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The Waukegan Generating Station in Illinois causes significant health harms, including an estimated 18 premature deaths annually, and disproportionately affects people of color. Analysis indicates that the plant's coal units can be retired without impacting electricity reliability, as generation can be replaced across the PJM regional transmission organization. The document proposes a just transition involving site remediation, energy storage, and the use of nearby brownfield sites for solar projects under the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA).

WWF South Africa's Environmental Leaders programme has supported 128 interns over a decade, addressing high graduate unemployment by providing work-based learning and mentoring. The programme focuses on scarce green skills, resulting in 76% of participants finding employment directly after their internship, with 37% of those in newly created positions. It emphasizes transformation and diversity, recruiting from 20 universities across South Africa and partnering with 32 host organisations across government, NGO, and private sectors.

The briefing examines the intersection of poverty eradication and climate action, arguing that the "leave no one behind" (LNB) principle is essential for ensuring that the poorest populations—who are most vulnerable to climate impacts—benefit from and participate in the energy transition. It outlines four key implications for climate policy: including the poor in decision-making, targeting them as implementers of adaptation and mitigation, maximizing direct benefits for them, and providing compensatory measures to offset regressive impacts like carbon taxes. The author notes that while many Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) mention inequality, few contain concrete measures to realize these benefits, suggesting that upcoming NDC updates provide a critical opportunity to integrate LNB principles.

Google achieved its goal of matching 100% of its global electricity consumption with renewable energy in 2017, investing over $3.5 billion USD across 26 projects. The company now aims for a 'moonshot' goal of powering operations on a region-specific, 24/7 basis with zero-carbon energy. To achieve this, Google focuses on regional procurement to overcome regulatory barriers, the pursuit of new technologies to manage resource variability, and the promotion of energy policies that empower consumers. Additionally, Google launched the Environmental Insights Explorer in 2018 to help cities estimate carbon emissions and renewable energy potential.

Friends of the Earth argues that nuclear energy is an expensive and dangerous technology based on outdated science. The organization highlights its role in shutting down reactors at Diablo Canyon and San Onofre, as well as canceling the V.C. Summer and MidAmerican Energy projects. The document advocates for a transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency to mitigate climate change.

Existing commercial buildings in the United States account for 36% of electricity consumption and over $190 billion in annual energy costs. Globally, the current energy retrofit rate of approximately 1% per year is insufficient to meet the 3.2% annual rate required to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius by 2040. The Zero Over Time (ZOT) approach is proposed to help managers synchronize energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with building life-cycle events.

The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) employs a three-step screening process to identify and validate green bonds and loans for its database. This involves identifying self-labeled green instruments, verifying alignment with the Climate Bonds Taxonomy across eight sectors, and ensuring at least 95% of proceeds are allocated to eligible green assets. The methodology explicitly excludes fossil fuel energy and projects that extend the life of fossil fuel assets. Instruments are categorized as included, pending, or excluded, with a mechanism for reclassification based on new data or updated scientific criteria.

The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) employs a three-step screening process to identify eligible green bonds and loans for its database: identifying green-labelled bonds, screening assets against the Climate Bonds Taxonomy, and evaluating the allocation of proceeds. To be included, a bond must allocate at least 95% of its proceeds to aligned green assets; any bond where more than 5% of proceeds are used for working capital, social projects, or non-aligned assets is excluded. The methodology explicitly excludes fossil fuel energy and any assets that extend the life of fossil fuel usage, such as 'clean coal'. The Climate Bonds Taxonomy covers eight categories: energy, transport, buildings, water management, waste management & pollution control, nature-based assets, industry & energy-intensive commercial, and information technology & communications (ICT).

The document analyzes energy efficiency (EE) and productive efficiency in 106 Brazilian industrial sectors. It finds that while the efficiency of typical firms improved between 2003 and 2015, the market share of the most efficient firms declined. The analysis suggests that resource reallocation—particularly correcting capital distortions—could significantly increase total factor productivity, far exceeding the gains from energy efficiency improvements alone. It argues that Brazil's EE policies have historically been reactive and focused on residential use, neglecting the industrial sector, which is the largest energy consumer.

The document examines the transition from a linear to a circular economy, highlighting its potential to create jobs and increase GDP. It synthesizes projections from various international bodies, noting that while Europe has extensive data suggesting net job gains in recycling and services, Canada's 'environmental and clean technology' sector employs approximately 274,000 people as of 2016, though its growth lags behind the broader economy.

The guide uses a series of realistic, simulated scenarios to explore the complexities of involving citizens in sustainable energy projects, such as wind farm siting and energy efficiency upgrades. It focuses on three primary dimensions of success: social legitimacy, institutional sustainability, and political effectiveness. Through 39 different sections, the document analyzes the trade-offs between different engagement models—participatory, deliberative, and hybrid—and provides strategies for managing conflicts, handling technical constraints, and navigating the influence of higher-level government bodies and political election cycles.

The statement by EESI Board Chair Jared Blum asserts that Senator John McCain's early efforts to sponsor bipartisan legislation and lead Senate hearings on global warming created a benchmark for prescience and gave credibility to the business case for renewable energy and energy efficiency. This leadership influenced petroleum-based industries, energy efficiency sectors, and Republican-led states to consider CO2 reduction. The document further links McCain's concerns to the current recognition of climate change as a direct threat to U.S. national security, as codified in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act.

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.

The document identifies buildings as contributing almost one-third of global emissions and proposes three primary actions for regional governments: implementing net-zero building codes for new constructions, requiring energy efficiency upgrades for existing buildings, and establishing energy efficiency resource standards (EERS) for utilities.

The guide outlines low-cost strategies for businesses to become 'green', focusing on energy efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable procurement. Key recommendations include switching to LED lighting, installing low-flow water fittings, reducing paper waste through digital receipts, and incentivising reusable coffee cups. It also suggests dietary shifts toward locally-sourced vegetarian options, eliminating standby power consumption, implementing bike-to-work schemes, composting food waste, and purchasing second-hand furniture. Additionally, it advises employers to select ethical, green investment funds for employee pensions.

The document outlines five specific actions for achieving carbon-free electricity: implementing Renewable Portfolio Standards, phasing out coal plants, modernizing rate designs, integrating distributed energy resources into grid planning, and expanding community solar access.

The guide outlines how urban gardens in the UK can mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce energy consumption, and lower carbon footprints through strategic planting, water conservation, composting, and home-grown food production.

The report highlights the necessity for cities to target existing buildings to meet zero-carbon goals, suggesting that packaging policy elements can drive job creation and tax revenue. It cites a case study with a tier 1 city where a cost-optimized point-of-sale policy is projected to save over $4 billion in lifetime energy costs and reduce building sector CO2e emissions by 67 percent, supporting a broader 2050 goal of an 80 percent greenhouse gas emission reduction.

The author asserts that energy efficiency is a critical, underutilized tool for reducing global CO2 emissions and enhancing the reliability of renewable energy. By utilizing existing technologies such as thermal storage and district heating, the global energy system can become more flexible and cost-effective, as the cheapest energy is that which is not consumed.

The report argues that Brazil's energy efficiency (EE) policies have been reactive and focused on residential consumption, neglecting the industrial sector, which is the country's largest energy consumer. Economic analysis of 106 industrial sectors shows that while the efficiency of typical firms improved between 2003 and 2015, the market share of the most efficient firms decreased. The study finds a strong correlation between energy efficiency and productive efficiency, suggesting that a total reallocation of productive inputs (capital, labor, and electricity) could have increased aggregate productivity by 81% in 2015, though capital misallocation is the primary driver of these losses.