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The report identifies five key technical solutions for net-zero—energy efficiency, electrification, low-carbon fuels, heavy industry decarbonization, and carbon removal—and five strategic recommendations for Canada, including the creation of industry consortia, Indigenous leadership, a whole-of-government approach, a just transition for workers, and a transparent framework for carbon offsets.

ClientEarth argues that the IED revision must shift from a static, activity-based approach to one that promotes the industrial activity with the least environmental impact for a given service. The organization advocates for expanding the IED's scope to include mining, upstream oil and gas, and aquaculture, while making greenhouse gas (GHG) emission limit values and energy efficiency standards binding, even for installations covered by the EU ETS. Key recommendations include restricting Article 15(4) derogations to a maximum of 48 months, introducing a right to compensation for victims of pollution, and strengthening Aarhus Convention rights through periodic permit renewals every four years and mandatory public participation for all permit updates.

The briefing proposes a federal low-carbon product standard for the U.S. cement and steel sectors to drive decarbonization. It suggests setting declining emissions intensity benchmarks and allowing the trading of emissions credits among producers and importers. For cement, the author recommends regulating the cement itself rather than concrete for administrative ease. For steel, the focus is placed on intermediate fabricated products. The document emphasizes that such a standard should include both direct and indirect emissions and be supported by price ceilings and floors to manage credit costs. Implementation via new legislation is preferred over the Clean Air Act to ensure coverage of imports and upstream emissions. Potential abatement technologies highlighted include fuel switching, carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS), energy efficiency, and hydrogen-based steel production.

The briefing outlines how the SCALE Act would drive the deployment of CO₂ infrastructure in the U.S. through cost-sharing for storage hubs, increased EPA permitting funding, and the creation of the CO₂ Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (CIFIA) for low-interest loans. It argues that shared 'hubs' are essential for decarbonizing emissions-intensive industries like steel and cement and for scaling Direct Air Capture. The author highlights a 'chicken-and-egg challenge' where capture projects cannot proceed without infrastructure, and infrastructure cannot be funded without committed capture projects. While other nations like Canada, Norway, and the UK have implemented significant funding for such networks, the U.S. currently lacks an equivalent policy, risking a loss of competitiveness despite the existence of the Section 45Q tax credit.

The report argues that while Canada has made positive climate commitments, there is a significant investment gap between current budget allocations and the funding required to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. By comparing federal spending with recommendations from expert coalitions, the document identifies critical funding shortages across seven sectors: transport, building retrofits, clean energy, nature and adaptation, agriculture, industry and innovation, and workforce development. It highlights that Canada's per capita climate spending during the pandemic is more than eight times lower than the promises made by the US under Joe Biden. The report calls for the 2021 Budget to prioritize deficit spending on green infrastructure, eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, and implement a just transition for workers, particularly in the coal, oil, and gas sectors.

The paper argues that a low-carbon product standard—a market-based regulation establishing emissions intensity benchmarks with tradable credits—can incentivize the U.S. steel industry to adopt abatement technologies. It recommends regulating finished steel products (sheets, plates, bars, beams, pipes, and tubes) at the point of first sale, covering Scope 1, Scope 2, and significant upstream Scope 3 emissions (coke, lime, and direct-reduced iron). To prevent carbon leakage and maintain competitiveness, the authors suggest applying the standard to all steel products sold or imported into the U.S., including indirect steel products above a certain value threshold. The paper emphasizes that while such a standard is a powerful tool, it must be complemented by R&D funding, government procurement, and other policies to achieve full decarbonization.

The document examines five major industrial clusters in Belgium and the Netherlands, highlighting their economic significance and high greenhouse gas emissions. It argues that because each cluster's governance and industrial makeup differ, 'tailor-made policy' is required rather than generic instruments. The brief identifies the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Rhine-Ruhr Area (ARRRA) as a critical meta-cluster connected by extensive pipeline infrastructure. It recommends a multi-level governance approach where cluster authorities handle local planning and implementation, while national and EU bodies provide high-level coordination, regulatory frameworks, and the bulk of the financing for the transition to net-zero by 2050.

The UK is implementing a tiered 'Cluster Sequencing Process' to deploy industrial CCUS and low-carbon hydrogen, aiming for 10 GW of hydrogen production and 6-9 Mt CO2 per annum of industrial capture by 2030-2035. While the government has developed five distinct business models to provide capital and revenue support, industry stakeholders report that delivery is 6 to 12 months behind schedule. The UK possesses a significant competitive advantage in storage capacity, with an estimated 78 Gt of CO2 storage potential, the largest in Europe.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) supports the European Commission's revision of the TEN-E regulation for its alignment with the EU's 2050 climate neutrality goal. While welcoming the inclusion of carbon dioxide and clean hydrogen transport, CATF argues that the regulation should be expanded to include geologic storage of CO2, a wider range of CO2 transport modalities (including ships, trucks, and trains), and the retrofitting of pipelines to ensure a robust decarbonization framework.

