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The document argues that limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C requires an immediate stop to burning fossil fuels, urging governments to halve global fossil fuel use by 2035 and stop new fossil fuel project investments. It highlights the role of cities and businesses in this transition, noting that solar and wind are already cheaper than new fossil gas electricity in most C40 city locations. Examples of city-level action include fossil gas bans in new buildings in several US cities and renewable energy targets in Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Seoul. Additionally, over 200 companies with nearly US$1.5 trillion in revenue are calling for clear phase-out timelines, 100% decarbonised power, and the reform of fossil fuel subsidies.

The report details a pattern of negative publicity surrounding CIM Group, focusing on tenant mistreatment in Virginia, DC, and Colorado; the gentrification of minority neighborhoods in Los Angeles and New York City; construction defects in luxury towers; and ethically questioned business ties to Donald Trump and Jared Kushner. It further highlights the resulting pressure on public pension funds, such as CalPERS, to divest from the firm due to these controversies and past allegations of bribery involving placement agents.

The report finds that passenger vehicles manufactured before 2004, while representing only 19% of California's fleet, produce the vast majority of nitrogen oxides and reactive organic gases, contributing to PM2.5 pollution. This pollution disproportionately affects Black and Latino Californians and low-income households, particularly in Southern California and Los Angeles County. The authors recommend prioritizing vehicle replacement incentives for these priority populations and expanding transportation solutions beyond private car ownership.

The report analyzes the impact of passenger vehicles manufactured before 2004 in California, finding that while they represent only 19% of registered vehicles, they produce the majority of nitrogen oxides and reactive organic gases. This pollution contributes to the formation of PM2.5, which is linked to significant health issues and premature deaths. The study demonstrates that exposure to this pollution is inequitably distributed, disproportionately affecting Latino, Black, and low-income communities, particularly in Southern California. The authors recommend prioritizing vehicle replacement incentives for disadvantaged populations and expanding non-private transportation alternatives.

Since 1970, 204 U.S. locations have seen a decrease in annual freezing nights, with an average reduction of 13 nights. Warming has been most rapid during winter and at night, with nighttime lows warming 25% faster than daytime highs since 1900. Projections indicate that by 2040, every state in the contiguous U.S. and Alaska will experience a drop in below-freezing days under a medium-high emissions scenario, with 23 states potentially seeing three to four fewer weeks of freezing days by mid-century. While this may reduce heating costs and cold-exposure risks, it threatens snow-fed water supplies, winter recreation economies, and fruit crop yields.

Climate Central's analysis of 247 U.S. locations shows a significant shift toward heat records over cold records, with 96% of locations setting more heat records in the 2010s compared to 54% in the 1910s. From January 2020 to November 2022, 91% of analyzed locations saw more record heat than cold, with some cities like Tampa and Miami setting only heat records. The report links these local trends to global warming, noting that daily heat records in the U.S. have become at least twice as frequent as cold records, increasing risks for health, ecosystems, and infrastructure.

Analysis of 238 U.S. locations shows that 97% have experienced increased average winter temperatures since 1970, with an average warming of 3.3°F. Winter is the fastest warming season for 75% of these locations, and 97% of 244 analyzed locations have seen shrinking winter cold snaps. These trends impact water supplies, residential energy use, agriculture, public health, and the winter recreation industry.

The document argues that while current building codes focus on operational emissions and 'Buy Clean' policies target material production, there is a gap in mitigating end-of-life climate impacts. It proposes five policy interventions for municipalities: planning permit incentives for adaptive reuse, design standards for future adaptability in new construction, improved C&D waste management ordinances, deconstruction ordinances for historic buildings, and the implementation of material passports for public buildings.

The document catalogues endorsements of the term 'climate emergency' across different sectors. It notes that nearly 14,000 scientists from 156 countries have signed a warning stating 'planet Earth is facing a climate emergency'. In the media, The Guardian updated its style guide to recommend terms like 'climate emergency, crisis or breakdown', and Noticias Telemundo adopted 'climate emergency' over 'climate change' in 2019. Politically, 23 national governments, including Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and the European Union, have declared a climate emergency, alongside 2,060 towns, cities, and counties globally. Additionally, the UN Secretary General and Pope Francis have called for emergency declarations, and a 2021 poll indicated that two-thirds of the global population views climate change as a 'global emergency'.

The author argues that climate reporting must include climate justice to accurately reflect how the climate emergency is tied to existing social and racial inequities. The guide advises reporters to move beyond portraying marginalized communities as victims, to diversify expert sources, and to invest significant time in building trust with sources to avoid misrepresentation. It emphasizes that the systems driving climate change—such as extractive industries and discriminatory housing—are the same systems that create race and class divides.

