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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Ending Tropical Deforestation: The Global Debate About Biofuels and Land-Use Change
by , and -The biofuels industry has grown rapidly in the past decade, driven by government blending requirements and clean fuels standards in major economies. There is potential for significant new demand for biofuels from the aviation sector, which is looking for ways to meet its goal of carbon neutral...
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: Jurisdictional Approaches to REDD+ and Low Emissions Development: Progress and Prospects
by , , , , , and -The jurisdictional approach (JA) to REDD+ and low emissions development has gained considerable currency in recent years. As understood here, JA refers to a government-led, comprehensive approach to forest and land use across one or more legally defined territories. Multiple efforts directed at...
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: Tropical Forest Monitoring: Exploring the Gaps Between What is Required and What is Possible for REDD+ and Other Initiatives
by , , and -Never has there been so much demand for data and information about the world’s forests. Achieving international goals and national commitments related to forest conservation and management, climate change, and sustainable development requires credible, accurate, and reliable monitoring of...
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: Assessing the Timber Legality Strategy in Tackling Deforestation
by and -Illegal logging causes forest degradation and serves as a catalyst for deforestation. Tackling illegal logging is therefore a foundation for conserving forests and biodiversity, reducing emissions from the forest sector, and sustainably managing production forestry. The extent of corrupt and...
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: Mining Global Financial Data to Increase Transparency and Reduce Drivers of Deforestation
by , , and -The climate and forest community has not yet harnessed the full power of the information age to create transparency in the global commodities markets. There exists a wealth of global financial data that can reveal the financial drivers of deforestation. Using the power of big data, forest...
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Comparing Global and National Approaches to Estimating Deforestation Rates in REDD+ Countries
by , , , and -This working paper aims to bring greater clarity to nontechnical audiences such as climate policymakers by offering a systematic comparison among methods used and forest monitoring results generated by REDD+ countries and global forest monitoring initiatives. First, we review deforestation...
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: The Elusive Impact of the Deforestation-Free Supply Chain Movement
by and -Hundreds of companies with exposure to deforestation driven by palm oil, beef, soy, or wood production have committed to addressing deforestation. Many of these commitments have been made in the context of the Consumer Goods Forum Zero Net Deforestation Commitment, the Tropical Forest Alliance...
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: REDD+: Lessons from National and Subnational Implementation
by , , , , , , and -This Working Paper was updated in November 2019, the most recent version can be found here.
REDD+—which stands for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and the role of conservation,...
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: Intact Tropical Forests: Log Them or Lose Them?
by and -Conserving and expanding global forest cover is widely accepted as necessary for climate change mitigation and other environmental goals, but the importance of forest quality is less widely recognized. Most tropical forests are affected by industrial logging, road construction, overhunting, and...
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: Tropical Forests and Climate Change: The Latest Science
by and -Recent analysis shows that forests are essential to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, and contribute to climate stability through multiple pathways across local to global scales. Reducing emissions from deforestation, enhancing the role of forests as carbon sinks through restoration, and...
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Achieving U.S. Emissions Targets with a Carbon Tax
by , and -Achieving U.S. Emissions Targets with a Carbon Tax provides insight on how incorporating emissions target mechanism into a strong national carbon tax can help ensure intended emission cuts are achieved. This mechanism establishes predictable ways of adapting the carbon pricing program...
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How Language Can Advance Sustainable Diets
A Summary of Expert Perspectives on How Research into the Language of Plant-based Food Can Change Consumption
by , and -Food production significantly impacts the environment, but different types of food have different effects. Generally, producing meat, especially from ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats), uses more land and water and emits more greenhouse gases than producing plant-based foods. Therefore, in...
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Porto Alegre: Participatory Budgeting and the Challenge of Sustaining Transformative Change
by , , and -This case study in the World Resources Report, "Towards a More Equal City," examines transformative urban change in Porto Alegre, Brazil, through the lens of participatory budgeting. The research focuses on whether and how transformative change has taken...
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Including the Excluded: Supporting Informal Workers for More Equal and Productive Cities in the Global South
by and -A small but growing number of cities are adopting more inclusive approaches to informal workers and this offers important lessons for cities that seek a more equal, productive and environmentally sustainable future.
Informal workers account for 50 to 80 percent of urban employment and...
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Exploring Metrics to Measure the Climate Progress of Banks
by , , , , and -Banks are under pressure to disclose how their lending and investment activities affect global climate goals, but have struggled to choose the right metrics. New research provides insight into which metrics public- and private-sector banks can use, depending on asset class, to report on the...
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Water Infrastructure Criteria under the Climate Bonds Standard
by , , , and -Healthy ecosystems like forests, wetlands, and farms are nature's water infrastructure. They are essential for buffering against floods and the provision of clean, ample water around the world – feeding growth in agriculture, industry, and cities. But unlike traditional pipes and pumps, “natural...
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The Mechanism to Facilitate Implementation and Promote Compliance with the Paris Agreement: Design Options
by and -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 mechanism to facilitate implementation and...
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Achieving the Ambition of Paris: Designing the Global Stocktake
by , , , and -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 explores the global stocktake created by the Paris...
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The Production and Use of Waste-Derived Renewable Natural Gas as a Climate Strategy in the United States
by and -The production of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from organic waste for use as a vehicle fuel is an emerging strategy that businesses, states, and municipalities in the United States are pursuing to make use of waste-derived methane and lower the carbon footprint of vehicle fleets. This working...
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A Global Database of Power Plants
by , , , , , and -The Global Power Plant Database is a comprehensive, open source database of power plants around the world. It centralizes power plant data to make it easier to navigate, compare and draw insights for one’s own analysis. The database covers approximately 30,000 power plants from 164 countries and...
