Bottom-Up Experiences in Recife and Teresina Underpin Brazil’s New National Policy on Urban Peripheries shannon.paton@… Mon, 10/06/2025 - 14:25

Building solutions for urban peripheries — the sprawling, poorly served, low-income informal neighborhoods on the outskirts of Brazilian cities — requires recognizing their value.

Brazilian peripheries, while poor, often have knowledge, organizational forms and collective practices that are already helping provide concrete responses to everyday challenges. Insights from these existing efforts can support more sustainable solutions for structural issues, such as access to decent housing and basic urban services in the face of the climate crisis.

The need to better understand and support homegrown solutions in informal neighborhoods has fueled the urban laboratories of Transformative Urban Coalitions, a project co-led by WRI in Brazil and Mexico, the United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security, the International Institute for Environment and Development, and the German Institute for Development and Sustainability.

Since 2022, resident-led coalitions in Comunidade do Pilar in Recife and Residencial Edgar Gayoso in Teresina have developed bottom-up solutions, strengthened ties and created opportunities to address climate change and other challenges.

Now, the success of these projects is trickling up. In 2024, the Brazilian federal government launched Periferia Viva, a federal program for slum urbanization led by the National Secretariat for Peripheries. The program directs federal investments toward integrated urban development in peripheral communities across the country, with the goal of transforming 58 marginalized communities across Brazil by promoting slum upgrading, land regularization, new social housing and community participation.

From Local Experience to National Impact

One of these communities is Peixinhos in Olinda, just north of Recife. There, under Periferia Viva, a new “territorial post” provides a physical space for the program’s technical assistance teams to co-create interventions with residents and oversee implementation.

Lessons learned from Transformative Urban Coalitions are reflected in the Periferia Viva Action Plan Guide, a set of recommendations and steps for implementing the action plan, aimed at equipping local actors to deliver inclusive and resilient solutions on the ground. The guide was developed with the support from WRI Brasil, and the technical teams based in the territorial posts are asked to use it to guide their work with communities.

Territorial Posts unite teams responsible for co-creating actions with the community. Photo by Silla Cadengue/WRI Brasil

The Transformative Urban Coalitions project has been a critical proving ground for this approach. In 2023, Guilherme Simões, Brazil’s national secretary for peripheries, visited Comunidade do Pilar to learn about the interventions underway there by community members. In May 2025, he visited Recife again, this time to inaugurate the new Peixinhos territorial post as part of Periferia Viva, alongside other authorities and community leaders.

The REHOUSE partnership, supported by WRI, has also influenced Periferia Viva through knowledge sharing, technical assistance on climate justice and guidance on addressing social and environmental inequities. These important lessons on multilevel action are going beyond Brazil, highlighting how community-led interventions can be scaled through national-level policies like Periferia Viva.

The Global Consortium for Urban Transformation Alliances visited Comunidade do Pilar. Photo by Millena Oliveira/WRI Brasil Focus on Scaling Up

The experience gained from close engagement with communities on resilient and inclusive urban development actions in Recife and Teresina forms the foundation for a new phase of WRI’s support for Periferia Viva.

Beyond continuing support for the Transformative Urban Coalitions Urban Labs in these cities, WRI Brasil is now coordinating the Periferia Viva Network, a national practice community aimed at facilitating coordination among the many different actors involved in project implementation and construction in informal neighborhoods.

This network helps align public policies focused on marginalized communities and promotes knowledge-sharing across regions. By fostering continuous collaboration among stakeholders, it ensures that the lessons learned in Recife and Teresina can be applied elsewhere, increasing the program's replicability.

The goal is to scale up efforts to enhance and upgrade vulnerable communities through solutions designed with — and for — communities, rather than applying cookie cutter, top-down approaches. The network will encourage dynamic exchanges between diverse experiences, promoting collective learning and the spread of innovative approaches that encourage action while respecting each community’s unique characteristics.

periferia-viva-peixinhos.jpg Cities Brazil Urban Development Type Project Update Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects

• Transformative Urban Coalitions
• REHOUSE (Resilient, Equitable Housing, Opportunities and Urban Services)

STATEMENT: EAT-Lancet Report Underscores Urgent Need to Make Healthy, Sustainable Food Accessible for All darla.vanhoorn… Fri, 10/03/2025 - 09:50

LONDON (October 3, 2025) — Today, EAT and The Lancet released the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission, a major scientific update to one of the most influential food system reports of the past decade.

The report outlines how to build healthy, sustainable, and just food systems within planetary boundaries, featuring new scientific evidence and scenario-based pathways to guide global food system transformation.  
 
Following is a statement by Anne Bordier, Director of Food Initiatives at World Resources Institute: 

“The report drives home a vital truth: healthy, sustainable eating isn’t just a personal choice – it’s shaped by the systems that put food on our plates every day. It’s the responsibility of food providers and policymakers to make healthy diets with a low carbon footprint the easy, affordable, and irresistible option for all.  

“With food prices up over 35% since 2019, families are trapped in a triple bind: not enough to eat, struggling to afford nutritious food or living in environments flooded with unhealthy, unsustainable options. This is more than an economic crisis - it’s a profound equity crisis, where the most vulnerable carry the heaviest burden and face the fewest choices.” 

“Around 40% of all food is wasted. Getting more out of the food we already grow is one of the easiest, most impactful steps we can take – with huge benefits for climate, health, and food security. Better storage, surplus redistribution, and clear targets can unlock healthy food for more people while conserving resources and cutting emissions. At the same time, boosting agriculture’s productivity and reducing its environmental footprint will be essential to feed a growing population while protecting nature and the climate."

