Search Climate Insights Directory

This guidance from the World Resources Institute outlines strategies for countries to enhance their 2020 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to decarbonize the power sector by 2050, emphasizing that increasing renewable energy targets alone is insufficient.

This technical note describes the India Energy Policy Simulator (India EPS), an open-source system dynamics model developed by Energy Innovation LLC and World Resources Institute to assess cross-sectoral climate policy packages for India through 2050.

The briefing argues that the US requires energy storage lasting days or weeks to achieve deep decarbonization, as current technologies only provide hours of capacity. It suggests that while pumped hydro and compressed air could be extended to days, less mature technologies like hydrogen are needed for seasonal storage. The document calls for policymakers to support innovation and new financing and procurement models to enable the adoption of long-duration storage.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute introduces a "Framework for Net-Zero Climate Action" designed to help governments increase near-term climate action to reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets while ensuring a just transition.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute presents a 'New Climate Federalism' framework developed through dialogues with U.S. government officials. It outlines a collaborative model where federal, state, and local governments leverage their respective strengths to achieve decarbonization, emphasizing that federal standards should act as a floor rather than a ceiling to allow for more ambitious subnational action.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute outlines six design considerations for the next generation of U.S. federal tax credits to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon technologies across the power, transportation, industrial, and buildings sectors to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

This research paper examines the potential for clean hydrogen to decarbonize the United States freight transport sector, including road, air, water, and rail. It positions hydrogen as a complementary solution to electrification and other clean fuels, noting that while significant cost, infrastructure, and technological barriers exist, hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels could provide mature, low-carbon alternatives by 2050.

This research paper outlines a framework for India's low-carbon growth by calculating the country's fair share of the global carbon budget and modeling decadal milestones for the power, industry, and transport sectors through 2050.

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.

This research paper evaluates the adoption potential of zero-emission heavy-duty trucks (HDTs) in China's regional delivery and long-haul freight sectors through 2035, analyzing the impact of demand-side policy interventions on total cost of ownership and market share.

This research paper outlines a framework for a sustainable and resilient recovery from COVID-19, focusing on three mutually reinforcing transitions: decarbonization, circular economy, and decentralization, to drive transformative economic change and strengthen national climate objectives.

This research paper introduces a framework for Paris-aligned passive investing and evaluates 35 sustainable funds from the United States and the European Union, finding that none are fully aligned with the proposed criteria.

This briefing analyzes the potential macroeconomic effects of India's transition to a low-carbon economy aligned with its 2070 net-zero emissions target, utilizing the India Energy Policy Simulator to assess impacts on growth, employment, and tax revenues.

This working paper, produced by the World Resources Institute in partnership with Ørsted, examines the barriers preventing private sector investment in renewable energy and proposes policy solutions for governments to accelerate the energy transition.

This research paper summarizes a series of workshops hosted by the WRI Ross Center's Urban Mobility team between August and October 2023. The workshops, held in Bogotá, Mexico City, and Curitiba, explored how shared mobility tools such as bike sharing and ride-hailing can be integrated into sustainable transport ecosystems to support decarbonization and efficiency in Latin American cities.

The World Resources Institute describes the Financial Institutions Net Zero Tracker, a tool and framework designed to evaluate the transparency, ambition, implementation, and credibility of net zero commitments made by financial institutions, including their consideration of equity and nature.

This research paper argues for the necessity of Indonesia developing a long-term strategy (LTS) for climate action to secure economic growth and mitigate risks beyond 2030, suggesting that the existing low-carbon development initiative (LCDI) could serve as a foundation.

This expert perspective by Tony Maher of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) discusses Australia's challenges in managing the transition from coal-fired power to low-carbon energy. It highlights the socio-economic risks to regional communities and describes a novel collaborative approach used during the closure of the Hazelwood power station to manage redundancies and redeployment across multiple private companies.

The PJM Cities and Communities Coalition (PJMCCC) submitted comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding the establishment of the Office of Public Participation (OPP). The coalition advocates for the unique role of cities as stakeholders and urges FERC to prioritize resources for environmental justice groups, frontline communities, and tribal organizations to ensure equitable energy market outcomes.

The PJM Cities and Communities Coalition (PJMCCC) Charter outlines the governance, membership, and strategic goals of a coalition of local governments and communities within the PJM territory. The coalition aims to remove barriers to decarbonization in the regional wholesale electricity market through capacity building, partnerships, and collective action.