Search Climate Insights Directory

This report by the World Resources Institute examines the concept of sustainable development policies and measures (SD-PAMs) as a way to align economic development in developing countries with the goal of limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

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 World Resources Institute working paper outlines eight policy pathways to achieve zero carbon buildings (ZCBs) by combining energy efficiency, renewable energy, and carbon offsets. It emphasizes that cities will lead this transition and that ZCBs are attainable regardless of a country's wealth or development status, citing feasibility studies and consultations in India, China, Mexico, and Kenya.

This testimony by Rob Bradley, Director of the International Climate Policy Initiative at the World Resources Institute, argues that the United States has a critical opportunity to resume international leadership on climate change. Bradley asserts that the global landscape has shifted since the Kyoto Protocol, with major developing nations now proposing their own mitigation plans and the Bali Action Plan providing a framework for inclusive, verifiable commitments from both developed and developing countries. He emphasizes the synergy between climate action and economic growth, highlighting 'green' stimulus packages as a means to create jobs and stimulate recovery following the financial crisis.

This guide details the methodology and data sources used by the World Resources Institute (WRI) to create the Atlas of Forest Landscape Restoration Opportunity. The atlas identifies global areas of forest loss and evaluates the feasibility of restoration by contrasting potential forest coverage with current coverage and human pressure.

This research paper outlines a four-phase framework for developing a national electric mobility roadmap—planning and preparation, visioning, development, and implementation—to assist Vietnam in decarbonizing its transportation sector based on global case studies.

This technical note introduces Aqueduct 4.0, a water risk framework by the World Resources Institute (WRI) that translates complex hydrological data into 13 indicators of global water risk. The framework utilizes the PCR-GLOBWB 2 model to analyze current conditions and project future water supply and demand across various climate scenarios for 2030, 2050, and 2080.

This briefing from the World Resources Institute outlines a project lifecycle approach to electrifying healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income countries, advocating for decentralized renewable energy (DRE) over costly and polluting diesel generators.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) has released a guidebook detailing a standardized MRV approach for local land restoration. By combining local expertise with high-resolution satellite imagery and the DINOv3 AI model, the framework can reduce verification costs by up to 98%. Tested across 200+ projects in Africa and adapted for use in India and Brazil, the system uses nine indicator categories to provide the data transparency needed to unlock outcome-based finance for small and medium-sized restoration organizations.

This working paper, produced by the Agreement on Climate Transformation 2015 (ACT 2015) consortium, proposes a framework for the 2015 Paris Agreement. It suggests a structure based on two long-term goals, three continuous improvement cycles (mitigation, adaptation, and support), and a foundation of transparency and accountability to drive a global transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy.

This briefing summarizes the third session of a Global Dialogue on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, focusing on energy transitions and industry bailouts. The document outlines strategies to ensure economic recovery is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement, emphasizing the need to prioritize green technologies over fossil fuels.

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.

A World Resources Institute fact sheet presenting a map of historic carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion between 1900 and 1999, categorized by industrialized and developing regions.

This research paper by James Manor, presented at a World Resources Institute conference in 2002, examines the relationship between democratic decentralization and social equity. The author analyzes whether shifting power to local levels reduces poverty and identifies specific political and social conditions under which marginalized groups are most likely to benefit from such systems.

This WRI fact sheet provides a regional overview of the 'Reefs at Risk Revisited' analysis for the Indian Ocean, detailing the extent of coral reefs, the human populations dependent on them, the prevalence of local and climate-related threats, and the effectiveness of existing marine protected areas.

This document is the 2011 IRS Form 990 tax return for the World Resources Institute (WRI), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It details the organization's financial activities, governance, and program accomplishments for the tax year ending September 30, 2012.

This document is the consolidated financial statements and independent audit report for the World Resources Institute (WRI) and its subsidiaries for the fiscal years ending September 30, 2016, and 2015. It details the organization's financial position, activities, cash flows, and the legal structure of its global entities, including offices in India, China, and Europe.

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.

The WRI Results Framework is a strategic document that maps the organization's goals, intervention targets, and impact indicators across three primary human systems: food, land & water; energy; and cities. It establishes a hierarchy of results from global targets (by 2030) to WRI intervention targets (by 2027) and specific country-level targets, all designed to improve human well-being, protect nature, and tackle climate change.