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The report details a record-breaking Q1 2024 for aligned GSS+ debt, with USD 272.7bn added. Green bonds dominated the market, while Europe remained the primary regional source. The report also highlights the growth of sovereign GSS+ issuance, the emergence of nuclear energy in green bond frameworks in North America, and the evolving alignment of sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) with Climate Bonds' methodology.

The document argues that achieving cost-effective net-zero emissions in Canada's building sector requires a significant shift toward electrification and a cessation of gas network expansion. It highlights a misalignment between current utility regulations—which continue to incentivize gas infrastructure growth—and the necessary transition to clean energy. The briefing recommends that provincial governments legally mandate net-zero targets for regulators, prioritize electrification over gas for new developments, and develop managed contraction plans for existing gas networks to avoid stranded assets and protect taxpayers.

The report argues that achieving cost-optimal carbon neutrality in Canada's building sector requires a massive shift toward electrification, primarily through heat pumps, and a significant reduction in gas network reliance. It warns that current regulatory inertia and the continued expansion of gas infrastructure create risks of 'stranded assets' and higher costs for taxpayers. The authors recommend that provincial governments provide clear long-term strategic guidance, mandate net-zero targets, and empower regulators to prioritize electrification over gas expansion to protect long-term affordability and reliability.

The document outlines the necessity of shifting Canada's building heat from gas to electricity to meet net-zero targets cost-effectively. It warns that continued expansion of gas networks risks creating stranded assets and higher costs for ratepayers. The author argues that current utility regulation is insufficient for the energy transition and recommends that provincial governments legislate net-zero targets, prioritize electrification over gas expansion, and implement managed contractions of gas networks while centering equity in policy design.

The report finds that a cost-optimal path to net zero in Canada requires a massive shift toward electrification of building heat, with electricity powering 78% to 91% of annual space heating demand by 2050. It argues that continued expansion of gas networks is inconsistent with these goals and risks creating stranded assets. The analysis highlights a critical gap in provincial policy leadership, noting that current utility regulation—which incentivizes infrastructure growth—is ill-suited for the energy transition. To mitigate risks, the report recommends that provincial governments legislate net zero targets, mandate electrification for new buildings, and equip regulators to manage the gradual contraction of gas networks while investing in electricity capacity and peak demand management.

The report finds that Canadian institutions provided between CAD 7.6 billion and CAD 13.5 billion annually to the fossil fuel sector from 2020 to 2022, while providing only CAD 147 million annually for domestic renewable energy. It identifies Export Development Canada (EDC) as the primary provider of this finance and highlights a critical lack of transparency in reporting. The authors recommend a comprehensive policy that covers the entire fossil fuel life cycle, includes existing investments like the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion, and precludes funding for carbon capture and storage (CCS) and blue hydrogen. The report suggests redirecting these funds toward clean electricity and Indigenous-led generation to support Canada's energy transition.

The report highlights a significant funding gap in the Canadian Prairies, where grey water infrastructure depreciation exceeded investments by nearly CAD 3 billion between 2017 and 2021. It argues that private capital can supplement government funding through outcome-based financing models and government incentives, provided that ethical considerations regarding land rights and Indigenous values are prioritized.

The document assesses the viability of Canadian LNG expansion, concluding that it is incompatible with climate goals and economically precarious. It highlights that new facilities would increase domestic emissions and potentially strand assets due to a projected global supply glut and declining demand in advanced economies. The brief specifically notes that Canadian projects face higher production costs than competitors in Qatar and the United States, making them reliant on substantial public subsidies. It recommends a shift in investment toward green industries to avoid economic shocks and environmental damage.

The report analyzes the current state of fossil fuel production references in the climate commitments of the 20 largest producers and provides a framework for including production phase-outs in future NDCs and LT-LEDS. It finds that most producers either omit production plans or signal continued extraction, which contradicts 1.5°C-compatible scenarios. The authors propose five key elements for new commitments: background production data, phase-out targets, restrictive policies, just transition planning, and equity-based international cooperation.

The report outlines the technical process of combining Fathom's Global Flood Map (v3.1) with Public Safety Canada's residential building data and probabilistic vulnerability functions. It describes the use of 'big data' from US FEMA insurance claims to model damage distributions across 10 residential building types. The methodology accounts for flood defenses based on urbanization levels and applies the trapezium rule across eight return periods to estimate economic losses. Results show that Canada's defended AAL is projected to increase from 1,423 million CAD in 2020 to 1,681 million CAD by 2050, while undefended AAL is significantly higher, reaching 5,050 million CAD by 2050.

The document is a participant list for the 32nd Meeting to the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, hosted by Bolivia and Canada on May 22-23, 2024. It identifies representatives from various member parties, advisory committees, and observers. Party representatives include officials from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, the United States, and Uruguay. The list also includes members of the SAC and SPAC advisory committees, as well as observers from organizations such as the AAAS, Future Earth, and the Belmont Forum.

