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1,869 documents from World Resources Institute
Estimating and Reporting the Comparative Emissions Impacts of Products
The World Resources Institute (WRI) introduces a framework to standardize how companies report the comparative emissions impacts of their products. The paper emphasizes the need for credibility and consistency in claims, particularly regarding 'avoided emissions', and recommends the use of 'consequential' methods to measure system-wide emission changes for public claims involving market effects.
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Document type: Research paper
Assessing Supply Chain Barriers to and Opportunities for Advancing Road Transport Electrification in Kenya
The paper examines Kenya's road transport electrification, noting that while the transport sector contributes 13 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions, fewer than 1 percent of annual vehicle sales are electric. It argues that increasing EV uptake requires a combination of bolstered policy interventions, improved access to technology and financing, and enhanced technical capacity and public awareness.
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Document type: Research paper
Purchasing Power
The document identifies high transaction costs, the time required for market learning, and fragmented demand as primary barriers to solar PV adoption for commercial and government consumers. It proposes collaborative purchasing as a solution to aggregate demand and lower installation costs. The guide offers a structured 12-step process, informed by research and case studies of early regional collaborations, to help participants achieve competitive pricing and improved vendor performance.
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Document type: Guide
From Bonds to Blended Finance: How a Diverse Range of Financial Instruments Are Financing Climate Adaptation and Resilience
The study examines a dataset of 162 cases to understand how various financial instruments—including blended finance, bonds, and grants—are used for climate risk reduction and management. It finds that while most instruments are pooled through programs or funds, there is a growing trend toward instruments targeting multiple countries. The analysis reveals a preference for risk reduction over risk management and notes that blended finance is the most frequent instrument used, except in high-income countries where grants are more prevalent.
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Document type: Research paper
Will international investment rules obstruct climate protection policies?
The research examines how international investment law may either obstruct or support the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), arguing that CDM rules must be designed to align with existing legal frameworks and that investment agreements should permit countries to prioritize multilateral environmental agreements.
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Document type: Research paper
Translating Targets into Numbers: Quantifying the Greenhouse Gas Targets of the G20 Countries
The document examines the varied forms of greenhouse gas targets set by G20 countries, noting that many do not explicitly state absolute future emissions. To improve clarity, the paper converts these targets into absolute emissions levels for the years 2020, 2025, and 2030 and provides visual representations of these limits.
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Document type: Research paper
Potential Impact of Corporate Climate Action in India
The paper analyzes 50 Indian companies accounting for 35% of industrial emissions, finding that their voluntary commitments could reduce their own emissions by 13.04% by 2030 and lower India's aggregate GHG emissions by 1.74% to 1.95% by 2030 compared to national projections. Heavy industries, specifically Metals, Pulp & Paper, and Cement, are responsible for over 90% of these reductions.
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Document type: Research paper
Two Degrees of Innovation
The document argues that a global transformation of energy infrastructure is necessary to avoid climate disaster and that both developed and emerging economies can benefit from the growing market for utility-scale, low-carbon power technologies. It proposes an 'innovation ecosystem' approach to address the complexity of innovation processes, emphasizing that improvements in price and performance across a technology's lifecycle—from design to maintenance—are essential to closing the gap between current and required technology performance. The paper offers a step-by-step process for policymakers to build the innovation capacity needed to compete in the global value chain.
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Document type: Research paper
Navigating the Paris Rulebook
The document details the 'who, what, when, and where' of ex-ante finance information under the Paris Agreement. It specifies that developed country Parties must provide biennial communications on projected public financial resources to assist developing countries, including quantitative and qualitative data on programs, policies, and mobilization efforts. The process involves a cycle of Secretariat synthesis reports, in-session workshops, and high-level ministerial dialogues starting in 2021. It also outlines how this information links to adaptation communications, the Enhanced Transparency Framework, the Global Stocktake, and compliance mechanisms.
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Document type: Guide
A Breakdown of Developed Countries’ Public Climate Finance Contributions Towards the $100 Billion Goal
The document provides a breakdown of public climate finance contributions by developed countries between 2013 and 2018. It aims to increase transparency and accountability regarding the collective $100 billion annual commitment made under the 2009 Copenhagen Accord to support developing countries' emission reductions and climate adaptation. The paper introduces a methodology for analyzing individual country contributions and identifies reporting barriers that must be addressed to improve future accountability.
