WRI Insights

Baltimore is one of many cities coping with the problem of urban wood waste from damaged trees, construction lumber and yard trimmings. Salvaging that wood can cut landfill waste, create jobs, engage local communities and refill municipal coffers.

WRI's new Green Targets Tool shows that only half of the world's largest private-sector banks have made a sustainable finance commitment — and the targets vary considerably.

Southeast Asia's Mekong region has lost much of its forests. A new satellite imagery technique reveals countries like Thailand are reversing the trend, not just in forests but on farms and villages too.

Road safety is a worldwide epidemic. WRI's Claudia Adriazola-Steil (director, health & road safety) and Amit Bhatt (director, integrated urban transport, WRI India) talk with our host, VP for Communications Lawrence MacDonald, about a life-saving new law in India.

Research shows that ambition to tackle big sustainability problems can emerge when the private and public sector recognize and reciprocate one another's efforts. Right now, one such "ambition loop," which aims to reduce deforestation related to your chocolate bars, is in danger of stalling out.

The UN Climate Action Summit 2019 was jam-packed with heads of states’ speeches about climate change, but too many were devoid of new commitments to actually address the emergency.

The ocean has absorbed 20-30% of our carbon emissions since the 1980s. It's feeling the effects.

This Month in Climate Science summarizes significant new research and provides a clearer picture of the threats posed by climate change. Studies published in August 2019 reveal disappearing sea ice, changing harvest seasons and more turbulence for airplane passengers.

Too much food is lost or wasted, and the lack of efficiency is very bad for the climate. A progress report suggests that governments and businesses need to do more if they're going to meet Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which calls for the world to halve food loss and waste by 2030.

A new analysis reveals that the ocean is not just a victim of climate change, it is also a powerful source of solutions. Given political will, appropriate policy and investment in technology, the ocean could be a new ally in the fight.