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The report analyzes a partnership between Hydro-Québec and Énergir to transition buildings to bi-energy heating (electricity and natural gas). While the agreement reduces natural gas consumption by over 70% and is more cost-effective for Hydro-Québec than full electrification, the authors warn of potential 'carbon lock-in' due to 15-year contracts and the uncertain availability of renewable natural gas to cover remaining fossil fuel use by 2050.

The document examines a partnership between Hydro-Québec and Énergir to transition building heating to a 'dual energy' system, where electricity is used primarily and natural gas is reserved for cold snaps. While the agreement reduces natural gas consumption by over 70% and is more cost-effective for the grid than full electrification, the authors warn of potential 'carbon lock-in' due to 15-year contracts and the uncertainty of whether renewable natural gas (RNG) can replace the remaining 30% of gas demand.

The report argues that financial institutions are hindering Europe's energy transition by providing hundreds of billions of dollars in support to fossil gas power producers and developers. It highlights a significant gap between the need to phase out gas by 2035 to align with a 1.5°C trajectory and the current trend of developing over 60 GW of new gas capacity. The document identifies a lack of robust sectoral policies among top banks and investors, which allows for continued corporate-level financing of gas-intensive utilities and the development of new base load plants, often as replacements for coal.

The document argues that ENGIE's transition plan is incomplete and incompatible with a 1.5°C scenario, as the company targets a "well below 2°C" world and continues to expand its fossil gas and LNG infrastructure. While ENGIE has significantly reduced its coal capacity and set ambitious renewable energy targets for 2030, the briefing highlights a lack of transparency in capital expenditure, accounting practices, and the feasibility of its 2045 gas decarbonization goal.

The briefing outlines potential areas for U.S.-China collaboration on methane reduction following the U.S.-China Joint Glasgow Declaration. Key opportunities include the use of enteric methane inhibitors, improving rice cultivation practices, developing economic cases for anaerobic biodigesters in waste management, and sharing remote sensing data and facility-level monitoring strategies.

The briefing, based on a CE Delft study, finds that the EU could reduce domestic methane emissions by 49-68% by 2030 if all available mitigation measures are implemented. Agriculture is the largest source of EU methane, contributing 53% of emissions (8 Mt/year), yet it is the most neglected sector in current policy, with only a 3.7% reduction expected under business-as-usual trends. The most significant reduction potential comes from shifting consumer diets toward lower meat and dairy consumption, which alone could reduce total EU methane emissions by 15-19%. Technical measures, including feed additives and manure management, offer further reductions, though they are less impactful than dietary shifts. The document recommends that the EU set science-aligned methane targets for agriculture, promote plant-rich diets through the Sustainable Food Systems Framework Law, and impose binding methane-reporting and reduction targets on corporations.

The project aims to reduce GHG emissions in Brazil's municipal solid waste (MSW) sector by supporting up to 30 municipalities or consortia in implementing low-emission treatment infrastructure. With a total indicative cost of USD 50 million (USD 15 million requested from the GCF), the initiative focuses on biogas recovery, anaerobic digestion, and the formalization of waste pickers. It seeks to transition from uncontrolled landfills to sustainable systems, targeting a mitigation impact of 45,352,640 tCO2e over a 15-year lifespan. The project will provide technical assistance for public-private partnerships (PPPs), develop legal roadmaps, and implement awareness campaigns to promote a circular economy.

The briefing examines the REPowerEU plan's reliance on bioenergy to replace fossil gas and proposes alternatives to avoid this increase. It suggests that deploying an additional 100 GW of solar power by 2030 would allow the EU to meet its 45% renewable energy target while keeping bioenergy levels consistent with the Fit for 55 package. The document further asserts that bioenergy use could be reduced below current levels through faster heat electrification and higher energy efficiency targets, such as the European Parliament's proposal for a 14.5% efficiency target.

The document argues that biogas and biomethane should primarily be reserved for hard-to-abate sectors like petrochemical production and industrial heating, as electrification via renewable energy is more cost-effective for power and heat. It highlights that biogas only addresses a minority of agricultural emissions (at most 28.9%) and warns that scaling production to meet targets, such as the EU's 35 bcm goal by 2030, could threaten food security by requiring significant arable land. Additionally, the briefing notes risks from fugitive methane emissions, high reliance on public subsidies, and safety hazards including explosions and toxicity.