“Meeting climate and nutrition goals won’t happen overnight – it takes smart investment, persistence, creativity and real collaboration. Fortunately, a toolbox full of solutions grounded in quantitative modeling, behavioral science, consumer insights and industry know-how already exists. The challenge now is scaling what works – making healthy, sustainable food the default, not the exception.” 

Food Asia Africa Latin America North America Europe Type Statement Exclude From Blog Feed? 0

RELEASE: P4G Awards $3.8M to 14 Climate Startups Driving Green Innovation in Emerging Markets darla.vanhoorn… Wed, 10/01/2025 - 14:59

WASHINGTON (October 1, 2025) — Today, World Resources Institute's Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) awarded $3.8 million in grants and technical assistance to 14 climate startups across Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. This funding will help these early-stage businesses grow breakthrough solutions — from clean cooling systems in Vietnam to water-absorbing pavers in Indonesia, and solar-powered dryers for agricultural crops in Kenya — making them investment-ready to accelerate green growth in emerging markets. 

Mobilizing climate finance is one of the most urgent priorities of our time. Achieving this requires unprecedented investment in innovative solutions that can rapidly reduce emissions, build resilience and support a just transition for communities around the world. Yet in emerging markets, startups with promising solutions often face steep barriers to growth.  

While graduation rates from early-stage funding – commonly known as seed – to their first major investment round (Series A) average 20–30% in developed markets, they drop to around 10% in Latin America and just 5% in Africa. Common challenges include financial modeling, preparing investor documentation and developing effective pitch and marketing materials. 

P4G bridges these gaps by pairing startups with nonprofits and technical experts to strengthen their business models, ESG strategies and market positioning. Through its National Platforms – public-private coalitions at the country level – P4G also connects startups with government agencies, facilitates policy dialogues and hosts workshops to foster a more enabling environment for climate businesses. 

“Climate startups are powerful engines of innovation and play a key role in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon future,” said Robyn McGuckin, Executive Director, P4G. “From working closely with these entrepreneurs, we’ve seen how targeted funding and hands-on support can unlock their full potential – helping them scale faster, create jobs, boost local economies and deliver climate solutions that the world can’t afford to wait for.”  

One of the newly funded partnerships, VOX Cool – ASSIST Vietnam, will use its funds to scale “Cold Battery” technology — an affordable, low-emission cooling solution that stores thermal energy for when it’s needed most. By ensuring reliable, energy-efficient refrigeration, it cuts electricity costs, reduces fossil fuel reliance and prevents food spoilage.  

“We are scaling a technology that not only reduces food loss and emissions in Vietnam but can also serve as a model for how emerging markets build more efficient and cleaner cold chain systems,” said Dr. Khoa Le, co-founder and CEO, VOX Cool. “With P4G’s support, we can scale faster, create greater value for farmers and businesses, and demonstrate how innovative cooling can drive both economic growth and climate action.”  

Other partnerships receiving funding include: 

• Parsons Kinetics - ACOSOL – patented wind turbines inspired by the aerodynamics of the Varasanta tree seed in Colombia.
• ReservoAir - Kopernik – porous pavers that absorb water 100x faster than conventional paver and reduces the risk of flooding in Indonesia.
• Synnefa - Solidaridad – Solar dryers that use smart technology to cut agricultural crop drying time from weeks to just 2–3 days in Kenya. 

These startups provide real-world evidence of what works to tackle pressing challenges in food systems, energy, transport and water, helping to attract private sector investment and de-risk the climate innovation space.   

Since 2018, P4G-backed partnerships have leveraged this support to raise over $211 million in commercial and non-commercial investments, create over 17,000 green jobs, produce nearly 7.9 million metric liters of clean water, reclaim more than 130,000 metric tons of waste and revitalize over 307,000 hectares of land with climate smart agricultural practices. These outcomes underscore P4G’s long-term commitment to catalyzing green growth and scaling market-based climate solutions in emerging economies. 

P4G received 167 applications for this round of funding. An Independent Grants Committee, comprising climate and impact investing experts, evaluated the shortlisted partnerships to select the final recipients. The new partnerships will focus on advancing impact in Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa and Vietnam. 

Explore the full list of partnerships here. 

About P4G  

P4G helps early-stage climate startups in emerging markets and developing economies become investment ready. We provide startups with grants and technical assistance, and partner them with national level public-private platforms to help navigate the marketplace. Through this approach, P4G strengthens market systems for climate entrepreneurs and accelerates just and resilient country economic transitions. Hosted by World Resources Institute and funded by Denmark, the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea, P4G accelerates food, water and energy partnerships in Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa and Vietnam. To learn more, visit www.p4gpartnerships.org. 

About World Resources Institute  

WRI works to improve people’s lives, protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. As an independent research organization, we leverage our data, expertise and global reach to influence policy and catalyze change across systems like food, land and water; energy; and cities. Our 2,000+ staff work on the ground in more than a dozen focus countries and with partners in over 50 nations.   

Climate Asia Africa Latin America Type Press Release Exclude From Blog Feed? 0

The Perfect Storm Fueling Pakistan’s Solar Boom alicia.cypress… Wed, 10/01/2025 - 12:00

Pakistan has witnessed one of the most rapid and unanticipated transitions to clean energy, driven largely by homes and businesses installing rooftop solar panels. In just a few years, the country’s electric grid transformed from negligible solar power to an expected 20% of all its electricity coming from solar by 2026.

