RELEASE: P4G Awards $5.2 Million to 12 New Partnerships to Advance Innovative Climate Solutions
WRI’s Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals (P4G) initiative will provide grant funding and technical support to help the startups in these partnerships become investment-ready
WASHINGTON (October 3, 2024) — Today, Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) announced $5.2 million in grant funding and technical assistance for 12 new startup partnerships in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. This funding will help early-stage businesses become investment-ready, enabling them to scale climate solutions like EV charging infrastructure, biofuel production, water efficient irrigation systems and climate-smart agriculture.
By 2027, these partnerships aim to collectively leverage $14.5 million in investments, create over 1,400 new jobs, benefit about 316,000 people and reduce or avoid around 211,000 metric tons of carbon emissions.
“These partnerships showcase the incredible potential of early-stage startups,” said Robyn McGuckin, Executive Director, P4G. “With the right support and financing, these innovators can lead the way in driving climate-friendly business models, championing local solutions and inspiring others. At P4G, we believe that supporting these initiatives is not just good for the planet; it's also a smart economic strategy for a sustainable future.”
The green economy presents a $23 trillion opportunity in climate-smart investments across emerging markets. However, climate startups in low- to middle-income countries often struggle to secure funding, as they are typically too large for microcredit and local bank loans but too small and risky for international investors, all while facing regulatory challenges and high commercial uncertainty.
To help bridge this gap, P4G connects early-stage startups to nonprofit, administrative and ESG organizations to collaborate on advancing crucial climate mitigation and adaptation solutions. The 12 new P4G partnerships will focus their efforts on Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa and Vietnam.
One of these partnerships, Grekkon Limited and Access2innovation, will use their funds to improve water resilience for smallholder farmers in Kenya. Their products, which include high-quality boreholes and irrigation systems, will help Kenyan growers adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.
“Our goal is to boost agricultural productivity and resilience in these communities, reduce crop loss and improve water quality, security and economic stability,” said Wamae Mwangi, Director, Grekkon Limited. “With P4G's support, we can provide climate-smart solutions that are vital for farmers facing water scarcity and soil challenges.”
Additional partnerships receiving funding include:
- Irri Hub Ke and Impacc gGmBH – end-to-end solar-powered irrigation solutions for smallholder farmers in Kenya.
- Surplus Indonesia and Greeneration Foundation – a food rescue app that allows the food industry to sell overstocked and imperfect produce at discounted rates in Indonesia.
- STROOM and Greater Stellenbosch Trust – cargo e-bikes for last-mile deliveries in South Africa.
Startup partnerships also benefit from P4G’s National Platforms — multistakeholder government and industry coalitions of government and industry — that provide networking opportunities, facilitate policy dialogues and host workshops to help create more favorable market conditions for climate-focused businesses.
P4G received 89 applications for this round of funding. An Independent Grants Committee, comprising climate and impact investing experts, evaluated the shortlisted partnerships to select the final recipients.
Since its launch in 2018, P4G has evaluated over 1,000 applications and funded 103 partnerships that have leveraged nearly $100 million in investment, generating more than 1,000 jobs and preventing more than 10 million metric tons of carbon emissions. P4G partnerships focus on providing products and services in climate-smart agriculture, food loss and waste reduction, water resilience, zero-emission mobility, and renewable energy.
View the full list of the 12 partnerships and their solutions.
About P4G
P4G contributes to green and inclusive growth in low- and middle-income countries by helping early-stage businesses become investment ready and matching them with a supporting public-private National Platforms to enable country climate transitions in food, water and energy systems. P4G provides grants and technical assistance to startup partnerships; contributes to enabling systems improvements in partner countries through National Platforms; and shares learning on green entrepreneur ecosystems and solutions. Hosted by World Resources Institute and funded by Denmark, the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea, P4G implements in Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam. To learn more, visit www.p4gpartnerships.org.
About World Resources Institute
WRI is a trusted partner for change. Using research-based approaches, we work globally and in focus countries to meet people’s essential needs; to protect and restore nature; and to stabilize the climate and build resilient communities. We aim to fundamentally transform the way the world produces and uses food and energy and designs its cities to create a better future for all. Founded in 1982, WRI has nearly 2,000 staff around the world, with country offices in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States and regional offices in Africa and Europe. Learn more at WRI.org and on X @WorldResources.
Type Press Release Exclude From Blog Feed? 0STATEMENT: The EU Deforestation Regulation Should Not be Delayed
BRUSSELS (October 2, 2024) – Today, the European Commission proposed delaying the enforcement of its landmark EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by twelve months, pushing the deadline to December 30, 2025.
The law seeks to ban the import of seven commodities—coffee, cocoa, soy, beef, palm oil, rubber and wood—along with certain derived products linked to deforestation or forest degradation from entering or being traded in the European market.
Following is a statement by Stientje van Veldhoven, Vice-President and Regional Director for Europe of World Resources Institute:
“The European Commission's proposal to delay the enforcement of the EU Deforestation Regulation is disappointing. It sends the wrong signal to national governments, both within and outside the EU, as well as to business partners, suggesting that the creation of a deforestation-free commodity market can wait.
“Given that the EU’s imports of commodities account for 13-16% of global deforestation, despite representing only 7% of the world’s population, its environmental footprint and consumer influence are disproportionately large. The world’s forests cannot afford another year without stronger protection.
“While we recognize the challenges the regulation poses for some producing countries, particularly for smallholder farmers, the focus should have been on easing implementation and ensuring greater support for tropical-producing nations. Most disappointing is the push from EU countries to delay enforcement, despite having more technical and financial resources to establish supply chain monitoring and traceability.
“However, it is good to see that the proposal does not amend any substantive rules of the regulation. If this does not lead to further delays, we are still en route to a better protection of our global forests from harmful trade.”
Forests Europe Type Statement Exclude From Blog Feed? 0How Countries Can Use Behavior Change to Further Reduce Emissions
The fight against climate change may be missing a critical strategy: incorporating strategic policies that encourage people to integrate climate-friendly activities, like eating a plant-based diet or lessening reliance on gas-fueled cars, into their daily lives. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), adopting comprehensive behavior changes could cut climate-harming greenhouse gas emissions by 40% to 70% by 2050 compared to current national policies. Making sustainable living easy and affordable is essential for driving these reductions and securing our planet’s future.
New WRI research is the first to investigate the overlap between national climate commitments, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and more sustainable consumer behavior. It examines how — and whether — 19 of the world’s highest-emitting countries, plus the European Union, are using their NDCs to drive pro-climate behavior shifts.
Specifically, it focuses on nine high-impact behaviors, identified by Project Drawdown, a non-governmental organization that advances effective science-based climate solutions. The behaviors are aimed at significantly cutting harmful climate emissions in the energy, transport and food sectors by 2050 if widely adopted.
These behaviors, referred to as “Priority Practices,” include reducing air travel and promoting more sustainable local transport, such as using electric or hybrid vehicles, relying on mass transportation, or encouraging more active mobility like walking or biking. Additional practices include reducing food loss and waste and eating more plant-based foods. Other behaviors include adopting residential roofing solar for home energy needs, using clean cookstoves and switching to more energy-efficient appliances.
The results reveal progress but significant opportunities for action. Here are three key findings:
1) Many Critical Consumer Behaviors Are Not Included in National Climate PlansWhile some of the highest-emitting countries are using their national climate commitments to support sustainable living, there are critical gaps.
Of the nine behaviors we looked at in 19 high-emitting countries and the EU, most were not mentioned at all in their NDCs. However, we did find that a few were mentioned far more than others:
- Encouraging electric or hybrid vehicles (80% of countries).
- Promoting public transport use (75% of countries).
- Reducing household energy consumption through insulation or efficient appliances (60% of countries).
Countries like China, the United Kingdom and Japan are leading the way here. For instance, China's ambitious plan to promote electric vehicles includes substantial investments in charging infrastructure and incentives for consumers. The UK has set a target to end the sale of new gas and diesel cars by 2030, backed by significant investments in electric vehicle infrastructure.
This is a good start, but it’s also a missed opportunity for many of the top-emitting countries. For example, Russia and Iran do not mention any of these important shifts. We also find that the EU, Brazil, Australia, Japan and Thailand are at the bottom of the list, with the key behavior shifts appearing only once or twice in their national climate commitments.
Behavioral change policies can be an extremely powerful tool to make transformational shifts toward lowering greenhouse gas emissions, yet most countries are failing to use them. For example, shifting away from cars toward walking or biking is critical for a sustainable future, but only five of the world’s 20 highest emitters are using their NDCs to help catalyze this shift. This is a missed opportunity.
2) Impactful Sectors Like Air Travel and Food Are Often OverlookedOur analysis reveals a mismatch between the practices included in NDCs and their potential impact on emissions reduction. Specifically, food-related behaviors and reducing air travel — despite their high emissions reduction potential — are among the least-addressed in NDCs.
The potential of food-related behaviors is particularly striking. A 2018 study in Science found that moving to a plant-based diet could reduce food-related emissions by up to 73%. However, among the 20 national climate commitments we evaluated, only the UK explicitly mentions promoting sustainable diets.
Policies to reduce air travel, meanwhile, are absent from all the NDCs we analyzed. This is a missed opportunity since aviation accounts for about 2.5% of global carbon dioxide emissions and is one of the fastest-growing sources of emissions. Policy remedies do exist: While not part of France’s NDC, the country’s 2023 ban on short-haul flights where a rail alternative under two and a half hours exists is an example that others might follow.
3) Climate Plans Should Rely on More Tools to Drive Behavior ChangeTo encourage climate-friendly behavior changes, behavioral strategies (which we refer to as tools) are needed to help put policies into action. The IPCC identified eight behavior change tools, which WRI streamlined into three to better evaluate how behavior change policies are being implemented in NDCs.
These three tools are:
- Enhanced information, which helps people make sustainable choices by providing sustainability information in intuitive and accessible ways. For example, energy labels on appliances can act as shortcuts, guiding people toward more energy-efficient appliances.
- Incentives and disincentives, which include financial and non-monetary incentives that can motivate consumers to pick sustainable products or actions making those choices more attractive, fun or attainable. Disincentives, like congestion pricing, discourage behaviors by adding extra barriers.
- Improving the decision-making context, which involves changing the choice environment so that sustainable choices are easier or more appealing. It can include both “choice architecture” (how choices are presented, such as making plant-based options more eye-catching on a menu) and “choice infrastructure” (changes to the physical environment, such as building more protected bike lanes).
Each of these tools can be applied both at the downstream (individual consumer) level and at the upstream (policy or business) level. For example, while personalized information might involve giving individuals feedback on their energy consumption through smart meters (downstream), it could also include policies requiring carbon footprint labels on products (upstream).
Our analysis shows that NDCs are currently leaning on only one of the tools to move behaviors within a given sector. This, too, represents a missed opportunity.
For example, in the transport and mobility sector almost all NDCs promote behavior change by improving the decision-making context, such as by investing in EV charging infrastructure. This is a strong start, but efforts would be enhanced by also offering incentives like subsidies on e-bikes and electric vehicles as many U.S. city, state and federal policies have done. Or by integrating enhanced information into policies. For example, Australia’s NDCs provide details on their real-world emissions testing program that gives consumers clear cost insights on car emissions, making it easier for car buyers to choose a greener vehicle and save money in the long run.
In the energy sector, we find that almost all NDCs are leaning on enhanced information by providing personalized feedback on energy use. Again, this is a strong start, with evidence that such efforts can reduce household energy consumption. But there’s an opportunity to leverage a wider range of behavior change tools for greater impact. For instance, providing incentives and disincentives can also be impactful. The UK’s NDC discusses renewable heat incentive rewards for small-scale solar energy, while India’s direct benefit transfer scheme offers subsidies for cleaner fuel.
Harnessing Behavior Change OpportunitiesAt last year’s UN climate change summit (COP28), the first-ever Global Stocktake assessed the world’s progress toward limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F), helping to provide guidance for the next round of NDCs due in 2025. As the date approaches and countries update their national climate commitments, taking behavior into consideration will not just make countries´ NDCs more ambitious, but lead to more significant emissions reductions. Specifically, countries should do the following:
- Include detailed and well-funded policies that focus on country-specific demand-side emissions reductions to support pro-climate behavior change at scale.
- Consider overlooked impactful shifts — specifically dietary shifts, reducing air travel and reducing consumer food waste. There are models for countries to follow. For example, South Korea's pay-as-you-throw system helps reduce food waste by charging residents based on the amount of waste they generate and dispose of.
- Consider changing behavior using a variety of tools, and multiple tools used in conjunction. For instance, the Netherlands' approach to promoting cycling uses all three: providing clear signage and cycling maps (enhanced information), offering tax benefits for cycling to work (incentives) and investing in extensive cycling infrastructure (improving decision-making context).
Some countries are starting to weave behavior change into their NDCs, but there's plenty of room to improve. By tapping into diverse behavior change strategies and homing in on high-impact practices, nations can leverage NDCs to catalyze behavior change, unlocking greater climate ambition and results.
behavior-change-plant-based-groceries.jpg Climate Tracking Climate Action NDC climate change International Climate Action Type Finding Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects Authors Mindy Hernandez Sophie Attwood Alex SimpkinsSTATEMENT: UK Eliminates Coal from Power Generation
LONDON (October 1, 2024) – Today, the United Kingdom has officially closed its last coal-fired power plant, marking the end of coal use to generate electricity in the country. This closure comes a year earlier than initially anticipated. The UK had already dramatically reduced coal’s share of the power mix, from 39% in 2012 to just 2% in 2020.
The UK is among several countries that have rapidly reduced coal use in recent years, according to WRI analysis. Its pace of coal phase-out closely mirrors the reductions needed globally to keep the world aligned with 1.5 degrees of warming. It is estimated that the world will need to scale down coal power from 35.5% of electricity generation in 2023 to 4% by 2030.
Following is a statement from Jennifer Layke, Global Director, Energy, World Resources Institute:
“The UK spearheaded the coal-powered industrial revolution over 250 years ago and is now demonstrating the viability of a 21st-century clean power transformation.
“Currently, the UK is leading the way with impressive speed in phasing out coal power generation. Policies such as carbon pricing and renewable auctions helped bring scale to the renewable energy economy. Industrial coal use remains, but the country also set records last year with electrification via heat pumps in both industrial and home use, cutting the need for coal and fossil gas in heating. To continue progress, the government must now turn its sights to policies and timelines that transition British industry away from oil and fossil gas. Acting on recent discussions of increasing windfall taxation and reducing subsidies could accelerate investments in clean alternatives.
“Bringing affordable, reliable clean energy to all people is a goal all governments should deliver. The UK’s coal power phaseout sets a strong example for others and marks a significant step in eliminating coal use entirely.
“This latest announcement represents a major step by one of the world’s largest economies, illustrating that political will, coupled with a comprehensive strategy, can propel countries much closer to a zero-carbon future.”
International Climate Action United Kingdom Type Statement Exclude From Blog Feed? 05 Things Countries Can Do this Year to Stop Biodiversity Loss
Nature is disappearing at a terrifying rate. In 2023, the world lost 10 football (soccer) fields' worth of tropical forest per minute. Wildlife populations have shrunk by more than 70% over the last 50 years. Today, around 1 million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction, many within decades.
This loss affects every person on the planet.
On the frontlines are 1.6 billion people, many among the world's poorest, who depend on forests for their livelihoods. Billions more rely on the ocean and other natural ecosystems for food, jobs and resources. Around half of the world's GDP comes from industries that depend on nature.
At the same time, nature loss is both accelerating climate change and leaving communities more exposed to dangerous impacts like floods and drought.
In October, leaders from around the world will gather at the 16th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia to address these growing threats. The key question at COP16 is how countries will fulfill their pledge to protect at least 30% of the world's land and water and restore 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030, as they agreed in 2022 under the landmark Global Biodiversity Framework.
Countries are expected to submit new national biodiversity plans at COP16 detailing how they'll meet the Framework's goals. For these plans to succeed, they must chart a course that protects and restores nature while simultaneously strengthening economies and securing enough food, water and resources for all people to thrive.
Signs of Hope Amid an Escalating CrisisSome countries have made important strides on tackling deforestation and land degradation in recent years, demonstrating the power of strong political will and local action.
Brazil — home to over 60% of the Amazon Rainforest — reduced its forest loss by 36% in 2023 thanks to more robust forest protection measures and law enforcement under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Colombia slashed its primary forest loss by nearly 50% the same year. Over 30 African governments have committed to restoring 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, which thousands of local entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers are now working on.
These efforts often yield benefits for nature, people and the climate alike. Through the Great Blue Wall initiative, Seychelles and nine other African countries are working to conserve and restore coastal and marine ecosystems like mangroves, seagrass meadows and coral reefs. The initiative aims to create millions of "blue" jobs linked to the ocean economy and remove and store 100 million tons of carbon dioxide by 2030, alongside contributing to the world's nature and biodiversity goals.
But despite these encouraging examples, global trendlines are still headed in the wrong direction. WRI research estimates that by 2050, an area of land nearly twice the size of India will be converted to agriculture, while an area the size of the continental United States could be converted to meet increased demand for wood — squeezing out ecosystems that are essential for protecting biodiversity, storing carbon and sustaining livelihoods.
A flock of greater flamingos at the Ras Al Khor wetland reserve in Dubai. To protect global biodiversity, countries must do more to conserve and restore critical wildlife habitats. Photo by Aleksandra Tokarz/Alamy Stock Photo 5 Key Areas for Progress at COP16As countries grapple with competing demands for finite land and resources, COP16 provides an opportunity to deliver clearer plans for tackling these interconnected challenges together. Leaders should aim to drive progress in five key areas:
1) Deliver strong and equitable National Biodiversity PlansThis year marks the first biodiversity conference since countries adopted the Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15 in 2022, committing to "halt and reverse biodiversity loss" by conserving 30% of land and water and restoring 30% of all degraded ecosystems by 2030 (known as the "30x30" goals).
What Is COP16?
COP16 is the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. At each 'biodiversity COP,' countries that joined the treaty gather to advance solutions to protect the world's species and ecosystems. A separate Convention of the Parties is held to negotiate international action on climate change. Learn more about this year's 'climate COP' (COP29) here.
Countries are due to submit National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) by COP16 outlining how they'll contribute to these targets. So far, just 9 countries and the EU have done so.
By COP16, all countries need to step up and deliver clear, ambitious strategies. While each country's plan will be unique to its context, all should identify priority areas for protection and restoration in line with the 30x30 goals. They should also link national biodiversity efforts to city- and state-led ones; increase private sector collaboration; and tackle incentives and subsidies that drive short-term land and resource use. For these plans to work, policies to protect nature need to also help create new jobs and more inclusive local economies.
While every country must do more to protect nature and biodiversity, some will have an outsized impact on the world.
The Congo Basin, Amazon and Southeast Asia regions house 80% of the world's tropical forests and two-thirds of its terrestrial biodiversity. These forests are vital not just to nearby communities, but to people everywhere, from stabilizing the climate and regulating rainfall to supporting global food supplies. Countries in these areas especially need to demonstrate bold ambition, yet many are developing nations that will need support from wealthier countries to do so.
2) Mainstream nature in policies on food and waterThe global food system is the single biggest driver of biodiversity loss, with agricultural expansion rapidly devouring natural landscapes around the world.
As the global population grows, countries must work to increase food supplies without converting more forests or natural lands into farms. This will require greatly boosting yields on existing agricultural land, including through sustainable farming methods like crop rotation and agroforestry; reducing food loss and waste throughout the supply chain; and, in high-income countries, shifting from meat-heavy diets toward more plant-based foods.
In Malaysia, a large swath of tropical forest has been cleared for an oil palm plantation. Agriculture and food production is the biggest cause of global biodiversity loss. Aerial Imaging/Alamy Stock PhotoFood production also consumes most of the water that humans use. With one-quarter of the global population already facing extremely high water stress, countries must work to manage water more sustainably so that thirsty croplands don't exacerbate water shortages and put pressure on ecosystems.
Countries should link policies on nature protection to policies on food systems and water security in both their national biodiversity plans, due by COP16, and their national climate commitments (NDCs), due in early 2025.
For developing countries with growing food demands and agriculture-dependent economies, land protection must be politically and economically viable. Wealthy countries and development banks can commit finance and technical support to help these countries boost agricultural development in return for protecting their tropical forests and ecosystems.
3) Provide more finance and incentives to support nature and biodiversity goalsThere is currently a $700 billion gap between annual funding for nature and what's needed by 2030 to protect and restore ecosystems. Moreover, many of the world's most biodiverse ecosystems — and biggest carbon sinks — are in developing countries that cannot save them without far more financial support.
Under the Global Biodiversity Framework, countries committed to eliminate or repurpose $500 billion in subsidies that are harming nature, such as fossil fuel subsidies. They also promised to mobilize a collective $200 billion per year for conservation and restoration from both public and private sources. Of this, developed countries committed $20 billion per year for developing countries by 2025, rising to $30 billion by 2030. Fulfilling these commitments will be essential to driving progress on nature and biodiversity protection.
Bringing in more private sector finance will require incentives, which can come from policy and regulation as well as market-based strategies to make investments in nature more attractive. But this should not substitute for shifting harmful subsidies and delivering international public finance to the countries that need it most.
4) Recognize the land rights and the authority of Indigenous Peoples and other frontline communitiesIndigenous Peoples and local communities are essential environmental stewards: They manage about half the world's land, including 36% of its intact forests — areas critical to global biodiversity. Research by WRI and others shows that lands managed by Indigenous Peoples have lower deforestation rates and are some of the most important carbon storehouses on the planet. Yet few traditional lands are legally recognized as belonging to these communities.
Fishermen from the Wagenya tribe in a dugout canoe on the Congo River. Around the world, Indigenous groups are critical stewards of land and biodiversity, but their land rights are often not officially recognized or protected. Photo by imageBROKER.com GmbH & Co. KG/Alamy Stock PhotoThe Global Biodiversity Framework includes numerous calls to recognize Indigenous Peoples and local communities' rights. At COP16, the question will be how governments turn this language into policy. This can include securing land tenure for Indigenous Peoples and local communities; including their voices and traditional knowledge systems in policy decisions; and delivering more finance to empower communities as critical natural resource stewards, as promised at the 2021 UN climate conference (COP26).
It is also critical that countries take steps to address systemic violence and intimidation against frontline communities working to protect ecosystems. In 2023, 166 people were killed defending lands and the environment in Latin America alone — nearly half of them were Indigenous people.
5) Effectively measure and track progress toward global targetsMonitoring is fundamental to making progress on nature and biodiversity goals. Transparent, independent tracking allows civil society to hold governments and businesses accountable. It can also help government agencies, local communities and businesses understand what's working and what's not, allowing them to continually adapt and improve their land management approaches.
The Global Biodiversity Framework included a detailed monitoring framework for tracking progress toward its goals. At COP16, countries must decide how to operationalize the monitoring framework, including what indicators will be tracked and where the data will come from.
The negotiations will be complex, but adopting a few core principles for effective monitoring could help provide a path forward. Specifically, monitoring should be transparent, cost-effective at scale, flexible and open source. Independent monitoring, like what Global Forest Watch does for deforestation, can play a critical role alongside official government monitoring systems to ensure accountability.
The Path AheadThe biodiversity crisis didn't happen in a silo; its causes are inherently linked to the world's climate and development challenges. Its solutions are, too.
Policies to protect nature will only be successful if all people can access the food, water and other vital resources they need. Likewise, the world cannot halt climate change and protect people from its impacts without stopping deforestation and reviving critical ecosystems.
COP16 is just one stop on this journey. Over the next year, countries will have numerous opportunities to bring these issues together, including at the 2024 UN climate conference (COP29) in November and when they submit new national climate commitments in early 2025. At every juncture, leaders must seek a path that benefits people, nature and the climate — together.
amazon-brazil-reforestation.jpg Forests biodiversity COP16 deforestation Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities Type Commentary Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects Authors Crystal DavisRELEASE: Re-Ciclo Wins Grand Prize in 2023-2024 WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities
NEW YORK, NY (September 25, 2024) — World Resources Institute (WRI) is proud to announce that Re-Ciclo, an innovative waste recycling project from Fortaleza, Brazil, has been awarded the grand prize for the 2023-2024 WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities. The prestigious award, presented in New York City during Climate Week NYC, recognizes transformative urban projects that advance climate solutions and foster more sustainable and inclusive cities. Re-Ciclo was selected for its impactful approach to empowering and dignifying informal waste pickers, increasing recycling rates, and integrating sustainable transportation in Fortaleza.
Re-Ciclo was awarded the $250,000-grand prize by businessman and philanthropist Stephen M. Ross during a ceremony overlooking the East River in New York. “Recognizing successful urban initiatives and encouraging others to follow suit is essential for encouraging urban transformation,” said Ross, CEO of Related Ross, Founder of Related Companies and Chairman of the independent Prize Jury. “This cycle’s finalists demonstrate the leadership and innovation needed to guide the world toward a more sustainable future."
Led by the Fortaleza Science, Technology and Innovation Foundation (CITINOVA) and the city of Fortaleza, Re-Ciclo enhances recycling in a city that was struggling with poor solid waste management through door-to-door collection using specially designed electric cargo tricycles. The project transformed informal workers into city employees and established new infrastructure for waste collection and sorting. This has improved waste collection and notably increased social inclusion and economic opportunities for hundreds, while the use of electric vehicles supports the city’s sustainable transportation goals.
“Cities are engines of transformation, playing a crucial role in unlocking the innovation needed to build a resilient future for billions of people,” said Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO of WRI. “Re-Ciclo is a powerful example of how the most effective urban solutions tap into our creativity and resourcefulness to solve multiple problems at once. I believe this winning project will inspire others globally to develop replicable approaches that improve people’s lives while fueling the just economic transition we need.”
Luiz Alberto Saboia, President of CITINOVA noted: “This international recognition underscores the importance of Fortaleza’s public policies on sustainability and climate crisis mitigation. The Re-Ciclo project not only advances environmental education and boosts recycling rates but also enhances the dignity of waste pickers, thereby improving the overall quality of life in the city. Our goal is to extend Re-Ciclo to every neighborhood in Fortaleza and inspire other cities to adopt similar practices.”
“The Re-Ciclo team and all of the outstanding finalists show what’s possible when passionate people believe in their cause and sustain their mission, even against steep odds,” said Rogier van den Berg, Global Director of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. “They prove that transformative change is not just a distant dream but a tangible reality.”
The 2023-2024 cycle of the Prize attracted 200 applicants from 148 cities and 62 countries. It focused on the theme of “Accelerating Momentum for Climate-Ready Communities,” identifying initiatives that address the magnitude and urgency of the climate crisis by expanding the speed, scope or scale of action to create inclusive, climate-ready cities.
Four runners-up received $25,000 each:
- Rodrigo Bueno: Climate-Resilient Housing (Buenos Aires, Argentina): A collaborative project improving housing and integration of an informal neighborhood with enhanced energy efficiency and local entrepreneurship.
- Kham River Restoration Initiative (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, India): An ecological restoration project revitalizing the Kham river, creating public spaces and renewing cultural values around the ecosystem.
- Green Community Schoolyards (New York City, United States): A community co-developed project transforming asphalt schoolyards into green spaces to enhance flood resilience and community engagement.
- The Climate Budget (Oslo, Norway): A pioneering project integrating greenhouse gas emissions tracking and reduction into the municipal budget process.
Jen Shin, Global Lead for the WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities, said: “Re-Ciclo exemplifies a just, equitable and people-centered solution driving profound change. Even alongside other excellent projects, we were deeply impressed by its demonstrated impacts and its potential for replication in other cities. It stood out as a beacon of transformation this year.”
Re-Ciclo joins previous grand prize winners Todos al Parque (Barranquilla, Colombia); Sustainable Food Production for a Resilient Rosario (Rosario, Argentina); and School Area Road Safety and Improvements (SARSAI) (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania).
About World Resources Institute
WRI is a trusted partner for change. Using research-based approaches, we work globally and in focus countries to meet essential needs, protect and restore nature, stabilize the climate, and build resilient communities. Founded in 1982, WRI has over 2,000 staff worldwide, with country offices in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States, and regional offices in Africa and Europe. Learn more at WRI.org and on X @WorldResources.
About WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities is World Resources Institute’s program dedicated to shaping a future where cities work better for everyone. Together with partners around the world, we help create resilient, inclusive, low-carbon places that are better for people and the planet. Our network of more than 500 experts working from Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Netherlands, Mexico, Turkey and the United States combine research excellence with on-the-ground impact to make cities around the world better places to live. More information at wri.org/cities or on X @WRIRossCities.
Cities WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities Type Press Release Exclude From Blog Feed? 03 Businesses Transforming Food Waste into Profit
One-third of all food produced globally never gets eaten, whether it is lost along the supply chain or thrown away by households and businesses. Meanwhile, 1 in 10 people around the world don't get enough to eat.
It's a tragic irony with a devastating impact. People who could be fed are going hungry; food that could be saved is rotting in landfills releasing planet-warming emissions; and livelihoods and economies that could be thriving are taking financial losses to the tune of $1 trillion a year.
But what if food waste were seen as raw material?
Three startups working with WRI's Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) — an initiative that helps early-stage climate businesses become investment ready — have built successful business models based on tackling food loss and waste. They are proving that it's possible to turn inedible or surplus food into profit while simultaneously creating local jobs, reducing hunger and avoiding harmful emissions.
With more political and financial backing, models like these could be scaled to help tackle food waste and food security challenges around the globe.
Chanzi Turns Food Waste into Sustainable Feed and FertilizerIn 2019, Sune Mushendwa and Andrew Wallace joined forces to create Chanzi, a company that uses fly larvae to convert food waste into sustainable, affordable protein for animal feed and fertilizer.
It all starts with sourcing: Chanzi, which began in Tanzania and has since expanded, contracts with local waste management companies (such as Taka Taka Solutions in Kenya) and even started its own (Okota, in Tanzania) to ensure a steady, high-quality supply of organic waste. It also set up waste separation schemes in local markets to gather spoiled crops from vendors and smallholder farmers and sources waste from local companies, such as food processors and breweries.
People pick through large piles of produce at a market in Arusha, Tanzania. Chanzi has set up waste separation schemes at local markets to collect spoiled crops that would otherwise be destined for the landfill. Photo by robertharding/Alamy Stock PhotoThe collected waste is then fed to black soldier fly larvae on Chanzi's insect farms, which are harvested and processed into high-protein, low-carbon animal feed that can be fed to poultry and other animals, including fish and pigs. The feed is both cheaper for farmers and more sustainable than traditional options like soymeal and fishmeal, which contribute to deforestation and overfishing.
The only byproduct of this process is insect manure, a fertilizer that Chanzi distributes to smallholder farmers at a price point 80% below synthetic fertilizer to help increase their crop yields.
A key factor in Chanzi's ability to scale is its production model, which relies on a mix of automated and labor intensive-activities that is specifically tailor-made for the African context — both allowing for profitability and creating new jobs for people who need them.
"We're a fairly labor-intensive business, especially when it comes to collecting and sorting the waste. And that's employing people from marginalized communities, people involved in waste collection and management, and waste pickers." -Andrew Wallace, Co-founder, ChanziTo date, Chanzi has collected more than 10,000 tons of organic waste in Tanzania and Kenya, benefiting more than 6,000 farmers through fertilizer distribution and training. It has created about 800 jobs for local people through employment in its facilities and construction-related work, offering much-needed employment opportunities for youth and women. And Chanzi's work has prevented more than 250 metric tons of methane from being released into the atmosphere — equivalent to removing over 1,000 cars from the road for a year.
Chanzi's long term vision is to replicate its model across sub-Saharan Africa and help dozens of cities reach a point where they are sending zero organic waste to landfills.
EatCloud Helps Surplus Food Reach Those in NeedDonating unsold food from stores and restaurants to those in need is a powerful strategy to fight hunger and avoid waste; in the United States alone, restaurants produce more than 915,000 tons of food waste every year. But redistributing food effectively is a challenge. There are liability concerns from the food industry, existing food and tax policies that make donations challenging, and food banks have limited capacity to engage with restaurants and grocery stores.
Two people load donated food onto a truck for transport. Photo courtesy of EatCloudEatCloud, a Colombian-origin startup led by Jorge Correa, offers a digital platform to make donating food easier at scale. To automate the redistribution process (for which retailers pay a monthly fee), EatCloud uses artificial intelligence to connect the entire food ecosystem — supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, hotels, catering services and even farmers — with food bank networks and community nonprofits. Surplus food, still in good condition but which cannot be sold, is announced through the EatCloud app to local food banks or social organizations that can collect and deliver it to vulnerable people.
Since its launch in 2020, customer data analyzed by EatCloud shows that the company has redistributed more than 40,000 tons of unsold food in Colombia and Mexico, equivalent to 92 million meals. Keeping this food out of landfills has avoided more than 85,000 tons of carbon emissions, equivalent to about 10,000 U.S. homes' energy emissions for a year. Customers in the food industry have saved more than $39 million through logistics savings and tax benefits.
Stacks of surplus food donated through EatCloud's platform, which connects retailers with food banks and other organizations working to fight hunger. Photo courtesy of EatCloudThe company is also collaborating closely on zero-hunger efforts with city and national government agencies in Colombia and Mexico. It acts as a connector between food donors and recipients and helps governments track the impact of their food security and surplus management programs.
This year, EatCloud won the International Award for Best Practices in Sustainable Development, promoted by UN-Habitat and Dubai, and is a finalist in the Seoul Smart Cities Prize for its Zero Hunger alliance with the city of Medellin, Colombia. Looking ahead, the company is working to expand its operations to 10 countries and develop strategies to help local governments achieve their food security and waste reduction goals.
