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This statement from the Climate Policy Initiative discusses the role of industrial audits and data transparency in maximizing the public health and environmental benefits of California's cap and trade system.

This case study by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the Ouarzazate I Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in Morocco. It examines how a public-private partnership (PPP) model, supported by significant international concessional finance and government subsidies, was used to overcome the high capital costs and commercial immaturity of CSP technology to establish a foundation for a larger regional solar portfolio.

This report surveys the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems of eight multilateral and bilateral financial institutions to determine how they measure the effectiveness of public climate finance. It finds that while most institutions have general results-based frameworks, there is a critical lack of specialized, consistent procedures to measure actual greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts upon project completion. The report highlights the potential of the UNFCCC reporting framework to become a global standard and recommends the adoption of core indicators, real-time evaluations, and more rigorous project selection processes to ensure maximum value for public investment.

This research paper evaluates various cost-limiting tools used in U.S. state renewable energy policies—including alternative compliance payments, contract price caps, and retail rate impact caps—to provide recommendations for California's RPS cost limitation. The analysis finds that while cost limits can insure against extreme costs, they often create market uncertainty, may be set based on political rather than economic data, and can inadvertently act as price floors, potentially hindering the achievement of renewable energy targets.

The Prosol program in Tunisia successfully scaled the adoption of solar water heaters (SWHs) by combining capital subsidies, concessional credit, and a strategic risk-sharing mechanism. Between 2005 and 2010, it leveraged USD 24.2 million in public funds to attract USD 110 million in private investment, installing approximately 119,000 systems. A critical success factor was the involvement of the state utility, STEG, which acted as a debt collector and guarantor, reducing credit risk for commercial banks and lowering interest rates for households. The program not only reduced CO2 emissions by 715 Kt over the systems' lifespans but also generated a net fiscal gain for the Tunisian government by reducing fossil fuel subsidy expenditures by an estimated USD 101 million over the long term.

This research paper evaluates the MRV systems of China, Germany, Italy, and the United States, finding that while emissions tracking is generally robust and standardized due to international frameworks (UNFCCC/IPCC), the tracking of mitigation actions is fragmented, less transparent, and lacks consistent methodologies. The report highlights that mandatory and international policies have stronger MRV than voluntary domestic ones and emphasizes the need for better cost-effectiveness analysis to inform policy design.

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) examines the domestic systems used to measure, report, and verify (MRV) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation actions in China, Germany, Italy, and the United States. The study finds that while emissions tracking is well-established and consistent across these nations, the MRV of mitigation actions is fragmented, often relying on ex-ante projections rather than ex-post evaluations of actual reductions achieved.

The report summarizes China's low-carbon progress during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010), noting a 19.06% reduction in energy intensity despite a 33.6% increase in total emissions. Key drivers included technological upgrades and structural economic shifts, supported by massive investments in renewables (1.73 trillion yuan) and energy efficiency (859.2 billion yuan). While large enterprises and government-led administrative targets drove success, the report highlights challenges for the 12th Five-Year Plan, including the need to support small and medium enterprises and manage rising energy demand from urbanization.

This executive summary of the 'Annual Review of Low-Carbon Development in China (2011-2012)' evaluates China's performance during its 11th Five-Year Plan (FYP). It details the drivers behind the reduction in energy intensity, the effectiveness of various policy instruments, and the challenges facing the subsequent 12th FYP.

This report summarizes a workshop hosted by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and the Florence School of Regulation on October 20, 2011. The discussions focused on the planning, regulation, and financing of European electricity transmission infrastructure, specifically in the context of integrating renewable energy and the implementation of the European Commission's proposed Infrastructure Package.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and DIW Berlin presents findings from a survey of 78 thermal retrofitting practitioners to inform the German government's debate on tax incentives for residential building retrofits. The study evaluates the effectiveness of comprehensive versus single-measure retrofits, the appropriateness of the KfW 85 energy standard, the necessary timeframes for project completion, and the risks associated with stepwise implementation.

This executive summary analyzes the drivers of reduced deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2000 and 2010, specifically comparing the impact of agricultural price fluctuations against the implementation of conservation policies in 2004 and 2008. The study concludes that while agricultural prices influence deforestation rates, government policies were responsible for preventing the loss of approximately 62,000 square kilometers of forest between 2005 and 2009.

This executive summary analyzes whether the substantial decline in deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2004 and 2009 was driven by agricultural price fluctuations or government conservation policies. Using regression techniques and counterfactual simulations, the authors conclude that conservation policies implemented at two key turning points (2004 and 2008) were responsible for approximately half of the avoided deforestation during this period.

This report surveys the diverse methodologies used to calculate and report 'leverage ratios' in climate finance, highlighting the lack of a universal definition. It examines how various institutions—including the World Bank, the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), and the Clean Technology Fund (CTF)—measure the ability of public funds to catalyze private and other public investments, and proposes a more rigorous framework for assessing financial effectiveness.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes how tax exemptions and levy reductions in Germany's energy policy framework impact industrial energy prices. It focuses on four key policies: the Environmental Tax Reform, the Combined Heat and Power Act, the EU Emission Trading Scheme, and the Renewable Energy Act. The analysis finds that these exemptions significantly lower energy costs for large, energy-intensive companies, potentially reducing the policy-induced component of energy prices by up to 75% on average, which may diminish incentives for energy efficiency improvements.

This 2011 report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the impact of energy tax exemptions and levy reductions on the German industrial sector. It examines how various policy instruments—including the Ecological Tax Reform, the Renewable Energy Act (EEG), the Combined Heat and Power Act (KWKG), and the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS)—create a 'politically determined component' of energy prices that varies significantly based on company size and industry sector.

This report analyzes the effectiveness of climate finance, identifying a significant gap in the tools and methodologies used to measure the impact of funding flows to developing countries. It evaluates practices across public finance, international financial institutions (IFIs), and market-based instruments, concluding that current project-based evaluations are insufficient for the scale of financing required to meet the Cancún Agreements' target of $100 billion per year by 2020.

This workshop report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) examines the technical challenges of implementing nodal pricing in European power markets to facilitate the integration of intermittent renewable energy. It compares the European approach, including the EU Target Model, with the experience of US Independent System Operators (ISOs) and PJM, focusing on the conflicts between market flexibility and system security, the integration of energy and reserve markets, and the use of shadow prices to inform grid investment.

A research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative San Francisco that uses residential energy use data and regression analysis to measure the actual impact of state building energy codes in the United States, comparing these results to engineering simulation models.

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) evaluates the effectiveness of residential building energy codes in the United States from 1986 to 2008. Using econometric analysis of state-level energy consumption data, the study finds that building energy codes are associated with a reduction in primary energy use and greenhouse gas emissions per household, while also influencing fuel choice by shifting consumption toward natural gas and away from other fuels like fuel oil.