WRI Insights

Reforming key socio-economic systems—*energy, agriculture and cities*—boost economic performance and improve well-being while tackling the costly side effects of India's growth.

Designing efficient, low-carbon cities and transport systems can improve health and the climate. A WRI study shows new bus rapid transit (BRT) projects in Mexico, Colombia, China, India, and South Africa have the potential to reduce GHG emissions by 31.4 million tons over the next 20 years. This amount is equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 6.5 million cars.

Biofuels and bioenergy take up finite land resources at the cost of food production and carbon storage and doesn’t guarantee carbon emissions cuts.

Today at the U.S.-China Symposium on Energy Performance Contracting in Beijing, the Chinese and U.S. governments [announced a new pilot program](http://www.globalchange.umd.edu/research-areas/energy-efficiency-and-mitigation/epc) that could reduce Chinese buildings' energy use. The program seeks to build momentum for energy performance contracting (EPC), a renovation model where a building owner can work with a private company to install efficient technologies, and then use the cost savings from reduced energy consumption to pay for the efficiency upgrades. While EPCs are already used regularly in the United States, the pilot project will help expand the model in China as a way to curb emissions and save money.

A [new WRI paper](http://www.wri.org/publication/avoiding-bioenergy-competition-food-crops-and-land) finds bioenergy can play a modest role using wastes and other niche fuelstocks, but recommends against dedicating land to produce bioenergy. The lesson: do not grow food or grass crops for ethanol or diesel or cut down trees for electricity.

Between 2004 and 2013, China’s overseas investments increased 13.7 times, from $45 billion to $613 billion. This level of investment can provide needed sources of capital for developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. As China plays a greater role in development finance, it can also embrace the opportunity to manage environmental and social risks associated with these investments.

The new U.S.-India agreement on climate change will help turn India’s bold renewable energy targets into reality. Rather than relying on one major plank, the collaboration is a comprehensive set of actions that represent a substantial step in advancing low-carbon development in India while also promoting economic growth and expanding energy access.

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.