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The author contends that the rise of far-right parties, such as Germany's AfD, is partly a reaction to climate policies that lack social equity. To combat this, the text advocates for a 'post-growth' framework and the implementation of community-led energy solutions that prioritize human well-being over profit. It calls for developed nations to accelerate emission cuts and for the EU to shift fossil fuel subsidies toward carbon-free heating to ensure a just transition.

The methodology employs Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) to define urban scope and tracks primary capital flows for mitigation and adaptation. It combines project-level data from sources like the OECD-DAC and BNEF with capital expenditure estimations for transport, buildings, and energy systems. Needs assessments are derived from top-down global models, adjusted by regional urban population shares and sector-specific inclusion criteria.

The policy brief outlines three core principles for the implementation of the EU's Social Climate Fund (SCF): ensuring meaningful public participation, prioritising structural solutions over temporary relief to avoid fossil fuel lock-ins, and mobilising additional financing beyond the mandatory 25% contribution. It argues that the SCF's budget of EUR 65 billion is insufficient to tackle the root causes of energy and transport poverty and calls for the redirection of ETS revenues and the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies to support vulnerable households.

The report argues that Manitoba requires a massive, publicly led effort to implement deep energy retrofits (DERs)—defined as improvements reducing energy use by at least 50%—to meet 2050 net-zero targets. It estimates that 200,000 home retrofits are needed, requiring an annual investment of CAD 1.2 billion. The authors propose the creation of a Manitoba Green Bank to provide low- or no-interest financing and the adoption of a retrofit code by 2025. The strategy emphasizes a 'just transition' by prioritizing low-income renters and utilizing social enterprises to train underrepresented groups, including women and Indigenous Peoples, for the thousands of green jobs expected to be created.

The document outlines how heat pumps are targeted by 'Cost of Net Zero' misinformation, which portrays them as expensive, inefficient, and unsuitable for certain homes. It provides factual rebuttals—such as the potential for £340 savings when replacing G-rated boilers and the ability of pumps to operate at -25 degrees—and advises communicators to use positive case studies and avoid social media algorithms to reach 'Persuadables'.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has driven significant clean energy investment and job growth in the US, particularly in Republican-led areas, despite political efforts to repeal it and general public unfamiliarity with the law's specific provisions.

The Canadian Climate Institute asserts that continuing the expansion of gas infrastructure for building heating creates financial risks for ratepayers and hinders climate targets. It advocates for an incremental transition to electric heat pumps and updated regulatory frameworks that consider alternatives to gas expansion, arguing that low-carbon gases like hydrogen and biomethane cannot realistically replace fossil gas for building heat due to cost and supply constraints.

The Canadian Climate Institute responds to criticisms from the Canadian Gas Association, asserting that a gradual transition to electric heating is necessary to avoid costly stranded assets. The Institute argues that continuing to expand gas infrastructure by default risks burdening taxpayers for decades, as these assets may become obsolete before their 40-year lifespan ends. It dismisses the idea that low-carbon gases like hydrogen and biomethane can fully replace fossil gas due to limited supply and high costs, advocating instead for energy-efficient electric heat pumps and better regulatory planning to ensure a just transition.

RMI supported Washington State in creating the Transportation Electrification Strategy (TES) using a two-stage analytical approach. The first stage assessed EV adoption pathways and identified that reaching the 2030 goal of 100 percent zero-emissions passenger vehicle sales would result in 13.6 MMT of on-road emissions, which exceeds the target of less than 10 MMT CO2e needed to meet broader climate goals. To bridge this gap, the TES recommends point-of-sale rebates and low-cost leasing programs. The second stage utilized the GridUp tool's hyper-local travel data to forecast EV load and identify where grid investments are necessary to prevent bottlenecks and maintain affordability during the transition to electrified transportation and heating.

The chemicals industry accounts for 4% to 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a level comparable to the steel industry. While chemicals are essential for 96% of manufactured goods and over 75% of emission reduction technologies, their production relies heavily on fossil fuel feedstocks and energy-intensive processes. RMI advocates for a systems approach to decarbonization focusing on reducing petrochemical demand through circular economy principles, improving process and energy efficiency via renewables and hydrogen, and transitioning to defossilized feedstocks to avoid over-reliance on carbon capture and storage (CCS).

The document examines how fossil fuel price volatility contributes to inflation in Canada, noting that energy prices accounted for 33% of overall inflation between February 2021 and June 2022. It argues that transitioning to net-zero electricity grids by 2050 could save Canada up to CAD 15 billion annually in total energy costs. The brief suggests that policies such as carbon pricing and incentives for heat pumps and electric vehicles can improve affordability by reducing reliance on volatile global oil and gas markets.