What began as modest adoption under a 2015 incentive program turned into a mass phenomenon a decade later, with households, businesses and farmers rapidly turning to solar. While energy transitions are often imagined as a complicated political process that requires long-term planning, international climate finance or industrial policy, Pakistan proves a different story is possible: A revolution driven by market forces, rather than climate-driven or state-led green policies.

Solar panels on homes and businesses in Karachi, Pakistan. The country is witnessing a people-led solar energy transformation. Photo by Hexzain / Shutterstock. A Perfect Solar Storm

Solar adoption in Pakistan resulted from a “perfect storm” of supply and demand.

On the demand side, an unprecedented hike in electricity tariffs — up 155% in just three years — rendered grid power unaffordable for many people and businesses. Industrial and residential users faced sharp price increases as subsidies were withdrawn. Simultaneously, Pakistan’s economic crisis, high global fuel prices and mandatory fixed costs to maintain underutilized fossil-fuel plants compounded the spiralling costs.

On the supply side, global solar panel prices fell by nearly 50% due to Chinese manufacturing overcapacity, while Pakistan exempted solar photovoltaic (PV) imports from duties and sales taxes until mid-2025. Together, these factors made rooftop solar systems (also known as distributed solar PV) financially attractive.

In agriculture, the removal of diesel subsidies further tipped the balance toward solar pumps, while maintaining the grid stability made solar appear more dependable than grid.

The combination of these demand- and supply-side disruptions made solar an infrastructure of necessity. It offered cheaper, more reliable and more immediate energy relief compared to the grid. Pre-existing policies which supported this included the favorable net-metering policy — which subsidized customers to sell power into the grid at a price higher than just the fuel saving; legacy subsidy programs for off-grid solar for rural households and agriculture; and policies for development of utility-scale power plants.

Between 2019 and 2025, cumulative solar panel imports surpassed Pakistan’s total installed power plant capacity by 2 gigawatts (GW). Yet only a fraction of this was utility-scale (0.7 GW) and connected to the grid suggesting a paradigm shift in the country’s power sector, with rapid growth of small solar PV systems, the actual scale of which is difficult to estimate.

The Early Adopters

Pakistan’s residential sector became an important early adopter as it sought more affordable electricity, particularly by households consuming large amounts of electricity. They faced volume-based prices where the last unit of electricity used is priced at a much higher rate than the first unit in an effort to protect energy access for its poorer residents. As tariffs rose steeply, many high-consumption households installed rooftop systems to reduce demand on the grid. In 2020, 10% of consumers were paying unsubsidized tariffs. By 2024, that number decreased to 1%, while those benefiting from net-metering policies rose from 57% to 89%.

Off-grid households, especially in remote provinces like Balochistan and Sindh, where grid access remains below 70%, have increasingly come to rely on stand-alone PV systems, as well. With an estimated capacity between 1 GW and 1.7 GW, stand-alone solar home systems are now the most common off-grid electricity source, enabling households in poor and remote areas to access daytime electricity for their basic needs — a service that was until now unavailable to them.

Farmers, too, were among the earliest movers in the agricultural sector’s shift away from using diesel generators and/or an unreliable power grid. Contributing roughly 19% of the country’s GDP and employing about 38% of its workforce, the trajectory of the agricultural sector’s shift to using solar  represents one of the least discussed but most transformative changes.

Of the 1.5 million to 2 million nationwide tube wells (which are pumps that provide groundwater to crops), 80% relied on imported diesel units unconnected to the grid. As diesel became expensive with the removal of subsidies, solar pumps became much more cost effective. At the same time, the grid was becoming more unreliable, also motivating a shift to solar. As a result, agricultural electricity demand decreased by 34.3% in 2024.

Estimates by experts suggest that half of the tube wells will switch to solar power, adding 5.6 GW to 7.5 GW of distributed PV capacity — equivalent to 1 million U.S. residential rooftop solar systems. This shift has not only restructured energy in rural Pakistan but also reduced dependence on costly imported diesel.

Businesses in the industrial sector also embraced renewable systems to hedge against both tariff hikes and frequent electricity supply interruptions. Given that industry was already dependent on expensive backup diesel and gas generators, the removal of subsidies improved the business case for solar adoption in the industrial sector as well. Export-oriented industries, especially textiles, found solar doubly beneficial – lower costs and cleaner electricity for global competitiveness. While solar plus batteries cannot yet ensure full energy independence, it has significantly reduced the strain on the electricity grid, with industrial demand falling from 31,008 GW per hour (GWh) in fiscal year 2023 to 27,830 GWh in fiscal year 2024.

Solar panels in agricultural fields have become popular in Pakistan as an inexpensive way of generating electricity for solar pumps that irrigate the land. Photo by GreenThumbShots / Shutterstock. Financing, Informal Economies and Community-Built Infrastructures

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Pakistan’s solar transition is its facilitation by a new wave of mostly self-taught solar entrepreneurs who entered the market during the country’s economic decline beginning in 2022. Leveraging informal merchandise networks in rural areas and importing solar panels through wealthy Pakistani trading houses from China, they have created hyperlocal supply chains that extend into Pakistan’s interior lands. Technicians have learned installation and maintenance by doing — circulating knowledge within communities and via YouTube and WhatsApp groups. These people-led efforts built a domestic workforce and created exportable skills, with Pakistani solar technicians now finding opportunities abroad.

Civil society and non-governmental organizations have also helped facilitate the transition by piloting school solarization or bundling small household systems with microfinance. The dominant pattern, however, is vernacular: infrastructures improvised through neighborhood electricians, local supply chains and community trust. Social proof reinforced this spread — seeing peers succeed (and often reduce their electricity bills to near zero) increased the attractiveness and reduced the risk perception for new adopters.

Moreover, what began as a solar rush is now evolving into a solar-plus-storage story, as imports of lithium-ion batteries grew in 2024 alongside solar PV imports, despite high taxes and import duties. Alongside 17 GW of solar PV imports in 2024, Pakistan imported an estimated 1.25 GWh of lithium-ion batteries. Battery storage allows households and businesses to not just save money during the daytime, but also use stored energy in morning and evening hours to minimize outages and better optimize the electric grid. Though nascent, battery adoption is rising and will soon become another source of income to help stabilize Pakistan’s overall electricity grid.

Solar as an Equalizer of Energy Access

One of the most profound yet under-acknowledged dimensions of Pakistan’s solar boom is how it’s facilitated energy access after 60 years of trying to do this with subsidized fossil fuels. Instead of just urban areas and industrial clusters, where the grid is centralized, vast swaths of rural Pakistan that were previously unserved by the grid, now has access to low-cost electricity.

For rural households, stand-alone PV systems mean that access to lighting, connectivity and cooling are no longer contingent on state investment in transmission lines. For schools, solarization is enabling study sessions, functioning fans during heat waves and reliable power for learning — outcomes that directly address decades of infrastructural neglect due to the high costs of importing diesel fuel. Rural health clinics, too, are beginning to operate refrigerators for vaccines and equipment for basic diagnostics, where unreliable electricity made sophisticated electronics unworkable.

By creating new access opportunities in marginalized communities, solar challenges the entrenched inequities of Pakistan’s energy regime. However, this democratizing potential is still uneven: Households able to afford storage systems or larger arrays benefit more than those limited to small daytime systems. Yet, even within these limits, solar has begun to blur the structural divides between the grid-connected and the energy-poor, offering an incremental correction of historical legacies.

Emerging Challenges

Despite the staggering rates of adoption, contradictions continue to persist. Distributed solar has reduced grid demand, triggering what analysts describe as a potential utility death spiral. Electric companies, already plagued by 20% transmission losses and endemic theft, now face collapsing revenues as high-paying consumers defect. Pakistan faces a paradox — a surplus of fossil-fuel plants with installed capacity of 46 GW under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor partnership is now underutilized, but the U.S.-dollar denominated debt still has to be repaid. As more high-paying consumers defect, revenues collapse and electricity rates go up due to fixed capacity payments to idle thermal plants, deepening circular debt.

Policy responses — such as eliminating net-metering programs and imposing a 10% tax on imported panels — are unlikely to reverse the trajectory. Further, as central and provincial policies continue to act at cross-purposes, with provincial authorities promoting agricultural solarization, and the federal government imposing import taxes to stabilise revenues, these contradictions may push more consumers towards off-grid systems, accelerating the fragmentation of the power sector.

How Can Pakistan Maintain Its Solar Momentum?

Pakistan’s solar transition has demonstrated a definitive shift from technology commercialization to full market acceptance of renewable energy among lower-income communities. It is neither a climate-driven decarbonization nor a state-led green transition, but a counter-infrastructure of necessity that has expanded access at a pace unimaginable through conventional planning. What began as fragmented responses to tariff hikes and unreliable supply, has grown into one of the most striking people-led energy shifts in history.

While contradictions remain — utilities face revenue collapse and uneven finance access risks deepening divides — the broader trajectory is still transformative. Solar has displaced expensive imported fossil fuels, powered education and health care institutions, and given households and farmers a measure of energy sovereignty long denied by the centralized grid. Equally important, it has fostered new skills, livelihoods and forms of collective learning that extend well beyond energy.

Momentum is likely to accelerate as cost declines, supply chains improve and storage becomes standard on all new deployments. With localized guidelines, skill investment and recognition of solar PVs role in expanding energy access, Pakistan’s people-led transition can evolve from an infrastructure of necessity into a foundation for resilience, opportunity and social renewal.

pakistan-solar-boom.jpg Energy Pakistan Clean Energy renewable energy Energy Access Climate Equity Type Vignette Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Authors Jigar Shah

STATEMENT: Colombia Updates its Climate Commitments to 2035 nate.shelter@wri.org Fri, 09/26/2025 - 11:43

Bogotá, D. C., Colombia (September 26, 2025) — Colombia has submitted its new national climate plan, or Nationally Determined Contribution 3.0 (NDC), committing to limit its emissions in 2035 to a maximum of between 155 and 161 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2eq). Colombia has also reaffirmed its commitment to reduce black carbon emissions by 6,130 to 8,873 tons by 2035 compared to 2014 emissions, excluding forest fires.

The country’s new NDC also includes a climate adaptation component aimed at “reducing risk and the socio-economic impacts associated with climate variability and change.” Eight priorities have been defined for this component: biodiversity and ecosystem services; water resources; food security and agricultural production; human health; infrastructure; disaster risk management; cultural heritage; and human settlements.

Note: The Spanish version of this statement is available here.

Following is a statement by Carolina Useche, Director of Climate, Economics, and Finance at WRI Colombia:

“This NDC update sends an encouraging signal of continuity in climate governance in our country. The declarative version, approved by the Intersectoral Commission on Climate Change, reaffirms Colombia’s international commitments not only to emissions reduction and the protection of strategic ecosystems such as the Amazon, but also to promoting socio-economic development that benefits people, nature and the climate.

