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This policy brief advocates for the use of Material Flow Analysis (MFA) as a tool for environmental policy in the United States, detailing a pilot database developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) to track the life cycle of over 190 commodities.

This working paper examines the environmental and health impacts of nitrogen losses in United States row-crop agriculture and proposes a technical toolkit and policy framework to reduce these losses while maintaining crop yields.

This report analyzes the economic impacts of various federal climate mitigation scenarios in the United States, finding that decarbonization policies—particularly a net-zero scenario—could significantly increase net employment by 2035. It emphasizes the need for targeted investments, domestic manufacturing incentives, and family-sustaining wages to ensure the transition is equitable and does not leave behind communities dependent on high-emissions industries.

This briefing from the World Resources Institute outlines the impact of chronic underinvestment in U.S. K-12 public school infrastructure and proposes specific policy actions for Congress and governors to improve student health, academic performance, and community resilience through clean energy, green grounds, and electric transportation.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute argues that while a carbon price is necessary to incorporate climate costs into economic decision-making and reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, it is not sufficient on its own to achieve full decarbonization by 2050. The author asserts that complementary policies are required to address market barriers, handle externalities beyond climate costs, and incentivize long-lead-time mitigation options to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

This research paper introduces a globally scalable, open-source framework designed to help cities map and quantify the potential for heat-resilient infrastructure. The framework utilizes a new high-resolution urban land-cover dataset called OpenUrban to generate implementation scenarios for passive cooling interventions such as trees, cool roofs, reflective pavements, and shade structures.

This testimony by Sarah Forbes of the World Resources Institute, delivered to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, examines the early development of China's shale gas industry, the role of U.S.-China partnerships, and the resulting impacts on global energy security and the environment.

This policy brief from the World Resources Institute examines how agricultural subsidies in developed countries, specifically the U.S., impact poverty and the environment in developing countries. It advocates for subsidy reductions and proposes a reform agenda to transform the agricultural sectors of developing nations into drivers of sustainable development.

This guide details the greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory methodology used by the World Resources Institute (WRI), covering the reporting period from Fiscal Year 2010 to 2021. It outlines the organizational boundaries, operational scopes, and specific calculation methods for direct and indirect emissions in accordance with the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standards.

This fact sheet by the World Resources Institute updates a May 2012 working paper regarding the United States' contribution to Fast-Start Finance (FSF) between 2010 and 2012, analyzing the financial instruments used and the balance between adaptation and mitigation objectives.

This briefing evaluates five methods for accounting for state-level greenhouse gas emission reductions and preventing 'leakage' within a potential United States federal cap-and-trade program.

This technical note details the creation of a first-of-its-kind dataset of school bus depot locations in the United States using remote sensing and aerial imagery. The dataset is intended to support environmental justice analysis regarding air pollution hotspots in underserved communities and to assist in electricity grid planning for school bus electrification.

This working paper evaluates the first five years (Phase I, 2011–2015) of the Advanced Coal Technology Consortium (ACTC) under the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center (CERC). The ACTC focuses on advancing carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and coal utilization. While the collaboration has fostered mutual trust between the United States and China, the paper identifies administrative, organizational, and technical barriers to effective joint research, development, and demonstration (RD&D).

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute provides context and synthesis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trajectories for the United States, specifically evaluating the feasibility of targets proposed relative to 2005 levels and the role of President Obama's Climate Action Plan.

This policy brief examines the tension between state-led and federal-led climate legislation, advocating for a "hybrid" approach to a federal cap-and-trade program that preserves the role of states to maintain innovation and emissions reductions.

This report by the World Resources Institute outlines a tax-reform strategy centered on carbon taxes to reduce pollution and climate change risks while offsetting economic losses caused by taxes on capital and labor in the United States.

This briefing note explores the impact of climate change on U.S. agriculture and the role of the agricultural sector in climate policy, arguing that producers must actively participate in policy dialogues to ensure future legislation serves their best interests.

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute explains cost containment mechanisms used in cap-and-trade programs to increase economic efficiency, provide price certainty, and manage compliance costs without compromising environmental goals.

This briefing from the World Resources Institute outlines policy recommendations for the United States to maintain its leadership in the development and deployment of carbon dioxide removal technologies to complement emissions reductions.

Jonathan Lash's testimony to the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee emphasizes the urgency of climate action, noting that delays will increase costs and that recent IPCC findings present a stark picture of the scale and immediacy of the environmental challenge.