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The report analyzes four technology pathways for decarbonizing California's cement industry—CCS only, electrification with CCS, blended cement (LC3) with CCS, and blended cement with alternative fuels and CCS. It finds that while significant reductions are possible, reaching net-zero will require higher capture rates, grid decarbonization, and additional carbon removal. To bridge cost and regulatory gaps, the authors recommend establishing a State Revolving Loan Fund, implementing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and creating statewide Best Available Control Technology (BACT) guidelines for CCS projects.

The Clean Air Task Force recommends that the EU increase its 2029 public procurement mandates for low-carbon steel to 50% and low-carbon concrete and mortar to 10%. It argues that the current IAA proposal is insufficient to drive investment and suggests expanding mandates to 100% by 2040. The report also proposes extending these requirements to private construction projects over 1000 m2 and private automotive fleets by 2032, while broadening the scope to include low-carbon plastics and fertilisers.

The report analyzes the use of local content requirements (LCRs) in EU public procurement, which accounts for approximately 15% of GDP and 11% of greenhouse gas emissions. It argues that while LCRs can create lead markets for low-carbon products in sectors like steel and cement, they risk increasing costs and trade tensions if not paired with ambitious environmental standards. The document evaluates LCR applications in India, Canada, and China to provide recommendations for the Industrial Accelerator Act and the future EU Public Procurement Act.

PARI's submission on the Protected Disclosures Bill supports the expansion of whistleblower protections and the introduction of financial rewards but warns that the proposed central database lacks sufficient security and clear purpose. The institute argues that the current reward mechanism is too restrictive by limiting awards to court-convicted monetary sanctions, which may exclude administrative recoveries and discourage disclosures of serious crimes. PARI recommends relocating the database to an independent body, refining the scope of reporting obligations to reduce administrative burdens, and implementing a more flexible, incremental approach to financial incentives tailored to specific sectors like public procurement.

The report examines the potential for the European Union to use local content requirements (LCRs) in public procurement to drive decarbonization and industrial resilience. It analyzes LCR frameworks in China, India, and Canada, noting that while these tools can create predictable demand for low-carbon industries, they risk increasing costs, reducing competition, and triggering trade retaliation. The authors argue that LCRs should only be used in strategic sectors where specific preconditions—such as high market leverage and strong climate gains—are met, and must be tied to ambitious, performance-based environmental criteria rather than origin alone. The report specifically evaluates the steel, cement, and clean technology sectors, concluding that while LCRs can support resilience, they must be carefully designed to avoid protecting high-emission producers or hindering the import of essential green intermediate goods.

The report asserts that metallurgical coal demand is plateauing as the steel industry shifts toward low-carbon technologies like electric arc furnaces (EAFs) and green hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI). While some governments and financial institutions remain bullish on long-term growth, particularly in Asia, the document predicts a 4.8% drop in met coal consumption between 2025 and 2030. It highlights the risk of stranded assets, noting that 145 companies are planning expansions that could increase global capacity by 580 million tonnes per year. The report recommends scrapping subsidies for traditional steel, lowering industrial electricity prices, and using public procurement to prioritise green steel to accelerate the transition.

The report finds that by 2030, private sector demand for near-zero emissions steel in the analyzed Asia-Pacific countries will reach 6.1 million tons, with an additional 11.5 million tons possible through aligned public procurement. However, the projected clean steel supply pipeline of 2.5 million tons is insufficient to meet this demand, creating a gap that could be filled by new projects or green iron imports from Australia. Scaling this market requires overcoming barriers such as unclear product standards and price premiums through government incentives and demand aggregation mechanisms.

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) argues that South Africa's Public Procurement Act (2024), specifically sections 30 and 31, provides a statutory mandate for civil society to monitor procurement. To translate this into practice, PARI proposes piloting civic observers for high-risk contracts, expanding community-led social audits for local service delivery, and adopting the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) for machine-readable transparency. The paper emphasizes that these measures shift oversight from retrospective audits to real-time risk mitigation and suggests that National Treasury can begin implementation using existing powers under the PFMA and MFMA even while the new Act is challenged in court.

The EU Clean Industrial Transition Monitor identifies progress in Europe's industrial transition but highlights critical weaknesses in demand, infrastructure, financing, and raw material supply. It argues that the Clean Industrial Deal and demand-side policies like the Industrial Accelerator Act can unlock investment, while a strong ETS carbon price remains essential. The report warns against short-term deregulation and calls for long-term fair transition financing to support regional reskilling and economic diversification.

The document argues that Europe needs a more integrated financial toolbox to bridge the 'valley of death' for cleantech innovators. It recommends increasing the budget for Horizon Europe to €200 billion and the ECF InvestEU guarantee to €50 billion, while calling for binding budgets for clean transition windows and the use of retail financial instruments to stimulate demand from end-consumers.

The document assesses the potential for an Emissions Trading System for Agriculture (Agri-ETS) in the EU, arguing that such a system would only be effective if it targets large-scale polluters, avoids free allowances and carbon offsets, and is integrated into a wider suite of reforms. It highlights the risks of 'GHG tunnel vision' and the necessity of reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to stop subsidising harmful practices. The author advocates for a 'Just Transition Fund for Agri-food' to support small-scale farmers using Agri-ETS revenues.

The document examines how trade tools like border carbon adjustments (BCAs) and deforestation-free regulations are being used to advance climate goals and prevent carbon leakage. It highlights the administrative challenges of BCAs, the risk of excluding smallholders in deforestation-free supply chains, and the potential for these measures to clash with the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC). The authors argue for greater transparency, support for developing countries, and harmonized standards to ensure the energy transition does not deepen global inequities.

The document evaluates the South African government's response to the Zondo Commission's recommendations across seven themes: criminal justice, public procurement, public administration, corporate accountability, state-owned enterprises, parliamentary oversight, and whistleblowing. While noting some legislative progress, such as the Public Procurement Act of 2024 and the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Act of 2025, it highlights significant delays in reforming the appointment processes for the National Director of Public Prosecutions and the SARS Commissioner. The brief argues that reforms have been 'positive but halting' and often fail to address the deep structural issues of patronage and political interference that enabled state capture.

The document argues that while the core vision of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government remains relevant, the operational assumptions—particularly regarding funding and administration—are outdated. PARI identifies a cycle of decline driven by financial stress, patronage-based appointments, and infrastructure decay. It proposes a differentiated local government design where powers and functions are allocated based on a municipality's capacity and location in the space-economy. Key recommendations include reforming the political-administrative interface to reduce patronage, establishing clear affordability standards for basic services, and integrating climate-appropriate infrastructure requirements into the updated policy framework.

The document argues that the EU agriculture and food system has substantial potential for emission reductions, with estimates ranging from 44% to 60% by 2040, provided structural changes and shifts to healthier diets are implemented. The authors oppose the use of international carbon offsets and 'technical tweaks' to the industrial model, instead advocating for a binding sector-specific emission target and a transition toward organic farming, paludiculture, and reduced reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. They emphasize that climate change already causes €28.3 billion in annual losses for farmers, making a systemic transition essential for long-term viability. The letter calls for the EU's next long-term budget to support farmers in this transition and for the entire agri-food value chain, including processors and retailers, to be held accountable.

The document explains the increasing integration of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) into trade policy frameworks, such as market access, due diligence regulations, and free trade agreements. It argues that for VSSs to effectively support sustainable trade, governments must implement credibility criteria to assess standards and provide targeted financial and capacity-building support to producers, particularly those in developing countries.

The U.S. cement industry generates 71.3 million metric tons of GHG emissions annually, representing 1.1% of total gross U.S. GHG emissions. Decarbonization is challenging because nearly 60% of these emissions are non-energy-related process emissions from limestone calcination. The report identifies several technological pathways, including carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS), alternative feedstocks (such as electrochemical calcination), and clinker substitution. It argues that a coordinated policy portfolio—combining financial support, market-based tools like advance market commitments, and regulatory measures such as performance-based material standards—is required to bridge the investment gap. Total capital expenditures needed through 2050 are estimated between $69 billion and $120 billion, with approximately $11.4 billion in public spending required over the next decade to de-risk private investment and build necessary CO2 infrastructure.

The World Resources Institute evaluates the EU's Clean Industrial Deal, praising its focus on clean-tech and the mobilization of 100 billion Euros for manufacturing, but warns that potential delays to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and a lack of specific resource efficiency targets could undermine its effectiveness.

The document argues that advance market commitments (AMCs) can catalyze the market for low-carbon concrete by aggregating public demand and unlocking private capital for clean manufacturing. It highlights that the cement industry contributes nearly 7% of global CO2 emissions and that in the US, infrastructure accounts for 46% of domestic concrete demand, making public procurement a critical lever for decarbonization.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) argues that the EU's Clean Industrial Deal must adopt a technology-neutral approach, integrating a diverse portfolio of low-carbon solutions including carbon capture, hydrogen, and small modular reactors. The brief emphasizes the need for coordinated cross-border infrastructure, particularly for CO2 transport and storage to avoid regional cost disparities, and calls for a robust funding strategy to bridge a projected €180 billion gap following the end of the Recovery and Resilience Facility in 2026. It further recommends targeted market measures, such as reforming public procurement and prioritizing clean hydrogen for hard-to-abate sectors like steel and shipping, while warning against the use of public funds for inefficient solutions like hydrogen blending.