US States Are Creating a Pipeline of Trained EV Workers — Here Are the Emerging Trends alicia.cypress… Thu, 01/09/2025 - 08:15

The burgeoning electric vehicles industry in the U.S. is creating new opportunities and demand for a skilled and diverse workforce. Even with threats from the incoming Trump administration to remove federal support and tax credits for EVs, states — including many outside traditional auto manufacturing hubs — are already seeing significant investments that will increase jobs and tax revenues. 

The EV industry will require workers engaged in scientific research to improve technology, design and development, EV and battery manufacturing, maintenance and repair, and charging infrastructure development. Workers with different education and training backgrounds will be needed to fill jobs across these segments, potentially making the EV industry accessible to a wide group of people. But where and how will these workers receive proper training?

Without federal support, state governments and private businesses — that are already acknowledging the significant economic opportunities EVs will create — are likely to play a pivotal role in helping train the workforce.

How We Analyzed EV Training Programs

Our analysis focuses on post-secondary institutions with more than 500 students in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Tennessee from the National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator database, and builds on a previous assessment by the National Association of State Energy Officials, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and Duke University. 

We identified training programs by researching college and university websites, collecting information on degree and certifications, enrollment prerequisites, skills and knowledge areas, career opportunities and whether programs mention any industry partnerships or connections.    We then classified programs under EV industry segments: manufacturing, maintenance/repair and vehicle charging. Under each, we marked programs as “Yes (EV-specific),” if they explicitly mentioned an EV focus or connection, or as “Potential EV” (Not EV-specific) if they did not mention EVs but teach related skills that can be expanded to include EV-specific offerings.

To better understand the landscape for training opportunities, we looked at colleges and universities, and other technical schools in the states where the most private funds for electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facilities have been invested in the U.S.

As of March 2024, data from the Environmental Defense Fund shows private auto manufacturers have committed the highest amount of investments — about $100 billion — in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Tennessee.  Additional data from the U.S. Department of Energy, shows a significant amount of private investments have been made in battery raw material extraction and processing in Nevada and Tennessee, while North Carolina, Michigan and Georgia have attracted large investments for battery cell and pack manufacturing. Georgia and Michigan are also leading the way in EV assembly and component manufacturing.

From examining these five states, we found five key trends that explain how EV training programs are shaping up.

1) Public Community and Technical Colleges Are at the Forefront of EV Workforce Training

Out of the 196 colleges or universities in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Tennessee that offer EV-specific training or existing programs that can be expanded to offer future EV-specific training (we refer to these as potential EV programs), 172 (88%) are public institutions, out of which 129 (75%) are two-year public institutions like community or technical colleges.

Community colleges are invaluable to the training of skilled technical workers for the growing EV industry and occupy a unique position in the U.S. education system. They offer a range of training programs, including degree programs, certifications in different systems and technologies and apprenticeships, and because of that they are well positioned to respond quickly to training students for jobs in the EV industry. Furthermore, community colleges can contribute to building a diverse and inclusive industry because these schools also serve a significant percentage of low-income, minority and first-generation college students.

These institutions also already prepare students for different career opportunities in the auto industry and many have begun adding EV-related courses to their programs. Wake Tech Community College  in North Carolina, for example, is teaching its electrical degree students how to install and repair charging stations and its transportation program students how to diagnose and repair electric vehicles. These courses build on its four existing degree programs related to automotive systems technology, collision repair and refinishing technology, diesel and heavy equipment technology, and electrical systems technology.

2) Most EV-Specific Training Programs Focus on Vehicle Maintenance or Repair  

Institutions are developing EV-specific training programs to meet industry needs in two distinct ways:

• Through specialized degrees or certificates with classes or curriculum that primarily focus on EVs. In Michigan, Washtenaw Community College’s Transportation Technologies (AAS) program is one example that offers students a specialized concentration in Electric Vehicle Service and Repair. Other examples in Michigan include Lansing Community College’s Advanced Electric Drive/Alternative Fuels certificate program, Kettering University’s Master of Engineering in Electric Vehicles Features and Objectives program and Wayne State University’s Electric-Drive Vehicle Engineering
• Institutions are also adding a specific class on EVs or alternate fuels to existing automative technology programs. The Automotive Technology Associate and Certificate program at Henry Ford College in Michigan offers one example. These programs broadly cover different vehicle systems or technologies, but includes one course on Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Systems, focusing on the operation, service, and safety concerns of electric propulsion systems.

More institutions — mostly community and technical colleges — have developed EV-specific programs related to vehicle maintenance and repair, than those on vehicle manufacturing and charging segments. In addition to providing a background in basic automotive mechanics, these institutions offer training that includes knowledge of high-voltage systems, battery technology, electric motors, and diagnostics and repairs specific to EVs.

Our research also finds that different institutions including four-year colleges or universities offer programs that can be expanded to include EV-specific training—which we refer to as potential EV programs in this article. Some examples of these programs include mechanical engineering, welding, automotive systems/technologies, electrical or electrical systems engineering, among others. While these programs already provide the knowledge base and occupational training suitable for various industries including the legacy auto industry, they offer more opportunities to introduce EV-specific curriculums as EV adoption increases.

3) Enrollment Requirements and Time Commitments Vary Significantly 

While many certificate programs do not specify enrollment prerequisites, a high school diploma or equivalent like the completion of a GED is a common prerequisite for associate degree programs in community and technical colleges or four-year institutions. Students may also need to take additional placement tests, like in the case of the associate degree program in Electrical Systems Technology at Tri-County Community College in North Carolina.

Programs in four-year institutions can also ask for more specific requirements depending on how specialized or advanced the program is. The Automotive and Mobility Systems Engineering program at University of Michigan-Dearborn and the Hybrid Electric Drive Vehicle Engineering program at Michigan Technological University are a couple of examples that require prior bachelor’s level experience in science, technology, engineering or math fields. 

Most programs, which range from two-year degree programs to certifications, are a combination of in-person classroom and lab-based training. The Advanced Electric Drive/Alternative Fuels certificate program and other programs related to automotive technologies at Lansing Community College, describe 70% of the curriculum as lab-based lectures and coursework. In contrast, there are online certificate programs that offer more flexibility for students. The Electric Vehicles Fundamentals (EVF) certificate offered by Montgomery Community College in North Carolina for instance, does not mention any academic prerequisites and is a self-paced virtual program that students can take to prepare for entry-level positions in EV manufacturing and assembly. Mayland Community College in North Carolina and DeVry University in Georgia also offer online programs

The duration of training programs also varies by program. Overall, certificate programs require shorter time commitments compared to other degree-based programs. Certificate programs can range from a few weeks to two years. Programs like Wake Tech Community College’s the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Field Technician certificate program and Truckee Meadows Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing FastTrack program are a couple of examples that span five to seven weeks, while the Gogebic Community College’s Automotive Technology Certificate Program spans two years. Even shorter certification programs are available, like the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program , which is a 20-hour course that students can complete online to earn its certification.    

4) Programs Prepare Students for 3 Common Certifications 

Beyond degree programs, students can also pursue different certifications to earn expertise in specific systems or technologies needed to work in the EV industry. Among the programs we researched and reviewed, these are three commonly recognized automotive and EV industry credentials:

• The Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification is a well-recognized industry standard for automotive technicians, earned through on-the-job training and passing exams. In 2023, ASE created two new certifications, xEV Electrical Safety Awareness Certification and xEV Technician Electrical Safety Certification, to certify repair shops and their employees based on their involvement with EVs.
• The American Welding Society (AWS) offers several professional certifications for welders and inspectors that are relevant for the EV industry. AWS’ certification program for Robotic Arc Welding, for instance, certifies that welding professionals have the capability to operate various robotic welding machines that are common in modern manufacturing plants, including EV plants.
• The National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) provides credentials for various industry trades, such as machining and tooling. NIMS focuses on certifying advanced manufacturing skills required to operate and maintain emerging manufacturing tools, machinery, or computer- and network-based systems that are gaining importance in battery and EV manufacturing facilities.        

5) Industry and Policy Trends Help Shape EV Training Programs

U.S. states, including the five that are the focus of this article, are adopting policies and incentives to attract more EV private investments and working with their state agencies to develop a skilled talent pipeline that will be crucial to meet these emerging industry needs. 

North Carolina for instance, is working toward a goal of 1.25 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030. To help the state achieve this goal, agencies like the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) are utilizing funding from the North Carolina Volkswagen Settlement Grant Program, the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program and the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, to expand the deployment of EV chargers. Private initiatives like Duke Energy’s “Make-Ready” program are also driving up deployment of EV chargers.

Preparing to meet the workforce needs of the rapidly developing EV charging industry is one factor why institutions like Wake Tech have created training opportunities like the EVSE Field Technician Certification program, partnering with industry stakeholders like the Siemens Foundation. Nine other community and technical colleges in the state are also receiving NCDOT funding to install EV chargers and develop clean vehicle training courses covering the installation and maintenance of chargers and vehicle manufacturing and repair.

In Nevada, a state which has not been heavily associated with auto manufacturing, EV training opportunities are also emerging as a result of investments and more state government support. With $10 billion in private investments for battery manufacturing announced, state agencies like the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) are working closely with other state entities to create a skilled workforce for local businesses and facilities. GOED’s Workforce Innovations for the New Nevada program has allocated more than $17 million to develop training opportunities at Nevada institutions, including the College of Southern Nevada, Truckee Meadows Community College, Great Basin College and Western Nevada College, in targeted skill areas, like battery manufacturing, needed by companies in the state.  

Michigan provides another example of state agencies playing an active role to develop training opportunities. The Electric Vehicle Center (EVC) at the University of Michigan for instance, was established in 2023 with the support of a $130 million investment from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. The EVC aims to incorporate EV-focused lessons for different Bachelor’s and Master’s programs across its engineering departments and certificate courses on autonomous and electric vehicles and battery manufacturing.

As different states continue to work towards their EV adoption or EV industry goals, they will have to carefully assess appropriate timeframes to develop training opportunities and the talent pipeline for the EV industry. Programs for EV maintenance and charging, in particular, are likely to have a higher need in areas where the EV transition is already picking up pace.

Expanding EV Training Programs for a More Diverse Workforce

The influx of EV industry investments and EV transition goals are encouraging different states to create and support adequate training opportunities. While this analysis sheds light on different characteristics of existing EV training programs in post-secondary institutions in the five states with the most private investment — Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Tennessee — further research is needed to better understand how more institutions can adapt to the evolving EV industry and how training programs can be accessible to students from diverse backgrounds.

Building a comprehensive inventory of EV training opportunities in and beyond post-secondary institutions, identifying key knowledge areas or curriculum in manufacturing, maintenance and repair, and charging, assessing who these programs are serving, and learning from the experiences of training providers and students themselves are key research areas that will need more attention.

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• Electric Vehicles in the U.S.

Authors Rajat Shrestha Devashree Saha Stephanie Ly Jenna Schulman Evana Said Maria Dye Grace Flynn

How Global Climate Initiatives Can Risk Indigenous Women’s Land Rights alicia.cypress… Wed, 01/08/2025 - 08:02

After years of being away from her ancestral village of Jotomana, Rosa Velásquez, a member of the Wayúu Indigenous group in La Guajira, Colombia, was greeted by gigantic wind turbines punctuating the horizon and dominating the surrounding landscape.

“We live among turbines. The companies like them, but I don’t,” Velásquez told The Guardian. “Where am I to go if this is my territory? What are my grandchildren going to do once I die?”

While Velásquez wrestled with these uncertainties, Leiji Hana González, a 32-year-old Wayuu mother of two, and her family were forced to flee their 40-year-old home in her ancestral village because of land conflict sparked by the installation of a wind farm on their land.

González recounted to Dialogue Earth how armed men belonging to a group that wanted to control clan territory and negotiate with the wind park developer burst into the house shooting and killing one of her aunts. They buried her aunt on the same day and then escaped in the middle of the night with barely more than the clothes on their backs. The family moved to Riohacha, the capital of La Guajira, to live in exile.

These kinds of stories about displacement and land conflict borne by Indigenous women and their communities have become embedded in Colombia’s transition to renewable wind and solar energy as global climate initiatives help the country reduce climate-harming emissions and restore nature.

As Colombia seeks to transition to renewable energy, wind turbines are installed in areas of La Guajira that are home to Indigenous peoples. Photo by Nelson David Alonso Charry/Flickr. How Climate Initiatives Can Put Women at Risk

Recognizing Indigenous lands is important to achieving forest and biodiversity targets and mitigation goals. This is directly acknowledged in initiatives like the Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30x30 Target, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD+) and Net Zero by 2050.

However, the actions necessary to achieve these targets can sometimes result in pressure  and infringement on Indigenous and local land tenure systems that are already insecure due to lack of formal recognition and communities’ weak participation in decision-making related to climate initiatives. These pressures are experienced differently by women and men because of social, economic and political dynamics that influence land tenure and community governance systems. Failure to account for gender when implementing climate initiatives can risk eroding the traditional land entitlements of women and trigger additional negative impacts.

The rights within Indigenous land tenure systems are defined by gender, and social markers including marital status, age and kin group. They are often held collectively by the group but different women and men within that group have different rights and obligations. For example, the Wayuu are a matrilineal society where kinship and rights to inherit land run along the maternal line (from mother or aunt to daughter). With these rights also come the obligation for women to impart cultural and traditional knowledge to the next generation.

Studies show that in general  women bear more risks from external pressures on collectively held lands no matter the tenure system. This is so even in Indigenous matrilineal communities, where women’s land rights are culturally legitimate.

The biggest risks women face include:

Loss of Traditional Land Rights

For González and other Wayuu women whose families get mired in disputes over lands designated for climate initiatives, the loss of traditional land rights is their biggest risk. Beyond displacement for entire families, women additionally lose the specific ancestral property they are entitled to under the matrilineal tenure system.

Resettling on new land can often be precarious. It’s more difficult for women to purchase land because they often have lower incomes and educational levels, lack access to credit or don’t have proper identification documents.

Moreover, especially in and around urban areas, land acquisition may require the male head of household to be named as the owner on property titles. This requirement can effectively erode matrilineal cultures, as it replaces the traditional system of rights and obligations for women with a male dominated majority culture.

 Women can also lose their land rights when climate initiatives fail to abide by international conventions, such as the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO 169), which requires initiatives to include a consultation process and obtain the consent of Indigenous communities. This is the case with Indigenous Bribri women in Talamanca, Costa Rica, one of the most forest-rich regions in the country and among the areas identified for carbon offset programs under REDD+. Like the Wayuu, the Bribri are a matrilineal society where maternal clans own land.

