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The Japanese green bond market continued to grow in 2021, led by financial corporates. Buildings and energy are the primary sectors for use of proceeds. The report also highlights the emergence of sustainability-linked and transition bonds, alongside a comprehensive suite of government guidelines and central bank initiatives to promote climate-related financial disclosures and transition finance.

The report finds broad support among U.S. registered voters for renewable energy research, energy efficiency in low-income communities, and transitioning the economy to 100% clean energy by 2050. While 68% support the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) after reading a description, only 41% believe it will increase clean energy innovation and 34% believe it will reduce global warming. There is a significant gap between the willingness of voters to take political action and their actual engagement in the past year. Additionally, 75% of voters believe schools should teach children about global warming.

The report finds broad support among U.S. registered voters for clean energy research, energy efficiency in low-income communities, and transitioning to 100% clean energy by 2050. While 68% support the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) after reading a description, only 41% believe it will increase clean energy innovation and 34% believe it will reduce global warming. There is a strong consensus (75%) that schools should teach children about global warming, yet only 12% of voters believe the U.S. government is responding well to the issue.

The Simplified Approval Process (SAP) Technical Guidance Compendium outlines the eligibility and technical requirements for GCF projects with contributions up to USD 25 million and minimal environmental and social risks. It provides sectoral guidance across agriculture, ecosystems, water security, cities, energy efficiency, forests, REDD+, renewable energy, and transport, detailing 'SAP-able' activities, impact measurement indicators, and the requirements for achieving a paradigm shift in each sector.

The author contends that Europe's energy scarcity is a long-term reality that cannot be solved by new fossil fuels or nuclear power, necessitating a shift toward 'energy sobriety'. This approach distinguishes itself from energy efficiency by focusing on the fair distribution of energy reduction rather than technical innovation. The text explores historical precedents for rationing in France and the Netherlands to argue that collective sufficiency is feasible. Proposed mechanisms for a just transition include progressive energy tariffs—where essential use is cheap and misuse is expensive—and personal carbon quotas to ensure equitable distribution and prevent social conflict during the energy transition.

The report examines the impact of housing commodification in European cities, contrasting the neoliberal policies of the UK and Germany with the social housing models of Vienna, France, and Barcelona. It highlights how public investment and political commitment to housing as a human right, rather than a market asset, lead to lower rent burdens and better urban quality of life.

The briefing examines the REPowerEU plan's reliance on bioenergy to replace fossil gas and proposes alternatives to avoid this increase. It suggests that deploying an additional 100 GW of solar power by 2030 would allow the EU to meet its 45% renewable energy target while keeping bioenergy levels consistent with the Fit for 55 package. The document further asserts that bioenergy use could be reduced below current levels through faster heat electrification and higher energy efficiency targets, such as the European Parliament's proposal for a 14.5% efficiency target.

The briefing proposes a phased framework for building decarbonization—moving from efficiency to electrification, renewable energy, and finally the removal of embodied carbon—to reach absolute zero. It argues that because the necessary technologies already exist, the primary barrier is cost and adoption speed. By performing segmentation analysis on real estate subsegments, such as large commercial office buildings, financial actors can provide targeted interventions that drive demand, push technologies up their learning curves, and lower prices for the broader market.

The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is seeking USD 199,973 from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to enhance its capacity to comply with the new Integrated Results Management Framework (IRMF). The proposal identifies gaps in SIDBI's ability to design 'paradigm-shift' projects and manage the complex monitoring and reporting requirements of the IRMF. The requested funding will support a 12-month program involving capacity needs assessments, the development of training materials, and the delivery of 10 training sessions for approximately 150 participants, including SIDBI staff, executing entities, and civil society organizations. The goal is to improve the quality of funding proposals and the effectiveness of monitoring and evaluation for a pipeline of climate-focused projects targeting India's MSME sector.

The We Mean Business Coalition asserts that current government commitments are insufficient, putting the world on track for over 2.5°C of warming. The author calls for COP27 to translate G20 agreements into a science-based plan of action, emphasizing the need for a just transition away from all fossil fuels, streamlined permitting for renewables, and a reformed global financial system using ISSB standards as a baseline.

