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The report identifies 22 systemic barriers to net zero carbon buildings, categorized as financial, investment risk/opportunity, market readiness, and regulatory. Using network analysis, it establishes that financial barriers are the most critical from a demand perspective but are often dependent on the mitigation of regulatory and market readiness barriers. The authors map 31 policy and 44 financial instruments, categorizing them into fundamental inputs (such as capacity development and fiscal instruments) and dependent inputs (such as debt instruments and asset finance models). The report highlights five high-impact pathways for cities: phasing out fossil-fuel appliances, implementing energy efficiency building codes, deploying results-based grants for cooling, using skills development for embodied carbon reduction, and publishing climate risk data for adaptation. It emphasizes that mandates are central to the transition, as they enable the development of new financial mechanisms.

The report argues that fugitive methane emissions significantly increase the lifecycle emissions of fossil gas, making it comparable to coal and oil in climate impact. It examines global sustainable finance taxonomies, noting that while most exclude hydrocarbons, some include fossil gas under strict conditions. Specifically, it analyzes the EU Taxonomy, concluding that its rigorous carbon intensity thresholds and lifecycle emission requirements make new gas-powered plants economically unviable compared to renewable energy alternatives.

The document argues that the real estate industry must move beyond operational energy reporting to include embodied carbon in Scope 3 climate disclosures. It highlights increasing pressure from major investors like BlackRock and CalPERS, as well as potential SEC regulations, to standardize these disclosures. The guide recommends transitioning from spend-based to mass-based emissions accounting using Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and life-cycle assessments (LCA) to accurately track up-front emissions from building materials.

The guide explains how Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) function as 'nutrition labels' for building materials by reporting life-cycle assessment (LCA) data, specifically Global Warming Potential (GWP). It argues that current EPDs suffer from inconsistencies due to varying data sources and proprietary datasets. To achieve an 'ideal EPD' that supports fair carbon reduction policies, the author recommends that Product Category Rules (PCRs) mandate facility-specific data, limit product variation within single reported values, and require supply-chain-specific data for upstream processes. The document also identifies barriers to adoption, such as high up-front costs for small businesses and the lack of a universal public database, while noting US government initiatives like the EPA's grant program and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 aimed at advancing EPD development.

The report examines how international taxonomies and the national policies of the US, China, and Germany handle fossil fuels to inform the development of a Canadian taxonomy. It finds that while most taxonomies exclude new oil and coal capacity, fossil gas is often treated as a transitional fuel with strict emission limits and phase-out dates (typically 2030–2035). The document highlights the critical role of fugitive methane emissions in determining the actual climate impact of natural gas, arguing that lifecycle assessments are necessary to avoid 'carbon lock-in'. It concludes that Canada's main trading partners are using economic incentives and regulations to reduce hydrocarbon consumption, suggesting that a science-based taxonomy is essential for attracting private capital for decarbonization.

The document argues that city officials face challenges in building decarbonization due to inconsistent definitions of Net Zero-Energy Buildings (NZEBs) and Zero-Carbon Buildings (ZCBs). It highlights that NZEBs often neglect embodied emissions—those released during material extraction, construction, and demolition—and advocates for the use of carbon-based life-cycle assessments (LCA) to achieve true zero carbon emissions. The guide recommends specific LCA tools such as openLCA, One Click LCA, Tally, and the EC3/Embodied Carbon Calculator, while noting that technical expertise and data quality remain barriers. Additionally, it lists several global resources and policy toolkits, including the Global Roadmap for Buildings and Construction 2020-2050 and the Carbon Leadership Forum Policy Toolkit, to help cities implement regulatory, economic, and fiscal instruments for decarbonization.

The report concludes that while the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) remains the primary driver for industrial decarbonisation, current carbon prices alone are insufficient to trigger the massive investments required for deep decarbonisation in the steel and cement sectors. It argues that demand-side measures—specifically Green Public Procurement (GPP) and sustainable product regulations—can provide the necessary market signals to build technological capacity and avoid carbon lock-in. The study highlights that government-driven initiatives have significantly more potential than voluntary industry pledges, though the latter can serve as a short-term bridge. Key recommendations include harmonising low-carbon product definitions across EU Member States and exploring Carbon Contracts for Difference (CCfDs) to bridge the 'green premium' cost gap.

The report evaluates the CCIA for the Tetra4 Cluster 2 gas field expansion, which includes up to 400 test wells and 300 production wells. The author argues that the CCIA fails to meet South African legal requirements for a full life-cycle emissions assessment, specifically citing the omission of Scope 3 emissions from the final impact determination and several errors in Scope 1 calculations. Key technical failures identified include the use of outdated global warming potential (GWP) values, unrealistic flaring efficiency assumptions, and the omission of methane emissions from well drilling and operational gas production. Additionally, the report finds that the CCIA provides an unsupported claim that the project's LNG will replace more GHG-emitting fuels, while failing to account for the transport of 40% of the produced LNG.

The Climate Bonds Initiative's Hydrogen Criteria define the technical and environmental benchmarks required for hydrogen-related financial instruments to be certified as green. The framework focuses on carbon intensity thresholds, decarbonisation measures, and adaptation and resilience requirements across the hydrogen value chain, from production to storage and delivery.

