Social Impact
How climate change affects communities, migration, health, and social justice
These Countries Are Adopting Electric Vehicles the Fastest
Electric vehicle sales have been growing exponentially due to falling costs, improving technology and government support. Globally, 22% of passenger vehicles sold in 2024 were electric. Thatâs 8 times higher...
Development Banks Have a Bigger Role to Play in Protecting Nature
The destruction of the Amazon rainforest is one of the worldâs most pressing ecological crises. It is also an economic crisis. The Amazon is home to 40 million people, most...
Forests Can Be Assets or Liabilities. It Up to Us
The worldâs forests are premium assets. They generate priceless benefits â from capturing carbon and generating rain to supplying food, medicine, wood and countless other products.But neglected forests can quickly...
The Tropical Forests Forever Facility Could Finally Finance Nature Conservation. Will Funders Back It?
EspaĂąolAt the 1992 Rio Earth Summit in Brazil, the nations of the world agreed as part of the Forest Principles to provide financial resources for conservation efforts in developing countries...
How Multilevel Action Advances Colombia's Economic Transformation and Climate Goals
Cities are on the front line of climate impacts. They are home to most of the worldâs population and economic activity and generate the majority of global emissions. Yet theyâre...
Beyond the Headlines: COP30âs Outcomes and Disappointments
The 2025 UN climate talks wrapped on Saturday, Nov. 22 after negotiations pushed into overtime. The resulting decision secured some important wins, both inside and outside the negotiations. But it...
Why COP30 Was a Breakthrough for Cities
Cities and states have aimed higher and moved faster on climate action than national governments.The reason is simple: To local leaders, climate problems and solutions matter because their constituencies are...
The Global Benefits of Reducing Food Loss and Waste, and How to Do It
About 40% of all food produced globally by weight is wasted between farm and fork. That 40% could feed every food-insecure person three full meals a day, every day, for...
CJA Statement on COP30
Contact: [email protected] BelĂŠm do ParĂĄ, Brazil â In response to the closure of negotiations at COP30 in Brazil, Mar Zepeda Salazar, Legislative Director of Climate Justice Alliance, released the following...
South Africa Is Fighting Back Against Invasive Plants
Every spring, Johannesburgâs streets are transformed by a sea of purple as thousands of jacaranda trees burst into bloom. The lavender canopy is a defining feature of the city, as...
STATEMENT: COP30 Delivers on Forests and Finance, Underdelivers on Fossil Fuels
BelĂŠm, Brazil (November 22, 2025) â Today, negotiators concluded COP30 in BelĂŠm, Brazil. They reached agreement to triple adaptation finance and to hold a series of dialogues on trade within the...
Challenging Discriminatory Cultural Norms to Build Fair, Resilient Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa
Social norms and gender biases are widely recognized as major barriers to the social and economic empowerment of women, people with disabilities and other underrepresented groups, including limiting their participation...
The SPEED Act: Another Dirty Deal for the People
Nov. 20, 2025 â In response to todayâs markup of the SPEED Act by Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), Climate Justice Alliance Executive...
STATEMENT: Brazil and UK Announce Declaration to Improve Fertilizers for Food Security, Nature and Climate
BelĂŠm, Brazil (November 19, 2025) â At COP30, the governments of Brazil and the UK announced the BelĂŠm Declaration on Fertilisers, a ministerial call to action to improve the production...
Financing Adaptation: 11 Financial Instruments that Help Build Climate Resilience
Climate adaptation has emerged as a high-return investment opportunity. A recent WRI analysis found that adaptation and resilience investments can unlock broad economic, social and environmental benefits that go far...
5 Key Insights on the State of US Clean Energy Jobs
As a major source of new jobs, the clean energy industry represents an innovative and vital sector of the U.S. workforce. Workers with job titles like solar installer, energy storage...
RELEASE: Brazil Pledges 100% Sustainable Management of National Waters by 2030, Joins the Ocean Panel at COP30
Part of a global wave of commitments, Brazilâs announcement underscores the oceanâs critical role in tackling the climate crisisBelĂŠm, Brazil (November 18, 2025) â Today at COP30 in BelĂŠm, Brazil...
