RMI

Over half of all trips in 2021 were three miles or less and 60 percent of all vehicle trips were less than six miles. If people used electric bikes to take these trips instead of gas-powered cars, air quality, health outcomes, and transportation access would significantly improve. While policymakers, advocates, and other stakeholders recognize these benefits, many struggle to quantify them. That's why RMI created the E-Bike Environment and Economic Impact Assessment Calculator, which measures specific environmental, health, and economic impacts that e-bikes could have if they replaced a significant percentage of short motor vehicle trips under five miles. With this information stakeholders can illustrate the value of initiatives that accelerate e-bike adoption. https://bit.ly/4gj1eAI

Nigeria is making remarkable progress with solar minigrids, bringing reliable electricity to homes, creating jobs, and minimizing the disruption caused by outages. These initiatives showcase how renewable energy can drive both economic growth and sustainability in communities facing energy challenges. ⚡💼 As highlighted by RMI’s Alberto Rodríguez Gómez in a recent Associated Press News article, a planned solar-powered transformation of the largest market in Nigeria’s capital city offers a glimpse of what’s possible. Solar panels paired with batteries will keep the market running on its own minigrid, even during frequent blackouts. Up until now, sellers working in cramped stalls have relied on diesel generators during outages. “I struggle because the air is thick, the air is nasty, it is also very noisy so it is also really hard to just maintain a conversation,” Gómez shared. A future with solar at the market, he says, “is like going from hell to heaven.” The story of Nigeria's solar revolution serves as a beacon for other nations striving for energy solutions. By embracing innovation and collaboration, we can collectively create a brighter, more sustainable future for all. 💬 Learn more : https://lnkd.in/gXz_Gr43 📸: AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga

Electric vehicles can benefit rideshare drivers due to their lower “fuel” and maintenance costs — as long as drivers have access to reliable and convenient charging. RMI collaborated with PacifiCorp, Utah State University, FlexCharging, and other partners on the WestSmartEV@Scale project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to analyze driving data collected from a sample of EV rideshare drivers in Portland, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. The majority of rideshare drivers using EVs charged them at home and did not make use of public chargers, even when they spent extended periods of time in one spot. To accelerate the use of EVs by rideshare drivers, stakeholders should use robust data and analyses — such as those provided in RMI’s GridUp Tool — to prioritize installing new EV chargers in locations with existing and potential high demand, like where drivers tend to spend extended amounts of time, but don’t currently charge. https://bit.ly/42aB0wP

Electricity has taken the lead as the largest supplier of useful energy* — and it has plenty of growth ahead. *Useful energy is the total amount of energy left after all processing and conversion losses are accounted for. The fossil fuel system, for example, is incredibly inefficient, wasting about two-thirds of primary energy before it does useful work. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4a9oyzc

In combination with electrification, greater energy end-use efficiency can reduce overall energy demand by 50–75 percent. Deploying renewable energy and improving energy efficiency are the two primary levers for climate action between now and 2030. Effective energy efficiency improvements consist of multiple complementary layers that work together and focus on the whole system to make low-energy demand options available to more people. Delivering on global goals to double energy efficiency improvement rates by 2030 will not only require major technology transitions in key sectors, but also better planning, design, operation, system integration, and circularity. This article features examples from the building, transportation, and industrial sectors that illustrate how using less energy through efficiency upgrades can meet our needs with fewer emissions: https://bit.ly/4jw19fO

Retail brands have been leading the charge in championing sustainability in recent years, but progress has hit a snag. There is a lack of uniformity in defining what a low emissions product is. Most of these retail products start from a common group of petrochemical materials such as naphtha (derived from crude oil and natural gas), ethylene, paraxylene, and PET which are higher-polluting plastic materials. This means that, along with retailers, suppliers must work to accelerate the market for climate-differentiated chemicals.  The good news? Retailers are now taking matters into their own hands. Goldwin, an outdoor apparel company based in Japan, is pioneering a sustainable polyester supply chain. Others, like GAP and Bestseller, are joining initiatives focused on electrifying supply chains and transitioning to renewable energy. No matter the approach, it’s clear that businesses want to work with suppliers to reduce their climate pollution, especially since supply chains contribute upwards of 70% of retailers’ total emissions. RMI’s latest analysis can help retailers and suppliers figure out how much and where in the supply chain emissions need to be reduced and accelerate the market for more sustainable chemical-derived products: https://lnkd.in/eJPM84if 

Across the United States, coal plants are operating at a financial loss. These uneconomic facilities are costing ratepayers money — and harming their health. The pollutants emitted by uneconomically operating coal plants lead to serious health consequences, such as worsening asthma symptoms and heart conditions, especially for densely populated communities nearby. Costs for medical visits, sick time, medications, and other healthcare needs go up, too. If coal plants were used only when they were the cheapest available resource to meet electricity demand, communities could see improvements in public health and their quality of life, along with reduced healthcare costs. By shifting to economic dispatch practices, utilities can significantly cut emissions, improve air quality, and lessen the strain on healthcare systems. https://bit.ly/42k1DPZ

Fertilizers play a huge role in feeding the world—helping to grow the food that sustains over half of the global population. Despite all the good they do, synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are also responsible for 1.31 gigatons of CO2 emissions each year, which is more than the aviation ✈️ and shipping 🚢 sectors combined. The issue lies in how fertilizers are made. Current production process, especially the Haber-Bosch process, is highly energy-intensive and relies on natural gas, which makes it a major source of carbon emissions.  The good news? Sustainable fertilizers can change the game. They can improve soil health, promote biodiversity, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels—all while ensuring more stable agricultural outputs. If we can decarbonize fertilizer production, we not only stand to reduce emissions from this sector but also enhance the resilience of our global food system.    Learn more about fertilizers here: https://lnkd.in/eEpyxaEE  

A circular battery economy — one in which end-of-life batteries are reused, repurposed, or recycled — can strengthen the EV supply chain while reducing our dependence on newly mined minerals and the environmental and social harms associated with their extraction. This paper from the World Economic Forum, the Global Battery Alliance, and RMI examines the risks of continuing to rely on a linear battery economy. Most importantly, it provides concrete steps stakeholders everywhere can take to make a circular battery economy a reality. https://bit.ly/40FgiUC

Energy demand is skyrocketing. Energy efficiency is a solution to help maintain grid reliability for companies and their customers. As #WEF25 meets in Davos, the Mission Efficiency Coalition is encouraging business leaders to commit to energy efficiency measures and upgrades that will ensure electricity reliability while also meeting increasing demand and saving money. Mission Efficiency has developed a new resource for businesses to ensure energy efficiency is at the top of the agenda at Davos and beyond — with key data points, sector specific summaries of the savings opportunity, and resources for further reading. https://bit.ly/42k54Gb