Blog Posts: sustainable development

Short-lived climate pollutants like hydrofluorocarbons, black carbon and methane aren't as well-known as carbon dioxide. But they have a powerful impact on the climate and on human health, and more countries need to develop plans to cut their emissions.

There is growing recognition of the strong connections between the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change, which were adopted only three months apart in 2015. However, after nearly three years of implementation, the question of how countries can advance these two agendas jointly at the national level ways remains.

As of 2018, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate actions embedded in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement are still largely implemented under separate tracks. Policymakers report...

Colombia is the latest country to join the Cocoa and Forests Initiative, which aims to create a global movement for deforestation-free cocoa. Sustainable cocoa farming offers a viable alternative to Colombia's violent coca trade, among other benefits.

The decisions each country, business and investor makes today will directly impact global climate and development goals. Do it right and we can feed 9 billion people, provide clean electricity for all and grow the economy while protecting the environment.

Devastating floods in South Asia and Texas, storms in the Caribbean and fires in the American West foreshadow a perilous tomorrow if we don't tackle climate change today. Because in a very real sense, 2050 is now.

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.