RELEASE: More Countries Include Ocean Action in Climate Plans â But Biggest Climate Opportunities Still Untapped, WRI Report Finds
The report comes as six countries join the Blue NDC Challenge at COP30 to accelerate ocean action in national climate commitments â including Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Indonesia, Portugal and SingaporeBelĂŠm,...
RELEASE: More Coastal and Island Countries Include Ocean Action in Climate Plans â But Biggest Climate Opportunities Still Untapped, WRI Report Warns
The report comes as six countries join the Blue NDC Challenge at COP30 to accelerate ocean action in national climate commitments â including Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Indonesia, Portugal and SingaporeBelĂŠm,...
Chinaâs Overseas Industrial Parks Provide a Path to Industrial Decarbonization
A decade ago, few would have imagined that state-of-the-art clean-energy technologies could be deployed in remote regions, like the Indonesia island of Sulawesi, which straddles the equator between the Indian...
Tripling the Adaptation Finance Goal Is Possible â Hereâs What It Takes
Accelerating adaptation finance is an increasingly urgent priority for global climate action, particularly for developing countries and communities facing the brunt of climate impacts. At this yearâs UN Climate Change...
How to Get Finance Flowing to Climate Adaptation
From floods and droughts to economic shocks and displacement, the costs of climate change are rising rapidly.Climate-related disasters caused an estimated $417 billion in economic losses in 2024 alone. Without...
Climate Justice Alliance Calls on Congress to Put People and Planet First as Shutdown Ends
As the US Congress returns to Washington, D.C. today to vote to end the government shut down, Climate Justice Alliance executive director, KD Chavez, issued the following statement: âAs this...
How US Auto Workers Can Thrive in the Transition to Battery Electric Vehicles
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are the future of the automotive industry, both globally and in the United States. Approximately 1.56 million electric vehicles (including BEVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles, with...
STATEMENT: IEA Releases Its World Energy Outlook 2025
Paris (November 12, 2025) â Today, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released its flagship World Energy Outlook report, projecting that global electricity demand will outpace previous growth expectations. This surge is...
STATEMENT: COP30 Elevates Major Efforts to Unite Local, Regional and National Governments on Climate Action
BelĂŠm, Brazil (November 12, 2025) â As part of the COP30 Action Agenda, Brazil announced a suite of efforts to accelerate climate action across all levels of government, from local...
STATEMENT: COP30 Action Agenda Accelerates Transition Across Major Sectors
BelĂŠm, Brazil (November 12, 2025) â The COP30 Presidency and High-Level Climate Champions released the COP30 Action Agenda, which unites commitments from civil society, businesses, investors, cities, states and countries...
Land Use Changed the Climate. Now Climateâs Changing the Land
Land-use change has long been recognized as a major contributor to global warming. Deforestation and agriculture alone account for nearly 25% of human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.One might think this...
Putting Nature on a Balance Sheet: What It Is and Why It Matters
We face a paradox: Nature underpins the global economy â providing clean air, water regulation, flood protection, and pollination â yet remains largely invisible in most economic and financial decisions....
STATEMENT: Mexico Announces Strong New Climate Commitment
MEXICO CITY (November 11, 2025) â Mexico has officially approved and presented its new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) at COP30. The plan marks a milestone in the countryâs climate policy,...
WRI Joins New Beat the Heat Initiative on Cooling Solutions for Cities, Launched at COP30
Today, WRI joined, as a partner, the Beat the Heat (MutirĂŁo contra o Calor Extremo) initiative, a new effort launched at COP30 led by the COP30 presidency and the UN...
RELEASE: New Coalition Launches at COP30 to Accelerate Clean Energy Growth in Latin America
Launched by the WRI Polsky Center for the Global Energy Transition and partners, the initiative will help companies scale clean energy solutions, decarbonize sectors and generate green jobs across the...
RELEASE: Global Leaders Unite to Put Jobs and Skills at the Center of the New Economy at COP30
BelĂŠm, Brazil (November 12, 2025) â Today at the COP30 UN climate conference, leaders from governments, businesses, civil society and philanthropy launched a new global effort that puts peopleâs jobs...
