Search Climate Insights Directory
1,084 results
Safety Fulfilling the Promise
The report assesses fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) as a path toward a clean-vehicle future in the US, focusing on hydrogen and methanol as primary fuels. It analyzes the environmental benefits, such as the potential for 'zero-emission vehicles' (ZEVs) when using renewable hydrogen, and compares FCV performance and safety to gasoline vehicles. The document also addresses the infrastructure challenges of hydrogen distribution and the economic value of reducing urban air pollution in cities like Los Angeles and New York City.
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Document type: Report
Power Up
The document asserts that clean energy technologies now have the potential to replace 75% of existing fossil fuel demand, with renewable electricity exceeding 40% of the global power mix in 2024. It highlights that solar and wind are increasingly cost-competitive, displacing over 650 TWh of fossil fuel use between 2023 and 2024. The report notes a strong business preference for renewables, with over 90% of polled executives viewing access to renewable electricity as critical for investment decisions. It specifically warns that oil demand is expected to peak and decline this decade as electric vehicles (EVs) scale, and that gas infrastructure risks becoming stranded as renewables and electrified heat reduce demand. Additionally, it identifies China as the first 'electrostate' due to its rapid electrification and clean tech production.
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Document type: Executive summary
Surveying Risk, Building Opportunity
The report establishes a risk assessment framework for the commercial real estate sector in South and Southeast Asia, focusing on the financial impacts of energy insecurity, water scarcity, and climate change. It highlights that while these risks are increasing due to infrastructure limitations and physical vulnerability, green building investments can mitigate these risks and achieve net positive returns within three years. The analysis specifically examines commercial office buildings in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, with a primary focus on India.
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Document type: Report
Evaluating the Energy Security Implications of a Carbon-Constrained U.S. Economy
The document evaluates eight 2035 energy scenarios for the U.S. under a 450 ppm CO2 constraint, analyzing eleven energy security factors. It concludes that while some insecurity is inevitable during the transition, the costs and risks of meeting greenhouse gas goals can be minimized through the sustained development and global deployment of advanced low-carbon technologies, provided that policymakers balance aggressive action with the stability of existing fuel systems.
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Document type: Research paper
Taxing Carbon to Finance Tax Reform
The document proposes a federal carbon tax on the carbon content of oil, coal, and natural gas as an efficient fiscal tool for the United States. It suggests that such a tax would be easy to administer, covering 82 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by targeting approximately 2,000 entities. The brief highlights the potential for significant revenue generation—citing a CBO estimate of $208 billion over ten years from a tax rising from $12 to $17 per metric ton—which could be used to offset inefficient taxes on labor and investment. Ultimately, the authors argue that a gradual, market-based federal tax would provide the necessary incentives to reduce emissions and improve long-term energy security with minimal economic disruption.
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Document type: Briefing
Achieving Mexico’s Climate Goals: An Eight Point Action Plan
The document proposes an eight point action plan to help Mexico meet its INDC targets while improving economic competitiveness, energy security, and public health. It asserts that Mexico can achieve its unconditional greenhouse gas emission reduction target using 19 policies, resulting in cumulative net expenditure savings of over 500 billion pesos (approximately 2 percent of 2015 GDP) by 2030. Furthermore, the paper states that by enhancing existing policies and adding two more, Mexico can reach its conditional emission reduction target while maintaining cost savings.
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Document type: Research paper
Climate Vulnerability and Risk for Small Hydropower Plants (SHP) in Colombia: A Methodological Proposal for Analysis
The paper argues that while small hydropower plants (SHP) are vital for Colombia's energy transition and decentralization, they are increasingly threatened by climate-driven water instability. It identifies a gap in risk assessment research, which has historically focused on large reservoirs, and introduces a flexible framework based on sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and hazard indicators to guide climate adaptation for SHPs nationwide.
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Document type: Research paper
The Transformation of China's Energy System
The testimony outlines China's progress in reducing energy intensity and increasing non-fossil fuel use, highlighting the targets of the 12th Five-Year Plan and the potential for U.S. and international investment in China's clean technology sector.
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Document type: Statement
Weighing U.S. Energy Options
The document argues that U.S. energy policy decisions must balance the tradeoffs between energy security and climate change, noting that addressing one without the other often leads to unintended consequences.
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Document type: Report
Managing the Transition to a Secure, Low-Carbon Energy Future
The document outlines a framework for managing the intersection of energy security and climate change, identifying three primary challenges: the evolving nature of their definitions and goals, variables creating future uncertainty, and the potential for trade-offs and unintended consequences. It argues that a successful strategy must address both the design of the future state and the specific pathway used to achieve it.
