Insights: WRI's Blog

GDP is the total value of output produced by a country, and is commonly used to measure economic growth. However, GDP does not measure the level of social welfare, such as public health or education level. Considering the limitations of GDP in reflecting the relationship between economic activity and environmental conditions, the Natural Capital Accounting framework was developed to be able to measure assets, values, and changes in natural capital - including marine and coastal resources.

The realization of a sustainable ocean economy can yield great benefits. The WRI study shows that every dollar invested in increasing sustainable sea-based protein production generates a benefit of US$10.

The Eleventh Edition presents the Top 5 Places to Watch indicated to be illegal logging areas from 1 July to 30 September 2020.

The ban on single-use plastics is one of the most frequently used policy instruments in the world to limit its use. Several cities in Indonesia, including Jakarta, ban the use of single-use plastic bags. What should Indonesia do to achieve its single-use waste reduction target by January 1, 2030?

Low-carbon development paths can generate social and economic benefits, and lead to fairer and more inclusive futures for countries around the world.

The tropics lost 12.2 million hectares of tree cover in 2020. Of that, 4.2 million hectares, an area the size of the Netherlands.

Indonesia generates around 6.8 million tonnes of plastic waste per year, but much of it is not disposed of properly. But by 2040 it hopes to achieve zero plastic pollution through shifting to a circular economy. The informal waste sector gathers up around 1 million tonnes of plastic waste, most of which is recycled, but their contribution needs greater recognition. A collaboration between the Indonesia National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), Ocean Plastic Prevention Accelerator (OPPA) and UpLink hopes to address that and other issues around supply chains and technology.

The Food Estate program is one of the National Strategic Programs launched by the government in 2020. Although this program is intended to maintain national food security, a number of studies have assessed that the food estate approach is ineffective and would not touch the root of the problem. The food estate program in Central Kalimantan has been in the spotlight because it was developed on ex-peatland development (PLG) which failed under President Soeharto.

This is not the first time a food security approach has been implemented with a food estate approach. This program has been implemented repeatedly and failed because it cannot maximize land use and does not produce high yields.

A lot has happened since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015. Our Climate Watch interactive chart explores how the world's top emitters have changed in recent years.