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This research paper by the World Resources Institute uses a national agro-environmental production model to analyze the environmental and economic consequences of creating a market for corn stover to support the ethanol industry. The study warns that harvesting agricultural residues for feedstock can increase soil erosion and greenhouse gas emissions, challenging the sustainability of harvest levels suggested in some government reports.

This document is a testimony provided by Dr. Jonathan Pershing, Director of the Climate, Energy and Pollution Program at the World Resources Institute, to the Commission on Security & Cooperation in Europe. Pershing argues for an integrated policy framework that addresses the intersection of energy security and climate change, asserting that while some energy solutions create trade-offs, others—such as energy efficiency and renewables—provide mutual benefits for both security and the environment.

This report by the World Resources Institute examines the concept of sustainable development policies and measures (SD-PAMs) as a way to align economic development in developing countries with the goal of limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

A research paper by the World Resources Institute that examines the environmental impacts of the rapid expansion of the U.S. corn ethanol industry following the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and proposes specific farm policy recommendations to mitigate these effects.

This policy brief by the World Resources Institute examines the economic and environmental impacts of increasing corn production to meet the ethanol demands mandated by the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

This research paper analyzes the role of biomass and biofuels in the decarbonization of the United States economy through 2050, arguing that biomass is a limited resource that must be managed with strict carbon accounting and guardrails to avoid unsustainable land use change.

The report argues that dedicated land use for bioenergy is unsustainable and unrealistic because it competes directly with food production, animal feed, and carbon storage. It recommends phasing out crop-based biofuels and those requiring dedicated land, suggesting that solar photovoltaics offer a far more land-efficient alternative for energy generation.

A policy brief by the World Resources Institute arguing that the United States should shift its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) strategy away from food and feed crops to avoid increasing food prices and environmental degradation, focusing instead on waste biomass, captured carbon, and clean hydrogen.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) provided responses to the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee regarding the role of biofuels, specifically ethanol, in enhancing energy security and combating climate change.

This research paper discusses the rapid growth of the biofuels industry and the resulting debate over whether these fuels drive tropical deforestation, particularly as the aviation and maritime sectors seek to meet carbon reduction targets.

This briefing from the World Resources Institute provides accounting recommendations for quantifying the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions impact of land-use change for biofeedstock production, specifically addressing the challenges of aggregating emissions and avoided emissions over time.