Blog Posts: sustainable development

WRI researchers analyzed energy supply investments from the World Bank, International Finance Corporation and Asian Development Bank. While only 3 percent of this financing is misaligned with the goal of limiting temperature rise to 2⁰C, about half fell into a “conditional” category; its alignment with a low-carbon future depends on how projects are designed.

At a recent forum, leaders discussed the future of the Belt and Road Initiative, China'as massive infrastructure plan. Will it develop projects that protect the health and prosperity of its people in years to come, or put them and the global environment in jeopardy?

More than 800 decision-makers, innovators, entrepreneurs and citizens recently gathered to answer a vexing question: How can the world meet the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030? Four answers emerged.

Electricity planners often confront the energy access gap by increasing supply, without considering how consumers actually use and pay for electricity. Creating a lasting solution is actually far more complicated.

More than 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity; 71 million in Kenya and Tanzania alone. Rentable solar systems can provide a safe, affordable solution, but they haven't taken off – yet.

The G20 Hamburg Summit in July will be the first time that President Trump meets fellow G20 leaders in a group setting. The newly released summit agenda is a reminder that the new president’s campaign promises and early appointments could put him at odds with prior G20 commitments.

Can the world economy keep growing at its current rapid pace while radically shrinking our global ecological footprint? With transformational changes in almost all spheres of economic and social life, it can -- but so far, those changes aren't happening on a large-enough scale to make the transition.

Last week, 30,000 people gathered in Quito for Habitat III to adopt the New Urban Agenda, an influential vision for cities aimed at guiding national decision-making over the next 20 years while supporting the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change. Going forward, what does the Quito meeting mean for urban leaders?

When delegates gather in Quito for Habitat III to adopt the New Urban Agenda for sustainable cities, they should keep in mind people like Adelaida, a banker and mother in Accra, Ghana, where unreliable, expensive electricity is a challenge. As a forthcoming paper of the World Resources Report shows, ensuring access to affordable energy and the economic opportunity it brings will be essential for a sustainable, prosperous urban future.

Delivering on the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals will be hugely challenging, but new WRI analysis finds there is much greater alignment between these two agendas than we may realize.