Interviews with members of the Bribri suggested that during REDD+ negotiations, government negotiators bypassed the Bribri ancestral authority (the council of elders) in favor of the Integral Development Association, which serves as the local governance body in Indigenous territories. Since the Integral Development Association is not bound to follow the rules of the matrilineal tenure system in negotiating terms, compensation and benefit-sharing of the agreement, women we interviewed said this could threaten their traditional land rights.

There’s precedent from previous carbon contracts managed by the Integral Development Association, where the management of funds ultimately led to mistrust in the Integral Development Association and conflict among community members because the association chose to bypass customary tenure rules in the investment and distribution of funds.

Without an approach that’s inclusive of the community, initiatives like REDD+ could disregard women’s cultural entitlement to land and instead value Indigenous land for its carbon storage.

A Bribri woman stirs a chocolate drink she made from scratch. Many Bribri women rely on cacao agroforestry for their livelihoods and food security. Photo by Ray Waddington/Alamy Stock Photo. Disruption of Land-based Livelihoods

Another significant risk faced by women is the loss or disruption of their land-based livelihoods. For the Bribri, the emphasis of Costa Rica’s REDD+ strategy on forest conservation and prohibition of land use change to enhance carbon stock can disrupt the Bribri’s use of their lands.

Bribri forest conservation is integrated with Indigenous livelihoods and domestic practices, such as hunting, extracting plants for medicinal and other purposes, tree felling for construction and cultivating small crops (such as citrus, banana and cacao). Forests are also integral to Bribri spirituality, which allows them to maintain one of the most densely forested areas in the country.

Many Bribri women rely on cacao agroforestry for their livelihoods and food security. Others depend on nature tourism to supplement the economy. In Yorkin village, tourism earnings have funded a health clinic, high school, aqueduct and community center.

For the Wayuu, the Colombian government’s plan to intersperse La Guajira with wind parks significantly disrupts their traditional economic activities, which includes raising goats and sheep and small-scale agriculture. The semi-arid landscape already presents challenges, but the destruction of vegetation and excavation of land to erect wind turbines and build access roads and support structures are degrading open pastures and farming land.

In one community, 10 families saw a 50% decrease in livestock in less than five months after a large goat feeder was demolished by the regional environmental agency charged with overseeing wind park projects.

Meanwhile, new jobs promised to the local communities by wind park projects are often generated only during the construction phase, as afterwards most jobs are either automated or require special skills.

Installation of wind turbines are disrupting the livelihoods of the Wayuu in La Guajira, Colombia, which includes raising goats and sheep. Photo by Nelson David Alonso Charry/Flickr. Erosion of Social Support Systems

In matrilineal and matrilocal (societies where the family residence is in the wife’s village or clan territory) communities, where families live in compounds or settlements, the loss of land tenure often leads to a loss of support systems for women. One such case involves the Indigenous Guna community in Guna Yala, a group of islands off Panama’s Caribbean coast affected by sea level rise.  

The Guna live in family compounds consisting of several structures designed for large and multigenerational families. This allows women to share domestic responsibilities, diversify their livelihoods and exercise considerable decision-making powers.

Rising sea levels and increasingly severe storms are causing many of the Guna Yala island communities to consider relocating to their traditional lands on Panama’s mainland. Gardi Sugdub, the first island community that made this decision a decade ago received some government support for housing and resettlement. However, the Guna had little input on the resettlement plan developed by the government, and their matrilineal tenure system and matrilocal residency were not accounted for in the design of the new settlement and prioritization of plot ownership.

The new settlement designed by the government is laid out as an urban development set up on a grid, with individual dwellings suited for nuclear families. The Guna have yet to officially move to the resettlement village, but the design risks reshaping the Guna women’s land tenure system and entitlements in at least two ways. First, it may nudge a transition from collective land ownership to a more Western land tenure concept that privileges private ownership and titling in the name of the head of household, which is typically the husband or male relative. Second, it may shift Guna culture from one centered on the extended family to that of a nuclear family, potentially weakening the matrilineal tenure system and women’s social support network that the multi-generational residency provides. Research shows that how architecture and spatial organization is designed influences people’s behavior and social practices.

Sea level rise is threatening the homes of the Guna people in Guna Yala, Panama. Photo by MarcPo/iStock.  Mitigating Women’s Risks

The vital roles of women in communities like the Wayuu, Bribri and Guna as food producers, homemakers, resource caretakers and leaders — and the centrality of secure land tenure to these roles — make it essential for climate initiatives and actions to incorporate strategies and measures to protect women’s land entitlements.

 For example, research shows that women with secure land rights have a greater say in household income and expenditures that typically improves family food security and children’s health and education. Also, women who own land tend to invest more in climate adaptation strategies, as secure land tenure empower them to make long-term decisions about their land and adopt practices like sustainable agriculture, agroforestry and soil conservation to protect their land and improve their resilience to climate change impacts. But with any climate strategy or initiative, it is important that the approach ensures cultural sensitivity and applies a consultative process that’s inclusive of women and marginalized segments of the community. Measures to achieve this include:

1) Institutionalizing Free, Prior and Informed Consent According to International Standards

Even when there’s some form of consultation with Indigenous women and their communities, it still falls short of genuine participation and recognition of Indigenous rights and customary tenure systems. Meaningful consultations require mandating and institutionalizing Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), which are international standards set by ILO 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

2) Support More Decision-Making by Indigenous Women and their Organizations

Women in Wayuu, Bribri and Guna communities were mostly underrepresented and played secondary roles in the processes and decisions impacting their land security, social support and livelihoods. Their crucial roles as producers, natural resources caretakers, and keepers and transmitters of ancestral knowledge, including traditional medicine, necessitate their participation in decision-making for climate action to be equitable and sustainable. Relevant state authorities, including gender ministries, collaborating with nongovernmental organizations, can provide support through, among others:

• Rights-awareness and leadership trainings to give Indigenous women and men a stronger voice to influence decisions.
• Skills-building trainings to improve economic prospects in case of loss of traditional livelihoods.
• Gender-sensitization activities for government personnel and third parties implementing climate actions, such as organizing workshops with women to design gender-responsive guidelines and safeguards for project implementation.
• Providing safe and convenient opportunities and spaces for women to meet, network and organize.
• Protecting women and men who may be threatened and placed in harm’s way while defending their lands and rights.

 3) Address Policy and Regulatory Gaps in Climate Action

Policy and regulatory gaps related to the climate initiatives or actions must be addressed by the state. For example, in Panama, climate policies on climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction can be strengthened to provide greater guidance on planned relocation of Indigenous communities, ensuring such initiatives are implemented in a culturally appropriate manner incorporating Indigenous and local perspectives. In Colombia, the energy transition policy can incorporate national consultation guidelines aligned with FPIC with minimum standards that guarantee the participation of women and marginalized groups, and secure Indigenous Peoples’ and women’s land rights. And in Costa Rica, the state can  enact measures to properly implement REDD+ in Indigenous territories, including the integration of two components identified by Bribri women, namely, gender, language and culture; and tourism, both of which support the matrilineal culture and secure women’s land tenure and livelihoods.

For more on this topic, read WRI’s working paper: Potential Risks to Women’s Land Rights from Climate Actions: Exploring Matrilineal Communities in Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama.

woman-cooking-LaGuajira-village.jpg Equity & Governance Latin America Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities land rights Gender Climate Equity Type Finding Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects

• Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities

Authors Celine Salcedo-La Viña Anamaría Martinez Patricia Quijano Vallejos

More Than Ore: The Pivotal Role Recycled Copper Can Play in the Energy Transition alicia.cypress… Tue, 01/07/2025 - 08:00

Copper is one of the most crucial minerals needed to drive the clean energy transition, and a faster transition could push copper demand beyond current production capacity. One way to overcome this challenge is by recycling.

Copper — that reddish-brown soft metal found in everything from electronics to cookware — is needed for all renewable energy technologies, including wind, solar and energy storage, as well as the grid infrastructure required to integrate it all.

Under the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Emission by 2050 Scenario, 50% of copper demand will be dedicated to clean energy technologies by 2040 and the overall global demand is projected to grow by at least 50% by 2050.

Power systems supported by renewable energy sources may use six to 12 times more copper than a fossil-fuel-based power system. Copper is also necessary for electric vehicles, which require at least two to three times more copper than traditional gas vehicles.

Significantly increasing copper mining in the short term faces several challenges, including long development lead times for deeper mines, permitting delays for new mines and decreasing ore quality from existing mines requiring a higher energy and water consumption per mass of copper extracted.

Here, we explore copper’s significance and how recycling it — especially at a product’s end of life — can help sustainably increase the supplies for a clean energy future.

Why Copper Matters

Copper has helped shape human development over thousands of years. Historically, it’s been used for decorative items and tools. Today, it plays a vital and versatile role in a wide range of industrial applications due to its exceptional and unique properties, such as its flexibility, conductivity and resistance to corrosion.

Copper is the second-best electrical conductor after silver, making it indispensable in the power sector for wiring transmission. Copper’s high conductivity significantly reduces resistance in electricity transmission, minimizing energy losses that would otherwise be converted to heat and helping to lower associated carbon emissions.

Nearly 70% of the copper used worldwide is dedicated to electrical conductivity and communication purposes. In addition, copper’s excellent thermal conductivity and strong corrosion resistance make it highly valuable in the construction and building sectors, where it can be found in long-term applications such as plumbing, heat exchangers and radiators.

Copper wiring is used in the production of a wind turbine in India. Photo by Joerg Boethling / Alamy Stock Photo.

Copper is also highly malleable (it can be hammered or pressed without breaking or cracking) and its ductility (the ability to change shape without losing its strength) makes it ideal for manufacturing intricate or small components, such as fine wires in computers or smartphones. Furthermore, copper’s natural antimicrobial properties allow it to kill bacteria and viruses on contact, making it valuable in the health care industry for copper-coated medical devices that reduce the spread of infections. Copper can also be combined with different elements to form alloys like brass and bronze, found in many applications such as valves, fittings, bearings, bushings, industrial machinery components, as well as Olympic bronze medals, jewelry and fine art.

Overall, copper is widely used across various sectors worldwide: 44% in power generation and transmission, 20% in construction and buildings, 14% in electrical equipment and electronic devices, 12% in vehicles and the transportation sector and 10% in other consumer goods such as coins, sculptures, jewelry, musical instruments and cookware, according to the International Copper Association.

As a backbone of both modern life and the global energy transition, every opportunity to source copper matters. In addition to opening new mines and extending the life of existing mines, recycling copper from products at their end of life is another important yet often overlooked source. 

The Potential of Recycling End-of-Life Copper

Recycled copper includes copper from both manufacturing processes (pre-consumer or new scrap) and end-of-life products (post-consumer or old scrap) that have reached the end of their useful lifecycle. Copper’s remarkable property of being 100% recyclable without losing its inherent properties makes it a highly viable supplement to mining new copper.

Copper produced from recycled materials can save up to 85% of the energy needed for mining and extraction. While the exact quantity of energy and greenhouse gas savings depends on how it’s recycled and the quality of secondary input materials, recycling copper can significantly reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions across the entire supply chain.

End-of-life consumer products, like this broken computer power supply box, includes copper wiring among its components. Photo by KPixMining / Alamy Stock Photo. 

Currently, recycled copper accounts for about one-third of the world’s copper supply. While it can’t completely replace primary copper production from mining, recycled copper can serve as a critical supply buffer, helping to mitigate potential market tightness or price shocks. The greatest recycling opportunities will come from products at their end of life like electronic waste (or e-waste), which is the world’s fastest-growing waste stream at 62 million tons a year.

Some regions are already showing initiatives. For example, in the European Union, the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive mandates that all end-of-life vehicles achieve a minimum of 95% recovery and 85% recycling based on their average weight, including materials such as copper. In the U.S., many recycling initiatives are driven by procurement specifications set by government agencies and companies that encourage the recovery and reuse of materials like copper. Additionally, various state and federal programs help foster a growing market for recycled copper and other metals.

In China, the government recently established the China Resource Recycling Group to improve nationwide recycling efforts of metals, including copper from end-of-life vehicles, home appliances, electronic waste, solar panels and wind turbines.

Modeling simulations from Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers show that recycled copper, particularly from end-of-life products, can play an increasingly essential role in helping meet the growing demand of what will be needed by mid-century. By integrating advanced processing technologies with significantly improved recycling rates, around two-thirds of newly available end-of-life copper scrap could be recovered and recycled by 2040. This would enable the additional recovery of over 6 million tons of copper from landfills each year — equivalent to more than 16 Empire State Buildings made entirely of copper and 30% more than the total copper production in 2023 from the world’s 10 largest copper mines.

However, to fully harness the potential of end-of-life copper to meet the growing copper demand, the global end-of-life copper recycling rates will need to double from the current levels at 32% to 66%.

Copper Recycling’s Complex Challenges

Copper recycling is a complex process with multiple steps such as collection, sorting, smelting and refining, and deploying diverse technologies and practices tailored to different waste streams. Taking e-waste as an example, the small amount of copper used in electronic devices might require more effort to recycle than other products.

In addition, recent policy changes have significantly impacted the copper scrap recycling market and global trade. For example, the Chinese government implemented a solid waste import ban in 2017, which would make it difficult for the country to process low-grade scrap sources for recycled copper. Previously, many developed countries, including the U.S., the United Kingdom and Japan, had exported low-grade copper scrap to China. In March 2023, the EU considered copper a critical and strategic raw material for the first time. This signals an acknowledgement of the need to secure copper supply for the EU’s transition to climate neutrality as global copper demand grows and is likely to increase pressure to keep more copper scrap in the EU. As a result, international trade in copper scrap is expected to decline. To make up for this deficit, countries will need to recycle copper domestically or regionally.

Currently, the U.S., Europe and China dominate global end-of-life copper volume, collectively accounting for about 60% of the collectible end-of-life copper and nearly 80% of the global copper scrap market by annual revenue. However, these regions face different bottlenecks to scale up their recycling efforts.

In the U.S., a major bottleneck is the lack of smelting and refinery capacity, especially for end-of-life copper, although this is changing with more facilities coming online or in development. In Europe, the largest challenge for copper recycling operations arises from regulatory hurdles that make it difficult to ship scrap from one EU country to another, high operational and energy costs and a conservative business environment that restricts growth. This challenge is further aggravated by the trade-off between increasing the recycling of lower-grade scrap and reducing carbon dioxide emissions to achieve the EU’s ambitious climate goals. This is because emissions may come from the plastic in e-waste that can’t be separated prior to smelting.

In China, government policies such as subsidies and incentives largely shape recycling practices. China needs a more resilient policy framework to build a more robust copper recycling market, especially by increasing domestic copper scrap supply since governmental subsidies are crucial to making the market economically viable. However, policies promoting long-term market health may lead to short-term market adjustments, as recyclers temporarily choose to hold copper scrap in their inventories, creating supply fluctuations.

