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The World Resources Institute is pleased to announce Lori Bird as U.S. Director, Energy and the second Polsky Chair for Renewable Energy.
United States
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by Kelly Levin - September 14, 2018Scientists have known for years that global warming can exacerbate storms. But our understanding of the connection between hurricanes and climate change has evolved significantly in just the past year.
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by Tom Cyrs, James DeWeese and Kevin Kennedy - September 12, 2018A new report from America's Pledge shows that states, cities and businesses are on track to reduce U.S. emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, approximately two-thirds of the way to the national pledge of cutting emissions 26-28 percent by 2025. And they could easily get even further.
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by Michael Oko - September 10, 2018This week's Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco aims to highlight bright spots and spur momentum on international climate action. And, to be sure, bright spots can be seen—you just need to know where to look for them.
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by James Mulligan, Gretchen Ellison and Kelly Levin - September 10, 2018To prevent the worst impacts of climate change, we'll need to not just reduce emissions, but actually remove some carbon dioxide from the sky.
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September 06, 2018
Sustainable investing is the new black: essential, ubiquitous and a subject of forward-looking discussion. But this is no passing fashion. What was once a niche investment approach is becoming mainstream, and WRI is learning the nitty-gritty of it through its own endowment journey.
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Statement from Dan Lashof, WRI United States Director, following the Trump administration's proposal to replace the Clean Power Plan.
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by Ben Welle, Guillermo Petzhold and Francisco Minella Pasqual - August 08, 2018New taxes and fees shouldn't just raise revenue. They can do more than that: they can make cities more livable and transport more sustainable.
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Today the United States Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a proposal that would freeze vehicle fuel economy standards at 2020 levels and revoke California’s authority to issue its own standards for vehicle emissions, including zero emission vehicle sales requirements.
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by Hayden Higgins - August 01, 2018In a new podcast, we hear from Rafe Pomerance, formerly of WRI and a key source for an issue-length article in the New York Times Magazine on the earliest stages of climate policy: "Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Solved Climate Change."
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by Lawrence MacDonald - July 26, 2018China will adhere to its commitments under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and is on track to exceed key targets early, despite the U.S. administration’s intention to withdraw from the historic climate pact, a senior Chinese climate expert said after a meeting between U.S. and Chinese policy experts in San Francisco.
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by Sabin Ray and John-Rob Pool - July 24, 2018WRI experts take a field trip to learn from the US Forest Service, learning three lessons for the global restoration movement: support biodiversity, spread the wealth locally and be adaptable.
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Today Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo introduced the Market Choice Act, co-sponsored by Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). The legislation would charge for carbon emissions from fuel combustion and large industrial sources.
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by Christina DeConcini and Kevin Kennedy - July 23, 2018Congressman Curbelo's Market Choice Act, which would charge for carbon emissions from fuel combustion and large industrial sources, could bring U.S. greenhouse gas emissions down 27 to 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, with minimal effect on GDP and benefits for the lowest-income households.
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by Dan Lashof - July 19, 2018In his first Insights post as Director, WRI United States, Dan Lashof focuses on some good news from California: a comprehensive suite of climate policies helped the Golden State meet its 2020 target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions four years early, while California's economy grew.
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WRI will host a public briefing featuring senior Chinese and U.S. participants on China-US climate and energy cooperation among national and non-federal actors on Tuesday, July 17 in San Francisco.
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Statement from Dan Lashof, Director, WRI United States following Scott Pruitt's resignation as the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
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by Kevin Kennedy - June 2018On June 26, Kevin Kennedy testified before the Subcommittee on Energy (under the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Energy and Commerce) during a hearing entitled “The Shifting Geopolitics of Oil and Gas.”
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by Kevin Kennedy and Christina DeConcini - June 21, 2018New WRI research explores how the United States can design a carbon tax that improves the economy and achieves emissions-reduction goals.
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by Noah Kaufman, Eleanor Krause and Kehan DeSousa - June 2018This issue brief provides insight on how incorporating emissions target mechanism into a strong national carbon tax can help ensure the intended emission reductions are delivered. It is part of a series of WRI research devoted to designing a national carbon price in the United States.