Mission and Approach
The Crux Alliance was established in 2018 to support the rapid implementation of ambitious, cutting-edge climate policies. By using top-of-the-class, nonprofit organizations with deep policy design expertise, the Crux Alliance helps policymakers in the 20 highest-emitting countries to design carbon mitigation policies for the sectors critical to long-term climate stability. The Crux Alliance is comprised of six leading policy NGOs, each singularly focused on one of the highest-emitting energy sectors. Each of these ‘Crux Policy Center’ operates worldwide and in close partnership with local, in-country NGOs:
Appliances: CLASP
Buildings: The Global Building Performance Network (GBPN)
Industry: Agora Industry
Power: Agora Energiewende
Urban Mobility: The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP)
Vehicles and Fuel: The International Council for Clean Transportation (ICCT)
The Crux Alliance is a philanthropic project housed at the Aspen Global Change Institute. A lean, expert Secretariat facilitates grantmaking and network engagement among the Crux Policy Centers and partners.
Insider Advocacy for Each Sector & Across Sectors
Each Crux Policy Center focuses on one sector and is led by experts who have decades of experience designing policies that truly deliver reductions of harmful emissions in that sector. These organizations can be understood as “insider advocates.” They have the expertise and relationships to support and gain the trust of policymakers while retaining the ability as independent NGOs to push for greater levels of ambition. The groups work with the responsible agencies, in country and in language, on every element of policy, from design through implementation. Each group has local staff, as well as local NGO partners, in the largest emitting regions around the world.
Global & Local
Targeted at the Top-20 Emitters
Each Crux Policy Center begins with an analysis of the top-20 emitting countries in its sector, and then ranks those countries in terms of the political opportunity. As funding for the Alliance grows, each of the Crux Policy Centers is able to work in more of their top-20 countries and to deepen work in the countries they are already working in. Explore where the Alliance is supporting bolder climate policy in the map below.
Show Me: All Appliances Buildings Electricity Industry Urban Mobility Vehicles & Fuel
The ICCT has worked closely with the New Zealand government over the years. The ICCT provided technical analyses and a consulting report for implementing the country’s first CO2 emissions standards for light-duty vehicles, and supported the adoption of Euro 6d/VIc standards for criteria pollutants.
GBPN is partnering with the Kenyan Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing & Urban Development to develop a buildings decarbonization road map as part of the global Buildings Breakthrough Agenda. The road map will provide a clear, implementable pathway to decarbonizing the sector across the value chain. Kenya is a regional influencer in market transformation and policy development, and the road map learnings—particularly in collecting baseline data—can be scaled and implemented in other African countries. The road map has the potential to mitigate 305 million tons of CO2 emissions in the country by 2050.
Agora Industry works with NEXT Group to accelerate industrial decarbonization in the Republic of Korea. In 2022, they developed a more ambitious carbon-neutrality road map for Korea, which informed the government’s February 2024 adoption of carbon contracts for difference. This financial instrument lowers the costs of clean technology transitions in the industrial sector, potentially cutting annual steel emissions in Korea by approximately 80 percent by 2040. Transforming key energy-intensive industries such as steelmaking and semiconductors will be crucial for Korea to reach net zero by 2050. With industrial emissions not yet being abated in line with this target, Agora and NEXT Group’s research and technical assistance remain essential.
Energy use in Pakistan is rising rapidly due to rural electrification and economic growth, making effective efficiency policies essential. CLASP supports the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority in developing and implementing appliance efficiency policies. CLASP’s efforts have led to the drafting of eight policies, expected to avoid 37.2 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2030, and the development of a provincial endorsement label for three appliances in Punjab. Additionally, CLASP launched an industry accelerator in collaboration with the motor industry to enhance local motor manufacturing and testing capabilities.
GBPN identifies, validates, and shares insights and evidence on policy best practices and the associated measurable energy savings and emissions reductions. It develops and delivers trainings to ASEAN building sector policymakers on design and implementation of best-practice building energy codes and supporting policies.
