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In a parting reflection published on April 16, 2021, Andrew Steer outlines the lessons learned during his nine-year tenure as leader of the World Resources Institute (WRI). He describes WRI's growth into a global team of 1,500 professionals and details the strategic approaches the organization used to influence climate and environmental policy, including the use of data-driven research combined with practical on-the-ground implementation and multi-stakeholder convening.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the role of National Development Banks (NDBs) in financing climate-smart urban infrastructure. It identifies significant gaps in current NDB mandates and proposes a 'maturity model' consisting of 12 dimensions across strategic, financial, business, and operational parameters to help NDBs better support municipalities. The document provides recommendations for International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to support NDBs through technical assistance, innovative capital access, and de-risking instruments to bridge the urban climate investment gap.

This working paper by the World Resources Institute examines the role of nature-based solutions (NBS) as carbon offsets within corporate climate mitigation strategies. It argues that while NBS are critical for achieving global net-zero goals by 2050, their use as offsets is controversial due to risks of 'greenwashing' and technical challenges regarding credit quality. The authors advocate for a 'both/and' approach where companies combine aggressive direct fossil fuel abatement with high-quality NBS investments, emphasizing the need for robust standards to ensure environmental and social integrity.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the evolution of global development goals, from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). It analyzes the lessons learned from the MDGs, the expanded scope of the SDGs, and how the 2030 Agenda can serve as a framework for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This annex to the 2021 NYDF Goal 7 Progress Report provides technical and economic mitigation potential estimates for forest-related activities, analyzes the ambition of forest targets in National Determined Contributions (NDCs), and estimates the global finance needs and public finance flows for forest mitigation.

The COP26 Resilience Hub Synthesis Report outlines key messages and future directions for climate adaptation and resilience, emphasizing the need for locally led action, diversified finance, and the integration of nature-based solutions. It synthesizes findings from the Resilience Hub's activities at COP26, focusing on three pillars (urban, coastal, and rural) and ten thematic areas to guide action toward COP27.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to environmental protection and sustainable development. For the 2021 tax year, WRI reported total revenue of $193,968,394 and total expenses of $183,476,237, focusing its efforts on global challenges including climate, energy, food, forests, water, oceans, and sustainable cities.

A statement from World Resources Institute President & CEO Andrew Steer regarding the Climate Ambition Summit, noting progress in net-zero commitments from various nations and non-state actors while criticizing the lack of bold 2030 emission targets and insufficient financial support for developing countries.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines four critical technical and political areas that UN negotiators must resolve by COP26 in November 2021. It reviews the outcomes of the 2020 Climate Dialogues and highlights significant gaps in the Paris Agreement rulebook, climate finance commitments, and mechanisms for loss and damage and adaptation.

The outcome document of the Latin America Regional Resilience Dialogue outlines strategies to build urban and rural resilience in Latin America and the Caribbean following the COVID-19 pandemic. It emphasizes the need for a regenerative economy, nature-based solutions, and the integration of traditional knowledge with modern science to address climate-related disasters and food insecurity.

This report by Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) analyzes the role of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) in the region, arguing that they drive a capitalist system based on exploitation and the violation of peoples' sovereignty. The document details how TNCs use 'corporate capture' to influence governments and the 'architecture of impunity'—specifically Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms—to avoid accountability for human rights and environmental abuses. It examines specific impacts across agribusiness, forestry, mining, energy, and services, highlighting the disproportionate burden on women and the criminalization of land defenders.

This report by Amigos de la Tierra América Latina y el Caribe (ATALC) analyzes the role of transnational corporations (TNCs) in the accumulation of capital and their impact on human, environmental, and collective rights in Latin America and the Caribbean. It details how TNCs utilize 'corporate capture' to influence governments and legal systems, creating an 'architecture of impunity' that protects their interests over popular sovereignty. The document characterizes the impacts of TNCs across extractivist sectors—including agribusiness, forestry, mining, and energy—and services, while advocating for a legally binding UN treaty to regulate TNCs and a systemic shift toward popular sovereignty and economic justice.

This November 2020 report assesses progress toward Goal 7 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), which focuses on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation within the framework of a post-2020 global climate agreement. While the goal of including forests in the global agreement was considered met with the adoption of the Paris Agreement, the report identifies significant barriers to the operationalization of REDD+ and a lack of quantifiable detail in many Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The Goal 9 assessment evaluates progress toward rewarding countries and jurisdictions that reduce forest emissions through public policies, results-based finance, and private-sector sourcing. As of 2020, nearly USD 4.7 billion in results-based finance has been committed since 2010, with disbursements increasing to over USD 260 million annually in recent years. The report also highlights the role of carbon markets, which have channeled USD 2.5 billion to forest projects over 20 years, and the emergence of domestic compliance schemes that allow forest carbon credits.

This case study by the World Resources Institute (WRI) examines climate adaptation strategies for coffee-farming communities in Costa Rica, focusing specifically on the Coto Brus region. It identifies key resilience factors, provides six strategic recommendations for the sector, and highlights successful adaptation practices in other Latin American coffee-producing countries.

The report details the proceedings and decisions of the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-28) to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held via videoconference on 19 August 2020. The meeting focused on budgetary approvals, governance updates, and the expansion of the Institute's associates.

This report details the proceedings and recommendations of the 49th meeting of the Executive Council (EC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held via videoconference on August 19, 2020.

This report by the Green Economy Coalition (GEC) and Fundação Amazonas Sustentável (FAS) argues that the Amazon is 'too big to fail' and must transition from a 'deforestation economy' to an inclusive green economy. It details the systemic risks of an ecological tipping point and proposes the creation of the Amazon Green Economy Hub in Manaus to coordinate multi-stakeholder efforts, scale bioeconomy enterprises, and reform economic policies to value standing forests over land liquidation.

A notification from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) detailing the election results for the Executive Council, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), and the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) following the 28th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-28) on 19 August 2020.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) announced the election results from its 28th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-28) held on August 19, 2020. The notification lists the members of the Executive Council for 2020–2022, with the United States as president, and names the newly elected members of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and the Science and Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC).