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The document argues that Nigeria is becoming a global hub for minigrid development and outlines four key recommendations to accelerate market growth: improving finance affordability, providing partial grants and operational subsidies, establishing a finance consortium to spread risk, and coordinating demand stimulation through development programs.

The document outlines four primary categories of financial interventions for regional governments to accelerate the energy transition: increasing capital availability, implementing first-cost solutions, creating market incentives, and reducing procurement costs. It details specific mechanisms such as green investment banks, energy savings performance contracts, carbon pricing, and reverse auctions, providing examples of legislation and programs from various global jurisdictions to illustrate their application.

The document outlines four key actions for state, provincial, and regional governments to address land use's role in climate change: sustainable land management, open space conservation, agricultural methane capture, and regenerative agriculture. It emphasizes that land use is best managed at the subnational level to capture rural impacts and cross-jurisdictional effects, noting that while agriculture, forestry, and other land use account for 24% of global emissions, the sector can offset this by 20% through carbon removal.

The document outlines six key actions for regional governments to decarbonize mobility: expanding electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, electrifying commercial and government fleets, implementing clean vehicle manufacturing standards, improving freight delivery efficiency, investing in public transit, and promoting non-motorized travel alternatives.

The document identifies buildings as contributing almost one-third of global emissions and proposes three primary actions for regional governments: implementing net-zero building codes for new constructions, requiring energy efficiency upgrades for existing buildings, and establishing energy efficiency resource standards (EERS) for utilities.

The document outlines three primary actions for regional governments to mitigate the climate impact of waste: diverting organic waste from landfills, banning the open burning of municipal and agricultural waste, and implementing gas collection and energy recovery systems at landfills.

The document outlines five specific actions to decarbonize regional industry: methane containment, transitioning to clean industrial processes, implementing shared industrial flows (such as eco-industrial parks), decarbonizing ports and airports, and transitioning to clean industrial vehicles. It provides a framework for regional authorities to eliminate waste, electrify processes, and implement regulatory penalties for emissions, supported by references to policies from jurisdictions such as California, Brazil, and Hong Kong.

The document outlines five specific actions for achieving carbon-free electricity: implementing Renewable Portfolio Standards, phasing out coal plants, modernizing rate designs, integrating distributed energy resources into grid planning, and expanding community solar access.

The briefing highlights the dual role of the mining industry in the energy transition, noting its necessity in providing raw materials for low-carbon technologies while remaining a significant source of global emissions. It advocates for the adoption of science-based targets, the use of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework, and the cocreation of a comprehensive decarbonization pathway to mitigate physical and financial climate risks.

The report highlights the necessity for cities to target existing buildings to meet zero-carbon goals, suggesting that packaging policy elements can drive job creation and tax revenue. It cites a case study with a tier 1 city where a cost-optimized point-of-sale policy is projected to save over $4 billion in lifetime energy costs and reduce building sector CO2e emissions by 67 percent, supporting a broader 2050 goal of an 80 percent greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Mining operations, particularly in developing countries, suffer from extreme energy inefficiencies, with diesel power often converting only 12 percent of energy into measurable work. Transitioning to renewable energy like solar and wind can reduce costs—which can account for up to 30 percent of total expenditures—and help companies secure a "social license to operate" by providing energy access to remote communities. Examples include Rio Tinto's solar plant in Australia and Windiga Energy's project in Burkina Faso. RMI and the Development Partner Institute are facilitating the creation of innovative business models to coordinate the complex interests of mining companies, communities, and multilaterals.

RMI and Uber collaborated on an EV Pilot in Austin, Texas, to transition high-mileage rideshare drivers to electric vehicles. Through driver focus groups and education sessions, the project identified key barriers to adoption—including insufficient DC fast charging, range anxiety, and lack of awareness regarding cost savings—and developed strategies to address them, such as in-app notifications for riders and strategic charging infrastructure deployment by Austin Energy.

The document discusses the role of government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in addressing the high energy costs faced by 35 million low- to moderate-income (LMI) households in the US. Under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, these GSEs have a 'Duty to Serve' underserved markets. With advocacy from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the GSEs have incorporated energy and water conservation into their 2018-2020 action plans. Key initiatives include Freddie Mac's study on the impact of energy efficiency on loan performance and home valuations, and Fannie Mae's updates to its HomeStyle® Energy product to allow for energy improvements and disaster resilience upgrades.

The report finds that building electrification is generally cost-effective for new construction and for customers switching from propane or heating oil, but often more expensive for existing natural gas customers at current prices. It argues that electrification reduces carbon emissions in most US regions, except those heavily dependent on coal, though this is expected to change as coal plants retire. The authors emphasize that demand flexibility—shifting energy use to low-cost or high-renewable periods—can further improve economics and grid integration. Key recommendations include prioritizing the electrification of oil and propane homes, stopping the expansion of natural gas infrastructure, and updating energy efficiency standards to account for total energy reduction across fuels.

The report analyzes the failure and survival of solar PV systems during Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Caribbean to establish design and specification standards for high-wind environments. It identifies root causes of failure—such as undersized racking, inadequate bolting, and the use of T-clamps—and recommends high-load modules, through-bolting, and dual-post foundations. The authors advise against using trackers in Category 4 or higher wind zones and emphasize the need for site-specific structural engineering and collaboration between stakeholders and suppliers to develop Category 5-resistant hardware.

The briefing analyzes a draft policy from China's National Energy Administration (NEA) that introduces a mandatory Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and a corresponding REC system. While the policy aims to reduce curtailment and create a market-based mechanism for renewable energy procurement, the document identifies significant uncertainties regarding whether RECs will be bundled with electricity, the extent of interprovincial trading for corporate users, and the pricing of replacement certificates used for compliance shortfalls.

The report argues that targeting rental properties for energy efficiency is a high-impact strategy for cities to meet climate goals, as rentals often suffer from a 'split incentive' where owners do not pay utility bills. Using Boulder's 'SmartRegs' program as a model, the document outlines a seven-step roadmap for other cities: determining fit, analyzing impact, consulting stakeholders, developing financing, implementing measurement tools, establishing compliance, and creating disclosure frameworks. RMI's analysis of five US cities suggests that MESR policies could significantly reduce carbon emissions at a relatively low cost to municipal governments.

The briefing outlines the advantages of transforming former industrial sites into net-zero energy (NZE) districts, highlighting benefits such as lower energy costs, access to specialized financing like PACE, and the ability to implement district-scale efficiencies. It provides examples of such projects in St. Paul, Denver, and Pittsburgh, emphasizing that NZE development can be achieved without first-cost premiums through innovative business models.

The John Madden Company (JMC) implemented a $7.1 million energy efficiency project for two buildings in Greenwood Village, Colorado, achieving 30 percent energy savings. By utilizing Commercial PACE (C-PACE) financing, JMC overcame the 'split incentive' problem common in leased buildings, as the loan is repaid as a property tax assessment rather than an operating expense. The project bundled high-efficiency rooftop units with shorter-payback measures like advanced submetering and controls to ensure the investment remained cost-neutral for tenants from day one. The C-PACE mechanism allowed for an 18-year simple payback period, reducing risk for the owner because the loan remains attached to the property regardless of ownership changes.

The guide explains that the carbon-reduction impact of renewable energy projects varies by location because different projects displace different types of power plants. It argues that relying on proximity to operations as a proxy for quality may limit environmental benefits, suggesting instead that buyers target the most carbon-intensive areas to maximize avoided emissions.