What’s Needed to Scale Recycled Copper?

Scaling recycled copper is not just a technical challenge. It requires a solid copper recycling market based on a circular economy.

To increase the end-of-life copper recycling rate in an environmentally and socially responsible way, the following is needed: 

• A reliable and steady supply of feedstock in various grades by collecting copper scraps from end-of-life products and transporting them to processing facilities. Consumer groups, brands, retailers, logistics companies, municipalities and NGOs need to work together to raise public awareness and develop effective take-back/bring-back systems to increase the collection of end-of-life products. Public authorities and standardization organizations can seek transportation solutions for collected feedstock for recycling.
• High-standard processing capacity using advanced technologies is needed to transform copper scrap into recycled copper materials in each recycling step. Governments and the private sector must collaborate on policy frameworks and incentives to help accelerate and expand capacity with high technical, environmental, and social standards, especially for lower-grade copper. Civil society can support the industry with ESG performance and local community engagement for knowledge sharing and best practices.
• Strong market demand for recycled copper from downstream semi-fabricators and manufacturers can help drive the adoption of recycled copper as a sustainable material alternative to manufacturing. Many industrial applications do not need the highest purity of recycled copper if copper scraps can be sorted and refined properly and efficiently. Matching applications with “pure enough” recycled copper can avoid unnecessary processing steps, reducing recycling costs and lowering carbon and other environmental footprints. Copper recyclers, semi-fabricators and end-use industries need to work together to increase awareness of the benefits of using recycled copper and to understand and align on purity needs to unlock market potential for recycled copper from end-of-life scrap.

Building such a robust copper recycling market, unlocking the potential of circular copper supply chains through innovative business models and embedding circularity in our economy are essential steps to improve end-of-life copper recycling practices.

Substantially increasing copper recycling will complement copper from mining and support the supply of minerals needed by the energy transition. Improvements in collection, transport and recycling economics can directly benefit the recovery of other critical minerals (e.g. cobalt, rare-earth elements) today, as well as emerging end-of-life clean energy products such as EV batteries and solar panels, which will reach significant volumes in the coming decade.

Experts from the International Copper Association and Massachusetts Institute of Technology contributed information to this report.

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• Energy Minerals and Circularity

Authors Xixi Chen Ke Wang

STATEMENT: U.S. Treasury Department Rules that Cleanest Hydrogen Projects to Receive Top Tax Credits nate.shelter@wri.org Fri, 01/03/2025 - 13:49

Washington, DC (January 3, 2025) — Today the U.S. Treasury Department released its final rule on 45V Hydrogen Production Tax Credit, enabling clean hydrogen producers to secure production incentives and accelerate the U.S. clean energy transition.

Clean hydrogen is widely considered to be an important solution for decarbonizing energy-intensive sectors, such as heavy industry and commercial transport.

The final guidance keeps intact the three pillars proposed by Treasury in December 2023. These would require that new, additional clean energy be generated in the same region and hour that produces the hydrogen to qualify for the $3 per kilogram production credit. It grants new flexibility for each pillar for hydrogen producers while maintaining the three pillars’ core integrity.

Following is a statement from Angela Anderson, Director of Industrial Innovation and Carbon Removal, U.S. Climate, World Resources Institute:

“The final rule ensures that only hydrogen projects produced from zero-carbon energy will qualify for the most generous tax incentives. Hydrogen’s ability to maximize pollution reduction depends on how it is produced, and this rule will incentivize industrial companies to choose cleaner methods of production.

“These rules will encourage industrial companies to adopt a vital clean energy solution that will both slash their pollution and boost their competitiveness. The Treasury Department’s decision to maintain the three pillars while allowing some well-monitored flexibility will help steel, chemicals, refining and other industrial companies scale up clean hydrogen projects that reduce emissions.

“The Treasury Department rules signal to industry leaders and investors that now is the time to launch innovative hydrogen projects that provide reliable energy and feedstock alternatives, particularly for carbon-intensive industries. These tax credits will enable American companies to be competitive in this emerging market, bringing new jobs and cleaner energy to communities.”

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Championing Rwanda’s Circular Food System: Meet the Second Cohort of Entrepreneurs Leading the Change shannon.paton@… Mon, 12/30/2024 - 16:38 .logo-section { display: block; } .article-logos { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; flex-direction: row; } .article-logos div { display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; } .article-logos div img { flex: 1 1 800px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 5px; }

Africa continues to face the highest levels of hunger globally, with 20.4% of its population —nearly 300 million people — affected in 2023. Projections indicate that by 2030 more than half of the world’s 582 million chronically undernourished people will be in Africa — a staggering 130 million more than pre-pandemic estimates. These figures highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions to address Africa’s growing food insecurity crisis.

In Rwanda, compounding this crisis, nearly 40% of its food production is lost or wasted annually, despite the nation’s reliance on agriculture, which employs more than 70% of its population and contributes 33% to GDP. This food waste crisis highlights an urgent need for sustainable solutions rooted in circular economy principles, which emphasize minimizing waste and maximizing resource use through reuse, recycling and efficiency.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are poised to play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges. Representing 98% of businesses in Rwanda and contributing 41% of private sector jobs, SMEs are vital to the country’s economy. Yet, many of these businesses face barriers such as limited resources, technical capacity and market access, hindering their adoption of circular business models.

The Circular Food Systems for Rwanda Project, funded by the IKEA Foundation and led by WRI, is unlocking this potential by supporting SMEs to drive the transition toward a circular food economy. The project’s SME Facility provides critical resources, including education, technical assistance and networking opportunities, enabling businesses to innovate and thrive.

In June 2023, the SME Facility selected its first cohort of seven SMEs and paired them with technical experts to develop sustainable, circular practices. These businesses received tailored guidance on enhancing resource efficiency and reducing waste across their operations.

In 2024, the SME Facility selected the second cohort made up of 13 SMEs. These SMEs are now contributing to a zero-waste food economy through climate-smart technologies, innovative crop development and other circular practices that bolster food security and economic resilience.

Rwanda’s unique position as a leader in sustainable development is enhanced by this project. With 164 kilograms of food wasted per person in Rwanda annually, according to UNEP’s Food Waste Index Report 2021, the transition to circularity offers immense social, economic and environmental benefits. Beyond reducing waste, circular food systems create new job opportunities, climate resilience, and improves livelihoods for small-scale producers who form the backbone of Rwanda’s agricultural sector.

The Circular Food Systems for Rwanda Project demonstrates the power of SMEs to transform challenges into opportunities. By equipping businesses with the tools to adopt circular principles, the project is fostering a food system that is resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.

Meet the 13 SMEs in our second cohort, dedicated to advancing sustainable agriculture and fostering circular food systems. Their innovative approaches not only address the needs of people, nature and climate but also empower these entrepreneurs to drive meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.

1) Gisuma Coffee Cooperative

• Location: Rusizi District, Western Province
• Contact: Chantel
• Email: gisumacoffeecooperative@gmail.com

Image by Katie Garner/WRI

Gisuma Coffee Cooperative, established in 2009 and formally registered in 2010 by 56 women, supports the livelihoods of coffee farmers in Rwanda’s Western Province. Now involving 185 members and 808 non-members, Gisuma processes coffee for smallholder farmers who rely on cooperatives for harvesting and selling. Despite their Fair Trade certification, accessing international markets remains a challenge.

The cooperative says it plans to leverage Circular Food Systems for Rwanda’s (CIRF) technical assistance to boost business development and environmental sustainability. Their key goals include turning waste coffee pulp into compost for local farmers and expanding market access and financial connections. Gisuma currently processes up to 350 tons of coffee cherries and employs four staff and 30-40 seasonal workers.

2) Domestica

• Location: Gasabo District
• Contact: Deogratias Ndagijimana
• Email: nd.deos09@gmail.com 

Image by Katie Garner/WRI

Located in Gasabo District, Domestica was founded by health care professionals in 2021 to address community malnutrition through sustainable protein production. The farm, which employs four full-time staff, integrates innovative practices such as hydroponic farming, which allows for rapid feed production on minimal land, and solar-powered irrigation to enhance water efficiency. By converting agricultural waste into feed pellets and compost, Domestica reduces costs and supports local farmers. While they’ve faced challenges with techniques like Black Soldier Fly farming, the team says the CIRF training will help them improve these methods and incorporate new ideas, including sustainable grass cultivation for their goat herd and expanding market access. They aim to create a model that scales and promotes better health through accessible protein.

3) CACPN (Center for Agroecological Practices and Conservation of Nature)

• Location: Northern Province, Gicumbi District
• Contact: Isaac Mubashankwaya
• Email: isaacdabraham@yahoo.fr

Image by Katie Garner/WRI

Founded in 2018 by Isaac Mubashankwaya after he completed his doctorate in agroecology, CACPN embodies eco-conscious farming. It features diverse practices: horticulture, a nursery producing crops and tree seedlings, and various livestock including indigenous poultry, goats and merino sheep. The center also houses mushroom production managed by local youth and utilizes compost and vermicompost made from cow manure and post-harvest mushroom waste. These efforts support its eco-friendly ethos and reduce external inputs, such as chemical fertilizers.

CACPN, which employs eight full-time and 25 part-time staff while incorporating 30 interns annually, aims to boost environmental conservation through farmer training and community engagement. Mubashankwaya says he is hopeful about the impact of the CIRF training on his business, with existing meetings already proving inspirational. He says he anticipates that the training will strengthen both CACPN’s operations and its role in the local farming ecosystem and embolden his marketing opportunities.

4) Njordfrey

• Location: Kayonza District

Located in Kayonza District, Njordfrey launched in 2020 to revolutionize food production in Rwanda through aquaponic farming. This circular system uses fish waste to nourish plants, which, in turn, filters and purifies water, allowing for continuous, efficient and water-saving farming.

Aquaponics offers a solution to the challenges of unpredictable weather, soil degradation and limited growing space, ensuring year-round harvests of both nutritious vegetables and fish protein. Though installation costs are high, Njordfrey says this is a strategic long-term investment that boosts yields and minimizes traditional labor. They continue to explore innovative ways to maximize output and minimize waste, such as developing packaging for their produce.

5) SOUK

• Location: Eastern Province, Kayonza District
• Contact:  Florence Uwinema
• Email: faisal.razzaq@njordfrey.com

Image by Katie Garner/WRI

Based in Kigali, SOUK is dedicated to boosting Rwanda’s agricultural export market and improving farmer incomes. By growing and exporting premium crops like avocados, beans and chilies, SOUK pays local farmers double the usual market rate. The organization partners with out-growers, providing training, technical irrigation support and quality control to ensure consistent output. SOUK currently exports 600 tons annually to countries like the UK and UAE, aiming to double this by the end of 2024.

Committed to circular practices, SOUK works on enhancing soil health and minimizing waste, with future plans that include turning avocado byproducts into oil for additional revenue. They currently employ 300 people across five sites, including the Southern Province, Nyanza District and Eastern Province, Gatsibo district, with an additional 1,200 people working as out-growers.

6) Virunga Biotech

• Location: Karambi Cell, Rwamagana
• Contact: Yusufu Mukasa
• Email: ysaibamukasa@gmail.com

Established in 2017 and based in Rwamagana, Virunga Biotech has set out to strengthen Rwanda’s agricultural exports to Europe. Specializing in chili production, they have introduced an advanced bubble and ozone washing system that meets stringent European standards, enhancing both the quality and market readiness of their produce. This technology also benefits local farmers by reducing costs typically associated with shed nets required for pesticide control.

Virunga processes up to 60 metric tons of produce daily and is now planning to diversify into exports of avocadoes, broccoli and perishable items like French beans. As part of the CIRF training, the company is exploring sustainable solutions for energy use and waste management to optimize efficiency and limit landfill needs. Virunga Biotech currently employs seven full-time staff and 551 casual workers, positioning itself as a vital link between local farmers and international markets.

7) Classic Farm

• Location: City of Kigali, Kicukiro District
• Contact:  Seraphin Nsengiyumva
• Gmail: nseraphin50@gmail.com

Image by Katie Garner/WRI

Classic Farm, founded in 2019 in Kigali by engineer-turned-entrepreneur Seraphin Nsengiyumva, embodies a commitment to bolstering food security in Rwanda. What began as a small tomato greenhouse has grown into a modern agricultural site incorporating diverse crops and a fish farm that maximizes production through circular practices, such as reusing fish effluent for crop irrigation. Nsengiyumva’s dedication to innovation and sustainable methods led him to develop organic compost from locally sourced animal manure and fish farm byproducts.

Though he faced challenges, such as experimenting with urea fertilizer, he says he values collaborative learning to improve practices. With plans to incorporate Black Soldier Flies for added crop nutrition, Classic Farm aims to enhance yields, reduce soil pollution and contribute to employment and food sufficiency. The farm employs six full-time staff and continues to pioneer sustainable agriculture within the community.

8) Elim Farm

• Location: Eastern Province, Nyagatare District
• Contact: Alphonse Kizihira
• Gmail: elimplusltd@gmail.com

Image by Katie Garner/WRI

Elim Farm is dedicated to food security and waste reduction. Led by Alphonse Kizihira, the farm addresses the challenge of post-harvest loss by innovating storage and processing methods to extend crop longevity.

Elim farm includes 10 hectares of banana plantations, 19,000 coffee trees, many of which are intercropped with the banana trees to enhance growth, 7 hectares of mangoes, 1.5 hectares of macadamia trees, and 3 hectares of forest, with the remaining land growing beans and maize. They also have 40 beehives, 20 modern and 20 local, which, combined produce approximately 80kg of honey per month.

With circular practices like intercropping and using compost from animal manure, Elim optimizes crop growth sustainably. Although the farm faces irrigation and energy challenges, it is leveraging CIRF support to explore biogas and other solutions. Elim Farm employs five staff and up to 50 casual workers daily.

9) Holy Agriculture

• Location:  Ngoma District, Eastern Province,
• Contact: Jean Claude Munyaneza Kabaiza
• Gmail: elimplusltd@gmail.com

Nestled on Lake Sake’s shores in Rwanda’s Ngoma District, Holy Agriculture was founded by Jean Claude Munyaneza Kabaiza, a former Ministry of Agriculture official. Inspired by the need for quality seed production, the farm provides improved orange sweet potato and cassava seeds to boost yields and combat malnutrition locally. Beyond seeds, the farm grows crops like bell peppers and raises livestock, employing circular practices such as turning crop residue into animal feed.

With a focus on post-harvest processing, Holy Agriculture aims to reduce waste and enhance food security. Jean Claude says he plans to leverage CIRF training to expand knowledge and adopt innovative practices for sustainable growth. The farm employs 10 permanent staff and up to 50 casual workers.

