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The study examines how different electricity supply systems—microgrids, solar home systems (SHS), and the national grid—impact rural households and small businesses in India and Nepal. While general electricity access reduces kerosene use and increases women's time for income-generation, the specific type of system influences outcomes: SHS are most effective at reducing kerosene use, while the national grid correlates with higher appliance ownership. The report suggests that improving developmental impacts requires supply standards, policy support for productive use investments, and further cost-effectiveness research.

The document examines the intersection of climate policy and international trade, noting that non-uniform costs for greenhouse gas emissions can lead to 'emissions leakage' where industries relocate to countries with lower standards. It identifies energy-intensive sectors like steel, cement, and chemicals as most vulnerable and evaluates three policy responses: cost containment mechanisms, trade measures such as border price adjustments, and coordinated international actions.

The analysis indicates that while most subsectors face modest direct compliance and energy purchase costs under the American Power Act, vulnerability varies based on feedstock dependence. Subsectors relying on natural gas-derived raw materials face higher cost risks due to projected price increases, whereas those relying on petroleum, coal, and electricity-derived materials face limited risk as prices are projected to be lower compared to a no-policy scenario.

The paper examines the complexities of developing citywide transportation GHG emissions inventories, highlighting that results vary based on decisions regarding boundaries, trip inclusion, and data collection. It reviews diverse methodologies—including those from the World Bank, the European Commission, San Francisco, and Lisbon—and argues that accurate inventories are essential for climate action plans and performance-based funding.

The report contends that delaying climate action leads to the accumulation of carbon-intensive capital stock and locks in fossil fuel dependency. It argues that immediate policy signals, such as cap and trade, are necessary to shift research and development toward renewables and that U.S. leadership is critical for global action.

The document argues that while heavy industry is a primary source of greenhouse gas emissions, long-term climate solutions require the participation of the entire economy, including the service sector. It identifies that service-sector companies, such as banks and retailers, contribute to climate change through electricity use, heating, cooling, and travel, and offers a step-by-step manual for these businesses to reduce their emissions and influence their supply chains and stakeholders.

The document advocates for a U.S. national renewable electricity standard (RES) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy costs, and position the U.S. as a global leader in renewable technology. It proposes a framework including legally binding targets for all suppliers, eligibility requirements focused on environmental improvement, national sourcing of certificates, and the ability for states to set higher targets.

The paper identifies an increasing trend in the number of countries reaching peak greenhouse gas emissions, growing from 19 in 1990 to a projected 57 by 2030. While the share of global emissions covered by these countries is expected to rise to 60% by 2030, the current number of peaking countries and their emissions levels remain insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement's temperature goals of limiting warming to 1.5-2°C.

The paper evaluates two decades of review processes within and outside the UNFCCC to identify improvements for the Paris Agreement's enhanced transparency framework. It argues that while existing systems provide a strong foundation, they are hindered by inefficiencies and unclear guidance that must be addressed to support increased review frequency and higher climate ambition.

The Indonesian forest moratorium's effectiveness is currently limited by a lack of understanding and technical guidance among local officials, who hold the decentralized authority for implementation. While the moratorium has created a window of opportunity to advance governance reforms in permitting and spatial planning, long-term success depends on sustained leadership and specific priorities such as strengthening permit reviews and recognizing community land claims.

The document addresses the challenge of unreliable or absent electricity for approximately one billion people in low- and middle-income countries accessing healthcare. It advocates for decentralized renewable energy (DRE), specifically solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with batteries, as a clean and climate-resilient alternative to costly and polluting diesel generators. The text highlights the need for streamlined tools and processes to achieve sustainable, large-scale implementation of these systems and introduces a project lifecycle approach developed by WRI based on work in India and Africa.

The document defines fundamental climate policy terminology, distinguishing between market-based mechanisms like carbon taxes and cap-and-trade programs, and explaining concepts such as offsets, adaptation, and complementary policies.

In Kenya, 30–40 percent of food is lost or wasted between production and consumption, contributing to food insecurity for approximately 15 million people and causing annual economic losses of an estimated KES 72 billion ($578 million). These losses drive greenhouse gas emissions and waste critical resources like land, water, and energy. Despite commitments under the 2014 Malabo Declaration and SDG 12.3, progress is hindered by weak policy coordination, lack of financing, and a limited capacity to accurately measure and report food loss and waste. The report advocates for a "Target-Measure-Act" approach to reduce food loss and waste by half by 2030.

WRI developed seven Principles for Effective Community Engagement for extractive and infrastructure projects after analyzing existing standards and high-profile project experiences. The report argues that inclusive, accountable, and transparent engagement reduces risks for companies and governments while ensuring communities benefit from development. It provides specific recommendations for project proponents to disseminate best practices, for financial institutions like the IFC to increase disclosure of community support, and for citizen organizations to advocate for transparent processes.

The paper examines food loss and waste in India, noting that post-harvest losses were valued at INR 926.51 billion in 2014. It identifies a lack of standardized measurement metrics and a scarcity of empirical research on household-level food waste and the social, economic, and environmental impacts of food loss. The authors recommend adopting the global Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard and establishing a multi-stakeholder action coalition to prioritize research and policy implementation.

The document addresses the lack of transparency and clarity in climate mitigation pledges from both Annex I and non-Annex I Parties under the Cancun Agreements. It argues that while Annex I Parties can resolve these issues through common accounting rules, non-Annex I Parties require a specific clarification process for their diverse nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) to enable progress tracking and the assessment of global emissions reductions.

The document outlines a framework for nonexperts to evaluate climate mitigation models, emphasizing that no single model is ideal for all policy questions. It suggests assessing studies across seven dimensions: primary goals, scope, modeling framework, scenarios and data inputs, uncertainty, results, and process aspects to ensure transparency regarding assumptions and inputs.

The paper assesses the transparency of GHG emissions targets for eight top-emitting economies—Brazil, China, the EU, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and the US—using the World Resources Institute's Open Book framework. While these parties generally followed the Lima Call for Climate Action, significant transparency gaps remain, particularly regarding land-sector accounting and market mechanisms. The analysis finds that absolute/base-year targets are generally presented more transparently than other target types. The document provides emissions trajectories through 2030 to quantify uncertainties caused by these gaps and recommends that parties provide more detailed assumptions, methodologies, and expected emission trajectories to improve accountability.

The paper analyzes 124 Chinese overseas investments in wind and solar energy across 33 countries, identifying that these investments are primarily driven by excess domestic manufacturing capacity, state-owned bank financing, and host-country incentives. While concentrated in developed nations like the US and Germany, investments also reach developing countries such as Ethiopia and Pakistan, with a significant portion focused on electricity generation via joint ventures.

The briefing argues that scaling PAYG energy access in Kenya and Tanzania requires a shift from exclusive reliance on international capital to the mobilization of local financial institutions. It suggests that DFIs and donors can bridge this gap using credit guarantees, lines of credit, and 'fund of funds' to reduce perceived risks for local banks. The document highlights that approximately 35 million people in Kenya and 36 million in Tanzania lack electricity, and an estimated one billion dollars is needed to scale PAYG services for broader impact. Drawing on the IDCOL program in Bangladesh, the authors recommend that local commercial banks engage through short-term trade finance and that national governments provide clear grid extension plans to encourage private investment.