WRI's goal is to protect the global climate system from further harm due to emissions of greenhouse gases and help humanity and the natural world adapt to unavoidable climate change.

WRI's Governance goal is to guarantee public access to information and decisions regarding natural resources and the environment.

WRI's Markets & Enterprise goal is to harness markets and enterprise to expand economic opportunity and protect the environment.

WRI's People and Ecosystems goal is to reverse rapid degradation of ecosystems and assure their capacity to provide humans with needed goods and services.