The report outlines the development of certification criteria for hydrogen assets, focusing on carbon intensity benchmarks, life-cycle assessment methodologies, and climate resilience requirements to align investments with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal.

WRI researchers argue that global wood harvests significantly increase atmospheric carbon, with annual emissions estimated between 3.5 and 4.2 billion tons of CO2e. The document critiques 'netting' approaches that incorrectly label harvests as carbon neutral by offsetting them against unrelated forest growth. It projects a 54% increase in global wood consumption by 2050 and suggests that reducing fuelwood use and increasing plantation growth rates could mitigate these emissions.

The document summarizes the outcomes of the WWF Plastic Policy Summit held in March 2023. It argues for an urgent shift from a linear to a circular economy through a full life cycle approach to plastic, emphasizing the need for immediate action before the 2025 global treaty negotiations. The report identifies nine strategic interventions, ranging from reducing virgin plastic production to expanding deposit return systems, and provides specific policy and operational recommendations for federal, state, and local governments, as well as the private sector. A central theme is the prioritization of environmental justice to protect communities historically burdened by plastic production and waste.

The Steel GHG Emissions Reporting Guidance establishes a framework for product-level emissions accounting in the steel sector. It mandates reporting based on a fixed system boundary and the use of primary data to ensure comparability and transparency. A key feature is the 'sliding-scale' approach, which benchmarks emissions intensity against 1.5°C trajectories while accounting for the different carbon intensities of ore-based versus scrap-based production. The guidance also defines criteria for labeling abatement technologies and provides detailed procedures for calculating emissions from exported products, by-products, and fugitive methane.

Carbon Market Watch critiques the European cement association's (Cembureau) claims that cement production and use can provide carbon removals. The author argues that proposed methods—including the use of sustainable biomass with CCS, enhanced carbonation, and natural carbonation—fail to meet the criteria for permanent and additional removals when full life-cycle assessments are considered. The document urges the EU to focus on proven removal techniques and industrial decarbonization strategies, such as reducing clinker-to-cement ratios and phasing out free pollution permits under the Emissions Trading System.

The report explores the integration of systems thinking into asset management to better assess sustainability impacts. It identifies six key dimensions of systems thinking—considering multiple sustainability dimensions, both positive and negative impacts, indirect effects, co-benefits and trade-offs, long-term perspectives, and the scale of impacts. The study finds that while there is interest among 'front runner' practitioners, the finance sector's reliance on quantitative, aggregated data and short-term horizons creates a significant barrier to operationalizing a systems approach. The authors argue that improved, standardized, and audited company reporting, particularly through EU regulations like the CSRD and EU Taxonomy, is essential to provide the data necessary for effective systems-level analysis.

Embodied carbon, which accounts for 11 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, refers to the emissions released during the lifecycle of building materials. Reduction strategies include using carbon-storing materials like mass timber, adopting 3D printing and robotic automation, and implementing material efficiency through modular construction. In the US, the Inflation Reduction Act provides nearly $10 billion for reducing embodied carbon, while several states have adopted 'Buy Clean' laws. RMI research indicates that low-cost embodied carbon solutions can reduce emissions by 19 to 46 percent with cost premiums under 1 percent.

The report argues that Canada cannot reach its 2050 net-zero goals through energy transitions alone, as material extraction and processing account for a significant portion of global emissions. It identifies key opportunities in the steel, cement, plastics, and organic waste sectors, emphasizing that reducing primary demand and extending product lifespans offer greater emission reductions than recycling alone. The document highlights the lack of comprehensive national circularity plans in Canada compared to leaders like Japan and the EU, and recommends implementing digital product passports, carbon pricing, and updated building codes to accelerate the transition.

The report evaluates the potential for scaling the CO2 Performance Ladder (CO2PL) in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The CO2PL serves as both a carbon management system for organizations and a procurement tool that provides certified suppliers with an award advantage in tenders. The study finds a general demand for third-party verified, easy-to-use tools to reduce carbon emissions, though implementation faces challenges such as risk aversion among public procurers, legal concerns regarding the link between criteria and the subject matter of contracts, and capacity constraints in smaller procuring entities. The report recommends aligning the CO2PL with common measurement methods like Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), engaging with European city networks, and providing specific support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to ensure inclusive participation.

The document examines the gap between EU Green Public Procurement (GPP) targets and actual implementation in eight Member States. It identifies systemic barriers—including fragmented governance, lack of standardized data, and limited procurement officer capacity—while highlighting successful local and national initiatives in Sweden, France, Germany, and others. The brief argues that the EU must harmonize reporting, institute mandatory requirements for high-emitting sectors, and provide better technical support to leverage public spending for climate goals.

The report finds that Green Public Procurement (GPP) in the EU is characterized by a fragmented approach with few binding requirements and significant gaps between national climate targets and actual procurement practices. While some regions like Catalonia and cities like Berlin show high ambition, most Member States rely on voluntary guidelines. The construction and road transport sectors are highlighted as high-impact areas where GPP could drive decarbonization, yet implementation is hindered by a lack of standardized data, insufficient capacity and time for procurement officers, and a lack of mandatory EU-level criteria. The report recommends harmonizing GPP definitions, introducing mandatory carbon criteria, and expanding the scope of EU Directives to include embedded emissions.