Search Climate Insights Directory

This briefing discusses the barriers to electric vehicle (EV) adoption for low-income consumers, specifically highlighting the risk of high repair costs. It argues for strategic investments in EV government fleets and public transportation to benefit environmental justice communities while cautioning that subsidies for individual purchase must be paired with considerations for full lifecycle costs to prevent vulnerable households from losing vehicle access.

This report by Energy Innovation argues that while zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) trucks have significant potential for greenhouse gas reductions and public health improvements, current adoption rates are insufficient to meet climate goals without more ambitious policy interventions.

This fact sheet explains the Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) regulation adopted by California in 2020, which requires original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to increase the percentage of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) and near-zero-emissions vehicles (NZEVs) in their annual sales from 2024 to 2035.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) criticizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) finalized Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2023-2025, arguing that increasing the mandate for crop-based biofuels contradicts electrification goals and harms the climate.

This report by RMI examines how reforming urban land use policies in the United States can mitigate climate change, increase housing supply, and reduce ecological harm by moving away from car-centric, single-family zoning.

This guide provides a foundational overview of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, explaining the different types of electric vehicles, the reasons for the prevalence of lithium-ion technology, the basic chemical mechanisms of battery operation, and the primary minerals required for production.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines the barriers preventing ride-hailing drivers in the United States, Europe, and Canada from switching to electric vehicles (EVs) and proposes strategies for governments and industry stakeholders to accelerate electrification.

This statement from RMI argues that reforming housing and zoning policies in the United States is a critical but overlooked component of climate strategy. The author contends that the current housing shortage and exclusionary zoning drive carbon emissions by forcing sprawl and auto-dependency, while simultaneously exacerbating economic and health inequities. The document calls for a shift toward infill, multi-family, and mixed-use development to reduce transportation emissions and improve affordability.

This guide provides a series of modular training exercises for the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) 2020 software. Using a fictional country called "Freedonia" and a hypothetical region called "Transportia," the document instructs users on how to model energy demand, transformation processes, emissions, cost-benefit analyses, and least-cost optimization for energy systems.

This research note by Energy Innovation analyzes the economic and environmental consequences of the Trump administration's proposal to freeze federal fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for light-duty vehicles at 2020 levels for model years 2021 through 2026. The analysis focuses on the impact on the U.S. economy, California, 'Section 177' states, and Canada, utilizing the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) to project costs, emissions, and fuel consumption through 2050.

This report presents a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) assessment of the Contournement de Rabat (Rabat bypass) road project in Morocco. Using system dynamics and project finance modelling, the study evaluates the financial viability of the 41.1 km toll road across six risk scenarios and incorporates the valuation of four key externalities: discretionary spending from labour income, social cost of carbon, value of time saved, and the cost of accidents.

This briefing by Energy Innovation argues that while fuel quality standards are a critical first step in reducing air pollution in China, long-term success depends on developing sustainable, dense, and walkable cities to avoid the car-reliant model of the 20th-century United States.

This research paper analyzes the drivers of per capita carbon dioxide emissions across U.S. states, identifying specific socioeconomic and climatic factors that contribute to higher emissions levels.

This guide, part of the Foundation Course on Air Quality Management in Asia, provides a comprehensive technical framework for developing emissions inventories and implementing control measures for air pollutants. It details the methodologies for quantifying emissions from stationary, area, and mobile sources, evaluates various international software tools for inventory compilation, and describes the physical and chemical processes used to control particulate and gaseous emissions.

The Hypercar® is a conceptual vehicle developed by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) that integrates ultralightweight construction, ultra-aerodynamic design, and hybrid-electric propulsion to achieve extreme fuel efficiency without sacrificing safety or performance.

This synthesis report summarizes a series of expert dialogues conducted between May 2009 and March 2010 by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Pembina Institute. The dialogues aimed to identify opportunities for trilateral cooperation on clean energy and climate action among Canada, the United States, and Mexico, highlighting the complexities of differing national roles and the impact of U.S. policy uncertainty on continental coordination.

This working paper by the World Resources Institute analyzes the methodological challenges and diverse approaches used to create citywide transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories, emphasizing their role in developing climate action plans and securing funding.