Search Climate Insights Directory

This briefing by RMI proposes "clean repowering" as a strategy to bypass interconnection delays for clean energy projects in the United States. By utilizing existing power plant interconnection points, the time from application to operation can be reduced from an average of five years to less than one year, potentially deploying 250 GW of new clean energy assets.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics, produced with Strategic Perspectives, proposes principles and frameworks for a just and equitable global phase-out of oil and gas production. It argues that current production trajectories are incompatible with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement and calls for leadership from the G7 and G20 to coordinate a managed decline of fossil fuels to avoid stranded assets and minimize social costs.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) production in Canada poses excessive economic and environmental risks. The document asserts that new facilities will undermine Canada's climate commitments, face a global supply glut by the end of the decade, and struggle to compete with lower-cost producers like Qatar and the United States, potentially leading to stranded assets and taxpayer losses.

This briefing by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a legislative side-by-side comparison between current law and the House Agriculture Committee's amended text (May 2024) for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The document details the program's purpose of providing technical and financial assistance to agricultural and forest producers to adopt conservation activities, with specific highlights on climate-friendly practices and funding allocations from the 2018 Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act.

This report by RMI outlines strategies for developing equitable electric vehicle (EV) charging and shared mobility solutions for lower-income residents of multifamily housing in the United States, based on engagements in Portland, Atlanta, and Phoenix.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the economic opportunity for Germany to rejuvenate its economy by expanding its manufacturing of clean technologies, specifically batteries and heat pumps, amidst global competition from China and the US.

This briefing by RMI explores how the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) Program, established by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), can be used for "capital recycling" to accelerate the clean energy transition. The author argues that by using low-interest federal loans to displace costly utility equity and refinance "low-quality" rate base components (legacy fossil fuel costs), utilities can reduce ratepayer costs while maintaining sustainable shareholder earnings. The document provides a five-step implementation framework and applies it to case studies of utilities in Iowa and Missouri, while also detailing federal compliance requirements such as NEPA.

This document is a list of participants for the 32nd Meeting to the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, hosted by Bolivia and Canada on 22-23 May 2024. It lists representatives from member countries including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, the United States, and Uruguay, as well as members of the SAC and SPAC advisory committees and various observers from international organizations and universities.

This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) describes the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), which provides zero-interest loans to eligible entities to fund energy efficiency, renewable energy, and electrification improvements for rural households and small businesses. The document includes a side-by-side comparison of current law and a May 2024 House Agriculture Committee discussion draft, highlighting proposed expansions to eligible borrowers, the inclusion of manufactured home replacements, and the introduction of grants for technical assistance and repairs.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) issued a statement supporting the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor's application for arrest warrants against leaders of Israel and Hamas for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

This fact sheet by Zero Carbon Analytics explains the mechanics, predictions, and regional impacts of La Niña, the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. It details the likelihood of a transition to La Niña in 2024, the increasing frequency of multi-year events, and how human-caused climate change influences these phenomena without offsetting overall global warming.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics provides an overview of the global petrochemical industry, highlighting its growing contribution to oil and gas demand and greenhouse gas emissions. It details the specific impacts of nitrogen fertilisers and plastics, the rapid expansion of production capacity—particularly in China—and the limitations of current recycling and substitution strategies in mitigating climate and health risks.

A letter from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and other health professionals to the Premier of New Brunswick, warning against the pursuit of shale gas production due to documented adverse health impacts associated with hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

This case study by the World Resources Institute examines the high emissions intensity of cement production in the United States compared to global averages. It argues that the U.S. can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase economic competitiveness by adopting 'blended cements,' which replace a portion of emissions-intensive clinker with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs).

This report by Ember analyzes global electricity generation trends in 2023 across solar, wind, coal, gas, hydro, nuclear, and bioenergy. It highlights record growth in solar and wind, a slight increase in coal generation driven by droughts in China, and the gap between current growth rates and the IEA Net Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario requirements.

In 2023, the world's top six electricity emitters showed diverging trends: China, India, and Russia saw emissions increases driven by demand and coal reliance, while the US, EU, and Japan recorded declines. China led global renewable growth but remains the largest emitter. The EU achieved its largest absolute emissions reduction since 2000, and the US continued its long-term decline in coal. However, most of these regions still need to accelerate clean energy deployment to align with IEA Net Zero targets.

In 2023, the share of renewables in the global electricity mix exceeded 30% for the first time, driven by record growth in wind and solar. However, a record fall in hydropower generation and rising electricity demand led to a marginal increase in fossil fuel generation, resulting in global power sector emissions reaching a new record high of 14,153 million tonnes of CO2.

The report 'The Big Picture' by Ember analyzes the global electricity transition in 2024, arguing that 2023 likely marked the peak of fossil fuel generation and power sector emissions. It highlights the dominant role of solar energy, the emerging drivers of electricity demand such as data centers and electrification, and provides case studies on the rapid transition strategies of China, Brazil, and the Netherlands.

This briefing by RMI explains how electric utilities can use Community Benefits Plans (CBPs) to mitigate project risks and secure federal financing, specifically through the Department of Energy's Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program. It argues that meaningful community engagement and commitments to labor and equity reduce the likelihood of project cancellations, address workforce shortages, and improve a utility's social license to operate.

This fact sheet provides a comprehensive tracker of U.S. Congressional hearings held between January and April 2024 that pertain to climate, environmental, and energy issues. It lists hearings by House and Senate committees, detailing the dates and specific topics addressed, ranging from budget requests for federal agencies to specific policy debates on LNG exports and nuclear energy.