STATEMENT: Brazil Announces Pledge to Quadruple âSustainable Fuelsâ
BelĂŠm, Brazil (November 7, 2025) â At the COP30 Leadersâ Summit, Brazil announced the BelĂŠm 4X Pledge on Sustainable Fuels, a commitment to quadruple production and use of âsustainable fuelsâ...
STATEMENT: COP30 Leaders' Summit Concludes with Major Pledges for Climate, Nature and People
BelĂŠm, Brazil (November 7, 2025) â The COP30 Leadersâ Summit concluded today with major announcements and pledges from world leaders, as well as political calls to action ahead of the...
Advancing Local Climate Action for Ambitious NDCs 3.0
Nations around the world are ushering in a new decade of climate action through revised nationally determined contributions (NDCs), due this year. The urgency for climate action has never been...
STATEMENT: Brazil Rallies Global Action on Wildfire Resilience at COP30
BelĂŠm, Brazil (November 6, 2025) â Today at the COP30 Leadersâ Summit, Brazil and a group of countries committed to a voluntary Call to Action on Integrated Fire Management and...
STATEMENT: Countries Announce Pledges to Support Indigenous Peoples, Afro-Descendants, and Local Communitiesâ Land Rights and Finance
BelĂŠm, Brazil (November 6, 2025) â At the COP30 Leadersâ Summit, countries announced three global commitments that recognize and support the role of Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendants and local communities in...
5 Ways COP30 Can Make Progress Where Countriesâ Climate Plans Fall Short
Amid record heat and worsening climate impacts on peopleâs lives, 2025 is a turning point for global climate action, as countries renew their climate commitments â known as Nationally Determined...
STATEMENT: Brazil Launches Tropical Forests Forever Facility
Belem, Brazil (November 6, 2025) â Today, at the COP30 Leadersâ Summit in BelĂŠm, the Brazilian COP30 presidency formally launched the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), a mechanism to provide long-term,...
Worldâs Informal Housing Crisis Demands a Climate Response
When floods hit my hometown in Kenya last year, it was the poorest communities who suffered most. In Nairobi, where more than 3 million people live in vulnerable homes made...
Small Wind Can Bring Big Benefits to Communities in Need
Much of the conversation around wind power often focuses on large-scale utility wind farms that provide energy to power grids deployed across cities, regions and even countries. Yet, smaller wind...
How to Reach $300 Billion â and the Full $1.3 Trillion â Under the New Climate Finance Goal
Nations set a new climate finance goal last year, committing to deliver at least $300 billion annually for developing countriesâ climate action by 2035. Developed nations agreed to take the...
STATEMENT: EU Environment Ministers Back 2040 Emission Goal, but Plan To Reach It Remains Unclear
BRUSSELS (November 5, 2025) - Today, the EU Council reaffirmed the blocâs goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, compared to 1990 levels. While this underscores Europeâs long-term...
RELEASE: WRI, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Partners Strengthen City and State Climate Action in Brazil and Beyond
New commitments at the COP30 Local Leaders Forum aim to bridge local and national climate strategies and boost implementationRIO DE JANEIRO (November 5, 2025) â The COP30 Local Leaders Forum...
STATEMENT: Baku to BelĂŠm Roadmap Lays Out Pathway to Scale Climate Finance
BELĂM (November 5, 2025) âToday, the COP presidencies of Azerbaijan and Brazil published the Baku to BelĂŠm Roadmap to $1.3T. This report represents a key output agreed to at COP29,...
Building Better Climate Initiatives: 7 Essential Ingredients for Effective Intergovernmental Cooperation
The number of cooperative initiatives aimed at combating climate change has ballooned over the past decade. Since the Paris Agreement, governments have launched hundreds of pledges and coalitions to tackle...
Why Once-Scarce Water Is Coming Back in North Mecha, Ethiopia
Minzir, in northern Ethiopia, looks different than it used to. Three years ago, water was dwindling and the landscape was barren. Today, wells have refilled, springs have emerged, and the...