United States, developing countries, and climate protection

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines the United States' role in global climate protection, arguing that leadership from countries with historical responsibility is necessary to engage developing nations in emission reductions.

• Effective climate protection in the near term requires initial leadership from a small number of countries that possess both the capability to act and historical responsibility for the climate problem. This leadership is necessary to establish the conditions for a broader dialogue with developing countries regarding the timing and circumstances of their formal involvement.
• The United States has pursued a contradictory approach by seeking commitments from developing countries while simultaneously providing billions of dollars in financing for carbon-intensive investments within those same nations.
• To lead international cooperation, the U.S. should support existing climate-friendly policies in developing countries, foster technical cooperation for adaptation and emission reduction, ensure climate protection supports socio-economic development, and establish an open dialogue on formal involvement criteria. Additionally, the U.S. must reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions to serve as a catalyst for other nations and to provide U.S. companies a competitive advantage in clean technology markets.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). United States, developing countries, and climate protection. https://www.wri.org/research/united-states-developing-countries-and-climate-protection

Chicago

World Resources Institute. United States, developing countries, and climate protection. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/united-states-developing-countries-and-climate-protection.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=United States, developing countries, and climate protection |url=https://www.wri.org/research/united-states-developing-countries-and-climate-protection |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendunited, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{United States, developing countries, and climate protection}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/united-states-developing-countries-and-climate-protection}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }