Search Climate Insights Directory

This research paper examines Detroit's Community Benefits Ordinance (CBO), the first of its kind in a major US city, analyzing its impact on community engagement and benefit sharing for high-impact development projects.

The 'Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-Based Products: Version 3' is a joint guide by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD) designed to help users develop and implement procurement policies for forest products.

This policy note from the World Resources Institute outlines the causes and drivers of eutrophication, noting a significant increase in coastal dead zones and the primary role of human activities—specifically wastewater, agriculture, and fossil fuel combustion—in nutrient pollution.

The report advocates for Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to move from a "Climate Finance Paradigm" to a "Paris Alignment Paradigm," ensuring all investments—not just designated climate finance—align with the Paris Agreement. Key recommendations include achieving net zero CO2 emissions by mid-century by stopping support for CO2-emitting energy sources, mainstreaming climate risks for a world 3-4°C warmer, and increasing transparency and support for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

This report assesses electricity governance in Thailand, focusing on the dominance of government-owned enterprises and the resulting inefficiencies, consumer burdens, and social conflicts.

This expert note from the World Resources Institute describes country platforms as mechanisms for governments to align diverse sources of finance behind national plans to achieve climate, nature, and development goals, while highlighting the institutional requirements for their success.

This WRI and WCCI working paper identifies seven enabling factors to integrate gender equity into locally led adaptation (LLA) processes, specifically within Africa's agricultural sector. It argues for a shift toward gender-transformative activities that challenge harmful social norms and power dynamics to ensure long-term climate resilience and gender equality.

This guide provides a detailed technical exploration of the reporting and review requirements established by the Paris Agreement Rulebook's enhanced transparency framework. It outlines the specific information Parties must report, the timelines for submission, the structure of the technical expert review and multilateral consideration processes, and the flexibility provisions available to developing country Parties based on their capacities.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) provides a guide for governments, industry associations, and environmental organizations to design and implement greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and reporting programs for corporations based on international standards.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines the disconnect between the national-level implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement (NDCs). Based on a survey of 90 countries and detailed case studies of 11 countries and the European Union, the paper argues that a 'siloed approach' to these agendas hinders progress. It proposes five core areas for integration: coordinating institutions, aligning targets, joint policy mainstreaming, optimizing financial resources, and creating mutually reinforcing monitoring frameworks. The study concludes that an integrated approach reduces transaction costs, enhances policy coherence, and fosters 'win-win solutions' for climate resilience and sustainable development.

This research paper examines how Fiji, Ghana, and Benin are integrating climate change adaptation into their health systems. It identifies key enablers such as political leadership and pilot projects, while noting barriers like limited funding and poor data access. The authors recommend immediate 'no-regrets' actions, including staff training and infrastructure improvements, and advocate for cross-sectoral collaboration between health officials and climate planners to build systemic resilience.

This case study by the World Resources Institute examines climate change threats to coffee farming in Costa Rica, focusing on the Coto Brus region. It identifies a critical gap between the awareness of sustainable practices and the implementation of long-term transformative adaptation, recommending a shift from incremental adjustments to systemic changes to ensure the sector's viability by 2050.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines electricity generation technology options to support the sustainable energy transition of Tamil Nadu (TN). It evaluates the current landscape, technology readiness levels (TRLs), and market potential for various renewable and clean energy sources, including wind, solar PV, bioenergy, energy storage, and green hydrogen, while identifying the policy and infrastructure barriers to their adoption.

This working paper examines the international governance of technological carbon removal, focusing on three main challenges: mitigation deterrence, equity in deployment and benefits, and the lack of standardized measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) processes. It notes that while 26 of 62 LTSs submitted to the UNFCCC as of May 2023 consider technological CDR, there is little guidance on how to scale these technologies equitably and sustainably to meet the 1.5 degrees C goal of the Paris Agreement.

This fact sheet by the World Resources Institute (WRI) critiques a timeline produced by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) regarding environmental regulations for power plants. WRI argues that the EEI timeline is misleading because it conflates procedural events and existing rules with new compliance obligations, thereby creating a false impression of a regulatory "onslaught."

This research paper by the World Resources Institute assesses the environmental, energy, and economic impacts of a sludge-to-energy project in Xiangyang City, Hubei Province, China. The project utilizes high-temperature thermal hydrolysis, anaerobic digestion, and methane capture to treat sludge and kitchen waste, converting them into compressed natural gas (CNG) and biochar while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This policy brief advocates for the use of Material Flow Analysis (MFA) as a tool for environmental policy in the United States, detailing a pilot database developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) to track the life cycle of over 190 commodities.

This fact sheet by the World Resources Institute (WRI) analyzes how Tennessee can utilize existing infrastructure and clean energy measures to reduce power plant CO2 emissions to meet or exceed EPA standards.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines the development of sustainable national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory systems in non-Annex I countries, identifying seven emerging good practices based on case studies from Brazil, Colombia, India, Mexico, and South Africa.

This working paper examines the environmental and health impacts of nitrogen losses in United States row-crop agriculture and proposes a technical toolkit and policy framework to reduce these losses while maintaining crop yields.