Search Climate Insights Directory

The World Resources Institute (WRI) filed a Form 990 for the tax year beginning October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2021. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity focused on global environmental challenges, including climate, food, forests, water, ocean, cities, and energy. For the reported period, WRI recorded total revenue of $289,669,226 and total expenses of $151,998,641, ending the year with net assets of $402,845,763.

A briefing by the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) providing a global temperature update as of December 2019, highlighting a significant gap between current government pledges and the Paris Agreement goals, while detailing trends in coal, natural gas, and renewable energy.

This commentary by the World Resources Institute argues that climate action is only politically viable if it is 'people-centered,' meaning it purposefully unlocks social and economic benefits, targets them to enhance equity, and ensures a just transition for workers and vulnerable communities. The document provides evidence that bold climate action can deliver significant global economic gains, job creation, and public health improvements while mitigating the disproportionate impacts of climate change on the poor.

This report by the NewClimate Institute assesses the potential for seven specific countries to increase their greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets to align with the Paris Agreement's goals of limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing 1.5°C.

This policy brief by the NewClimate Institute presents national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets for 2030 and 2050 aligned with the Paris Agreement's temperature goals. It compares two distinct methodologies for distributing these targets: fairness-based approaches, derived from Climate Action Tracker evaluations, and cost-effectiveness approaches, based on marginal abatement cost curves.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the potential impacts of proposed World Trade Organization (WTO) fisheries subsidy rules on the Southern Longline (SLL) tuna fishery in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). Focusing on South Pacific albacore, the study examines six fleets (China, Chinese Taipei, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and French Polynesia) to assess how prohibitions on subsidies for IUU fishing, overfished stocks, and overcapacity would affect fleet profitability and regional sustainability.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines government support for fuel consumption in the fisheries sector, analyzing data from the OECD and WTO. It highlights the prevalence of fuel tax concessions and direct price support across both OECD and non-OECD economies, while noting significant gaps in transparency and notification within WTO frameworks.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues that the electric vehicle (EV) revolution presents Southern African states with an opportunity to transform their economic trajectories through a systemic innovation approach. It advocates for a 'just e-volution' that integrates the mining, automotive, and energy sectors to move toward a low-carbon economy, specifically suggesting a 'Green New Deal' for the SADC region to avoid becoming a dumping ground for obsolete internal combustion engine technology.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a comprehensive set of policy recommendations to the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, focusing on decarbonizing transportation, electric power, and buildings, while emphasizing environmental justice, workforce development, and climate resilience.

This policy brief examines the environmental and socio-economic 'spillovers' of the Argentina-EU soy supply chain, arguing that the externalization of consumption impacts to producer countries complicates the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights how European consumption drives significant environmental degradation and social shifts in Argentina, calling for internationally coordinated governance and shared responsibility to mitigate these negative effects.

This policy brief examines the 'spillover effects' of the Argentine soybean value chain, specifically how consumption in Europe and China externalizes environmental and socioeconomic impacts to Argentina, thereby affecting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This case study, part of a larger report on BRICS nations, analyzes the fiscal relationship between the Chinese government and fossil fuels, focusing on revenue percentages and the impact of subsidies.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development argues that BRICS governments must prepare their budgets for a fiscal transition as the clean energy transition reduces revenues from fossil fuel production and consumption.

The 2019 Global Landscape of Climate Finance report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes global climate-related primary investment from 2013 to 2018. It finds that while annual climate finance reached record levels, crossing the USD half-trillion mark in 2017 and 2018, current investment levels remain significantly below what is required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and a 1.5 ˚C scenario.

A Global Energy Monitor report stating that China is driving global coal power expansion, with its capacity increasing by 42.9 GW between 2018 and mid-2019 while the rest of the world decreased. The report highlights that provincial-level approval surges (2014-2016) created a massive pipeline of projects that central government restrictions have failed to fully stop. It concludes that proposed capacity increases to 1,200-1,400 GW by 2035 would far exceed IPCC limits for keeping global warming below 2°C.

This report by Global Energy Monitor analyzes the growth of China's coal-fired power fleet between 2018 and 2019, contrasting it with a global trend of coal capacity reduction. It examines the impact of a provincial permitting boom (2014–2016), the subsequent failure of central government restrictions to stop construction, and the incompatibility of China's projected coal capacity with IPCC climate targets for limiting global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C.

This case study examines Russia's economic and fiscal dependence on fossil fuels, detailing the sector's contribution to government revenue, the role of state-owned enterprises, and the fiscal implications of energy transition and climate policies.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Strategy 2020–24 outlines the organization's mission to bridge science, policy, and practice to support sustainable development. The strategy focuses on three primary impact areas: reducing climate risk, promoting sustainable resource use and resilient ecosystems, and improving health and well-being. To achieve these, SEI employs a theory of change centered on changing agendas, enhancing capacities, and improving decisions through the co-creation of knowledge and the development of specialized tools.

The executive summary of the 'Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape 2019' report analyzes sustainable energy finance from 2013 to 2017, highlighting significant funding gaps for electricity and clean cooking access, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the continued investment in fossil fuels.

This report summarizes a one-day workshop organized by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on September 13, 2019, in Geneva, Switzerland. The event examined how global economic governance—specifically international trade and investment regimes—influences income inequality and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on market access, e-commerce, industrial policy, and competition policy.