Publications
WRI is committed to producing high-quality research, including reports, issue briefs, working papers, and technical notes. Our publications are subject to peer review, and are held to traditional "academic" standards of excellence, such as objectivity and rigor. We also ensure that all of our publications are timely, fit for audience, and rooted in a strategic plan for achieving positive change in the world. If you notice an error in one of our publications or have concerns about the quality of our research, please contact the authors and copy Vice President for Science and Research Janet Ranganathan.
All of our publications are available to download.
The World Resources Report is the flagship publication of World Resources Institute. The inaugural edition, An Assessment of the Resource Base that Supports the Global Economy, was published in 1986. Subsequent editions have been published at regular intervals and have provided in-depth analyses of issues ranging from human health and the environment to climate change, ecosystem services and environmental governance. Every World Resources Report builds on a strong evidence base to develop fresh insights that can help decision-makers evaluate and implement the most effective solutions.
Creating a Sustainable Food Future
Sustainably feeding nearly 10 billion people by 2050 is possible – but it will require significant innovation and investment by the public and private sector.
Towards a More Equal City
The World Resources Report: Towards a More Equal City focuses on helping cities in rapidly urbanizing regions alter their development trajectories as demand for infrastructure and services grow.
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Creating a Sustainable Food Future
A Menu of Solutions to Feed Nearly 10 Billion People by 2050
by , , , , and -By 2050, nearly 10 billion people will live on the planet. Can we produce enough food sustainably? The synthesis report of the World Resources Report: Creating a Sustainable Food Future shows that it is possible – but there is no silver bullet. This report offers a five-course menu of...
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Stronger Than the Storm: Applying the Urban Community Resilience Assessment to Extreme Climate Events
by , , and -Climate change is a global phenomenon, but the impacts are distributed locally and unevenly in cities. The urban poor are the most affected by climate change and are more likely to live in areas that lack sufficient infrastructure to respond to climate risks.
WRI has developed the Urban...
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Toward Paris Alignment
How the Multilateral Development Banks Can Better Support the Paris Agreement
by , , , , and -To contribute to the fight against climate change, the MDBs have to date largely operated under what we refer to as a Climate Finance Paradigm. That paradigm involves defining, tracking, and maximizing the amount of climate finance that MDBs provide and mobilize. Climate finance has been...
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Leading on Ambition: Opportunities for the Enhancement of Nationally Determined Contributions by Climate Vulnerable Forum
by , , , , and -Current commitments in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are not sufficient to limit global temperature rise to 1.5oC. The Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirms that significantly strengthened mitigation efforts are essential. The 48 of member...
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Moving the Green Belt and Road Initiative: From Words to Actions
by , , , and -China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is investing in projects developing infrastructure worth $6 trillion across many of the world’s fastest-growing economies. The Chinese government has taken initial steps to incorporate environmentally sustainable, or green, strategies and objectives into...
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Kampala: Rebuilding Public Sector Legitimacy with A New Approach to Sanitation Services
by and -This case study in the World Resources Report, “Towards a More Equal City,” examines transformative urban change in Kampala, Uganda, by following its sanitation reforms. The research follows the political process that created favorable conditions for the...
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Fighting for Clean Air Around the Globe: Air Quality Workshop Outcome Document
by -From April 11–13, 2018, WRI’s Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, OpenAQ, and WRI’s Governance Center, in its role as secretariat of The Access Initiative, hosted a workshop on air quality with 15 civil society experts from...
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Stories from the WRI Sustainability “Living Lab”
by , , , , , and -This report shares 2015-16 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for WRI’s operations, compares the data to WRI’s historic results (link to historical reports), and specific cases, called stories, from the Sustainability Initiative’s efforts to reduce these emissions. Additional analysis and data of...
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Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategies: Approaches and Methodologies for Their Design
by , , , , , , and -Long-term low greenhouse gas development strategies offer an opportunity for the G20 to set the leadership direction that will help steer the world toward a viable climate future. These strategies were a focus area of the G20 Climate Sustainability Working Group in 2018.
This paper was...
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From Planning to Action: Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation Into Development
by , , , , and -As extreme weather events become more frequent and stronger, it is critical that policymakers and development practitioners incorporate climate change adaptation objectives into their sectoral policies and plans. This process, called mainstreaming, has the potential to improve the resilience of...
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Transforming Agriculture for Climate Resilience: A Framework for Systemic Change
by , and -Transformative approaches to adaptation in agriculture will be needed to maintain and enhance global food security, avoid maladaptation and reduce growing risks of crisis and conflict. Today, the agriculture sector practices adaptation with relatively limited incremental adjustments to existing...
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Strengthening Nationally Determined Contributions to Catalyze Actions That Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
by , , , , , and -Early and ambitious action to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) is essential to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. SLCPs include methane, hydrofluorocarbons, black carbon, and tropospheric ozone. Actions to reduce these highly potent...
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Setting the Stage for the Green Climate Fund’s First Replenishment
by and -The Green Climate Fund (GCF) – with a mandate to accelerate climate action in developing countries – has great potential to support transformational investments in developing countries to achieve the goals set out in the Paris Climate Agreement. It is therefore crucial that the GCF succeed in...
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Natural Infrastructure in São Paulo’s Water System
by , , , , , , and -Healthy forests act as natural infrastructure by filtering water and buffering against the impacts of floods and droughts. Although these benefits are widely known, they have rarely been presented in a way that is actionable for decision-makers – such as utilities, water agencies, and companies...
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Carbon Removal in Forests and Farms in the United States
by , , and -The purpose of this working paper is to explore the potential for carbon removal in forests and farms in the United States, to identify needs likely to arise on the pathway to large-scale deployment, and to consider ways to begin addressing those needs. This working paper is part of a World...
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Foundational Questions on Carbon Removal in the United States
by , and -This working paper is part of a World Resources Institute (WRI) publication series CarbonShot: Creating Options for Carbon Removal at Scale in the United States. The series presents...
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Technological Carbon Removal in the United States
by , , and -The purpose of this working paper is to explore the potential for technological carbon removal in the United States, identify needs likely to arise on the pathway to large-scale deployment, and consider ways to begin addressing those needs. This working paper is part of a World Resources...
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Recommendations For Accounting for Mitigation Components of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) Under the Paris Agreement
by , and -This paper discusses the development of the accounting guidance under the Paris Agreement. The recommendations in this paper draw from the approaches contained in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Mitigation Goal Standard, developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) through a multistakeholder...
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Ahmedabad: Town Planning Schemes for Equitable Development — Glass Half Full or Half Empty?
by , and -This case study in the World Resources Report, “Towards a More Equal City,” examines transformative urban change in Ahmedabad, India, by analyzing the land pooling and readjustment mechanism called Town Planning Scheme (TPS). This paper reviews the...
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Water, Security and Conflict
by and -This paper summarizes our current understanding of water and security threats and their links to conflict, migration, and food insecurity. It is intended for professionals in the defense, diplomacy, and development fields. We review the key drivers behind growing water risk, describe and...
