WRI Insights

Cities throughout the U.S. are at the forefront of climate change. And many of them have also been at the forefront of climate action, working to adapt to increased flooding from sea-level rise, damages from extreme weather, and other impacts.

Recently the world took two giant steps toward reaching a global agreement to fight climate change in 2015: a landmark U.S.-China accord and a $4.5 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund by the United States and Japan. But there are some conditions attached.

With the cost of renewable energy systems falling globally—particularly large-scale wind and solar energy in the U.S.—these comparisons have become more and more important. WRI’s new fact sheet, [Understanding Renewable Energy Cost Parity](http://www.wri.org/publication/understanding-renewable-energy-cost-parity), explains how the accuracy of these comparisons can be improved.

Nicaragua legally recognizes 49 percent of its remaining forests as community-owned forests. But it wasn't always this way; indigenous communities stepped up and conserved their forests in the face of government inaction.

WRI founder Gus Speth recently returned to WRI share his new memoir, [*Angels by the River*](http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/item/angels_by_the_river:hardcover). A global leader in addressing the environmental and development issues that are the great challenge of our age, Gus told why and how he founded WRI and urged staff to persevere in pursuit of WRI’s mission—to protect the environment so that it can provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Why is the recent U.S. pledge to the Green Climate Fund important for a [2015 climate agreement](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/11/qa-jennifer-morgan-how-do-we-secure-strong-international-climate-agreement-2015)?

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?