WRI Insights

The task of decarbonizing the U.S. economy is too big for any one level of government to tackle alone. The “new climate federalism” model proposes a framework for the federal, state and local governments to work together to address climate change.

As cities recover from COVID-19, smart investments and policies on resilience can create a triple dividend: helping cities boost their economies; improving equity; and preparing communities for inevitable climate and health threats.

With proper planning, government restoration pledges to the Bonn Challenge, Initiative 20x20, and AFR100 can turn into high-impact work. Although every landscape and country is different, these three steps to land restoration can help avoid pitfalls and accelerate success.

President Xi Jinping's announcement at the UN that China intends to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and reach carbon neutrality before 2060 is one of the most significant signs of progress on tackling climate change since the 2015 Paris Agreement. Here are answers to four key questions about it.

The correlation between urban tree cover and income is well-documented in cities around the world, and is often a by-product of historic inequality. However, cities can proactively address inequality, build resilience and improve residents' lives by making green spaces more equitable.

The UN's 75th General Assembly last week offered a crucial moment for leaders to demonstrate global solidarity for a fairer, safer, stronger world amid the sweeping impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and a changing climate.

California's decision to require that all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the state to be emissions free by 2035 takes the fight against climate change to the next level.

As 2020 began, the question of whether and how countries would strengthen their commitments under the Paris Agreement loomed large, driven by a global youth climate movement and a growing recognition of the urgency to keep temperature change below 1.5 degrees C. The sudden arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic greatly complicated this task, consuming the attention of national leaders and senior officials.

New research shows that natural forest regrowth, as opposed to reforestation through tree planting, can capture more carbon dioxide from the air than previously thought.

Forests everywhere alter the movement, quality and availability of water. The world’s urban leaders need to account for the role of forests in securing clean water for residents and the agricultural lands that cities rely on.