The EU and the U.K. are major emitters in the appliances sector, ranking second and ninth, respectively. CLASP helps both regions develop and implement world-leading policies, including a comprehensive EU package for 10 appliances and the first-ever energy and resource efficiency standards for smartphones and tablets, that will collectively cut over 276 million tons of CO2 by 2030. Efforts in both regions are expected to reduce at least 340 million tons of CO2 by 2040, with upcoming policies targeting cooking, computers, lighting, heating, and electric vehicles to further boost appliance efficiency and support decarbonization across Europe.
The ICCT informs the EU’s world-leading clean transportation policies, providing the technical analysis underpinning the EU’s rule mandating 100 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, the regulation requiring 90 percent emissions reductions for new trucks by 2040, legislation supporting the required infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles and for low-carbon fuels, and policies to promote sustainable aviation and marine fuels.
Through research, analysis, technical assistance, and stakeholder engagement, Agora Industry supports the effective design and implementation of policies that are paving the way to carbon-neutral industry in Europe by 2040. Agora’s experts have played a critical role in several landmark industrial policies, such as the EU’s emissions trading system to cut industrial emissions, the carbon border adjustment mechanism to help prevent “carbon leakage,” and policies governing carbon contracts for difference to accelerate the switch to clean technologies. Several of Agora’s recommendations have also been picked up as political priorities in 2024-2029 EU policy, including on electrification, lead market creation, and circularity.
Since 2015, Agora Energiewende has informed Europe’s clean energy policy development in the power and buildings sectors through cutting-edge research and analysis alongside technical assistance for decision-makers. The work has included supporting the development of landmark policies such as the European Climate Law requiring 55 percent emissions reductions by 2030 followed by the Fit for 55 legislative package to realize this target and outlining a way out of the fossil energy crisis by structurally reducing the use of fossil gas and accelerating the deployment of renewable energy.
Agora Energiewende has worked in Germany since 2012 and has a close network of stakeholders, including policymakers, industry experts, associations, and non-governmental organizations. Initially focused on the electricity sector, Agora Energiewende has broadened its scope as the German energy transition has evolved. Today, the organization develops science-based solutions and integrated policy concepts to make the third-largest global economy climate neutral by 2045. Agora Energiewende’s analysis was instrumental in establishing wind and solar as the foundation of the power system, preparing the political agreement on phasing out coal, increasing Germany’s climate ambition and, most recently, accelerating transformations in the buildings and industrial sectors.
SHURA Energy Transition Center, in partnership with Agora Energiewende and the Regulatory Assistance Project, provides decision-makers with analysis and data, facilitating dialogue among policymakers, civil society, and industry to advance the Turkish energy transition. Since 2018, SHURA has significantly impacted climate and energy policy: its comprehensive net-zero road map for Türkiye’s power sector helped drive increases in renewable energy build-out, energy efficiency, battery energy storage, and electrolyzer targets. Its research and stakeholder engagement inform policies on industry emissions, electric vehicles, battery storage, offshore wind, and just transition. SHURA is a member of the International Network of Energy Transition Think Tanks.
Through independent research and close collaboration with a wide range of policy-influencing stakeholders, the ICCT has supported China’s groundbreaking multi-pollutant emissions regulations for cars and trucks and advanced clean and zero-emission targets for truck fleets in major industrial sectors. Further, the ICCT facilitated the first ban on motor vehicle refrigerants with high global warming potential, promoted zero-emission vehicle targets in major cities and regions including Hainan’s Roadmap to 100% Clean Energy Vehicles, and initiated China’s first zero-emission zone pilots for offroad machinery. Additionally, the ICCT has contributed to setting low-carbon multimodal freight targets.
ITDP China works with officials in cities such as Beijing, Changzhi, Guangzhou, Jinan, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Xianning to provide technical support for sustainable transit projects and policies. These projects include the Guangzhou bus rapid transit, which has served as many as a million people per day since opening in 2010; other BRT projects in Lanzhou, Yichang, Tianjin, among other cities; support for greenways, bike sharing, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, complete street projects, parking reform, and road safety. In Yichang, ITDP China supported major improvements to the city’s cycling, pedestrian, and public transit infrastructure that is shifting commuter behaviors away from private vehicles. Taken together, ITDP’s work in China will prevent an estimated 651.25 million tons of CO2e emissions by 2050.
