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This case study describes the development of a 400,000-square-foot net-zero-energy distribution center for the retailer REI in Goodyear, Arizona. The facility is the only distribution center in the U.S. to achieve both LEED Platinum certification and net-zero energy status, demonstrating that high-performance sustainability and business efficiency can coexist in large-scale logistics infrastructure.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative explains how green asset-backed securities (ABS) can unlock financing for smaller carbon-saving projects by pooling non-liquid assets into tradable securities, thereby improving capital access and reducing costs.

This briefing paper by the Climate Bonds Initiative explains the structure of covered bonds and argues for their application to low-carbon finance. It highlights how the dual recourse structure of covered bonds—providing claims over both a dedicated asset pool and the issuer—can lower funding costs for banks and increase institutional investment in green infrastructure and energy-efficient buildings.

This briefing paper by the Climate Bonds Initiative explains how green securitisation—the process of pooling illiquid low-carbon assets into tradable securities—can unlock finance for small-scale climate projects. It highlights the growth of the green Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) market, identifies suitable asset classes, and provides policy recommendations for the public sector to scale these markets.

This fact sheet by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a comprehensive overview of employment trends in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors within the United States and globally, primarily using data from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as of 2016 and 2017.

This World Resources Institute fact sheet provides data on employment growth within the United States clean energy economy, focusing on solar, wind, energy efficiency, and alternative fuel vehicle sectors as of early 2016 and 2017.

The 2017 Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Global Tracking Framework, co-led by the World Bank and the International Energy Agency (IEA), assesses global progress toward 2030 sustainable energy goals. The report concludes that the world is not on track to meet its objectives for universal energy access, doubling the share of renewables, and doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvement, although some individual countries show significant progress.

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This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the transition of Sweden's heating energy system toward low-carbon sources. While highlighting the success of district heating and heat pumps in reducing fossil fuel reliance, the document warns of systemic 'lock-ins' and a lack of focus on reducing energy demand, which may hinder future climate and efficiency goals.

This report summarizes the results of Work Package 4 (WP4) of the HERON project, which conducted forward-looking scenario analyses of energy efficiency policies in the buildings and transport sectors across seven EU countries. Using LEAP modelling software and a Decision Support Tool (DST), the project evaluated Business as Usual (BAU) scenarios against various energy efficiency (EE) scenarios to determine if national targets for 2020 and 2030 could be met and how socio-economic barriers impact these goals.

This RMI briefing discusses the significant electricity demand generated by the legal marijuana industry in the United States and proposes strategies for utilities and regulators to manage this load. It suggests that energy efficiency investments, on-site renewables, and time-varying rates to shift consumption to periods of low net load can help integrate renewable energy and reduce operating costs for growers.

This guide by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) outlines two methodologies for establishing building proxies for Non-Residential and Residential Buildings to achieve Climate Bonds Certification: benchmarking against local market emissions performance and analyzing the proportion of total ratings or labels awarded.

A statement from RMI asserting that the market-based transition to energy efficiency and renewables will continue despite political uncertainty in the United States following the 2016 election.

The Emissions Gap Report 2016 is a UNEP synthesis report designed to assess global progress toward emissions reductions necessary to meet UNFCCC goals, specifically focusing on the Paris Agreement's targets of limiting global temperature increases to well below 2°C and pursuing a limit of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

This report presents the findings of a household survey of 1,000 consumers in Rajasthan, India, examining public attitudes toward electricity tariff reform. It highlights a significant lack of awareness regarding electricity subsidies, strong public opposition to price increases due to the high share of electricity in household budgets, and a limited but existing willingness to pay more for improved power reliability. The report suggests that reform should be gradual, demographically targeted (particularly in urban areas like Jaipur), and accompanied by mitigation measures and improved service quality.

The Loans4SME Lab Instrument Analysis describes a proposed technology-driven peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform designed to provide debt financing to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The platform aims to bypass traditional banking barriers—such as strict collateral requirements and long sanction times—by connecting SMEs with high net worth individuals, family offices, and corporate treasuries using a proprietary credit scoring algorithm.

The report details the development of the National Energy Transition Strategy (NETS) for Saint Lucia, a collaborative effort between the Government of Saint Lucia (GoSL) and the utility LUCELEC, facilitated by RMI-CWR and the Clinton Climate Initiative. The strategy uses an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to identify the most cost-effective energy portfolio to reduce diesel reliance and carbon emissions over a 20-year horizon while maintaining grid reliability.

This submission by the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care and partners outlines recommendations for increasing the resiliency and sustainability of the Canadian health care sector in response to climate change. It emphasizes the need for infrastructure renewal, the adoption of renewable energy, and the integration of climate resiliency assessments into health care facility management to ensure continuous service delivery during extreme weather events.

This briefing note presents a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reference case projection for Pakistan, developed by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN). The reference case establishes a business-as-usual (BAU) baseline of historical emissions from 2000 to 2012/13 and projects annual emissions to 2030 to assess the potential of future low-carbon development options.

This briefing by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) proposes an integrative business model for developing net zero energy (NZE) or ultralow energy districts. The model aims to make NZE developments life-cycle cost neutral or better compared to business-as-usual (BAU) scenarios by utilizing an Integrated Energy Services Provider (IESP) to manage energy systems, financing, and performance requirements, thereby reducing upfront costs for parcel developers and lowering energy bills for tenants.