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The document discusses the shift from territorial to consumption-based emission tracking in Nordic municipalities to capture embodied emissions from imported goods and services. It highlights that imported embodied CO2 emissions in final consumption ranged from 45% in Finland to nearly 60% in Iceland in 2015. The brief identifies data collection across value chains as a primary challenge and notes that the Greenhouse Gas Protocol for cities (GPC) lacks detailed guidance for comprehensive consumption-based assessments.

The executive summary evaluates climate adaptation policies in the Nordic region, highlighting a gap between the ability to identify risks and the lack of comprehensive monitoring systems. It notes that while adaptation is mainstreamed across public bodies, it suffers from low political priority, insufficient funding compared to mitigation, and a lack of economic incentives for the private sector. The document recommends reframing adaptation as transformation, improving knowledge generation for transboundary risks, and strengthening political mandates through Nordic collaboration.

Octavia Carbon is a Kenya-based startup developing Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC) technology to remove CO2 from the atmosphere for permanent storage or industrial use. The company aims to disrupt the high cost of DACC by utilizing Kenya's natural endowments, specifically the high-porosity basaltic rock of the Rift Valley for storage and waste heat from geothermal power for energy. By the end of 2024, Octavia Carbon intends to produce at least one machine per day, reaching a capacity of approximately 40,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. The company projects a cost per tonne of CO2 between $300 and $500, significantly lower than current global ranges of $775 to $1,200, positioning it as a potential global cost leader by mid-decade.

Carbon mineralization is a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) process that accelerates the reaction between CO2 and alkaline minerals in mafic or ultramafic rocks to create solid carbonates. The document outlines in-situ (subsurface) and ex-situ (surface) approaches, noting that while the process can permanently sequester CO2 and offer co-benefits like strengthening concrete or reducing ocean acidification, it faces challenges including high energy requirements for mining and grinding, potential heavy metal contamination, and a lack of standardized measurement and monitoring protocols.

The report details a 2022 workshop organized by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the Belmont Forum to promote transdisciplinary (TD) knowledge co-production. It analyzes three case studies—Jamaican Women in Coffee (JAWiC), NICH-Arctic, and FRACTAL—to identify common challenges such as power imbalances and conflicting priorities between funders and local communities. The document concludes with best practices for TD project implementation, emphasizing the need to center local timeframes and enhance communication, as well as pedagogical recommendations for future 'train the trainers' events.

The report asserts that the EU cannot reach net zero by 2050 without large-scale deployment of CCUS, estimating a need to capture and store between 300 and 640 Mt of CO2 annually by 2050. It highlights a significant gap between current project announcements and the necessary infrastructure, particularly in CO2 transport and geological storage. The authors recommend that the European Commission establish clear targets, a regulatory framework for CO2 grids, and financial mechanisms like Carbon Contracts for Difference (CCfD) to de-risk investments. The document specifically identifies 'hard-to-abate' sectors—such as cement, steel, and waste-to-energy—as critical areas where CCUS is either the lowest-cost or only viable decarbonisation pathway. It also emphasizes the necessity of technology-based carbon dioxide removals (CDR) via BECCS and DACS to balance residual emissions.

Analysis of 2022 EU-ETS data shows that the ten largest emitters in the system are all coal power plants, which together account for 13% of total EU-ETS emissions and 25% of power sector emissions. Germany and Poland are the primary contributors, together responsible for two-thirds of coal power emissions. Three utilities—RWE, PGE, and EPH—dominate the sector, collectively accounting for 30% of power sector emissions. While coal emissions rose 6% in 2022 due to the energy crisis, the long-term trend remains a decline, with 2022 levels 40% lower than a decade ago.

The report identifies that the ten largest emitters in the EU-ETS are all coal power plants, which together account for 25% of the power sector's emissions. While 2022 saw a 6% increase in coal emissions due to the energy crisis, the long-term trend remains a decline. Germany and Poland dominate the emissions landscape, and three utilities—RWE, PGE, and EPH—have remained the top emitters for six consecutive years.

The authors call on Council of Europe nations to address a gap in the European human rights framework by formally recognizing the right to a healthy environment. They argue that while the UN General Assembly affirmed this right in July 2022, the Council of Europe remains the only regional human rights system whose political institutions have not yet done so. The authors suggest that a protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights would catalyze climate action, provide legal certainty for corporate actors, and protect environmental activists.

The report analyzes the increasing engagement of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) with climate change, noting that in 2022, 52 percent of outputs to States included climate-related recommendations. It highlights a shift toward more specific demands regarding mitigation, the phasing out of fossil fuels, and the protection of vulnerable groups, including children, women, and Indigenous Peoples. A landmark decision by the Human Rights Committee in Billy et al. v. Australia established a State's duty to protect individuals from climate impacts and provide effective remedy. The document argues for further HRTB guidance on extraterritorial obligations and the regulation of private business actors to prevent climate-induced human rights violations.

