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This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes trade frictions arising from national and subnational plastic pollution measures implemented by WTO members. By examining Specific Trade Concerns (STCs) and Trade Policy Review (TPR) questions, the authors identify six primary types of regulatory issues—timing, transparency, stakeholder engagement, proportionality, justification, and discrimination—and provide recommendations to help policy-makers design measures that minimize trade disruptions.

This guide by RMI introduces Performance-Based Regulation (PBR) as a regulatory approach for electric utilities designed to align utility incentives with customer and societal interests. It contrasts PBR with traditional cost-of-service regulation (COSR), which the document argues creates perverse incentives such as 'gold plating' and 'capex bias' that hinder the clean energy transition. The guide details various PBR tools—including revenue decoupling, multi-year rate plans, and performance incentive mechanisms—and provides a framework for moving from incremental to comprehensive PBR reform.

This report examines the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in facilitating the transition to a global circular economy to address the 'triple planetary crisis'. It analyzes current trade measures, identifies a disproportionate focus on end-of-life waste management over upstream resource reduction, and proposes a framework for regulatory alignment and mutual recognition of circular goods and services to prevent market fragmentation and 'circular resource nationalism'.

A statement delivered by Hon. Kerrie D. Symmonds, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Barbados, on 26 June 2024, calling for the immediate entry into force of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and the conclusion of negotiations on overcapacity and overfishing.

This research paper analyzes a proposed bill in the New York State Legislature, the "Insuring Our Future Act," which seeks to use state regulatory authority to address rising insurance costs and coverage gaps caused by climate change. The authors argue that insurance companies are hypocritically citing climate-driven disasters to raise premiums while continuing to finance and underwrite the fossil fuel projects that drive the climate crisis.

This case study examines a results-based loan incentive used to accelerate the retirement of units 14 and 15 of the Tocopilla coal plant in Chile. In 2021, IDB Invest and Engie Energia Chile (EECL) closed a deal to finance the 151 MW Calama wind farm, utilizing a blended finance package that reduced the interest costs for EECL based on the volume of carbon emissions abated through the early decommissioning of the coal units.

In 2022, Starwood Energy Group accelerated the retirement of the Logan and Chambers coal plants in New Jersey by 30 months. This was achieved through a three-part strategy: renegotiating PPAs with Atlantic City Electric to save ratepayers $30 million, refinancing $200 million in debt via MetLife to fund the transition, and planning the redevelopment of the sites into grid-scale battery storage (876 MWh and 960 MWh). The move is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 3.9 million tons.

This case study examines the managed phaseout of the South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation (SLTEC) coal plant in the Philippines. In 2022, ACEN Corporation sold its equity in the plant to a special purpose vehicle (SPV), reducing the plant's operating life by 25 years to a retirement date of 2040. The transaction utilized a structure based on the Asian Development Bank's energy transition mechanism to lower the cost of capital and facilitate ACEN's transition toward 100% renewable energy by 2025.

A statement by Friends of the Earth criticizing the United States for failing to use its influence at the World Bank Group to stop the financing of oil and gas projects, noting recent commitments in Africa.

This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a legislative side-by-side comparison of the BioPreferred® Program as it exists under current law and as proposed in the House version of the 2024 Farm Bill, noting that the Senate version is pending.

This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a legislative side-by-side comparison of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) under current law and the House Agriculture Committee's amended text from May 2024. It details the program's goals of promoting agricultural production and environmental quality, its funding mechanisms, and proposed changes to payment structures and eligible practices, particularly regarding precision agriculture and climate resilience.

This briefing by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a legislative side-by-side comparison of the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) under current law, the House Agriculture Committee's amended text from May 2024, and the pending Senate version. REAP provides grants and loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements.

In May 2024, the US Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) updated minimum energy standards for new construction, requiring new covered buildings under four stories to comply with the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (2021 IECC) and taller buildings to meet ASHRAE/ANSI Standard 90.1-2019. These updates, combined with 45L tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), make high-performance multifamily housing financially viable, particularly for all-electric constructions and those in specific climate zones.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the impact of consumption-based emissions (CBEs) on the EU's carbon footprint, noting that the EU has been a net importer of CO2 emissions since 2015 and recommending binding EU-level targets and standardized accounting to mitigate these emissions.

This policy brief examines the opportunities and barriers for the European Union to reduce consumption-based emissions (CBEs), which include emissions from the entire supply chain of goods and services consumed within the EU regardless of where production occurs. Based on policy analysis and case studies from France, Denmark, and Sweden, the brief argues that while territorial emissions have decreased, the EU's carbon footprint remains significant due to imports, necessitating coordinated EU-level targets and a shift from simple efficiency gains to systematic changes in consumption patterns.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the systemic underestimation of methane emissions in the oil and gas industry. It argues that the industry's reliance on 'component-by-component' estimation methods, often based on industry-led guidance like the API Compendium, fails to account for 'super-emitter' events and significantly diverges from independent measurements obtained via satellites and remote sensors.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute examines the impact of the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) on the U.S. auto manufacturing workforce. It identifies high-risk job categories, emerging skill requirements, the influence of AI and vertical integration, and the challenges regarding job quality and unionization in the 'Battery Belt' and Southern states.

This report, published by the Africa Policy Research Institute in 2023, examines the diverse narratives surrounding China's engagement in Africa. It challenges binary Western interpretations—which often frame China as either a benevolent partner or a predatory actor—by highlighting the agency of African states and the pragmatic ways they leverage Chinese finance and infrastructure for domestic goals. The document analyzes specific narrative contests, such as the 'debt-trap' discourse and the 'Indo-Pacific' strategic concept, arguing that African perspectives are often marginalized in global policy discussions.

This report analyzes the inclusion of fossil fuel production in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the world's top 20 producing countries and provides a framework for incorporating the COP 28 agreement to transition away from fossil fuels into third-generation NDCs and long-term low-emissions development strategies (LT-LEDS).

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics argues that maintaining climate policy continuity in the EU can enhance energy security, reduce costs for citizens, increase global competitiveness, and create employment opportunities, provided it is paired with robust social policies.