Climate Central developed an Urban Heat Intensity Index for 159 U.S. cities, finding that New Orleans, Newark, New York City, Houston, and San Francisco have the highest intensity scores. The report identifies albedo, lack of greenery, population density, and building height as primary drivers of the UHI effect. These conditions exacerbate heat waves, worsen air quality through ground-level ozone formation, and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, particularly those in formerly redlined neighborhoods. Proposed solutions include short-term emergency cooling measures and long-term infrastructure changes such as planting trees, installing green and cool roofs, and deploying solar energy.

Attorneys General from Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia have urged US Attorney General Merrick Garland to withdraw or reverse Department of Justice (DOJ) amicus briefs filed during the previous administration. These briefs supported fossil fuel defendants in climate litigation, arguing that state-law claims were preempted by federal law or should be removed to federal court. The signers argue these positions undermine efforts to hold companies accountable for a "decades-long deception campaign" regarding climate dangers and contradict President Biden's pledge to support plaintiff-driven climate litigation.

The report finds that urban adaptation finance is significantly underfunded, representing only 3-5% of total global adaptation flows, with an estimated annual investment of up to USD 3.7 billion against a projected need of USD 11-20 billion for urban infrastructure protection. Analysis of the Global Landscape of Climate Finance, World Bank PPI, and CDP Cities data reveals a heavy concentration of funding in the water and wastewater sectors and a geographic bias toward East Asia and the Pacific, particularly China. Key barriers to scaling finance include limited DFI mandates for sub-national investment, poor municipal creditworthiness, and a lack of standardized outcome metrics for private investors. The report recommends developing practitioner case study databases, improving urban boundary tracking, and expanding DFI mandates to work directly with cities.

The report highlights that California's water system is engineered for historical conditions that no longer apply due to climate change. It identifies critical shifts in the state's hydroclimate—including declining snowpack, more extreme precipitation events, and increased volatility between wet and dry years—that threaten the viability of surface reservoirs and groundwater aquifers. The authors argue that while the data to plan for these changes is available, state and local agencies are underprepared, often relying on outdated operational rules or proprietary models. The report recommends updating the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), developing new hydrologic operations models, and increasing collaboration between climate scientists and water managers to prevent wasted investments and exacerbate inequities between well-resourced and vulnerable communities.

The report identifies significant barriers to EV adoption for California's multi-unit dwelling (MUD) residents, including outdated electrical infrastructure, split incentives between landlords and tenants, and a lack of private capital. It proposes a multi-pronged approach to increase access through updated building codes, streamlined permitting, utility-led 'make-ready' investments, and the use of low-power Level 1 charging to reduce costs and grid strain. The document emphasizes that achieving California's goal of 5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2030 requires addressing these equity gaps, as MUD residents—particularly renters—will be a critical market segment for growth after 2025.

The briefing examines the impact of the pandemic on public transit, emphasizing that while ridership has fallen, the system remains essential for emissions reduction and frontline workers. It argues that the crisis provides an opportunity to modernize transit through data science, shift from timetable-based planning to trip-based models, and prioritize dedicated bus lanes over a sole focus on electrification to challenge the dominance of single-occupancy vehicles.

The report details how American Securities' ownership of Global Tel Link (GTL) has led to predatory pricing and fee harvesting in the US correctional telecommunications market. It highlights the financial burden on low-income families, the recording of privileged attorney-client calls, and a bribery scandal in Mississippi. The document also examines GTL's expansion into digital tablets and video calling, arguing that these services often replace in-person visits and create new revenue streams from a captive market. Finally, it notes a growing trend of municipalities moving toward free correctional calls and increased legislative scrutiny of private equity's role in prison services.

The report finds that ride-hailing typically increases climate pollution and urban congestion because it displaces lower-carbon travel modes and adds 'deadheading' miles. It argues that the industry must rapidly electrify its fleet and increase ride-pooling to mitigate these effects, while governments should prioritize multimodal transportation and mass transit over car-centric models.

The report analyzes the climate impact of transportation network companies (TNCs) in seven major U.S. cities. It finds that non-pooled ride-hailing trips emit 47% more than private vehicle trips of the same length, largely due to 'deadheading' (driving without passengers). When accounting for the modes of transport that ride-hailing displaces—including mass transit, walking, and biking—typical ride-hailing trips are approximately 69% more polluting than the trips they replace. The analysis suggests that a transition to electric vehicles and an increase in pooling rates to 50% could reduce these emissions by 52% relative to displaced trips.

The briefing identifies significant challenges in tracking adaptation finance, such as context dependency and lack of standardized reporting. It proposes a three-category framework to distinguish between asset-focused, system-focused, and sectoral benchmark investments. To capture missing data, the authors suggest four technical approaches: keyword searches, sales data analysis, policy matching, and geographic matching. Initial assessments of Climate Bonds Initiative and CDP data show potential for capturing private finance, while the document recommends integrating adaptation into national planning and collaborating with data providers to enhance transparency.