WasteX Uses Waste to Boost Farmers' YieldsAgricultural waste — byproducts like crop leaves and stalks and animal manure — can be a big challenge for farmers, leading to poor soil and water quality and increased carbon and methane emissions if left to break down. In countries around the world, many farmers burn agricultural waste leftover from the previous harvest to prepare their fields for the next planting season, which also worsens emissions and air quality.
WasteX helps farmers turn agricultural waste into biochar, a sustainable soil enhancer that can help reduce reliance on harmful chemical fertilizers. Photo courtesy of WasteXPawel Kuznicki, founder and CEO, launched WasteX in 2022 to help farmers in Southeast Asia convert their agricultural waste into higher-value products that also deliver a climate benefit. The company does this by offering farms and corn, rice and sawmills an end-to-end solution for turning waste into "biochar" — a charcoal-like substance that, when mixed with soil, can improve crop yields, increase soil water retention and improve fertilizer effectiveness. Biochar can replace a portion of the chemical fertilizers farmers traditionally use, which are highly carbon-intensive and can pollute waterways. It can also be added in small quantities to poultry feed to reduce pathogens and improve gut health.
Over a four-month product trial in Indonesia on 20 plots, WasteX found that adding biochar and reducing chemical fertilizer by 50% improved corn yields by as much as 95%, significantly increasing farmers' incomes. The company's proprietary technology also produces fewer emissions and is cheaper than similar technology from the U.S. or Europe.
"Lots of agricultural residue ends up being burned because farmers don't know they can create value out of their waste. We've found that farmers are keen to adopt new practices if they can see the benefits first-hand and appreciate someone supporting them with it." -Pawel Kuznicki, Founder & CEO, WasteXWasteX operates facilities at partner locations and provides equipment and training directly to farmers, primarily in Indonesia. The company is intentionally working with local women's farmer groups, teaching them how to apply biochar to chili, tomato and other crops and improve their yields. From January to September of 2024, WasteX transformed 38 tons of waste into 14 tons of biochar, avoiding almost 20 tons of carbon emissions. By 2025, the company aspires to remove more than 1,000 tons of carbon emissions annually.
Women farmers in East Java, Indonesia apply biochar to crop rows. Photo courtesy of WasteXWasteX has also been endorsed by Carbon Standards International, allowing its clients to generate carbon credits without going through the lengthy and costly certification process. WasteX can sell these carbon credits to international buyers and share the proceeds with farmers using its equipment.
To Succeed and Scale, Food Loss and Waste Solutions Need More FundingThese businesses are making a real impact: reducing food waste, cutting emissions, tackling hunger and supporting livelihoods around the world. In all three cases, significant financial support was critical to their success and scale-up: the three companies have received more than $7 million in commercial investments and grants combined, signaling a growing confidence in their business models.
But food waste solutions have not received the same level of buy-in on a broader scale. It would take around $48-$50 billion per year to address food loss and waste globally; today, relevant solutions receive only about $0.1 billion a year in climate-related finance. This is less than 1% of tracked investment in agriculture and food systems writ large, which are already severely underfunded.
Startups in low- and middle-income countries often face a host of challenges attracting the investment needed to launch and grow their businesses and make an impact. They may lack the expertise needed to prove and document their business's viability for investors, the funds to invest in impact monitoring and measurement, or knowledge about the local policy or regulatory environment. There is also a lack of access to good quality finance that is structured for startups working in low and middle-income countries.
WRI's P4G initiative helps address some of these challenges by providing grant funding and technical assistance to early-stage climate startups to help them become investment ready. Through this work, P4G has found that investing in businesses which tangibly improve lives and the environment can create a virtuous cycle: By supporting social, climate and environmental goals, businesses can garner political backing from local and national governments. This in turn allows them to contribute to policy interventions that improve the market environment — not just for themselves, but also for others in the sector. This increases the competitiveness of the entire sector while reducing perceived risks for investors and enabling finance for more startups.
Unlocking a Zero Food Loss and Waste FutureChanzi, EatCloud and WasteX are proof that food loss and waste reduction can be a viable, scalable business — and that food systems solutions are especially effective when they are rooted in the local context and can show tangible benefits to residents.
With the right policy environments and investors willing to broaden their risk appetite and portfolios, these kinds of solutions can help propel the world into a more food secure future.
WRI's P4G initiative connects investors with pipelines of investable locally led climate startups. Early-stage businesses can apply to P4G's open call for partnerships to receive support.
eatcloud-surplus-produce.jpg Business Business Food Loss and Waste food security agriculture Type Vignette Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects Authors Robyn McGuckin Sangeetha SarmaRELEASE: World Leaders Call for All Ocean States to Join New Alliance For 100% Sustainable Ocean Management
NEW YORK (September 25, 2024) — Today, at the United Nations (UN) in New York City, world leaders and representatives from the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) officially launched the ‘100% Alliance.’ This initiative calls on all coastal and ocean states to commit to the sustainable management of all ocean areas under national jurisdiction. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), the first country in the Middle East to commit, was welcomed as the Ocean Panel's newest member, now totaling 19 countries representing half of the world’s coastlines.
Led by the government of France in partnership with the Ocean Panel and coordinated by World Resources Institute (WRI), the 100% Alliance seeks ambitious global action in advance of the next UN Ocean Conference and beyond. By uniting around this shared goal and committing to 100% sustainable ocean management by 2030, countries will take a collective step forward in delivering the critical targets of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water).
The initiative comes at a vital time as the ocean — our planet’s largest ecosystem — is in a state of emergency due to climate change, pollution, and overfishing, along with the growing threat of sea-level rise, which endangers especially small island developing states (SIDS) and low-lying states. Despite these very real warnings, SDG14 remains the least-funded of all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
“In June 2025, France, together with Costa Rica, will be hosting the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice. We will need concrete solutions and commitments to enhance the power of our ocean to fight climate change” said President of France, Emmanuel Macron. “Multi-partnerships for the Ocean will serve as a testament to the collective strength achieved when we unite, mobilizing the necessary funding to support on-the-ground actions and drive progress for our ocean and our planet. To protect the ocean’s long-term health, all coastal and ocean states must commit to sustainable management. That's why France is happy to lead this campaign into the UN Ocean Conference in Nice in June 2025.”
The Ocean Panel also published its second progress report today, announcing advancements towards 100% sustainable ocean management, as well as its 2030 priority goals. Since the launch of its ‘Transformations’ agenda four years ago, nine member countries have achieved a key milestone by implementing Sustainable Ocean Plans (SOPs), while four others are finalizing their first plans. With 14 founding members committed to developing SOPs by 2025, and other countries within five years of joining, the Ocean Panel is currently on track to meet its targets.
The report analyzes 26 priority actions from the ‘Transformations’ agenda, showing that member countries are making steady progress towards their 2030 goals. It highlights successes and candidly addresses challenges in achieving 100% sustainable ocean management, along with solutions implemented by member countries.
“When the Ocean Panel declared its shared ambition to sustainably manage 100% of ocean areas within national jurisdictions, we knew the path would be challenging but right.” said Ocean Panel Co-chair and President of Palau, Surangel S. Whipps Jr. “This has been evident through our collaborations in the Pacific, with leaders committing to 100% effective sustainable ocean management of the Blue Pacific Continent. As we release this second progress report, it is clear that our hard work is beginning to pay off, paving the way for future generations.”
“The report shows clear progress. This gives me confidence and hope for the ocean's future.” said Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway and Ocean Panel Co-chair. “As we move toward 100% sustainable ocean management, we are not only proving it can be done but also demonstrating how to do it. The path to a sustainable ocean economy is not straight forward, but as a global community, we can and must work together to make our ocean sustainable”.
Ocean Panel members also welcomed the UAE as its newest member, making it the first Middle Eastern country to commit to 100% sustainable ocean management. The UAE, which holds the outgoing UNFCCC COP presidency, has been a longstanding advocate for SDG14, working to increase ocean knowledge, champion ocean sustainability, maintain its global leadership in marine protected areas, tackle ocean waste and pollution and preserve marine fisheries.
"The UAE is honored to join the Ocean Panel and work with like-minded partners to advance both the protection of nature and the sustainable development of ocean-dependent communities.” said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates. “With the recent increase in multilateral agreements in support of the ocean, including those agreed at COP28 in the UAE, we have a real opportunity to enhance policy, finance, and technology that preserves this vital resource for future generations."
“As the UAE's Sherpa to the Ocean Panel, I am privileged to contribute to a collective global effort that promotes sustainable ocean management. Joining as the first nation from the MENA region underscores our dedication to environmental leadership under the UAE Consensus," said Her Excellency Ms. Razan Al Mubarak, IUCN President and UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28. "Our upcoming roles as hosts for the IUCN World Conservation Congress in 2025 and the UN Water Conference in 2026 exemplify our active participation in shaping a sustainable future for our oceans.”
“It is with great enthusiasm I welcome the United Arab Emirates to the Ocean Panel at a time when momentum is growing toward 100% sustainable ocean management.” said President Whipps Jr. “We know we cannot achieve a sustainable ocean economy if some areas of the ocean are managed sustainably while other areas are left open to exploitation. This is another step toward our 100% goal and safeguarding the ocean for generations to come.”
“As the Ocean Panel continues to make progress toward a sustainable ocean economy, I am happy to see others take up this initiative for a more prosperous future for both people and planet.” said Prime Minister Støre. “I look forward to working with the United Arab Emirates, which has already shown strong commitment to the ocean, and to continue the work towards 100% sustainable ocean management.”
In their annual communiqué, the now 19 Ocean Panel leaders reaffirmed their commitment to their 2030 agenda by catalyzing finance, building capacity and knowledge, and working in partnership.” The communiqué sets out priorities leading up to the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, including mobilizing action on multilateral processes like the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) and the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing (PSMA).
About the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy
Co-chaired by Norway and Palau, the Ocean Panel includes Australia, Canada, Chile, Fiji, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Norway, Palau, Portugal, Seychelles, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and now the United Arab Emirates. Together, these 19 nations represent 50% of the world’s coastlines, 45% of global Exclusive Economic Zones, 21% of the world’s fisheries, 23% of the world’s shipping fleet. The Ocean Panel is supported by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean. Based on the shared understanding of the need to improve the state of the ocean, the countries in the Ocean Panel are committed to producing national sustainable ocean plans with the aim of sustainably managing 100% of the ocean area under national jurisdiction. Learn more about the Ocean Panel here and find additional information about the 100% Alliance here.
About World Resources Institute (WRI)
WRI serves as the Secretariat for the Ocean Panel. WRI is a trusted partner for change. Using research-based approaches, we work globally and in focus countries to meet people’s essential needs; to protect and restore nature; and to stabilize the climate and build resilient communities. We aim to fundamentally transform the way the world produces and uses food and energy and designs its cities to create a better future for all. Founded in 1982, WRI has nearly 2,000 staff around the world, with country offices in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States and regional offices in Africa and Europe. Learn more at WRI.org.
Ocean Type Press Release Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 ProjectsSTATEMENT: Tripling Renewables by 2030 is Within Reach
PARIS, FRANCE (September 24, 2024) – According to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), it is possible to triple renewable energy by 2030, fulfilling the pledge made by nearly 200 countries at COP28 just a year ago. The report points to favorable economics and policies paving a path forward but notes that significant investment is needed to expand grid infrastructure and that permitting processes require reform.
The report also notes that in the ‘COP28 Full Implementation Case,’ nearly three-quarters of the reduction in oil demand by 2030 comes from measures related to the doubling of energy efficiency. Energy efficiency measures are similarly responsible for half of the reduction in natural gas demand. Efficiency policies also limit the need for investment in additional infrastructure, such as electricity grids, and allow time for developing market rules, supply chains and the workforce skills necessary for the transition away from fossil fuels.
Following is a statement from Jennifer Layke, Global Director, Energy, World Resources Institute:
“Tripling the world’s renewable energy is entirely achievable with the right policies and investment. Modernizing electric grids and simplifying permitting should be on the top of every country’s policy agenda. No country will be able to meet its climate goals without these grid reforms.
“What remains sobering is that governments and investors continue to leave huge renewable energy opportunities unrealized in lower income countries. We cannot have a world where only wealthy countries build renewables and upgrade power sector infrastructure while others are left behind.
“We will only succeed in delivering an energy transition if the doubling of energy efficiency is as much a political priority as renewable energy deployment. Efficiency investments make economies more productive. Households and industries need the full range of benefits — resiliency, clean air, and economic benefits — that tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency can provide. Governments and the private sector alike need to do more to bring clean, efficient technologies and storage solutions to all people – not just those who can afford to move first.”
Clean Energy Type Statement Exclude From Blog Feed? 0How Local Banks Can Unlock Africa's Clean Energy Future
In Africa, renewable energy can offer tremendous benefits that go beyond replacing fossil fuels and reducing carbon emissions.
Consider agriculture: Sub-Saharan Africa holds a quarter of the world's arable land. Yet 37% of food produced there is lost after harvest, largely due to systemic issues like a lack of cold storage and poor transportation infrastructure, as well as hotter temperatures driven by climate change. This hurts farmers' incomes and contributes to the region's severe food shortages.
One company in Kenya is leveraging renewables to help stem these food losses. SokoFresh offers local farmers access to solar-powered, off-grid cold storage rooms to keep food fresh after it's harvested. So far, over 12,500 smallholder farmers have tapped into this service, reducing their post-harvest losses to near zero and growing their incomes by 20% on average as a result.
This is just one example of "Productive Use of Renewable Energy," or PURE — an innovative approach that aims to deploy renewable energy in rural communities where it can directly support their economic development. The goal is to spark a virtuous cycle, where access to renewable technology boosts local incomes and welfare while simultaneously spurring more demand for clean electricity.
But despite a huge potential market for PURE solutions, many have struggled to get off the ground. Development partners, such as international donors and development banks, have invested relatively little in PURE to date — meaning that most costs currently fall to end-users like equipment suppliers and smallholder farmers, who often can't afford the technology.
More investment and innovative financing mechanisms will be essential to unlocking the full potential of renewable energy in sub-Saharan Africa. Local commercial banks, largely untapped in this arena so far, could play a key role in kickstarting the PURE industry and scaling up clean energy throughout the region.
The Promise and Challenge of PUREThe market for PURE, particularly in agriculture, is vast.
In sub-Saharan Africa alone, the potential market for solar-powered irrigation, cooling and agricultural processing is estimated at US$11.3 billion. Solar water pumps, a market-ready PURE technology, could serve over 130 million smallholder farmers across West, Central and East Africa. In the realms of cold storage and solar irrigation, there is a potential customer base of approximately 7.4 million and 5.2 million smallholder farmers, respectively, in the region.
Farmers in Zimbabwe water their gardens using a solar-powered irrigation system. Boosting farm yields and improving farmers' incomes is just one example of how clean energy can support economic development in Africa. Photo by David Brazier/IWMIScaling PURE to these levels would have far-reaching benefits. One report estimated that, if solar water pumps were made affordable to smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, 7 million farmers could see agricultural yields increase by at least 30%. By replacing diesel water pumps, the region could avoid 197 million metric tonnes of CO2 emission, equivalent to taking over 46 million gas-powered cars off the road for one year. And farmers could save $50 billion in fuel costs.
The problem is that, since PURE operates at the appliance or equipment level, its growth depends on end-users being able to afford the technology. And most of them can't. Currently, 90% of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa who could benefit from solar water pumps cannot afford them due to high upfront costs or limited access to financing. As a result, only about 6% of the potential market for PURE is financially viable right now.
At the same time, PURE solutions — and clean energy solutions in Africa more broadly — have received little outside investment. Africa attracts less than 3% of all global energy spending; in 2022, the continent's energy sector received just under $30 billion in investment. By comparison, it's estimated that maximizing the deployment and use of PURE technology throughout rural sub-Saharan Africa would require about $120 billion per year over the next 10 years.
Local Banks Are Uniquely Positioned to Help Scale Up PUREPURE is a relatively new concept, especially for investors, and most finance to date has been on the supply side. Some banks have established renewable energy departments dedicated exclusively to financing manufacturers and distributors of renewable energy equipment. But lending to end-users of PURE technologies, especially smallholder farmers, is lagging.
Unlocking Private Capital to Finance the Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) SectorWRI's new working paper explores the critical role that local financial institutions can play in scaling up PURE solutions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Local commercial banks and microfinance institutions are well positioned to help fill this gap.
Local banks in sub-Saharan Africa hold billions of dollars in customer deposits and are already set up to provide loans directly to consumers. Rather than embedding PURE lending into their usual loan products, which some do now, banks could create customized options that are better tailored to PURE technologies and users, such as loans with flexible repayment periods, preferential interest rates and longer tenures. This would make repayment easier for users like smallholder farmers, who often see their incomes fluctuate due to varying crop yields and seasonal production cycles.
A family installs a solar-powered pump to access groundwater in Ethiopia. While renewable-powered technology offers myriad benefits to people in underserved communities, many cannot afford the upfront costs. Photo by Maheder Haileselaisse/IWMIWhile such loans can be riskier for local banks, many could tap into funding and guarantees provided by international development banks to help de-risk PURE lending, potentially unlocking immense amounts of capital. For example, Greenmax Capital Group (a firm focused on promoting clean energy solutions in emerging markets) launched a guarantee program for PURE loans that would cover up to 100% of a bank's losses if an individual customer defaults on repayment, up to a cap of 20% of the bank's total loan portfolio. A survey of 16 local banks in sub-Saharan Africa showed that this program could enable $954 million in loans for clean energy access and PURE over a 5-year period.