“The update also highlights the inclusion of a loss and damage component, recognizing it as a reality and as a pillar of climate action. The goal is to foster greater financial support from the international community.

“In addition, as one of the first countries to endorse the Coalition for High Ambition Multi-Level Partnerships (CHAMP) declaration, Colombia’s NDC acknowledges the role of subnational governments in planning and implementing measures to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. The country will seek to promote governance that integrates national and subnational perspectives on climate action to meet its national climate goals.

“For over a decade, WRI has supported Colombia in defining and implementing its international commitments under the Paris Agreement, including the NDC and Colombia’s Long-Term Climate Strategy (E2050). Under this new NDC, WRI will continue providing technical assistance to the country to advance evidence-based climate action.”

National Climate Action Colombia NDC COP30 Cities Urban Efficiency & Climate Type Statement Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects

• Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) for Climate Action
• Urban Efficiency & Climate

From the Ground Up: How Community-Based Organizations Can Build an Equitable and Clean Energy Future shannon.paton@… Thu, 09/25/2025 - 08:20

Across the United States, energy rates continue to climb and contribute to energy inequities. Since 2021, the average residential electricity bill increased by $22 per month, adding up to an additional $264 per year, with more price hikes projected through 2030. The rise is largely driven by inflation, aging grid infrastructure and growing electricity demand from data centers.  A recent analysis by the Center for American Progress found that nearly 60 utilities have either raised or are proposing to raise electric and gas rates by a combined $41.9 billion — impacts that could reach over 80 million customers.

Electricity rate hikes disproportionately impact low-income households. According to the 2024 Policy Brief on City Energy Burdens by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), one in four low-income households spends more than 15% of their income on energy, far exceeding the 6% threshold that indicates high burden. Black, Latino, Indigenous and immigrant households are disproportionately represented among these families, reflecting the legacy of discriminatory housing policies, inefficient housing stock and limited access to energy efficiency upgrades. The same ACEEE analysis found that nearly 77 million households, or one in every two households, have had to reduce or forego essentials like medicine or food at least once or twice to pay utility bills. 

While low-income communities already face the greatest risk of climate-related impacts such as urban heat, extreme weather events and pollution, they are also being excluded from the decisions that offer potential solutions to the energy affordability crisis, such as clean energy.

Clean energy can help improve affordability by directly reducing households’ monthly utility bills and providing long-term price stability. While installing solar panels often requires high upfront costs that put it out of reach for historically disadvantaged or low-income households, once the system is installed, it provides families with a cheaper, more reliable and independent energy supply.

Subscriber-based community solar can also offer similar benefits but with even lower commitment that allows renters to participate. Low- to moderate-income (LMI) solar programs provide key financial support mechanisms, such as grants, rebates, on-bill financing, third-party ownership models and community solar options, that eliminate or reduce upfront payments. By covering or deferring these initial expenses, LMI solar programs provide a pathway for households to reap the long-term benefits of clean energy.

To avoid unintended obstacles to program uptake and address systemic barriers, successful LMI solar programs are designed together with the communities they aim to serve. Community-based organizations (CBOs) can be a key partner in this process, ensuring that program details such as financing options, outreach and program administration meet the needs of communities as well as thoroughly address the energy burden crisis and expand reliable, affordable and accessible clean energy.                       

The Case for CBO Leadership

Locally formed and staffed by residents of nearby communities, CBOs can take many forms; their missions typically center around religion, food, health care, education, housing, social services and/or community development. Given this local focus, CBOs have a deep understanding of local circumstances that allows them to act as trusted community liaisons: advocating for the community’s specific needs, educating residents on various issues, raising awareness about available resources and ensuring that community voices are heard through town halls, door-to-door outreach and focus groups.

Throughout May and June, WRI met with 10 environmental and equity-focused CBOs from across the United States to better understand their role in the community and their involvement in programmatic decisions for LMI-focused solar energy programs. From those conversations, we determined that many CBOs possess three key characteristics which make them uniquely qualified to not just champion or facilitate LMI solar programs, but also to inform and design them.

First, they are deeply trusted in the communities that they serve — their people and work are well-known among community members. Second, they are accessible; they routinely engage with the community in a capacity that makes them approachable and reliable. Lastly, they have a deep understanding of the local context, derived from their own belonging and familiarity with the community that they serve.

Based on these conversations, plus feedback from a WRI-hosted webinar on CBO-led clean energy programs, and an analysis of LMI-focused solar program case studies, the team identified four persistent barriers that CBOs described as limiting solar adoption by LMI households:

1. Homes need repairs first, such as roof repairs or replacements and electrical upgrades.
2. For residential rooftop solar, even with the few remaining available financial incentives, installation costs are still too high.
3. Program requirements or applications are complex and difficult for residents to navigate.
4. There is a disconnect with or distrust of solar developers due to occasional predatory practices and deceptive actors.

How CBOs Can Plug in Now

How can CBOs solve these barriers by using their unique perspective to serve as a bridge between communities and solar programs? WRI identified seven strategies that CBOs can utilize to promote successful design and implementation of LMI-focused solar energy programs. These strategies range in both levels of effort required and approach, so CBOs of all sizes and capacities can help advance energy equity in their communities.

1. Amplify success stories and testimonials to build trust.

Solar implementation can have a “ripple effect” thanks to peer modeling. When one neighbor successfully installs solar panels, others are more likely to follow. CBOs can amplify local success stories and highlight the benefits of solar, building trust and increasing community interest in the technology. 