As the world’s largest carbon emitter in the appliances sector, China is committed to leading global energy efficiency standards. CLASP collaborates with China’s National Institute for Standards to enhance efficiency in home appliances and industrial equipment. This has resulted in eight world-leading appliance policies, projected to prevent 500 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2030. These initiatives are crucial for China’s goals of peaking emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060.
GBPN works with local partners to ensure building standards align with China’s net-zero target and to develop strategies for achieving that target in the building sector. GBPN also facilitates the exchange of knowledge and practical experience between China, India, Indonesia, and Southeast Asian nations to accelerate progress.
Agora Energiewende conducts independent research and stakeholder engagement to inform national and provincial policies to accelerate the energy and industrial transitions in China in line with national and global climate goals. This includes successfully fostering a distributed, renewables-friendly regulatory environment, particularly in the Yangtze River Delta, where Jiangsu and Zhejiang have set ambitious goals. Agora also plays a crucial role in Shanxi, the world’s largest coal-producing region, by facilitating knowledge and expert exchange between Europe and China, developing transition strategies, and contributing to just transition policies that support vulnerable communities in key coal regions and enable structural change.
Agora Industry works with stakeholders in China to support the country’s efforts to transition to a vibrant low-carbon economy. This includes conducting independent research and hosting international dialogues on topics such as the transformation of steel and chemicals manufacturing, renewables-oriented electrification, the renewable hydrogen economy, and how to align with emerging international trade policies such as carbon border adjustment measures.
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In Canada, the ICCT develops strategies and technical and policy analyses to speed up the country’s transition to zero-emission vehicles, including providing analysis and expertise that informed Canada’s landmark rule requiring 100 percent zero-emission vehicles sales by 2035, advising on greenhouse gas regulations for heavy-duty vehicles, and helping provincial governments craft emissions reduction and electrification strategies and regulations.
ITDP’s U.S. program provides technical assistance and capacity building to advance high-quality bus transit and safe streets integrated with accessible infrastructure. For example, in Boston ITDP has helped expand dedicated bus lanes from 4 to 40 miles over 10 years, and in California ITDP’s expertise informed a 2022 statewide parking reform that will reclaim streets for people.
ICCT U.S. staff engage with federal, state, and local governments to shape practical and cost-effective policies for clean vehicles and fuels and to defend and extend the public policy achievements of past decades. This work has included original analysis and technical assistance to support the development of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s multi-pollutant rules for cars and trucks and research that informed the most stringent ever nitrogen oxides regulations for heavy-duty trucks in California and federally.
The U.S. is the fourth-highest emitter in the appliances sector. CLASP works with the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, Natural Resources Defense Council, and state partners to accelerate the pace of efficiency policy. CLASP provides policymakers with the technical analysis and global policy best practices needed to incite policy improvements. Despite ongoing challenges in a partisan landscape, CLASP’s partnerships have supported 15 standard reviews and 11 revisions—resulting in 93 million tons of CO2 reductions through 2030 since 2020.
The Regulatory Assistance Project’s team of technical experts provides decision-makers with cutting-edge research, trusted analysis, and innovative ideas to help them advance a low-carbon, clean energy system through smart regulation design. The Crux Alliance’s global heat pump toolkit and RAP’s technical assistance led to nine states committing to increase the share of heat pumps for space and water heating by 65 percent by 2030 and 90 percent by 2040. RAP and ICCT’s work on smart-charging also inspired ongoing discussions at the federal level with the U.S. Department of Energy and Transportation, visible in its new strategy on vehicle grid integration. The Regulatory Assistance Project exchanges knowledge and best practices through the International Network of Energy Transition Think Tanks.