10) Rwanda BioSolutions

• Location: Bugesera District, Eastern Province
• Contact: Gaddafi Rutikanga
• Gmail: uwerajoyce250@gmail.com

Rwanda BioSolutions transforms waste into high-quality, affordable compost to support sustainable farming and soil health. Using a blend of rabbit manure, household waste and local dumpsite materials, they accelerate decomposition with microorganisms, producing compost in a fraction of the usual time. By providing an affordable alternative to inorganic fertilizers, they aim to help farmers improve yields without depleting soil quality.

They also run community programs on waste management and organic practices, and support teen mothers in farming. With the CIRF training, Rwanda BioSolutions is exploring circular innovations to overcome logistical challenges and expand impact. The team includes 2 permanent staff, 4 part-time staff, and 30 casual workers.

11) Triumvirate

• Location: Southern Province, Nyamasheke District.
• Contact: Jean Pierre Niyigena
• Gmail: food.triumvirate@gmail.com

Image by Katie Garner/WRI

Founded by university students to combat child malnutrition in Rwanda, Triumvirate produces sambaza fish flour — a protein-rich, shelf-stable food ideal for young children. Sambaza flour, made from sardine-like fish, provides essential nutrients at a low cost, supporting local communities and reducing Rwanda’s dependency on imported protein additives. The company is now expanding to incorporate fortified vegetables and cereals.

Through CIRF training, Triumvirate aims to adopt circular practices, using waste and resources efficiently for sustainable growth. Triumvirate employs seven full-time staff and partners with nearly 200 women in cooperatives, producing 50 tons of sambaza flour annually.

12) ZEAN

• Location: Musanze, Nyabihu District
• Contact: Nduwayezu Enode
• Gmail: enodendu@gmail.com

Image by Katie Garner/WRI

ZEAN is transforming post-harvest losses into economic opportunities by processing maize and bananas into products with longer shelf lives, like maize flour and banana chips. By purchasing crops by weight rather than sight, ZEAN ensures farmers receive fair, stable prices, enabling them to reinvest in their farms. Partnering with six cooperatives and over 1,560 farmers, ZEAN produces 40 metric tons (88,000 pounds) of banana chips and 108 metric tons (238,000 pounds) of maize flour annually. Always innovating, ZEAN is exploring new ways to repurpose waste, such as using banana peels and converting cooking oil into fuel. ZEAN employs 26 full-time staff and 76 casual workers.

13) INEZA

• Location:  Muhanga District
• Contact: Mutamuriza Lea
• Gmail: inezamushroom@gmail.com

INEZA, founded in 2021 in Muhanga, Southern Province, Rwanda, is a youth-led enterprise dedicated to improving community health and wealth through mushroom farming. They produce 800–2,000 mushroom kits monthly, selling over 60% to local farmers and using the remainder to grow fresh mushrooms, yielding 50 kilograms (110 pounds) per month. Operating from a small residential property, they plan to scale operations at a new site next year.

Image by Katie Garner/WRI

INEZA’s process relies heavily on agricultural inputs used for creating a substrate—the material in which mushrooms grow by providing nutrients and support. In mushroom farming, substrate creation typically involves combining organic materials like crop residues, which are sterilized and prepared to promote mushroom growth.

Historically, there has been heavy reliance on cotton husks, imported from Tanzania, as a key substrate ingredient. Recently, Rwandan innovators have started using locally sourced materials like coffee pulps and bean husks to supplement the mix, reducing input costs while embracing circular economy principles.

However, cotton husks still constitute a critical 50% of the substrate, meaning production remains constrained by slow import processes. A smoother supply chain would enable better production efficiency and facilitate business growth.

One area of supply that the team are managing for themselves is the need for mycelium. Currently provided through the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), they are exploring the development of a separate supply for their business at a lower cost.

With ambitions to explore mushroom processing and export opportunities, including markets in Kenya, they aim to reduce post-harvest loss and expand their market reach.

Committed to sustainability, INEZA has embraced circular practices, such as vermicomposting household and organic waste through their Zero Waste Management Project. This aligns with Rwanda’s environmental goals of waste reduction, improved soil health, and job creation for youth. The business employs three full-time staff and 20–30 part-time workers annually.

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• Circular Food Systems for Rwanda

Authors Ivy Muigai

Why Broken Resolutions Are Not (Entirely) Your Fault margaret.overh… Mon, 12/23/2024 - 14:51

Now is the time of year when everyone thinks about what they'd like to change about themselves. Despite the museum of abandoned aspirations behind us — the language-learning app that now just judges us in three different languages, the journal whose one lonely entry reads 'Day 1: This is the year!' — we embrace resolutions each January with the cheerful confidence of someone who has never met their past self.

This seems bleak, but here's a secret I've learned as a behavioral scientist: Past failures aren't always our fault — at least not entirely.

There's only so much control we all have over our own lives. Sure, sometimes failure is the product of good old ordinary laziness. But often we blame the player when we should (at least partly) blame the game.

Why New Year's Resolutions Often Fail

There is a simple equation from social psychologist Kurt Lewin that explains almost everything you need to know about why our new year's resolutions often fail and what to do about it:

B = f(P,E)

Where "B," behavior, is a function of "P," the person, and "E," their environment.

Individual behaviors are literally part of the equation, but they are shaped by systems — by policies, by industry, by the circumstances in which we live. Personal choices matter, of course. But our ability to execute our choices is heavily influenced by the environment around us.

Take bike-riding. With intentions of sustainable transport, I recently bought an electric bike. I ride it a fair amount, and I love it. But I don't use it as much as I'd like because there are very few protected lanes in my neighborhood. So when I reach for my bike, fueled with good intentions (the P force in the equation), I can feel my wind-in-the-hair ambitions riding directly into my fear of the cars that drive along next to me (the E in the equation). My desire to keep my bones in their current structure wins out, and I reach for car keys instead of my bike.

So, should we all abandon our new year's resolutions because personal change is impossible without systemic change? Of course not! While it's tempting to surrender to forces beyond our control, individual choices remain powerful; they're literally half of Lewin's equation.

Our individual choices are seeds of change. Like any seed, they require an ecosystem of supporting conditions to flourish. The key is working both dimensions: designing our micro-environments while advocating for macro systems that nurture larger change. Think of it as both planting seeds and improving soil conditions — neither alone suffices, but together they create the conditions for success.

Making Sustainable New Year's Resolutions a Reality

There are lots of ways people can make healthier choices for themselves and the planet. Part of being successful is choosing wisely. There is a cartoon that captures this insight. Two blue whales are talking, and one says, "My new year's resolution is to lose 38,000 pounds."

Start too big or with too many goals, and we will lose confidence and then traction. We aim for whale-sized goals when goldfish-sized beginnings serve us better. The trick is picking the right goals and making sure they are right-sized.

Shoppers bag produce at a farmer's market. Eating less meat and more plant-based protein is one impactful way to lower your climate footprint. Photo by SochAnam/iStock

There are many relatively simple changes that can make a positive impact on the climate. And some matter much more than others. (We analyze which pro-climate behaviors are the most impactful in a forthcoming research paper; stay tuned!)

Biking or walking instead of driving a gas-powered car can reduce carbon emissions and local air pollution. Plant-based diets are less resource-intensive than meat-based ones — especially red meat. Beef production, for example, requires 20 times more land and emits 20 times the greenhouse gases per gram of edible protein than common plant-based options like beans. And reducing food waste can curb planet-warming methane emissions while also saving households money.

Those who resolve to take up healthy and sustainable behavior changes can make them easier and more likely by using the EAST framework:

• Keep the behavior easy, so it takes minimal effort to do;
• Keep the behavior attractive, so there are incentives built in;
• Keep the behavior social, so you see other people doing the same; and
• Keep the behavior timely, so you experience a benefit right away.

If your goal is to take public transit more instead of driving, the EAST framework might involve easing friction points by auto-loading fare cards, pre-programing routes, and adding smart alerts that make sure you get to the bus or metro on time.

You might make this behavior attractive by downloading podcasts and investing in decent headphones. Sharing the commute with a colleague can make it more fun and help you stick to your commitment. Finally, creating immediate rewards can reinforce your choice. That favorite coffee shop near your stop becomes a daily bright spot, while tracking your gas savings provides instant gratification.

Creating a Healthier Planet Requires Personal Choice and Systemic Shifts

I am an applied behavioral scientist who works on pro-climate behaviors. If anyone should be able to build a healthy and sustainable practice, it's me. Armed with the EAST framework and determination, I crafted what seemed like the perfect sustainable transportation plan: an electric bike chosen for ease, a really comfortable seat for attraction, shared rides with my daughter for social connection. Yet despite this carefully engineered situation, I find myself reaching for my car keys (an EV, but still) more often than I'd like. I did what I could, but now I need policymakers in Washington, D.C., where I live, to invest in protected bike lanes. I can change my habits, but I can't redesign my streets — at least, not without engaging with the systems that shape our urban landscape.

That's why personal actions like voting and consumer advocacy are also critical: to ensure that bigger institutions like governments and businesses are acting in the best interests of people, nature and the climate.

Just as our abandoned language apps might judge us in three languages, the climate judges our collective (in)action in countless ways. But this time could be different — not because we've changed, but because we finally understand that we've been missing half the equation. Maybe this is the year we reframe our resolutions through Lewin's elegant equation and see that personal change and planetary survival share the same winning formula: where B = f(P,E) adds up to limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C, and aligning individual will with systemic support may just save the planet.

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Sustainable Cities Challenge: Semi-Finalists to Increase Use of Low- and Zero-Carbon Transport Modes in Venice Announced shannon.paton@… Fri, 12/20/2024 - 12:53

The Toyota Mobility Foundation announced the 10 semi-finalists for its Sustainable Cities Challenge in Venice, Italy. Developed in collaboration with the City of Venice, Challenge Works and World Resources Institute, the Challenge sought global innovators to present solutions to increase the use of existing low- and zero-carbon transport modes in Italy’s “City of Water.”

Despite a comprehensive transportation network in Venice, including low- and zero-carbon options such as buses, trains, trams, hybrid water buses and micromobility services, there’s been low public adoption of these services.

As part of the two-stage, three-year $9 million global Challenge, the Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge launched in June 2024, attracting 126 innovator entries from around the world to create solutions that will increase the use of low- and zero-carbon transportation.

The semi-finalists are:

• Betterpoints Ltd: BetterPoints is a behavior change technology company that encourages eco-friendly behavior while helping organizations achieve net-zero goals. Their solution will create an app, BetterPoints Italia, that rewards citizens with points (that can later be exchanged for vouchers) for switching from cars to more active and sustainable modes of travel.
• Bikeloop AS: Bikeloop is a cutting-edge green technology mobility company specializing in creating smart, secure and sustainable bicycle parking systems. Their solution will provide a comprehensive system for smart and secure bike parking integrated with value-added services, ensuring a safer and more convenient experience for cyclists in Venice.
• Factual Consulting SL: Factual is an innovation and strategy consulting firm committed to transforming mobility. They will use their platform, RIDEAL — a digital tool to manage multiple mobility incentive programs and mobility budgets — to encourage Venice to make more sustainable mobility choices.
• HCE S.R.L.: HCE is a web agency that has been designing and developing cutting-edge projects for international brands and agencies for more than 20 years. Their solution will foster behavioral change, especially in home-to-work commuting, by integrating two approaches: supporting and facilitating sustainable mobility promoters’ initiatives and raising awareness among citizens.
• Instant System SAS.: Instant System is a leading Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider, empowering over 100 cities and regions worldwide. Their MaaS platform integrates an intermodal trip planner with journey recognition, covering public transport, biking and shared mobility. Their solution will provide Venice’s transport users with gamified mobility profiles, nudging behavior change by simplifying access to the city’s diverse mobility options.
• ioki GmbH: ioki, the leading European technology company for digital mobility, offers data-based transport planning and innovative platform solutions. In Venice, ioki will create detailed microscopic simulations of daily movements and transport modes to identify key trip destinations that will inform the design of their intermodal solution for the city.
• Kooling Technologies Ltd: Kooling is a London-based, deep technology company focusing on addressing urban mobility challenges. To understand and influence Venice’s mobility trends, their solution, Every Street, combines insights from sensing technology and big data on individual mobility choices.
• My House Geek Pty Ltd (Bike Party): Bike Party is a social media application that allows people to organize group bicycle rides and provides cities a means of receiving feedback and data on active transport infrastructure in their jurisdiction. The company’s solution brings the application to Venice.
• Nudgd: Nudgd is a Swedish startup dedicated to driving sustainable behavior change through innovative digital nudging solutions. Their solution, the Smart Nudges Platform, integrates behavioral science with digital tools to encourage sustainable mobility habits. Through personalized, timely nudges embedded in apps, websites and digital signage, it motivates individuals to choose low-carbon transport modes.
• UrbanTide: UrbanTide helps organizations unlock the value of their data to support scalable solutions for sustainable transport and behavior change. Their solution, uMove_Venice, integrates city infrastructure and mobility data with an in-depth understanding of residents' motivations and usage.

The Challenge evaluated entries based on their potential to change citizen behavior by increasing use of active mobility, public transport and shared mobility. Semi-finalists will each receive a $50,000 implementation grant to help teams refine and localize their solutions to drive the use and adoption of existing low and zero-carbon transport modes in Venice.

“With 10 talented semi-finalists now selected, we look forward to working together with global innovators to encourage sustainable transport options for the people of Venice. The solutions that emerge from this Challenge can serve as a blueprint for other cities as well, inspiring a global shift toward low- and zero-carbon mobility,” said Monica Perez Lobo, director at Toyota Mobility Foundation Europe.

Challenge Works Director of Cities and Societies Kathy Nothstine said: “Announcing the 10 semi-finalists for Venice’s Sustainable Cities Challenge is a significant milestone. Sustainable transport solutions are about more than technology — they’re about understanding and meeting the needs of residents who benefit from these systems. This Challenge gives innovators the chance to test their ideas in a real-world context, exploring what truly impacts how people engage with transport in cities.”

“With the selection of these 10 semi-finalists, it’s exciting to see how innovators from around the world will respond to the Challenge and develop solutions to make Venice a more sustainable city,” said Ben Welle, director of Integrated Transport and Innovation at WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. “The resulting innovations will directly benefit the people of Venice, and we hope these solutions can be applied to other cities worldwide, improving urban mobility on a broader scale.”

For more, visit the Sustainable Cities Challenge website.

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STATEMENT: U.S. Can Boost Ocean-based Carbon Dioxide Removal with Bipartisan ReSCUE Oceans Act nate.shelter@wri.org Fri, 12/20/2024 - 11:43

Washington, DC (December 20, 2024) – Today in the U.S. Congress, Representatives Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) as well as Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the bipartisan and bicameral Removing and Sequestering Carbon Unleashed in the Environment and Oceans (ReSCUE Oceans) Act.

