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The research assesses the techno-economic drivers of hydrogen-based steelmaking, finding that while access to low-cost renewable energy can 'pull' industry to new locations, this effect is sensitive to assumptions and can be moderated by labour costs, capital costs, and 'strategic push' subsidies. The authors warn that relying solely on the renewables pull effect may delay necessary innovation and upscaling in higher-cost regions required to meet 2030 climate goals.

The EU is projected to reduce total gas demand by 7% by 2030 compared to 2023 levels, falling from 326 bcm to 302 bcm. This trend follows a sharp decline between 2021 and 2023, where demand dropped from 404 bcm to 326 bcm. Despite this decline, LNG import capacity is expected to increase by 54% by 2030 relative to 2023, suggesting a risk of over-investment in infrastructure. Simultaneously, the EU is increasing its electrification rate, with National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) indicating a planned increase from 23% today to 30% by 2030, approaching the EU-level target of 32-33%. All 17 NECPs that reported 2030 electricity demand forecast an increase compared to 2023, reflecting a transition toward replacing fossil fuels with domestically generated clean electricity.

The report argues that while Canada has a competitive advantage due to its clean electricity grids, the mining sector's emissions are rising as mines deepen and ore grades decline. It identifies three primary barriers to decarbonization: a lack of market demand for 'green' minerals, fragmented traceability infrastructure, and technological gaps in open-pit mining. The author proposes a policy toolkit including emission-intensity criteria for funding, support for R&D in emerging technologies like direct lithium extraction, and the maintenance of carbon pricing systems to incentivize the transition.

The report finds that while some fashion companies have improved their GHG emission reduction targets, these commitments often lack credibility due to a failure to implement systemic transitions. Key issues include a reliance on 'false solutions' like biomass and fossil gas instead of electrification, limited transparency regarding supply chain energy, and a persistent adherence to fast fashion business models that prioritise volume over value. While H&M Group is noted for its transparency in disclosing supply chain energy balances, the sector generally lacks the prescriptive guidance and regulatory interventions needed to curb overproduction and scale low-GHG fibres.

The report finds that the tech sector is facing a "climate strategy crisis" as soaring energy demands from AI and the use of outdated market-based accounting methodologies undermine the integrity of corporate climate targets. While some companies like Google and Microsoft are pioneering 24/7 hourly renewable electricity matching, others like Amazon and Meta advocate for looser accounting rules through the Emissions First Partnership. The analysis reveals that absolute location-based emissions for all five companies increased from 2019 to 2023, and critical transitions—such as decarbonising third-party data centres and hardware supply chains—remain largely neglected or poorly reported.

Mexico's electricity sector is highly dependent on US gas imports, with 54% of electricity generated using imported gas in 2024. The report argues that accelerating the transition to clean energy—specifically solar and wind—can enhance energy security and independence. Achieving a 45% clean generation target by 2030 would require 46 GW of new capacity, potentially reducing gas imports for power by 20% and saving $1.6 billion USD annually. Such a transition would also create over 434,000 direct jobs in construction and operation.

The Canadian Climate Institute recommends that the new government under Prime Minister Mark Carney prioritize four key climate policies: modernizing industrial carbon pricing, finalizing oil and gas methane regulations, implementing a clean electricity investment tax credit, and establishing a national climate taxonomy for the financial sector.

The author outlines three priorities for Canada's post-election climate strategy: improving affordability through energy-efficient technologies like heat pumps, maintaining economic competitiveness against global decarbonization trends and carbon border tariffs, and protecting communities from the increasing financial and health costs of extreme weather disasters.

The U.S. steel industry is already less carbon-intensive than other major regions due to a high reliance on electric arc furnaces (EAFs), which account for 70% of production. However, the remaining 30% relies on integrated blast furnace/basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) routes to produce high-quality steel. Decarbonization requires transitioning these integrated mills to direct reduced iron (DRI) and submerged arc furnaces (SAF) or implementing carbon capture and storage (CCS). While clean electricity offers a 'quick win' for EAFs, deep decarbonization is hindered by the high cost of green hydrogen and the need for extensive CCS infrastructure. The report argues that because steel is a low-margin commodity, government policy—including carbon taxes, border adjustment mechanisms, and demand-side incentives—is essential to offset the increased costs of low-carbon production.

The document identifies China as the world's largest producer and consumer of ammonia, noting that coal-based production is highly carbon-intensive, with hydrogen generation accounting for over 85 percent of emissions. It highlights that while China's green ammonia industry is growing, it faces challenges regarding the intermittent nature of renewable power and higher costs compared to traditional methods. The report proposes integrating policy, downstream premiums, and carbon markets to reach cost parity and suggests actions for policy makers and enterprises to accelerate the transition.