In Brazil, the ICCT collaborates with governmental agencies to provide technical support for reducing vehicle emissions, improving fuel quality and efficiency, and advancing policies for low-emission technologies across the road, maritime, and aviation sectors. These initiatives include promoting stringent emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles and assisting cities in electrifying their bus fleets.
Brazil pioneered bus rapid transit (BRT), and ITDP has played a pivotal role in disseminating BRT best practices in Brazil and globally, including by supporting the 20-station TransBrasil BRT corridor expected to serve upwards of 250,000 people a day by 2030. ITDP Brazil is working with the Ministry of Cities and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to advance electric buses and active mobility.
Brazil is the world’s 15th highest emitter in the appliances sector—but current political will to take decisive action on energy efficiency is producing rapid progress on carbon emissions reductions. CLASP works closely with government agencies, utility companies, industry, and other local partners to support and advocate for impactful appliance efficiency policies. CLASP helped mobilize a critical network of policymakers, local NGOs, and progressive manufacturers to revise Brazil’s air conditioner and refrigerator policies, avoiding 50 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2030.
In his third term, Brazilian President Lula has prioritized green reindustrialization as a central pillar of his policy agenda. In partnership with its Brazilian counterpart E+ Energy Transition Institute, Agora Industry is working to highlight Brazil’s potential to develop a green steel and chemical industry that can drive sustainable growth, create jobs, and improve welfare. As part of the T20 think tank initiative tied to Brazil’s G20 presidency, Agora Industry supports efforts to expand international markets for green industrial products. This expansion can accelerate global industrial transformation and significantly reduce the manufacturing sector’s climate impact.
GBPN works closely with local and national policymakers in Indonesia to develop policy strategies for reducing planet-heating emissions from the country’s rapidly growing building stock, while lowering energy costs and ensuring cooler, safer housing for residents in a warming world. Through on-the-ground research and technical advice, GBPN’s staff helped the cities of Samarinda and Bali create new efficiency codes that residents report have improved their quality of life. Through its “policy hub” for officials at all levels of government, GBPN facilitates the exchange of knowledge and policy innovations across the country. As a result of this work, GBPN supported the national government in adopting a landmark national road map to decarbonize Indonesia’s building sector. GBPN is working with national and regional officials to implement the plan, which is projected to avoid more than 450 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2030.
Together with the Institute for Essential Services Reform, Agora Industry promotes opportunities for low-carbon development of Indonesia’s industrial sector. Agora conducts research and policy analysis demonstrating how the country can leapfrog outdated technologies and embrace cleaner innovations in steel, chemicals, and building material supply. Agora has produced leading research identifying the best uses of green hydrogen to cut emissions, attract investment, and grow the economy. Agora also supports a network of civil society organizations in the region to facilitate knowledge exchange and the spread of best practices. Currently, Agora is developing a training course on green steel to further enhance the knowledge base of these organizations.
The ICCT in Indonesia provides research, technical assistance, and analysis to help policymakers reduce pollution from transportation and accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. This work includes supporting the first fuel economy standards for heavy-duty vehicles, building capacity on passenger car fuel economy standards and zero-emission vehicle sales regulations, developing plans for a transition to electric vehicles in public transit systems, evaluating cost-competitive zero-emission solutions for trucks, developing national electric vehicle charging infrastructure development plans for the long term, and helping provinces improve their charging infrastructure development action plans.
ITDP has provided ongoing technical assistance for developing and improving Jakarta’s TransJakarta bus rapid transit (BRT) system, which was Asia’s first high-quality BRT system when it launched in 2004 and now serves more than 1 million riders per day. ITDP Indonesia is now helping Jakarta electrify its entire bus fleet by 2030 while supporting sustainable mobility programs in the cities of Bandung, Medan, and Semarang, and is advising the Ministry of Transport on its national public transport electrification strategy.
In Indonesia, CLASP has initiated appliance efficiency progress by supporting seven policies projected to avoid 100 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2030. Partnering with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, CLASP shares international best practices and conducts impact analyses to bolster national energy goals. CLASP’s regional team advances high-efficiency appliances through technical advice and consumer education.
