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Scotland is pursuing an ambitious goal of net-zero emissions by 2045, supported by a National Just Transition Planning Framework and a permanent Just Transition Commission. While the government aims to transition its workforce from the oil and gas sector—which contributed approximately 5% of GDP in 2019—to green jobs in offshore wind and hydrogen, it has not set a definitive end date for oil and gas exploration. The document highlights tensions between government policy and demands from unions and NGOs for greater state intervention, including the nationalization of energy, and notes the lack of a sovereign wealth fund similar to Norway's to support the transition.

The document examines Scotland's efforts to implement a just transition, particularly within its significant North Sea oil and gas sector. It details the establishment of the Just Transition Commission in 2019 and the subsequent creation of a national Just Transition Planning Framework. While Scotland has ambitious targets—including net zero by 2045—the paper notes contradictions, such as the lack of a planned phase-out for oil and gas exploration. It highlights regional economic challenges in areas like Aberdeenshire and discusses various policy responses, including the Green Jobs Fund and 'green freeports'. The analysis concludes with lessons for Canadian governments on defining just transition, making concrete job commitments, and establishing accountability frameworks.

The document analyzes New Zealand's proactive approach to transitioning the Taranaki region away from offshore oil and gas. It highlights the creation of the Taranaki 2050 Roadmap, the role of the Just Transition Unit, and the integration of Māori rights and labor unions in regional economic diversification. While praising the inclusive planning and the establishment of the Ara Ake energy center, the author notes that the transition is in its early stages and that onshore oil and gas production remains a significant gap in the country's climate goals.

The report finds that while Estonia's total greenhouse gas emissions fell from 18,687.4 kt CO2e in 2018 to 11,555.8 kt CO2e in 2020, significant gaps remain across all sectors to reach 2050 neutrality. The energy sector shows a positive trend in renewables, but wind capacity investment is lagging. The buildings sector lacks incentives for non-residential renovations, which are identified as highly cost-efficient. The LULUCF sector transitioned from a carbon sink to an emitting sector in 2020. Transport emissions are decreasing, but a modal shift toward public transport and cycling has not been achieved. Agriculture emissions continue to rise slowly, and the sector faces limited reduction potential without impacting food production. The report highlights the contradiction of government support for a new shale oil refinery, which is viewed as a step away from climate neutrality.

Mighty Earth reports that the Japanese government has ended its overseas coal finance, leading to the cancellation of the Matarbari 2 coal power plant in Bangladesh. The organization attributes the project's failure to the withdrawal of Sumitomo Corporation as lead contractor on February 28, 2022, following a global campaign launched in December 2019. Roger Smith of Mighty Earth argues that Japan must now accelerate the retirement of existing coal plants without using 'duplicitous technologies' such as biomass, hydrogen, and ammonia.

The California Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) 3.3.1 update finds that current policy commitments will leave California's 2030 emissions nearly 20% above the SB 32 target. To address this, Energy Innovation proposes a 'Deeper Decarbonization Scenario' focusing on rapid electrification of vehicles, appliances, and industry, alongside a strengthened clean energy standard. This approach is projected to lower 2030 emissions to 230 MMT of CO2e and generate significant economic and public health benefits, including $60 billion in monetized social benefits by 2050, while reducing reliance on unproven carbon dioxide removal technologies.

The global construction and buildings value chain is a primary driver of resource extraction and greenhouse gas emissions, with significant impacts often outsourced from high-income to lower-income regions. The document argues that sustainability depends on decisions made at early stages—planning and finance—rather than later construction phases. Key challenges include the high cost of low-carbon materials and the difficulty of decarbonizing steel and cement. To address this, the brief recommends a combination of transparent data, material innovation, green public procurement, sustainable urban planning, and expanded retrofitting.

The report argues that Canada's electricity systems must become "bigger, cleaner, and smarter" to serve as the backbone of a net zero economy by 2050. It identifies 'safe bets'—commercially available solutions like wind, solar, and energy efficiency—and 'wild cards'—emerging or high-barrier technologies like small modular reactors and carbon capture. The analysis emphasizes that while technical pathways exist, significant social, political, and institutional barriers, such as interregional grid integration and local opposition, must be overcome. It also highlights the unique challenges faced by remote communities and the necessity of Indigenous leadership in the energy transition.

The report analyzes how Canadian provinces are positioned to benefit from the global shift toward a net-zero economy, identifying leaders and laggards in the creation of clean-growth enterprises. It highlights that while Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta lead in company creation and investment, other provinces show varying levels of progress. The document outlines ten promising transition markets—including clean electricity, batteries, and hydrogen—and provides five strategic recommendations for provincial and federal governments to enhance competitiveness, attract private investment, and ensure a just transition for vulnerable rural and Indigenous communities.

