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The policy brief contends that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated existing vulnerabilities in the U.S. fossil fuel industry, making a fair transition for workers urgent. It advises against using federal stimulus for fossil fuel assets, suggesting instead that investments be directed toward low-carbon infrastructure, which creates more jobs per million dollars spent. The author proposes a four-part framework for a fair transition: accounting for automation and digitization, planning proactively across all carbon-intensive industries, recognizing that clean energy jobs may not be a direct replacement for all fossil fuel roles due to geographic and skill gaps, and employing bottom-up, community-led investment strategies.

The document argues that COVID-19 recovery should prioritize green technologies and renewables over fossil fuels to avoid stranded assets. It suggests that industry bailouts in sectors like aviation and automotive manufacturing be tied to strict green conditions and net-zero pathways. The text emphasizes the need to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, reduce capital costs for renewables in developing countries, and implement social protections for workers displaced by the energy transition.

The statement highlights that nearly 600,000 clean energy jobs were lost by April 2020, with projections suggesting 850,000 workers would file for unemployment by June 30. It criticizes a $3 trillion House recovery package for offering no support to the wind and solar industries while providing cash assistance to biofuel producers.

The document argues that the massive fiscal stimulus required for COVID-19 recovery presents a unique opportunity to transition to a low-carbon economy. It suggests that climate-aligned investments offer higher returns than traditional spending, citing benefit-cost ratios for adaptation between 2:1 and 10:1. The author proposes seven action areas: managing corporate bailouts with emissions targets, investing in climate-smart infrastructure (such as renewable energy and nature-based solutions), promoting regulatory reform, reforming tax and subsidy policies (including cutting fossil fuel subsidies), integrating climate risks into financial regulations, enhancing the role of development finance institutions, and sponsoring R&D for new technologies. The text emphasizes that green investments can create more jobs than fossil fuel investments, noting that in the US, $1 million spent on renewable energy creates 7.5 FTE jobs compared to 2.7 in fossil fuels.

The document argues that economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic must avoid siloes by integrating development and climate resilience, ensuring that stimulus measures are stress-tested for climate risks, and empowering vulnerable populations through locally led planning. It highlights the need for reforming fossil fuel subsidies, utilizing resilience bonds, and providing debt relief to vulnerable countries to support a sustainable recovery aligned with the SDGs and the Paris Agreement.

The document outlines a framework for a 'green and resilient recovery' following the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing that the next 18 months are critical as countries invest $10-20 trillion. It advocates for low-carbon infrastructure, fossil fuel subsidy reform, and a revamp of the Bretton Woods system to prioritize well-being over traditional growth metrics. The dialogue warns against bailouts for carbon-intensive sectors like aviation and coal, and highlights the urgent need for debt cancellation in vulnerable developing countries.

WRI supported the procurement of electric bus fleets in Santiago, Bogotá, and Medellín to reduce emissions and operating costs. By developing scalable contractual and procurement mechanisms with partners like C40 and the Inter-American Development Bank, WRI helped these cities overcome the high upfront costs of e-buses. Santiago and Bogotá are procuring the two largest e-bus fleets globally outside of China, with Medellín adding 64 vehicles.

The guide offers seven strategies to minimize food waste, including optimizing refrigerator temperatures (40°F/4°C or below), distinguishing between 'use by' and 'best if used by' labels, and repurposing aging produce or scraps. It notes that reducing food waste provides a climate benefit and encourages focusing on shelf-stable and frozen foods to avoid overbuying perishables.

The briefing proposes an annual federal investment of $4–4.5 billion in tree restoration to create over 150,000 jobs and remove up to 540 million tons of carbon dioxide per year in the United States. It suggests utilizing the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and state/local grants to restore up to 60 billion trees over 20 years. The author criticizes the Trillion Trees Act, arguing it lacks sufficient funding and could increase emissions by promoting timber harvests and relaxing environmental reviews.

The briefing argues that expanding the U.S. electric bus fleet would create manufacturing jobs, reduce carbon emissions by 7 million tons annually, and improve public health by replacing diesel engines. It proposes utilizing $20 billion in federal grants to replace 60,000 buses—approximately 10% of the national fleet—through existing programs like Clean Cities and the Low and No Emission Vehicle Program.

