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Cherry blossoms in Washington, DC park
Commentary

3 Cities Taking Urban Forestry to the Next Level

Trees improve city dwellers' quality of life by reducing smog, preventing erosion, supporting wildlife and sheltering buildings from heat and cold. On International Day of Forests, Sarah Weber looks at how Tokyo, Belfast and Washington, D.C. have integrated trees into their urban landscapes.

Commentary
Children in India carry water.
Commentary

Signs of Worry, Signs of Hope on World Water Day

While droughts, floods and increasingly rapid groundwater depletion are cause for concern, this year presents unprecedented opportunities to pursue better water management. Director of WRI's Global Water program Betsy Otto explains.

Commentary
Harvesting logs in Malaysia.
Commentary

Linking Products to Places: The Initiatives Working to End Deforestation

Companies, especially those with consumer-facing brands, have become increasingly concerned about the reputational, operational and legal risks posed by deforestation. So some are seeking out ways to root it out of their supply chains.

Commentary
Installation of solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of the Hongqiao Passenger Rail Terminal in Shanghai, China.
Commentary

5 Questions: What Does China’s New Five-Year Plan Mean for Climate Action?

China has unveiled its 13th Five-Year Plan, which will guide the country's economic and social development from 2016 through 2020. Its new climate and energy targets show that the country will continue its shift to a more sustainable growth model and deliver on its Paris Agreement commitments.

Commentary
Commentary

DC’s Metro Closure Shows Why Creating Trust in Public Transit Matters

With the 29-hour closure of Washington, D.C.'s Metro, trust in the city's public transit system is at a low point. But, the shutdown isn’t just bad for the Metro; it has broader impacts for the whole of the city.

Commentary
Manufacturing solar cells in Wuxi, China.
Commentary

A Golden Opportunity for China to Embrace Green Growth

As President Xi Jinping has said, after unprecedented economic expansion since 1990, China now needs to embrace a new economic model that focuses more on the quality rather than the quantity of growth. Will the new 13th Five-Year Plan be able to deliver this?

Commentary
Plantation for plywood production in Mettupalayam, India.
Commentary

Can Plantations Help Restore Degraded and Deforested Land?

For better or for worse, plantation forests are here to stay. But through sustainable management and a "landscape approach," plantations can actually help contribute to the global restoration movement. Researcher Jared Messinger explains.

Commentary
Natural gas well
Commentary

With New Joint Announcement with Canada, US Gets Serious About Cutting Methane Emissions

A new U.S.-Canada joint will cut methane emissions from oil and gas systems by 40-45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025. It's a big step toward meeting both countries' climate goals—methane is a greenhouse gas 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Commentary
Peat swamp forests of the Katingan Peatland Reserve in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Commentary

What Indonesia Doesn’t Know About Peatlands Could Undermine its Climate Goals

Despite the fact the Indonesia's peatlands are a major carbon sink, we know surprisingly little about them—much of the information out there about their extent, thickness and change is inaccurate. The recently launched Indonesian Peat Prize aims to change that.

Commentary
Flooding in Key West, Fla.
Commentary

Climate Change: The Critical Topic Presidential Debates Are Leaving Out

In the 18 debates held so far, moderators have asked about everything from Super Bowl picks to flower arrangements, while posing only a handful of questions on climate. This week's debates in Florida—ground zero for climate change in the United States—are the perfect opportunity to change that.

Commentary

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