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The document critiques Governor Charlie Baker's veto of bill S.2995, which proposed a voluntary net-zero stretch code for new construction in Massachusetts. It argues that electrification is the most cost-effective path to meeting the state's 2050 net-zero carbon emissions target, citing state analysis and RMI research showing that all-electric single-family homes in Boston are already cheaper to build and operate than gas-powered ones. The text highlights that net-zero affordable housing is already viable in the state and warns that continuing to invest in Massachusetts' aging gas pipeline infrastructure—estimated to require $15.5 to $16.6 billion in repairs—is a poor financial decision for ratepayers.

The Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) is projected to nearly eliminate power sector emissions and reduce economy-wide emissions by 35% by 2050 compared to business-as-usual. However, to meet a 1.5°C warming pathway, the document argues that Virginia must implement further policies across transportation, buildings, industry, and land use. A proposed '1.5°C Pathway Scenario' involving aggressive electrification and clean energy standards could achieve net-zero emissions before 2050, while generating over 11,000 job-years and increasing annual GDP by more than $2.6 billion by 2050.

The document details how climate indicators from the Copernicus Climate Data Store (CDS) are integrated into the SAVi tool to improve the analysis of infrastructure resilience. It covers a literature review of climate impacts on energy, irrigation, wastewater, buildings, roads, and nature-based infrastructure, providing specific equations to link climate variables to asset performance. The report includes simulation results for Johannesburg, South Africa, demonstrating how climate variables like temperature and precipitation affect load factors, thermal efficiency, and maintenance costs, ultimately impacting the economic viability and societal costs of these assets.

The authors contend that because urgent global emission reductions are required, the focus must shift from whether a national pathway is 'fair' to how quickly emissions can be reduced in all countries. They propose a framework where developed countries, whose domestic potential may be lower than their fair share responsibility, provide financial and non-financial support to developing countries to implement high-ambition reductions and avoid sectoral lock-ins. This support should target difficult-to-decarbonize sectors such as energy supply, industry, buildings, and transport, utilizing instruments like international climate finance and Article 6.4 market mechanisms.

The construction and operation of buildings contribute nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions, yet most regulations focus only on operational carbon. This case study highlights the Meishan Near-Zero Carbon Zone in Ningbo, China, which integrates a life-cycle assessment (LCA) standard and a whole-process management mechanism to target emissions across five phases: materials production, construction, operation, demolition, and waste recycling. The document also notes international efforts, such as France's E+C- scheme and California's Buy Clean California Act, as part of a global shift toward accounting for embodied carbon in the built environment.

China is the world's largest primary energy consumer and energy-related CO2 emitter. While the country is on track to meet most 2020 targets from its 13th Five-Year Plan, energy-related CO2 emissions continued to grow through 2018, surpassing 10 GtCO2. The report's 'Continuous Improvement Scenario' projects that primary energy consumption will peak in 2029 at 5,400 Mtce and CO2 emissions will peak in 2025 at 10,930 MtCO2, subsequently declining to 5,010 MtCO2 by 2050. This outlook assumes the maximum adoption of commercially available energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, leading to a power system where non-fossil sources generate 89% of electricity by 2050.

The author contends that the rapid global response to COVID-19 demonstrates the capacity for decisive action, which should now be applied to the climate crisis. The document advocates for aligning government stimulus spending with the Paris Agreement goals of limiting warming to 1.5C and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. It suggests that screening stimulus investments through a climate lens can accelerate zero-carbon solutions in power, transport, and infrastructure, potentially creating a $26 trillion growth opportunity and 65 million new jobs by 2030.

The Drawdown Review 2020 argues that the world can reach Drawdown by the mid-2040s to mid-2060s by scaling existing technologies and practices. The framework categorizes solutions into reducing emission sources, supporting carbon sinks, and improving society. The report emphasizes that the financial benefits of these solutions, with operational savings exceeding implementation costs four to five times over, outweigh the costs of action.

The report details the creation of the Hong Kong Energy Policy Simulator (EPS), an open-source system-dynamics model used to project energy-related CO2 emissions and evaluate policy combinations through 2050. It compares a 'Current Policy Scenario' with a 'Decarbonization Scenario,' demonstrating that while current trends project emissions to drop from 36 million tonnes in 2017 to 22.5 million tonnes by 2050, a targeted decarbonization strategy could reduce them to approximately 5 million tonnes. Key levers for this reduction include carbon capture and storage (CCS), electric vehicle mandates, and increased imports of renewable energy from Mainland China.