The ReSCUE Oceans Act will provide additional federal funding and support to advance research, development, and demonstration of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR) approaches and technologies.

These actions are important because research shows that achieving global climate goals requires both deep and rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions as well as large-scale removal of excess carbon dioxide already present. The ocean covers 70% of the Earth and serves as its largest carbon sink, holding 42 times the carbon in the atmosphere.

Below is a statement from Christina DeConcini, Director of Government Affairs, U.S. Climate, World Resources Institute:

"Marine-based carbon dioxide removal could potentially extract billions of tons of carbon dioxide annually, but we need to better understand how effective various approaches are at removing and storing carbon and their potential impacts on local communities and the environment.

“The ReSCUE Oceans Act demonstrates there is bipartisan support for solving this challenge by directing more federal funding to conduct research and at-sea testing to better understand which approaches can be responsibly developed and deployed.

“We encourage other members of Congress to join their colleagues in seeking bipartisan climate solutions like the ReSCUE Oceans Act and advance this bill in the next Congress."

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2024 in Review: Our Biggest Stories on People, Nature and the Climate margaret.overh… Thu, 12/19/2024 - 15:48

2024 ushered in a new chapter of the climate crisis.

The world experienced its hottest year on record — with dire consequences for communities around the globe. Devastating floods destroyed lives and property in Brazil and Kenya. Wildfires scorched South America's forests. Blistering heat waves hit cities in India and the U.S.

But behind these stark headlines, we also saw signs of a better future starting to emerge — one where halting climate change is synonymous with growing economies and protecting nature.

In Brazil, farmers are reviving swathes of the Amazon through sustainable agriculture. In sub-Saharan Africa, distributed solar is expanding access to electricity while boosting incomes. In Vietnam, major companies like Apple and Nike are advocating for easier access to clean energy — and getting it.

At the global level, wealthy countries agreed at the recent UN climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan to triple their support for climate action in developing nations. It's still a far cry from what's needed, but a critical step toward getting finance flowing to the communities who need it most.

We brought you many of these stories on Insights. Whether reporting on water shortages in Ethiopia or writing from Baku to unpack the complexities of UN climate negotiations, WRI's experts analyzed today's most pressing challenges, explored solutions and pushed for higher ambition on the global stage.

Our biggest stories of the year span the breadth of this expertise, offering insight into the state of the world today and what's needed to secure the better future we know is possible.

Analyzing Today's ChallengesFires and Floods on the Rise

2024 witnessed an onslaught of climate disasters, from record wildfires across South America to deadly floods in Kenya and Brazil. Our experts helped explain why these events are getting worse and how people are building resilience in unexpected ways.

What Could 3 Degrees C of Warming Look Like?

What will happen if the world stays on course for nearly 3 degrees C of temperature rise this century? We modeled future heat waves and other climate risks in nearly 1,000 of the world's largest cities to find out. →

A rickshaw driver takes a drink during a heat wave in Dhaka, Bangladesh in April 2024. Photo by Mamunur Rashid/Shutterstock One-Quarter of World's Crops Threatened by Water Risks

New data on WRI's Aqueduct platform revealed that one-quarter of the world's crops are grown in areas where water is highly stressed, highly unreliable or both — threats that could exacerbate hunger. →

Tracking Deforestation Around the Globe

The world lost an alarming number of trees in 2023: almost 10 football (soccer) fields of tropical primary forest per minute. But there were glimmers of progress, too, like Brazil and Colombia reducing primary forest loss by 36% and 49%, respectively. →

Community members unload tree seedlings to reforest a degraded area of the Amazon. Photo by Edward Parker/Alamy Stock Photo The History of Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Our visual history of carbon emissions shows which countries have contributed most to climate change — and how that list has changed over the last two centuries. →

Exploring SolutionsSmall Farmers Are Bringing Brazil's Amazon Back to Life

Small-scale farmers are reviving abandoned palm oil plantations in the Amazon, showing that food production and healthy forests can go hand-in-hand. →

A New Solution to Power Africa

Expanding electricity access in Africa does little good if people can't afford it. But what if renewable power could also be used to boost people's incomes, tackling both issues at once? →

A nurse switches on the lights at a solar-powered health care facility in Tanzania. Photo by Jake Lyell/Alamy Stock Photo Our Health Depends on a Healthy Ocean

From staple foods to cancer-treating drugs, people everywhere rely on the ocean in more ways than they might realize — which means keeping it healthy should be a top priority. →

Is There Such a Thing As Better Meat?

WRI research found that options like grass-fed and free-range meat, which are better for animals, often take a bigger toll on the planet than conventional farming. So, what's really the "better" option? →

Cows at pasture on a grass-fed cattle farm in Brazil. Photo by MS Cattle/Shutterstock Conserving Biodiversity Hinges on Indigenous Rights

Lands managed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities are some of the last biodiversity strongholds. But without secure legal rights, they can't always protect these pristine ecosystems from harm. →

Raising Global AmbitionTracking Progress on Global Climate Pledges

WRI's climate commitment tracker takes stock of how countries are progressing on their promises to scale up renewables, halt deforestation, stem methane emissions and more. →

The Climate Action We Need This Decade

The world is on track to cut emissions 1% by 2030. To prevent increasingly dangerous climate change impacts, that number needs to be 42% — a yawning gap, but one that's still possible to close. We outlined how. →

President-elect Donald Trump at a rally in Maryland. Photo by Jonah Elkowitz/Shutterstock Climate Action, Despite Trump

President Donald Trump's re-election was undoubtedly a blow to U.S. climate and environmental action — but not a death knell, say WRI experts. →

Stepping Up National Climate Commitments

2025 will reveal a lot about where climate action is headed, with nearly all countries expected to submit new national commitments for the coming decade. Here's what to know. →

Denmark Sets a New Bar for Agriculture

Denmark's groundbreaking agriculture policy is the most ambitious national effort yet to tackle the environmental impacts of farming while restoring nature, setting a new bar other countries should strive to meet. →

Explore more stories about the intersection of people, nature and climate on Insights.

solar-south-africa.jpg Climate Energy Finance Forests Cities Ocean Freshwater Food Type Commentary Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Authors Maggie Overholt Sarah Parsons

4 Cities Looking Beyond Rider Fares to Fund Better, More Resilient Public Transit margaret.overh… Thu, 12/19/2024 - 14:00

Public transit is not only a vital network connecting people to jobs, services and one another; it's also an important climate solution. The world needs to double public transit capacity by 2030 as part of its larger roadmap to slash planet-warming emissions and avert the worst of the climate crisis.

But this rapid growth will be costly, and public transit systems have a funding problem. During COVID-19, ridership plummeted by up to 60% in major cities around the world. This drained the fare revenue that transit agencies often rely on to pay for staff, fuel, maintenance and more.

Many cities have yet to see ridership (and fare revenue) fully recover. While emergency government funding provided a temporary lifeline for many agencies, the expiration of these funds has left some facing a looming fiscal cliff.

Not all cities' transit systems are struggling, though.

WRI examined public transit agencies in cities around the world, comparing their funding and revenue sources before and during the pandemic. We found that some agencies maintained or even increased their revenue during this time — despite declines in ridership. While sustained government support played a key role, these agencies also had diverse funding models that proved more resilient to shock.

As all cities work to expand and improve their public transit systems in the coming years, these leaders offer a model for how to make transportation more accessible and more resilient in a changing world.

How Some Cities' Public Transit Systems Weathered the COVID-19 Slump

WRI's new working paper analyzed the predominant public transit agencies in 11 major cities: Addis Ababa, Bengaluru, Chicago, Copenhagen, Houston, Jakarta, Mexico City, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Washington, D.C. Among this sample, we found key differences in how public transit is funded between advanced economies and low- and middle-income countries.

Agencies in low- and middle-income countries tended to rely more heavily on fare revenue and faced bigger financial challenges during COVID-19. Rio de Janeiro's agency, which was fully funded by fares before the pandemic, experienced the most significant decline, losing 25% of its revenue between 2019 and 2022.

In some places, riders and transit workers felt the impact of these losses immediately. In Brazil, 55 bus operating companies were forced to close and 90,000 urban bus workers lost their jobs. Bengaluru's only public bus provider had to shutter for nearly two months; when it reopened, riders saw their fares increase to compensate for lost revenue.

While most agencies we examined saw a decline in revenue during the pandemic, a few came out relatively unscathed. 

One big reason for this was increased government support. Some transit agencies received a significant portion of their funding from government subsidies prior to the pandemic, including Addis Ababa, Jakarta and Mexico City. Meanwhile, agencies in the U.S. and Europe received substantial government support in response to the pandemic, in the form of emergency relief to stabilize their revenues. Agencies in Chicago, Paris, Washington, D.C. and Houston received enough subsidies to fill the gap left by fare loss and to sustain their operating expenses.

Other funding sources played a role, too. Of the transit agencies we examined, those in advanced economies typically had more diverse revenue streams — including transportation related fees, dedicated taxes and commercial income — that helped them stay financially stable even as ridership plummeted. This was critical to ensuring that riders who rely on public transit to reach jobs and other necessities could still access it during the pandemic.

How Can Cities Grow their Public Transit Funding?

COVID-19 exposed how vulnerable public transit systems can be to external shock. As they emerge from the pandemic, cities and transit agencies now face a daunting task: They must continue working to revive ridership in the face of new commuting habits, grow their funding, and maintain the frequency and quality of service — all while building resilience to better withstand future crises.

Seeking new funding sources will be an important step. Diversified funding not only softens the impact of unforeseen events like pandemics, but also provides a more stable financial foundation for long-term planning and investment. Our research identified three main types of funding transit agencies can tap into:

• Direct funding: Direct funding comes straight from transport users, including fare revenues, parking fees and congestion charges. Raising fares is a straightforward way to increase transit funding; however, cities should consider adjusting fares based on factors like time, distance or passenger category to keep prices affordable for all. Fare revenues are also vulnerable to disruptions, as seen during COVID-19. In densely populated cities with extensive public transit coverage, governments can also leverage local parking fees and congestion charges. These fees can help manage road use while generating revenue to support and expand public transit systems.
• Indirect funding: Public transit can bring myriad economic benefits to a city: higher property values, better workforce access, increased revenue for businesses. Yet these benefits rarely return to transit's bottom line. Indirect funding mechanisms can help channel some of these economic gains back into the public transit system. For instance, land value capture involves taxing the increased property values that can result from improved access to public transit, then using that tax revenue to fund metro systems and other community development projects. Dedicated local area sales taxes can also capture a portion of the economic activity that benefits from the transportation system and serve as a stable source of revenue for an agency.
• General funding: General funding sources include broad-based revenue from government grants, state or national budgets, and other non-dedicated sources. These funds can fill gaps left by direct and indirect sources, especially during economic downturns or emergencies. National or state-level grants can provide significant support for infrastructure projects, operating subsidies or targeted access initiatives, such as reducing fares for low-income passengers​.

4 Cities Getting Creative to Fund Public Transit

High quality public transit with frequent and reliable service is expensive to maintain. But several cities around the world are already leveraging diverse funding models to expand and improve their systems. We looked at four strong examples, both within and outside of our study. (All use multiple funding sources and revenue streams to support their transit agencies, though we focus on one example from each city.)

Paris, France

In Paris, 48% of the city's transit budget is covered by the Versement Mobilité (VM), a tax on employers introduced in the 1970s. The tax — which applies to companies near the transit network with more than 11 employees, and ranges from 1.6%-2.4% of their gross wages — has been instrumental in supporting the Paris Metro and other transit throughout France.

The Versement Mobilité spreads the financial burden beyond just public transit users. By charging employers, even if their employees do not use public transport, it ensures that everybody contributes to the common good; not only expanding transit access but also improving air quality and reducing traffic congestion. Raising revenue through the Versement Mobilité also subsidizes fares, so rider costs can remain relatively low at €1.75 per trip ($1.86) or around €86 ($91) for a monthly travel pass valid in all zones.

Jakarta, Indonesia

In Jakarta, public transit provides 10% of all motorized trips, connecting 2.56 million people daily to work, school and other necessities. Many riders are low-income earners who can afford public transit thanks to its set fares of just 3,500 rupiah (US$0.35) per trip. On their own, these fares are not enough to cover the transit agency's operational costs. But the local government has provided ample financial support to help grow the city's public transit network while keeping prices affordable.

From 2004 to 2021, Jakarta's government continuously increased its subsidy support for transit. This allowed the city to expand its Transjakarta bus network beyond the urban core to reach 82% of residents while maintaining the same set fare. The expansion has made it easier for residents on the outskirts of the city to access jobs and other opportunities while helping reduce congestion and improving air quality — two critical objectives in one of the world's most polluted cities.

Passengers on a Transjakarta bus. Photo by Yan Budi Setiawan/iStock Bogotá, Colombia

Around 12%-15% of urban trips in Bogota are made by private cars, which have historically benefited from free on-street parking. But in 2021, Bogotá reclaimed the curb by implementing a new charge for on-street parking in key affluent areas. Revenues generated by car owners are set to be reinvested into TransMilenio's public transit system, supporting bus electrification, infrastructure maintenance and projects to improve the quality of service, such as more frequent bus services.

Alongside generating new revenue, this approach aims to encourage the use of public transit over private cars, benefit the local economy by circulating more people, and better manage curb space for deliveries.

Bengaluru, India

Bengaluru is home to over 10.5 million residents and faces severe traffic congestion. While the city is in the process of expanding its metro rail to growing areas, this cost is high. Bengaluru Metro authorities are therefore considering a combination of land value capture; selling carbon credits (based on avoided emissions resulting from expanded public transportation); and selling permits for buildings within 500 meters of the track to build higher than typical city restrictions would allow. These instruments would help fund the expanded metro system and continued operational costs. The proposals could collectively raise up to $300 million USD if enacted.

Building Reliable, Resilient Transit for a Sustainable Future

Public transit sits squarely at the intersection of climate and development solutions. But the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the fragility of many transit systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Now more than ever, cities need a transit funding approach that can withstand future disruptions and adapt to changing realities.

By exploring diverse funding that includes a mix of direct, indirect and general sources for public transit, cities can create a more robust and resilient financial foundation. Those that weathered the pandemic — and those exploring innovative funding models today — offer lessons for how to safeguard and grow this essential service, benefiting riders, communities and the climate alike.

Note: The funding tools discussed here offer insight into possible sources that cities and transit agencies can tap into; this is not an exhaustive list. Transit agencies will need to engage with local and regional governments to identify funding opportunities, as these will vary with political and geographic characteristics. To learn more, see WRI's new working paper: A Fare Look: Funding Urban Public Transport Operations.

