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Energy Innovation modeled a subset of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis's recommendations, finding that these policies could reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030 and 89% by 2050. The analysis projects that net carbon dioxide emissions would reach zero by 2048, avoiding 62,000 premature deaths annually by 2050 and generating approximately $8 trillion in monetized health and climate benefits (at a 3% discount rate). The modeling covers sectors including electricity, transportation, buildings, industry, oil and gas, agriculture, and natural climate solutions, assuming a transition to 100% clean electricity by 2040 and 100% zero-emission vehicle sales for light-duty vehicles by 2035.

The document argues that Canada's post-pandemic reconstruction offers a historic opportunity to pivot toward a low-carbon economy. It outlines seven specific principles, or 'green strings,' to guide bailouts, stimulus, and recovery measures. These include requiring companies to develop net-zero plans, prohibiting stock buybacks and dividends for aid recipients, and ensuring a just transition for workers in high-carbon sectors. The report emphasizes that green stimulus can create as many jobs as neutral measures and calls for increased transparency, equity for Indigenous peoples, and the protection of environmental regulations during the recovery phase.

The report proposes a 'green stimulus' for the Caribbean focusing on distributed energy resources (DERs) to combat pandemic-related job losses and long-term economic vulnerability. It identifies solar PV, wind, electric vehicles (EVs), and energy efficiency as high-impact sectors for immediate employment. Beyond jobs, the document highlights how DERs improve resilience against hurricanes and economic shocks, while enabling economic diversification in sectors like agro-industry by lowering energy costs.

RMI proposes a green stimulus strategy for the United States focused on four pillars: a national building retrofit program, the electrification and diversification of mobility, debt forgiveness linked to emissions reductions, and the creation of a federal Economic Recovery Facility to finance clean projects.

The study assesses the integration of climate adaptation into energy efficiency projects in the Baltic Sea Region, finding that mitigation and adaptation are largely treated as separate policy areas. While new buildings more frequently implement adaptation measures above minimum standards, retrofitted buildings primarily focus on mitigation. The report identifies key synergies, such as green roofs and automated indoor climates, but notes that their implementation is often ad hoc rather than planned. Significant barriers include a lack of legal requirements, funding gaps, and limited awareness among developers.

Green banks are public or quasi-public entities designed to leverage public funds to attract private capital for low-carbon, climate-resilient investments. They address market gaps by reducing perceived risks for private investors through innovative financial tools, helping countries implement their nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Examples include the UK Green Investment Bank, which leveraged £4 of private investment for every £1 of public funds, and Australia's Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which has invested in over 110 transactions to avoid an estimated 190 million tons of CO2.

The document reports that 94% of 242 analyzed U.S. cities saw an increase in average summer temperatures since 1970, with summer nights warming faster than days. It highlights that 74% of cities experienced at least one additional week of above-normal temperatures, with the most significant increases concentrated in the Southeast and Texas.

The Big Shift Coalition calls on the World Bank Group to utilize development policy loans (DPLs) to accelerate the transition to renewable energy and decarbonization, particularly during COVID-19 recovery. The coalition expresses concern that DPLs continue to facilitate fossil fuel investments, citing a review showing that 52 of 121 DPLs from FY 2014-18 targeted oil, gas, or coal mining. They recommend a new operational policy prohibiting the financing of fossil fuel development and the inclusion of coal, oil, and natural gas in 'Excluded Expenditures' legal agreements. Finally, the coalition requests public consultation and transparency regarding the World Bank's ongoing review of its policy lending instrument.

The manifesto argues that the economic stimulus packages designed to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic should be aligned with sustainability and biodiversity policies. It advocates for a 'Green Recovery' based on the European Green Deal's pillars of digitalization, decarbonization, and resilience. The signatories, representing a broad coalition of politicians, academics, business leaders, and NGOs, urge the Spanish government and the Congressional Commission for the Reconstruction of Spain to adopt a sustainable recovery model, noting that Spain is well-positioned for this transition due to its renewable energy potential and industrial capacity.

The statement argues that the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic must be steered toward a sustainable, healthy, and resilient model. It supports the Green Recovery Alliance's approach, which aligns economic stimulus with the European Green Deal and focuses on digitalization, decarbonization, and resilience. The document highlights Spain's specific potential for this transition through its renewable energy capacity and natural capital, and calls for a broad alliance between political parties, businesses, unions, and NGOs to implement science-based recovery measures.

The guide advises utility regulators to avoid postponing key climate and energy proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic by adopting virtual engagement tools and prioritizing high-impact projects. It emphasizes that maintaining momentum on emissions reductions and utility business model reforms is critical to limiting global warming to 1.5°C and stimulating economic recovery through the clean energy sector.