In Australia, the ICCT provides technical assistance and original research to inform policies that can cut pollution from the country’s transportation sector, including supporting the development of Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle Strategy, and the country’s first CO2 standards for light-duty vehicles, which are projected to prevent 321 million tons of emissions through 2050.
The ICCT in Mexico works closely with the regulatory body charged with setting vehicle emission standards and with the national ecological institute, which provides technical analysis on environmental policy issues, and has conducted research and analysis demonstrating the need for stronger pollution standards. The ICCT also serves as a technical advisor to the country’s electric vehicle industry association, Electro Movilidad Asociación, which is aiming for 100 percent electric vehicle sales by 2035.
With ITDP Mexico’s assistance, Mexico City has become a best practice model for transit, cycling, and urban spaces and adopted a world-leading parking reform policy that replaced parking minimums with maximums. Nationally, ITDP’s recommendations were adopted in a landmark law mandating that cities redesign streets to prioritize public transport and protect pedestrians and cyclists, and ITDP Mexico is working with cities to make this vision a reality.
Japan has committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. In partnership with the Renewable Energy Institute, Agora Industry has played a key role in placing the transformation of the steel industry on Japan’s political agenda. By highlighting the long lifespan of industrial assets, Agora has demonstrated the importance of the next investment cycle, underscoring the urgency of identifying technical solutions for climate-neutral steel production. As a result, the Japanese government has significantly increased research efforts toward this goal. Financial support for developing green steel production capacity is still needed, as is the development of markets to boost demand for green products.
The ICCT’s India staff works with policymakers to mitigate air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, including by providing technical assistance to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency to develop fuel efficiency standards, supporting the PM eBus Scheme, which will support the deployment of 10,000 e-buses across 100 emerging cities, and leading the Ministry of Heavy Industries task force on preparing a truck electrification road map.
ITDP India helps the country’s growing cities design and deliver world-class public bus systems and other sustainable transport policies that enhance social inclusion, improve safety, and reduce emissions. ITDP India also serves as a chief knowledge partner to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to help guide the Smart Cities Mission, resulting in nearly 2,000 km of new walking and cycling projects across 40 cities.
India is the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, with emissions projected to grow significantly due to increasing energy needs, urbanization, rising incomes, and population growth. For over two decades, CLASP has provided technical assistance to India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency to enhance India’s appliance efficiency program, now covering 38 types of appliances. In 2023, the program launched 15 appliance efficiency policies, expected to avoid 120 million tons of CO2 cumulatively by 2030. These policies are responsible for 60 percent of the country’s emissions reductions from energy efficiency initiatives and over half of the savings on electricity costs.
GBPN works with local partners to help policymakers and the buildings industry develop strategies for reducing planet-heating emissions from India’s rapidly growing building stock, while lowering energy costs and ensuring cooler, safer housing for residents in a warming world. GBPN authored research recommending updated building standards that would ensure all new affordable housing is zero-carbon by 2030, while providing safe, cool, and healthy interiors for low-income residents. GBPN’s recommendations were incorporated into the National Construction Regulations for Affordable Housing, and GBPN contributed to a new National Energy Conservation and Sustainable Building Code for all buildings. GBPN is also partnering with the Regulatory Assistance Project to test innovative policies and technologies to accelerate decarbonization of India’s building sector and the energy grid through “living labs” in the Indian states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. In total, GBPN’s work in India so far will avoid 137 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2030.
In Vietnam, the ICCT has supported the development of light-duty and two- and three-wheeler fuel efficiency regulations.
GBPN partnered with the UN Environment Programme and local experts to identify and prioritize building sector actions for inclusion in Vietnam’s road map to achieve its nationally determined contribution. GBPN also created a Common Carbon Metric monitoring tool for calculating building sector baseline energy and emissions and prioritizing building sector actions in Vietnam.
GBPN partnered with the UN Environment Programme and local experts to identify and prioritize building sector actions for inclusion in Cambodia’s road map to achieve its nationally determined contribution. GBPN also created a Common Carbon Metric MRV tool for calculating building sector baseline energy and emissions and prioritizing building sector actions in Cambodia.