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• Reimagining Public Transport
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Authors Anna Kustar Adam Davidson Thet Hein Tun Ben Welle Meghna Ray

Community Benefits Snapshot: New Flyer Community Benefits Agreement shannon.paton@… Thu, 12/19/2024 - 13:13 Highlights

The New Flyer Community Benefits Agreement, signed in 2022, is a legally binding contract between New Flyer, Jobs to Move America and Greater Birmingham Ministries. This is a multi-state agreement, impacting New Flyer’s facilities in Alabama and California. It supports the creation of good-quality manufacturing jobs through investments in workforce development and training programs, especially for historically disadvantaged people. 

Context

• Project title: New Flyer 
• Location: Ontario, California and Anniston, Alabama
• Sector: Public transit bus manufacturing
• Developer: New Flyer of America Inc.
• Project agreement type: Community benefits agreement

About the project and involved stakeholders: A community benefits agreement (CBA) was signed between New Flyer of America Inc., Greater Birmingham Ministries (GBM) and Jobs to Move America (JMA) on May 24, 2022. The New Flyer CBA supports the creation of a “robust jobs program through investments in pre-apprenticeship and training programs that create a jobs pipeline for low-income workers and historically disadvantaged people to quality manufacturing jobs with career advancement opportunities” in the manufacturing of public transit buses.  

New Flyer is a Canadian multinational ​company ​that manufactures public transit buses, including zero-emissions buses, in North America. Founded in 2013, JMA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing a fair and prosperous economy with good jobs and healthier communities for all. GBM is a 501(c)(3) multifaith and multiracial organization, founded in 1969, to provide emergency services for people in need and to pursue a more just society for all people. In addition to JMA and GBM, 13 other organizations, including ​A Better Balance, Adelante Alabama Workers Center, ​Alabama NAACP, ​Alabama Arise, Alabama Forward, ​Alabama Rivers Alliance, AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America (CWA), ​Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution, Hometown Action, ​United Auto Workers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and United Steelworkers, formed the Alabama Coalition for Community Benefits. These organizations participated in the CBA negotiations with New Flyer, though they did not sign on. 

The CBA applies to New Flyer’s facilities in Ontario, California and Anniston, Alabama. The Ontario facility has been shut down since the CBA was signed. The agreement is in force for five years from when it was signed and can be extended by mutual agreement on an annual basis. 

Engagement 

Before the CBA was signed, JMA had a long history of engagement with New Flyer. As city agencies have transitioned their public transit fleets to zero- and low-emissions technology over the last decade, JMA has pushed for higher work standards in transit manufacturing and advocated for leveraging government funding of transit projects to create jobs and economic opportunities for disadvantaged communities. JMA developed a policy tool, the U.S. Employment Plan, which enables cities, states and public agencies to build good jobs and equity into their public purchasing process​es​ by requiring companies competing for public contracts to provide information related to number, type and location of jobs to be created, salaries, benefits and training programs to be provided, and plans to recruit historically marginalized workers. According to a JMA interviewee, “JMA’s theory of change is based heavily on demanding more from companies that receive public money to advance the greater public good.” 

In 2019, JMA sued New Flyer on grounds of failing to pay its workers as much as the company had promised as part of its proposal to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to produce up to 900 buses. When New Flyer won the contract in 2013, it had signed onto a U.S. Employment Plan pledging to create more than 50 full-time jobs above a certain pay rate at its Ontario facility. New Flyer denied these allegations.  

Around the same time, JMA, CWA and its industrial division, IUE-CWA, and a coalition of faith and environmental groups in Alabama launched a campaign to highlight low wages and discriminatory working conditions in New Flyer’s Anniston facility. The coalition published a study, based on interviews with 100 Anniston facility workers, which found a $3.14-per-hour pay gap between white and Black workers. The study also found that Black workers were denied promotion opportunities and more likely to get hurt on the job. CWA members from New Flyer’s unionized Minnesota facility attended the American Public Transportation Association conference to raise awareness about the study and share their stories about how having a union gave them a voice on the job. New Flyer employees also testified before local transit boards that were considering giving contracts to New Flyer about their work condition​s​ and ​the company’s​ impact on their lives and communities.  

New Flyer denied allegations of pay inequality and racism. In 2020, the company published its own version of ​a ​“Community Benefits Framework” in partnership with the Transportation Diversity Council (TDC) to facilitate agreements with transit agencies and partners focused on local community needs. ​Under this framework, a​greements ​would​ be managed and monitored by New Flyer’s workforce development manager and reported to the TDC and company leadership on a quarterly basis. According to a JMA interviewee, New Flyer’s Community Benefits Framework is separate from the CBA negotiated between the company and JMA and GBM. New Flyer did not engage with JMA and its coalition in creating this framework. 

This was also happening at a time when transit agencies were set to receive billions from the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Biden administration was incorporating job quality and racial equity as priorities in federal spending. In 2022, New Flyer settled its LA Metro lawsuit for $7 million and agreed to negotiate a multi-state CBA covering factories in Alabama and California.  

Separate from the CBA, New Flyer agreed to a neutrality agreement with CWA to voluntarily recognize unions that formed at its facilities. The path to securing the neutrality agreement was eased by JMA’s multi-year campaign to add job standards to public contracts for electric bus procurement.  

Benefits 

Several of New Flyer’s CBA ​benefits ​relate to workforce provisions and include the following:

• Select 45% of new hires and 20% of promotions at each plant from historically disadvantaged groups that have typically had limited access to good-quality jobs in U.S. manufacturing. Historically disadvantaged groups are defined to include Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, women, LGBTQ+ persons, formerly incarcerated people, persons emancipated from the foster care system, veterans and residents of Anniston, Alabama​,​ lacking GED or high school diploma. New Flyer ​committed to​ collaborate with JMA and GBM to do outreach, recruitment and placement of individuals from historically disadvantaged groups into these jobs. In particular, to facilitate the entry of veterans into manufacturing jobs, New Flyer, JMA and GBM ​plan to​​ ​ collaborate with the Center for Military Recruitment, Assessment, and Veterans Employment​,​ as well as maintain a database of veterans interested in working for New Flyer. The CBA also includes a ​“ban-the-box” ​commitment by New Flyer to not ask about an applicant’s criminal history before an offer of employment is made.
• Develop a pre-apprenticeship program to prepare workers for employment at New Flyer. The training ​curriculum ​includes life skills, language and mathematical literacy and techniques for working as a team. Those who are hired are to be provided mentoring so that they can succeed in an industrial work environment.
• ​​Develop a technical training program consisting of both classroom and hands-on training. When recruiting workers for this program, New Flyer will give preference to those who have completed the pre-apprenticeship program. The CBA notes that the goal is to register the technical training program as an apprenticeship program with the U.S. Department of Labor, as well as the California Department of Industrial Relations in the case of the Ontario plant.​​​​​
• Create a discrimination and harassment complaint system with a designated community organization (DCO) in each plant ​that​ will assist employees in filing and resolving complaints about perceived discrimination and harassment. The DCO in the Anniston plant is the Alabama State Chapter of the NAACP. Workers filing a complaint can stay in the job while they seek resolution and are protected from retaliation.
• Conduct semi-annual workplace safety training sessions​ at each plant. Sessions will be run ​by a nonprofit organization agreed upon by parties to the CBA. Employees ​that ​complet​e​ the training obtain OSHA 10 authorization cards, which identify them as worker safety experts in their workplace.  

In addition to the workforce-related benefits, the CBA allows JMA and GBM to host semi-annual debt clinic​s​ on site at the Anniston plant, which offer free legal assistance with debt-related issues. Finally, New Flyer is working with JMA and GBM to address gaps in public transportation ​for both the Anniston and Ontario plants ​through the use of shuttles, ride-share and other services.  

Oversight and Enforcement 

New Flyer is required to track its efforts to meet hiring and promotion goals and disclose the data to JMA, GBM, and the rest of the coalition members on a quarterly basis. The parties to the agreement meet quarterly to evaluate compliance of the commitments included in the CBA. More than two years after it was signed, the CBA is having an impact. There ​has been​ increased hiring and promotion of workers from historically disadvantaged groups, with the company recruiting more workers through direct hire than through staffing agencies and delaying background checks until after a job offer has been made. 

The CBA ​defines​ explicit dispute resolution mechanisms​,​ including non-binding mediation and binding arbitration. The parties to the agreement can jointly select a mediator from JAMS: Mediation, Arbitration and ADR Services, the world’s largest private alternative dispute resolution provider. The cost of the mediation is to be shared equally among all the parties of the CBA. Before proceeding to binding arbitration, the complaining party must send a written complaint and representatives from both sides must meet to discuss the issue.  

Strengths of New Flyer CBA 

Featured on the U.S. Department of Labor’s website and identified by researchers as meeting the essential characteristics of a successful CBA, the New Flyer CBA is often highlighted as an example of a successful CBA. A JMA interviewee even said, “New Flyer is well on its way to being one of the best employers in east Alabama.” 

JMA had significant CBA experience prior to entering negotiations with New Flyer. JMA had successfully negotiated CBAs with two other electric bus manufacturers: BYD Motors in 2017 and Proterra in 2020. Furthermore, Madeline Janis, the executive director of JMA, has significant experience developing CBAs dating back to the 1990s. Drawing from its considerable expertise in negotiating and implementing CBAs, JMA launched a Community Benefits ​Agreement ​Resource Center in 2024 to support the development of robust CBAs in the manufacturing sector. 

JMA built a diverse coalition that focused on a common goal of securing good jobs for manufacturing workers. Alabama was ground zero for coalition building. Patricia Todd, former Alabama State Representative and current Southern Policy Manager for JMA, is deeply embedded in local communities across the state and played a key role in building the coalition based on her relationships. ​The broad-based​ coalition included ​unions and ​environmental, faith, and civil rights organizations. Though these organizations are not signatories to the CBA, they played an important role during the negotiations and now in monitoring the implementation. According to a JMA staff member, representatives from these organizations met monthly and had visioning sessions about what should be in the CBA.  

JMA’s partnership with labor was key to New Flyer signing a neutrality agreement with CWA. While not a part of the CBA, the multi-year campaign by JMA and CWA led to a separate agreement between New Flyer and CWA where the company pledged to be neutral during union organizing at all of its locations and refrain from union-busting tactics. In May 2024, a significant milestone was reached when workers in the Anniston facility — in a region that has been traditionally anti-union — successfully unionized and ratified their first union contract​,​ which includes raises between 15% and 38% by 2026, cost-of-living adjustments and enhanced retirement benefits. The campaign at the Anniston facility was supported by New Flyer workers in the Minnesota facility which has been unionized for over 20 years—a goal that JMA is now pursuing in the South where much of the recent investments in green energy technologies have flowed.  

JMA and its coalition partners held significant leverage that brought New Flyer to the negotiating table. As ​​​allegations​ related to job creation, pay inequity, racism and sexism began to come out, JMA and its partners built a compelling narrative by working with researchers at Alabama A&M University to publish a study which helped organize and garner support from a broad coalition. While denying all wrongdoing, New Flyer agreed to negotiate a CBA with JMA and its partners. 

The CBA includes strong monitoring, accountability and enforceability provisions. To create accountability, the CBA includes robust monitoring and reporting provisions to measure progress against goals in an ongoing manner. While enforcement of the CBA hasn’t been an issue so far, the agreement includes clear and detailed language to track implementation. For instance, a JMA interviewee shared that they “negotiated back and forth extensively over the definition of historically disadvantaged people” to find the “sweet spot between [the definition] being too targeted and broad enough to include a diverse group of justice-impacted people.” Given that Alabama’s communities of color are heavily over-policed and over-criminalized, JMA and its partners were keen for the definition to include not just Black workers in Anniston but also formerly incarcerated individuals. 

Challenges and Gaps of New Flyer CBA 

Organizations without significant resources and the national presence of JMA may find it challenging to replicate JMA’s success. JMA is a national organization with significant presence in multiple states and a lot of experience building effective labor-environmental alliances. While the New Flyer CBA provides insights for future CBAs, it is not a replicable model for other organizations with limited resources and without JMA’s national profile. It is also rare that other organizations would have the opportunity to use an existing legal challenge to bolster the case for a CBA because legal cases are costly to initiate.

Further Resources

• New Flyer CBA
• JMA Community Benefits Agreement Resource Center
• Community Benefits Tools and California Clean Energy Projects (Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, University of California Berkeley)

electric-buses-charging.jpg Climate U.S. Community Benefits Snapshots Type Snapshot Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Authors Devashree Saha

The Role of Agroecological Entrepreneurs and Territorial Markets in Africa's Sustainable Food Systems alicia.cypress… Thu, 12/19/2024 - 12:30

Our current food systems are pushing the planet beyond its ecological limits, fueling declining agricultural productivity, biodiversity loss, exacerbating climate change, deepening food insecurity and hunger, and worsening poverty — especially in Africa.

Around one in five Africans are affected by hunger, driven by conflicts, climate change and economic downturns, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World. This is made worse due to limited social protection systems and economic constraints, which restrict access to diversified diets, further exacerbating food insecurity.

However, Africa has a unique opportunity to transform its food systems by adopting sustainable approaches to food production and consumption. By focusing on agroecological and regenerative approaches to restore degraded lands, enhance soil health, boost biodiversity and increase productivity, the continent can build resilient food systems that address food insecurity while promoting environmental conservation.

Prioritizing territorial markets can further localize food systems, reducing dependency on global supply chains, while decreasing food loss and waste. Territorial markets are markets within local or national food systems that rely on locally sourced products, where most goods sold are grown, processed or produced within the same geographical area.   

In recent years, agroecology and regenerative approaches to food production have gained considerable momentum, challenging the industrial agricultural practices that have dominated for decades. Agroecological approaches integrate socio-ecological principles in the design and management of agrifood systems, optimizing sustainable interactions between plants, animals, humans and the broader environment.

While the concept of agroecology is still evolving in Africa, the rising demand for sustainably grown food across the continent presents a significant opportunity and it’s fueling the emergence of agroecological entrepreneurship, particularly within territorial markets and supply chains focused on providing healthy, safe, and culturally relevant food options.

In September 2024, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa convened the second Agroecological Entrepreneurs and Territorial Markets Convening in Harare, Zimbabwe, to explore how agroecological enterprises can further advance this vital agenda.

WRI Africa’s food team in collaboration with our partners, Slow Food Kenya and the Center for AgroEcological Practices and Conservation of Nature in Rwanda, participated in this convening. The event showcased how agroecological enterprises are transforming food security in Africa, ensuring accessibility and sustainability for both people and the planet.

Participants observed that industrial agricultural development approaches to food security have not only failed to achieve food and nutrition security but also pose serious challenges to human and environmental health. In contrast, agroecology offers a sustainable solution that conserves soils, culture and social connections, while agroecological entrepreneurship ensures access to such foods through cross-border exchanges of seeds and produce.

