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The report analyzes why New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island have seen a surge in heat pump installations compared to the rest of Canada. It attributes this 'anomaly' to a combination of moderate climates, high energy poverty, existing electrical infrastructure, and aggressive financial incentives. The study highlights the role of established energy efficiency agencies and the effectiveness of combining heat pump rebates with broader home energy audits. It also notes challenges such as unreliable installers and administrative bottlenecks, offering lessons for scaling electrification across Canada.

The global electricity sector is the largest CO2 emitter and must reach net zero by 2040 to facilitate the decarbonisation of other sectors. Following the IEA Net Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario, wind and solar are identified as the primary drivers of this transition. By 2030, wind and solar must increase to 41% of global electricity generation, while coal and gas generation must decrease by 54% and 24% respectively. By 2040, unabated coal must be phased out globally, and unabated gas should provide only 0.3% of electricity. This transition is essential to support rising electricity demand in developing regions and the electrification of transport, heating, and industry.

The We Mean Business Coalition calls on G7 leaders to accelerate the transition to clean energy through specific policy targets, including the phase-out of coal by 2030 and the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies by 2025. The document argues that such policies provide the necessary clarity for the private sector to invest in renewables, electrification, and energy efficiency, while noting that clean energy investments could boost global GDP by 4% by 2030.

The report finds that while a majority of Americans (57%) have heard little or nothing about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), 68% of registered voters support it after learning about its goals. Support is particularly high among Black Americans (78%), Gen Z/Millennials (78%), and women (75%), groups that were also among the least familiar with the law. Politically, support is strongest among liberal Democrats (97%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (91%), while conservative Republicans are the least supportive (23%) despite having relatively high initial awareness.

The report finds that while a majority of registered voters (57%) have heard little or nothing about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), 68% support the law after learning about its goals. Support is particularly high among Black Americans, women, Gen Z/Millennials, and lower-income individuals, who are also among the groups least familiar with the legislation. Politically, the IRA sees strong support from liberal Democrats (97%), moderate/conservative Democrats (91%), and liberal/moderate Republicans (66%), while conservative Republicans are the least supportive (23%).

The case study examines a collaboration with the Local Storytelling Exchange to promote heat pump installation to tradespeople through a 38-second video on green reskilling. The campaign found that Facebook's advertising algorithms, targeting mechanisms, and political categorizations hindered the ability to counter topical misinformation, particularly when operating with a small budget.

Global Witness contends that hydrogen heating is an inefficient and dangerous alternative to heat pumps, pushed by gas companies to avoid stranded assets. The briefing criticizes the UK Energy Bill for introducing a hydrogen levy on consumers and proposing forced participation in heating trials in locations like Redcar or Whitby, Ellesmere Port.

The briefing argues that the EU is on course to reach a 45% renewable energy share by 2030, rendering the current 40% Fit-for-55 target outdated. This trajectory is driven by solar capacity growth, heat pump adoption, and electric vehicle expansion, which are all outpacing original policy forecasts.

One year after the invasion of Ukraine, the EU has substituted nearly 75% of Russian gas imports and seen wind and solar generate a record 22% of its electricity in 2022. Globally, gas demand is forecast to peak by the end of the decade, with 88% of electricity demand growth to 2025 expected to be met by renewables. While renewable energy saved billions in fossil fuel costs, high gas and coal prices drove 90% of the global increase in electricity costs in 2022. Russia faces significant financial losses from sanctions, including a USD 25 billion public deficit in January 2023, while EU industrial production grew by over 2% on average despite a 15% drop in industrial gas demand.

The document asserts that the current cost of living crisis is driven by fossil fuel price volatility, particularly natural gas, rather than the costs of net-zero policies. It identifies that poorer households are disproportionately affected by energy poverty and argues that short-term government subsidies are insufficient. The briefing proposes that expanding renewable energy capacity, implementing building energy efficiency retrofits, installing heat pumps, and electrifying transport can lower energy bills, reduce market volatility, and enhance energy security.

RMI's analysis indicates that US states can secure significant federal investment, job growth, and health improvements by ambitiously adopting the Inflation Reduction Act's (IRA) tax credits, rebates, and grants. Under a "Climate Ambitious Scenario," states could see cumulative investments between $1 billion and $130 billion by 2030, with the highest per capita gains expected in states with strong renewable energy potential and industrial activity, such as Wyoming, Montana, and Louisiana.

