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In August 2017, Cummins signed a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with EDP Renewables (EDPR) North America for 75 megawatts (MW) of wind capacity to expand the Meadow Lake Wind Farm in Northwest Indiana. The deal is designed to avoid 165,000 tCO2e per year starting January 1, 2019, representing a significant scale-up from Cummins' existing 8 MW of solar capacity. To secure internal buy-in, Cummins utilized Monte Carlo simulations on historical price data to assess financial risk and validated the deal's value through the Business Renewables Center and Schneider Electric. The project emphasizes 'additionality' by adding new capacity to the grid and focuses on local community benefits in Benton and White Counties, Indiana.

The study concludes that the EU could achieve greenhouse gas reductions of -55% to -62% below 1990 levels by 2030 by scaling best practice policies from member states like Denmark and Germany. Key levers include a faster coal exit, increased electrical energy efficiency, deeper building renovations, and higher emissions standards for transport. Implementing these measures could reduce energy demand by nearly 45% below 2007 levels and increase renewable energy's share of total final energy demand to 45%, suggesting that political will, rather than technical capacity, is the primary barrier to more ambitious targets.

The document argues for the phase-out of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in favor of a results-based Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM) that prioritizes climate finance over offsetting. It emphasizes the need for mandatory local stakeholder consultations and recourse mechanisms to prevent human rights violations. Additionally, it warns that the ICAO's CORSIA scheme for aviation emissions risks undermining the Paris Agreement if double-counting of emission reductions occurs.

A joint statement by six NGOs criticizing EU governments for attempting to weaken the Effort Sharing Regulation, arguing that their current position would result in a reduction of less than 25% of emissions by 2030, failing to meet the 30% target supported by the European Parliament.

The report finds that the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) carbon market, comprising California, Quebec, and Ontario, is experiencing significant oversupply. This surplus, estimated at 270 million metric tons (MMT) through 2020, is driven by economic factors, renewable energy innovation, and the 2009 recession. Because allowances can be banked, this oversupply threatens to undermine the 2030 climate targets by effectively raising future emission caps. The author recommends that WCI jurisdictions adjust future caps downward by an amount equal to the privately held allowances banked by the end of 2020, citing the success of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in using a similar approach.

Carbon Market Watch advocates for an orderly phase-out of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and suggests using a placeholder for market provisions in the Paris Agreement rulebook until robust rules are established to ensure emissions reductions are additional and do not undermine climate ambition.

The briefing proposes the use of Solar Investment Trusts (SEITs), structured as Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), to address financing barriers for small-scale rooftop solar projects in India. By pooling assets, SEITs aim to attract institutional investors, reduce the cost of equity by 300-350 basis points, and potentially mobilize USD 1 billion for the rooftop solar sector within five years. However, the document identifies significant barriers to immediate implementation, including SEBI's minimum asset value requirement of INR 500 crore and strict leverage limits of 49%, which currently exceed the capacity of even the largest Indian rooftop solar developers.

The report evaluates the US coal fleet's economic viability against alternatives like natural gas and renewables, finding that 38% of the 2016 fleet faces an uncertain near-term future due to being either uneconomic or announced for retirement. It also estimates that emissions reductions from 2008 to 2016 provided $250 billion in public health and climate benefits. A proximity analysis indicates that while many coal plants are located in low-income and minority communities, the demographic distribution of the fleet has not changed significantly during the transition.

The report argues that the electric vehicle revolution is inevitable due to falling battery costs and increasing consumer demand, making the urgent deployment of charging infrastructure a priority for U.S. utilities and regulators. It identifies high capital costs and unfavorable utility tariffs—specifically high demand charges—as primary barriers to the profitability of DC fast charging (DCFC). The authors advocate for a mix of Level 2 chargers for residential and workplace needs and DCFC for high-traffic corridors, supported by time-of-use (TOU) tariffs to optimize grid integration. Through case studies of California, Colorado, Hawaii, Ohio, and Texas, the report demonstrates how different regulatory environments and grid compositions influence the cost of charging and the potential for EVs to absorb excess renewable energy.

Carbon Market Watch calls for the Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM) to depart from the 'pure offsetting' approach of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), citing a European Commission study that found 85% of CDM projects unlikely to deliver real emission reductions. The author argues the SDM should instead function as a tool for results-based finance and actively contribute to the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) through transformational change and robust stakeholder participation.

