Search Climate Insights Directory

This technical paper describes the methodology and updates for Version 2.0 of the Spatial Database of Planted Trees (SDPT), which aims to distinguish planted forests and tree crops from natural and seminatural forests globally to improve timber legality screening and carbon sequestration mapping.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute assesses the environmental, energy, and economic impacts of a sludge-to-energy project in Xiangyang City, Hubei Province, China. The project utilizes high-temperature thermal hydrolysis, anaerobic digestion, and methane capture to treat sludge and kitchen waste, converting them into compressed natural gas (CNG) and biochar while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A rapid umbrella review finds that current evidence does not justify large-scale silvopasture adoption as a major U.S. climate mitigation strategy. While it can increase tree biomass carbon, it often reduces livestock and forage productivity, risking land-use leakage that could offset climate benefits. Evidence for soil carbon gains is limited, though some resilience and environmental co-benefits were noted.

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute describes the role of United States forests as a carbon sink in 2006, noting their capacity to absorb carbon dioxide and their impact on total national greenhouse gas emissions.

A fact sheet from the World Resources Institute detailing the extent, value, and rate of forest loss in Indonesia between 1990 and 2005.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute examines public economic incentives for land restoration in six Latin American countries, highlighting the economic costs of land degradation and the necessity of financial rewards for landholders to achieve regional ecological and climate goals.

This report introduces a dynamic land-use model methodology developed in 1988 to quantitatively test and compare the carbon-offset and sequestration potentials of various sustainable forestry and land-use projects in developing countries.

The Corporate Ecosystem Services Review (ESR) is a structured methodology developed by the World Resources Institute, the Meridian Institute, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development to help companies identify and manage business risks and opportunities resulting from their dependence on and impact on ecosystems.

This issue brief by the World Resources Institute and Cardno ENTRIX argues that the $40 billion US landscape management industry fails to capture the full economic, social, and environmental value of ecosystem services. It identifies seven key services—including carbon sequestration and water retention—and proposes a conceptual framework to standardize the quantification and valuation of these services in urban and suburban landscapes.

This issue brief outlines a 'working forests' model for the southern United States, where public entities acquire forestland—either through fee simple purchase or conservation easements—to generate revenue from sustainable timber, recreation, and ecosystem services to fund conservation and provide community benefits.

This policy brief by the World Resources Institute discusses the design of carbon offset programs within a cap-and-trade system, specifically focusing on the challenges of quantifying and verifying reductions from uncapped sectors to ensure the integrity of greenhouse gas (GHG) caps.

This issue brief introduces a series on incentives, markets, and practices designed to promote the conservation and sustainable management of forests in the southern United States to preserve ecosystem services against various drivers of change.

This briefing introduces forest carbon offsets in the southern United States, explaining the process of carbon sequestration, the types of offset projects available, and the quality criteria required for market credibility. It notes that while offset income may not currently outcompete real estate development, it can help cover incremental costs of forest sustainability.

This research paper from the World Resources Institute proposes a framework to limit new cropland expansion to lands with "low environmental opportunity costs" to avoid the conversion of natural ecosystems. It defines specific biophysical and non-biophysical criteria for identifying such lands and suggests a three-part policy approach to direct expansion away from high-impact areas.

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute describes Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) as a middle-ground strategy for restoring degraded land at scale, contrasting it with waiting for native vegetation to grow or planting new trees.

The Land Accelerator South Asia is a 16-week program launched in 2020 by WRI India to support entrepreneurs developing sustainable business models for the restoration of forests and farmlands in South Asia. The program provides mentorship, grants, and networking opportunities to help restoration businesses scale their environmental and social impacts.

This fact sheet describes LandMark, an interactive global platform launched in 2015 and redesigned in 2024 to help Indigenous Peoples and local communities map and document their land rights and secure tenure.

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute (WRI) discusses the role of Direct Air Capture (DAC) in limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C. It emphasizes that DAC must complement deep greenhouse gas emission reductions and argues for the implementation of social and environmental guardrails, equity-focused policies, and federal support for research and development to ensure the technology is scaled responsibly.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute describes the potential for landscape restoration in India, focusing on a case study in the Sidhi District of Madhya Pradesh. It outlines national carbon sequestration goals and demonstrates how an adapted Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM) can be used to integrate environmental benefits with economic opportunities for marginalized local communities.

This fact sheet introduces TerraMatch, a global platform developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) to connect vetted tree-growing projects with funders to accelerate forest and farm restoration.