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This working paper by the World Resources Institute analyzes environmental and social risk management for overseas investments, specifically providing lessons for Chinese companies. Through six case studies of non-Chinese multinational companies, the paper demonstrates that strong risk management benefits companies, while weak management leads to financial loss and reputational damage.

This report provides a framework for REDD+ countries to establish national systems for implementing the seven UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards. It details a structure based on goals, functions, rules, and institutions, and advises governments to assess existing institutional gaps before implementing new laws or agencies to protect biodiversity and local people's rights.

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.

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 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 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.

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."

This document consists of the General Conditions and Procurement Provisions for grants issued by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment (KLD) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) to NGOs. It outlines strict requirements for financial management, reporting, auditing, and procurement, alongside a specific project framework for the World Resources Institute's (WRI) Global Forest Watch (GFW) platform aimed at reducing global forest loss by 2030.

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.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) submitted a Form 990 tax return for the 2023 calendar year (ending September 30, 2024), reporting its financial activities, governance, and program accomplishments as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

This document is a management response from the World Resources Institute (WRI) to an external review conducted by Philanthropy Support Services (PSS) Inc. between January and March 2012. The response evaluates WRI's progress regarding its 2008-2012 Strategic Plan and outlines management's agreement with recommendations for the subsequent 2013-2017 planning period, focusing on global expansion, institutional innovation, and the balance between research and practical implementation.