Search Climate Insights Directory

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute explainsL explains Energy Savings Certificates (ESCs), which are tradable certificates representing energy savings—typically one megawatt-hour (MWh)—used by utilities to meet energy efficiency targets in compliance and voluntary markets.

This policy brief by the World Resources Institute examines the necessity and current state of a regulatory framework for carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) in China. It argues that while China relies heavily on coal and views CCS as a critical tool for reducing emissions, it lacks a comprehensive domestic regulatory framework to ensure environmental health, safety, and efficacy, particularly regarding geologic storage.

This report by the World Resources Institute analyzes the 'Fast-Start Finance' (FSF) period from 2010 to 2012, during which developed countries reported mobilizing US$ 35 billion for climate change in developing countries. The study evaluates the distribution, transparency, and effectiveness of these funds, noting a heavy bias toward mitigation over adaptation and a lack of strict criteria for 'new and additional' funding.

This policy brief examines the calculation and application of the social cost of carbon (SCC) within the U.S. federal government's regulatory process, highlighting the role of economic assumptions and the impact of different SCC values on the stringency of climate regulations.

This working paper by the World Resources Institute assesses potential future risks to the global climate by analyzing proposed new coal-fired power plants and global coal market trends.

The World Resources Institute's Better Buying Lab convened over 50 academics and food industry practitioners in the United States and United Kingdom to explore how changing the language used to describe food can encourage consumers to shift from meat-heavy diets to more sustainable, plant-based diets.

This testimony by Sarah Forbes of the World Resources Institute (WRI) to the U.S. House of Representatives emphasizes the urgent need for a global network of carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstrations to mitigate climate change, specifically highlighting the necessity of collaboration with China and the establishment of international funding and regulatory frameworks.

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 research paper analyzes the requirements for India to achieve its 30 GW offshore wind energy target by 2030. It evaluates the current state of policy, finance, infrastructure, and regulations in India, comparing them with global trends and successful international examples to identify necessary improvements for sector expansion.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute and Climate Finance Advisors, produced for the Global Commission on Adaptation, assesses the landscape of public international funding—specifically climate finance and Official Development Assistance (ODA)—for nature-based solutions for climate adaptation (NbSA) in developing countries.

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 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.

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 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.

The WRI Europe Strategy 2023-27 outlines the World Resources Institute's approach to supporting the energy and climate transition in Europe and leveraging the region's influence globally. The strategy positions the Europe office as an 'enabler' that connects global programs to European funding, regulation, and research, while simultaneously working to reduce Europe's own ecological footprint through targeted interventions in food, land, water, energy, and urban systems.

This executive summary from the World Resources Institute (WRI) analyzes the global availability of freshwater in relation to shale gas and tight oil development. Using geospatial analysis and the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, the report identifies significant water stress in many regions with high technically recoverable shale resources, highlighting potential business risks and social conflicts arising from competition for water between the energy industry, agriculture, and municipal users.

This research paper by Roger Street of the UK Climate Impacts Programme examines the requirements for climate information to be useful in adaptation decision-making. The author argues that information must be 'decision-relevant,' meaning it is tailored to the specific spatial and temporal scales of the decision process and the needs of the user community. The paper emphasizes that providing more data is not always beneficial and that a joint responsibility between information providers and users, fostered through sustained engagement, is necessary to bridge the gap between scientific data and practical policy implementation.

This report analyzes the global health and economic burden of red and processed meat consumption, finding that in 2021, these foods caused over 600,000 deaths and millions of years of healthy life lost. It highlights that wealthy nations in Europe, North America, Asia, and Oceania face the highest disease burdens and often spend heavily on treating preventable conditions rather than investing in prevention. The report argues that dietary interventions, such as reducing meat intake, could save billions of dollars in healthcare costs—for example, a 30% reduction in processed meat burden could save the US USD 21 billion annually—and significantly reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.