicitly address human rights and gender-responsive finance in the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) decision.

The We Mean Business Coalition calls on COP29 negotiators to reinforce the transition away from fossil fuels and implement Global Stocktake outcomes. The coalition argues that policy certainty and ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are essential to unlock large-scale private investment in clean energy. Additionally, they advocate for a robust New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance to support low- and middle-income countries and reduce investment risks.