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The document examines the role of carbon pricing within the EU's Effort Sharing Decision (ESD), which covers approximately 60% of EU emissions. It argues that while carbon pricing is a useful tool, it cannot deliver results alone and must be framed within a supportive policy context. The author critiques the EU Emission Trading System (ETS) for permit oversupply and warns against expanding the ETS into transport and heating, suggesting instead national carbon taxes, permit trading, or auctioning of permits. Specifically, auctioning half of annual reductions could generate over €9 billion between 2021 and 2030.

Michigan is positioned to meet its Clean Power Plan target of 21.8 million tons of CO2 (31% below 2012 levels) by 2030. A proposed 'Clean Path Case' involving 30% renewable energy and 1.5% annual electricity savings could drive $13 billion in investment, add 8,300 MW of wind and solar capacity, and provide $4.1 billion in public health benefits by 2030. The brief recommends that the Michigan Agency for Energy develop a mass-based compliance plan and that the legislature expand the Renewable Energy Standard and Energy Efficiency Requirements Standard.

Massachusetts has become heavily reliant on natural gas for electricity, with it accounting for over 60 percent of in-state generation. This dependence exposes consumers to price volatility and hinders carbon reduction goals. The Union of Concerned Scientists proposes a diversified energy plan incorporating offshore and onshore wind, hydropower, and solar. This strategy could reduce natural gas use by 23 percent below business-as-usual by 2030, decrease carbon emissions by 6.6 million tons, and generate over $350 million in health and economic benefits in 2030, with a modest estimated increase in household electricity bills of approximately $3.00 per month.

The paper assesses the alignment of Chinese green bond guidelines—primarily those from the People's Bank of China (PBoC)—with international practices. It finds strong alignment in the management of proceeds and reporting, but identifies significant divergence in green definitions, particularly regarding the inclusion of fossil fuel projects. The authors recommend adopting a scientific framework for project criteria, implementing a third-party certification model with approved verifiers, and standardising environmental impact reporting to reduce transaction costs for international investors.

The policy brief examines Article 10c of the EU ETS Directive, which allows lower-income Member States in Central and Eastern Europe to grant free emission allowances to the power sector provided they invest the equivalent value in energy system modernisation. The author argues that this mechanism has largely subsidised coal power and fossil fuel infrastructure rather than diversifying energy mixes, citing examples in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania. It highlights failures in transparency, public consultation, and additionality, specifically noting investments in the Belchatow power station. The brief recommends that the post-2020 revision implement a competitive bidding process for all investments, exclude coal from eligibility, and ensure open public consultation to align the mechanism with EU decarbonisation goals.

The policy brief asserts that global climate success depends on the 20 largest emitting nations adopting a small set of high-impact policies across four sectors: electricity, buildings, industry, and transportation. It emphasizes that policy design is critical to avoid inefficiencies and suggests the use of 'Best Practice Networks' (BPNs) to provide technical expertise to governments to ensure these policies are effectively implemented.

The document advocates for outcome-oriented energy efficiency metrics, such as kWh per customer, as a more transparent and less administratively burdensome alternative to measure-by-measure savings calculations. It details several potential metrics, discusses the necessity of adjustment mechanisms for exogenous factors like weather and GDP, and provides recommendations for regulators to minimize regulatory conflict by using independently verified data.

The document examines the failures of California's Risk-Reward Incentive Mechanism (RRIM), where disagreements over counterfactual assumptions for energy savings led to massive swings in utility penalties and bonuses. It argues that measure-by-measure estimation is administratively burdensome and contentious, recommending a shift toward outcome-oriented metrics or the use of approved ex ante values to reduce regulatory conflict.

The paper argues that traditional cost-of-service regulation incentivizes utilities to invest in capital expenditures to meet peak demand. To counter this, it proposes a PIM based on an outcome-oriented metric—specifically the percentage reduction in peak load—rather than a measure-by-measure counterfactual approach, which it claims failed in California's Risk Reward Incentive Mechanism (RRIM). The author recommends setting long-term targets (five to eight years) with annual interim goals and utilizing a sloped, symmetrical incentive structure with upper and lower caps. To manage risk, the proposal suggests a gradual implementation starting with small revenue amounts, eventually scaling the PIM based on independent studies of the net societal benefits of peak reduction.

The report evaluates five key regional and federal policies in the Hudson Bay Inland Sea region to determine their ability to support climate adaptation for transportation and ICT infrastructure. While the analyzed policies generally score high on planned and autonomous adaptability—particularly regarding permafrost instability and shipping routes—they lack comprehensive support for emergency response and formal review mechanisms. The analysis emphasizes that remote communities are highly dependent on air and sea infrastructure, making their resilience critical for community well-being.

