Search Climate Insights Directory

This RMI guide explains how cities can use curbside charging to make EV ownership accessible for multifamily housing residents. It emphasizes the need for early engagement with program stakeholders (government and private entities) and community stakeholders to navigate the complexities of urban infrastructure. The document outlines various business models—including own-and-operate, lease, external operator, and concession—and suggests community engagement tools to build trust and increase adoption.

This guide by RMI outlines ten strategies for United States cities to advance inclusive electric mobility, focusing on affordability and accessibility for residents without private vehicles or home charging. It provides specific examples of municipal policies, from building code mandates for EV-readiness in Arizona to zero-emission delivery zones in California, to help cities navigate budget constraints and reduced federal funding.

This policy brief by RMI argues that system-wide transmission planning is a more efficient and lower-risk method for integrating large loads, such as data centers, into the electric grid compared to the site-specific load interconnection process. The document outlines how comprehensive planning—which typically looks 5 to 20 years ahead—can reduce piecemeal network upgrades and deliver higher benefit-to-cost ratios through scenario planning and phased investment triggers.

This report by RMI provides a decarbonization roadmap for the film and TV industry to transition from diesel generators to clean mobile power solutions, including solar, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and hydrogen power units (HPUs). It analyzes the technical requirements of production sets, identifies systemic barriers to adoption, and proposes coordinated strategies for studios, suppliers, and manufacturers to scale zero-emissions power.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a comprehensive overview of global warming and climate change, explaining their causes, impacts on health and environment, and the strategies used for mitigation and adaptation. It details the role of greenhouse gases, the specific contributions of the livestock sector, and the current state of climate action within the United States and through United Nations frameworks.

This research paper by the Center for International Environmental Law argues that private insurance companies in California are avoiding the costs of climate-driven disasters—specifically the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires—by shifting risk to the public and the state-supported FAIR Plan, while simultaneously profiting from investments in the fossil fuel industry.

RMI's briefing analyzes the cost-effectiveness of transitioning from gas-burning heating and water heating equipment to electric heat pumps in Southern California. The analysis finds that current and upcoming state, local, and utility incentives can make heat pumps cheaper than conventional gas equipment, even without federal funding, though fragmented application processes and limited funding levels hinder widespread adoption.

This briefing by RMI outlines the challenges and potential solutions for the industrial permitting process in California, specifically for clean industrial projects like hydrogen production and carbon dioxide removal. It argues that while the current decentralized system provides necessary environmental and community safeguards, it also creates 'nonproductive friction' that delays or cancels critical decarbonization projects. The document provides strategic recommendations for both permit-seekers and state policymakers to streamline approvals without compromising safety or environmental justice.

These conference proceedings, compiled by the World Resources Institute, document the 50th anniversary of Bogota's Ciclovía and its influence on open-streets initiatives globally. The document details how Bogota's model of closing arterial roads to cars on Sundays has inspired similar programs in Los Angeles, Lima, and Cape Town, while analyzing the social, economic, and policy-driven impacts of these initiatives.

This case study describes how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) enables a new third-party financing model for solar energy, specifically benefiting low-income households and nonprofits. It highlights the installation of a 12kW solar array at the Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ in Compton, California, as a primary example of this model in action.

This guide by the World Resources Institute outlines five strategies for U.S. local governments to equitably expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, aiming to prevent 'charging deserts' in historically disadvantaged, rural, and low-income communities.

This guide explains the Clean Miles Standard (CMS), a California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulation designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ridehailing and autonomous vehicle providers by mandating a transition to zero-emissions vehicles by 2030.

This policy brief by RMI argues that US airports are strategically positioned to host multi-megawatt fast-charging hubs to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption, particularly for high-mileage commercial ridehail and taxi drivers. Using a model based on Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), RMI suggests that these hubs can be financially viable with investment payback periods under 10 years, provided there is close coordination with local utilities to manage infrastructure costs and capacity.

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.

This report explores how insurance can be integrated into urban climate resilience strategies to mitigate financial and physical risks. It argues that while insurance is underutilized, cities can act as consumers of risk-transfer products, stewards of risk-reducing policy, and conveners of stakeholders. Key barriers include a lack of technical capacity, data gaps, and the short-term nature of insurance products. The report recommends increased investment in risk assessment, the development of collaborative resilience plans with the insurance industry, and the use of concessional finance from DFIs to make insurance affordable for vulnerable urban populations.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a comprehensive overview of climate change, detailing the drivers of global warming, its environmental and health impacts, and the strategies for mitigation and adaptation. It emphasizes the role of human activity—specifically fossil fuel combustion and agriculture—in increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and outlines the current state of U.S. and international policy efforts, including the Paris Agreement.

This report summarizes a 2020 workshop on the barriers to electric vehicle (EV) charging access in California's multi-unit dwellings (MUDs). It identifies key obstacles such as outdated electrical infrastructure, split incentives between landlords and tenants, and restrictive parking zoning. Proposed solutions include 'make-ready' utility investments, updated building codes, and the adoption of lower-cost Level 1 charging to ensure equitable access for low- and moderate-income residents.

This guide, published by RMI and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), provides a comprehensive framework for improving urban freight efficiency. It identifies key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor logistics performance, details best practices for reducing congestion and emissions, and offers a policy workbook for municipal authorities to implement data-driven planning and stakeholder engagement.

This Green Bond Fact Sheet details a USD 1bn senior unsecured green bond issued by Boston Properties on November 28, 2018, with a 10-year tenor maturing on December 1, 2028.

This guide by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) argues that ride-hailing drivers for transportation network companies (TNCs) are ideal candidates for electric vehicle (EV) adoption due to high vehicle utilization, which maximizes savings on fuel and maintenance and increases potential carbon offsets.