2. Raise community awareness of existing solar programs.

CBOs are often more trusted messengers than government staff when it comes to community programming. They can provide resources and materials on existing solar programs and ensure that all communities have access to the cost-saving benefits of renewable energy.

3. Help co-design programs by tailoring solutions to overcome local barriers.

CBOs can engage with grant recipients and city sustainability teams to make sure that programs center community priorities and are accessible, attractive and relevant for the communities that they support.

4. Identify workforce development programs and connect with community members.

A strong local workforce helps successfully scale rooftop and community solar projects. CBOs can do more than support the design and facilitation of training programs; more importantly, they can also leverage established relationships to ensure residents can access career pathways as the clean energy economy evolves.

5. Help residents navigate and enroll in various energy assistance programs.

Low-income solar programs can require extensive paperwork to apply — including income verification and access to past electricity bills — that serve as a barrier to participation. CBOs can help streamline this process by providing checklists on what is needed to sign up, as well as by holding in-person Q&A events that work to demystify the application process.

6. Join community task forces, working groups and/or advisory committees to discuss barriers and solutions to low-income solar.

Because CBOs are often a trusted entity with whom community members can voice concerns and develop solutions, they often have a unique and holistic understanding of the barriers to low-income solar adoption. They can use this knowledge to develop solutions in key community forums, such as task forces, working groups and/or advisory committees.

7. Vet solar installers and developers to streamline collaboration and build trust with program participants.

Many low-income households may hesitate to adopt solar due to unfamiliarity with and distrust of installers and developers. CBOs can play a critical role in protecting residents from deceptive practices in a variety of ways. By vetting solar vendors and contractors, fostering direct engagement and guiding investors on equitable engagement strategies, CBOs can foster trust between installers and developers and community members. Partnering with government-led group procurement can also help provide assurance to program participants that the contractors are trusted.

These strategies aim to expand opportunities for CBO involvement in energy equity and LMI solar initiatives. However, many CBOs are already active in solar program design and implementation; across the country, numerous organizations have successfully advanced rooftop solar adoption among LMI households.

Replicable Pathways: Templates for Community-Driven Solar SuccessGeorgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL)

GIPL supports faith communities in adopting solar energy through its Congregational Solar Program (CSP), which has been active since 2018. GIPL assists houses of worship by serving as a liaison between congregations, vetted installers and utilities to streamline effective projects. The CSP facilitates solar feasibility studies, reviews proposals with congregations and supports decision-making around financing options — including if and how to utilize power purchase agreements, grants, tax incentives such as direct pay (authorized through the Inflation Reduction Act) and GIPL’s own solar loan fund.

Through education, storytelling and media outreach, GIPL raises awareness and inspires other congregations to follow suit. It provides materials such as one-pagers, social media graphics and case studies to build trust and demonstrate the real impact of solar savings. Their approach aims to create a ripple effect: enabling faith communities to become solar adopters, reinvesting some of that savings into local needs and inspiring broader community transformation.

So far, GIPL has installed 620 kilowatts across 25 projects, offsetting 3,541 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. GIPL is proving that CBOs are not peripheral to clean energy implementation but rather are essential to building a just solar future.

When asked what advice GIPL would give to other CBOs looking to engage with program administrators and local governments around clean energy, Hannah Shultz, GIPL’s program director, emphasized the need for resource planning and partnership development, specifically establishing relationships with the program administrator, as GIPL did with Georgia BRIGHT, and connecting with pro-bono organizations, such as Lawyers for Good Government. This external support and technical resources were key in establishing and expanding GIPL’s solar assistance program. Many other participants in the June 2025 webinar agreed, with 70% of respondents asserting they needed more one-on-one coaching, formal guidance and toolkits to implement the proposed strategies.

Washington, D.C.’s Solar for All Program 

In administering Washington, D.C.’s Solar for All program since 2016, the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment collaborated closely with CBOs to ensure program success. The locally run program was enabled and funded through the Renewable Portfolio Standard of 2016 and served as a model for the 2022 national program. At the program’s outset, CBOs assisted in generating support and community buy-in for the program, as communities were justifiably hesitant to subscribe to a program that seemed too good to be true. Key supporting activities included writing letters of support for the Solar for All program, which were used to recruit new subscribers, and meeting with community members to share program details through trusted messengers. Throughout the program, CBOs served as crucial connectors between the program administrator and communities to ensure fair treatment of subscribers and achievement of program goals.

Michigan's Solar for All Program

Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy was one of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Solar for All grant awardees which included CBOs as integral in producing an inclusive program that reflected community priorities in its design and implementation. The MI Solar for All program also highlighted the various roles that CBOs played in implementing LMI solar programs. For community solar projects, CBOs may be site hosts and design projects to benefit their communities, such as resilience hubs. Alternatively, CBOs could assist in identifying site hosts for community solar projects. For residential rooftop solar projects, CBOs can play a critical role in engaging community members, raising awareness of the program and advising on program application.

The MI Solar for All program envisioned its partner CBOs as a key instrument for educating community members about energy efficiency, enabling upgrades, solar and energy storage, as well as how such technologies are helpful in lowering household electricity bills. To build this out, it organized a focus group of CBOs to understand the communities they intend to serve, tailor engagement strategies, address barriers to previous program participation and discuss how best to on-board CBOs as formal, compensated partners.