Banks can also build partnerships with companies that sell PURE equipment. Most PURE distributors are small businesses that struggle with limited working capital, making them unable or reluctant to offer consumer financing due to the risk of loss. However, only a handful of distributors have been able to outsource consumer financing to third-party banks or suppliers. Banks can forge win-win partnerships with technology distributors, helping to expand their consumer bases through new financing programs while increasing the banks' own access to project pipelines and gaining valuable market insights.
Finally, PURE offers an avenue for banks to meet their own green lending and sustainability targets. As banks increasingly recognize the risks that climate change poses to their bottom lines, many are taking steps to increase their green funding and reduce the emissions impacts of their financial portfolios. Scaling up PURE lending can help meet these targets, while also contributing to broader national and international climate goals.
But Banks Face Difficulties Financing PURE SolutionsOur research found that, while local banks in East Africa could play a critical role in kickstarting and scaling PURE, they face several unique barriers to doing so.
Local banks have limited staff capacity and may not be aware of the range of benefits and opportunities that PURE offers. Moreover, there is no standard taxonomy in East African local banks to categorize PURE as a distinct loan category. Instead, PURE loans are often bundled with other types of loans during credit assessments, disbursements and financial reporting, making it difficult to gauge supply and demand and get a clear understanding of the investment landscape.
Local banks face external challenges, too. Many PURE users — often individual farmers, small businesses or underserved communities — have low or no credit profiles, making it riskier to lend to them. Supply chain challenges, such as equipment installation, repair and maintenance, also compound the uncertainty of loan repayment and lead to higher credit risk.
Many local banks also lack funds for PURE lending in local currencies. Instead, they may receive funding from development banks for this purpose in hard currencies, such as the United States Dollar or Euro. Yet, banks collect repayments from small business owners and end-users in local currency, potentially causing debt obligations to balloon if the local currency depreciates or interest rates rise.
A nurse switches on the lights at a solar-powered healthcare center in Bitale Village in Tanzania. Productive uses of renewable energy extend beyond agriculture; for example, solar power can help rural healthcare facilities lower their electricity costs, increase their profits and expand their services. Photo by Jake Lyell/Alamy Stock Photo Ways to Unlock PURE Finance from Local BanksBanks can take proactive steps, both independently and with external partners, to overcome the barriers to financing PURE projects.
- Aggregating more PURE demand by consolidating loans through consortium lending and bundling products. For example, Sun King (a solar equipment distributor) and Citi established a Special Purpose Vehicle which bundled and sold customers' solar loans to commercial banks and Development Finance Institutions in six different countries, raising $130 million to support new off-grid solar lending in Kenya. This strategy can help lower transaction costs through economies of scale, mitigate credit risk, and develop bankable project pipelines by identifying demand hotspots.
- Conducting portfolio reviews to accurately categorize and classify green lending products. Establishing a distinct label for PURE-related projects will give banks a clearer picture of their PURE financing and help align these loans with their internal sustainable practices and banking goals.
- Implementing innovative collateralization to provide new avenues for securing loans. For example, PURE businesses have significant potential to generate revenue from the sale of carbon credits. By accepting carbon credits as collateral for loans, banks could help expand financing to more consumers.
- Tapping new funding sources. This can be achieved by partnering with other banks to expand PURE projects; raising funds from development partners and governments through "blended" finance mechanisms; and leveraging climate finance opportunities such as green bonds and climate funds. These steps will help enable banks to scale up their PURE lending and make it possible for more customers to afford PURE technologies.
- Collaborating with other stakeholders, including development partners and policymakers. Advocating for macro-level policy support, such as policies to facilitate foreign exchange, can assist banks in addressing country-specific challenges. Development partners, such as the World Bank or the International Financial Corporation (IFC), can play a role by scaling up their technical support to local banks and enhancing staff capacity to identify, appraise and monitor PURE financing opportunities.
Banks in Africa and other developing economies also need more external support at the global level. Developed nations must make good on their commitments to deliver affordable and accessible climate finance to developing nations. And development banks need to reassess their international finance to ensure it is inclusive and aligns with the specific needs of African countries and communities. For example, under the Green Climate Fund (which is the world's largest climate fund), not many PURE-related projects have been approved for financing in East Africa — despite eligibility and presence of accredited entities to channel the financing.
African Heads of State could, through the African Development Bank, collectively advocate for these kinds of finance reforms via platforms such as the UN's annual climate conferences (COPs).
Unleashing PURE's PotentialPURE presents an enormous opportunity to extend energy access and improve livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa — especially among rural and lower-income communities that lack electricity or the means to afford it. And local banks have a significant role to play. By gradually institutionalizing PURE lending, forming strategic partnerships, diversifying funding sources, advocating for supportive policies and more, local banks can help unlock PURE's transformative potential.
solar-system-setup-uganda.jpg Energy Africa Energy renewable energy Energy Access Type Finding Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects Authors Anderson Ngowa Xixi Chen Benson Ireri6 Graphics Explain South America’s Forest Fires
South America is ablaze, with record-breaking fires burning even in typically moist ecosystems like the Amazon rainforest. High temperatures and persistent drought fueled by the El Niño event that ended earlier this year — as well as longer-term changes driven by deforestation and climate change — have caused fires to spread across millions of hectares and several countries, threatening lives and property and creating dangerous levels of air pollution in cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Data on WRI’s Global Forest Watch platform shows that the number of fire alerts in the Amazon region are 79% higher than average for this time of year.
And while this year’s record-breaking fires are concerning, they’re also part of a worrying long-term trend. Analyzing data from 2001-2023, fires in the Amazon region are now burning at least twice as much forest today as they did 20 years ago.
A very strong El Niño event in 2015-2016 caused a large spike in fire-related loss in the Amazon. Similarly, a strong El Niño event began in 2023 and ended in May 2024. This graphic only reflects data through the end of 2023.Here, we look at the current situation and long-term trends in a few key South American countries, using fire data available on Global Forest Watch.
BoliviaBolivia is experiencing its worst fire season in over 20 years, prompting the government to declare a national emergency. Our data shows over 29,000 fire alerts in the country from the beginning of the year through Sept. 16, 2024, with 90% of them occurring since July 1st. Roughly 70% of the alerts are in primary forests, valuable ecosystems that maintain biodiversity, support livelihoods, and store and sequester carbon.
While 2024 is a record-breaking year for fires in Bolivia, forest fires are a worsening trend in the country: Data shows that fires are burning roughly 5 times as much forest today as they did 20 years ago.
BrazilBrazil, which contains about 60% of the Amazon rainforest, has seen more than 47,000 fire alerts so far this year — more than double the annual average for this time of year. Like Bolivia, almost all the fire alerts occurred in the last few months, many of them in Amazon.
Data from Mapbiomas, a Brazilian NGO, reports that fires have burned across more than 11 million hectares of land between January and August this year, an area roughly the size of Guatemala. According to their data, which stretches back to 1985, only one year — 1987 — had more burned area at this point in the year.
Increasing wildfire activity, along with high levels of deforestation, have already turned forests of the Brazilian Amazon into a net carbon source.
PeruPeru, which houses the second-largest area of Amazon rainforest in South America after Brazil, has seen more than 450 fire alerts so far in 2024 — more than double the average at this stage of the year. About 61% of the country’s fires are burning in primary forests.
Fighting Fires in a Warmer WorldFires like the ones we’re seeing today are part of a dangerous and largely human-driven feedback loop.
Unlike boreal forests, where fires are a natural part of the ecosystem, fires in humid tropical forests like the Amazon are very rare and almost entirely human-caused. Many of the fires in the Amazon are caused by deforestation, which often involves setting fires to clear land for ranches and farms.
Evidence suggests that deforestation itself is responsible for regional changes in weather patterns that have resulted in larger and more severe droughts that make forests more susceptible to fire. When conditions are hot and dry, as they are this year, fires can quickly spread out of control and burn large areas of forest.
Beyond these direct causes, climate change is also making forests more susceptible to fire by increasing temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns on a global scale. The 10 warmest years since 1985 occurred in the last decade, and 2024 is on track to surpass 2023 as the warmest year yet.
And as forests burn, they release large amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change and impacting air quality thousands of miles away. As forests regrow, they will recover some of the lost carbon, but it can take decades to recover what was lost in a single year.
As South American countries confront this year’s record-breaking fires and those to come, the focus must be on addressing both the direct and indirect drivers of forest fires.
forest-fires-bolivia-2024.jpg Forests Forests fires data visualization Type Finding Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects Authors James MacCarthy Sarah ParsonsAmidst Record-breaking Fires, Will Brazil Confront Its Climate Challenges?
Brazilians are currently living in a dystopian landscape.
Thick smoke, oppressive heat and eerily orange sunsets blanket both major cities and small villages. Hundreds of cities are exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution while thousands of hectares of forest burn. The jarring images send out a clear distress signal: Something is fundamentally amiss.
Everybody familiar with the scientific literature understands that climate change is accelerating, manifesting as heatwaves, severe droughts, more frequent floods and devastating fires, leading to urban calamities, biodiversity loss, economic impacts and health hazards. But this spate of fires is truly exceptional. Preliminary analyses by WRI’s Global Forest Watch initiative, which monitors tree cover loss in near-real time through satellite images, show that the current fires season in Brazil is the worst in at least a decade, with more than 47,000 high-confidence fire alerts from the beginning of the year through Sept. 16, 2024. MapBiomas data shows an 85% increase in area affected by fires, compared to the average since 2019.
Conversely, the country is also experiencing bouts of more intense rainfall, with the recent floods in Rio Grande do Sul serving as a distressing example of this trend.
Persistent heat and shifting rainfall patterns, turbocharged by climate change, are normalizing what once were record-breaking fires, floods and landslides in Brazil. The question now is: Will they prompt action?
Brazil Engulfed in FlamesAccording to Carlos Nobre, a renowned climatologist and leading scientist in Brazil, we are living in a scenario of dread. The nation is currently witnessing the cumulative effects of accelerated climate change, rampant arson and the persistence of an agricultural development model. Unlike other countries, where fires are a natural part of the forest ecosystem, almost all fires in the Amazon and Pantanal regions of Brazil are human-caused. Amid weak regulatory oversight, some rural producers persist in using deforestation and fire to clear land for farms and ranches.
That, plus the hot and dry conditions caused by climate change, are causing fires to rage out of control.
Brazil is currently enduring its longest drought in 70 years, impacting at least 1,400 cities and over 80% of Brazil’s territory . The situation is starkly highlighted by the Madeira River, a major tributary of the Amazon River, which has recorded a water level of just 41 centimeters at the station in Porto Velho, Rondônia — the lowest since 1967, per the Geological Survey of Brazil.
More than 5,000 fires were reported in a single day. The largest city in South America, São Paulo, registered the worst air quality in the world. Brasilia has seen hundreds of people hospitalized with respiratory problems. And since smoke knows no borders, the fires in Brazil have precipitated cross-border environmental issues, affecting neighboring countries like Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia. Each of these nations is grappling with their own fire outbreaks.
Agribusiness is also suffering. In the state of São Paulo, fire-related damages to the sector are estimated at R$2 billion ($366 million), as reported by the Department of Agriculture and Supply.
And these most recent fires come on top of longer-term environmental threats facing all of Brazil’s major ecosystems. The Cerrado tropical savanna, pressured by agricultural production, is witnessing threats to its biodiversity and the water quality of eight of the 12 major Brazilian river basins that traverse the region. The Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland and largest flooded grasslands, faces dangerously low water levels and potentially the worst drought in its history. Meanwhile, the Amazon, vital for regulating the country’s rainfall, is at risk of irreversible collapse by 2050, according to a recent study published in Nature. This is despite a significant reduction in deforestation rates in the last year.
Brazil Shows Mixed Signals on Environmental LeadershipAs Brazil prepares to host the UN Climate Conference (COP 30) in Belém, Pará at the end of 2025, the nation is positioning itself to be a front-runner on the global environmental stage. However, the widespread wildfires cloud the political and diplomatic aspirations of President Lula, who faces scrutiny over the alignment between his rhetoric and his practical agenda for climate action.
This federal administration has made noticeable progress compared to the era of former President Jair Bolsonaro, marked by a significant shift in narrative — from climate denialism to a discourse that values scientific input — and an increase in funding. A prime example is an annual R$63.5 million devoted to fire control and prevention, a 26.2% increase compared to 2022, the last year of Bolsonaro’s term.
Nonetheless, the country has recently sent mixed signals in how it will approach climate and environmental action.
For example, while the federal government recently announced the formation of the Autoridade Climática, or National Climate Authority, the move comes more than a year after the initiative was promised, and its remit remains unclear. Some environmental advocates believe the government should strengthen existing agencies such as the Brazilian Institute of Space Research (INPE), the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), suggesting that enhancing their infrastructure and budgets would more effectively meet current environmental challenges.
Amidst severe drought, heat and rampant forest fires, President Lula led his ministers to the most affected areas, demanding decisive action. Yet the government has delayed its timeline for releasing a Supreme Court-mandated plan to prevent and combat fires in the Pantanal and Amazon. Although the court’s order was issued in March, it wasn’t until August that Brazil’s Federal Attorney General’s Office sought an extension to finalize this plan.
Another move that’s drawn criticism is the plan to expand oil exploration in Brazil, particularly along the equatorial margin, located only 500 kilometers from the mouth of the Amazon River. This comes at a time when there is a pressing need for decarbonization policies. Similarly, a plan to pave a segment of the BR-319 highway through the heart of the Amazon, connecting Manaus to Porto Velho, is raising alarms. This development could potentially trigger a surge in deforestation and, as a result, an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, running counter to the government’s stated objective of assuming a global leadership role in addressing the climate crisis.
State and municipal governments in Brazil have also faced criticism. Recently, they have been navigating a precarious balance between unfulfilled promises and reactive measures. The challenge of coordinating and implementing enduring public policies to combat climate change has become more pronounced over the past decade, exacerbated by increasing political polarization and the persistence of traditional agendas in the National Congress. These agendas favor economic systems that are reluctant to adapt to a low-carbon economy and a world urgently requiring a just and rapid transition.
A constructive approach to political coordination in Brazil could involve establishing a comprehensive climate information and data system that integrates federal and subnational networks. Legal safeguards could also be implemented to protect climate services from budgetary reallocations in the Federal Budget Guidelines Act.
Balancing Development with DecarbonizationThe task of harmonizing decarbonization with economic development is paramount and increasingly spotlighted in global economic forums, including this year’s G20 summit hosted by Brazil and the upcoming UN climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. Brazil has an opportunity to show the world what a low-carbon development model can look like — but only if it takes strong climate action both domestically and internationally.
Brazil is currently developing its new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which delineates its greenhouse gas emissions-reduction targets. Brazil has the opportunity to become a global leader by adopting ambitious emissions-reduction targets for 2030 and 2035 that would keep it on track for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. But the country must ensure its actions consistently reflect its environmental rhetoric to truly advance towards this new paradigm. Recent weeks have shown a lag in timely and effective measures to address the forest fires and climate crises, highlighting a gap between policy and practice.
Moreover, it is crucial for Brazil to incorporate adaptation as a fundamental aspect of its economic and social development strategies to enhance national resilience against the impacts of climate change. Effective multi-level governance is essential to respond to escalating challenges, alongside a commitment to funding these initiatives.
In a world that increasingly appears out of balance, now is the opportune moment for Brazil to seek consensus and hasten its efforts to adapt to this new era of extremes.
Brazil-forest-fires.jpg Forests Forests fires Type Commentary Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Authors Fabio Schivartche Karen Silverwood-CopeCities Will Suffer Health and Infrastructure Crisis Under 3° C vs. 1.5° C Warming, With Low-income Cities Worst Impacted
With over two-thirds of the world’s population expected to live in cities by 2050, new global data on the 1,000 largest cities provides a granular view into potential climate futures — highlighting growing hazards and the urgent need for climate adaptation investment
WASHINGTON (September 19, 2024) — Under the world’s current trajectory of 3 degrees C (5.4 degrees F) of warming from pre-industrial averages, cities across the globe may endure far more frequent and longer heat waves, skyrocketing demand for cooling, and more widespread disease risk, compared to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F), according to new analysis from World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. Low-income cities and cities in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia are likely to be hardest hit.
WRI analyzed climate hazards for 996 of the world’s largest cities — home to 2.1 billion people (26% of the global population) — using estimates based on downscaled global climate models. The modeling and analysis show a sizable difference between 1.5 degrees C and 3 degrees C for urban areas, underscoring the need for city and national governments to inform their investments and policies with city-level data. This new statistical modeling method can make it easier to predict city-scale impacts from global data and points to the urgency for even more granular modeling work to enable cities to prepare for the worst effects of climate change and rally to reduce emissions faster. This work was supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
“The difference between 1.5 degrees C and 3 degrees C has life or death consequences for billions of people worldwide,” said Rogier van den Berg, Global Director, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. “This data should serve as a wakeup call to every city and national government leader: now is the time to start preparing cities for a much hotter world, while doing everything we can to slash emissions.”
