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This guide by RMI explains the role of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as 'nutrition labels' for building materials, detailing how they report life-cycle assessment (LCA) data to track embodied carbon. It outlines the current limitations of EPD standardization and proposes a vision for 'ideal' EPDs based on rigorous Product Category Rules (PCRs) to ensure fair and competitive carbon reduction policies.

This document provides a collection of case studies and resources intended to help State Energy Offices (SEOs) design and implement home energy rebate programs under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It highlights specific tools, frameworks, and programs that address equity, workforce development, consumer education, and supply chain coordination to optimize residential energy retrofits and electrification.

This report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) analyzes the adoption of electric school buses (ESBs) in the United States as of June 2023. It tracks the number of committed vehicles, the impact of federal and state funding, and the distribution of these buses across different demographics and environmental conditions, highlighting a trend toward more equitable deployment in low-income and high-pollution areas.

This report by Energy Innovation argues that while the economics of clean energy are now competitive with fossil fuels, non-financial risks—specifically project development and market uncertainty—are hindering deployment in the United States. The authors propose 'investment-grade policies' to reduce these risks, focusing on transmission access, streamlined siting and permitting, and long-term cost-recovery schedules to lower the cost of capital for developers.

This guide by RMI explores how Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) can leverage their extensive rooftop and parking assets to drive solar development, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while increasing shareholder value. It identifies significant untapped capacity, outlines the financial and regulatory barriers to adoption, and proposes community solar as a viable solution to overcome these challenges.

This RMI briefing outlines how US Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) can use grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) to resolve transmission bottlenecks that are delaying the interconnection of renewable energy. It identifies regulatory 'gold plating' and 'capex bias' as primary barriers and proposes four strategies—knowledge building, planning mandates, financial incentive reforms, and FERC engagement—to accelerate the deployment of these cost-effective solutions.

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.

This briefing by RMI examines the debate over emissions accounting methods in New York State, specifically focusing on the shift to a 20-year global warming potential (GWP20) timeframe and the inclusion of upstream and biogenic emissions. The author argues that this 'new climate math' increases climate benefits without necessarily increasing costs, as physical emissions remain constant regardless of the accounting timeframe used.

This guide explains the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) regulation in California, which aims to reduce light-duty vehicle emissions by 50 percent by 2040. The regulation mandates that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) increase the sale of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), culminating in a requirement that 100 percent of sales be ZEVs or PHEVs by 2035.

This briefing by RMI outlines strategies and policy levers to reduce methane emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills in the United States. It proposes a two-pronged approach: improving the monitoring and control of existing waste and preventing new methane generation by diverting organic waste from landfills. The document advocates for stronger federal standards from the EPA to scale these reductions and protect adjacent communities.

This report analyzes the potential nationwide impact of California's Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) rule, which aims for 100% ZEV sales by 2035. It finds that if all 177 eligible states adopt the rule, the U.S. could reduce cumulative emissions by 1,310 MMT CO2e by 2050, prevent 5,000 deaths and 160,000 asthma attacks, and see the EV fleet grow to 239 million vehicles. The analysis emphasizes that while the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides critical short-term incentives, state-level mandates are necessary for long-term sustainability.

This RMI fact sheet explains the technology, benefits, and market opportunities for geothermal heat pumps (also known as ground-source heat pumps) in the United States. It highlights their efficiency in both hot and cold climates, their role in reducing building emissions, and the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on lowering installation costs.

This fact sheet by RMI explains the concept of embodied carbon in building materials, detailing how it is calculated, strategies for its reduction, and the role of policy and industry in decarbonizing construction.

AFRODAD urges the adoption of the New York Taxpayer and International Debt Crises Protection Act to compel private creditors to participate in debt relief. The organization highlights that 23 African countries face debt distress or high risk, exacerbated by sovereign bonds and global crises including the climate emergency, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Ukraine-Russia Conflict.

The Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program is a USDA initiative designed to help agricultural producers manage financial risk through conservation practices, crop diversification, and marketing assistance. It is available in 16 specific US states where crop insurance rates are low, with permanent mandatory funding of $10 million per fiscal year.

The Genesee-Finger Lakes Emissions Scenario report, produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region, outlines a project to assess the region's climate footprint and identify emission reduction pathways to guide a future Climate Action Strategy.

This report by Energy Innovation and RMI evaluates the impact of five key state-level energy policies on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across six U.S. states using the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS). The analysis demonstrates that a coordinated policy approach can significantly reduce emissions, create jobs, and improve public health outcomes.

This briefing by RMI outlines the energy affordability crisis in the US, driven by high fossil fuel prices and rising electricity rates, and provides a toolkit of short-term and long-term regulatory solutions for state public utility commissions to reduce the energy burden on vulnerable households.

The Stockholm Environment Institute's 2023 report analyzes emission reduction scenarios for the Genesee-Finger Lakes region. It finds that while a 'high ambition' scenario can meet New York State's 2030 climate targets, none of the analyzed scenarios achieve the 85% reduction required by 2050. Key challenges include significant emissions from dairy cow enteric fermentation and large-scale landfills, while key opportunities lie in grid decarbonization, vehicle electrification, and agricultural manure management.

This report by Energy Innovation provides a guide for state policymakers to leverage the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 to accelerate the transition to clean electricity. It details the mechanics of clean energy tax credits, reinvestment financing for fossil infrastructure, and transmission provisions, while analyzing independent modeling of the IRA's potential to reduce U.S. electricity sector emissions and lower household energy costs by 2030.