Walnut Hill Community Church in Connecticut implemented a long-term energy efficiency strategy based on a 2016 professional audit. The church focused on overhauling its HVAC systems, specifically at the Bethel Hall campus, by replacing outdated water chillers and boilers with a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) heat pump system and smart thermostats. These measures, funded through a mix of internal capital, utility rebates, and zero-interest financing from Eversource's Energize Connecticut program, have resulted in a 12% annual reduction in electricity and propane costs, totaling $18,042 in annual savings.

The analysis examines the risks associated with cooling access for rural and urban poor populations, projecting that 1.22 billion people could remain at high risk by 2030 without intervention. It highlights that achieving goals for poverty eradication and energy access could protect nearly half a billion people in high-impact countries, while emphasizing the need for sustainable, energy-efficient cooling to prevent a surge in greenhouse gas emissions as demand grows.

The document outlines four strategic propositions for Sweden's 2023 EU presidency: ensuring energy crisis responses align with long-term climate goals, integrating enforceable sustainability standards into trade agreements, promoting 'just resilience' to address transboundary climate risks, and establishing an EU-wide approach to monitoring consumption-based emissions.

The Climate Change Performance Index 2023 finds that none of the 60 largest emitters are on a 1.5°C pathway, leaving the top three ranks unoccupied. Denmark is the current frontrunner, leading in almost all categories, while China and the US are categorized as 'very low' performers. The report highlights a wide disparity in performance among EU countries and identifies Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan as the worst overall performers due to heavy oil reliance and weak renewable energy adoption.

The document examines the IEA's WEO 2022, specifically the Net-Zero by 2050 (NZE) scenario, to outline a transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. It argues that fossil fuel demand is peaking and that achieving the 1.5°C target requires a total transformation of energy investment, characterized by a '9 for 1' ratio of clean energy to fossil fuel spending by 2030.

The briefing highlights the economic and environmental value of urban nature—such as forests, street trees, and wetlands—as a tool for climate mitigation and adaptation. It asserts that the global value of urban nature's benefits is nine times its costs and provides specific examples from Sacramento, Ahmedabad, and Curitiba to demonstrate how nature-based solutions can reduce building energy demand, lower the carbon footprint of stormwater management, and decrease transportation emissions. The document concludes by calling for an increase in annual investment in urban nature projects from $32 billion to $135 billion by 2030 to realize an estimated $2 trillion in annual net benefits.

The document contends that the current energy crisis is a "natural gas market crisis" caused by fossil fuel price volatility, specifically citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and post-pandemic recovery. It argues that natural gas is incompatible with the 1.5°C and 2°C Paris Agreement targets, noting that global gas emissions rose 23% between 2010 and 2019. The briefing highlights that solar and onshore wind are now cheaper than gas for two-thirds of the global population and that new gas projects face significant stranded asset risks, such as a USD 13 billion risk in the UK by 2050. It dismisses Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as an effective solution, noting that only 27 of over 260 projects undertaken between 1995 and 2018 were completed. Finally, it argues that for Africa, renewables are the fastest and cheapest way to expand energy access, as gas costs are projected to be double those of solar and wind by 2030.

The global energy crisis has exposed critical vulnerabilities in the energy systems of Southeast Asian nations, particularly their reliance on imported fossil fuels. While governments in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Viet Nam have implemented short-term measures to mitigate price shocks and secure fuel supplies, the report argues that these responses fail to address underlying vulnerabilities. It calls for an acceleration of fossil fuel phasedowns, a reconsideration of natural gas as a transition fuel, and a prioritisation of renewable energy scale-ups and energy efficiency to build long-term resilience.

The document highlights that building operations and construction account for approximately 40% of India's energy use and warns that consumption could triple by 2050 without intervention. It proposes a whole-system approach—integrating low-carbon design, reduced energy needs, efficiency, and clean energy supply—to potentially reduce buildings-related emissions by a factor of four by 2050 compared to business-as-usual scenarios.

The We Mean Business Coalition calls for governments and corporations at COP27 to support SMEs in the energy transition. It highlights that SMEs are disproportionately affected by climate impacts and energy costs, and urges the implementation of policies to accelerate the shift from fossil fuels to renewables, increase investment in climate innovation, and provide accessible tax credits and incentives similar to the US Inflation Reduction Act.