Search Climate Insights Directory

The guide outlines ten ways US cities can advance electric mobility through permitting reform, building codes, targeted public charging, and shared e-mobility services to ensure an equitable transition.

The document reports that November 2025 was the third warmest on record globally and the fourth warmest for the contiguous U.S. It highlights a long-term trend of warming winters in the U.S., where the coldest day of the year has warmed by approximately 7°F since 1970. The briefing also notes significant regional anomalies, such as extreme warmth in Texas and heavy rainfall in southern California, while discussing the ongoing La Niña advisory and its expected impacts on weather patterns through early 2026.

Southwestern Pennsylvania is positioned to diversify its economy by establishing cleantech clusters, specifically in battery manufacturing, solar components, and green buildings, by utilizing its legacy in steel, glass, and robotics. While the region has existing strengths and some active companies, it requires better coordination through a dedicated cleantech cluster initiative and targeted workforce development in specialized engineering roles to compete with other regions and attract investment.

The E-Bike Rebate Program Guidebook by RMI outlines a five-step process for establishing e-bike incentive programs: identifying goals, designing funding and incentive structures, partnering with bike shops, conducting community outreach, and managing program launch and evaluation. It emphasizes equity through income-tiered rebates and point-of-sale models, while highlighting the importance of supportive infrastructure and diverse funding sources such as general funds, grants, and utility partnerships.

The guide outlines strategies for educators to embed climate change solutions into diverse subjects, from K-12 to graduate school. Key recommendations include utilizing local examples, inviting diverse guest speakers to demonstrate various career pathways, using simulations and games, and encouraging student-led projects and engagement with local government. The author emphasizes the importance of science-informed optimism and helping students find their personal purpose within the climate movement.

The Great Lakes region is positioned for an industrial renaissance in clean energy, having seen over $40 billion in new investments since 2021. However, the report argues that the region faces significant constraints, including slow population growth, a migration of manufacturing to the US South, and uneven clean electricity deployment. To overcome these, RMI suggests that states prioritize industries where they have existing 'economic complexity' and related capabilities, such as EV batteries and low-carbon steel. The report highlights the importance of coordinating across state lines to share legislative best practices—such as the creation of green banks and competitiveness funds—and recommends a regional investment attraction strategy to draw foreign direct investment. It specifically praises Illinois and Minnesota as leaders in environmental justice and workforce development frameworks.

The document argues that the U.S. transition to electric vehicles risks leaving behind low-income, rural, and minority communities due to 'charging deserts' and financial barriers. It outlines five strategies for local governments to ensure equitable access: utilizing community input for siting, prioritizing multifamily housing and charging deserts, expanding urban curbside charging, increasing pricing transparency, and supporting diverse e-mobility modes. The guide emphasizes that overcoming disparities in homeownership and energy burdens is essential for a just energy transition.

Pennsylvania's municipal governments are projected to spend at least $15.47 billion by 2040 to adapt to climate change, with stormwater drainage capacity representing the largest expense at $7.8 billion. The report highlights that these costs will disproportionately affect rural, high-poverty, and Environmental Justice areas, with some small municipalities facing annual per capita costs exceeding $1,000. The authors argue that major oil and gas companies should be held legally accountable for these costs rather than taxpayers.

Analysis of 150 U.S. weather stations shows that 91% experienced an increase in hourly rainfall intensity between 1970 and 2022, with an average increase of 13%. This trend is linked to climate warming, which allows the atmosphere to hold more moisture, increasing the risk of flash flooding and landslides regardless of whether a location is typically wet or dry.

The document outlines a roadmap for Indonesia to transition to a low-carbon economy without leaving vulnerable workers and communities behind. It defines the dimensions of just transition—procedural, distributive, and restorative—and provides a set of principles and a planning checklist. The guide analyses Indonesia's current policy landscape, highlighting the dominance of the energy sector in transition discussions and the need for a more cross-sectoral approach. It also presents international case studies from Germany, Canada, Sweden, the USA, and Australia to illustrate different leadership models and outcomes. Key recommendations include establishing a national governing body, creating a centralised database of affected workers, and enhancing social dialogue to ensure inclusive decision-making.