At 3 degrees C, most cities can expect both longer and more frequent heat waves compared to 1.5 degrees C, with impacts on public health, labor capacity and productivity. In a 1.5 degrees C world, the longest heat wave each year may last an average of 16.3 days, with 3% of the world’s largest cities experiencing heat waves lasting one month or longer annually. However, under 3 degrees C of warming, the average duration of the longest heat wave could jump to 24.5 days, with more than 16% of cities — home to 302 million people today — exposed to at least one heat wave lasting a month or longer every year.
Heat waves may also become more frequent. At 1.5 degrees C of temperature rise, the average city may experience 4.9 heat waves per year. At 3 degrees C of warming, the number rises to 6.4 heat waves per year, with an increasing number of cities facing heat waves in the double digits.
Grappling with extreme heat will significantly raise the demand for cooling — and consequently, for energy. At 1.5 degrees C, about 8.7 million people across a handful of cities could face a 100% increase in their cooling demand (compared to 1995-2014 averages). With 3 degrees C of warming, that number rises to 194 million people in cities potentially seeing their cooling demand double from historic levels. That has huge implications for energy infrastructure and access.
In terms of the spread of disease, higher temperatures create more optimal environments for mosquitos that carry arboviruses, such as dengue, Zika, West Nile, yellow fever and chikungunya in new places. Comparing 1.5 degrees C and 3 degrees C of warming, the world’s largest cities could see on average 6 more days of peak arbovirus-transmission days every year. But results vary considerably by location. Brazil is already experiencing a dengue crisis, and at 3 degrees C of warming, 11 of its largest cities could see high arbovirus risk for at least six months of the year.
For malaria, the rise in global temperatures from 1.5 degrees C to 3 degrees C may reduce the number of peak malaria days globally from an average of 114 to 104.4 days in cities, as temperatures become warmer than what is optimal for malaria-transmitting mosquitos. But cities in more temperate regions like Europe and North America could also see their malaria risks increase.
These findings bear immense consequences for people’s lives, cities’ economies, and infrastructure and public health systems. This is especially important as cities are home to more than half the world’s population — 4.4 billion people — and are expected to grow rapidly over the next two decades. By 2050, two-thirds of the global population will live in cities, with another 2.5 billion people moving to urban areas. Over 90% of urban growth will be in lower-income countries in Africa and Asia.
“Climate change has profoundly unequal impacts both across cities and within cities,” said Anjali Mahendra, Director of Global Research, WRI Ross Center. “Cities in low-income countries are often more afflicted and have fewer resources to cope, which means we need to drastically increase financing for adaptation and find ways to direct it to the hardest hit cities and communities. Even within a well-resourced city, the most vulnerable populations will be disproportionately affected."
Sub-Saharan African cities may endure multiple severe climate impacts, potentially simultaneously. Comparing impacts at 1.5 degrees C vs. 3 degrees C of warming, the region ranks first on average for the largest estimated increase in heat wave frequency (up 56%, to 6.5 occurrences per year) and peak arbovirus days (25 additional days, totaling 129 annually). It also sees the third largest estimated increase in duration of heat waves (up 58%, to 20 days) and the second biggest estimated increase in energy demand for cooling (an additional 208 cooling degree days).
Latin American cities rank second on average for the greatest estimated increase in heat wave frequency (up 48%, to 7.5 occurrences annually) and have the second-highest estimated increase in the number of days optimal for arboviruses at 3 degrees C (13 additional days, to 91 days annually) compared to 1.5 degrees C.
In Southeast Asia, Indonesian cities face some of the highest compounding risks from both hotter temperatures and greater disease. Three of the four cities in the world with the greatest estimated increase in peak arbovirus days from 1.5 degrees C to 3 degrees C of warming are in Indonesia: Yogyakarta (273 day increase), Jember (151 day increase) and Padang (148 day increase).
“Better data is the key to sound decision-making, especially during this era of accelerating climate impacts and urgent need for make-or-break action,” said Eric Mackres, Senior Manager, Data and Tools, WRI Ross Center. “It is our hope that city leaders will use these hazard projections to inform decisions and investments that will protect residents against the climate impacts they will face if we fail to change our current emissions path.”
The new research builds on analysis released at the COP28 Local Climate Action Summit, hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the COP28 Presidency with support from WRI. The Summit marked a historic moment to formally recognize the pivotal role city and other local leaders play in climate action. The Summit produced the Coalition for High Ambition Multi-level Partnerships, an initiative endorsed by over 70 national governments to drive a new approach to updating Nationally Determined Contributions by harvesting the best ideas for climate action from the local level, with the goal of ensuring the next round of national climate targets are as ambitious and inclusive as possible.
"This research makes it clear that we can't afford to delay action on climate change any longer as dire consequences await cities in a 3 degrees C world," said Antha Williams, who leads the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Environment program. "For over a decade, we've helped support mayors' forward thinking and bold leadership in the fight against climate change. Now it's more important than ever for national and local governments to come together to accelerate progress and protect the millions of lives in urban communities from the threatening impacts of climate change."
National and local governments must work urgently to improve collaboration, increase financing for adaptation, double down on policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and use a data-driven approach to prioritize the most likely and urgent risks.
About World Resources Institute
WRI is a trusted partner for change. Using research-based approaches, we work globally and in focus countries to meet people’s essential needs; to protect and restore nature; and to stabilize the climate and build resilient communities. We aim to fundamentally transform the way the world produces and uses food and energy and designs its cities to create a better future for all. Founded in 1982, WRI has nearly 2,000 staff around the world, with country offices in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States and regional offices in Africa and Europe. Learn more at WRI.org and on X @WorldResources.
About WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities is World Resources Institute’s program dedicated to shaping a future where cities work better for everyone. It enables more connected, compact and coordinated cities. The Center expands the transport and urban development expertise of the EMBARQ network to catalyze innovative solutions in other sectors, including air quality, water, buildings, land use and energy. It combines the research excellence of WRI with two decades of on-the-ground impact through a network of more than 370 experts working from Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Turkey and the United States to make cities around the world better places to live. More information at www.wrirosscities.org.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our
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What Would Cities Look Like With 3 Degrees C of Warming vs. 1.5? Far More Hazardous and Vastly Unequal
The world recently experienced a 13-month streak of record-breaking global temperatures. And as blistering heat waves punish communities across several continents, 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record. Global average temperatures are now perilously close to exceeding 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) above pre-industrial levels, a threshold scientists warn will bring increasingly dangerous droughts, wildfires and other impacts of climate change. Researchers project nearly 3 degrees C (5.4 degrees F) of temperature rise by 2100 without significant action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
That means almost 600 million people will be exposed to flooding from rising seas, food production will drop by as much as half and habitats will suffer disastrous levels of loss. But what will 3 degrees C of warming vs. 1.5 degrees C look like in specific places — like Bengaluru, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro or the city you live in?
New data from WRI finds that in most cities, the difference between 3 degrees C and 1.5 degrees C of warming is sizable. We analyzed potential climate hazards for nearly 1,000 of the world’s largest cities1 — currently home to 2.1 billion people, or 26% of the global population — using estimates based on downscaled global climate models. At 3 degrees C of warming, many cities could face month-long heat waves, skyrocketing energy demand for air conditioning, as well as a shifting risk for insect-borne diseases — sometimes simultaneously. People in low-income cities are likely to be the hardest hit.
These findings hold immense consequences for people’s lives and livelihoods, as well as for cities’ economies, infrastructure and public health systems. The implications are especially important as cities are home to 4.4 billion people globally — more than half the world’s population — and will grow rapidly over the next two decades. By 2050, as another 2.5 billion people move to urban areas, two-thirds of humanity will live in cities, with over 90% of that growth in Africa and Asia.
About this data
Global climate models often don’t produce data granular enough to be usable at a local level. For this article, we produced a global data set that includes data on 14 heat- and precipitation-related climate hazards for the 996 cities with populations greater than 500,000 people using a new statistical modeling method (designed by WRI) that makes it easier to project city-scale impacts from global climate models.
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Global climate models often don’t produce data granular enough to be usable at a local level. For this article, we produced a global data set that includes data on 14 heat- and precipitation-related climate hazards for the 996 cities with populations greater than 500,000 people using a new statistical modeling method (designed by WRI) that makes it easier to project city-scale impacts from global climate models.
In consultation with city-level decision-makers from cities we work with, we chose these hazards for their relevance to public health, livelihoods, infrastructure and economic productivity. Average hazard magnitudes were calculated based on three climate models for each city (chosen based on best fit with historical data) for three global warming scenarios (1.5 degrees C, 2 degrees C and 3 degrees C), plus a recent historical reference period (1995-2014). For the sake of brevity, in this article we describe findings for the 1.5 and 3 degree C scenarios from only some of the hazard indicators, and we only report estimates from the best of the three models per city (based on historical correlation). Data from all three models are in the accompanying dataset.
Our data are all based on models. And like all models, there are limitations and unavoidable uncertainty. Here are some of the important limitations to our data:
Inherent uncertainty in climate models. Climate models are built on the research community’s most current understanding of how the climate works and will evolve, but they are far from perfect. The complexity of Earth’s systems and our inability to predict important factors like future greenhouse gas emissions mean that all climate models contain unavoidable uncertainty. The data we provide are estimates based on probability models, not definitive predictions. The full dataset includes estimates and uncertainty measures for three independent climate models used for each indicator, for each city.
Spatial resolution. Our data and the models we use have the same spatial resolution: approximately 25 km by 25 km pixels. While an improvement over earlier work, the resolution is still coarser than is ideal for urban climate planning. The estimates we provide are averages over areas more than 600 square kilometers. Therefore, our data likely underestimate extremes that might arise from more granular built environment differences: Very hot locations (locations that are warmer than average within their grid cells) will appear cooler, and cool locations will appear warmer.
Urban heat island effect. Because of pavement, building materials and relative lack of vegetation, cities tend to be warmer than rural areas. This is the urban heat island effect, and although we do include a bias correction step to partially mitigate the problem, the climate models do not account for it. Many locations in cities are therefore likely to be even warmer than is reflected in our data. Estimates of future heat wave frequency and duration and number of extreme-temperature days are likely to be low.
Simplified disease-risk hazards. We based our peak arbovirus and malaria transmission hazards on comparing estimated temperatures with published optimal temperature ranges for particular mosquito species (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus for arboviruses, and Anopheles gambiae for malaria). Disease life cycles are of course much more complex than can be captured in simple temperature ranges, and diseases can be transmitted even in suboptimal temperatures and through vectors other than the species we considered. For example, Anopheles stephensi, an Asian mosquito and malaria vector, is a growing threat in Africa, particularly in urban areas. Finally, we note that our estimates examine climate only, and not the present or future geographic distribution of mosquitos or pathogens.
We are constantly refining our methods, and we expect to reduce uncertainty and improve our estimates as we gain access to better climate models. For now, our advice for interpreting these data is to understand the inherent uncertainty in this modeling work and consider our findings as a possible future, based on some of the best existing global models, as uncertain as they may be.
A young girl carries water through an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Joe Eldrdige/Alamy Stock Photo
Here, we unpack what conditions may look like in the world’s largest cities if global warming reaches 3 degrees C, compared to 1.5 degrees C:
Longer and More Frequent HeatwavesStudy after study show that people die and economies slow down during prolonged periods of abnormally high temperatures. Even when temperatures do not approach life-threatening highs, heat waves can elevate risks to agriculture and infrastructure, such as crop failures and increased energy demand. At 3 degrees C of warming, most cities can expect both longer and more frequent heat waves than at 1.5 degrees C.2
Across the world’s largest cities, the longest heat wave per year in a 1.5 degrees C warmer world could average 16.3 days, with 3% of cities facing a heat wave every year that lasts one month or longer.
However, under the world’s current trajectory of nearly 3 degrees C of warming, the average duration of the longest heat wave in a year may jump to 24.5 days, with more than 16% of the world’s largest cities — home to 302 million people — exposed to at least one heat wave lasting one month or longer every year.3
Duration of annual longest heat wave also varies significantly by region.
At 1.5 degrees C of warming, the Middle East and North Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean regions may see the longest heat waves on average, lasting an estimated 23-25 days.
At 3 degrees C of warming, the Middle East and North Africa may see the largest estimated jump in duration of annual longest heat wave (+13.6 days), bringing the longest heat waves in the region to 36.3 days, on average.
East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia regions may also see increases of 9-10 days longer, resulting in heat waves lasting 23-25 days.
Heat waves may become more frequent, too.
At 1.5 degrees C of temperature rise, the average city may experience 4.9 heat waves per year.
At 3 degrees C of warming, the number of heat waves may rise to 6.4 per year, with an increasing number of cities facing double-digit heat waves every year.
Cities in countries with different income levels would see different changes.
At 1.5 degrees C of global warming, cities in high-income countries may see an estimated 5.2 heat waves per year, on average, while those in low-income countries may see 4.7 heat waves.
At 3 degrees C of warming, the number of heat waves for cities in high-income countries may rise by 0.7 to an estimated 5.9 heat waves per year.
For cities in low-income countries, heat wave frequency may rise by an estimated 2.1 to 6.9 heat waves per year.
Longer, more frequent heat waves can take a massive toll on public health and social and economic development. The impacts of extreme heat can be life-threatening, especially on vulnerable groups like pregnant women, the elderly or children. And within cities, poorer neighborhoods will feel the effects more sharply, as they often have fewer green areas to cool the air, poorer quality buildings and less access to mechanical cooling.
Combined with air pollution, an all-too-common problem in cities, heat waves become even deadlier. For example, cardiovascular diseases are exacerbated by extreme temperatures and by tropospheric ozone, the formation of which increases at higher temperatures. Heat waves also exacerbate wildfires, which can increase exposure to PM2.5 pollution, a known carcinogen linked to diseases and premature death.
And beyond the impacts on human health, extreme heat can strain water, energy and transport systems, disrupting food chains and agriculture.
City Solution: Inclusive Resilience in Bengaluru, India Photo by shylendrahood/iStockIn Bengaluru, India, where the longest heat wave every year could average 13.5 days at 1.5 degrees C of warming and 37.8 days at 3 degrees C, extreme heat is already bringing severe water shortages and surging energy demand. The city is India’s fifth most populous, and 16% of its rapidly growing population live in informal settlements.
Last year, Bengaluru launched its first climate action plan, which can serve as a model for how large cities with high inequality can build resilience. The plan is inclusive by design, actively recruiting all sectors of society to participate in planning and implementing nature-based climate change solutions, like planting trees and expanding green space.
Bengaluru considers clean air and other components of human well-being in its climate plan. The plan is also broad in reach, targeting sectors like solid waste management, stormwater, greening, energy, transportation and biodiversity.
A man repairs air conditioners at an apartment building in Asuncion, Paraguay. As temperatures rise in the world’s cities, energy demands for cooling are projected to skyrocket. Photo by Jose Carlos Alexandre/iStock Rising Demand for Cooling
Longer, more frequent heat waves and extremely hot days will significantly raise the demand for cooling4 in homes and workplaces — and with it, demand for energy if those needs are met through mechanical means like air conditioning. Many cooling needs can be effectively met through passive cooling — including material selection, shade, insulation and ventilation — but these solutions are too often ignored in favor of mechanical methods perceived as more convenient.
At 1.5 degrees C of warming, approximately 8.7 million people across a handful of cities could face double their historical (1995-2014) cooling demand.5
At 3 degrees C of warming, approximately 194 million people may see a doubling from their historical levels.
Places that haven't had to consider cooling strategies because of mild climates — like northern Europe or the U.S. Pacific Northwest — will need to do so more.
If met through mechanical means, the uptick in energy use may require a sizable investment in energy infrastructure and building technologies, even if cooling demand is still relatively small. It would also make it harder to achieve decarbonization goals in regions where power relies on fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, many places that are already hot — like Tehran and Marrakech — are increasing their cooling demand faster than relatively cool cities.
For many of these cities, population growth and cooling technology adoption become complicating factors. Energy-intensive air conditioning is less commonly used in lower-income cities, but demand is increasing as these countries get richer and more populous. For example, the percentage of Indian households with air conditioning is expected to match or exceed that of Europe by 2050.
At the same time, without policies and concerted public investment in passive cooling, many poorer people in soon-to-be hotter cities won’t have access to cooling solutions. This could increase social inequity and health risks.
Only about 8% of the 2.8 billion people living in the hottest and often poorest parts of the world currently have air conditioning in their homes. For example, in India, over 215 million people in cities are already estimated to be at higher risk of heat-related health problems due to lack of cooling services and infrastructure, including more than 121 million women and girls, who are affected disproportionately by extreme heat both in health and in economic outcomes. There is a massive gap between existing cooling investment and what will be needed by 2050 to save lives, especially in lower-income countries.