Together with the Energy Research Institute, Agora Industry promotes opportunities for low-carbon development of Thailand’s industrial sector. Agora Industry conducts research and policy analysis demonstrating how the country can leapfrog outdated technologies and embrace cleaner innovations in steel, pulp and paper, petrochemicals, and building material supply. Agora has produced leading research identifying the best uses of green hydrogen to cut emissions, attract investment, and grow the economy. Agora Industry also facilitates a network of civil society organizations in the region to foster knowledge exchange and spread best practice policies.
Forum Energii, in partnership with Agora Energiewende and the Regulatory Assistance Project, provides decision-makers with fact-based analysis and data to advance Poland’s clean energy transition in line with Europe’s climate goals. Forum Energii has informed policies that accelerate the deployment of offshore wind, rooftop solar, and heat pumps, while initiating serious discussion on coal phaseout. Its research showed the economic feasibility of the early phaseout of Bełchatów, Europe’s largest lignite power plant. This led to Bełchatów presenting a plan to reduce coal production by 75 percent by 2030 and the region receiving EU transition funding. Forum Energii is a member of the International Network of Energy Transition Think Tanks.
The EU and the U.K. are major emitters in the appliances sector, ranking second and ninth, respectively. CLASP helps both regions develop and implement world-leading policies, including a comprehensive EU package for 10 appliances and the first-ever energy and resource efficiency standards for smartphones and tablets, that will collectively cut over 276 million tons of CO2 by 2030. Efforts in both regions are expected to reduce at least 340 million tons of CO2 by 2040, with upcoming policies targeting cooking, computers, lighting, heating, and electric vehicles to further boost appliance efficiency and support decarbonization across Europe.
The ICCT works closely with the government of the U.K. to design its domestic zero-emission vehicle transition framework, including its world-leading zero-emission vehicle mandate and policies on heavy-duty vehicles and sustainable aviation fuels, and to implement its international climate agenda, including the ZEV Transition Council, Accelerating to Zero Coalition, and Breakthrough Agenda’s Road Transport Breakthrough.
Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and GreenCape, in partnership with Agora Energiewende and the Regulatory Assistance Project, support the country’s clean energy through research, community and stakeholder engagement, and technical advice. PARI wrote the municipal chapter of the Just Energy Transition Partnership Implementation Plan, which recommends increasing renewables and grid investments and improving local government capacity to design and operate smart grids. GreenCape coordinated the landmark South African Renewable Energy Master Plan to significantly expand cleantech manufacturing to meet energy and climate goals, grow the economy, create jobs, and transition from coal. Both organizations are members of the International Network of Energy Transition Think Tanks.
South Africa is the 17th highest emitter in the appliances sector and is confronting dangerous resource limitations that are made more unstable by a warming world. CLASP partners with the South African National Energy Development Institute to upgrade energy and water efficiency policies. CLASP’s support in South Africa has led to world-leading policies for general service lamps and electric motors, avoiding 17 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2030. CLASP’s support for water efficiency policies is expected to reduce annual water usage by over a trillion liters and to avoid 16 million tons of CO2 emissions.
The ICCT’s work in South Africa has focused on supporting fuel efficiency policies for light-duty passenger vehicles, emissions and fuels standards for on-road vehicles, and a transition to zero-emission bus fleets in South African cities.
Equitable Climate Policy
We must urgently cut harmful emissions to safeguard human health, security, and economic development. At the same time, the global clean energy transition offers a tremendous opportunity to not only create jobs and broaden economic prosperity, but to strengthen public health and well-being, and address historical inequities.
Climate and clean energy policies must be designed to ensure access to these benefits for all people, with particular attention paid to communities that are economically dependent on the fossil fuel economy or that have been disproportionately burdened by fossil fuel pollution.
Each of the Crux Policy Centers engage communities, businesses, and local partners to inform equitable and just policy recommendations and are committed to advancing policies that rapidly cut planet-heating emissions, while also improving human health and broadening prosperity across the globe.
