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The EPA's proposed 2023 tailpipe emission rules for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles aim to reduce greenhouse gases and criteria pollutants starting with model year 2027. While not banning internal combustion engines, the rules set average emission limits for manufacturers, which is expected to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption. By 2032, the EPA projects EVs could reach 67% of new light-duty vehicle sales. Projected long-term benefits through 2055 include avoiding nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions, reducing oil imports by 20 billion barrels, and providing $12,000 in lifetime savings per light-duty vehicle for consumers.

The guide outlines how state, local, and tribal governments can utilize CPRG funding to reduce methane emissions by implementing upstream organic waste diversion and downstream landfill gas controls. It emphasizes the use of 20-year global warming potential (GWP) for GHG inventories to highlight the urgency of methane action and details specific policy measures, such as organic waste bans and advanced monitoring technology, to achieve rapid emissions reductions and community benefits.

The document argues that the real estate industry must move beyond operational energy reporting to include embodied carbon in Scope 3 climate disclosures. It highlights increasing pressure from major investors like BlackRock and CalPERS, as well as potential SEC regulations, to standardize these disclosures. The guide recommends transitioning from spend-based to mass-based emissions accounting using Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and life-cycle assessments (LCA) to accurately track up-front emissions from building materials.

The California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) is a market-based regulation designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation by capping the carbon intensity of fuels. The program uses a credit and deficit system where fuels with lower carbon intensity than a gasoline/diesel benchmark generate credits, while higher-intensity fuels generate deficits. These credits can be generated through fuel supply, carbon capture and storage projects, or zero-emissions vehicle infrastructure capacity. While the program has spurred innovation in low-carbon fuels, critics like the NRDC argue that it over-incentivizes biomass-based fuels—which account for nearly three-quarters of credits—potentially diverting resources from the transition to electricity and zero-emissions vehicles.

The guide explains how Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) function as 'nutrition labels' for building materials by reporting life-cycle assessment (LCA) data, specifically Global Warming Potential (GWP). It argues that current EPDs suffer from inconsistencies due to varying data sources and proprietary datasets. To achieve an 'ideal EPD' that supports fair carbon reduction policies, the author recommends that Product Category Rules (PCRs) mandate facility-specific data, limit product variation within single reported values, and require supply-chain-specific data for upstream processes. The document also identifies barriers to adoption, such as high up-front costs for small businesses and the lack of a universal public database, while noting US government initiatives like the EPA's grant program and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 aimed at advancing EPD development.

RMI provides recommendations for Indonesia's coal transition based on a model applied to the Java-Bali grid, emphasizing the integration of coal retirement and clean energy deployment to ensure financial feasibility and emissions reductions.

The document analyzes Gogoro's transition from a startup to a global provider of light EV battery swapping. It attributes the company's success to three system-level innovations: the creation of a swappable battery standard adopted by multiple manufacturers, the implementation of new business models such as battery-as-a-service and virtual power plants, and the development of a physical 'swap-and-go' platform. The case study highlights Gogoro's role as a catalyst in Taiwan, where its batteries power 90 percent of electric scooters, and its strategic expansion into markets like India, South Korea, and the Philippines.

The Great Lakes region is positioned for an industrial renaissance in clean energy, having seen over $40 billion in new investments since 2021. However, the report argues that the region faces significant constraints, including slow population growth, a migration of manufacturing to the US South, and uneven clean electricity deployment. To overcome these, RMI suggests that states prioritize industries where they have existing 'economic complexity' and related capabilities, such as EV batteries and low-carbon steel. The report highlights the importance of coordinating across state lines to share legislative best practices—such as the creation of green banks and competitiveness funds—and recommends a regional investment attraction strategy to draw foreign direct investment. It specifically praises Illinois and Minnesota as leaders in environmental justice and workforce development frameworks.

The Great Lakes region remains the heartland of US steelmaking, but its primary production assets face a critical transition to avoid becoming noncompetitive as global demand for low-emissions steel grows. While federal legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides significant funding and tax credits (such as 45V and 45Q), the report finds a lack of coordinated state-level industrial strategies. The document argues that the region must prioritize the adoption of Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) pathways—specifically those using renewable hydrogen or carbon capture—to maintain high-quality jobs and reduce local air pollution. Key bottlenecks include grid interconnection delays for renewable energy, the need for Class VI primacy for carbon sequestration, and a lack of steel-specific workforce retraining programs.

The Great Lakes region—comprising Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—is positioned to drive US aviation fuel targets due to its strong industrial networks and feedstock availability. While the region possesses significant strengths in ethanol supply chains and logistics, a policy gap analysis reveals that no state currently has a comprehensive, coordinated approach to SAF demand and supply. The brief argues that leveraging existing infrastructure, such as the O'Hare International Airport hub and the St. Lawrence Seaway, alongside federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act, can catalyze a regional bioeconomy and reduce aviation emissions.