City Solution: Mapping Hotspots in Johannesburg, South Africa Photo by Rich T. Photo/ShutterstockHeat waves in Johannesburg, South Africa, are becoming longer and more frequent. Johannesburg’s demand for cooling at 3 degrees C of warming is estimated to be 69% greater than at 1.5 degrees C. Air conditioning doesn’t work well when high temperatures cause water shortages and power outages, as they did in a recent heat wave that affected most of South Africa. And for many of Johannesburg’s residents who live in informal settlements — approximately 1 in 5 people — water and electricity are unreliable year-round.
The often-deadly combination of high temperatures and high inequality in cities calls for aggressive action from governments and communities. In Johannesburg, this starts with mapping. In 2022, local government officials partnered with community volunteers to measure temperatures and create maps that show the intersection of heat and vulnerability. The effort provided decision-makers with high-quality data, built a compelling evidence base for specific cooling measures, and brought stakeholders throughout the city to the planning table. As the city proceeds with tree plantings, white roofs and other cooling initiatives, its efforts are backed by data collected by residents, improving coverage of the most vulnerable.
A man fumigates mosquitos in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Luiz Souzarj/iStock Growing and Shifting Disease Risks
Warmer conditions often fuel mosquito-borne diseases. Geographic patterns and prevalence of illnesses6 would shift significantly in a 3 degrees C warmer world, requiring major changes in public health priorities and investments. (Our analyses are based on changing temperatures and not on other factors affecting disease lifecycles or on current or future prevalence of disease pathogens and vectors.)
Incidence of arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, West Nile, yellow fever and chikungunya will likely increase worldwide as days with optimal temperatures for disease-carrying mosquitos become more common.
Comparing 1.5 degrees C and 3 degrees C of warming, the average increase in peak arbovirus-transmission days globally is 6 days. But the picture is much more complicated than the global average.
Low-income cities will be particularly hard hit.
At 1.5 degrees C of warming, cities in low-income countries may experience 73.4 peak arbovirus days each year, compared to just 27.9 for cities in high-income countries.
And at 3 degrees C of warming, cities in low-income countries may experience 87.4 peak arbovirus days each year, compared to 32.1 days per year for the average city in high-income countries.
The incidence of malaria, on the other hand, is expected to decrease globally, as temperatures in many places become warmer than what is optimal for malaria-transmitting mosquitos.
An increase in global warming from 1.5 degrees C to 3 degrees C means fewer expected peak malaria days — dropping from 114.0 to 104.4 days on average — but it varies considerably by location. For example, at 3 degrees C, some cities in Europe, Central Asia and North America see the expected number of days with peak-transmission temperatures increase. Most of these cities do not currently harbor malaria-carrying mosquitos — but as occasional reports arise of locally acquired malaria in Europe and the U.S., there is increasing concern that malaria could creep into places that haven’t seen it in living memory.
Arboviruses are of particularly urgent concern in Latin America. Brazil is already experiencing a dengue crisis, and at 3 degrees C of warming, 11 of its largest cities could see high arbovirus risk for at least six months of the year. Rio de Janeiro may see significantly more illness if global warming reaches 3 degrees C, as the expected number of peak arbovirus days increases by 71%, from 69 to 118 days per year.
As temperatures in Rio de Janeiro become more hospitable to dengue-carrying mosquitos, the city is investing in improving the availability of dengue vaccines and controlling the mosquitos themselves. Community health workers crisscross the city, hunting for places where standing water accumulates and mosquitos can breed. And Rio de Janeiro is using another disease — Wolbachia, a bacterium that infects insects — to inhibit dengue transmission in infected mosquitos. Rio de Janeiro and five other Brazilian cities release Wolbachia-infected mosquitos by the tens of thousands. These mosquitos behave no differently from uninfected mosquitos, but they harbor less dengue virus and infect other mosquitos. A similar Wolbachia program in Yogyakarta, Indonesia resulted in a 77% reduction of dengue incidence.
Mumbai, India. Low-income cities, in particular, will suffer compounding risks from the interacting effects of above-average increases in temperatures and disease, potentially straining health care systems, infrastructure and budgets that are already insufficient to meet residents’ needs. Photo by Harald Spilker/Alamy Stock Photo Low-income Cities Will Face Compounding Climate Risks
Climate hazards rarely come in isolation. Low-income cities, in particular, will suffer compounding risks from the interacting effects of above-average increases in temperatures and disease, potentially straining health care systems, infrastructure and budgets that are already insufficient to meet residents’ needs.
Sub-Saharan Africa is likely to be the hardest hit region for several indicators at 3 degrees C of global warming. The region’s cities may endure multiple severe climate impacts, potentially simultaneously. Comparing impacts at 1.5 degrees C versus 3 degrees C of warming, the region’s cities rank first on average for the greatest estimated increase in heat wave frequency (up 56%, to 6.5 occurrences per year) and peak arbovirus days (25 additional days, totaling 129 annually). They also see the third-largest estimated increase in the annual longest heat wave duration (up 58%, to 20 days) and the second-biggest estimated increase in energy demand for cooling (an additional 208 cooling degree days).
Although Africa is only responsible for 2%-3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, many of its sub-Saharan cities are most affected by climate change-induced hazards. At 3 degrees C of warming, cities like Freetown, Sierra Leone and Dakar, Senegal could endure heat waves lasting longer than a month, with an average of seven heat waves in a year, demanding greater energy for cooling (13% and 20% above historical reference period averages, respectively). Many cities in the region are already dealing with rapid population growth, conflict and unregulated development. These compounding climate hazards only add to the region’s vulnerability.
Latin American cities rank second on average for the greatest estimated increase in heat wave frequency (up 48%, to 7.5 occurrences annually). The region’s cities have the second-highest estimated increase in the number of days optimal for arboviruses at 3 degrees C (13 additional days, to 91 days annually) compared to 1.5 degrees C.
Cities in Indonesia face some of the highest compounding risks of both hotter temperatures and greater disease. Three of the four cities in the world with the greatest estimated increase in peak arbovirus days from 1.5 degrees C to 3 degrees C of warming are in Indonesia: Yogyakarta (273 day increase), Jember (151 day increase) and Padang (148 day increase).
Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Cities in Indonesia face some of the highest compounding risks of both hotter temperatures and greater disease in a warmer world. Photo by Manfred Gottschalk/Alamy Stock Photo Reaching 3 Degrees C Is Not a Foregone ConclusionThe future under 3 degrees C of warming looks dire, but these data are only an estimate of effects for one pathway. We have a choice about our climate future. The technology already exists; with the right political will, we can mitigate the worst of these effects.
National and local governments must work urgently to make their cities more climate-resilient while slashing emissions. Specific priorities include:
- Double down on policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: Climate problems will only worsen until the world brings greenhouse gas emissions down to net zero. National governments must implement policies aligned with the international Paris Agreement on climate change; cities can set targets and adopt policies to contribute to meeting these goals.
- Increase finance for climate adaptation: Many low-income cities have climate adaptation plans, but implementation lags due to lack of funding. Adaptation needs for low-income countries are $387 billion per year — 10-18 times bigger than current international public adaptation finance flows.
- Invest in resilient infrastructure: Adaptation solutions like cooling infrastructure, early-warning systems and heat action plans protect people’s health and boost cities’ long-term resilience. Nature-based solutions like urban forests and wetlands also do these things while bringing the added benefits of nature to city residents.
- Improve collaboration between cities and national governments, and across city departments: Multi-level partnerships and coordination are key to tackling greenhouse gas emissions and implementing resilience at the scale required to save and improve people’s lives. While in many parts of the world different levels of government tend to operate in silos, using separate strategies, some national governments see the value of cities and support them as climate-solution allies. More than 70 countries committed at the 2023 UN climate summit (COP28) to collaborate with cities on their next national climate plans, due in early 2025, through the CHAMP Initiative. Others should follow.
- Take a data-driven approach: Climate-hazard forecasts for cities can help them focus on the most likely and urgent climate risks while informing targeted investments and policies. City-scale, city-relevant data like ours should be at the center of planning and budgeting for climate adaptation and resilience.
The data for all 14 climate hazards, calculated for 996 cities, are available here. For this article, unless noted otherwise, we used the data only from the single best-performing of nine climate models for each location (the model that best matches the historical meteorological record for each city in the time periods where they overlap), but the dataset includes data from the three best-performing models. The data also include standard deviations for our estimates, as well as estimates and standard deviations of probabilities that the hazard magnitude exceed certain thresholds. The methods underlying our estimates of average hazard magnitudes and threshold-exceedance probabilities are detailed in this technical note. The methods we used to model warming scenarios and our definitions of the 14 climate hazards are detailed in this technical note.
The dataset is formatted to be of most use to data analysts equipped with statistical-analysis software. For everyone else, we’ve put together this user-friendly explorer tool.
Endnotes
1 Our cities are based on the definitions, 2015 populations and spatial extents outlined by the GHS Urban Centre Database.
2 There is no universally applied definition of “heat wave.” For this project, we defined it as three or more consecutive days on which the high temperature equals or exceeds the local 90th percentile of daily high temperature, as determined from the ECMWF ERA5 dataset over the 40-year period 1980–2019.
3 Exposure estimates are based on the 2020 populations in the Global Human Settlement Layer’s GHS-POP dataset.
4 We looked at cooling degree days, the annual sum of positive daily average temperature deviations from a threshold temperature, and a commonly used indicator of energy demand for cooling. Specifically, we calculated CDD21, the annual sum of daily positive deviations from 21°C.
5 Exposure estimates are based on the 2020 populations in the Global Human Settlement Layer’s GHS-POP dataset.
6 We used the ranges 22.9 – 27.8°C and 26 – 29°C for malaria- and arbovirus-transmitting mosquitos, respectively. These are estimated to be optimal for mosquito activity, but transmission can occur well outside these ranges. Also, note that many locations have temperatures within the optimal ranges but do not have the mosquitos. Our estimates therefore may overestimate the risk of shifting disease prevalence.
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Decision-makers from nearly every country on the planet will attend a series of high-profile international summits between now and the end of the year. Together, they offer a unique chance to address the biggest challenges facing people, nature and climate.
It all begins with the UN General Assembly and Climate Week in New York City on September 22nd. In October, leaders will convene in Cali, Colombia for the COP16 summit on global biodiversity goals, the same week as the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings on international development finance. Many of these same leaders will also attend the UN climate summit (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan and the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in November.
With these successive and connected convenings, decision-makers have an unprecedented opportunity to finally put the world on track for a livable future.
If we look at the outcomes of past international summits, we might anticipate incremental change at best. But we do not have the luxury of continuing on that path. With the global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and rising inequality all heading in the wrong direction — and with dire consequences — piecemeal progress is not enough. Leaders need to not only connect these deeply intertwined issues, but also ensure this season’s summits build on one another to secure the transformative change the world needs.
Global Sustainability Goals Are Far Off TrackNearly a decade ago in Paris, almost all the countries in the world agreed to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees C. That same year, UN member states unanimously adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to end poverty, eradicate hunger and tackle other challenges while spurring economic growth. And in 2022, 190 nations committed to 30x30, an agreement to address biodiversity loss by protecting at least 30% of the world’s land and ocean and restoring 30% of its degraded ecosystems by 2030.
These are grand ambitions. But so far, they haven’t translated into enough action. For example, last year’s Global Stocktake revealed the world is far off track from its 1.5-degree C target and headed for a disastrous 2.9 degrees C of warming by the end of this century. The world lost 3.7 million hectares of tropical primary forest in 2023 alone, equivalent to 10 soccer fields per minute!
This year offers the chance to finally bring global goals — and a better future — within reach. At upcoming summits and all the spaces in between them, it’s essential that leaders deliver three big things: more finance; stronger policies; and greater ambition.
Finance: More and Higher-quality Finance for Countries that Need ItDeveloping countries, which bear the least responsibility for climate change but tend to suffer the greatest impacts, will need roughly $2.4 trillion per year (excluding China) of investment by 2030 to meet global climate and nature goals. Around $1 trillion must come from external sources. Securing this amount of money — a four-fold increase from current levels of investment — will require significant shifts from international, domestic, public and private sources.
This year offers one of the biggest opportunities in decades to do so. It’s critical that wealthier countries step up — both as a moral imperative and economic imperative. Helping developing countries decarbonize and adapt is a prerequisite for avoiding far worse climate impacts and suffering everywhere. There is no path to staying within 1.5 degrees C without this finance.
COP29 has been dubbed the “Finance COP.” For the first time in 15 years, negotiators will set a new global climate finance goal, replacing the $100 billion wealthy nations provide annually to support low-carbon development in developing nations. It’s essential that they not only significantly raise the amount provided to meet the scale of poorer and more vulnerable nations’ needs, but also improve the quality of climate finance. With 60% of low-income countries in or near debt distress today, developing countries need a higher proportion of grants and concessional finance as opposed to loans.
Given that most of the world’s biodiversity and tropical forests are in developing countries — and that these ecosystems provide global benefits in the form of carbon storage, water provision and other services — wealthier, developed countries have a responsibility to support their protection. Developed countries promised to provide $20 billion in conservation finance by 2025, but they are currently far off track, with an $11.6 billion shortfall. They should come to COP16 prepared to deliver, as well as show how they’re shifting the $500 billion in harmful subsidies driving ecosystem degradation in the first place.
Beyond negotiations at COP29 and COP16, broader discussions on reforming the global financial system and unlocking investment from the private sector will be key to increasing sustainable finance flows from billions to trillions per year. As the world’s wealthiest nations, the G20 can help push through major reforms of the financial sector — including aligning all public and private finance flows with the goals of the Paris Agreement and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and identifying ways to tackle debt relief and restructuring. Meanwhile, the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in October are a prime opportunity to increase multilateral development banks’ capital and ensure finance can flow to the nations and sectors that need it most. More and better finance is essential for delivering not only greater ambition, but existing nature and climate targets.
Policy: Laying Out an Integrated Development Pathway for CountriesGlobal targets generate momentum, but they’re only made real by action domestically. That’s why stronger national policies are essential for seizing opportunities for people, nature and climate.
National leaders can start by using this year’s gatherings to demonstrate real progress against their collective commitments. In recent years, countries have made collective pledges to transition away from fossil fuels, triple renewable energy, slash methane, shift to sustainable food systems and fully halt deforestation by 2030. By showing concrete signs of enacting these changes within their countries, national leaders can inspire others to make good on their own promises while ramping up ambition.
Finally, goals for nature, climate and people are deeply interconnected, yet policymaking has historically been siloed. Climate and nature policies will only be politically feasible if they are good for people and economies. Creating jobs, improving health, reducing costs and ensuring a “just transition” must be central to countries’ nature and climate strategies. To deliver these changes, policymakers need to take a whole-of-government approach to nature and climate goals, integrating them into agricultural, industrial, economic and other policies.
The G20 can advance this issue by creating a framework for countries to produce integrated economic development roadmaps that embed climate and nature. Done right, these roadmaps can then help countries attract more finance by laying out specific policies and plans.
Ambition: Higher Targets for Climate, Nature and PeopleAt the same time, leaders need to set their sights higher.
To be sure, the world is already awash in commitments — and following through on them is imperative. If countries fulfill their existing climate plans, research shows the world is on a trajectory for up to 2.9 degrees C of warming by the end of the century. This is far better than the projected 4 degrees C if countries fail to fulfill their existing climate plans, but insufficient for ensuring a safe future. The months ahead are a pivotal phase for countries to set stronger targets that can safeguard nature, stabilize the climate and ensure people can thrive.
By COP16, all countries must submit National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) detailing how they will meet the collective Global Biodiversity Framework goals, including for 30x30. Yet so far, only a handful have done so. Countries should come forward with targets and plans that are both bold and pragmatic, showing which areas they’ll prioritize for protection and restoration, how they’ll transform food systems (a top driver of biodiversity loss), and how they’ll support Indigenous Peoples and frontline communities’ rights.
Countries are required as part of the Paris Agreement to submit new national climate targets and action plans (NDCs) every five years, with the next set due by February 2025. At Climate Week, COP29 and other moments this year, countries should share their intentions of making their next round of NDCs much stronger than the last. More stringent emissions cuts from G20 countries, responsible for over 75% of the globe’s greenhouse gases, will be especially important for garnering global momentum and inspiring more ambitious NDCs from all countries.
It's important for leaders to recognize that biodiversity loss and climate change are deeply interconnected crises; strong NBSAPs have the ability to lead to stronger NDCs, and vice-versa. Countries should integrate targets from both their NDCs and NBSAPs into their national policies, plans and finance related to food systems, forests and water security, as these three interconnected areas are so critical to countries’ climate, biodiversity and development goals.
Creating a Positive Feedback Loop for SuccessEach of this year’s international summits are connected to each other; decisions made at one event affect discussions and outcomes at others. Countries that set ambitious national climate and biodiversity goals, integrate these into new economic development pathways and back them with policies and domestic finance can attract private and international finance at scale — and address the nature and climate and human crises simultaneously. Reaching a strong global climate finance goal, for example, can give developing countries the confidence to submit strong NDCs in 2025. Meanwhile, the World Bank/IMF meetings and G20 summit are critical to drive progress on international financial reforms and ensure a successful and just global transition.
