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Dr. Jonathan Pershing of the World Resources Institute provided testimony to the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee supporting the America’s Climate Security Act of 2007 (S. 2191). He argued that the bill's cap-and-trade system would provide a necessary price signal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at modest economic costs while positioning the United States to lead international climate action.

This briefing examines the role of accountability tools in land-use planning and permitting through case studies in Brazil and Indonesia to provide recommendations for the design of national REDD+ programs.

The World Resources Institute and collaborators developed a geospatial dataset providing benchmark land use change (LUC) and land occupation (LO) emission factors for 42 major crops for the period 2020–24. The dataset aims to harmonize corporate GHG reporting by providing standardized, jurisdiction-level metrics. 2024 national averages reveal high variability in emissions per tonne of crop, such as soy in Brazil (1.67 tCO₂e) versus the US (0.40 tCO₂e), and highlight that subnational data is necessary to identify emission hotspots.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute analyzes the emissions abatement potential of land-use and energy policies in Indonesia to determine if they are sufficient to meet the country's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets.

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.

This executive summary by the World Resources Institute evaluates the Indonesian forest moratorium, a policy designed to protect a land area comparable in size to Japan. While the moratorium has created a window for critical forest governance reforms and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, its effectiveness is currently limited by a lack of technical guidance and poor understanding among local officials who hold the decentralized authority for enforcement.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute evaluates the transparency of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets in the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) of eight major emitting economies. Using the 'Open Book' framework, the paper identifies transparency gaps that hinder the assessment of national and global ambition, particularly regarding land-sector accounting and market mechanisms. It provides estimated emissions trajectories through 2030 to quantify uncertainties resulting from these gaps and offers recommendations for governments and UNFCCC negotiators to improve reporting clarity.

This WRI/Sekala working paper presents a cost-effective method for identifying degraded land suitable for sustainable palm oil production in Indonesia, combining desktop analysis with field assessments to support sustainable planning and management.

This guide from the World Resources Institute explains the importance and methodologies of estimating the costs of implementing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It outlines how costing helps governments identify financing gaps, select financial instruments, and integrate climate commitments into national fiscal policies, while highlighting the challenges of data gaps and uncertainty.

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 executive summary outlines a global dialogue on ensuring that the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. It argues that the pandemic serves as a warning for the climate and biodiversity crises and advocates for a 'green and resilient recovery' that prioritizes people, nature-based solutions, and the phase-out of high-carbon industries.

This research paper by Nancy Peluso explores the complex relationship between the decentralization of resource management and violence in Indonesia. Using the forest and land sectors as primary examples, Peluso argues that decentralization often shifts the locus of power to local elites who may use violence to secure resource control, while the legacy of the repressive Suharto regime has normalized violent conflict and weakened the state's capacity to enforce law and order.

The GFI Guidance Manual provides a qualitative framework for assessing forest governance based on three components (Actors, Rules, Practices) and five principles of good governance (Transparency, Participation, Accountability, Coordination, Capacity). It offers a menu of indicators across six thematic areas—Tenure, Land Use, Management, Revenues, Institutions, and Cross-Cutting Issues—to help researchers and civil society organizations diagnose governance weaknesses and support sustainable forest management and REDD+ programs.

This executive summary, authored by Alice Gerow and Frances Seymour for the World Resources Institute, outlines the material risks that non-carbon biophysical effects of tropical deforestation pose to the private sector. It argues that while many companies focus on carbon emissions and reputational risks, the loss of forests directly threatens agricultural productivity and worker health through changes in local temperature and regional precipitation, thereby destabilizing global supply chains.

This policy brief explains that tropical deforestation causes global warming and local climate instability through non-carbon biophysical processes (albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols) in addition to carbon emissions. These effects lead to immediate material risks for the private sector, including reduced agricultural yields and decreased labor productivity due to heat stress. The authors argue that current corporate commitments are insufficient and urge companies and investors to adopt jurisdictional approaches and better spatial analysis to mitigate these risks.

This executive summary of a World Resources Institute working paper examines the energy challenges facing cities in the global South and proposes three scalable solutions—cleaner cooking, distributed renewable energy, and energy efficiency—to improve equity, economic productivity, and environmental quality.

This WRI working paper surveys 27 public and public-private climate funds (PPCFIs) totaling US$41.3 billion, finding that most focus on mitigation in emerging markets rather than adaptation in least-developed countries. While intended to leverage private capital, few have successfully attracted significant private investment at the fund level due to limited project pipelines, inadequate scale, and cumbersome operational processes. WRI recommends standardizing requirements, improving information transparency, and fostering better market conditions to effectively mobilize private finance.

This report presents the first global, map-based indicator of potential threats to coral reefs, finding that 58% of the world's reefs are at risk. Southeast Asia is identified as the most threatened region, while the Pacific is the least. The primary drivers of degradation are overexploitation and coastal development. The report highlights a critical lack of adequate marine protected areas and calls for integrated coastal management to preserve biodiversity and the economic services reefs provide to nearly half a billion people.

This executive summary from the World Resources Institute details the threats facing global coral reefs, emphasizing the combined impact of local human activities and global climate change. It highlights the critical socio-economic value of reefs for millions of people and the inadequacy of current marine protected areas (MPAs) in ensuring reef resilience.

This project document outlines a global initiative titled "Strengthening the Blue Economy: the Economic Case, Science-Informed Policy, and Transparency," executed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The project aims to transition governments and businesses toward a sustainable ocean economy by developing a landmark High Level Panel (HLP) report, producing six thematic "Blue Papers," and creating a beta version of an online monitoring system called "Ocean Watch."