Manitoba's transition to a net-zero economy requires expanding its electricity grid to accommodate significant load growth from the electrification of space heating, transportation, and industry. While the province currently generates 99% of its electricity from non-emitting sources, projections suggest installed capacity may need to double by mid-century. The report compares modelling from Manitoba Hydro and Navius Research, noting a divergence in the projected role of natural gas; Manitoba Hydro's aggressive electrification scenario relies heavily on gas for winter peak demand, whereas Navius suggests a greater role for intermittent renewables and storage. To ensure a cost-effective transition, the report recommends establishing a permanent electricity task force, creating a detailed energy roadmap, expanding the mandate of Efficiency Manitoba, and ensuring meaningful Indigenous participation and ownership in clean energy projects.

The document analyzes the electrification needs of Manitoba, comparing Hydro-Manitoba's Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) with Navius Research modeling. It concludes that while electricity demand is expected to nearly double by 2050, the pace and method of electrification—particularly in heating—will determine the grid's cost and carbon intensity. The authors recommend a coordinated governance approach, including a permanent decision-level task force and a comprehensive carbon-neutral energy roadmap, to ensure the transition is affordable and inclusive of Indigenous peoples.

The policy brief outlines a framework for a production tax credit (PTC) to decarbonize industrial heat. It argues that the credit should target 'useful heat' used in manufacturing processes, be refundable to maximize investment efficiency, and utilize a rate based on heat temperature and power to account for varying technology costs. The author recommends excluding biomass and byproducts while focusing on scope 1 emissions to avoid complexity and ensure the policy targets industrial facilities rather than the electricity grid.

The policy brief proposes a technology-neutral emissions standard for industrial heat, focusing on a declining limit of CO2 and other pollutants per unit of useful heat. It recommends applying the standard to both new and existing equipment, using a long-term legislative schedule to reach zero emissions, and focusing exclusively on direct (scope 1) emissions to encourage electrification without penalizing efficient technologies like heat pumps.

The document examines how fossil fuel price volatility contributes to overall inflation in Canada, noting that energy prices accounted for 33% of Canada's overall inflation from February 2021 to June 2022. It argues that transitioning to a net-zero electricity grid by 2050 could save Canadian households an average of CAD 1,500 annually and reduce total energy costs by CAD 15 billion per year. The brief highlights the 'spillover effect' where energy price hikes increase costs for non-energy items, such as food, and can lead to central bank interest rate hikes that further squeeze affordability. It recommends policies that encourage fuel switching to electric vehicles and heat pumps, as well as investments in renewable energy infrastructure to ensure long-term price stability.

The document highlights the risk of insufficient electricity generation during summer heat waves in North America, driven by projected peak load growth of 38 GW through 2028. It proposes Virtual Power Plants (VPPs)—aggregations of distributed energy resources (DERs)—as a key tool to enhance grid reliability and community resilience. VPPs are presented as more affordable than gas peakers or batteries and can be deployed in 6-12 months. The briefing outlines three essential policy principles: expanding the DER asset base, ensuring fair compensation, and enabling value stacking. Case studies from the US and Canada demonstrate VPPs' ability to provide peak capacity, reduce infrastructure costs, and offer backup power during extreme weather.

The report concludes that no single technology can achieve California's 2045 net-zero goal, requiring a diversified portfolio of electrification, carbon capture and storage (CCS), biofuels, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Key findings highlight a massive required grid expansion of 130–460 GW and the critical role of Direct Air Capture (DAC) to offset hard-to-abate emissions. The analysis suggests that while a 100% carbon-free grid is the current goal, a slightly lower constraint (e.g., 99%) could significantly reduce costs and overbuilding by allowing the use of clean dispatchable power like NGCCS.

In May 2024, the USDA and HUD updated minimum energy standards for new construction, requiring buildings under four stories to meet the 2021 IECC and taller buildings to meet ASHRAE/ANSI Standard 90.1-2019. The report argues that these standards, combined with 45L tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, make high-performance certifications like ENERGY STAR and Zero-Energy Ready Home (ZERH) financially attractive, particularly for all-electric construction in specific climate zones.

The briefing outlines how the EU can sustain its climate leadership following the June 2024 elections by linking emissions reductions to energy security, consumer cost savings, and industrial competitiveness. It highlights the success of the RePowerEU Plan in reducing Russian gas imports and notes that wind and solar power saved EU consumers approximately EUR 100 billion between 2021 and 2023. The document emphasizes that investing in green technology and implementing social safety nets, such as retraining programmes, will ensure the transition is competitive and inclusive.