The briefing outlines a strategy for the U.S. to 'build back better' after COVID-19 by investing in public transit, 'Complete Streets', electric vehicle infrastructure, and low-carbon concrete. It highlights a critical budget shortfall for transit agencies and a significant maintenance backlog, arguing that prioritizing repairs over expansion creates more jobs and reduces emissions.

The World Resources Institute criticizes Japan's decision to maintain its 2030 emissions reduction target of 26% from 2013 levels, stating the plan is 'no stronger than the one it submitted five years ago'. The author contends that Japan could strengthen its target to 42% using affordable low-carbon technologies and warns of financial risks from stranded fossil fuel assets. The document recommends that Japan increase its renewable energy target to 50% of the electricity mix by 2030, phase out domestic coal and overseas coal finance, and end fossil fuel subsidies.

Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have established a framework for Paris alignment but face criticism for slow implementation timelines, vague mitigation criteria, and insufficient guidance on adaptation and resilience. The authors argue that MDBs must set firm dates for ending unaligned financing, publish clear positive and negative investment lists based on science, and adopt standardized reporting metrics to ensure transparency and effectiveness.

WRI's response to COVID-19 focuses on staff safety, virtual operations, and ensuring that global economic stimulus packages promote low-carbon development and climate protection rather than restoring high-carbon economies.

The document argues that formal land titles are often used as a proxy for tenure security but frequently fail to provide women with actual control over land due to discriminatory laws, customary norms, and lack of access to resources. It highlights that individual titling can conflict with indigenous collective tenure systems and may even lead to dispossession. To achieve genuine security, the author recommends gender-equitable normative frameworks, the inclusion of women in land governance, and ancillary support such as technical training and credit access.

China faces a significant challenge where 66.5% of its coal-fired power plants are located in water-scarce areas, driven by the West-to-East Electricity Transmission Project. To mitigate this, China is investing heavily in solar and wind energy, implementing air-cooling technologies that save nearly 80% of water withdrawal, and enforcing stricter water resource management quotas and caps for the coal sector.

The World Resources Institute outlines four critical areas for the Green Climate Fund's 2020-2023 Strategic Plan: aligning mitigation ambition with the 1.5°C goal through transformational metrics, clarifying adaptation and loss and damage approaches, balancing the speed of private finance mobilization with portfolio quality, and improving the accessibility of direct access funding for developing country institutions.

The Manggahan Low Rise Building Project in Pasig City, Philippines, serves as a model for locally led climate resilience. Following the devastation of Typhoon Ondoy in 2009, residents of informal settlements along the Manggahan Floodway formed the Alliance of Peoples Organizations Along Manggahan Floodway (APOAMF) to oppose government plans for forced relocation up to 60 miles away. Through the 2010 "People Plan," residents collaborated with architects and government officials to design a flood- and typhoon-resistant apartment complex on an embankment. The project aims for 15 buildings with 900 units, with 480 families already moved into rent-to-own apartments. The case highlights the importance of co-creating adaptation solutions with marginalized urban populations to build city-wide resilience and avoid climate-induced migration.

The report outlines a comprehensive strategy for the United States to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through a diversified portfolio of carbon removal pathways. It categorizes these into 'Staples' (tree restoration and direct air capture), 'No Regrets' (agricultural soil carbon management), 'Speculative Bets' (carbon mineralization and enhanced root crops), and 'Supplemental Pathways' (BECCS, wood waste preservation, and extended timber rotations). The authors argue that an 'all-of-the-above' approach is the most robust and cost-effective, potentially removing 20 GtCO2 cumulatively by 2050. Key recommendations include federal subsidies for tree restoration, an expanded 45Q tax credit for direct air capture, and a 10-million-acre farm innovation program. The report also emphasizes the need for a 'strong enabling environment,' including low-carbon energy, credible life-cycle assessments, and improved geological storage and monitoring infrastructure.

The document highlights a significant gap between global climate adaptation finance needs and actual commitments, noting that annual costs could reach $280 to $500 billion by 2050. It argues that marginalizing local communities from national planning leads to ineffective investments and proposes that CSOs are essential for building inclusive, transparent, and accountable finance systems. Using examples from Bangladesh and the Philippines, it demonstrates how multistakeholder engagement and citizen-led budget reporting can improve accountability. Finally, it outlines a four-step process for CSOs to build their capacity to track and evaluate adaptation finance flows.