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A statement from World Resources Institute President & CEO Ani Dasgupta evaluating the outcomes of COP26, noting that while 151 new national climate commitments were submitted, they are insufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C. The statement highlights progress on phasing down coal, doubling adaptation funding, and addressing loss and damage, while criticizing the failure of developed countries to meet the $100 billion annual finance goal and the decision to allow old emission credits in carbon markets.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute analyzes the alignment of G20 COVID-19 recovery spending with the Paris Agreement. It argues that G20 nations have largely ignored the climate crisis in their recovery packages, favoring carbon-intensive solutions over clean energy, and proposes a typology of five policy levers—monetary, financial/real-economy, fiscal, public finance, and information instruments—that governments can use to align finance flows with climate goals.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines the barriers preventing ride-hailing drivers in the United States, Europe, and Canada from switching to electric vehicles (EVs) and proposes strategies for governments and industry stakeholders to accelerate electrification.

A statement from the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) issued during COP26, reaffirming commitments to sustainably manage 100% of national waters and outlining key ocean-based climate actions to meet Paris Agreement goals.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute evaluates the progress of multilateral development banks (MDBs) in aligning their financial flows with the Paris Agreement. It argues that while some progress has been made in direct investments, MDBs are lagging in standardizing fossil fuel exclusions, greenhouse gas accounting, and the alignment of indirect investments and policy-based loans.

This document provides updates as of October 29, 2021, to the 2018 'Towards Paris Alignment' report, focusing on the climate tools and policies of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs). It details specific institutional approaches to carbon emissions mitigation, shadow carbon pricing, and climate finance targets, noting responses from the AfDB, WBG, IDB, and EBRD.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute argues that the first global stocktake under the Paris Agreement, initiated at COP26 and concluding in 2023, must integrate long-term low-greenhouse gas emission development strategies to accurately assess collective progress toward long-term climate goals.

This synthesis report from the World Resources Institute, based on six years of research and contributions from over 160 authors, argues that prioritizing equitable access to core urban services is essential for economic prosperity, environmental protection, and improved livelihoods. It proposes a shift in urban development metrics to focus on the quality, reliability, and affordability of essential services to address the needs of marginalized populations.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines how federal investment in three tree-based natural climate solutions—reforestation, agroforestry, and wildfire risk mitigation—can help the United States meet its 2030 emissions targets while driving economic growth and job creation.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines the investment gap for nature-based solutions (NBS) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). It proposes five strategies to leverage private capital—green bonds, land-based financing, blended loans, insurance policies, and endowments—and provides four recommendations to integrate NBS into infrastructure planning and financial models to ensure commercial viability and resilience.

This briefing describes the Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) strategy to integrate nature-based solutions (NBS) into infrastructure investments across Latin America and the Caribbean to address investment gaps in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement contributions.

This policy brief reviews 156 nature-based solution (NBS) projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting their potential to replace carbon-intensive infrastructure. While projects are present in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru—primarily in the water and sanitation sector—over half are still in the preparation stage and lack sufficient financing to scale.

This research paper examines how citizen science initiatives can be used to identify and address the sources of air pollution, drawing on a literature review of 33 case studies to develop a typology of initiatives and recommendations for future participatory science.

This report by the World Resources Institute outlines the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) and community lands in climate change mitigation. It argues that while community lands cover approximately half of the world's land and provide immense ecosystem services and carbon sequestration, they are often legally unrecognized and underfunded. The document provides evidence that secure land tenure leads to lower deforestation rates and proposes six strategic steps to better integrate community land management into global climate action.

The G20, responsible for 75% of global GHG emissions, currently has commitments that put the world on a trajectory for 2.4°C of warming. While announced but non-formalized pledges could lower this to 2.1°C, only a comprehensive shift where all G20 members align with 1.5°C pathways and mid-century net zero targets could limit warming to 1.7°C. The report identifies a 23 GtCO2e emissions gap for 2030 and warns that many net zero pledges are unrealistic without significantly stronger near-term (2030) targets. Achieving the 1.5°C goal will require G20 leadership, action from non-G20 countries, and the fulfillment of climate finance commitments to developing nations.

This research paper analyzes the first 29 long-term low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission development strategies (LTSs) submitted to the UNFCCC by June 2021. The authors identify common trends in midcentury targets, mitigation modeling, sectoral transitions, and governance frameworks, noting a significant shift toward net-zero goals and a broader focus on societal transformation beyond simple mitigation modeling.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) filed a Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, reporting total revenue of $233,076,503 and total expenses of $134,311,980. The organization focuses on global challenges including climate, energy, food, forests, water, ocean, and cities, operating through regional hubs and specialized centers of excellence.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) issued a statement welcoming the separation of the Climate Leadership Council (CLC) from Exxon and urging companies to align their political spending and lobbying with their public climate commitments.

As of August 2021, fewer than 1% of U.S. school buses are electric, with 95% still relying on diesel. Adoption is led by California and Montgomery County, Maryland, though deployment is heavily skewed toward suburban areas (64% of committed buses). While some electric buses are in highly vulnerable communities, this is largely due to targeted funding in California. Federal initiatives like the American Jobs Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework provide scaling opportunities, though the report warns that funding 'clean' fossil-fuel alternatives like natural gas hinders decarbonization goals.

This report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) analyzes the adoption of electric school buses (ESBs) in the United States as of March 31, 2022. It tracks 'committed' buses—those awarded funding, ordered, delivered, or in operation—highlighting a significant increase in commitments driven by large-scale contracts and specific funding sources like the Volkswagen Settlement. The report also examines the distribution of these buses across different demographics and pollution levels to assess the equity of the transition.