WRI Insights

Between now and September 2015, when heads of state will gather for the UN General Assembly, we have a historic chance to set the world on a more sustainable path that will eradicate poverty and enhance prosperity for all. Over the coming months, however, leaders must work together to set the world on the right course to realize this vision.

Many developing country governments have transferred large swathes of community land to agri-businesses, extractive industries, infrastructure developers and other investors as a way to grow their economies. These actions often come at the expense of local communities, who lose rights to the lands they’ve lived on for generations. But development doesn’t need to come at the expense of local communities. As one community in Tanzania is showing, alternative business models can allow citizens to retain their lands and resources while also capitalizing on economic opportunities.

All eyes are on India this week, as President Obama is set to make an unprecedented second trip to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the leaders’ discussions will address several issues, including nuclear energy and trade, climate and clean energy will be a central part of the agenda. So it’s a tremendous opportunity for the two countries to make substantive progress on shifting to low-carbon, climate-resilient pathways.

President Obama [reiterated his commitment](http://www.wri.org/news/2015/01/statement-wri-response-2015-state-union-address) to combating climate change during this week's State of the Union address. Mitigating these impacts means turning the many climate commitments of 2014 into tangible action in 2015.

Approximately 40 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from energy generation, and about half of that energy is consumed by industrial or commercial users. If a fifth of the world’s emissions come from the energy that keeps the world’s businesses running, how does business report those emissions?

Recent research from the New Climate Economy Report reveals that climate action can bring economic benefits. By urging governments and other stakeholders to enact responsible policies on climate, multi-national corporations can help shift public perception away from the false dichotomy of “environment vs. economy” and create the political conditions for progress.

Last year marked an important tipping point: for the first time, half of the global population lives in cities. Cities currently add 1.4 million people each week and this population growth comes with new buildings, roads and transport systems.

A new WRI study finds that there are many win-win opportunities for the United States to reduce emissions and save money for consumers and businesses. Our blog series, Lower Emissions, Brighter Economy, evaluates these opportunities across five key areas—power generation, electricity consumption, passenger vehicles, natural gas systems and hydrofluorocarbons (coming soon) —which together represent 55 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Ani Dasgupta, Global Director of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities discusses unique solutions cities can offer to combat climate change, boost economic prosperity, and catalyze smart urbanization.

The growth in BRT and bus priority systems worldwide presents an opportunity to save lives and improve the health and safety of cities. A [new report](http://www.wri.org/publication/traffic-safety-bus-priority-systems), *Traffic Safety on Bus Priority Systems*, shows that high-quality public transport systems can improve traffic safety, reducing injuries and fatalities by as much 50 percent.