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Distributed energy resources (DERs), such as rooftop solar, batteries, and electric vehicles, offer US communities opportunities to lower utility bills, increase grid resilience, and generate revenue. The document highlights the role of the Inflation Reduction Act and FERC Order No. 2222 in reducing costs and allowing DER aggregations to participate in wholesale energy markets. It recommends that local governments utilize aggregation, demand response, and federal funding tools to maximize these benefits.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) and its subsidiaries underwent independent audits for the fiscal years 2021 and 2022. The auditors issued unmodified opinions on the consolidated financial statements, stating they present fairly the financial position of the Institute. For the year ended September 30, 2022, total assets were $384,549,025 and total liabilities were $21,572,887. The Institute's operations are supported by grants and contracts, with significant funding from foundations (48% of receivables) and foreign governments (29% of receivables). A separate compliance audit for the major federal program (USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas) also resulted in an unmodified opinion, though some significant deficiencies in internal control were noted that were not considered material weaknesses.

The document analyzes 142 NDCs, finding that while 100 mention public transport, only 26 set specific targets. It argues that public transport is essential for limiting global warming to 1.5C by reducing private vehicle use and electrifying bus fleets. The authors identify five key implementation areas: funding for infrastructure and operations, 100% transition to electric buses, adaptation and resilience measures, broader sustainable urban transport planning, and cross-sectoral coordination.

A randomized control trial in the Peruvian Amazon demonstrated that Indigenous communities using Global Forest Watch satellite alerts reduced deforestation rates by 52% in the first year and 21% in the second year compared to a control group. The system, which costs approximately $6 per hectare annually, empowers local monitors to detect illegal clearing and coordinate community responses.

The document outlines how U.S. local governments can leverage federal incentives, such as those in the Inflation Reduction Act, to advance community solar for low- and moderate-income (LMI) residents. It details specific actions including proactive community engagement, advocacy for state-level enabling legislation, providing direct financial subsidies, and reducing developer risks by acting as anchor subscribers or providing public land. The guide highlights various municipal examples from cities like Denver, Pueblo, and Anaheim to demonstrate how to integrate job training, bill discounts, and loan funds into solar initiatives.

As of June 2022, there were 12,720 committed electric school buses across 38 US states, representing approximately 2-3% of the national fleet. California leads adoption, and while deployment is high in communities of color and areas with high PM2.5 pollution, it remains lower in the lowest-income school districts.

The policy brief examines the impact of high-severity wildfires on the U.S. forest carbon sink, noting that forests in several Western states have become net carbon emitters. It advocates for scaling up 'fuel load treatments'—such as prescribed burns and mechanical removal of biomass—to mitigate wildfire risk and suggests developing markets for thinned biomass (e.g., biochar, green hydrogen) to fund these efforts and reduce emissions. The brief calls for federal policy support via the 2023 Farm Bill to increase research, support rural and Tribal communities, and incentivize innovative wood products.

The report analyzes the growing U.S. electric school bus (ESB) market, noting that as of March 2022, 415 districts had committed to 12,275 ESBs. It details the benefits of ESBs, including zero tailpipe emissions and lower operational costs, while outlining the technical requirements for charging infrastructure and the variety of available vehicle types (Type A, C, and D). The guide also explores funding mechanisms, such as the $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, and provides a roadmap for fleet electrification.

The author argues that a gas tax holiday is an ineffective, short-term response to high fuel prices and instead proposes four 'quick wins': discounting public transit fares, creating pre-tax sustainable transport savings accounts, improving electric vehicle incentives via point-of-sale rebates, and incentivizing remote work. These measures are intended to provide immediate financial relief while supporting the long-term 'Avoid-Shift-Improve' framework to reduce oil dependence through electrification, reduced trip distances, and improved shared mobility.

The document addresses the investment gap for climate-smart infrastructure in developing countries, where high perceived risks lead to high risk premiums and non-bankable projects. It defines de-risking as the reallocation or reduction of risk through policy measures (establishing rules and mandates) and financial measures (using public capital to bear risk). Three examples illustrate these mechanisms: the Green Climate Fund's anchor equity in Chile's Espejo de Tarapacá project, the Africa Energy Guarantee Facility's multi-layered insurance chain, and Climate Investor Two's tiered tranche structure. The guide concludes that while not applicable to all projects, strategic de-risking leverages small amounts of public capital to mobilize large-scale private investment.

