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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Navigating the Sustainable Investment Landscape
by , and -A new paper by World Resources Institute finds strong interest and opportunities for sustainable investing within the US institutional investor marketplace. But key barriers persist.
A survey of over 100 investment professionals shows that institutional investors – including pensions,...
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Stimulating Pay-As-You-Go Energy Access in Kenya and Tanzania: The Role of Development Finance
by , , and -The solution to the challenge of financing the scale-up of Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) energy access lies not so much in the development of new initiatives but in the use and redirection of existing approaches for PAYG, particularly the use of credit guarantees, lines of credit, technical assistance,...
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Roadmap to Support Local Climate Resilience
Lessons from the Rising Tides Summit
by and -This paper presents a roadmap of eight priority federal policy opportunities that build on the recommendations from the 2015 Rising Tides Summit, a first-of-its-kind bipartisan gathering of nearly 40 U.S. mayors and local elected officials from 18 of the 23 coastal U.S. states. The policy...
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A Recommended Methodology for Estimating and Reporting the Potential Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Fossil Fuel Reserves
by -This working paper outlines a recommended methodology for estimating and reporting the potential emissions from fossil fuel reserves held by coal, oil, and gas companies. The overall goal is the availability of transparent, credible, and consistent data on potential emissions that help...
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Tracking Adaptation Success for Community Level Watershed Development in India
by , , and -This working paper presents a joint effort by the World Resources Institute and the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), a WSD implementing and research organization based in Pune, India, to develop an adaptation monitoring and evaluation (M&E) or tracking system to track success of WSD...
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Achieving Mexico’s Climate Goals: An Eight Point Action Plan
by , , , , , and -This working paper identifies and evaluates the key climate and energy policy options available to Mexico to support the implementation of its INDC. We propose an eight point action plan that has the potential to put Mexico on a path toward achieving its INDC targets, while at the same time...
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The Economic Case for Landscape Restoration in Latin America
by , , , , and -Degraded lands—lands that have lost some degree of their natural productivity through human activity—account for over 20 percent of forest and agricultural lands in Latin America and the Caribbean. Some 300 million hectares of the region’s forests are considered degraded, and about 350 million...
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Protecting Drinking Water at the Source
Lessons from United States Watershed Investment Programs
by , , , , and -Watershed investment programs offer promising pathways to securing safe drinking water. But what does it take to establish and grow a successful watershed investment program? Program investors and practitioners are looking for guidance and ideas on how to build a program that works for their own...
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From Doing Better to Doing Enough: Anchoring Corporate Sustainability Targets in Science
by , , , and -Sustainability is an increasingly salient business issue as population growth and rising incomes put unprecedented strain on the ecosystems that are essential to human wellbeing. Most companies set environmental performance targets, but they often aim for what is feasible or competitive rather...
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Towards a More Equal City: Framing the Challenges and Opportunities
by , and -Cities are growing differently today than before. As much as 70 percent of people in emerging cities in Asia, Africa and Latin America is under-served. Furthermore, cities face challenges in four areas:
- Highest rates of urbanization are in sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast ...
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Climate Benefits, Tenure Costs
The Economic Case For Securing Indigenous Land Rights in the Amazon
by , , , , , and -A new report offers evidence that the modest investments needed to secure land rights for indigenous communities will generate billions in returns—economically, socially and environmentally—for local communities and the world’s changing climate. The report, Climate Benefits, Tenure Costs:...
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Can Transport Deliver GHG Reductions at Scale? An Analysis of Global Transport Initiatives
by , and -This paper examines seven global transport initiatives to reduce emissions. The initiatives are among fifteen presented as part of the Paris Process on Mobility and Climate and the Lima-Paris Action Agenda—both platforms for mobilizing non-state actors under the auspices of the UN Framework...
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Examining the Alignment between the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions and Sustainable Development Goals
by , , , and -The year 2015 was a significant turning point for both the sustainable development and climate agendas with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement on climate change. National governments are now facing the challenge of implementing these two deeply...
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Domestic Processes for Joining the Paris Agreement
by and -The Paris Agreement will enter into force when at least 55 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) accounting for at least 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions deposit their instruments of ratification, acceptance, or approval with the UN Secretary-...
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Putting Accountability Into Practice In REDD+ Programs
by and -This paper presents practical ideas for REDD+ countries to consider as they implement activities that establish or strengthen accountability mechanisms. It presents a general framework for evaluating the institutions, standards, and oversight mechanisms that most countries are developing as part...
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Global Forest Watch Water Metadata Document
by , , , and -This document explains the underlying science and assumptions of natural infrastructure for water, describes data layers and information, documents data sources, and details the methodology used to generate watershed risk scores in Global Forest Watch Water. All data and maps are publicly...
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MRV 101: Understanding Measurement, Reporting, and Verification of Climate Change Mitigation
by , and -When it comes to climate action, effective measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of emissions and emissions reductions is critical to help countries understand GHG sources and trends, design mitigation strategies, enhance credibility and take other policy actions.
The challenge...
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Universality, Integration, and Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development: Early SDG Implementation in Selected OECD Countries
by , , , , and -This paper synthesizes a number of case studies on early experience with implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It focuses on OECD countries and how they are applying the principles of universality – an agenda for all countries and all stakeholders – and integration – the...
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Water Stress Analysis and Recommendations for Water Resources Management in Ningxia
by , , , and -This report is aimed at helping governments and corporations gain a better understanding of water stress associated with local economic development and its impact on socio-economic development in Ningxia. It first analyzes water resources profiles, water resources management and current water...
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Making Women’s Voices Count In Community Decision-Making On Land Investments
by and -Research by WRI and other organizations has shown that while national laws governing commercial land-based investments often mandate community participation in decision-making processes, in practice community participation remains weak, particularly for women. Women’s specific vulnerabilities,...