The document asserts that Canada lacks the necessary infrastructure to provide immediate LNG supplies to the EU following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It highlights that while the EU seeks short-term alternatives, it is simultaneously accelerating its 'Fit for 55' and 'REPower' plans to reduce gas demand and achieve climate neutrality. With new Canadian projects taking at least three years to complete, the author concludes that such investments risk becoming stranded assets as European demand declines.

The document examines the feasibility of using Canadian LNG to replace Russian gas in the EU, concluding that the 3-to-5-year timeline for building new Canadian facilities is incompatible with the EU's immediate needs and its medium-term goal of phasing out gas by 2025-2027.

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.

The report finds that total EU methane emissions were 15.2 Mt in 2019, with livestock agriculture contributing 53%, waste 27%, and energy 13%. While a business-as-usual trend suggests a 13.4% reduction by 2030, the report estimates a maximum theoretical reduction potential of 49% to 68%. Achieving the 30% (Pledge) and 45% (Science) targets requires significant behavioral changes in livestock agriculture, specifically a shift toward healthier diets with lower meat and dairy consumption, alongside technical measures in the energy and waste sectors.

The briefing outlines the political and structural challenges Brazil faces in achieving net-zero emissions, focusing on land use, agriculture, transport, carbon markets, waste management, and industry. It argues that climate policies must be aligned with national development and income generation to overcome weak governance and industry opposition. The report highlights specific opportunities for international funding, such as supporting biomethane, nature-based solutions in carbon markets, and technology transfer for industrial decarbonization and waste sorting.

The document assesses the viability of low-carbon fuels for New York's building sector, concluding that they are inefficient and costly compared to direct electrification. It highlights that green hydrogen requires significantly more clean electricity than heat pumps and poses infrastructure risks like pipeline embrittlement. Additionally, it notes that biomethane supplies are insufficient to meet demand and that both biomethane and synthetic methane introduce new methane emission risks. The brief advocates for prioritizing energy efficiency and electrification to meet the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

Reclaim Finance criticizes ENGIE's transition plan, noting that its coal exit is largely achieved through selling assets rather than closing them, and that the company is increasingly dependent on fossil gas. The briefing warns that ENGIE's reliance on hypothetical future technologies like green hydrogen and its continued gas expansion in several countries are incompatible with a 1.5°C warming limit, calling for investor action at the company's General Meeting.

Reclaim Finance argues that ENGIE's climate strategy is inadequate because it relies on selling coal assets rather than shutting them down and maintains a heavy dependence on fossil gas. The briefing advises investors to vote against the company's "Say on Climate" resolution at the upcoming AGM, noting that ENGIE's targets align with a "well below 2°C" world rather than a 1.5°C pathway.

Reclaim Finance argues that ENGIE's climate strategy is insufficient, citing a lack of short-term targets, a reliance on fossil gas, and a coal exit strategy based on asset sales rather than closures. The briefing recommends that investors vote against the 'Say on Climate' resolution and challenge the company on its gas and coal strategies.

The report analyzes the EU's Taxonomy Delegated Act of February 2nd, 2022, which classifies certain gas and nuclear energy activities as "transitional." Reclaim Finance argues that the criteria for gas-fired plants are too lenient, potentially leading to stranded assets and incompatibility with the 1.5C goal. It further contends that new nuclear reactors are unsuitable as transitional activities due to long construction times and unresolved long-term waste management costs.

The Guarantee Fund for Biogas (GFB) is designed as the first environmental guarantee fund in Brazil to unlock public and private credit for independent biogas developers who lack the collateral required by lenders. Structured as a CVM-compliant fixed-income fund investing in Brazilian treasury bills, the GFB will provide short-term collateral to enable loans during the construction phase of projects. A pilot phase targeting five Brazilian states aims to leverage USD 53 million in capital to enable USD 67 million in loans in the first year, with a 10-year goal of enabling USD 271 million in credit. The fund utilizes a blended finance structure with a 50% first-loss tranche for concessional investors to mitigate credit risk and lower fees for developers. If scaled and replicated to address 10% of Brazil's biogas potential, the instrument could enable USD 6.1 billion in loans and mitigate 7.8 million tons of CO2e annually.