The next few months will help determine whether the world continues to settle for unmet goals and incremental progress — or if we will deliver the change needed to build a global economy that is good for people, nature and climate.
tree-planting-ethiopia.jpg Climate Climate COP29 COP16 NDC Type Commentary Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Authors Ani DasguptaWhich Countries Should Pay for International Climate Finance?
The world needs trillions of dollars annually to combat climate change, but questions remain as to where that funding will come from. Most at stake are poorer countries that are the least protected — and hardest hit — from the increasing ravages of heat waves, storm surges and other extreme weather events exacerbated each year by climate change. Many of these countries lack the resources to undertake a rapid and just transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy without external help.
Through the UN Framework Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, countries have made several finance-related commitments, including a new fund for responding to loss and damage to help developing countries recover from extreme climate events. This year, countries are scheduled to set a new finance target aimed at bringing much-needed funds to developing countries. Known as the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), it will replace the $100 billion target developed countries pledged to mobilize annually for developing nations until 2025.
These negotiations have led to a variety of questions, including which countries should help pay. Answering this question involves a number of considerations, including legal interpretations of the Paris Agreement and discussions of justice and fairness. To date, a list of the 23 mostly high-income countries, known as Annex II of the Convention, have been jointly responsible for making financial contributions that enable developing countries to achieve low-emission development and greater climate resilience. This list includes countries like the United States, Japan and Germany.
Now, developed countries are pushing for additional nations to also contribute, specifically nations that today have relatively high levels of wealth and emissions. Meanwhile, developing countries generally say that there is no legal mandate to discuss who should contribute to the new goal, arguing that the Paris Agreement states that the responsibility falls solely on developed nations.
Analyzing Countries’ Climate Finance ResponsibilitiesNegotiating responsibility for climate finance is not new in the UN climate talks. Financial responsibility has generally been explained through a combination of historic responsibility — measured by emissions levels — and the capacity to pay — measured by levels of economic development. Developed nations, understood as Annex II countries, have typically been high on both these fronts.
However, in the 30-plus years since the countries were identified in Annex II, the world’s per capita income has tripled, reflecting not just nominal, but real gains in living standards. Some non-Annex II countries now have wealth and emissions that are higher than some Annex II nations. Whether this new reality should alter the list of contributing nations will be a hotly contested element of the new climate finance goal negotiations at the upcoming UN climate change summit (COP29) in Azerbaijan this November.
To help contribute to informed discussions on where countries stand in terms of their historic responsibility and capacity to pay, WRI has created a climate finance calculator that generates scenarios based on a country’s historical emissions and their income level. Evaluating different scenarios highlights the nuances needed to consider the level of responsibility for different countries.
For the best user experience, access the Climate Finance Calculator using a desktop computer.
solar-panels-nigeria.jpg Finance COP29 climate finance development Climate Type Finding Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Authors Chris Qihan Zou Natalia Alayza Hayden Higgins Gaia LarsenOne County in Rural Kenya Is Using Clean Energy to Close its Electricity Gap
Makueni County Referral Hospital is the biggest health facility in its area of rural Kenya, treating approximately 500 patients a day in a region where modern infrastructure can be hard to come by. But its operations are costly. The local government spends about Ksh. 24 million ($187,000) each year on the facility’s electricity bills alone — money that could otherwise help expand healthcare or provide other benefits.
But there is good news for the people of Makueni: The county government installed a new solar PV system at the facility that will generate 288 MWh annually, enough to meet 30-33% of the hospital’s electricity needs. In addition to saving the county government up to Ksh 7 million ($ 55,000) annually, the system will help provide a consistent, stable and clean power source, including during power outages that have become a common occurrence in the country.
And this isn’t an isolated project. Solar-powered healthcare facilities are just one element of Makueni County’s new Energy Plan launching on Sept. 17, 2024.
Underpinned by geospatial data and analysis, the plan targets several areas where clean energy can not only provide necessary electricity, but also bring social, environmental and economic benefits —things like higher crop yields or larger incomes. It showcases the promise renewable energy holds for rural communities in Kenya and beyond.
Tomato farmers harvest their crop in Makueni County, Kenya. Photo by Jake Lyell/Alamy Stock Photo Boosting Energy Access in Makueni County and BeyondWhile Kenya has made significant progress in expanding access to energy in recent years, 12.9 million Kenyans still lacked electricity in 2022, while another 39 million went without clean fuels and cooking technologies. Makueni County is no exception: 250,000 people don’t have any form of electricity.
Even for those with grid connections, electricity prices are rising. National average costs jumped from US$ 0.17 in 2020 to US$ 0.24 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 2024 for domestic users, and US$ 0.10 to $0.15 per kWh for commercial consumers during the same period.
A reliable supply of power — and the ability to afford it — bring so much more than electricity. With only 35% of Makueni County’s population connected to the grid and mini-grids, many rural smallholder farmers can’t grow enough crops because electricity is needed to power irrigation, or they lose their produce because there isn’t energy for refrigeration and storage. Schools, hospitals and large businesses must either invest in costly and polluting diesel generators or are forced to interrupt their operations during power cuts.
Kenya’s Energy Act 2019 mandates energy planning to the county-level, recognizing the importance of locally led solutions and policies. Yet so far, only six counties (including Makueni) have developed energy plans; 11 are in the process and the remaining 30 haven’t started. Part of the problem is capacity constraints, insufficient funding to facilitate development of the plans, and lack of reliable data and open source analytical tools.
Makueni County’s Energy Plan Sets Its Sights on Clean EnergyThat’s where Makueni County differs from its peers. To support development of the Makueni County Energy Plan (CEP), WRI and Strathmore University used geospatial technologies and tools like KoBo Collect to gather and analyze primary data; WRI’s Energy Access Explorer (EAE) to identify high-priority areas for energy interventions; and the Open Source Spatial Electrification Tool (OnSSET) to estimate the technology and investment costs required to meet electrification targets. This data-driven approach allowed officials to assess the county’s energy needs and pinpoint solutions — oftentimes finding that clean energy was the best option.
The energy plan prioritizes five opportunities for clean energy development:
Solar panels on a farm in Makueni County, Kenya. Solar can power irrigation, refrigerators and other technologies that help farmers boost their yields and increase incomes. Photo by Makueni County government. 1) Electrifying Unserved and Under-served HouseholdsWhile access to electricity in Kenya has improved tremendously over the last two decades, only 25% of households in Makueni are connected to power. The priority for Makueni County’s government was to identify affordable options for supplying reliable power to the remaining households.
Domestic electrification in Makueni County (high demand scenario), from WRI's Energy Access Explorer platform.The plan sets targets to both expand the grid where appropriate, develop wind and hydro-electric power, and invest in solar mini grids and standalone solar home systems.
2) Powering Productive Use of Renewable Energy in AgricultureProductive use of renewable energy (PURE) is a concept that leverages machines powered by renewable energy to expand energy access, boost economic growth, improve livelihoods and drive clean energy demand. PURE opportunities can stimulate increased consumption of electricity while enhancing the resilience of local populations, diversifying livelihoods and strengthening rural economies. But there’s a need for more granular data and analysis to demonstrate where these opportunities exist, particularly in the agricultural and other sectors. Makueni County’s new energy plan identifies seven priority value chains (including mung beans, maize, fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry, and dairy) where access to renewable energy would help stimulate energy consumption as well as economic growth.
3) Powering Hospitals with SolarAccess to affordable and reliable energy is central to the provision of quality healthcare. After all, ventilators, vaccine refrigerators, X-rays and other life-saving equipment cannot run without power. Yet while the Makueni County government has prioritized delivery of quality healthcare to all under its universal healthcare program, access to reliable and affordable electricity remains a major barrier.
The Energy Access Explorer platform pinpoints the location of 68 healthcare facilities in Makueni County that lack electricity.According to data from WRI’s Energy Access Explorer, 68 healthcare facilities from the county are not connected to the grid. Those that are connected incur high power costs, forcing the county government to spend huge amounts of its revenue on energy bills. To cut these costs, the county administration intends to collaborate with development partners and other investors to electrify the unconnected health care facilities, while investing in solar PV for those that are connected to the grid to reduce monthly energy bills. Analysis done to inform the plan showed that 73% of the county’s healthcare facilities can be electrified using stand-alone solar PV, while the remaining 27% will rely on grid power.
4) Expanding E-MobilityElectric vehicles continue to gain momentum across Sub-Saharan African countries, including Kenya. Two and three-wheeler EVs can unlock rural mobility while decarbonizing transport. But the growth in EV adoption will increase demand for electricity, which could negatively affect grid stability. Proper planning for grid capacity and associated charging infrastructure is essential.
Makueni County’s energy plan identifies 20 feasible locations for setting up EV charging stations near major towns in the county, which can be connected to existing grid infrastructure.
5) Investment and Financing for a Clean Energy FutureThe plan’s associated investment prospectus also identifies a pipeline of 12 PURE investable projects. It presents data and information on the size, location and possible financing options. It also estimates potential return on investment.
About $4.9 million will be required to unlock the opportunities in the agriculture and livelihood sectors, while another $1.2 million will need to be invested in expanding solar PV and energy storage for the county’s two main healthcare facilities. Innovative business models including blended finance mechanisms could help unlock this level of funding. Collaborations with Chinese investors through platforms like the China-Africa Partnership that WRI China and WRI Africa along with other partners are working on presents strategic opportunities. The county administration is also exploring avenues for public-private partnerships.
Next Steps to Power Kenya with Clean EnergyWhile the new energy plan represents progress, much is still needed to implement it. In addition to the investment needed for PURE, about US$180 million will be needed for grid expansion across the county, benefitting about 800,000 people, while another US$179 million will be required for standalone solar PV systems targeting about 480,000 people. With support from UKPACT, WRI and Strathmore University are collaborating with the government of Makueni County to develop its energy policy, aimed at addressing policy and regulatory interventions to drive private sector participation in financing these opportunities, while guiding implementation of the energy plan.
Nationally, it will be important to scale this model to support the remaining sub-national governments in developing their own inclusive and integrated energy plans, informed by data. Collaboration between the national government, development partners, the private sector and other non-state actors will be key.
makueni-county-solar.jpg Energy Kenya Energy Energy Access health electric grid Type Vignette Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects Authors Benson Ireri Victor T. Otieno Dimitrios Mentis Douglas Ronoh Anderson Ngowa Patrick Mwanzia H.E Hon. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. CBS Eng. Sebastian Kyoni Eng. Naomi Nthambi Dr. Robina AbuyaE-Tricycles Are Powering a Recycling Revolution in Fortaleza, Brazil
Rafaela Aires's workday starts at 9:00 a.m., leading her down city streets that weave past the Atlantic shoreline and under concrete overpasses. Her collected bottles and cardboard boxes used to form heaps in a hand-drawn cart. Now, they rattle in her electric tricycle's cargo collection container as she zips down bike lanes.
"I feel like a warrior when I'm cycling," Aires laughs. "I'm really happy."
This hasn't always been the case. As a longtime catadora, or waste picker, in Fortaleza, Brazil, Aires remembers being looked down on and insulted for her work in the past. According to Musamara Pereira, another catadora, those working in the field have often been called "vulture" or "trash ripper." "People still didn't see [us] as professionals," she explained.
Yet, the work that Aires and Pereira do is essential.
Fortaleza has almost no citywide waste and recycling infrastructure. Like in many other Brazilian cities, an estimated 8,000 catadores — who are not formally employed by the city — form the backbone of its waste management system, providing most of its pickup services and selling collected recyclables to third parties to earn a living.
Hand-drawn carts like these are a familiar sight in Fortaleza, used by catadores to clean up the bulk of the city's waste. Photo by WRIWhile the Brazilian government has made efforts to formalize the job in recent decades, most catadores face hazardous working conditions. Many pull up to 240 kilograms (530 pounds) of waste over the course of an 18-hour workday using hand-drawn carts. Salaries fluctuate based on how much each person collects and what they can sell it for, with the average Fortaleza waste picker often taking in just R$300 (about US$53) a month.
Meanwhile, trash accumulates. In 2023, a mere 6% of Fortaleza's recyclables ended up in processing facilities, leaving curbsides crammed with trash bags and cardboard boxes. "Sometimes, Fortaleza is not a clean city," admitted local restaurant owner Manu Duvale. "We live with trash as if it's nothing."
But for the last four years, Fortaleza's recycling problem — and the catadores' jobs — have been gradually improving. This is largely thanks to an innovative project called Re-Ciclo led by the Fortaleza government's Innovation Laboratory. And e-tricycle warriors like Aires are powering the change.
Reimagining Waste Management in FortalezaFortaleza is far from the only city in Brazil lacking recycling infrastructure; over 90% of the country's waste ends up in landfills or dumps. This comes with a significant climate impact. In Fortaleza, unrecycled waste accounts for one-third of the city's planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.
Re-Ciclo has worked to both uplift Fortaleza's catadores and expand its recycling infrastructure by redefining how the city manages waste. Central to this effort is a fleet of electric tricycles that has enabled the city's first-ever door-to-door collection service for recyclables while also strengthening its cycling system for all residents.
Re-Ciclo has reimagined what a catador can do.
Through the program, catadores now collect recyclables along specific routes through the city's neighborhoods, stopping by homes and apartments where residents have requested recycling pick-up. The recyclables are deposited at one of dozens of "Eco-Points" — a network of collection centers — where they are sorted and cleaned by waste pickers and then sold to recycling intermediaries. Re-Ciclo revamped this once ineffective collection infrastructure to support the program.
Recycling is a complex process involving multiple companies and associations. Here, waste pickers unload their recyclables at the Eco-Points, where they get prepared for further shipment. Photo by WRIBut Re-Ciclo is not just a waste collection program. It's also significantly improved the catadores' working conditions.
In most cases, better recycling has translated to more efficient work and more stable pay for Re-Ciclo workers. Raquel Silva, president of the Moura Brasil Waste Pickers Association, explained that she can now visit 10-16 collection sites per trip before returning to the Eco-Points in the same time it used to take her to visit 3-4 sites.
The program also collects data along pick-up routes, enabling catadores to track the volume of their collected recyclables and drive better salary negotiations. Re-Ciclo encourages unaffiliated waste pickers to join associations to drive more collective bargaining power.
Thanks to a more stable income and reliable collection monitoring, most workers now receive significantly higher salaries — up to 500% above previous levels. "Today, the waste collector who is part of Re-Ciclo earns his daily wage for the goals achieved," Pereira said. "[The waste collector] has transportation vouchers, has meal vouchers, and is now valued."
Re-Ciclo bikes outfitted with GPS systems and rechargeable batteries allow waste pickers to travel further, faster. Photo by WRI How Waste Workers Helped Design a Better Recycling SystemRe-Ciclo began in earnest during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Fortaleza's government sought ways to support catadores who were suddenly unable to work. The city's Innovation Laboratory (LABIFOR) aimed to develop a solution that could address workers' needs while simultaneously tackling the city's waste problems. Catadores themselves were central to this process.
"For us, it was fundamental in this policy that the waste picker associations were part of the design of the program from the very beginning," explained Luiz Alberto Sabóia, President of CITINOVA, Fortaleza's Science, Technology and Innovation Foundation department, which houses LABIFOR. The group conducted focus sessions with all 16 waste picker associations across the city. According to Nirlania Diógenes, manager of Re-Ciclo, these initial discussions informed the city's decisions to establish the Eco-Points and provide catadores with e-tricycles.
The Innovation Lab continued to work closely with waste picker associations throughout the project's prototyping phases to solicit feedback and pinpoint areas for improvement. Multiple rounds of testing enabled the team to create e-tricycles that were lighter, easier to maneuver and more responsive to catadores' needs. The new e-tricycles can carry up to 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of recyclables, covering greater distances at twice the speed of traditional hand-drawn carts.
In a profession marked by high risk of injury and health hazards, Re-Ciclo provided catadores with personal protective equipment and brightly colored uniforms to increase their visibility. LABIFOR conducted training workshops to familiarize workers with new collection routines, support their transition to e-tricycles and train them to interact with clients.
Pictured from left to right are Raquel Silva, president of the Moura Brasil Waste Pickers Association; Luiz Alberto Sabóia, president of CITINOVA; and Nirlania Diógenes, manager of Re-Ciclo. Close collaboration between CITINOVA and the waste picker associations ensured that Re-Ciclo responsive to the catadores' needs. Photo by WRIRolling out the program required citywide outreach. To promote residential recycling, the team unveiled a web-based collection app so that users could sign up for door-to-door service along Re-Ciclo's main routes. Meanwhile, those living outside the service routes could drop off their waste directly at Eco-Points. This expanded access to recycling and helped increase the ease and convenience of collection, providing an easily scalable solution. The city also conducted education campaigns for residents and business owners throughout the design phase.
"I think anyone who becomes aware of and understands [Re-Ciclo] can't help but appreciate it," Duvale, the restaurant manager, said. "When [trash] is well taken care of, it's a source of income; it's raw material."
