WRI Insights

Insights is WRI’s flagship publication dedicated to telling stories about the intersection of people, nature and the climate. Through analysis, commentary and data-driven articles, WRI's researchers share expertise and highlight solutions for securing a sustainable future.

Get our latest articles, upcoming events, research and more.

By sharing your information you agree to receive updates from WRI. You can change your email preferences at any time.

Explainers

Explore All Insights

All Topics
Subtype of Resource
Region
2884 Resources for
19 US-based companies are declaring their commitment to buying renewable energy. Facebook Headquarters. Photo Credit: Jakob Steinschaden/Flickr
Commentary

From Transactions to Transformation: More Companies Commit to Renewable Energy

See why major companies are joining together in their commitment to renewable energy, and how they can help scale up renewable energy throughout the corporate sector.

Commentary
São Paulo , Brazil. Photo Credit: veebruar/Flickr
Commentary
The Green Climate Fund is the most ambitious climate finance fund thus far, with a goal of completely transforming sectors and economies toward low-emission, climate-resilient development Photo Credit: Solar Electric Light Fund/Flickr
Commentary

The Green Climate Fund Is Now Ready for Ambitious Pledges

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is the most ambitious climate finance fund thus far, with a goal of completely transforming sectors and economies toward low-emission, climate-resilient development. Last week marked a key moment for climate finance: The last foundations were laid for the GFC, and it’s now ready to receive funding.

Commentary
A watershed in the Central American Dryland Corridor, a protected area meant to foster biodiversity and sustainable development, in Trifinio, Guatemala. Photo Credit: Paul Reig/WRI
Commentary

Intelligent Imagining: Scenarios to Manage Water as the Climate Changes

Using Aqueduct data, participants in a recent workshop in Trifinio, Guatemala developed scenarios for decision-makers to manage water and adapt to climate change.

Commentary
1.	Communities such as this one in the Loka Abaya watershed in Ethiopia’s Rift Valley are the most vulnerable to the impacts of environmental degradation, and are among the communities most enthusiastic about restoring their lands. Photo Credit: Aaron Minnick/WRI
Commentary

Ethiopia Commits to Restore One-Sixth of its Land

The New York Declaration on Forests issued at the UN Climate Summit last month includes a global pledge to restore 350 million hectares of deforested and degraded landscapes by 2030. Several countries confirmed their commitment to restore millions of hectares of degraded land, with Ethiopia making one of the most significant pledges—setting a target to restore 15 million hectares of degraded and deforested land into productivity by 2025.

Commentary
A crowded street in Hyderabad, India. Photo credit: Nicolas Mirguet, Flickr
Commentary

Climate Equity: A Tale of 4 Countries

How should countries decide what to put into their national emissions reduction plans, and how should they be evaluated? What should governments, civil society, and the private sector take into account in thinking about the equitability of a country’s actions? WRI’s new online tool, the [CAIT Equity Explorer](http://cait.wri.org/equity/), aims to help answer these questions.

Commentary
countries are aiming to keep global average temperature from rising 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) above pre-industrial levels. Tokyo, Japan. Photo Credit: Mike Lee/Flickr
Commentary

Race to the Top: Driving Ambition in a 2015 Climate Agreement

*What if an international climate change agreement could set the rules for years to come, driving greater emissions reductions, more renewable energy and energy efficiency and a shift away from fossil fuel?* A consortium of research organizations, ACT 2015, has been thinking hard about what structure, processes and rules would need to be put in place to create confidence and predictability of action under this agreement.

Commentary
A new study by Ecofys under the Open Climate Network finds that by 2030, the EU can cut its natural gas consumption by almost half by cost-effectively improving energy efficiency and ramping up its use of renewable energy. Photo Credit: Justin Swan/Flickr
Commentary

Tougher Greenhouse Goals Could Cut EU’s Gas Imports in Half

Later this week, the European Council will decide on a target to further reduce the EU’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. At issue is whether the Council will decide to reduce emissions by “at least 40 percent” from 1990 levels—leaving the door open to increase ambition in negotiation with other countries—or cap reductions at just 40 percent, locking in a lower goal and possibly influencing other countries to do the same.

Commentary
From left to right: Amy Harder, Chad Holliday, Ken Gayer, and Andrew Steer. Photo credit: Bill Dugan, WRI
Commentary

A New Climate Economy: Shifting Corporate America onto a Low-Carbon Path

As more businesses take action on climate change, new research could help accelerate the trend by showing why it’s in U.S. companies’ economic best interests.

Commentary

Most Read