Exploring Agroecological Enterprises in the Mbare Market

During the convening, the participants visited Harare’s iconic Mbare Market, a hub of local trade that exemplifies the importance of territorial markets. The market is a thriving center where local traders and small-scale farmers play a pivotal role in advancing sustainable food systems. Markets like Mbare support local producers, minimize food loss and waste and create opportunities for agroecological products to reach consumers.

The Mbare Market, a territorial market in Harare, Zimbabwe, sells locally sourced products to the community. Photo by Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa.

Unfortunately, a month after the visit, a devastating fire severely damaged the symbolic market, causing millions of dollars in losses and disrupting the lives of thousands of traders and vendors. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the affected traders, producers, vendors and their families.

This tragedy underscores the urgent need to strengthen the infrastructure of African territorial markets to prevent such disasters in the future. Stakeholders must collaborate to advocate for policies that strengthen, safeguard and revitalize territorial markets across Africa, ensuring sustainable livelihoods and a resilient food system.

Pathways to Transforming Africa’s Food Systems

Here are insights from the convening for how to advance agroecology in Africa to deliver sustainable food systems:

• Advocacy for Inclusive Financial Systems: There is a need for financial systems that support small-scale producers and entrepreneurs in agroecology. Increased investment in agroecological practices will drive entrepreneurship and innovation, making the food system more equitable.
• Favorable Policy Environments: Creating a policy framework that supports agroecological entrepreneurship is critical. Governments need to be at the forefront of developing pro-people policies that address gaps in existing frameworks and enable agroecology to thrive.
• Networking and Partnerships: Expanding networks among agroecological farmers, entrepreneurs and stakeholders is essential for knowledge-sharing and scaling sustainable practices. Collaborating across regions helps counter the growing corporate control of Africa’s food systems and promotes local food sovereignty.
• Empowering Women and Youth: Women and youth must be at the center of agroecology initiatives, as they are crucial to ensuring the intergenerational transfer of knowledge and the continued growth of agroecological entrepreneurship.
• Participatory Research: Engaging farmers in research processes is key to understanding and solving the challenges facing agroecology. Co-creation of knowledge ensures that innovations are rooted in local contexts, leading to higher-quality products and more resilient farming practices.
• Strategic media engagement: There is a need to leverage the power of media in promotion of agroecology, changing narratives and increasing demand for agroecological products.

mbare-market-harare-zimbabwe.jpg Food Africa Food food security Type Project Update Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects

• Fighting Food Loss and Waste
• Food Loss & Waste Protocol

Authors Ivy Muigai John Kariuki Isaac Mubashankwaya

STATEMENT: Biden Administration Announces 2035 Emissions Reduction Target, Setting North Star for Non-Federal Actors alison.cinnamo… Wed, 12/18/2024 - 17:29

WASHINGTON D.C. (December 19, 2024) – Today the U.S. government announced a new climate commitment under the Paris Agreement, known as a nationally determined contribution (NDC). The plan includes a target to cut greenhouse gas emissions 61 to 66% below 2005 levels by 2035. 

If President Trump follows through with his intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the United States would no longer be obligated to strive towards this new target. However, the NDC will serve as an important marker for non-federal actors and future U.S. administrations.

The following is a statement from Debbie Weyl, WRI US Acting Director:

“The United States’ new climate commitment offers a clear path forward for states, cities, businesses, and other leaders dedicated to ramping up action over the next four years. Even though the Trump administration may not lift a finger to deliver on this plan, it sets a north star for what the U.S. should be aiming for and could help guide the federal government’s priorities once Trump leaves office in 2029.  

“The 2035 emissions reduction target is at the lower bound of what the science demands and yet it is close to the upper bound of what is realistic if nearly every available policy lever were pulled. Assertive action by states and cities will be essential to achieving this goal.  

“The United States needs to swiftly expand renewable energy and electric vehicles, modernize the electric grid, and decarbonize heavy industry. Transitioning to a clean energy economy can create millions of good jobs, revitalize middle America and boost U.S. competitiveness globally.

“The devastating climate disasters we’ve seen in recent months are a stark reminder that all actors in the United States must do far more to protect communities, infrastructure and food security from floods, wildfires, droughts and rising seas. To safeguard our future, we will need to significantly increase investments to boost resilience in the face of climate impacts that will continue to get worse. The American people deserve nothing less.”
 

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STATEMENT: U.S. EPA Grants California Waiver to Set Strong Tailpipe Pollution Rules for Passenger Cars and Trucks darla.vanhoorn… Wed, 12/18/2024 - 11:19

Washington, D.C. (December 18, 2024) – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted California the authority to enforce strong emissions rules for passenger cars and trucks.  

California established a rule to phase out new polluting passenger vehicle sales and sell 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2035. Eleven states and Washington D.C. follow California’s light-duty zero-emission vehicles rule. 

Following is a statement from Dan Lashof, Senior Fellow, WRI United States: 

“Curbing tailpipe emissions that cause asthma and other harms is not just good policy, it's common sense for anyone who cares about their children's health. The EPA’s waiver will allow California and other states to continue reducing harmful pollution from passenger vehicles while supercharging the transition to a clean electric future. 

“Transportation emissions continue to be the largest source of climate pollution in the United States. Any action by the next administration to restrict the power of states to enact stronger vehicle emissions standards will only result in more air pollution, higher health costs and premature deaths.” 

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Tackling Climate and Nature Together in 2025 shannon.paton@… Wed, 12/18/2024 - 09:10

Few issues are more enmeshed than climate and nature.

Scientists are increasingly learning how biodiversity loss and climate change compound and reinforce each other. For example, deforestation releases greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change, spurring wildfires and forest dieback that then release more emissions and cause further warming. It’s a vicious cycle that both accelerates and amplifies the extreme heat, drought, flooding and other impacts endangering communities around the world.

Yet despite their inexorable connection, policymaking for climate and for nature still largely operate in separate spheres.

Just this year, the world saw major international summits to advance three global treaties: the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework, the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. The successive convenings brought needed attention to climate change and ecosystem degradation. But they also laid bare one of the biggest barriers to tackling these dual crises — siloed thinking.

That’s where 2025 can change things. Opportunities this year can help the world finally start addressing climate and nature as the interrelated issues they are.

It will require ambition and finance.

Volunteers plant mangrove seedlings in Makassar, Indonesia. In addition to storing carbon, mangroves protect coastal communities from storms, filter pollutants and provide habitat for fish and other animals. Photo by Ikbal Salehe/Shutterstock Acting with Ambition for People, Nature and Climate

The past year showed us why immediate action on climate and nature is essential.

We witnessed the hottest year on record. Devastating floods took lives and destroyed homes in Brazil and Kenya — places where degraded landscapes make communities more vulnerable to heavy rainfall. Blistering heat caused heatstroke and deaths in India, Europe and the U.S. Wildfires scorched South America.

At the same time, agriculture and other industries continued their rampant destruction of nature. WRI analysis revealed that the world still loses 10 football fields of tropical primary forest every minute. A significant driver is production of the soy, beef, palm oil and other commodities we use every day. Not only does tree cover loss spew carbon emissions, it degrades the many benefits forests provide, such as clean water, foods, medicines and livelihoods.

People simply cannot thrive without healthy ecosystems and a stable climate. That’s why policymakers need to act ambitiously on climate and nature — together — in 2025.

There are several opportunities for them to do so:

Traditional stilt houses along the Amazon river in Para State, Brazil. The Amazon stores billions of tons of greenhouse gases, but is on the verge of becoming a net carbon source due to continued deforestation and degradation. Photo by Victor Carvalho/Shutterstock 1) Countries’ next round of climate pledges.

As part of the Paris Agreement, countries are expected to submit new climate action plans in early 2025, known as “nationally determined contributions,” or NDCs. NDCs form the backbone of international climate action, yet they currently fall far short of the level of ambition needed.

Research shows global emissions must drop 43% from 2019 levels by 2030 to prevent increasingly dangerous floods, droughts and other impacts, but current NDCs will only cut them by 8%. Countries’ climate plans also fail to address the vast and vital role nature plays in stabilizing the climate: Less than half of NDCs include quantified targets for land use change and forestry.

The new round of climate plans could close the emissions gap, but only with significant action across every sector. This includes recognizing the importance of nature-based solutions, such as by setting conservation and restoration targets for forests and other ecosystems.

2) Continued negotiations on the global biodiversity treaty.

As part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, nations agreed in 2022 to protect 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030 while mobilizing billions for conservation. The 2024 UN biodiversity summit (COP16) in Cali, Colombia was supposed to yield plans for achieving the “30x30” target, but negotiations stalled.

Leaders will resume talks in Rome this February. There, they have an opportunity to truly put the 30x30 target within reach.

Necessary outcomes include a plan to finance the 30x30 goal — one that helps close the $700 billion gap in annual spending needed to protect nature and eliminates harmful subsidies fueling its destruction. Countries should also put forward strong National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) that collectively bring the amount of land and sea under conservation from 17% and 8%, respectively, to 30% by 2030. All countries were due to submit NBSAPs last year, but only 44 have done so.

Countries should ensure their NBSAPs support their NDCs, and vice versa. Colombia, for example, said it may submit a unified nature and climate plan. Regardless of whether countries submit separate or combined plans, all policies should reflect climate and nature’s interrelationship.

3) System-changing domestic policies.

NDCs and NBSAPs are just words on paper without ambitious domestic policies to back them up. Countries should set policies that transform the sectors impacting nature and climate the most: food and energy systems and cities.

A recent example from Denmark showcases what this kind of system change looks like. The country’s 2024 Green Tripartite Agreement taxes emissions from livestock production while also restoring peatlands, planting trees and paying farmers to reduce nitrogen pollution. The policy could reshape Denmark’s food system into one that supports agricultural production while simultaneously reducing emissions and boosting biodiversity. We hope to see more countries produce similarly ambitious national policies in 2025.

4) COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

There’s no better place to see climate and nature come together than the UN climate summit in November 2025 (COP30). The conference is the first-such summit to be held inside the Amazon rainforest. The Amazon stores billions of tons of greenhouse gases, but is on the verge of becoming a net carbon source due to continued deforestation and degradation.

The location should inspire negotiators to put nature-based climate solutions at the heart of the COP agenda. Brazil’s environment minister Marina Silva has already said the country will use COP30 to “create synergy” between the UN conventions for biodiversity, climate and desertification. Brazil also aims to operationalize the Tropical Forests Finance Facility by COP30, an ambitious plan to mobilize $125 billion to conserve more than a billion hectares of tropical forest.

COP30 is also a key moment for countries and others to demonstrate progress against existing nature commitments — such as the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use — and put forward new initiatives.

Fishermen pull fish from the river in the Peruvian Amazon. Photo by Damian Sikora/Shutterstock Backing Ambition with Finance

Of course ambitious policies are only useful if they’re actually implemented. That’s where finance comes in.

By 2035, developing countries will need $1.3 trillion in finance annually to build resilience, shift toward net-zero economies, and conserve and restore nature.  The world will need to access every possible avenue of funding, including public and private sources, and use every tool to ensure finance starts flowing to the right places.

Finance is a system — one with both demand and supply side interventions. The supply side consists of public and private financial institutions like the World Bank and other multilateral development banks (MDBs). Continued and ambitious reforms at these institutions can help grow the pot of finance available for both nature and climate goals.

But there’s also the demand side to consider — the developing countries who seek to attract more funding to properly invest in nature and climate. Just as finance is essential for turning pledges into reality, so, too, can ambitious domestic policies unlock more finance. A good regulatory environment is critical for attracting outside investments. Another tool countries can use to consolidate their nature and climate efforts is designing “country platforms” that mobilize, coordinate and channel public and private investments into nature and climate solutions. Brazil recently launched such a platform to attract foreign investment.

Institutions on both the demand and supply side can also collaborate in innovative ways to simultaneously invest in nature and climate. This could include operationalizing the Tropical Forests Finance Facility; expanding  the use of debt-for-nature swaps; or, as Barbados recently demonstrated for the first time, implementing debt-for-climate-resilience swaps.

As we look to 2025, immediate priorities include securing a strong finance deal from the UN biodiversity talks and moving toward implementation of the $300 billion annual climate finance goal recently established at the 2024 UN climate summit (COP29). But ultimately, these must fit into the bigger, systemic shifts needed to meet long-term financing goals.(WRI will explore how to create a more sustainable financial system in more depth at our annual Stories to Watch event. Tune in on January 30, 2025.)

Building a Future that’s Good for People, Nature and Climate

These aren’t the only ways to bring nature and climate together, nor will these actions alone tackle the vast and dual crises before us. But they will start to bring together the two worlds that are integral to the future of our one planet.

Let’s make 2025 the year for climate and nature.

restoration-kenya.jpg Climate climate change biodiversity development climate finance Climate COP29 Type Commentary Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Authors Ani Dasgupta

STATEMENT: Desertification COP Produces Mixed Results on Land and Drought nate.shelter@wri.org Mon, 12/16/2024 - 14:22

December 16, 2024 (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) — The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)’s COP16 summit concluded without an agreement to tackle drought, while making some progress on other issues, including civil society engagement and inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

The world loses 100 million hectares of land to degradation yearly, yet healthy land is key to achieving sustainable development, climate, and biodiversity goals. The UNCCD released a report that shows while funding for land restoration has increased from $37 billion in 2016 to $66 billion by 2022, this still falls far short of the $355 billion per year needed.

The COP Presidency launched the Riyadh Action Agenda, aiming to mobilize ambitious commitments to conserve and restore 1.5 billion hectares of land globally by 2030. The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership announced $12.15 billion to support 80 of the world’s most vulnerable countries in tackling drought resilience.

Following is a statement by Susan Chomba, Director of Vital Landscapes, WRI Africa:

“This summit ended with mixed results for restoring the land that all humans rely on. There is now much greater global attention to the crisis our land is facing and the widespread implications for people’s food security and livelihoods.

“Yet it is disappointing that countries did not agree on a new framework for tackling droughts, a major growing risk. No country is immune to drought, and not reaching a consensus threatens the world’s goals on poverty, hunger, gender equality, climate change, life on land and employment. We urge countries to work together over the coming two years to enable a strong decision at COP17 in 2026.

“Importantly, countries agreed to create caucuses for Indigenous Peoples and for local communities to formally bring their voices into the decision-making process — a notable development given how vital they are to sustainably managing land. And there were positive decisions on sustainable land use systems, integrating science into policy, addressing soil degradation of agricultural lands; and knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and innovation.

“The new finance commitments for land restoration and drought are welcome, though we now need to see much greater investment from both governments and the private sector.

“A major bright spot was the engagement from civil society and youth, who demonstrated numerous initiatives they are undertaking to restore land health, secure land rights, and unlock economic opportunities, especially for young people.