The policy brief contends that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated existing vulnerabilities in the U.S. fossil fuel industry, making a fair transition for workers urgent. It advises against using federal stimulus for fossil fuel assets, suggesting instead that investments be directed toward low-carbon infrastructure, which creates more jobs per million dollars spent. The author proposes a four-part framework for a fair transition: accounting for automation and digitization, planning proactively across all carbon-intensive industries, recognizing that clean energy jobs may not be a direct replacement for all fossil fuel roles due to geographic and skill gaps, and employing bottom-up, community-led investment strategies.

The document argues that COVID-19 recovery should prioritize green technologies and renewables over fossil fuels to avoid stranded assets. It suggests that industry bailouts in sectors like aviation and automotive manufacturing be tied to strict green conditions and net-zero pathways. The text emphasizes the need to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, reduce capital costs for renewables in developing countries, and implement social protections for workers displaced by the energy transition.

The document argues that the massive fiscal stimulus required for COVID-19 recovery presents a unique opportunity to transition to a low-carbon economy. It suggests that climate-aligned investments offer higher returns than traditional spending, citing benefit-cost ratios for adaptation between 2:1 and 10:1. The author proposes seven action areas: managing corporate bailouts with emissions targets, investing in climate-smart infrastructure (such as renewable energy and nature-based solutions), promoting regulatory reform, reforming tax and subsidy policies (including cutting fossil fuel subsidies), integrating climate risks into financial regulations, enhancing the role of development finance institutions, and sponsoring R&D for new technologies. The text emphasizes that green investments can create more jobs than fossil fuel investments, noting that in the US, $1 million spent on renewable energy creates 7.5 FTE jobs compared to 2.7 in fossil fuels.

The authors argue that innovative financing is essential to leverage grants and tax incentives for clean energy projects, particularly for low- and moderate-income individuals and small businesses. They specifically advocate for on-bill financing, which allows borrowers to repay energy efficiency and renewable energy costs via utility bills, noting its success in rural areas and specific states. The letter requests increased funding for the USDA's Rural Energy Savings Program and DOE's State Energy Program, and authorization for on-bill financing within the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant and state or local 'green banks'.

The briefing explores the emergence of 'vid-checks'—live video-call interfaces used to conduct home assessments for energy, air quality, and resilience. It details the process of these virtual visits, the benefits for both residents (such as lower costs and increased agency) and providers (such as reduced travel costs and safety), and the limitations of the approach, including accessibility for people with mobility disabilities and technical connectivity issues. The text highlights early adopters like Energy New England, Abode Energy, and CLEAResult as examples of industry innovation in response to pandemic lockdowns.

The document examines the Green Transformation Fund (GTF), a $200 million initiative by Bangladesh Bank to reduce the environmental footprint of Bangladesh's garment and manufacturing industries by providing loans for green capital machinery.

The report examines the increasing need for energy resilience in the Upper Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado, following the 2018 Lake Christine Fire. It argues that traditional grid hardening and backup generators are insufficient and proposes a shift toward distributed energy resources (DERs) and community-centric planning. Through a partnership between Holy Cross Energy (HCE) and local stakeholders, the report identifies five priority resilience areas: community microgrids, bulk power supply flexibility, mobile generation fleets, gasoline pump resilience, and critical end-use efficiency. It emphasizes the need for 'blue sky' value—benefits during normal operations—to justify the cost of 'black sky' emergency investments and recommends new business models, such as split ownership and updated tariffs, to facilitate the deployment of clean energy resilience solutions.

The report analyzes seven European Green Capital (EGC) winners—Bristol, Ljubljana, Essen, Nijmegen, Oslo, Lisbon, and Lahti—across 12 environmental domains to establish 'threshold activities' necessary for reaching the EGC finals. Comparing these to Tallinn, the study finds that while Tallinn excels in air quality, green space proportion, and the use of green electricity in municipal buildings, it lags in CO2 emissions per capita, waste landfilling rates, and the formal adoption of strategic planning documents. Key findings highlight the importance of carbon neutrality targets by 2050, integrated sustainable mobility strategies, and the implementation of 'polluter pays' principles in waste management.

The report examines the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry, comparing conventional farming with hydroponic and aquaponic systems in greenhouse and vertical formats. A life cycle analysis (LCA) reveals that while conventional agriculture currently has the lowest overall environmental impact, CEA excels in land and water efficiency. The document identifies energy and labor as primary cost hurdles but highlights innovations in LED lighting, AI, and renewable energy as potential solutions. It specifically evaluates St. Louis as a viable location for a pilot project due to its market demand, available stranded assets like caves and brownfields, and supportive local policies.