The World Resources Institute warns that the potential failure of a U.S. Senate reconciliation package containing clean energy investments would be a 'devastating setback' to the United States' goal of halving emissions by 2030. The statement argues that clean energy measures would save households $500 annually and are essential for economic growth and climate mitigation.

The document outlines a set of strategic recommendations for decarbonizing India's road freight sector based on consultations with over 20 industry experts. Key priorities include the implementation of production-linked subsidies, the development of viable financing structures for smaller lenders, and the creation of specific use cases to demonstrate the viability of electric freight vehicles in Indian conditions. The paper argues that India is well-positioned to lead commercial vehicle electrification due to its evolving domestic ecosystem and significant freight corridors, provided there is sufficient policy and regulatory support.

Japan utilizes the 2018 Climate Change Adaptation Act and a revised 2021 plan to coordinate adaptation across ministries using 66 Key Performance Indicators. Domestically, the country employs local adaptation centers in 38 of 47 prefectures and the A-PLAT information platform to support municipal planning. Internationally, Japan provides technical expertise in disaster risk reduction, manages the Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Information Platform (AP-PLAT), and has committed to doubling adaptation finance to approximately $14.8 billion between 2021 and 2025.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) outlines a framework of ten 'guard rails' to ensure that the voluntary use of nature-based solution (NBS) carbon credits supports the 1.5°C warming limit and protects biodiversity and human rights. The guidance distinguishes between using credits to 'counterbalance' unabated emissions—which requires a science-based reduction pathway—and using them to 'contribute' to a jurisdiction's climate mitigation. WRI emphasizes a shift from project-level to jurisdictional-scale REDD+ credits and mandates transparent reporting aligned with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

The document analyzes India's offshore wind potential, primarily off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, noting that while the country has a target of 30 GW by 2030, no projects are currently operational. It identifies critical barriers including high capital costs, lack of specialized port infrastructure, and regulatory uncertainties. By comparing India to existing markets like the UK and Denmark and emerging markets like Taiwan and South Korea, the paper recommends updating the National Offshore Wind Energy Policy 2015, implementing competitive procurement mechanisms such as Contracts for Difference, and developing a government-led 'plug-and-play' power evacuation model to reduce investor risk. It also emphasizes the need for detailed Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and the integration of offshore wind with green hydrogen or hybrid RTC (round-the-clock) renewable projects to enhance economic viability.

The document analyzes the resource requirements and potential externalities of direct air capture (DAC) at both a single-plant (1 MtCO2/year) and a system-wide (0.5 GtCO2/year) scale. It finds that while on-site emissions are low, significant impacts arise from energy demand, land use, and the materials supply chain. The authors argue that responsible scaling requires project-specific social and environmental impact assessments, robust community engagement, and the use of legal agreements like Community Benefits Agreements to ensure equitable distribution of benefits, such as job creation.

The briefing outlines a strategic framework for G20 nations to integrate forest conservation into climate action. It proposes six key measures: legal commitments to minimize deforestation, a collective goal to plant 1 trillion trees by 2030, food system transformation, safeguarding Indigenous rights, improving non-timber forest product markets, and establishing high-quality nature-based carbon credit policies. The author emphasizes Indonesia's role as a 'carbon superpower' to lead by example through expanded moratoriums, social forestry permits, and robust carbon credit frameworks.

The European Union has proposed a regulation to prevent commodities linked to deforestation and forest degradation from entering its market. While the author views the draft as an ambitious step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting biodiversity, they identify four critical areas for improvement: clarifying definitions of 'forest' and 'agricultural use', expanding the scope to include rubber and other ecosystems like peatlands, increasing transparency through public disclosure of company declarations, and implementing targeted supply-side engagement to protect smallholder producers.

The guide outlines criteria for effective corporate climate statements, emphasizing the need for specific policy support, alignment between corporate and trade association positions, and strategic promotion by CEOs to influence U.S. policymakers.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) issued a statement condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the resulting humanitarian crisis and the risk that the conflict will disrupt global energy and food systems. WRI President & CEO Ani Dasgupta expressed concern that the war could divert the political will and resources necessary to address global challenges, specifically climate change, poverty, and hunger.