The document details the processes, financial mechanics, and outcomes of municipal green bonds in Mexico City and Reykjavík, and a sustainability bond by Manila Water. It highlights the importance of international standards, second-party opinions, and government guarantees in successfully attracting capital for climate-resilient urban infrastructure.

The 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (24/7 CFE) Compact, launched in September 2021 at the United Nations High-Level Dialogue on Energy, aims to eliminate reliance on fossil fuels by moving beyond annual renewable energy matching to hourly, real-time matching of demand and carbon-free supply. Coordinated by SEforALL with support from Google, the Compact has grown to over 120 signatories, including governments, private companies, and academic institutions. The initiative supports a technology-inclusive approach, prioritizing storage, demand-side management, and the development of Granular Certificates to drive investment. Current and future efforts include a global study on policy and regulatory reforms to empower consumers and a working group exploring the role of green hydrogen in achieving 24/7 CFE.

The document provides a comprehensive set of definitions for geothermal energy stakeholders, categorizing terms into internal heat, rock and fluid parameters, system types, locations, operations, and project finance. It emphasizes superhot rock (SHR) geothermal, which involves resources at or above 374°C, and distinguishes between conventional hydrothermal systems and unconventional methods like Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and closed-loop circuits. The glossary also outlines the technology readiness level (TRL) scale and the projected economic competitiveness of SHR at the Nth-of-a-kind scale.

The CESCR frequently addressed climate change in its 2022 State reviews, focusing on mitigation policies, adaptation plans, and the phase-out of fossil fuels. The Committee emphasized the need for States to meet Paris Agreement commitments and highlighted extraterritorial obligations to ensure that domestic policies and international agreements do not adversely affect human rights in other countries. Additionally, the 2022 General Comment No. 26 on land rights stressed that climate mitigation measures, such as large-scale renewable energy projects, must include robust safeguards to protect human rights and the environment.

The document describes superhot rock energy as a visionary geothermal technology capable of providing affordable, always-on clean power and hydrogen. While the technology has global potential—with many areas having accessible superhot rock less than 10 km deep—it remains underutilized due to a lack of funding and the risks associated with early-stage innovation. The author highlights that most existing projects are in the drilling phase (Level 2) and none have yet harnessed supercritical fluids for power production. To accelerate commercialization, the brief calls for government funding of high-temperature drilling research and pilot demonstrations, alongside the creation of safe and efficient regulatory regimes.

The report presents a preliminary techno-economic model for superhot rock energy, estimating that NOAK plants could achieve a competitive LCOE of $20-35 per megawatt-hour (MWh). The model categorizes costs into well field development, power plant construction, and project financing, assuming the commercial availability of innovations in deep drilling and reservoir creation. Sensitivity analysis identifies mass flow rate as the most critical driver of economics, followed by plant capacity and the drilling learning curve. The analysis emphasizes that while drilling costs are a significant part of well field expenses, they have a relatively small impact on overall LCOE compared to the power output per well.

Superhot rock energy involves tapping into Earth's deep heat (400°C or hotter) to produce high-density, zero-carbon power. While current geothermal is limited to specific volcanic regions, superhot rock could be accessed worldwide through deep drilling. The report identifies critical engineering needs in drilling, reservoir creation, and materials, suggesting that leveraging unconventional oil and gas expertise could accelerate commercialization.

A study by Öko-Institut for Carbon Market Watch finds that major European airlines rely on low-quality, cheap carbon offsets and lack transparency in reporting, often using misleading claims like 'carbon-neutral flying' to mask a lack of substantive emissions reductions.

The document analyzes the global landscape of fossil fuel subsidies, noting a significant rise to almost USD 700 billion in 2021. It distinguishes between production and consumption subsidies—the latter making up 86% of 2019 estimates—and highlights how these supports distort international trade through 'pass-through' effects. The briefing argues that reforming these subsidies could reduce CO2 emissions by an average of 6% by 2030 across 32 economies, especially if savings are reinvested in clean energy. It also details the role of the WTO and other international forums (G7, G20, APEC) in establishing disciplines to phase out inefficient subsidies.

The Netherlands aims to reduce industrial GHG emissions by 59% by 2030 and reach climate neutrality by 2050. The government employs a 'carrot-and-stick' approach, using a National CO2 Tax as a floor price and the SDE++ subsidy scheme to support low-carbon technologies. CCS is currently prioritized as a cost-effective transition technology, with projects like Porthos nearing final investment decisions. Hydrogen strategy involves a transition from grey to blue and eventually green hydrogen, supported by plans for a national 'hydrogen backbone' utilizing existing gas infrastructure. However, the report notes that current policy is insufficient to enable gigawatt-scale green hydrogen projects, and the SDE++ scheme tends to favor mature technologies over long-term innovation.