Although the MI Solar for All program, which provided free low-cost solar for LMI residents in all 50 states, was formally canceled by the EPA in August 2025, ongoing legal challenges mean its future remains uncertain. City and state leaders, however, can take lessons from the program’s approach.

Conclusion

Solar deployment is a critical part of the solution to rising energy costs, and the path to equitable and affordable clean energy begins at the community level. CBOs bring lived experience, cultural understanding and respect, and deep local trust that cannot be replicated by outside actors. When included as true partners, CBOs can transform solar programs from technical interventions into community-driven solutions that meet families and households' energy needs. Without their leadership, many programs risk reinforcing existing energy inequities instead of dismantling them.

Policymakers, utilities and program administrators must commit resources, decision-making power and long-term partnerships to ensure CBOs are not only consulted but positioned as co-leaders in clean energy deployment. Funders and advocates can accelerate progress by investing in CBO capacity, offering technical support, and amplifying their success stories to catalyze replication nationwide. Most importantly, communities must be empowered to shape the clean energy future on their own terms.

To thoroughly address energy insecurity and ensure that the benefits of solar reach those who need them most, we must center equity, trust and community leadership at every stage. The question is not whether community leaders should lead, but how we can remove barriers to their participation and provide clearer entry points into program design, ultimately ensuring all communities will experience the benefits from the clean energy transition.

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• Clean Energy Supply
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Authors Carla Walker Lilyana Gabrielse Gabby Hyman

STATEMENT: China Announces New Climate Target nate.shelter@wri.org Wed, 09/24/2025 - 22:00

NEW YORK (September 24, 2025) — At the UN Secretary-General’s Special High-Level Event on Climate Action, Premier Li Qiang announced that China will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 7-10% by 2035 as part of its national climate commitment under the Paris Agreement.

China also made several sectoral commitments, including to: increase the share of its non-fossil fuels in its total energy consumption to over 30%, expand the installed capacity of wind and solar to over 6 times 2020 levels, striving to bring the total to 3,600 gigawatts, increase forest stocks to 24 billion cubic meters, and make electric vehicles the mainstream of new sales.

The following are statements from WRI’s Global Climate, Economics and Finance Program and WRI China.

Melanie Robinson, Global Climate, Economics and Finance Director at World Resources Institute:

“China has committed to a 7-10% emissions reductions target from peak levels, striving for more. This includes an absolute target and all greenhouse gases for the first time.

“Depending on assumptions, delivering the top end of this target by 2035, would require a decline at least 3 times faster from 2035 to reach China’s 2060 net zero target. 

“However, if China’s pace of deployment of renewables and EVs, and rate of emissions decrease (which was 1% in the first half of 2025, year over year), continues, China would overdeliver on its 2035 target. China has overdelivered in some areas in the past, notably on renewables. Renewables, batteries and EVs are together contributing to a quarter of China’s economic growth. 

“China has the scale, technological ability and economic momentum to play a major role in the transition.”

Dr. Fang Li, Country Director of World Resources Institute China: 

“China's latest NDC marks a new step in its low-carbon transition and provides a key signal to the world as COP30 approaches.

“It is notable that China’s topline target addresses methane and other high-impact greenhouse gases. Reducing these emissions will benefit both the climate and human health, as they also act as ambient pollutants.

“China is working to address the practical challenges of the low-carbon economic transition in ways that are good for growth, jobs and equity. Already China’s economy is seeing the positive impacts of its investments in clean energy. Looking ahead, COP30 will provide both China and the international community with a crucial opportunity to advance the transition toward a cleaner, more prosperous world.”

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Critical EU Deforestation Regulation Faces Another Delay sarah.brown@wri.org Wed, 09/24/2025 - 18:18

The world is losing 18 soccer fields of tropical primary every minute; much of it is the result of clearing for farms, pastures and tree plantations.

As a major buyer of commodities largely responsible for fueling deforestation — such as palm oil, cocoa, coffee, soy, cattle and timber — the EU has both a responsibility and an opportunity to help shift global markets toward more sustainable supply chains. The landmark EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), adopted in 2023, requires businesses to demonstrate that the products they sell or export to the EU do not come from land that was recently deforested or degraded. 

The EUDR is a key step in responding to today’s deforestation and supporting countries in achieving their national forest protection policies. Yet despite its promise, the regulation faces delays and pushback, threatening its timely implementation.

In September 2025, the EU Commission proposed delaying the EUDR's enforcement until December 2026, pushing back its start date for the second year in a row. In July 2025, EU Agriculture Ministers issued a letter calling for the EUDR's simplification, while a symbolic vote in the European Parliament objected to the regulation's critical benchmarking system. 

At a time when forests are increasingly under threat, it’s more urgent than ever to understand the regulation and ensure its full and rapid implementation. Here, we dive deeply into the legislation's details and potential impacts.

What Is the EUDR?

The EUDR is a landmark law that came into force in June 2023. Its goal is to ensure that certain products sold in or exported to the EU do not come from land that was deforested or degraded after Dec. 31, 2020. The regulation is designed to prevent EU consumer demand from driving further forest loss or damage, while also reducing the region’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and global biodiversity decline.

The EUDR covers timber and six key agricultural commodities: cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soy, as well as products made from them such as beef, furniture and chocolate. To be sold in or exported from the EU market, these products must meet the following three conditions:

1. They are deforestation-free.
2. They have been produced in compliance with the relevant laws of the country of origin.
3. They are covered by a due diligence statement, showing that the company has checked the origin and ensured the products meet EUDR requirements.

