WRI Insights

When President Obama addresses the nation later today, climate change is expected to be featured. The president recently said that one of his personal passions is “leaving a planet that is as spectacular as the one we inherited from our parents and our grandparents.” The next two years will determine if his administration can meet this standard.

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol celebrates its 15th anniversary this year; it was established to develop and promote the use of best practices for accounting and reporting GHG emissions. Stephen Russell reflects on the project's history and impact, and discusses next steps for an evolving GHG accounting landscape.

For the first time, the meeting of many of the world’s pre-eminent political and business leaders held an official [“Climate Day”](http://www.eenews.net/stories/1059993197) to discuss the challenges posed by a warmer world. The day and the Forum’s several events and panels yielded encouraging talk—and the potential for some transformative initiatives.

Chinese emissions trading pilots emerge as environmental and climate issues reach the top of the Chinese agenda. The authors discuss emissions trading in China, from the field. Editor's note: This blog post was originally posted on ChinaFAQs.

In tandem with a[ new working paper](http://www.wri.org/publication/green-tariff-design), Letha Tawney describes what draws U.S. commercial and industrial customers to renewable energy, and explores how traditional utilities could build on their strengths to deliver affordable renewable energy to customers.

Roughly 75 percent of the Caribbean's coral reefs are threatened--with more than 30 percent ranking in the "high" or "very high" threat category. But one reef system in Cuba, Jardines de la Reina (the "Gardens of the Queen"), offers great lessons—and hope—for effective coral reef management.

The authors discuss how energy stakeholders from utilities to government officials to consumers can learn from the [Thai Solar PV Roadmap Initiative](http://thaisolarpvroadmap.org/wordpress/?page_id=1189) (TSRI), an initiative that aims to provide the Thai government with recommendations on how to both effectively and inclusively pursue greater solar power development.

Earlier this month, WRI launched its “Stories to Watch in 2014.” All years are important, but decisions made in 2014 will have a striking impact for decades to come. Here are seven potential game-changers:

As we recap in our extreme weather timeline below, this year saw a range of catastrophic events—from Typhoon Haiyan causing more than 6,000 deaths in the Philippines, to severe drought in California, to raging wildfires in Prescott, Arizona. A new report shows that 2013 ranks as the fourth-warmest year on record (tied with 2003). And this December [marks the 346th consecutive month](http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2013/12) with global average temperatures above the 20th-century average.

The world is in the midst of unprecedented urbanization, with cities expected to hold 5.2 billion residents by 2050. One of the major challenges of the 21st century, therefore, is achieving a sustainable future for our cities. And transport – which connects people to economic opportunities, education, health services, and more – can make or break [“The Future We Want.”](http://www.un.org/en/sustainablefuture/) Experts at [Transforming Transportation](http://transformingtransportation.org/) have identified five opportunities to move human society toward transport of the 21st century. These areas for action include: road safety, mid-sized cities, regional and local governments, finance, and data and technology.