The Great Lakes region is well-positioned for the EV transition due to its automotive history and R&D capacity, but faces competition from the 'Battery Belt' in the Deep South. While the region has significant midstream and downstream capacity, it lacks comprehensive state-level industrial strategies, particularly regarding battery end-of-life mandates and recycling incentives. The document argues that states must coordinate on strategic roadmaps, workforce retraining, and clean energy infrastructure to avoid economic disruption in 'powertrain communities' specialized in internal combustion engine (ICE) components.

The document distinguishes between non-binding community benefits plans (CBPs) and legally binding community benefit agreements (CBAs), detailing how the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) integrates CBPs into funding and financing programs under the IIJA and IRA to drive equitable energy transitions.

The voluntary carbon market (VCM) is currently hindered by subjective data, lack of transparency, and burdensome processes. To realize its potential for climate finance, the market must shift toward objective measurement using digital and satellite technologies, adopt transparent pricing, and establish a consensus on credit quality through improved certification and governance models.

The Mississippi Clean Hydrogen Hub (MCHH) aims to leverage natural salt domes for large-scale, long-duration green hydrogen storage to safeguard energy security. Domestically, the hub is positioned to supply critical sectors in the Gulf Coast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic, potentially serving 52% of US refining, 44% of shipping, 19% of steelmaking, and 17% of heavy-duty trucking capacity. It also seeks to bolster US fertilizer security by transporting green hydrogen feedstock via the Mississippi River to the Midwest. Internationally, the MCHH intends to establish green shipping corridors to help the EU diversify away from Russian fossil fuels and provide backup energy to climate-vulnerable nations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The report argues that an initial public investment of $500 million could unlock billions in private capital by 2026, creating a national strategic hydrogen reserve and reducing industrial losses from power outages.

The policy brief contends that the US electricity grid is fragmented and unable to meet growing demand or integrate clean energy, with new projects facing interconnection delays of four years or more. It criticizes the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 for mandating a three-year NERC study on interregional transmission instead of implementing concrete reforms. The author argues that the need for more transmission is already well-documented, citing a DOE meta-analysis of over 50 reports. The brief proposes three urgent actions: implementing a minimum interregional transfer capability requirement (suggesting 30 percent of peak demand), mandating strong interregional planning and cost allocation standards via FERC, and streamlining federal and state permitting processes to reduce the current 10-year average project timeline.

The report examines the financial and energy impacts of the US Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Agriculture (USDA) proposing to adopt the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). It highlights that transitioning to the 2021 IECC could reduce energy consumption by 27% and save $14,536 in life cycle costs per single-family home. The analysis emphasizes that all-electric homes are cheaper to build and operate than gas-powered homes, and that the Inflation Reduction Act's 45L tax credit—offering up to $5,000 for Zero Energy Ready Homes (ZERH) and $2,500 for ENERGY STAR certification—makes high-efficiency construction financially viable, particularly in the Southeast US.

The document outlines strategies for US states to implement the Home Efficiency Rebates and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates programs. It emphasizes prioritizing low-income and disadvantaged communities, stacking various financial incentives to reduce upfront costs for whole-home retrofits, and developing complementary state policies such as workforce training and building envelope efficiency to scale residential decarbonization.

The report argues that scaling green hydrogen for a 1.5°C-aligned future will not severely impact global freshwater supplies, as its water consumption is comparable to or lower than fossil-fuel-based hydrogen and other energy production methods. It estimates that meeting 2050 hydrogen demand targets would require only 0.33% of current global freshwater. To mitigate local water stress, the document recommends using non-freshwater sources like desalinated seawater or treated wastewater, intentional project siting, and revising water pricing structures to incentivize efficiency.

The document outlines how to develop a competitive proposal for the EPA's Solar for All program, part of the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. It provides detailed guidance on five key evaluation criteria: impact assessment, meaningful benefits, market strategy, financial assistance, and equitable access. The guide emphasizes reducing upfront costs, leveraging federal tax credits via third-party ownership, and integrating energy efficiency to maximize benefits for disadvantaged communities.

The report identifies that over 93 percent of coal power is shielded from competition via power purchase agreements (PPAs). Using a representative Indonesian PPA as a model, RMI proposes three pathways for decarbonization: early termination, replacement with clean energy PPAs, and restructuring for emission reductions. The analysis suggests that coal transition mechanisms (CTMs), such as blended finance loans and managed transition vehicles (MTVs), can maintain costs for taxpayers and earnings for investors while significantly reducing emissions. Specifically, an MTV could drive an 80 percent emissions reduction between 2025 and 2035, and combining CTMs with policy shifts could increase owner earnings by up to 30 percent and cut emissions by up to 90 percent.