The authors evaluate the EU and German recovery funds, noting that while they are framed as 'green', much of the funding remains conditional or vague. They contrast this with the 2008 financial crisis, where green investments were limited. The text emphasizes the role of the European Parliament in ensuring accountability and pushing for a 60% CO2 reduction by 2030, while warning that Germany's current plans may not meet its 65% renewable energy target due to restrictive zoning laws and continued fossil fuel subsidies.

The European transport sector requires a fundamental shift to support a green Europe by 2049. Current transport systems contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and noise, impacting both human health and biodiversity. Proposed solutions include widespread electrification, automation, and shared mobility to reduce resource consumption and urban congestion. A vision for 2049 involves a multimodal system where public transport, cycling, and walking dominate urban areas, while electric bikes and sustainable liquid fuels (such as advanced biofuels or e-fuels) serve rural and long-distance needs. Achieving this requires strategic urban planning, pricing reforms—such as road pricing to replace fuel taxes—and EU policies that accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicles and renewable energy.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) hosted a briefing series titled 'Living with Climate Change' to address community preparation for polar vortices, sea level rise, wildfires, and extreme heat. A specific focus was placed on the polar vortex, noting that climate change is expected to affect the frequency and severity of these events. The document highlights the necessity of adaptation strategies for the energy grid and home energy efficiency to prevent deadly power losses, citing 246 deaths during the 2021 Texas polar vortex freeze.

The document details discussions within the TRAN committee on two key legislative files: the AFIR and RED II. For AFIR, members debated the inadequacy of previous charging station targets, the need for higher power outputs, and the role of LNG in heavy-duty transport. Regarding RED II, the committee discussed increasing the renewable energy share to 40% by 2030, the controversial inclusion of low-carbon fuels, and the prioritization of electrification for road transport versus synthetic fuels for aviation and maritime sectors.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is well-positioned to become a global leader in carbon management due to its existing technical expertise, financial resources, and geologic storage capacity. While current project numbers are low compared to the U.S. and Europe, the region has significant potential to scale up carbon capture to reduce industrial emissions and produce zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen and ammonia.

The document analyzes how Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland created a highly integrated electricity market, notably through the Nord Pool exchange, to balance variable renewable energy with hydroelectric storage. It argues that Canada's 'balkanized' grid, characterized by provincial control and political resistance, could benefit from similar bilateral exchanges—specifically linking hydroelectric-rich provinces like Quebec, Manitoba, and British Columbia with those transitioning from fossil fuels—to lower costs and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The document analyzes the Nordic model of electricity co-operation—characterized by two-way trade, market harmonization via Nord Pool, and regional governance—as a blueprint for Canada. It argues that Canadian provinces could lower decarbonization costs by using hydro-rich provinces as 'batteries' to back up variable renewable energy in other regions, provided they overcome political resistance and regulatory misalignment.

The testimony asserts that while electrification is critical, approximately 60% of U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions come from sectors like heavy industry and long-haul transport that are difficult to electrify. Hydrogen is presented as a versatile, carbon-free energy carrier capable of addressing these gaps. The author highlights specific opportunities in long-haul trucking, aviation, marine shipping, and ironmaking, while noting that the U.S. may require between 8 and 18 quads of hydrogen per year by 2050 for full decarbonization. To achieve this, the document advocates for federal R&D, the development of Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the implementation of production tax incentives to reduce costs through scaling.

The authors propose a two-pronged approach to reach net-zero electricity in Canada by 2035: removing the output-based pricing system (OBPS) for electricity to increase emission incentives while rebating revenues to consumers, and implementing a performance-standard regulation to limit emission intensity of new and existing facilities.

The Canadian Climate Institute proposes a two-pronged strategy to reach carbon neutrality in the electricity sector by 2035. First, it recommends enhancing carbon pricing by eliminating the Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) for electricity and using financial instruments like the Canada Infrastructure Bank to reduce investment uncertainty. Second, it suggests a clean electricity standard that sets emission intensity ceilings for new plants and mandates full carbon neutrality for all plants by 2035, allowing for flexibility through carbon offsets to ensure grid reliability.

The report defines 'climate-washing' as a subset of greenwashing specifically targeting climate change claims and examines the rising trend of litigation used to hold state and non-state actors accountable. It categorizes misleading communications into three areas: corporate/governmental commitments (such as net-zero pledges), product attributes (such as labeling natural gas as 'clean'), and the disclosure of financial risks and investments. The authors highlight a gap between public climate pledges and actual emission reductions, noting that many companies continue to invest in fossil fuels while advertising clean energy. The document provides recommendations for companies, policymakers, NGOs, and lawyers to combat disinformation and increase transparency.