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The report argues that fossil fuel subsidy reform (FFSR) is a critical tool for financing a just transition, as global subsidies total at least USD 425 billion per year. It posits that FFSR can reduce global carbon emissions by roughly 10 per cent by 2050 if both production and consumption subsidies are eliminated. The document outlines a framework for successful reform based on three elements: getting prices right, managing impacts, and building support. Through case studies of Morocco, Mexico, Argentina, Indonesia, and the Netherlands, the report demonstrates that while FFSR can create budgetary space for social safety nets and renewable energy, a lack of stakeholder engagement and abrupt price hikes—as seen in Mexico—can lead to civil unrest. Conversely, the Netherlands' long-term transition of its coal sector illustrates how targeted supports and social dialogue can protect workers during industrial shifts.

The document argues that emerging energy technologies—including solar PV, wind, battery storage, and microgrids—are now cost-competitive and more resilient than traditional fossil-fuel-based systems. It highlights that while the 2017 hurricanes caused the longest sustained outage in U.S. history, the resulting damage provides an opportunity to rebuild the grid using distributed resources that can be deployed quickly and reduce reliance on expensive imported fuels.

Civil society organisations, including Greenpeace Africa and the Life After Coal Campaign, have requested a meeting with South Africa's Minister of Energy to address the integrity of the Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) and Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The signatories argue that the current process has "substantial flaws" and advocate for a just transition from coal to publicly-owned renewable energy and energy efficiency. They propose eleven principles for the IRP, emphasizing least-cost technology combinations, the inclusion of external costs to health and climate, and alignment with the Paris Agreement and South Africa's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The letter specifically seeks clarity on timelines, public participation, the status of energy determinations for coal, nuclear, gas, and renewables, and the delay in Independent Power Producer agreements.

The document identifies that industry accounts for 7% of carbon emissions in major cities and proposes three primary actions to mitigate this: implementing clean industrial heat solutions, replacing inefficient motors with high-efficiency models, and establishing voluntary energy management and operator training programs. It emphasizes the need for cities to partner strategically with corporate residents due to limited jurisdictional control.

ABB installed a microgrid at its Longmeadow facility in Johannesburg, combining a 750 kWp solar PV plant and a 1 MVA/ 380 kWh lithium-ion battery system. This 'power island' allows the facility to operate autonomously during grid disturbances, which previously occurred every three days on average. The system is managed by a cloud-based Microgrid Plus Control System that balances renewable and fossil-fuel sources. Since June 2016, the project has reduced annual diesel fuel consumption by 27% and diesel generator use by 76%, resulting in annual energy cost savings of US$150,000 and a reduction of approximately 1,000 tons of carbon emissions per year.

The document outlines five strategic actions for cities to address the built environment, which accounts for nearly 50 percent of GHG emissions in large cities. These actions include performing deep energy retrofits on city-owned buildings, implementing net-zero and progressive building codes, supporting citywide LED lighting upgrades, and requiring energy benchmarking and public transparency for building energy use.

The paper explores the intersection of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and climate goals, arguing that exponential technologies—those with rapidly falling costs and improving performance—can allow developing nations to 'leapfrog' obsolete infrastructure. By analyzing the NDCs of six priority countries, the authors map potential applications of AI, blockchain, IoT, and advanced materials across energy, transport, and agriculture sectors. While highlighting opportunities for decarbonization and financial inclusion, the document warns of risks including job displacement due to automation and the potential for energy-intensive technology lock-in.

The report uses the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) system to model Jamaica's GHG emissions and assess various mitigation actions across energy, waste, and agriculture sectors. It finds that while baseline emissions are projected to increase by 58% by 2055, significant low-cost abatement is possible, potentially allowing Jamaica to exceed its NDC targets without additional direct social costs. The analysis also highlights gender-differentiated impacts and identifies financial and technical capacity needs, particularly in domestic mitigation modeling and renewable energy implementation.

The guide outlines five key strategies for corporate sustainability champions: aligning proposals with the firm's specific values and CEO's passions, building a financial business case using metrics like net present value, assembling diverse internal teams, starting with low-risk pilot projects to prove value, and building collaborative relationships with skeptical stakeholders, including finance executives.