The policy brief argues that carbon capture is a bipartisan avenue for climate action and proposes seven priorities: optimizing the 45Q tax credit, investing in CO2 transport and storage infrastructure, expanding the Department of Energy's mission, decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries, scaling up low-carbon hydrogen, establishing leadership in carbon removal, and aligning capital flows with innovation needs.

The policy brief argues that while free allocation in the EU ETS protects against carbon leakage, it mutes the carbon price signal for consumers, leading to underinvestment in material efficiency. To solve this, the authors propose a 'climate contribution'—a weight-based charge on the consumption of carbon-intensive materials sold in Europe. This mechanism would pass carbon costs to users and generate revenue for climate action without the high administrative complexity or trade conflict risks associated with border-focused CBAMs. The brief compares this approach against three other CBAM scenarios, concluding that combining dynamic free allocation with a climate contribution maintains a level playing field for exports and avoids 'resource shuffling' and downstream leakage.

The Clean Air Task Force proposes a federal policy platform to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through the deployment of zero-carbon technologies, strong regulatory standards, increased RD&D funding, and targeted financial incentives. Key priorities include achieving 100 percent zero-carbon electricity, reducing oil and gas methane emissions by 65%, and transitioning away from unabated fossil fuels while supporting vulnerable and fossil-fuel-dependent communities.

The proposal seeks USD 256.48 million from the GCF to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Bangladesh's textile and RMG industries. The program combines concessional loans for equipment upgrades with technical assistance to overcome financial and technical barriers, targeting a total emission reduction of 14.53 million tCO2eq over 20 years.

Carbon Market Watch criticizes the EU's 2021-2030 state aid guidelines for compensating electricity-intensive industries against 'indirect costs' from the EU ETS. The author contends that the final rules expand the list of eligible sectors—including oil refineries and plastic producers—via an opaque 'qualitative assessment' and remove stringent climate conditions. The document further claims that the formula for calculating aid is weakened, ignoring the decarbonization of the power grid and risking windfall profits for industry while undermining the EU Green Deal.

The document examines the progress of five EU Member States in developing policies for a climate-neutral industry. It finds that while most have set 2030 targets, these are generally conservative and focused on energy efficiency. The Netherlands and Germany are the most advanced, implementing specific incentives for advanced technologies, whereas Hungary, Poland, and Spain remain largely in the agenda-setting and policy-formulation stages. The brief emphasizes the need for a predictable legal environment and harmonized EU policies to avoid distorted competition in the basic materials sector.

The We Mean Business Coalition argues that integrating climate ambition into economic recovery is a strategic necessity for long-term growth and resilience. The statement highlights that green recovery measures are more effective at creating jobs and increasing GDP than traditional stimulus. It calls for specific policy actions, including the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, mandatory TCFD-aligned financial disclosures, and the requirement that companies receiving public financial assistance adopt science-based targets consistent with a 1.5°C warming limit.

The document argues that CCfDs can mitigate regulatory and price uncertainty in carbon markets while providing innovation incentives for low-carbon industrial technologies. It positions CCfDs as one element of a broader five-part policy package including climate contributions, renewable CfDs, green public procurement, and product carbon requirements. The brief examines the economic costs and social values of CCfDs, suggests national-level implementation to be practical despite state aid complexities, and discusses their potential integration with COVID-19 Recovery Funds to ensure long-term business cases for green industrial investments.

The authors contend that because urgent global emission reductions are required, the focus must shift from whether a national pathway is 'fair' to how quickly emissions can be reduced in all countries. They propose a framework where developed countries, whose domestic potential may be lower than their fair share responsibility, provide financial and non-financial support to developing countries to implement high-ambition reductions and avoid sectoral lock-ins. This support should target difficult-to-decarbonize sectors such as energy supply, industry, buildings, and transport, utilizing instruments like international climate finance and Article 6.4 market mechanisms.

The document advocates for a circular economy to replace the linear "take-make-waste" model, which currently results in over 60% of the 100 billion tons of resources flowing into the economy annually ending up as waste or emissions. It proposes three pathways for transition: consuming less, consuming better through sustainable choices and sharing platforms, and implementing systemic changes such as designing products for longevity and introducing policy incentives for recycled materials. The guide highlights that circularity in five key sectors could reduce CO2 emissions by 3.7 billion tons by 2050 and presents a $4.5 trillion economic opportunity.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) supports the European Commission's Hydrogen Strategy, emphasizing the need for a diverse range of low- and zero-carbon production pathways to ensure commercial success and global decarbonization. CATF specifically advocates for the inclusion of fossil hydrogen systems with carbon capture—which can capture over 95% of CO2—and nuclear energy systems with electrolyzers to mitigate the risk of failing to meet renewable energy expansion targets.