The document describes La Niña as the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, characterized by the movement of cold water to the central and eastern Pacific surface. For 2024, there is an 85% chance of a transition to neutral conditions between April and June, and a 60% chance of La Niña developing by June to August. The text highlights that multi-year La Niña events are increasing in frequency, with five of the last ten occurring in the past 25 years. While La Niña temporarily lowers global average surface temperatures by about 0.1C, it does not offset human-caused warming; recent La Niña years have been among the top 10 hottest years ever. Regional impacts include drier conditions in East Africa and the southern US, and wetter conditions in Southeast Asia, India, and northern South America, affecting various crop yields and increasing the risk of floods and droughts.

The report assesses decarbonisation strategies for refineries across four major regions, focusing on Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. It evaluates technologies such as carbon capture, blue and green hydrogen, and the transition to biorefineries (specifically the HEFA process) or clean fuels facilities. Regional analysis shows that while the US and GCC benefit from cheap natural gas for blue hydrogen, Europe is trending toward green hydrogen imports and biorefinery revamps. Singapore's strategy is heavily influenced by its status as a global trading hub and its lack of domestic natural gas or carbon storage resources. The report concludes that energy efficiency projects are generally the most immediate and viable, while large-scale carbon capture and hydrogen transitions require significant policy support and infrastructure development to be economically feasible.

In 2023, the share of renewables in the global electricity mix exceeded 30% for the first time, driven by record solar and wind generation. Despite this, total power sector emissions reached a record high of 14,153 million tonnes of CO2 because clean growth could not fully meet rising demand and was hampered by a record fall in hydropower. While carbon intensity hit a record low of 480 gCO2/kWh, fossil generation increased by 135 TWh, primarily in emerging economies like China and India where droughts reduced hydro output.

The report identifies 2023 as the likely peak for global power sector emissions, forecasting a decline in 2024 driven by record solar and wind additions. While electricity demand is expected to rise due to electrification, data centres, and air conditioning, the growth of clean energy is projected to outpace this demand. The document highlights that tripling renewable capacity by 2030 could halve power sector emissions. It also provides case studies of China, Brazil, and the Netherlands to demonstrate how high-level ambition, incentive mechanisms, and the removal of technical barriers can accelerate the transition regardless of geographic or economic starting points.

The document presents the report of the IAI's 2024 Extraordinary Meeting held on March 26, 2024, via videoconference. The primary outcome of the meeting was the consensus approval of Panama's proposal to host the IAI Executive Directorate's headquarters. The report also details the transition process from the current headquarters in Uruguay, with the Executive Director requesting that operations remain active in Uruguay until July 2025 to ensure a smooth relocation.

This report analyzes how G20 nations are advancing the bioeconomy, categorizing approaches into biotechnology, bioresources, and bioecology. It highlights the potential for the global bioeconomy to reach US$ 30 trillion by 2050 and emphasizes the need for equitable, biodiversity-regenerative models. The document details technological advancements in biorefineries and bio-based materials, the role of indigenous knowledge, and the importance of sustainable finance and international cooperation to align economic growth with planetary boundaries.

The document assesses the current state of bioeconomy strategies across G20 nations, identifying three primary thematic axes: biotechnology (R&D&I), bioresources (sustainable use of biodiversity), and bio-ecology (sustainable development). It highlights the significant economic potential of the sector, citing estimates that its value could reach US$30 trillion by 2050. The report emphasizes the necessity of integrating indigenous and local knowledge, ensuring social equity, and aligning bioeconomy growth with biodiversity conservation and climate action. It further examines policy enablers such as Green Public Procurement and carbon pricing, and discusses financing mechanisms including nature markets and sustainability-linked bonds. The report concludes by proposing five key themes for the G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy's program of work: integration into growth plans, livelihoods and equity, enabling finance, facilitating biotrade, and measurement methodologies.

The document outlines the necessity of a Global Just Transition to phase out fossil fuels by 2050, emphasizing the disproportionate economic burden on developing nations. It proposes a framework for financing this transition through new multilateral funds, the redirection of USD 5.9 trillion in annual fossil fuel subsidies, and systemic reforms to debt, taxation, and international financial institutions.

The document highlights how current life-cycle assessments (LCAs) for building materials in Canada may misdirect decarbonization efforts due to data gaps and a lack of transparency. It specifically notes that LCAs often ignore biogenic carbon emissions from wood products, which can account for up to 72% of their total lifecycle emissions, potentially overstating the carbon advantage of wood over materials like concrete and steel. The briefing recommends that the federal government invest in regionalized national life-cycle inventories and that policymakers prioritize energy efficiency, building durability, and material efficiency over a narrow focus on embodied emissions.