Publications
WRI is committed to producing high-quality research, including reports, working papers, issue briefs, and fact sheets. Our publications are subject to peer review, and are held to traditional "academic" standards of excellence, such as objectivity and rigor. We also ensure that all of our publications are timely, fit for audience, and rooted in a strategic plan for achieving positive change in the world.
All of our publications are available to download. You can download our material on our site here, or order hard copies of select WRI reports on our international website.
Featured Research
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Interpreting INDCs: Assessing Transparency of Post-2010 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Targets for 8 Top-emitting Economies
The transparency of INDCs—that is, the completeness and clarity with which the intended meaning of INDC content is presented—is critical to assessing both national and global ambition on reducing GHG emissions. In addition, transparency in the INDCs can promote trust and accountability among...
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Confronting the Urban Housing Crisis in the Global South: Adequate, Secure, and Affordable Housing
There is an acute lack of well-located urban housing that is adequate, secure and affordable. The global affordable housing gap is currently estimated at 330 million urban households and is forecast to grow by more than 30 percent to 440 million households, or 1.6 billion people, by 2025....
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: Tropical Forest Monitoring: Exploring the Gaps Between What is Required and What is Possible for REDD+ and Other Initiatives
by , , and -Never has there been so much demand for data and information about the world’s forests. Achieving international goals and national commitments related to forest conservation and management, climate change, and sustainable development requires credible, accurate, and reliable monitoring of...
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: Assessing the Timber Legality Strategy in Tackling Deforestation
by and -Illegal logging causes forest degradation and serves as a catalyst for deforestation. Tackling illegal logging is therefore a foundation for conserving forests and biodiversity, reducing emissions from the forest sector, and sustainably managing production forestry. The extent of corrupt and...
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: The Elusive Impact of the Deforestation-Free Supply Chain Movement
by and -Hundreds of companies with exposure to deforestation driven by palm oil, beef, soy, or wood production have committed to addressing deforestation. Many of these commitments have been made in the context of the Consumer Goods Forum Zero Net Deforestation Commitment, the Tropical Forest Alliance...
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: REDD+: Lessons from National and Subnational Implementation
by , , , , , , , and -REDD+—which stands for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries—debuted on the global stage more than a decade ago. The idea prompted high...
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Ending Tropical Deforestation: Mining Global Financial Data to Increase Transparency and Reduce Drivers of Deforestation
by , , and -The climate and forest community has not yet harnessed the full power of the information age to create transparency in the global commodities markets. There exists a wealth of global financial data that can reveal the financial drivers of deforestation. Using the power of big data, forest...
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Comparing Global and National Approaches to Estimating Deforestation Rates in REDD+ Countries
by , , , and -This working paper aims to bring greater clarity to nontechnical audiences such as climate policymakers by offering a systematic comparison among methods used and forest monitoring results generated by REDD+ countries and global forest monitoring initiatives. First, we review deforestation...
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The Scramble for Land Rights
by , , , , , , , and -Increasing global demand for natural resources is intensifying competition for land across the developing world, pushing companies onto territories that many Indigenous Peoples and rural communities have sustainably...
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The Business of Planting Trees: A Growing Investment Opportunity
by , , , and -In recent years, hundreds of companies have entered the restoration industry. They represent a wide range of business models that deliver financial returns for investors while restoring forests and agricultural lands. This report profiles 14 businesses that are part of an emerging restoration...
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Sustainable and Safe: A Vision and Guidance for Zero Road Deaths
by , , , , , , , , and -More than 1.25 million people are killed on roads each year, the majority in developing countries, making traffic fatalities the tenth leading cause of death worldwide. Children, elderly and poor people are particularly vulnerable. Are drivers and pedestrians always to blame? Research from WRI...
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How Can Indonesia Achieve Its Climate Change Mitigation Goal?
by , , , , , and -Indonesia is one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG). Currently, the land-use and energy sector contribute to 80 percent of GHG in Indonesia. The national government has committed to unconditionally reducing GHG emissions by 29 percent against a 2030 business-as-usual case...
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Powering Cities in the Global South:
by -Millions of residents in some of the fastest growing cities in the world don’t have access to clean, reliable energy, and the challenge of reaching them is not getting easier. In 2012, only 58 percent of the urban population had access to electricity in low-income countries, and nearly 500...
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A Tool for Designing a Policy Package to Achieve Indonesia’s Climate Targets
by and -Indonesia, one of the world’s major greenhouse gas emitters, has outlined a plan to unconditionally reduce its emissions by 29 percent relative to a business-as-usual case in 2030 and up to 41 percent conditioned on international assistance. Policymakers need to design supporting policy packages...
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Thirsting for Justice
by and -Industrial facilities release upwards of 400 million tons of toxic pollutants into the world’s waters each year. Yet secrecy around the amount and type of chemicals that companies discharge is still the norm, especially in Asia. Contaminated water threatens the region’s poorest communities—those...
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Confronting the Urban Housing Crisis in the Global South: Adequate, Secure, and Affordable Housing
by -There is an acute lack of well-located urban housing that is adequate, secure and affordable. The global affordable housing gap is currently estimated at 330 million urban households and is forecast to grow by more than 30 percent to 440 million households, or 1.6 billion people, by 2025....
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Logging, Mining, And Agricultural Concessions Data Transparency: A Survey Of 14 Forested Countries
by -Global demand for timber, agricultural commodities, and extractives is a significant driver of deforestation worldwide. The majority of the world’s forests are owned by governments, which often enter into contractual agreements with private companies or individuals for resource exploitation or...
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Translating Targets into Numbers: Quantifying the Greenhouse Gas Targets of the G20 Countries
by , and -Countries around the world have set greenhouse gas targets, but they have taken different forms, from reductions in historical emissions to reductions relative to projected business-as-usual scenarios or the emissions intensity of the economy. In many cases, countries have not explicitly stated...
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Towards a More Equal City
by -Cities are growing differently today than before. As much as 70 percent of people in emerging cities in Asia, Africa and Latin America is under-served. Furthermore, cities face challenges in four areas:
- Highest rates of urbanization are in sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast ...
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Restoration Opportunities Assessment Method Guide Book in Indonesian
by and -Now available in Indonesian, this guide book explains all ROAM components and guide as to how those components may be combined and sorted to cater to different needs in restoring forests and landscape.
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Climate Benefits, Tenure Costs
by -A new report offers evidence that the modest investments needed to secure land rights for indigenous communities will generate billions in returns—economically, socially and environmentally—for local communities and the world’s changing climate. The report, Climate Benefits, Tenure Costs: The...
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Indonesian Climate Policy and Data in CAIT Indonesia Climate Data Explorer (PINDAI)
by , , , and -The adoption of the Paris Agreement marks a critical turning point for global climate action. Submitted in advance of the agreement, Indonesia’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) outlined its transition to a low-carbon future, committing to an unconditional emissions reduction...