The document argues that China requires 2 trillion to 4 trillion RMB annually for its green transition, with the private sector expected to contribute 85% to 90% of this funding. It identifies two primary barriers to scaling green bonds: the small size of individual green projects, which fails to meet the minimum issuance requirements of institutional investors (typically 100 million to 200 million USD), and the low credit ratings of non-state enterprises and green assets. To address these, the report proposes using green asset-backed securitisation (ABS) to aggregate small projects and decouple asset risk from the issuer's balance sheet. It further recommends standardising green loan contracts, establishing financial warehousing systems, implementing tax incentives to lower financing costs, and utilizing public credit enhancements such as guarantees and insurance to attract institutional capital.

China requires an annual investment of RMB 2-4 trillion (USD 320-640 billion) to address environmental and climate issues, with the private sector expected to provide 85% to 90% of this capital. While green bonds are a key vehicle for this, the market faces hurdles including the small scale of individual green projects and low credit ratings for non-state-owned corporate issuers. The report proposes green securitisation as a primary aggregation tool to bundle small assets into larger, investable securities and to detach project risk from the issuer's balance sheet. It further recommends the development of standardised green loan contracts and the establishment of financial warehouses to support this process. Additionally, the paper advocates for tax incentives to reduce funding costs and public credit enhancements, such as guarantees and subordinated debt, to improve the risk-return profile of green bonds for institutional investors.

New Mexico is experiencing a warming trend with an average annual temperature increase of approximately 0.6°F per decade since 1970. This shift is driving more intense droughts, reduced snowpack, and more frequent, destructive wildfires, which threaten the state's multibillion-dollar agricultural sector and forest ecosystems. The document recommends accelerating renewable energy investments, increasing energy efficiency, retiring coal plants, and implementing robust water management and monitoring systems to build climate resilience.

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that Massachusetts is over-reliant on natural gas, which exposes consumers to price volatility and hinders climate goals. The report proposes a policy mix including increased hydropower, land-based wind, and 2,000 MW of offshore wind to reduce natural gas's share of New England's electricity generation from a projected 52% to 42% by 2030, while keeping cost increases for residential consumers to approximately $3.00 per month.

The document examines the $6.8 billion merger between Exelon and Pepco, focusing on the contentious approval process in Washington, D.C. It uses this case to highlight five industry trends: increased utility consolidation to hedge against low wholesale power prices, disputes over microgrid ownership, the criticality of rate design equity, the rise of empowered local customer constituencies, and the proliferation of state-level power sector transformation proceedings.

The briefing highlights research indicating that global sea levels could rise by several meters within 50 to 150 years if emissions grow, potentially submerging major global cities and displacing 20% of the world's population. It emphasizes that these impacts could occur even if the 2 degree C target is met. For Canada, the document details 2010 emission sources and advocates for a societal transformation, specifically noting that closing coal-fired power plants in Ontario and Alberta provides a rapid pathway for emission reductions and health benefits.

The document highlights that energy efficiency upgrades, particularly attic insulation, can provide a high return on investment in terms of home resale value. It references the Remodeling magazine Cost vs. Value Report to show that attic insulation was the only project with a greater-than-100-percent cost vs. value ratio nationally, yielding a 166 percent return. Beyond resale value, the briefing identifies operational cost savings, improved thermal comfort, and health benefits—such as an 85 percent drop in hospital admissions for children with asthma following comprehensive retrofits—as key drivers for homeowners. Other value-adding upgrades mentioned include solar PV systems, high-efficiency HVAC systems, envelope improvements, and advanced water heating technologies.

The Weinberg Commons project is the first Passive House multi-family retrofit in the United States, utilizing design elements to reduce heating and cooling energy use by up to 90%. The project demonstrates that high energy performance is critical for the economic stability of low-income families, as utility costs for the lowest income renters rose from 12.7% to 17.4% of total housing costs between 2000 and 2010. While the project cost approximately 8% more to construct than traditional methods, it provides 36 two-bedroom units with rents that include all utilities, supported by tax credits, capital grants, and rental vouchers.

The Clean Power Plan aims for a nationwide reduction of carbon pollution to approximately 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. A proposed 'CPP national trading case' would involve 204 GW of new renewable energy capacity and $64 billion in energy-efficiency investments, generating $103 billion in public health and climate benefits. The document recommends that states adopt mass-based compliance plans, prioritize environmental justice for disadvantaged and coal-dependent communities, and implement strong clean-energy policies such as renewable electricity standards and carbon-pricing programs.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Secretariat reports progress in its public and private sector pipelines, the simplification of funding proposal templates, and the expansion of readiness support to 45 countries. Key achievements include the signing of contribution agreements with five additional countries and the launch of a new website to enhance stakeholder engagement. The Secretariat also operationalized its accreditation framework, moving 11 applicants to stage II, and provided substantive support for the development of the GCF Strategic Plan.