Renewed Pride in Recycling Is Inspiring a Greener FortalezaFortaleza has started to take notice. Re-Ciclo's e-tricycles transported 380 tons of recyclables during their first full year of operations and have helped recycle 980 tons of waste since 2022. Thanks to this project and other incentives by the city government, Fortaleza has since seen a 541% growth in its recycling program.
"It is a watershed in Fortaleza in terms of selective waste collection," Sabóia said.
Fortaleza residents along Re-Ciclo's recycling collection routes can use its mobile app to easily request door-to-door recycling pickup. Photo by WRIHannah Mendes, a Fortaleza resident, remembers the trash generated during the city's Carnival celebrations and has been surprised to see cleaned-up beaches on the morning after the festivities. "Everything is already collected, and everything is clean. It's hugely satisfying to see."
Among catadores, the project has created a sense of pride. Many cited the uniforms and e-tricycles as sources of increased recognition from the community. Residents have reached out to catadores to learn more about the project or to sign up. Some even ask to take selfies with Re-Ciclo workers. And work in the recycling warehouses no longer invites the judgment that it used to. "You go to a warehouse or an association and see many young people working... and there's no more prejudice," Borges, a long-time waste picker, explained.
Making the Leap from Pilot to PracticeAs it continues to expand, Re-Ciclo is looking to play an increasing role in Fortaleza's long-term sustainability. The project is now part of Maís Fortaleza, a city program that runs a suite of circular economy initiatives and is now accommodating e-waste disposal at Eco-Points. The city government has set its sights on achieving recycling for 50% of all waste over the coming eight years.
According to restaurant owner Manu Duvale, using Re-Ciclo's service has helped his restaurant come closer to sustainable operation. Photo by WRIMoving forward, LABIFOR plans to grow its fleet from 20 to 150 e-tricycles by December 2024, employing more than 200 catadores and serving all 12 of the city's districts. Ongoing work with the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI), which provided funding for the initial pilot program, aims to optimize routes through data mapping and spatial analysis. And the team hopes to outfit future e-tricycles with solar panels that will charge them during collection.
Re-Ciclo may ultimately offer a blueprint for future recycling efforts across the country. Brazil's 2022 National Solid Waste Plan has targeted 48% of all waste to reach recycling centers by 2040, though it faces steep challenges doing so.
Shifting attitudes won't happen overnight, said Élcio Batista, Fortaleza's vice mayor — though residents are beginning to "realize how much they can contribute." Connecting people to recycling disposal is an important start. According to Sabóia, the program has since inspired neighboring cities, such as Sobral, to follow suit.
For catadores, Re-Ciclo is a daily reminder of their importance.
"We are recycling, and I can help many people without job opportunities," Silva reflected, "I am saving the environment — it's a mix of many things. For me, it is a joy to be part of Re-Ciclo and a collector."
The 2023-2024 WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities celebrates projects and initiatives building momentum for climate-ready communities. From five finalists, one grand prize winner will be announced Sept. 25.
Editor's note: This piece formerly stated that Fortaleza's Eco-Points were established under the Re-Ciclo program and has been corrected to reflect that they were modified under the program.
fortaleza-eco-point.jpg Cities Latin America Cities WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities waste Urban Mobility Urban Development Urban Transformations Featured Popular Type Vignette Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects Authors Jen Shin Hanwen ZhangWhat Happens When Extreme Heat and Air Pollution Collide
On July 22, the world experienced its hottest day in recorded history. The global average temperature reached 17.2 degrees C (62.9 degrees F), prompting U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to issue a global call to action on extreme heat.
The problem of extreme heat, however, doesn’t exist in a vacuum: When temperatures rise, so too can air pollution levels, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), an in-depth assessment of the state of climate change authored and reviewed by hundreds of scientists and experts, recognized last year.
Mexico City is one of many urban areas around the globe where this interplay can take hold. Last spring, record temperatures and windless conditions led to a three-day severe pollution alert. The city also activated emergency measures such as limiting traffic to help bring down particulate emissions and ozone levels. It was a dark reminder of the past, harkening back to the 1990s when Mexico City was named the world’s most polluted city. Walking around outside during that time had the same impact as smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.
Since then, Mexico City has taken bold steps to clean the air by introducing measures like prioritizing clean fuels and hastening the shift to electric buses. As a result, the city’s residents are now living healthier and longer lives — on average, three years longer than in previous decades.
But Mexico City faces a new, dangerous threat: longer and more frequent heat waves supercharging its air pollution. And as extreme heat continues to worsen, especially in cities where it is exacerbated by the urban heat island effect, Mexico City and other cities around the world must develop integrated strategies to tackle these dual, correlated challenges.
The Connection Between Heat and Air PollutionThroughout the thousands of pages of the IPCC’s AR6 report, the authors detailed some of the most alarming climate impacts, including the deeply intertwined relationship between global warming and poor air quality.
Put simply, air pollution levels spike when temperatures rise. This happens in a variety of ways. High temperatures can lead to more frequent droughts and more intense wildfires, both of which increase particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5). Wildfires also release large amounts of black carbon, nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Heat also accelerates biological processes responsible for the degradation of organic waste and wastewater, releasing both air pollutants and greenhouse gases into the air.
Certain pollutants, however, actually feed on the heat. Ground-level (or tropospheric) ozone, an often overlooked but deadly pollutant, forms when VOCs, including methane, and NOx emissions from vehicles, industrial facilities, waste and agricultural burning and other sources chemically react through exposure to sunlight. Warmer temperatures accelerate these reactions, leading to increased ozone production, which manifests as a harmful haze. As a result, during hotter, dryer, less windy months — and especially during heat waves — ground-level ozone can reach dangerous levels in cities.
Countries around the world are seeing the correlation between high temperatures and high ozone levels. During a heat wave that spread across Europe in July 2022, the ground-level ozone in Portugal, Spain and Italy all registered at least double the 100 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) deemed safe by the World Health Organization. That same summer, China also experienced elevated ozone levels during a heat wave. And a recent study made a broader connection between high ozone and high heat in China, based on ozone levels observed between 2014 and 2019.
Increased ground-level ozone can pose serious health risks, particularly to vulnerable populations like children, pregnant people and older adults. Ground-level ozone pollution also threatens critical ecosystems like forests by weakening their ability to respond to stresses like drought, cold and disease. It also damages crop production by reducing plants’ ability to turn sunlight into growth and contributes to rising global temperatures by reducing the ability of trees to absorb carbon dioxide.
A Growing Threat to Public HealthOn its own, air pollution can risk lives and livelihoods. But when coupled with extreme heat, the results can be even more deadly. The combination of high temperatures and stagnant air created during heat waves makes people more vulnerable to severe health impacts and urban infrastructure more susceptible to degradation.
Air pollution and heat exposure can each have short and long-term impacts on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Ozone alone accounted for roughly 490,000 deaths globally in 2021, and long-term exposure to ozone contributed to roughly 13% of all Constructive Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) deaths around the world that same year. And one study attributed air pollution, including PM2.5 and ground-level ozone, to more than 7,000 adverse health outcomes in children, 10,000 deaths and 5,000 hospitalizations a year in Jakarta, Indonesia. Extreme heat accounts for roughly 489,000 deaths globally per year. And, during Europe’s 2022 heat wave alone, more than 60,000 heat-related deaths occurred. More research is needed to understand how those deaths could have also been impacted by exposure to air pollutants.
Studies show that risks to individual health are heightened when air pollution and high temperatures are simultaneously at play. For instance, recent research found that high temperatures can exacerbate physiological responses to short-term ozone exposure. According to a 2022 study, mortality risk on days with combined exposure increases by an estimated 21%. Another study on the effect of heat and ozone on respiratory hospitalizations in California found that lower-income neighborhoods and areas with high unemployment rates were disproportionately susceptible to the combined impacts of heat and ozone.
Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable populations facing this deadly combination. Air pollution is currently the second leading risk factor of death for children under 5 years old. Meanwhile, those aged 50 and older suffer at a higher rate from pre-existing conditions such as COPD, diabetes, stroke and heart disease, and are especially susceptible to high levels of tropospheric (ground-level) ozone. Low- and middle-income countries are also disproportionately affected by ozone, as they account for a significant piece of the total number of deaths attributed to ozone since 2010. As air quality worsens and our planet continues to get hotter, the world needs to take urgent action to prevent, and to treat the most vulnerable from, these impacts.
Solutions to a Deadly CombinationWorking to weaken the relationship between heat and air quality is critical for reducing the effects of these combined threats. Tackling the emissions that warm our planet and reducing the pollutants that contaminate our air is critical for addressing the root causes of each problem. But leaders can also take action to more immediately protect residents and build climate resilience.
Health preparednessAs we adjust to rising temperatures, it is vital that our medical systems are able to keep up with the growing number of people affected by heat and air pollution. During heat waves and high pollution events, cities must be prepared to handle an increased intake of people seeking medical attention, especially those with pre-existing conditions who are more vulnerable to respiratory and cardiovascular issues during extreme heat events. By increasing access to medical emergency rooms and live-saving medications, cities can strengthen emergency response capacity and bolster public health infrastructure. Bangkok’s air pollution clinic, dedicated solely to treating patients suffering from air pollution-related illnesses and educating the public about air quality safety, is a potential model for other cities to follow. The more capacity that public health systems have to treat patients suffering from air pollution and heat-related illnesses, the more lives will be saved.
Better air quality forecastingEarly warning systems for extreme weather are critical tools for preparing people for dangerous conditions, as Guterres noted in his call to action on extreme heat. But access to information about air quality is also essential for navigating the spikes in pollution levels that accompany heat waves. Integrating air pollution forecasting into early warning systems is especially dire in low- and middle-income countries that often lack the data, capabilities and satellite modeling needed to generate their own air quality forecasts. WRI and the NASA Global Modelling and Assimilation Office have collaborated to give cities in lower-income countries access to air quality forecasts through a tool called CanAIRy Alert. GEOS-CF bias-corrected forecasts are currently available for 121 sites in 21 cities around the world, helping decision-makers better predict increases in air pollution, identify solutions and prepare public health responses.
Example of the CanAIRy Alert forecast tool. It provides information for ozone, nitrogen oxide, PM2.5, temperature and precipitation. Integrated climate and clean air solutionsThe impacts of air pollution and extreme heat are intertwined, so their solutions should also be connected. Reducing emissions — by mandating strict standards for industries, improving public transport and encouraging non-motorized transport, for example — can clean the air while helping curb the temperature increases associated with climate change. Ending dependency on fossil fuels and investing in renewable energy sources are also imperative and can help reduce both temperatures and air pollution levels.
In the short term, cities should develop emergency response plans to hazardous heat and air quality, which could include limiting cars allowed on the roads and shutting down high-polluting factories to temporarily reduce emissions during high pollution events. Cities can increase their longer-term resilience to both heat and air pollution through enhanced urban planning that could feature open ventilation corridors to more effectively disperse air pollution. They can also build green infrastructure like urban tree cover, which can interrupt the urban heat island effect by cooling cities while also absorbing air pollutants.
A Red Zone Alert flag is raised on a summer day in the Washington, D.C., metro area. The warning is an indicator of poor air quality, when it is considered unhealthy to breathe for extended periods. Photo by Michael Ventura/Alamy Stock Photo. Building MomentumGuterres’ call to action in response to the record-breaking July 2024 heat wave is a welcome, and essential, step forward. As part of this mobilization, countries around the world must also consider the role that air pollution is playing. The combination of extreme heat and poor air quality is especially harmful to human health and our ecosystems, and the world must take swift action on both.
A better understanding of the interplay between high temperatures and air pollution is critical for implementing immediate and long-term solutions to the problem. Deeper knowledge about the connection, and more widespread and equitable access to data and tools, can lead to more effective preparations. Solutions to this dual threat should also consider the susceptibilities and vulnerabilities of different populations, like disproportionate health impacts, illnesses and hospitalizations. The next step is building global momentum — and taking collective action to maintain it.
Nina Saaty contributed to this article.
mexico-city-air-pollution.jpg Air Quality Air Quality pollution health Cities Urban Development Urban Efficiency & Climate Featured Popular Type Explainer Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects Authors Beatriz Cardenas Shazabe Akhtar Beth ElliottGreening the Jukskei River: Scaling Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience in Johannesburg, South Africa
Alexandra Township is a 20-square-block enclave in the heart of Johannesburg, South Africa's northern suburbs. Established in 1912, the township was built to house 750,000 residents. Today, it is home to more than 1.2 million. Despite efforts to increase waste management, this surge in population growth has left the neighborhood facing high levels of pollution.
The Jukskei River that runs through Alexandra Township is especially polluted with trash, which has made the river — and the houses built on its banks — highly prone to flooding. "The situation calls for urgent, collective action to restore the environment and protect our community from these escalating dangers," says Semadi Manganye, a local resident and co-founder of the Alexandra Water Warriors.
Manganye's group has recently become involved in a new initiative, SUNCASA, which stands for "Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa." Funded through Canada's Partnering for Climate Initiative and led by WRI and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), SUNCASA aims to help people living in high-flood-risk areas of three major African cities build resilience through nature-based solutions. Working with the City of Johannesburg and other local partners — including the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership (JICP), Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ), Water for the Future (WFTF) Zutari and GenderCC — SUNCASA aims to introduce more nature into the overcrowded Alexandra Township, helping to reduce flood risks and climate-related impacts like urban heat while also expanding residents' access to green spaces.
On August 22, 2024, WRI, IISD, and local project partners hosted the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, on a visit to a SUNCASA project site along the banks of the Jukskei River. Accompanied by Cllr Jack Sekwaila, a Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environment & Infrastructure Services, and Floyd Brink, Johannesburg's City Manager, Minister Joly spoke with local community members and SUNCASA's implementing partners, who shared their visions for improved climate-resilience in Johannesburg as well as the latest developments under the SUNCASA project.
Minister Joly speaking with one of SUNCASA's local partners during her visit to Alexandra. Photo by Jenna Echakowitz/SUNCASA Building Green Spaces and Urban Resilience in JohannesburgDeveloping and maintaining green spaces in townships in Johannesburg (and South Africa more broadly) has long been a challenge. Townships have a high degree of population density, poor infrastructure and limited access to public services, in part due to Apartheid-era planning which has made integrating and accessing green infrastructure more difficult for residents of historically underserved neighborhoods.
SUNCASA is working to build accessible green open spaces in low-income communities like Alexandra by integrating more nature into the built environment. Through consultations with local communities, the project will increase tree cover in Alexandra and the inner city by planting trees near low-income households and expanding tree cover in public spaces. SUNCASA is also supporting other "green infrastructure" solutions in the city, including removing invasive species from the Jukskei River Catchment and rehabilitating vulnerable riverbanks with indigenous species.
Together, these nature-based solutions can improve biodiversity, mitigate flood risks and reduce urban heat island effect, all while helping to build more livable and climate-resilient neighborhoods for disadvantaged communities.
Minister Joly thanked all the partners and communities working on the SUNCASA project, saying "Your leadership, your ideas and hard work are deeply impressive and sure to make the project an impactful one."
The Alexandra Water Warriors, a local partner to the SUNCASA project, welcome Minister Joly to Alexandra, showing her the work done to clean up the banks of the Jukskei River. Photo by Jenna Echakowitz/SUNCASA Integrating Nature and Social Equity into Climate PolicyAlong with helping implement on-the-ground projects, SUNCASA is working with the local government in Johannesburg to integrate nature-based solutions into its long-term priorities. The project will design and deliver training programs to local partners and authorities on gender-responsive nature-based solutions, helping to enhance governance frameworks on climate adaptation and natural resource management. SUNCASA will also provide municipal authorities with peer-learning opportunities, connecting decision-makers with a network of African policymakers working to improve climate and socioeconomic outcomes in their cities.
Gender equality and social inclusion are central pillars of the SUNCASA project. With limited access to resources and essential services, women and historically marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by climate shocks like flooding. But climate solutions are not always designed with these groups in mind, which means they may not receive an equal share of the benefits. Ignoring gender equality and social inclusion can also perpetuate existing biases and inequities in access, rights and opportunities for local communities.
SUNCASA aims to center the needs of vulnerable groups in all its activities by creating opportunities for women and under-represented groups to participate in planning, implementing and monitoring nature-based solutions. For example, the project works with city governments to open up participatory spaces for policy planning. Tapping into the expertise of partners like GenderCC, the project also works to strengthen the capacity of community-based organizations to partake in decision-making processes so their voices are adequately represented.
About the SUNCASA InitiativeSUNCASA is a multi-year initiative that aims to benefit people living in high-flood-risk areas across three major African cities by building their resilience to flooding and other water-related risks through gender-responsive nature-based solutions. Through $22 million in funding from Global Affairs Canada, the project is also being implemented in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia and Kigali, Rwanda by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute. Learn more about SUNCASA here.
alexandra-river-cleanup.jpg Cities Africa Cities urban water resilience Freshwater Climate Resilience Type Project Update Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects Authors Amanda Gcanga Nikara Mahadeo Mulalo Mbedzi Eden Takele