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From ‘hard-to-abate’ to net-zero: Policy priorities for decarbonising steel by 2050
The document argues that the steel sector can be almost fully decarbonised by 2050 through a combination of hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (HDRI), carbon capture and storage (CCS), increased steel recycling, and material efficiency. It warns that to avoid stranded assets and catastrophic climate impacts, new blast furnaces without CCS must not be added and existing ones must not be relined after 2025. Policy interventions are required to provide clean electricity and green hydrogen, create lead markets, and implement carbon pricing, with a suggested price of around US$70 to avoid 1.3 Gt CO2 of emissions by 2030. International cooperation, such as the Glasgow Breakthrough on Steel, is highlighted as essential because demand growth is primarily driven by developing economies in Asia.
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Document type: Briefing
A European Eco-Efficient Economy
The report argues that environmental improvements can enhance competitiveness and proposes a strategy for a European eco-efficient economy based on resource efficiency, new technology markets, and stable global carbon pricing. It emphasizes the need for integrated governance, support for SMEs, and international cooperation to prevent carbon leakage and drive global climate action.
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Document type: Executive summary
THE BUSINESS END OF CLIMATE CHANGE
The document highlights a gap between current emission trends and the targets of the Paris Agreement, estimating that while governments' commitments will reduce emissions by 6bn tonnes, a significant gap remains. It asserts that five specific business initiatives—Science Based Targets, EP100, RE100, Zero Deforestation, and the Low Carbon Technology Partnership Initiative (LCTPi)—could cut emissions by up to 4.2bn tonnes if they reach their membership targets, or up to 10bn tonnes if all relevant companies join. The text calls for businesses to commit to these actions to gain competitiveness and cost reductions, while urging governments to implement ambitious policies to support this transition.
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Document type: Executive summary
THE BUSINESS END OF CLIMATE CHANGE
The document highlights a gap between current emission trends and the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping temperature rise 'well under 2°C'. It estimates that five specific business initiatives—Science Based Targets, EP100, RE100, Zero Deforestation, and the Low Carbon Technology Partnership Initiative (LCTPi)—could reduce emissions by 4.2bn to 10bn tonnes by 2030 if membership targets are met and supported by government policy. To achieve this, the author calls for consistent carbon pricing, renewable energy support, and tax breaks for R&D and low-energy investments.
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Document type: Executive summary
CLIMATE LEADERSHIP NOW
The We Mean Business coalition argues that corporate climate leadership must integrate three pillars: Ambition (setting science-based targets), Action (transforming core business strategies and value chains), and Advocacy (pushing for pro-climate government policies). The report emphasizes that to avoid the sharply growing costs of temperature rises above 1.5°C, global emissions must halve by 2030, and businesses must transition to net-zero by 2050 at the latest. It highlights the necessity of independent verification, executive accountability, and a 'just transition' that considers social equity and workforce reskilling. The framework also stresses the importance of consistency in lobbying, urging companies to ensure their trade associations do not undermine their public climate commitments.
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Document type: Report
Power Up
The document asserts that clean energy technologies now have the potential to replace 75% of existing fossil fuel demand, with renewable electricity exceeding 40% of the global power mix in 2024. It highlights that solar and wind are increasingly cost-competitive, displacing over 650 TWh of fossil fuel use between 2023 and 2024. The report notes a strong business preference for renewables, with over 90% of polled executives viewing access to renewable electricity as critical for investment decisions. It specifically warns that oil demand is expected to peak and decline this decade as electric vehicles (EVs) scale, and that gas infrastructure risks becoming stranded as renewables and electrified heat reduce demand. Additionally, it identifies China as the first 'electrostate' due to its rapid electrification and clean tech production.
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Document type: Executive summary
Actions Large Energy Buyers Can Take to Transform and Decarbonize the Grid: Procurement Practices for Achieving 100% Carbon Free Electricity
The document argues that large energy buyers must move beyond basic renewable energy procurement to adopt 'transformative procurement practices' to achieve a zero-carbon grid by 2050. It identifies six key approaches: matching clean energy purchases with the timing of use, incorporating demand flexibility, purchasing dispatchable clean electricity, adopting enabling technologies like energy storage, maximizing emissions reductions, and ensuring an equitable transition.
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Document type: Briefing
ACCC: Renewables Accelerator Procurement Guidance: Summary of Methods and Data
The document outlines the technical framework and curation methodology for the American Cities Climate Challenge: Renewables Accelerator website, a collaborative resource by the World Resources Institute and Rocky Mountain Institute designed to support city sustainability staff in the procurement of renewable energy.
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Document type: Briefing
Next-Generation Geothermal: Considerations and Opportunities for Responsible Development
The document examines next-generation geothermal technologies—including enhanced geothermal systems, closed-loop, and superhot systems—which differ from conventional methods by drilling into hot rocks lacking natural fluid or permeability. While these technologies offer potential for 24/7 clean electricity globally and in the United States, their commercialization requires cost reductions, the mitigation of environmental risks, and the resolution of financing and permitting barriers.
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Document type: Briefing
Roadmap to Net Zero: Delivering Science-Based Targets in the Apparel Sector
The report estimates that apparel sector emissions were 1.025 gigatons CO2e in 2019 and are projected to reach 1.588 gigatons by 2030 under a business-as-usual scenario. To close the gap and meet 1.5°C targets, the report proposes six key interventions: maximizing material efficiency, scaling sustainable materials and practices, accelerating innovative materials, proliferating energy efficiency, eliminating coal in manufacturing, and shifting to 100% renewable electricity. It also emphasizes the need to transition from linear to circular business models.
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Document type: Report
Guide to Purchasing Green Power
The Guide to Purchasing Green Power, a joint publication by the U.S. DOE, U.S. EPA, World Resources Institute, and Center for Resource Solutions, is designed to help businesses, government agencies, and universities diversify their energy supply and reduce environmental impacts. It covers green power markets, renewable electricity, tradable renewable certificates, and on-site renewable generation.
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Document type: Guide
ACCC: Local Government Renewables Action Tracker: Summary of Methods and Data
The Local Government Renewables Action Tracker is an interactive web tool developed by the American Cities Climate Challenge Renewables Accelerator (a WRI and RMI partnership) to help U.S. local governments procure renewable electricity. It aggregates data from public and crowdsourced sources to track renewable electricity transactions and advocacy efforts by cities, counties, municipal utilities, and community choice aggregations, displaying the total capacity in megawatts of generation supported by these efforts.
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Document type: Briefing
Bottom Line on Emerging Solar Metering Policies
The document outlines four types of solar metering arrangements designed to overcome the limitations of the traditional "one customer, one meter" model. Net metering provides benefits to a single customer via one meter. Virtual net metering (VNM) allows multiple customers with separate meters to share credits from a system, often in multi-tenant or municipal buildings, and is permitted in states including California, Colorado, and Massachusetts. Community solar enables joint ownership or sponsorship of systems for those unable to host arrays on-site, utilizing models such as utility-sponsored, special purpose entity, or non-profit "buy a brick" projects. Meter aggregation allows a single customer with multiple utility accounts to aggregate annual consumption across separate buildings, enabling the installation of larger systems and higher power sales back to the grid.
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Document type: Fact sheet