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.
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As the recent white paper on China’s transport for the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016–2020) states, China must set higher standards for the transport development to “realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” (State Council Information Office 2016). In this...
Much has changed since countries first developed their NDCs. All Parties have the opportunity to communicate new or updated NDCs by 2020, informed by the outcomes of a facilitative dialogue in 2018, and incorporating advances in renewable energy, technology and policy developments in key sectors...
The Project for Advancing Climate Transparency (PACT) consortium supports the design and development of robust and effective transparency and accountability rules and processes for the Paris Agreement on climate change. This working paper examines the technical expert review and facilitative,...
The Project for Advancing Climate Transparency (PACT) consortium works to support the design and development of robust and effective transparency and accountability rules and processes for the Paris Agreement on climate change. This working paper examines the five streams of information to be...
This paper assesses each of the world’s countries in terms of whether their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have peaked, when they have peaked, and whether they have a commitment that implies an emissions peak in the future. The paper finds that an encouraging trend is emerging: the number of...
Indonesia is one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG). For the past two decades, GHG emissions have increased from almost all sectors, such as land-use (defined as land use, land-use change, and forestry including peat fires), energy, agriculture, industry, and waste....
For communities across sub-Saharan Africa, a consistent and affordable supply of electricity can open new possibilities for socioeconomic progress. Mini-grids—electrical generation and distribution systems of less than 10 megawatts—can play a role. These decentralized technologies are expected...
Climate finance is increasingly important with the recent entry into force of the Paris Agreement. Countries will need significant amounts of climate finance to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions, and the largest pools of finance exist in the private sector. Consequently,...
Under the Paris Agreement, countries are invited to communicate “mid-century long-term low GHG emissions development strategies,” or “long-term strategies” by 2020. These strategies are central to achieving the long-term goal of limiting warming to well below 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) and...
Millions of residents in some of the fastest growing cities in the world don’t have access to clean, reliable energy, and the challenge of reaching them is not getting easier. In 2012, only 58 percent of the urban population had access to electricity in low-income countries, and nearly 500...
Updated February 2018
The following table is a compilation of several green tariff proposals and offerings for commercial and industrial customers in regulated markets in the United States.
This list is regularly updated, but for complete and up-to-date details of each...
Industrial facilities release upwards of 400 million tons of toxic pollutants into the world’s waters each year. Yet secrecy around the amount and type of chemicals that companies discharge is still the norm, especially in Asia. Contaminated water threatens the region’s poorest communities—those...
Indonesia, one of the world’s major greenhouse gas emitters, has outlined a plan to unconditionally reduce its emissions by 29 percent relative to a business-as-usual case in 2030 and up to 41 percent conditioned on international assistance. Policymakers need to design supporting policy packages...
The Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) is an initiative of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), whose main objectives are to mitigate climate change and sustainably manage forests in Central Africa. As the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC)...
On June 20, Executive Vice President of the World Resources Institute Manish Bapna spoke to the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology at a roundtable about science and policy perspectives on climate change. Manish corrected the Trump administration’s misleading statements on climate...
This working paper on urban housing is the latest installment of WRI’s flagship World Resources Report (WRR), “Towards a More Equal City.” The report examines if more equitable access to core urban services improves the economy and the environment.
Large-scale corporate energy buyers are seeking renewable energy as a central element of their overall energy strategy. In a few states, these commercial and industrial (C&I) customers have collaborated with their utilities to create new opportunities to buy renewable energy in ways that...
This joint report from WRI and the American Farmland Trust features lessons learned from six water quality targeting project success stories and highlights key factors that allowed these programs to achieve desirable environmental outcomes. It concludes with recommendations for both public and...
Finance provided and catalyzed by multilateral development banks (MDBs) will help pay for implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement in many developing countries. Although MDBs already track and report on their climate finance, less is known about how...
The Project for Advancing Climate Transparency (PACT) consortium advances the development of robust and effective transparency and accountability rules and processes for the Paris Agreement on climate change. This working paper aims to lay the groundwork for the Paris Agreement’s transparency...