“Land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change are intricately linked. Countries cannot address climate change nor biodiversity loss without acting on land degradation. That’s why countries should now integrate climate, biodiversity, and land issues into their national development plans — to secure a better future for people, nature and climate.”

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After a Tumultuous 2024, What’s Next for Cities? alicia.cypress… Mon, 12/16/2024 - 00:50

2024 has been a tumultuous year: More than half the world’s population went to the ballot box — some voting for radical change — extraordinary weather events have devastated communities and countries have been rocked by continued violent conflict.

Given their unique position straddling local, national and global politics, cities will face new challenges navigating different levels of government and their own electorates. What does it all mean for how cities will address the climate challenge and equitable development, where leadership and action in urban areas are so important? What does it mean for building sustainable cities?

In April 2024, flood waters in Nairobi, Africa, displaced more than 40,0000 people living in informal settlements. Photo by Xinhua / Alamy Stock Photo.

During the last quarter of the year, a series of high-profile international summits have begun to parse what lies ahead for urban priorities in 2025: from the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, to the World Urban Forum in Cairo, to the Urban20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro and to the annual UN climate summit (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

It’s time to assess the progress and setbacks cities faced this year and navigate the pathway to sustainable cities in 2025.

Elections: Shifting Electorates, Shifting Priorities

2024 was a “super year” for elections, with dozens of major contests around the world. It was also a year where incumbents suffered. Whether left or right, ruling parties from South Africa, India, the United Kingdom and the United States took losses at the polls. This strong desire for change creates unique dynamics for cities.

US Cities and a New Trump Administration

After Donald Trump’s reelection to lead the world’s largest economy, all eyes will be on U.S. cities, states and other local governments and organizations. Just a week after his November 5 win, many attending COP29 already felt the gravity of this decision, with fear that the U.S. would once again withdraw from the international Paris Agreement on climate change overshadowing negotiations.

In 2017, when Trump first announced the U.S. would pull out from the Paris Agreement, and federal support and resources were stripped from many national climate initiatives, efforts like America Is All In and the U.S. Climate Alliance brought together thousands of mayors, governors, university presidents and business leaders to continue meeting emissions-reduction targets. Those coalitions never went away and can now catalyze similar action to sustain climate targets from the city-level on up.

Former President Donald Trump won a second presidential term in November 2024. His reelection will likely mean less federal support for climate initiatives. However, there will be opportunities through organizations made up of city and local leaders to continue working on low-carbon priorities. Photo by JannHuizenga / iStock.

Shifting voter bases in cities, however, could create bigger tensions in 2025 between Republican and Democratic priorities. New York City, for example, saw a notable 7% increase in the conservative vote share for president compared to 2020. In addition, each of the so-called “battleground” states voted Republican at the presidential level.

The good news is that President Joe Biden’s enormous push for green infrastructure development, which includes e-mobility, public transport and renewable energy has some bipartisan support, thanks to about 77% of total financial investments going to Republican districts. Much of this money also lies in the hands of states to distribute and cannot be pulled back.

Also, housing and workforce participation are two key overlapping objectives supported on both sides of the aisle that can contribute to low-carbon, resilient and inclusive communities. The housing crisis in the U.S. is severe, with tens of millions of households spending more than 30% of their income on housing (if they are able to find a home at all). This impacts individuals but also businesses and their ability to tap into the labor pool needed to grow the economy. Bringing jobs and more affordable housing closer together will be an attractive offer that can garner support in many cities, from Seattle and San Francisco to Phoenix, Houston and Miami.

Though the framing might differ, prioritizing affordable housing near infrastructure investments to support economic growth can still drive a low-carbon agenda in U.S. cities.

A New Political Economy for European Cities

As significant as it is, the outcome of the U.S. elections should also be seen in the context of a global trend away from incumbents and the status quo, as well as away from globalization and toward nationalism. Europe’s shift to the right in the European Parliament and in national elections in the Netherlands, Italy, France and Germany (with snap national elections expected in February 2025), including a shifting voter base in cities, will continue to have repercussions.

While the dimensions and priorities of these electorates and their leadership have changed, the city priorities have not. A recent Eurocities survey of nearly 100 mayors identified 67% of mayors prioritizing climate action; 31%, social inclusion and equity; and 30%, affordable housing. What should the top priorities of the next European Commission be? Mayors from across the political spectrum said investing in sustainable urban mobility (55%), access to affordable housing (54%), and a long-term strategy for the EU and cities to work better together (49%).

A big challenge for mayors will be how to find unified support for what might look like a purely progressive agenda, but which simply aligns with fundamental urban dynamics: balancing scarce land and infrastructure, in densely populated centers, with relatively plentiful jobs and services.

Paris, under Mayor Anne Hidalgo, has implemented a proximity-based, “15-minute city” development strategy with great success. It’s become more walkable, bikeable and much more attractive to families with children by greening the city and by providing childcare and services at the neighborhood level. However, the idea has received fierce pushback from some on the right and even been caught up in conspiracy theories. How to continue implementing sustainable city efforts like these, while confronting people’s fears, will be a major challenge for Europe’s cities as heat and other hazards increase.

Housing: The New Lever for Climate and the Economy

At this year’s World Urban Forum in Cairo, UN-Habitat's new Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach called out the elephant in the room: An extraordinary number of people — just over 1 billion, or one-quarter, of all urban dwellers around the world — lack access to affordable housing and services.

With an additional 2.5 billion urban dwellers by 2050 due to population growth and people migrating from rural areas, 90% of which will be in Africa and Asia, one can only imagine how the city of the future could look like. This would not be a future of shiny towers and high-end apartment buildings, but one where perhaps half of the urban fabric might include informal settlements and low-income housing, with little to no access to city services. Without resolving access to housing and services in a way that is affordable and avoids locking in carbon-intensive lifestyles, it will be impossible to ever achieve local and national economic development and climate targets. 

The housing crisis extends globally, and cities will have to respond to different demographic and economic contexts. In the U.S. and Europe, affordable housing has received support from across the political spectrum and might be the best bet to sustainably transform cities and related infrastructure.

In developing countries, addressing the housing crisis is essential to accelerating economic development. The urgency is clearly understood by Indonesia’s new president, Prabowo Subianto, who only one month into the job proposed an ambitious plan to build 3 million houses a year. With most of the Indonesian population living in coastal areas, a housing program cannot be implemented without climate-proofing nor embedding services that help low-income families tap into city resources and jobs.

REHOUSE, an alliance that brings together organizations with over 100,000 staff working in slums and informal settlements around the world, is a response to the need for scaled interventions to build resilient and equitable housing integrated with core urban services for all. More dedicated investments for housing might be the best lever to drive change in cities everywhere.

Adaptation: Prioritizing People’s Safety and Health

Extreme weather events continue to devastate many cities, with 2024 surpassing last year as the hottest on record.

Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul experienced disastrous flooding in May, which impacted more than 2 million people, including those in the city of Porto Alegre; 172 people lost their lives and an astounding 80,000 people ended up in shelters. At the same time, Kenya and other areas of East Africa experienced a similar disaster. The staggering toll included 294 fatalities, affecting over 100,000 households. In Nairobi, over 40,000 households living in informal settlements were displaced, many of whom were living right up against the major rivers of the city.

Then in late October, a high-altitude isolated depression struck eastern Spain, bringing severe weather, torrential rainfall and flash floods that killed 224 people. The image of car wrecks in the historic streets of Valencia, piled on top of each other in a torrent of debris and mud, was a reminder that no city will escape the impacts of a changing climate.

The aftermath of severe weather in Valencia, Spain, in October 2024, left cars piled up in city neighborhoods. Photo by danr13/iStock.

Alongside the floods was heat. A record-breaking heat wave in India impacted millions of people and entire urban economies. Districts in Delhi hit nearly 50 degrees C (122 degrees F) and nearly 80% of the Indian population was exposed to strong or very strong heat stress for more than 6 hours in the first 15 days of April. Even air conditioning struggled to keep up under the circumstances. Additionally, the extreme heat made deadly air pollution even worse. People in Indian cities had to change their work and life schedules in significant ways to adapt.

These health and economic impacts of climate change are challenges cities and residents are dealing with now. But WRI analysis of future climate hazards shows a world in which the intensity and frequency of impacts could increase much more dramatically in the future. Analyzing climate hazards for 996 of the world’s largest cities — home to 2.1 billion people (26% of the global population) — the projections show a sizable difference between 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) and 3 degrees C (5.4 degrees F) of warming for urban areas, underscoring the need for mitigation to reduce future warming, but also for city and national governments to begin planning more adaptation measures to help people deal with heat now.

Municipal leaders are already receiving pressure for more adaptation measures. Nairobi’s governor installed the Nairobi River Commission, for example, to rethink how the city’s rivers can be safer and reclaim their functions from the clogged, polluted hazards they have become. Cities will increasingly look at passive cooling solutions, too, such as increasing tree cover, greening roofs, painting roofs white and protecting waterbodies in and around cities to reduce the impact of heat.

During the April 2024 heat wave in India, a group of people walk near the banks of the Ganges River in Prayagraj, India. The extreme heat not just made it difficult to find relief but also contributed to worsening air pollution. Photo by Anil Shakya / Alamy Stock Photo. 

Yet too few cities have comprehensive adaptation strategies in place.

Nature-based solutions have a key role to play. For example, our teams calculated that a $5.2-million investment in nature-based solutions for Bogotá’s watershed could provide $42 million in returns for the city’s water supply. And research for Mumbai’s first-ever Climate Action Plan shows a strong correlation between vegetation cover and lower land surface temperatures. Indeed, at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Cali this year, cities and city organizations focused discussions on how to build climate resilience with nature within urban areas.

These developments point to a shifting relationship between cities and adaptation. Whereas national targets on greenhouse gas emissions reduction and phasing out fossil fuels may suffer from less ambitious efforts and negotiations on the global stage, adaptation will climb further as a top priority in local politics, where climate risks — along with people’s concerns about them — are rising.

Sustainable Transportation: Transforming the Marketplace

Transportation will be the biggest growth area among urban infrastructure by 2050, simply due to the level of demand. After China, India is leading the way. Its metro network is set to be among the world’s largest. How these investments integrate into the urban fabric and how to create first- and last-mile connectivity to and from transit remain critical questions for cities.

Transit-oriented development, built around public transport, is an example of how to provide access to as many people as possible, with as few emissions as possible, while driving economic development.

But India’s success at expanding public transport investment at such a large scale can’t be replicated in many developing countries, which are growing more slowly and have less creditworthiness. Increased finance for transport is direly needed with sufficient guarantees to crowd in private capital. Looking at the global climate finance landscape for transport, it is stunning to see that 72% is invested in private road transport. These investments are out of balance with what that data shows us: Most of the urban population in developing economies walk or are dependent on public transportation. Financing institutions must help steer cities away from fully car-dependent, carbon intensive, unhealthy patterns of growth, a mistake made with eyes wide shut in the 20th century that is proving very difficult to reverse.  

Three decorated electric buses debut in New Delhi, India, at a February 2024 event where New Delhi officials announced the addition of 350 new electric buses to their fleet. India's growth of sustainable transportation options, including electric buses and railways, is among the fastest growing in the world. Photo by Sipa USA / Alamy Stock Photo.

With new climate finance goals and money after the COP29 agreement, the question for 2025 is not only about the quantity of finance, but the quality of it. More roads alone will not lead to better mobility and healthier cities. It will be difficult to provide access to services in cities, in a clean and equitable way, when the obsessive focus on private fossil fuel transport continues to persist. Blended finance, which can reduce financial risk for private finance, should focus on active mobility, public transport and electric mobility, as new WRI research on access to climate finance shows.

A focus on market transformation for sustainable transportation can support the shift toward public transportation, active mobility and electric mobility. This includes de-risking vehicle purchases to incentivize market demand, in particular for electric 2- and 3-wheelers, which are quickly overtaking the streets of African and Asian cities, as well as setting up charging infrastructure. Aggregation and smart procurement is another lever to pull. India’s national e-bus program, aiming to procure more than 50,000 electric buses, was made possible by pooling demand from 169 cities across the country. It’s helped procure more than 10,000 vehicles already and drive down the costs of an e-bus 27% below the costs of a diesel bus.

There is an enormously dynamic finance landscape ahead to meet the massive transportation demands in growing cities. If done right, this economic development proposition can and will build low-carbon transport options for all, even in a changing global political context.

Driving Change from the Bottom Up

In a drastically changed political landscape and with faltering negotiations at COP29, the climate agenda is under pressure. We should be clear-eyed about the challenges ahead. Coordination between local and national governments — critical for cities to fully exercise their ambitions for sustainable development — may be more difficult in many places. Research from the Coalition for Urban Transitions shows that, globally, cities have the mandate and ability to achieve just a third of their emissions reduction potential on their own. The other two-thirds can only be achieved by working together with, or solely by, national governments.

But these trends are not universal. Indeed, Brazil, as one of the first countries to release its updated 2025 nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement, stands as an exception. The updated climate plan creates a new instrument for coordinating climate action across cities, states and regions, and combines with existing policies and civil society networks to significantly strengthen the role of cities in Brazil’s NDC process.

As the climate world turns towards COP30 in Belem, Brazil, under the leadership of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil has taken the lead in operationalizing the principles of the CHAMP Initiative, a partnership coordinated by Bloomberg Philanthropies, supported by WRI and endorsed by 76 countries to support improved multilevel partnerships in NDCs and climate action. With this momentum, there’s hope that Brazil’s leadership will inspire other countries and cities to push for partnerships to raise climate ambition.

There are pathways for cities globally to continue implementing elements of ambitious climate action as part of their core mandate to keep people safe, improve quality of life and drive local economic development. But to ensure cities get sufficient resources, urban transformation will need to be reframed on national and local agendas.

One way is to focus on climate as a co-benefit to economic gains, to keep people safe and provide services to the electorate. That certainly counts for cities in the U.S. and increasingly in Europe, but also for rapidly growing cities in Africa and South Asia, which have understandably been focused on creating jobs, providing housing and managing climate risks.

Nature-based solutions have proven to be much needed and effective in managing heat and water in cities while creating much better quality of life. Examples of market transformation for electric mobility are promising to achieve the scale needed, create jobs and attract more private capital. These solutions are less vulnerable to ideological agendas and provide more immediate benefits to residents. Demand for neighborhoods based on proximity and quality of life has also never been bigger, with surveys showing majority support even in car-dominant societies like the U.S.

Without being overly optimistic about the multiple crises facing the world at this moment, the urban agenda is more relevant and stronger than ever. It will prove to be resilient to political change, serving the entire political spectrum in halls of power around the world and both industrialized and industrializing country agendas.

Change will happen from the bottom up, and cities will be the missing piece of many puzzles that will drive positive change for people, nature and climate.

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Authors Rogier van den Berg