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The report investigates the relationship between school bus fleet age, fuel type, and the socioeconomic characteristics of the communities they serve in the United States. It finds that the oldest and most polluting buses are concentrated in districts with higher proportions of low-income households and residents of color. However, as of December 2022, electric school bus commitments have largely targeted districts with lower incomes, more residents of color, and poorer air quality, driven by federal and state programs prioritizing disadvantaged areas.

The document argues that while blue carbon ecosystems like mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrasses are powerful nature-based solutions, their inclusion in national greenhouse gas inventories and adaptation strategies is limited by data gaps and poor institutional coordination. To resolve this, the author introduces the BLUE framework, which consists of four stages: Build (foundational awareness and data), Link (connecting ecosystems to national plans), Unlock (securing finance and cross-sector strategies), and Embed (implementing monitoring and adaptive management). The paper asserts that integrating these ecosystems into national policies can mobilize the political will and finance necessary for large-scale conservation and restoration.

The document argues that while development finance institutions (DFIs) have focused on aligning direct project financing with the Paris Agreement, they must also address the substantial portions of finance channeled through financial intermediaries to fully meet global climate goals.

The document presents a methodology for identifying potentially suitable degraded land for sustainable palm oil in Indonesia, specifically applied in West and Central Kalimantan. The approach uses a two-step process: a desktop analysis based on environmental, economic, social, and legal indicators, followed by rapid field assessments. This method is designed to align with RSPO standards, Indonesian law, and national REDD+ strategies. In a pilot application in West Kalimantan under Project POTICO, the method helped identify nine potentially suitable areas. Across West and Central Kalimantan, the initial desktop analysis identified approximately seven million hectares of potentially suitable land.

The paper advocates for transforming traditional monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) into a locally led process to better support climate adaptation. It emphasizes the need to balance power asymmetries, prioritize local knowledge, and ensure that MEL creates value for local actors rather than serving only upward accountability to donors. The author provides a framework of considerations—such as addressing structural inequalities and prioritizing learning—and recommends specific operational steps for funders and practitioners to increase local agency and effectiveness in adaptation interventions.

The Corporate GPM Guide 2 introduces landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) as a financially and environmentally viable alternative to fossil fuels for corporations. Based on the experience of the Green Power Market Development Group, the guide aims to provide corporate energy managers with a basic understanding of the technical and economic issues involved in LFGTE projects and identify policy actions to facilitate their development.

The paper examines the global integration of the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, focusing on the tension between the need for open global markets to lower costs and the desire for national policies to protect domestic green jobs. It argues that long-term government support, a price on carbon, and the removal of trade barriers are essential for accelerating deployment and innovation.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) conducted a scoping exercise to develop a list of indicators to measure the environmental sustainability of agriculture, defined as minimizing its environmental impacts. The process involved analyzing existing datasets, selecting five thematic areas (water, climate change, land conversion, soil health, and pollution), and mapping indicators across a three-stage causal chain: public policy, farmer practice, and biophysical performance. Candidate indicators were evaluated against seven screening criteria, including data availability, accuracy, and consistency, to produce a 'short list'. The paper argues that increasing demand for these indicators from governments and the private sector is necessary to drive the supply of required data, which could be supported by remote sensing and crowd-sourcing.

The policy brief examines the challenges of integrating carbon offsets into a U.S. cap-and-trade system, specifically highlighting the difficulties in quantifying and verifying soil and forest carbon sequestration. It argues that while offsets provide flexibility and cost-containment for capped entities, the high transaction costs and uncertainties associated with certain project types may make them less efficient than alternative regulations or incentive programs. The authors recommend a holistic strategy that evaluates the acceptable level of risk for overstating emission reductions and considers offsets as one part of a broader suite of climate policies.

Virginia can achieve nearly 80 percent of the EPA's emission rate target for 2020-2030 through planned coal plant retirements and the use of combined heat and power (CHP) and natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plants. To meet the remainder of the target, the state can implement energy efficiency measures to achieve 1.3 percent annual energy savings and increase renewable energy generation to 15 percent by 2025, leveraging untapped wind and solar potential.

The WRI Ross Center's long-term engagement in Mexico City, beginning in 2002, demonstrates that combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of the local political landscape can drive transformative urban change. A primary example is the 2006 implementation of the Metrobús Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. The organization identifies three critical success factors for such urban transformation: trust with city officials, knowledge of the political and institutional ecosystem, and flexible funding and institutional structures. Additionally, collaboration through global initiatives like the Building Efficiency Accelerator has enabled WRI to expand its technical expertise into new sectors such as building efficiency.

The document identifies the ecosystem services provided by southern US forests and the drivers threatening them, while introducing five categories of measures—land use instruments, fiscal incentives, liability limitations, market incentives, and education/capacity building—to promote forest conservation.

The paper analyzes the reporting requirements of the Paris Agreement and the existing UNFCCC transparency system to suggest improvements for the Enhanced Transparency Framework, emphasizing the need for streamlined reporting channels and capacity building for developing countries.

The document identifies Hurricane Sandy as a demonstration of the United States' vulnerability to extreme weather and notes that human-induced warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of events such as heat waves, torrential downpours, and coastal flooding.

The U.S. contributed $5.1 billion in Fast-Start Finance (FSF) for 2010-2011, utilizing a mix of grants and non-grant instruments. While funding for climate objectives increased, the report questions whether the contribution is truly "new and additional" because the U.S. included projects funded prior to the FSF period. Furthermore, only a minority of examined funds—40% for adaptation and 29% for mitigation—explicitly target climate change as a principal objective. The World Resources Institute recommends greater transparency, including the publication of detailed project lists and the harmonization of reporting with OECD standards.

The briefing argues against the simple extrapolation of financial discount rates to physical carbon flows when assessing the emissions impact of land-use change for biofuels. It proposes distinguishing between the 'project horizon' (cultivation period) and the 'impact horizon' (atmospheric effect period), suggesting the latter be treated as a rolling target. The document further recommends that salvaged carbon from future revegetation be excluded from initial conversion accounting and suggests that if discounting is necessary, a range of values—including zero or negative rates—should be considered.

The document serves as an executive guide for companies exploring carbon pricing. It notes a significant increase in corporate adoption, with over 1,000 companies now reporting internal carbon pricing or plans to implement it within two years, compared to 150 in 2014. Additionally, a similar number of companies are advocating for government-led carbon pricing actions.

The paper analyzes the measurability of various national commitment types—including economy-wide versus sectoral goals and absolute versus relative targets—to provide guidance for UNFCCC Parties negotiating the 2015 climate agreement. It argues that to maximize transparency and accountability, countries should prioritize economy-wide goals, base-year or fixed-level targets, and multi-year timeframes over single-year or baseline-scenario goals.

The document provides recommendations for the 2007 Farm Bill to better integrate greenhouse gas mitigation into U.S. agricultural policy, specifically calling for the inclusion of nitrous oxide and methane reductions and the assessment of environmental tradeoffs in conservation programs.

The document asserts that a federal greenhouse gas emissions registry is essential for the success of U.S. climate policies, particularly cap-and-trade programs. It outlines specific design requirements, such as mandatory facility-level data collection, adherence to international standards, and public data availability. The brief notes that the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to require mandatory reporting across all sectors of the U.S. economy.