The report argues that current technologies are insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement's 1.5˚C limit for the steel and cement industries. While efficiency gains and energy supply decarbonisation could reduce emissions by 30%–50% below current trends by 2050, further reductions will require innovative low-carbon technologies, product substitutions, circular production, and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

The Clean Air Task Force criticizes EPA Administrator Pruitt for attempting to repeal the Clean Power Plan by asserting that the EPA only has authority to mandate 'inside the fence' measures at individual plants. The authors argue that Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act allows for a 'best system of emission reduction' that includes shifting to cleaner energy sources, noting that compliance costs for CO2 reduction dropped from $26/ton at the plan's finalization to $17/ton by January 2017. The document contends that Pruitt is prioritizing the coal industry over public health and has inappropriately requested that the D.C. Circuit Court delay its decision on the plan's legality.

This guide explains the role of electric utilities and Public Utilities Commissions in US energy policy, while detailing specific mechanisms like distributed generation, community solar, net metering, and decoupling that facilitate the transition to renewable energy.

RMI proposes a set of best practices for real estate portals to provide energy information for U.S. homes, emphasizing the need for estimated energy costs, visual comparisons, and clear methodology. The briefing argues that transparency in home energy performance increases market value and helps consumers address energy efficiency needs.

The document outlines nine key lessons for engaging the private sector in climate projects, emphasizing the need for context-specific approaches, strong public policy, and the use of innovative financial instruments. It argues that public sector leadership is essential to reduce risks and demonstrate the business case for private investment, particularly in adaptation projects which are typically seen as riskier than mitigation projects. Case studies from countries like Indonesia, Kenya, India, and Colombia illustrate the effectiveness of risk-sharing mechanisms, pilot projects, and the inclusion of private actors in the design phase of project lifecycles.

The document advocates for a shift in the EU Energy Union's governance from a top-down administrative process to a participatory model. It specifically proposes 'Multi-Level Climate and Energy Dialogue Platforms' to integrate the expertise and actions of cities and regions into National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). The authors argue that current Commission proposals treat local actors as mere side stakeholders and suggest that permanent national structures, aligned with the Aarhus Convention, are necessary to achieve the EU's 2050 decarbonization goal. The briefing provides examples of successful local-national coordination in Ireland, Luxembourg, Croatia, France, and the Netherlands.

Sustainable Energy Bonds (SEBs) are proposed as a mechanism to bridge the debt financing gap for small-scale sustainable energy projects in India. By aggregating small projects through a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), SEBs reduce transaction costs and provide standardized impact reporting to attract impact investors. The analysis suggests that initial issuances, such as a proposed USD 5 million pilot by cKers Finance, require approximately 4% in public finance support—covering credit enhancement and monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) costs—to maintain competitive lending rates of around 10% for project developers.

The 2017 Global Landscape of Climate Finance report finds that global climate finance peaked at $437 billion in 2015 before declining by 12% to $383 billion in 2016. The 2015 surge was primarily driven by private renewable energy investments in China, the U.S., and Japan. While solar and wind investments are largely on track for 2°C goals, other sectors like energy efficiency and adaptation remain significantly underfunded. Public finance is increasingly focused on energy efficiency, while multilateral development finance institutions (DFIs) are progressing toward their 2020 targets. The report highlights a strong preference for domestic investment, with 79% of finance remaining within the country of origin during 2015/2016.

The document highlights the critical role of cities in meeting the EU's 2020 and 2030 climate targets, noting that urban areas deliver over a third of the 2020 target. It warns that national governments—specifically Poland, Italy, and Spain—are pushing for regulatory loopholes in the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) that could stifle local climate actions. The briefing provides case studies from Barcelona, Gijón, Niepolomice, Gdynia, Salerno, and Parma to demonstrate the effectiveness of local initiatives in transport, energy efficiency, and waste management, and recommends closing ESR loopholes to unlock these co-benefits.

The document argues that the traditional cost-of-service regulation (COSR) model creates a capital bias that hinders the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs). To transition utilities into distribution system optimizers (DSOs), the author proposes integrated distribution planning (IDP) to reveal the locational value of DERs. Two regulatory pathways are examined: an information-intensive approach that separates the DSO function from asset ownership to create competitive markets, and an outcome-focused approach using performance-based regulation (PBR) to align utility profits with system optimization and public policy goals.

The 'Cooling for All' initiative, launched in 2017 by Sustainable Energy for All and supported by the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program, seeks to integrate growing cooling demands into a clean energy transition. The initiative aims to align the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. To achieve this, a Global Panel on Access to Cooling has been established to produce an evidence-based report by 2018 focusing on sustainable cooling for the poorest countries. The initiative highlights the risk of locking countries into high-carbon cooling pathways and the potential to avoid 1°C of global warming by combining HFC phase-downs with energy efficiency gains.