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Document type: Research paper
Southeast Energy Consumption by Fuel, 2006
In 2006, the Southeast region's energy consumption was approximately 80 percent dependent on fossil fuels, which was slightly lower than the national average of 85 percent. The regional mix was characterized by higher proportions of coal and nuclear energy and a lower proportion of natural gas relative to the national average.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Capacity Needs for Greenhouse Gas Measurement and Performance Tracking
The document outlines the objectives of the Measurement and Performance Tracking (MAPT) project, which aims to enhance the ability of developing countries to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and track progress toward low-carbon development goals. It details scoping research conducted in Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, South Africa, and Thailand to identify capacity needs and common challenges. The paper emphasizes that such systems are essential for domestic policymaking, international reporting, facilitating climate finance, and generating carbon credits.
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Document type: Research paper
Direct Air Capture: Assessing Impacts to Enable Responsible Scaling
The document examines the resource requirements and social implications of Direct Air Capture (DAC) in the U.S., arguing that while onsite emissions are minimal, responsible scaling requires inclusive decision-making and equity-focused policies to ensure benefits, such as job creation, are distributed fairly.
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Document type: Research paper
Adapting from the Ground Up
The report argues that small businesses are critical for climate adaptation in developing countries, as they provide nearly 60% of employment and are deeply embedded in vulnerable communities. It outlines a six-step framework for governments to engage these businesses and provides a menu of interventions, including climate risk information, technical assistance, and fiscal incentives. The document recommends that governments, large corporations, multilateral partners, and special climate funds collaborate to provide financing, knowledge transfer, and market access to micro and small enterprises (MSEs) to catalyze adaptation efforts.
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Document type: Report
More than Meets the Eye
The document examines the social cost of carbon (SCC) as a tool for cost-benefit analysis in government regulation, noting that the chosen SCC value directly determines the stringency of climate regulations. It argues that SCC calculations rely on judgment calls and assumptions beyond standard science or economics, which can be hidden from policymakers.
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Document type: Policy brief
Eutrophication: Policies, Action, and Strategies to Address Nutrient Pollution
The document identifies eutrophication as a rapidly growing environmental crisis, noting that over 500 coastal areas worldwide are impacted and dead zones increased from 10 in 1960 to 405 in 2008. It recommends a multi-faceted approach for policymakers, including the implementation of research and monitoring programs, public awareness campaigns, regulatory standards, fiscal incentives, and the restoration of natural ecosystems. The brief emphasizes the need for coordinated institutions and the pursuit of environmental synergies, noting that nutrient pollution policies can overlap with efforts to combat climate change, smog, and acid rain.
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Document type: Policy brief
Aqueduct Floods: Cost Benefit Analyzer Tool
The Aqueduct Floods Cost-Benefit Analyzer (CBA) is a tool for evaluating the costs and benefits of flood protection infrastructure. It calculates construction and operation and maintenance (O&M) costs against the benefits of avoided damage to urban assets. Users can select locations, future climate scenarios, and infrastructure specifications to generate cost-benefit ratios and cumulative net benefit graphs to support flood risk management decisions.
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Document type: Guide
ACCC: Renewables Accelerator Procurement Guidance: Summary of Methods and Data
The document outlines the technical framework and curation methodology for the American Cities Climate Challenge: Renewables Accelerator website, a collaborative resource by the World Resources Institute and Rocky Mountain Institute designed to support city sustainability staff in the procurement of renewable energy.
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Document type: Briefing
Here Comes the Sun: Residential Consumers’ Experience with Rooftop Solar PV in Five Indian Cities
The paper identifies three primary barriers to the adoption of residential rooftop solar PV in India: a lack of objective, accessible information; a lack of customized financing options; and poor coordination between government agencies and utilities. It emphasizes that meeting India's 40 GW rooftop solar target by 2022 requires a consumer-centric approach that complements top-down policies with bottom-up initiatives.
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Document type: Research paper
Bottom-up Climate Finance Requirements Tracker: Data and Methodology
The document outlines the methodology for the Climate Finance Requirements Tracker, a tool that systematically tracks quantitative climate finance data from all rounds of nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Since 2021, the World Resources Institute has used this process to distinguish between international and domestic funding requirements for mitigation and adaptation, while also compiling data on the economic impacts of climate-related loss and damage.
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Document type: Guide