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1,869 documents from World Resources Institute
Emerging Green Standards for Cement and Steel Decarbonization
The paper examines the fragmented landscape of emissions intensity benchmarks and accounting methodologies for the cement and steel industries, which together contribute approximately 15% of global emissions. It argues that the current 'patchwork' of differing thresholds and methodologies increases compliance costs for businesses and hinders the international trade of low-carbon materials. To enable market growth and effective industrial decarbonization, the author advocates for greater harmonization, improved data quality, and interoperability across global standards.
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Document type: Research paper
A Critical Decade for Climate Policy
The document evaluates the current state of independent climate policy tracking, noting a diverse range of methodologies but highlighting significant gaps in the monitoring of policy implementation and uneven geographic coverage. It argues that while technical abatement potential is a useful metric, it lacks necessary political context. The paper recommends strengthening country-level tracking, deepening the evaluation of policies under development, and increasing coordination among practitioners to support the achievement of gigatonne-scale greenhouse gas reductions.
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Document type: Research paper
How Language Can Advance Sustainable Diets
The document argues that changing the language used to describe food is a low-cost strategy to increase the consumption of plant-based foods, which have lower environmental impacts than meat. Following workshops in the US and UK with over 50 experts, the report outlines five guiding research questions and recommendations for implementing these findings in business and society.
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Document type: Report
Making Climate Data Accessible: Methods for Producing NEX-GDDP and LOCA Downscaled Climate Indicators
The document outlines an effort to make complex global climate data more accessible by converting it into simple indicators and open geospatial formats. This process aims to reduce barriers for users who need to anticipate trends in agriculture, energy demand, disaster risk, and water management to inform adaptation strategies. The resulting data are hosted on PREPdata and Resource Watch, with the source code available on GitHub.
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Document type: Research paper
First International GHG Protocol-based Programs Workshop Report
The report outlines the outcomes of a March 2010 workshop convened by the World Resources Institute, where experts from over ten GHG inventory programs discussed the evolution of corporate GHG accounting. It identifies a shift toward value-chain management and the increasing role of climate policy in developing countries as drivers for expanding accounting capacity. The document concludes that future efforts must focus on increasing the scale of accounting capacity, transitioning from measurement to management, and improving coordination between programs.
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Document type: Research paper
Eliminating Tax Expenditures with Adverse Environmental Effects
The document identifies four U.S. federal tax expenditures, each causing an annual revenue loss exceeding $1 billion, that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions by promoting fossil fuel use. These include the expensing of exploration and development costs, percentage depletion, the alternative fuel production credit, and the exemption of qualified parking expenses. While removing these provisions would improve economic efficiency and reduce the budget deficit, the author notes that the resulting impact on greenhouse gas emissions would be small, meaning such reforms must be part of a larger climate strategy.
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Document type: Policy brief
Playbook for Guiding Diners Toward Plant-Rich Dishes in Food Service
The document introduces a playbook by WRI's Better Buying Lab that outlines 23 behavior change strategies to shift diner preferences toward plant-rich dishes, noting that beef production emits 20 times more greenhouse gases than common plant-based proteins.
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Document type: Guide
Behind the Meter Solar PV
The document outlines how to assess the cost-competitiveness of behind-the-meter solar PV, noting that parity is achieved when the average cost of energy equals or is less than the retail electricity price. It highlights a common third-party ownership model in the United States that removes upfront costs for consumers and provides a glossary of key energy finance and planning terms.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Climate Vulnerability and Risk for Small Hydropower Plants (SHP) in Colombia: A Methodological Proposal for Analysis
The paper argues that while small hydropower plants (SHP) are vital for Colombia's energy transition and decentralization, they are increasingly threatened by climate-driven water instability. It identifies a gap in risk assessment research, which has historically focused on large reservoirs, and introduces a flexible framework based on sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and hazard indicators to guide climate adaptation for SHPs nationwide.
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Document type: Research paper
Inside Stories on Climate Compatible Development: Niger
Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), combined with soil and water conservation, has improved crop production, income, and food security for impoverished rural communities in Niger, while offering climate change mitigation potential.
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Document type: Case study
A Climate And Environmental Strategy For U.S. Agriculture
The report disputes claims that the Kyoto Protocol would lead to dire economic consequences for American farmers, finding that net cash returns would likely decrease by less than one percent due to the small share of energy costs in production expenses.
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Document type: Report
How the International Monetary Fund and Member Countries Can Conduct Climate-Informed Article IV Surveillance
The paper examines the implementation of 'climate-informed' Article IV surveillance by the IMF, identifying gaps in current climate topic coverage and barriers to systematic integration. It argues that incorporating relevant data and experts into risk assessments and consultations will provide more coherent guidance for member countries.
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Document type: Research paper
Utility-Scale Renewable Energy
The document outlines the criteria for determining when utility-scale renewable energy is cost-competitive compared to traditional power sources, emphasizing the importance of the perspective used for comparison. It defines cost parity from three viewpoints: for end-use consumers via Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), against other technologies filling the same capacity need based on average cost of energy or risk, and against the current wholesale market generation mix based on average wholesale prices during production times.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Power Sector Opportunities: Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Wisconsin
WRI analysis indicates that Wisconsin could reduce CO2 emissions by 43% below 2011 levels by 2020 by extending clean energy policies and optimizing existing infrastructure, which would surpass hypothetical EPA reduction requirements of 28% to 33%.
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Document type: Fact sheet
The Transformation of China's Energy System
The testimony outlines China's progress in reducing energy intensity and increasing non-fossil fuel use, highlighting the targets of the 12th Five-Year Plan and the potential for U.S. and international investment in China's clean technology sector.
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Document type: Statement
Bottom Line on State and Federal Policy Roles
This briefing explores the debate over whether the United States should adopt a single federal climate policy, allow states to lead with individual policies, or utilize a joint approach. It analyzes the rationales for each model, the likelihood of federal preemption of state authority, and the implications for businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions.
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Document type: Briefing
Competitiveness, Leakage and Comparability
The paper examines how the U.S. and EU are considering trade measures to address industrial competitiveness, carbon leakage, and free-riding in their post-2012 greenhouse gas emissions legislation. It highlights a potential conflict between these unilateral measures and the principles of the WTO and UNFCCC, noting that U.S. proposals could penalize developing countries even if they comply with international agreements. The author argues that the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties should establish guiding principles for trade measures to prevent legal disputes and protect the UNFCCC's legitimacy as a global standard-setter.
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Document type: Research paper
Determining Impacts of NDC Enhancement on Country-Level Emissions
The document outlines a technical approach to determine the extent of NDC enhancement by comparing estimated target-year greenhouse gas emissions under a Party's previous NDC against those under its subsequent NDC. The method covers both NDCs with explicit GHG reduction targets and those based on non-GHG targets and policies.
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Document type: Briefing
Business Air Travel and Climate: Changing Behaviors Before, During, and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic
The document analyzes the impact of COVID-19 travel restrictions on the World Resources Institute's (WRI) business travel, noting a 92 percent decrease in flights over a 10-month period. It argues that behavioral science can help sustain these reductions—which saved 3,000 mt CO2e and US$2.6 million—as travel demand resumes.
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Document type: Research paper
Steering a Green, Healthy, and Inclusive Recovery Through Transport
The report analyzes approximately US$298 billion in global transport stimulus funds committed between March 2020 and February 2021, finding that roughly 44% were directed toward subsectors with positive climate and sustainability implications. It identifies five key action areas for decarbonization and public-private participation: public transport, walking and bicycling, vehicle electrification, rail, and research and development (R&D).
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Document type: Report