Search Climate Insights Directory

This fact sheet describes on-bill financing as a mechanism to eliminate upfront costs for residential energy efficiency improvements by providing low-interest loans repaid through monthly utility bills. It distinguishes between tariff-based systems, which tie costs to the meter and can address landlord-tenant split incentives, and on-bill loans, which typically function as non-transferable personal or business loans. The document highlights a pilot program in South Carolina that achieved significant energy savings through whole-house retrofits.

This research paper analyzes the compatibility of the Australian Government's Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. It examines the bill's proposals to ban illegally logged timber imports and domestic processing, while requiring due diligence from importers and processors. The authors conclude that the legislation is likely WTO-compatible provided it is implemented non-discriminatorily and does not afford protection to domestic products.

This document is a list of participants for the 34th Executive Council Meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, which took place on June 29, 2012, in Arlington, Virginia, USA.

The Action List from the Twentieth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held June 27-29, 2012, in Arlington, Virginia, details administrative decisions including budget approvals, the election of leadership, and the establishment of a committee for the IAI Tripartite Directorate.

The document records the decisions made during the twentieth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held from June 27-29, 2012, in Arlington, Virginia, USA.

The document is a participant list for the IAI 20th Conference of the Parties Science-Policy Dialogue held in Arlington, Virginia, from June 27 to June 29, 2012. It provides contact details for representatives from various American countries, the US, Canada, and international organizations.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Conference of the Parties (CoP) met from June 27-29, 2012, in Arlington, VA, US, to adopt nine resolutions concerning budgetary approvals, program planning, and organizational governance.

Amory Lovins criticizes a Senate Armed Services Committee vote that restricts the U.S. Department of Defense from purchasing alternative fuels that cost more than traditional fossil fuels, arguing that such restrictions stifle military-led innovation and potential civilian economic savings.

The document is a list of actions from the 33rd Meeting of the Executive Council (CE) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held on June 26, 2012, in Arlington, Virginia. It records administrative decisions regarding the council's leadership, financial approvals, and the recommendation of projects and candidates for further approval by the Conference of Parties (CoP).

This research paper examines the evolving role of the BRICS grouping amidst a slowdown in China's economy. It argues that while the group was initially viewed through the lens of economic growth engines, its current value lies in political economy and its collective assertiveness in global economic governance, including efforts to reform the IMF and reduce reliance on the US dollar.

This progress report from the Executive Council (EC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research details the efforts to establish a distributed structure for the IAI Directorate and notes a change in the EC leadership.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Executive Council (EC) report details the process of establishing a tripartite structure for the IAI Executive Directorate involving Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, as well as leadership changes within the EC.

This document is a budget request from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) for the 2012/2013 fiscal year, including preliminary projections for 2013-2015. It details the operational costs required to maintain the IAI Directorate, manage scientific programs such as CRN II and CRN III, and facilitate the relocation of the Directorate's headquarters from Brazil to Uruguay.

A letter from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute to Senator Whitehouse urging support for mandatory funding for energy programs within the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012 (S. 3240) to reduce petroleum dependence and stimulate rural economic growth.

This research paper evaluates various cost-limiting tools used in U.S. state renewable energy policies—including alternative compliance payments, contract price caps, and retail rate impact caps—to provide recommendations for California's RPS cost limitation. The analysis finds that while cost limits can insure against extreme costs, they often create market uncertainty, may be set based on political rather than economic data, and can inadvertently act as price floors, potentially hindering the achievement of renewable energy targets.

This briefing describes the proposed Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), a legislative initiative designed to provide low-interest loans to rural homeowners for energy efficiency improvements via on-bill financing through the USDA's Rural Utilities Service.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research's Quarterly Status Report for June 2012 details the organization's financial standing, including core budget contributions, expenses through February 2012, and administrative challenges regarding staff contracts and tax liabilities in Brazil.

The twentieth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held from June 27-29, 2012, in Arlington, VA, USA, resulted in the adoption of several administrative and operational resolutions.

This briefing from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes two distinct security and political crises: the escalating violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) involving the M23 rebel group and Rwandan influence, and the economic instability and civil unrest in Sudan under President Omar al-Bashir.

This report analyzes the state of the global securitization markets as of May 2012, examining whether recent activity in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) and trade finance signals a recovery that could eventually benefit climate finance. ItS It discusses how bank recapitalization pressures have reduced renewable energy lending, which relies on banks for 95% of project finance globally, making the development of securitized clean energy assets vital for recycling capital. The report evaluates market trends in Europe and the United States, the impact of regulatory frameworks like Basel III and Solvency II, and the role of standardization initiatives like the Climate Bond Standard and the Prime Collateralised Securities Initiative (PCSI).