… band of meteorologists, physicists and chemists began conducting observations and building models linking an increase in CO2 and other gasses in the atmosphere to the general warming … to seek an alternative powertrain that did not use fossil fuels. For GM, the search for a new powertrain required a substantial change in mindset, since the ICE had been a mainstay … more efficient diesel engines on the U.S. market. Meanwhile, international efforts to prevent global warming had accelerated. A series of UN-sponsored conferences, bringing …
… on Climate Change (GC3), a group charged with creating a comprehensive climate strategy for the State of Connecticut. As of September 2016, Garcia remained undecided about a key … effectiveness of existing policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and identify new strategies. Connecticut’s government had already set a target of reducing greenhouse gas … term consequences of their actions, the GC3’s data and metrics working group was building models that would both project Connecticut’s energy needs and the corresponding greenhouse …
… expertise and decades of weather-related data to estimate the frequency of major weather events. It was widely acknowledged that climate change was likely to increase the frequency of major events, but it would take years for the changes to show up in actuarial models. Nonetheless, Santam was preparing for the effect of climate change on crops. The … making the country more resilient to the coming changes in weather. There were a variety of newmodels for crop insurance as well a number of ways to make the agricultural sector more …
… finally produce a workable, global scheme to reduce greenhouse gasses in the environment. Unfortunately, the conference produced little concrete action and most agreed that the final … explosion of climate-related investment opportunities in Europe, Latin America and Asia. A new industry around carbon finance emerged, with firms like Climate Change Capital (CCC) of … formed in the rest of developed world. However, the failure of Copenhagen required the new carbon finance industry to reassess its plans. The lack of international consensus could …
… oil company PEMEX had to find ways to implement this policy. Nevertheless, in spite of efforts by various government agencies as well as PEMEX, by mid-2014 no ethanol had been … Mexico meet its ambitious goals addressing climate change. Third, biofuels could provide a new market for Mexico's struggling agricultural sector. Finally, PEMEX would soon face competition due to new energy reforms that promised to introduce private sector competition to PEMEX, including …
… As the Connecticut Green Bank works to design high-impact programs for the solar market, it has supported the design and adoption of legislation that expanded the Residential Solar Investment Program (RSIP) by creating the Solar Home Renewable Energy Credit (SHREC). The SHREC provides a stable funding structure for an expanded … campaign promises in 2015 was to increase the RSIP tenfold. Meanwhile, the reliance on renewable-energy credits (RECs) to satisfy the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) was …
… for these buildings to be replaced, the rigorous standards developed in recent years fornew buildings do not address much of the existing carbon emissions. In the face of the long … Financial institutions are reluctant to lend when any claim that they might make in the event of a default is junior to the property mortgage holder. This is why the Environmental Upgrade Agreement (EUA) plays an important role. The EUA is a deal structure modeled on property-assessed clean energy (PACE) in the United States. It allows loans for …
… Ash award in policy innovation, the "Nobel of policy," upon the Connecticut Green Bank for its role in "sparking the green bank movement." The Green Bank used financial … cost of capital for consumers and businesses to install energy efficiency upgrades and renewable technology. It supported the banking industry in offering standardized products for … itself from the political winds from the north, and move toward a more sustainable funding model? The bank’s management team needed to carefully consider how different funding …
… of the Texas Climate Initiative. You meet with him and learn that he needs help preparing for an unusual negotiation. Marston will be flying to San Francisco for a negotiating session with the private equity firms seeking to acquire Texas electrical utility TXU, and he needs your immediate feedback. The private equity firms want … be representing them. Marston certainly knows TXU, given EDF's battles over TXU's proposed new coal-fired plants. However, there is much uncertainty in this new opportunity - Marston …
… which combines the features of a green bank and an infrastructure bank, was developed under new political leadership. The recently-elected state treasurer, Seth Magaziner, proposed the EBF to Gina Raimondo, the new state governor. The state already possessed a Renewable Portfolio Standard and a Systems … Public Energy Partnership (RIPEP) was temporarily accelerating utility energy-efficiency efforts. The new state leadership created the RIIB. It was built by renaming and restructuring …