The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts implemented a series of energy efficiency projects, most notably replacing a 40-year-old boiler with a 92 percent efficient three-way steam system. This project was funded through a combination of a $250,000 state grant, a $16,000 utility rebate, and a $384,016 C-PACE loan. The theater also utilized the Connecticut Neighborhood Assistance Act Tax Credit Program to attract donor funding for LED lighting, air handling units, heat pumps, and roof insulation. These measures have resulted in annual energy savings of $60,000 and an annual reduction of 37.2 metric tons of carbon emissions.

The report demonstrates that implementing five core policies—clean electricity standards, zero-emission vehicle standards, clean building equipment standards, industrial efficiency and emissions standards, and methane detection and capture standards—can dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions in Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Using the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS), the authors find that these policies not only reduce emissions but also drive job growth, increase GDP, and prevent premature deaths by reducing air pollutants. The analysis highlights that while state emissions profiles vary—with Louisiana dominated by industry and New Mexico by methane from oil and gas—these five policies provide a consistent framework for decarbonization.

The Home Electrification Rebate program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, provides point-of-sale rebates for electrification projects in single-family and multifamily residential units for low- and moderate-income households. The program allocates $4.5 billion, with $4.275 billion for state energy offices and $225 million for tribal governments. To maximize impact, the guide recommends training contractors on new technologies like heat pump water heaters and induction cooktops, simplifying the 'stacking' of multiple incentives, and prioritizing low-income households by setting spending goals of 40% to 80% of funding. It also suggests using zero-interest, long-term loans for Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties to avoid tax complications and implementing tenant protections to prevent rent increases following upgrades.

In 2022, the EU experienced a temporary 7% rise in coal generation driven by shortfalls in nuclear and hydro power, rather than a structural 'return to coal'. This was offset by a record surge in solar capacity and a significant 7.9% drop in electricity demand in Q4 2022. Solar power generated 7.3% of EU electricity, avoiding approximately 249 billion in gas import costs. Looking ahead to 2023, the report forecasts a potential 20% plummet in fossil fuel generation as French nuclear capacity returns and renewable capacity continues to grow.

The briefing highlights a severe energy affordability crisis in the US, where high fossil fuel prices and rising electricity rates are increasing household bills, with estimated winter increases of 10 percent for electricity and 28 percent for natural gas. It details how this burden disproportionately affects low-income, Black, and Latinx households, often forcing them to choose between energy payments and basic necessities. The document proposes a suite of regulatory solutions, including shutoff moratoriums, arrearage management programs, expanded outreach for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and the implementation of fuel cost-sharing structures to protect ratepayers from volatile fossil fuel prices. Long-term recommendations include adopting totex ratemaking, performance-based regulation, and leveraging Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds to transition toward a clean energy system.

The report examines the opportunity to phase out residential central air conditioners in Canada in favor of heat pumps. It argues that because the two technologies are mechanically similar, a market transformation strategy could bypass significant adoption barriers. The authors project that installing heat pumps instead of central air conditioners from 2025 to 2035 would result in C$12.6 billion in net benefits, including C$10.4 billion in energy bill savings and a reduction of 19.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents. The document identifies barriers such as low consumer familiarity, high upfront costs, and emergency replacement cycles, and proposes implementation routes including national equipment mandates, building code updates, and upstream incentives for distributors.

The report examines the potential for decarbonizing Canada's residential building sector by replacing central air conditioners with heat pumps. It identifies five primary barriers to adoption—lack of familiarity, the infrequent nature of HVAC replacement, short decision windows during emergencies, limited stock, and higher initial costs. The authors model a scenario where all new central air conditioners are replaced by heat pumps from 2025 to 2035, projecting a net benefit of 12.6 billion CAD, including 10.4 billion CAD in energy bill savings and a reduction of 19.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The document proposes several policy interventions, including national equipment regulations, updated building codes, and upstream incentives for distributors and manufacturers, while highlighting the importance of energy justice for low-income tenants and vulnerable populations.

The report finds that low-cost, repeated behaviors like reducing food waste are significantly more common than high-cost, one-time installations like heat pumps or solar panels. While many who adopted these behaviors faced minimal difficulty, non-adopters cited lack of awareness and lack of interest for low-cost actions, and high cost and home ownership issues for high-cost technologies.

The analysis finds that all-electric single-family new construction is more economical to build and operate and produces lower lifetime emissions than mixed-fuel homes in all nine studied US cities. This is attributed to the efficiency of heat pump systems and the avoidance of gas connection costs.