Search Climate Insights Directory

A November 2022 report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) based on a 50-state survey reveals that major U.S. companies in the technology, banking, and insurance sectors frequently employ state-level lobbyists who also represent the fossil fuel industry. The report highlights a contradiction between these companies' public net-zero climate goals and their reliance on 'multi-client lobbyists' who promote continued fossil fuel dependence.

This guide by RMI describes resilience hubs as community-serving facilities designed to support vulnerable populations during and after extreme weather events. It outlines five foundational areas of support—power, communication, facilities, operations, and services—and provides six strategic lessons for cities implementing these hubs, emphasizing community partnership, energy efficiency, and the integration of solar and battery storage.

This report provides policy recommendations for US states to ensure equitable electric vehicle (EV) adoption and charging access, with a specific analysis of a California ballot measure targeting low- to moderate-income communities.

This report by Energy Innovation provides a guide for state policymakers to leverage the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 to accelerate the transition to clean electricity. It details the mechanics of clean energy tax credits, reinvestment financing for fossil infrastructure, and transmission provisions, while analyzing independent modeling of the IRA's potential to reduce U.S. electricity sector emissions and lower household energy costs by 2030.

A guide by RMI providing a five-step framework for homeowners to decarbonize and electrify their residences, emphasizing energy efficiency, the use of heat pumps and induction stoves, and the utilization of incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act.

This research paper proposes the creation of Organized Long-Term Markets (OLTMs) to support the rapid deployment of clean energy resources in restructured wholesale electricity markets. The author argues that current market designs—including energy-only, capacity, and hybrid models—fail to provide the long-term investment signals and liquidity needed for grids with high penetration of variable renewable energy (VRE). The proposed OLTM acts as a derivative market that standardizes long-term energy delivery contracts, allowing producers to recover capital expenditures and consumers to hedge against price volatility while remaining linked to real-time spot market pricing.

This RMI fact sheet analyzes the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in the United States, concluding that federal funding is insufficient to cover the energy costs of all eligible low-income families and that significant numbers of eligible households remain unserved due to barriers like lack of awareness and complex application procedures.

This policy brief by the World Resources Institute examines the impact of high-severity wildfires on forest carbon sequestration in the United States. It argues that historical fire suppression and climate change have created a dangerous feedback loop of severe fires that release stored carbon and permanently damage the ability of forests to recover. The document advocates for scaled-up 'fuel load treatments,' the development of markets for thinned biomass, and federal policy reforms to protect the land carbon sink and support rural communities.

This RMI report provides recommendations for modernizing the regulatory processes of state public utilities commissions (PUCs) in the United States to accelerate the transition to a decarbonized and equitable electric grid. It identifies four primary areas for reform: setting clear proceeding objectives, expanding stakeholder roles in solution development, reducing information asymmetry through data transparency, and initiating new inclusive processes such as regulatory sandboxes and updated benefit-cost analysis frameworks.

This fact sheet from RMI argues that electric trucks are currently viable for a significant portion of the market, provided that policy frameworks and grid infrastructure are strengthened to support their adoption.

This guide from RMI outlines the current state and potential for electrifying various trucking sectors in North America, from passenger pickups and delivery vans to medium-duty box trucks and heavy-duty big rigs. It highlights the economic viability of electrification for several segments and the significant greenhouse gas emission reductions possible through the transition.

This RMI fact sheet argues that electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States currently produce significantly fewer emissions than internal combustion engine vehicles and that 'smart charging' can further reduce these emissions by aligning charging with periods of cleaner energy availability.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics discusses the findings of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), specifically the Working Group II (WGII) report on impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. It outlines the severe effects of human-induced climate change on ecosystems and humans, the increasing frequency of extreme weather, the disproportionate impact on marginalised populations, and the critical need for transformative adaptation and mitigation to avoid catastrophic economic and social costs.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute explores the concept of water teleconnections—long-distance interactions between coupled natural and human systems—and argues that relying on a single water management narrative can lead to a misunderstanding of local challenges and the invisibility of water transfers through economic and physical connections.

This issue brief by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines how U.S. ports are addressing climate change through mitigation strategies—such as electrification and renewable energy—and adaptation measures, including gray infrastructure and nature-based solutions, to protect operations and improve the health of near-port communities.

This policy brief by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines how U.S. ports are addressing climate change through mitigation strategies to reduce emissions and adaptation measures to increase resilience against sea level rise and extreme weather.

The 'State of Global Environmental Governance 2022' report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) reviews the progress of multilateral environmental negotiations in 2022. It highlights a significant rebound in face-to-face diplomacy following the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in landmark agreements on biodiversity and the establishment of a loss and damage fund for climate-vulnerable nations. The report also examines the integration of human rights into environmental policy and the impact of geopolitical conflicts, specifically the war in Ukraine, on global environmental governance.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) describes COP26 in Glasgow as a failure that prioritized 'false solutions' and corporate interests over the immediate action required to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The statement highlights the exclusion of civil society and Indigenous Peoples, the inadequacy of climate finance for the global South, and the failure of negotiated texts to commit to a full phase-out of fossil fuels, despite groundbreaking side-initiatives.

This briefing summarizes a panel discussion on the climate and environmental justice impacts of plastic production, highlighting the role of the petrochemical industry in greenhouse gas emissions and the necessity of policy shifts toward reuse and extended producer responsibility.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines how federal investment in three tree-based natural climate solutions—reforestation, agroforestry, and wildfire risk mitigation—can help the United States meet its 2030 emissions targets while driving economic growth and job creation.