Search Climate Insights Directory
40 results
Carbon-Free City Handbook: Transportation and Mobility
The Carbon-Free City Handbook: Transportation and Mobility is a guide by RMI that outlines twelve strategic actions for cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, which accounts for 36 percent of emissions in large cities. The guide provides descriptions of these actions—ranging from fleet electrification and combustion vehicle reduction to the implementation of car-free zones and expanded public transit—and supports them with a curated list of action documents, recommended resources, and citations from various global cities.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Guide
The U.S. Climate Alliance and Related Actions
This fact sheet describes the formation and goals of the United States Climate Alliance and other subnational efforts to uphold the 2016 Paris Agreement following the Trump Administration's decision to withdraw the United States from the accord.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Building a Climate-Resilient City: Agriculture and food security
This briefing from the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines strategies to build climate-resilient urban food systems, focusing on the cities of Calgary and Edmonton. It argues that strengthening local food production and diversifying supply chains can mitigate risks posed by extreme weather and global supply shocks.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
A CONSORTIUM APPROACH TO TRANSIT DATA INTEROPERABILITY
This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) examines the barriers to transit data interoperability in the United States and proposes a multistakeholder consortium to develop industry-wide data standards. The authors argue that interoperable data is essential for 'mobility as a service' (MaaS), which allows users to seamlessly combine various transportation modes. The report identifies significant market potential for improved data sharing and provides a detailed set of minimum data requirements for transportation service providers (TSPs) to enable a complete multimodal user experience.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Combating Climate Change by Measuring Carbon Emissions Correctly
This briefing by RMI, authored by WattTime co-founder Gavin McCormick, argues that managing climate change requires shifting from average to marginal carbon emissions measurements for electricity. The author explains that because the grid's marginal resource changes every 5 to 15 minutes, timing and locating energy use and generation based on real-time marginal data can significantly reduce CO2 emissions without requiring new infrastructure investments.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Despite Stay, America’s Economy and Climate Need the Clean Power Plan
The World Resources Institute argues that the U.S. Supreme Court's temporary stay on the Clean Power Plan (CPP) should not deter climate action, asserting that the plan is legally sound and provides significant economic and public health benefits that outweigh its compliance costs.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STATE GUIDANCE FOR CLEAN POWER PLANNING
This guidance document, produced by the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum on Climate Change, provides a framework for state agencies to incorporate equity and environmental justice (EJ) into the planning and implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2015 Clean Power Plan (CPP). It emphasizes the need for meaningful community engagement, the use of EJ analyses to prevent disparate impacts, and the prioritization of public health and a 'just transition' for workers and overburdened communities.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Guide
COMMUNITY ENERGY RESOURCE GUIDE
The Community Energy Resource Guide, published by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) in December 2015, provides a comprehensive roadmap for U.S. communities to develop energy action plans. It outlines a collaborative planning process, methods for analyzing energy landscapes, and specific tactics across the buildings, electricity, transportation, and industry sectors to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Guide
ENERGY SAVINGS FROM WINDOW SHADES
This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), prepared for Hunter Douglas, evaluates the energy savings potential of insulating honeycomb window shades in U.S. residences. Using EnergyPlus simulations across eight ASHRAE climate zones, the study finds that these shades can significantly reduce heating and cooling energy consumption, improve thermal comfort, and lower peak electricity demand, with existing homes seeing greater benefits than new homes.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Considerations of Global Equity and Burden-Sharing in Community-Scale Climate Action Planning
This research paper explores the application of global equity and "burden-sharing" principles to community-scale climate action planning. Using the City of Seattle as a case study, the authors apply the Greenhouse Development Rights (GDR) framework to demonstrate that an equitable global mitigation obligation for a wealthy city would require it to go carbon "negative" by 2020, meaning it must reduce its own emissions while financing low-carbon transitions in developing regions.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Research paper
Energy Efficiency Fact Sheet
This 2006 fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) outlines the principles of whole building design and climate-responsive architecture to reduce energy consumption in homes and offices. It details specific design features—such as building placement, shell insulation, cool roofs, and efficient lighting—that lower utility costs and greenhouse gas emissions, while noting the challenges of retrofitting existing buildings and the financial barriers faced by low-income residents.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
The New Business Climate
The New Business Climate is a 2002 guide by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) designed to help corporations and institutions reduce carbon emissions while improving business performance. It argues that climate change presents both risks to asset values and opportunities for innovation, advocating for a transition from incremental thinking to radical resource efficiency and the use of emerging carbon markets to manage costs.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Guide
NCDs & CLIMATE CHANGE SHARED OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION
This briefing by the Global Climate and Health Alliance outlines the synergies between combating climate change and preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It argues that interventions in energy, transport, and food systems can provide 'co-benefit' solutions that simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and NCD risk factors such as air pollution, physical inactivity, and poor diet.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
ENT Y CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO OPORTUNIDADES CONJUNTAS PARA LA ACCIÓN
This policy brief by the Global Climate and Health Alliance explores the intersection between climate change and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), arguing that interventions to mitigate climate change offer significant 'co-benefits' for public health. The document advocates for multisectoral government action and a whole-of-society approach to integrate health priorities into climate plans and vice versa, focusing on energy, transport, and food systems.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Policy brief
Untitled Document
This monograph by Lukas Muntingh of the National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (NICRO) examines the necessity and implementation of offender reintegration to reduce recidivism, with a primary focus on the South African context. It argues that traditional imprisonment often fails as a crime reduction technique and advocates for a reintegrative approach to punishment and holistic, empowerment-based programming.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Natural Capitalism—Chapter 3: Waste Not
This report chapter examines the 'industrial metabolism' of the United States, arguing that the current industrial system is characterized by massive waste of natural resources, human potential, and financial capital. It contends that conventional economic measures like GDP are misleading because they count the costs of waste and social decay as economic growth, masking a decline in actual quality of life and the depletion of natural capital.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
NATURAL CAPITALISM
This report chapter explores 'green development,' demonstrating how the integration of resource efficiency, environmental sensitivity, and human well-being can lead to superior financial performance in real estate. Through various case studies of commercial buildings, residential developments, and hotels, the text argues that intelligent design reduces operating costs, increases labor productivity, and enhances property value while restoring community and ecological health.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
NATURAL CAPITALISM
This document, a chapter from 'Natural Capitalism', argues that traditional design often relies on compromise and diminishing returns, whereas 'whole-system engineering' can 'tunnel through the cost barrier' to achieve massive resource savings at lower capital costs. By optimizing systems as a whole and thinking 'downstream to upstream,' designers can eliminate expensive equipment and create synergies that reduce both operating and construction expenses.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Top Federal Energy Policy Goals
This briefing by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) outlines 17 federal energy policy goals designed to reduce U.S. oil use and greenhouse gas emissions by 50% each within 10 years. The strategy prioritizes reducing energy demand through efficiency in buildings, transport, and industry before substituting supply with renewables and a 'Smart Grid'. RMI estimates these goals could create over three million jobs by 2012.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
COMMENTS OF PJM CITIES & COMMUNITIES COALITION IN RESPONSE TO NOTICE OF VIRTUAL LISTENING SESSIONS AND A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
The PJM Cities and Communities Coalition (PJMCCC) submitted comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding the establishment of the Office of Public Participation (OPP). The coalition advocates for the unique role of cities as stakeholders and urges FERC to prioritize resources for environmental justice groups, frontline communities, and tribal organizations to ensure equitable energy market outcomes.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement