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RMI argues that the US Department of the Treasury must carefully calibrate the 45V production tax credit (PTC) for grid-connected hydrogen to avoid increasing emissions from a fossil-fuel-dominated grid. The organization proposes a two-stage regulatory framework: providing flexibility for 'first movers' to reduce initial costs and complexity, followed by a transition on January 1, 2028, to strict, emissions-accurate, and forward-looking standards to ensure the hydrogen economy aligns with national climate objectives.

The document outlines several key EV-related policies. In California, the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) regulation targets light- and medium-duty vehicle OEMs, while the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule requires OEMs of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to sell ZEVs or NZEVs as an increasing percentage of sales from 2024 to 2035. The Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation mandates ZEV adoption for fleets with over 50 trucks, certain private companies, and public agencies. The Clean Miles Standard (CMS) requires ridehailing providers with over 5 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per year to reach zero emissions from passenger miles and 90 percent EV-powered VMT by 2030. The Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) uses a market-based mechanism to cap the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. At the federal level, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 provides incentives for EV procurement and infrastructure. Additionally, proposed EPA regulations aim to reduce emissions for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles, with light-duty targets projecting an average of 82 grams/mile of CO2 by model year 2032.

The guide argues that banks should move beyond siloed engagement to a coordinated 'multi-level' approach involving clients, sectors, and policy makers. It highlights the need for internal coordination led by sustainability teams, refined escalation processes for non-compliant clients, and scaled sector-level engagement through platforms like the Poseidon Principles.

The document explains how to use RMI's Corporate Commitments and Emissions Dashboard, which models corporate emissions trajectories to 2050 using data from Net Zero Tracker and CDP for over 7,000 companies.

REITs in the US control approximately 38.5 billion sq. ft. of solar-appropriate surface area, capable of generating over 25 percent of electricity used in US commercial buildings. While on-site solar is economically viable for 90 percent of the top 50 REITs by 2025, adoption is hindered by tax credit complexities, IRS recapture rules, and risks associated with tenant turnover and low energy intensity in industrial warehouses. Community solar is proposed as a solution to these barriers, offering additional tax credit bonuses of 10–20 percent when serving low- and moderate-income residents. Currently, only nine US states support rooftop community solar, though some leading REITs like Prologis, Lineage Logistics, Blackstone, Brookfield, and Hartz Mountain have already installed significant capacity.

The policy brief outlines how the EPA's $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) can be leveraged to overcome market failures in clean energy financing for underserved US communities. It proposes three primary strategies: mobilizing additional public and private capital to potentially reach $250 billion over 10 years, prioritizing financial products that build long-term borrower wealth rather than just protecting lenders, and centering the role of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and credit unions in the decarbonization process.

The report examines the use of energy service agreements (ESAs) to overcome financial and structural barriers to decarbonizing affordable multifamily housing in California, specifically addressing split incentives and upfront costs.

The briefing argues that insufficient transmission capacity is a major bottleneck for US decarbonization, with new capacity seeking interconnection consisting of 95 percent zero-carbon resources in 2022. It identifies grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) as cost-effective, rapid-deployment solutions that optimize existing transmission, but notes that utility adoption is hindered by risk aversion and regulatory incentives that reward capital expenditures over operational efficiencies. To overcome this, the document outlines four strategies for Public Utility Commissions (PUCs): building knowledge through investigative proceedings, mandating the consideration of GETs in planning processes, implementing performance incentive mechanisms or totex ratemaking, and engaging in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) proceedings.

The Corporate Commitments and Emissions Explorer uses a formula-based approach to estimate corporate emissions trajectories, incorporating revenue growth, climate targets, and sectoral intensities. It offers five preset outlooks—Current, Climate-Aligned Action, Herd Catches Leaders, Laggards Catch Herd, and No Further Action—to simulate different levels of corporate ambition. The tool focuses on Scope 1 and 2 emissions, utilizing data from CDP and the Net Zero Tracker, while excluding Scope 3 emissions due to data quality and double-counting risks. Companies are categorized as ambitious, somewhat ambitious, or least ambitious based on their disclosure habits, emission intensities, and the nature of their climate commitments.

The report identifies a systemic failure in how US utilities handle fuel costs, noting that fuel adjustment clauses pass 100% of costs to customers, removing any incentive for utilities to be efficient. To address this, the author proposes six regulatory interventions: fuel-cost sharing, removal of fuel-cost true-ups, fuel-risk reduction tariffs, improved planning and procurement, increased information access for regulators, and the implementation of efficiency ratios to reward performance.

A pilot project involving RMI, SINAI Technologies, and ArcelorMittal demonstrates that using process-level primary emissions data and dedicated software helps steel producers meet reporting requirements and allows buyers to verify the decarbonization impact of their procurement.

The Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation aims to phase out internal combustion engine medium- and heavy-duty trucks in California to achieve a zero-emissions transport system by 2045. The regulation mandates ZEV adoption for high-priority, drayage, and public fleets through various schedules and milestones, with CARB providing extensions for infrastructure, electrical, and delivery delays. The regulation is estimated to reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 25 million metric tons between 2024 and 2041.

The Clean Miles Standard (CMS) is a California regulation requiring transportation network companies (TNCs) and autonomous vehicle (AV) providers with over 5 million annual vehicle miles traveled to transition to zero-emissions vehicles. By 2030, the regulation mandates that emissions from passenger miles traveled must be zero and 90 percent of all vehicle miles traveled must be powered by electric vehicles. To support this transition, the regulation establishes the Drivers Assistance Program (DAP) to provide financial and educational support to low- and moderate-income drivers, ensuring they are not disproportionately burdened by the shift. Compliance is monitored by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), with mechanisms for over-compliance and optional credits for infrastructure investment or public transit integration.

The Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) regulation requires original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) or near-zero-emissions vehicles (NZEVs) between 2024 and 2035. Compliance is managed through a credit-based system where OEMs can generate credits via sales, purchase them from others, or bank them for future use. The regulation aims to reduce up to 17 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2040 and has been adopted by six other US states.

In Kiguna, Nigeria, a partnership between Husk Power and Coldbox Store, supported by the REA-RMI Energizing Agriculture Programme, has deployed a 3-ton walk-in cold room powered by a solar-hybrid minigrid. The facility maintains temperatures of -30 degrees Celsius, extending the shelf life of fish from days to months. This infrastructure allows local fishers and traders to avoid selling spoiled catch at a loss and instead access high-value urban markets. The project is expected to reduce annual post-harvest losses by over 30 metric tonnes and increase fishers' income per catch by over 30 percent.

The briefing examines the debate over New York's transition to a 20-year global warming potential (GWP20) timeframe and the inclusion of upstream and biogenic emissions. It argues that this accounting method increases the avoided temperature rise by 66% compared to old methods and could avoid up to $240 billion in damages. The author contends that changing the accounting timeframe does not increase physical emissions and that affordability can be maintained through strategic policy design and federal funding.

The document outlines five critical policy elements—supply chain traceability, material transport and storage, manufacturing and production, recycling, and reusing—necessary to transition from a linear to a circular EV battery economy. It highlights that current economic conditions often make virgin material extraction cheaper than recycling, necessitating government intervention to catalyze investment and standardize regulations. The brief emphasizes the need for federal guidelines in the US to replace the current piecemeal state-level approach and suggests aligning with global best practices to ensure the economic viability of battery repurposing and recycling.

The Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) regulation aims to reduce light-duty vehicle emissions in California by 50% by 2040, mandating that 100% of new vehicle sales be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by 2035. The regulation applies to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) selling more than 4,500 light- and medium-duty vehicles annually, utilizing a 'vehicle value' accounting system to track compliance. OEMs can accrue value through ZEV and PHEV sales, environmental justice credits, and flexibility measures such as trading, banking, and pooling values.

The document argues that current US federal standards for landfill methane are insufficient and proposes a two-pronged approach: enhancing the monitoring and capture of methane from waste already in place and reducing the disposal of organic materials. It highlights that landfill methane emissions may be underestimated by a factor of two and that 54% of reporting landfills have adjacent communities exceeding national averages for low-income or people of color populations. Proposed solutions include the use of satellites, drones, and continuous sensors for leak detection, the adoption of biocovers, and the diversion of food waste to composting or anaerobic digestion. The authors call on the EPA to implement more ambitious federal standards under the Clean Air Act during its 2024 review.

The briefing highlights the potential of the DOE's Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) Program, a component of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), to provide low-interest loans for clean energy projects, workforce development, and grid upgrades. RMI argues that by leveraging EIR funding, IOUs can replace fossil assets earlier than planned, resulting in higher profits for shareholders and more stable power bills for customers. Despite these benefits, RMI's analysis of utility earnings calls indicates that IOUs are not yet discussing the EIR program with investors.