The Institute for Policy Integrity recommends that the California Air Resources Board enhance its 2017 Scoping Plan Update by using the Social Cost of Methane to assess methane emissions and by monetizing the co-benefits of greenhouse gas reduction measures.

The policy brief examines the transition from the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to the Paris Agreement's Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM). It argues that the CDM's offsetting model is obsolete in a world where all countries have climate commitments and recommends abolishing carbon offsetting in favor of results-based climate finance. The author highlights significant failures of the CDM, including the fact that approximately 73% of potential credits between 2013 and 2020 likely did not represent real emission reductions. Key recommendations include stopping CDM project registration by COP 24 in 2018 and ending the use of CDM credits by 2023.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) evaluated the 50 US states using 12 indicators to rank their progress in clean energy, focusing on renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, and transport electrification. California leads the ranking, followed by Vermont and Massachusetts. The analysis highlights that clean energy progress is tangible across the US, with wind farms in 41 states and over half a million electric vehicles on the road. The report argues that state-level leadership is critical for job creation and public health improvements, and recommends that states adopt multi-dimensional policies, facilitate corporate participation, and improve energy equity for low-income and minority communities.

The document details a workshop organized by the Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre as part of the HERON project. It outlines proposed energy efficiency (EE) scenarios for Estonia's buildings and transport sectors, contrasting them with business-as-usual (BAU) paths. Expert panel discussions concluded that the proposed renovation rates for buildings are overly ambitious due to funding and skill shortages, while transport goals require better integration of modes and increased local government authority over cycling and public transport infrastructure.

The document evaluates EU countries' positions on the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), which covers 60% of EU greenhouse gas emissions. Using a scoring system across five categories—starting point, land use loopholes, ETS surplus loopholes, governance, and ambition levels—it ranks Sweden as the leader and Poland as the lowest performer. The brief argues that most EU countries are pushing for loopholes that undermine the Paris Agreement, with the European Commission's own proposal scoring only 20 out of 100 points.

The document analyzes Poland's attempt to make its coal sector profitable and competitive following the 1989 democratic transformation. While the sector achieved significant reductions in employment and production, it failed to reach overall profitability, with sector debt increasing from 5.45 billion PLN in 1993 to 22 billion PLN by 2000. The study highlights the role of trade unions in resisting change and the inefficiency of 'golden handshakes' compared to retraining programs. It concludes that for coal-dependent transition economies, improving sector efficiency is a critical interim step for emission reduction when immediate fuel substitution is not feasible.

The Independent Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) assessed nine funding proposals across various regions. Key recommendations include the approval of renewable energy and financial inclusion projects in Mongolia, South Africa, Argentina, and the Pacific Islands, as well as adaptation projects in Bangladesh, Uganda, Vanuatu, and Samoa. While most were recommended for approval, several were subject to conditions regarding technical design (notably water systems in Bangladesh), operational track records (South Africa), and long-term maintenance plans (Vanuatu).

The document details a spreadsheet model designed to quantify the effects of hypothetical green banks in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont from 2017 to 2031. It outlines the financial assumptions, including initial capitalization based on New York's per-capita rates, a 5% borrower interest rate, and a 5:1 private-sector leverage ratio. The methodology explains how funds are allocated across energy efficiency, solar photovoltaics, and community wind, and how these investments are translated into installed capacity, electricity savings, and avoided carbon emissions using data from NREL, ACEEE, and the EPA.

The Center for International Environmental Law states that COP22 showed a continued commitment to the Paris Agreement, but overall progress was slow and current commitments are too low to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees. The document highlights the leadership of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) in committing to 100% renewable energy by 2030 or 2050, while calling for historic polluters to provide necessary funding and for governments to strengthen public accountability and human rights obligations in climate action.

A coalition of global climate justice movements, gathered at COP22, issued a statement asserting that the election of Donald Trump must not derail global climate action. The signatories argue that Trump represents a broken economic system driven by corporate interests and fossil fuel lobbyists. They call for the end of all fossil fuel extraction, a transition to 100% renewable energy, and the fulfillment of climate finance and technology transfer commitments by rich nations. The document urges U.S. subnational governments to resist the federal administration's agenda and calls for a broad-based progressive movement to address intersecting injustices, including racism and sexism, alongside the climate crisis.