The document is a GCF Readiness proposal for Thailand, implemented by the UN Environment Programme's Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN). It aims to address barriers to the adoption of the 2009 Building Energy Code (BEC) by providing techno-economic recommendations and capacity building. The project focuses on five building types (offices, hotels, department stores, medical centers, and condominiums) over 2,000 m2. Key planned activities include establishing energy and GHG baselines, conducting financial and technical assessments of available technologies, performing energy audits on existing buildings for retrofitting, and developing a Measurement, Report and Verification (MRV) framework. The project also includes the creation of three handbooks for local authorities, practitioners, and investors to enhance the enforcement and implementation of BEC standards.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) supported Bogotá and Mérida in implementing mandatory energy-efficient building regulations by adapting national guidelines to the local level. In Mérida, WRI used the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and multi-stakeholder working groups to identify savings and oversee regulation adoption. In Bogotá, WRI collaborated with the Colombia Green Building Council to improve national guidance and advocate for a city-level energy-efficient building code. By 2018, both cities became the first in their respective countries to adopt such mandatory regulations, aiming to reduce energy and water consumption, lower air pollution, create green jobs, and avoid carbon-intensive infrastructure lock-in.

The document argues that while individual CVF countries have low emissions, their collective impact is significant, equivalent to the world's fifth largest emitter. It provides a 'menu of options' for updating NDCs across key sectors—energy, transport, forests, and agriculture—while emphasizing the need for enhanced international finance, technology transfer, and robust national legal frameworks to implement these ambitions.

The report identifies newly adopted policies in 25 major emitting countries and regions—representing 79% of 2012 global GHG emissions—that support long-term decarbonisation goals. These policies include carbon taxes, coal phase-outs, and support for renewable energy and electric vehicles, focusing on legislative decisions and executive orders with direct effects on reducing emissions.

The analysis finds that the Pan-Canadian Framework (PCF), if fully implemented, will leave a 2030 emissions gap of 161 million metric tons (MMT), which is 3.7 times larger than the 44 MMT shortfall predicted by the Canadian government. While an 'Extended' scenario—strengthening PCF policies through 2050—comes closer to the 2030 target, it still falls short of Canada's mid-century goal to reduce emissions by 80-90 percent below 2005 levels. The report highlights that the carbon tax and methane capture are the most effective PCF policies for 2030, and that both the PCF and PCF Extended scenarios would result in significant annual economic savings and thousands of lives saved by 2050 due to reduced particulate matter emissions.

The report analyzes two pathways for China's coal transition: a PEAK-2030 scenario aligned with its INDC and a more ambitious PEAK-2025 scenario. It argues that an early peak is possible through stringent policies in the power, industry, and building sectors, while emphasizing the need to manage socio-economic risks such as stranded assets in the electricity sector and job losses in coal-producing regions. The analysis highlights significant co-benefits for air quality and public health, as well as the potential for reducing methane emissions from coal mining.

The document outlines a strategy for companies to drive global climate action by engaging with governments. It recommends that CEOs use high-profile events to advocate for the Paris Agreement, align corporate emissions-cutting efforts with national 'nationally determined contributions' (NDCs), and meet with government ministers to break down policy silos. The text highlights a gap in NDCs, noting that while 114 NDCs highlight renewable energy, far fewer address energy storage (31) or water conservation and reuse (33).

A coalition of Romanian NGOs urges the Minister of Environment to advocate for a strengthened Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) during the Environment Council. The authors argue that the current ESR is insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals and propose specific improvements, including higher emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2050, more accurate emission baselines, the removal of forestry and ETS loopholes, and stricter governance with financial sanctions.

The document outlines five key strategies for governments to foster private investment in energy-efficient buildings: ensuring policy stability, aggregating projects to achieve scale, adopting standardized certifications and data, tailoring approaches to different market segments, and implementing sequenced policy packages. It highlights that while investors see opportunities in energy infrastructure, they require predictable outcomes and reduced transaction costs to commit capital.

The briefing analyzes China's 'Standard for Energy Consumption of Civil Buildings' (GB/T51161-2016), which establishes energy quotas based on metered performance relative to peer groups. It argues that U.S. entities can benefit from China's approach to whole-building metered assessment, the localization of performance targets to account for market dynamics, and the challenges of aligning operational energy targets with design codes.

The document describes two methods for establishing building proxies for Climate Bonds Certification: benchmarking against local market emissions performance and analyzing the proportion of total ratings or labels awarded. The first method uses the top 15% of energy-efficient buildings to create an emissions performance trajectory that declines to zero by 2050, requiring proxies to have 'sunset dates' when they no longer meet the tightening threshold. The second method is used when emissions data is lacking, requiring evidence that a specific rating or label falls within the top 15% of all awards under a representative scheme, with these proxies reviewed every two years.