The US Treasury's final 45V guidance establishes a market-based framework for green hydrogen projects to qualify for tax credits based on three pillars: incrementality, temporality, and deliverability. The rule allows annual matching of clean power until 2030, after which hourly matching is required. It provides flexibility by allowing emissions calculations per hour and per electrolyzer, preventing an 'all or nothing' loss of credits. Developers can currently use bilateral contracts and existing registries to demonstrate viability to financiers, while preparing for a more sophisticated hourly Energy Attribute Credit (EAC) market.

RMI introduces the "Power Couples" model, which pairs large electricity consumers, such as AI data centers, with new-build wind, solar, and battery resources located near existing generators with approved grid interconnections. This approach aims to bypass long grid access wait times—which can reach five years for generation and eight years for transmission—while ensuring that the costs of new demand are borne by the users rather than general ratepayers. RMI's analysis indicates that this strategy could satisfy over 50 GW of new load at an average of 88% carbon-free energy, with significant opportunities concentrated in the PJM, ERCOT, and Southeast regions.

The H2Global mechanism lacks minimum sustainability standards, leaving the ambition of future tenders to individual funders. While the BMWK pilot tender aligns with EU regulations on renewable electricity additionality and correlation, it fails to incentivise surplus electricity sharing for local energy access. Water and land use safeguards are insufficient, as they overlook competing local demands for resources and may miss locally significant sites. Additionally, local value creation measures are limited by an export-focused design and unclear guidelines, reducing the potential for sustainable economic impact in producing countries.

The briefing examines the components of grid reliability—resource adequacy, operational reliability, and resilience—within the context of the U.S. transition to clean energy. It argues that while load growth and fossil fuel retirements create short-term risks, a diverse portfolio of wind, solar, batteries, and demand-side resources can maintain reliability. The document emphasizes the need for interconnection reform, updated market rules for inverter-based resources, and the scaling of demand-response programs to avoid unnecessary supply-side costs.

The report examines the technical and institutional challenges of maintaining grid reliability in the United States as fossil fuel plants retire and demand grows from data centers and electrification. It argues that reliability does not require traditional baseload power but can be achieved through a combination of wind, solar, battery storage, and demand-side flexibility. The authors highlight that while 80-90% clean electricity is achievable with current technology, reaching 100% may require 'clean firm' resources like enhanced geothermal or advanced nuclear. Key recommendations include reforming interconnection queues, expanding interregional transmission, and implementing performance-based incentives for utilities to prioritize demand-side solutions.

The author contends that households and businesses can act as a 'flexible power plant' by adjusting electricity use during peak demand, reducing the need for natural gas backup. The text highlights an Ontario program where smart thermostats created a 90 MW 'virtual power plant' and urges federal and provincial governments to incentivize energy efficiency and smart device integration to lower costs and carbon emissions.

The author contends that customer-driven demand-side management—such as smart thermostats, heat pumps, and optimized EV charging—can serve as a 'virtual power plant' to maintain grid stability. The text highlights a successful Ontario program that created a 90-megawatt virtual power plant and calls for federal and provincial policy shifts to prioritize energy efficiency investments over fossil fuel infrastructure.

The report analyzes the lifecycle emissions of polyester t-shirts to identify decarbonization opportunities for chemical producers and retailers. It argues that defining emissions reduction thresholds at upstream stages, such as the PET resin step rather than the fabric step, is essential to stimulate investment in low-emission chemical production. The analysis categorizes solutions into near-term operational changes (reducing up to 47% of footprints), near-term capital investments (reducing 31%), and long-term innovations (reducing 13-28% or up to 45% with transformative feedstocks). To derisk these capital-intensive transitions, the report suggests aggregated demand from multiple sectors (automotive, healthcare, construction), the formation of buyers alliances, and the implementation of green public procurement, noting that a 10-50% shift in US military procurement for polyester and nylon equipment could represent $100-$500 million in spending.

Brazil possesses a significant carbon competitiveness advantage due to its renewable-heavy electricity grid, but faces substantial risks from incoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs) and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). While 78% of its exports go to net zero-aligned markets, structural contradictions—such as continued fossil fuel exploration and the 'Devastation Bill'—threaten its climate credibility. The economy is heavily dependent on China, and recent unilateral tariffs from the US have introduced significant geopolitical volatility.

The report argues that a transatlantic electricity interconnector could enhance grid resilience and efficiency by leveraging the complementarity of time zones and weather patterns between Europe and North America. It highlights that a six-hour time difference creates arbitrage opportunities for solar production and demand, while uncorrelated or negatively correlated wind and temperature patterns can mitigate the impact of extreme weather. The author suggests that such an interconnector could be a more cost-effective tool for security of supply and decarbonisation than alternatives like nuclear power or hydrogen, though it would require significant government support and investment.