The document outlines the principles of a just transition, drawing on international case studies from Germany, Canada, Sweden, the US, and Australia to inform Indonesia's approach. It identifies key challenges in Indonesia, such as the lack of centralized data on affected workers and the need for cross-sectoral coordination. The guide proposes specific actions for government, non-governmental actors, and businesses, and introduces the Energy Transition Mechanism Country Platform (ETM-CP) and the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) as primary financial frameworks for Indonesia's energy shift.

The document argues for the necessity of federally funded monitoring networks to track mercury in air, water, and wildlife, and to modernize air quality monitoring in the U.S. It highlights the health risks of methylmercury, the impact of global emissions and climate change on U.S. deposition, and the need for high-resolution air quality data in overburdened communities to address disparities in pollution exposure.

The document serves as a handbook for Canadian municipalities to implement the 'localization' of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs). It outlines a 'basic recipe' for successful VLRs, including the establishment of local priorities, partnerships, inclusive participation, and data collection. A central theme is the necessity of integrating Indigenous knowledge and leadership to ensure the process supports transformative reconciliation. The guide synthesizes global and regional resources and provides case studies from cities such as Kelowna, Winnipeg, Espoo, and Malmö to illustrate best practices in data visualization, community storytelling, and the 'Leave No One Behind' (LNOB) principle.

The document advises US cities and communities to leverage existing federal funding opportunities to accelerate the clean energy transition. It highlights that the Biden Administration is integrating climate mitigation and racial equity into federal programs through initiatives like Justice40. The briefing recommends three strategies: understanding current funding landscapes via tools like the FFOLD tool, embedding environmental justice into project designs to increase competitiveness, and seeking funds from non-climate agencies such as those focused on health and economic development.

The July 2021 poll indicates strong support among Pennsylvania likely voters for holding oil and gas companies legally accountable for climate change damages. A majority of respondents believe these companies are not paying their fair share of costs and that businesses and large corporations are the primary cause of climate change. The poll also tests the impact of various messaging strategies on public support for litigation, finding that arguments regarding corporate disinformation and public health costs generally increase support for suing oil and gas companies.

The briefing advocates for net-zero energy districts, highlighting how urban-scale planning enables energy balancing across diverse building types, economies of scale for thermal systems, and reduced transportation emissions. It provides examples of smart developments in the US and India that integrate solar microgrids and battery storage to provide grid services and avoid infrastructure costs.

The analysis finds that Latino, Asian American, and African American residents in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are exposed to significantly higher levels of vehicle-related PM2.5 pollution than white residents. The report highlights that white residents comprise 85% of those in the lowest pollution areas, while people of color are overrepresented in the most polluted census tracts, often located near major highways in urban centers. The document argues for targeted investments in clean transportation, such as electric vehicles and buses, to reduce these environmental inequities.

The briefing outlines the advantages of transforming former industrial sites into net-zero energy (NZE) districts, highlighting benefits such as lower energy costs, access to specialized financing like PACE, and the ability to implement district-scale efficiencies. It provides examples of such projects in St. Paul, Denver, and Pittsburgh, emphasizing that NZE development can be achieved without first-cost premiums through innovative business models.

This fact sheet by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) challenges four primary myths regarding net-zero energy (NZE) leased buildings, asserting that they can be more profitable for developers and more beneficial for employees than traditional buildings. Using the Boulder Commons project as a case study, RMI demonstrates that NZE buildings can achieve higher occupancy rates, rental premiums, and increased employee productivity. The document also outlines a four-step process for transitioning existing buildings to NZE operation and promotes the NZE Leasing Best Practice Guide to scale adoption in the commercial sector.

The document details the health impacts of oil and gas air pollution in Pennsylvania, highlighting that 1.5 million people and over 1,300 schools are located within a half-mile of active operations. It reports that residents in eight counties around Pittsburgh face cancer risks exceeding EPA levels of concern and that over 30,000 children in the state suffer annual asthma attacks due to industry-linked ozone.