Mission & Values

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Integrity

Honesty, candor and openness must guide our work to ensure credibility and to build trust.

• We encourage examination of our methods, analyses, and conclusions. Learn more about our research review procedures.
• We share information and ideas with our colleagues and partners.
• We recognize all who have contributed to our work.

Innovation

To lead change for a sustainable world, we must be creative, forward-thinking, entrepreneurial, and adaptive.

• We are willing to risk failure to achieve substantial impact. We nurture and reward new ideas and excellence in pursuing them.
• We reinvigorate our own ideas and approaches through continuous learning.

Urgency

We believe that change in human behavior is urgently needed to halt the accelerating rate of environmental deterioration.

• We seek the greatest impact by responding swiftly, decisively, and strategically to opportunities and challenges.
• We work on issues that matter where we believe we can make a unique difference.

Independence

Our effectiveness depends on work that is uncompromised by partisan politics, institutional or personal allegiances, or sources of financial support.

• We take pride in the independence of our ideas and work.
• We convey to partners and funders our commitment to unbiased judgment.

Respect

Our relationships are based on the belief that all people deserve respect.

• We encourage diversity of experience, culture, ideas, and opinions among our staff and partners.
• We seek to ensure and to recognize that each of us can take responsibility and create opportunities.
• We help each other to reach our fullest potential.
• We treat others with fairness regardless of their views on our work.

Our Intellectual Independence Policy addresses the imperative of WRI acting independently in all our undertakings when receiving funds from third parties and remaining independent through the entire gift fulfilment process. 

There can be no limitations or conditions on our independence in research, findings, conclusions or resulting publications. WRI retains final decision-making authority regarding the direction of program and project research methods, speakers, and participants in activities, contents of reports and most importantly research conclusions. WRI takes any allegation of undue donor influence seriously and will take active measures to investigate and resolve any such allegation.