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Document type: Policy brief
Testimony of Dr. Jonathan Pershing before the Commission on Security & Cooperation in Europe
Dr. Jonathan Pershing of the World Resources Institute argues that energy security and climate goals are often aligned but require an integrated policy framework to avoid conflicts. He proposes effectiveness and political feasibility criteria to evaluate policies, noting that while efficiency and renewables offer 'double wins,' other options like natural gas imports or corn-based biofuels can create security risks or environmental damage. The testimony provides specific policy recommendations for the US regarding cap-and-trade, production tax credits, transportation, and biofuels, while also highlighting the vulnerability of developing nations and the risk of climate-induced conflict and migration.
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Document type: Statement
Is the Fit Right? Considering Technological Maturity in Designing Renewable Energy Policy
The document outlines a framework for matching policy instruments to the innovation stage of renewable energy technologies. It argues that grants are best for R&D and demonstration to manage high uncertainty, while loan guarantees suit commercialization and early deployment to share technical risk. Tax credits and feed-in tariffs are recommended for later innovation stages to offset upfront costs, and Renewable Electricity Standards (RES) are most effective for mature technologies in early deployment. The brief also emphasizes that a favorable regulatory environment is essential to prevent interconnection and pricing hurdles from undermining these incentives.
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Document type: Briefing
China's Prospects for Shale Gas and Implications for the U.S.
The document outlines the early stages of China's shale gas industry, noting that while the Chinese government is actively supporting research and exploration through state-owned enterprises, domestic demand will continue to exceed production. It argues that shale gas can enhance China's energy security by reducing imports and potentially mitigating climate impacts if it displaces coal. The testimony highlights the economic benefits of U.S.-China business partnerships and emphasizes the need for environmentally and socially responsible operations to ensure a level playing field and prevent the repetition of negative environmental impacts seen in the U.S.
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Document type: Briefing
Designing a Cap-and-Trade Program For the Midwest
The document outlines the framework for a potential cap-and-trade program in the Midwest, following the 2007 Greenhouse Gas Accord. It details the essential design components the region must consider, including the scope of coverage, the setting of emissions caps and reduction trajectories, the distribution of emission allowances, and the implementation of cost-containment measures such as early reduction and project-based offset credits. Additionally, it addresses the possibility of linking the regional program with other similar initiatives.
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Document type: Research paper
Thirst for Corn
The document addresses the environmental risks associated with the unprecedented expansion of the U.S. corn ethanol industry following the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It argues that policy focus should shift from industry expansion to an evolution that prioritizes energy security and environmental benefits, offering specific farm policy recommendations to manage soil, water, and greenhouse gas impacts.
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Document type: Research paper
Energy Communities: A Model to Strengthen Climate Resilience in Colombia
The document argues for an integrated approach to Colombia's 2024 Energy Communities Strategy by linking energy production with water and food security. This 'Water-Energy-Food Nexus' aims to reduce the vulnerability of Colombia's hydroelectric-dependent energy system to extreme weather events like El Niño and La Niña, particularly in rural and disadvantaged areas. The proposed model focuses on three pillars: climate integration, community strengthening, and the development of community business models to ensure long-term energy, water, and food security.
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Document type: Research paper
Delivering on the Clean Energy Economy
The document outlines a comparative analysis of the solar PV and wind industries in five major economies from 2001 to 2011. It investigates how different policy incentives across the value chain—including R&D, manufacturing, installation, and power generation—impacted installed capacity, job creation, and equipment prices. The research aims to identify successful strategies for balancing the dual goals of nurturing domestic manufacturing and providing low-cost energy to the public.
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Document type: Research paper
A Roadmap for a Secure, Low-Carbon Energy Economy
The document outlines a strategic roadmap developed by CSIS and WRI to transition the United States to a secure, low-carbon energy economy. It argues that energy security and climate goals must be integrated into all policymaking to avoid the instability caused by either continued fossil fuel dependence or the premature adoption of unreliable low-carbon alternatives. The proposed framework emphasizes establishing a long-term vision, resetting the energy system through carbon pricing and financial commitments, and managing the transition by balancing short-term demand with long-term decarbonization.
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Document type: Briefing
The Future Electricity Grid
The report examines the global growth of non-hydro renewables and the specific challenges this poses for developing nations. It identifies five market trends driving this growth and three primary challenges—technology/infrastructure, institutional arrangements, and pricing/equity—that regulators and utilities must address to transition to a modern grid.
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Document type: Report
Corporate GPM Guide 9
The document outlines the growth of the wind power industry in the United States and the various methods corporate buyers can use to integrate wind energy into their portfolios. It identifies significant barriers to adoption, including high upfront capital costs, grid integration challenges, and rising development costs driven by turbine supply shortages and commodity price increases. Despite these hurdles, the brief argues that wind power offers a cost-competitive path to diversifying energy portfolios and addressing climate change impacts.
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Document type: Policy brief