WRI Insights

The blockbuster climate announcement in Beijing on November 12 unveiled new targets for both China and the United States. The renewed collaboration on climate change could be an historic turning point.

Next steps in the landmark climate action agreement between the U.S. and China will be important, but this accord signals a huge move forward for climate action—globally.

Homes and commercial buildings account for 74 percent of electricity demand in the United States, making them a critical part of any plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The good news is that policies put into place over the last three decades—including appliance efficiency standards, voluntary labeling programs like ENERGY STAR, and state energy-savings targets—have already helped offset rising demand for electricity and saved consumers billions of dollars. New research shows that with the right policies in place, consumers and the environment can capture even greater benefits.

We live in a world with [more than 177,000 protected areas](http://www.unep-wcmc.org/system/dataset_file_fields/files/000/000/001/original/PPR2012_en.pdf?1395065803) in more than 150 countries. Patrolling these large areas to document and crack down on harmful and often illegal activities requires resources lacking in many countries. So how can we ensure that this extensive network of protected areas actually stays protected?

O Brasil possui maior quantidade de água doce do que qualquer outro país no mundo—12% do volume total de todo planeta. Então, como São Paulo—a maior e mais rica cidade da América do Sul—está ficando sem água? Três mapas ajudam a contar essa complexa história.

A new report, *[Corn or Current? The Agro-Industrial Water Conflict](https://www.msci.com/www/research-paper/executive-summary-corn-or/023379580)*, shows where conflicts between industry and agriculture for limited water supplies could be most severe. It reveals that $21 billion in U.S. electricity sales and $1.2 billion in farm products face water risks.

Brazil has [more freshwater](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2201.html) than any country in the world – [12 percent](http://www.lavieeco.com/news/actualites/le-bresil-possede-12-de-l-eau-douce-de-la-planete-selon-une-etude-de-l-agence-nationale-des-eaux-22373.html) of the entire planet’s total volume. So how is São Paulo—the richest, largest city in South America—running out of water? Three maps help tell the complicated story.

A [new WRI study](http://www.wri.org/publication/seeing-believing-creating-new-climate-economy-united-states) finds that there are many [“win-win” opportunities](http://www.wri.org/blog/2014/10/numbers-how-us-economy-can-benefit-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions) for the United States to reduce emissions and save money for consumers and businesses. Over the coming weeks, our blog series, [Lower Emissions, Brighter Economy](http://www.wri.org/tags/lower-emissions-brighter-economy), will evaluate these opportunities across five key areas—power generation, electricity consumption, passenger vehicles, natural gas systems, and hydrofluorocarbons—which together represent 55 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

The IPCC reports are the most comprehensive, authoritative consensus on climate change. Check out nine findings that illustrate how the trends documented in the IPCC continue to take a toll, and in some cases, may be underestimated.

The final installment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) [fifth assessment report (AR5)](http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/), set to be released this weekend, is the most comprehensive evaluation of climate change to date. It paints a vivid picture of how climate change is already impacting communities around the world, as well as where we’re headed if emissions don’t drop significantly. Here’s a look at three infographics that underscore the report’s findings.