This means businesses must demonstrate that any EUDR-covered commodities were not produced on land that was deforested nor did they contribute to forest degradation after the Dec. 31, 2020 cutoff date. Although the regulation is legally in place, companies are not yet required to comply yet. The rules will apply starting from Dec. 30, 2025, for large enterprises and June 30, 2026, for small and medium-sized businesses.

 

Why Is the EUDR important?

The EUDR offers a major opportunity for the EU to reduce its role in global deforestation and biodiversity loss, as well as help create deforestation-free supply chains. It supports the commitment made by the 144 countries that signed the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration in 2021 to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. It can also serve as a model for other major consumer markets looking to lower their environmental footprints.

Since 2014, the EU has been the second-largest importer of goods linked to tropical deforestation after China. In 2017 alone, it accounted for 16% of global deforestation tied to international trade — equal to 203,000 hectares of forest.

More recently, in 2021, the EU was among the world’s top five importers of five of the six agricultural commodities covered by the EUDR (cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber and soy) and the largest importer of cocoa beans and coffee worldwide1 . Among all the agricultural products the EU buys, beef, cocoa and palm oil were linked to the most deforestation in the countries they came from. In fact, out of 160 agricultural commodities imported by the EU, just six — beef, palm oil, soy, cocoa, coffee and rubber, as covered by the EUDR — made up 58% of the estimated forest loss tied to EU imports.

By reducing the EU’s forest-loss footprint and tackling deforestation risks in its supply chains, the EUDR could help reverse deforestation worldwide. In 2024, a record 6.7 million hectares of primary tropical forests were lost — nearly double the 2023 rate and equivalent of losing 18 soccer fields of forest every minute. While wildfires captured global attention, some of the increase was due to agricultural conversion and logging.

What Challenges and Setbacks Has the EUDR Faced?

In December 2024, the EU postponed the start of EUDR compliance by 12 months to give companies more time to prepare to meet the regulation’s requirements. Then in September 2025, the EU Commission again signaled its intention to delay implementation by another year, reportedly because of issues with the EU platform used to submit due diligence statements. Once the commission makes its proposal for a delay, both the European Council and European Parliament will have to agree to these terms. Some fear proposals to water down the regulation will be reintroduced during this amendment process. 

In May 2025, the European Commission published the regulation’s benchmarking classification system, which ranks countries as low, standard and high risk based on indicators assessing the deforestation risk linked to commodity production in each country. The ranking system was designed to help businesses and enforcement authorities in the EU to conduct due diligence and enforce compliance. The risk levels indicate the percentage of checks on shipments, with greater scrutiny given to higher-risk countries. 

New proposals call on the EU Commission to revise the benchmarking classification system introduced in 2025. Some EU member state representatives have suggested adding a “no-risk” category to exempt certain countries from due diligence requirements; another suggestion proposed removing the system altogether. But changes like these could create loopholes and ultimately weaken the regulation’s effectiveness. The European Parliament already rejected a similar idea in 2024 for that very reason.

The EUDR was agreed upon following a lengthy negotiation between EU institutions and member states, as well as impact assessments and extensive consultations. Derailing its implementation would penalize producer countries and companies that have already invested in compliance, and it would create confusion and uncertainty in the EU market. The regulation may not be perfect, but it’s a necessary step toward deforestation-free supply chains. Many companies have already shown that EUDR compliance is possible, and several have urged the EU to uphold the legal text and stick to implementation timeline.

Since adoption, the EUDR has faced criticism from both inside and outside the EU. Most concerns focus on cost and complexity of compliance, as well as fairness, particularly for smallholder farmers. In response, the European Commission, EU member states and other development institutions have ramped up investment in EUDR preparedness by issuing resources and guidance, with a particular emphasis on preventing smallholder exclusion from the EU market.

What Counts as Deforestation and Degradation Under the EUDR?

The regulation's definition of a forest largely follows the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which defines it as land larger than 0.5 hectares with trees taller than 5 meters and a canopy cover of at least 10% that is not primarily used for farming or urban development.

Under the EUDR, deforestation refers to clearing forest to make way for agriculture. The key factor is the conversion of land that was forest in 2020 into farmland — such as pastures or soy plantations. It’s a complete land-use change: the forest is no longer a forest.

• If that forest is cleared — whether by people or natural events like fire — and then converted into farmland, such as pastures for raising cattle or fields for soy or palm oil, it is considered deforestation.
• However, if a forest is cleared, for example by fire (whether from human activity or natural causes) and is not used to produce any of the six EUDR-covered agricultural commodities, it is not considered deforestation under the regulations.
• Forests used for wood production are not considered deforestation unless they’re also used for agriculture, for example, cattle grazing under the tree canopy.

The EUDR also covers degradation. Land that was forest in 2020 can be used for wood production and remain classified as a forest, even if it’s temporarily unstocked, according to EUDR definitions. A forest used for wood production is not considered degraded unless there's a specific structural change, such as:

• Converting primary forest (native, untouched forest) into other wooded land (trees have 5%-10% canopy cover) or into plantation or planted forest.
• Converting naturally regenerating forest (which has largely grown back on its own) into other wooded land used or plantation forest.

Who Does the EUDR Affect?

The EUDR affects any company that imports, produces or exports specific products, and their derivatives, to or from the EU market. This includes operators (those placing products on the market or exporting them from the market) and traders (those distributing and selling products).

It applies to companies based in the EU and internationally, and to businesses of all sizes, from micro and small enterprises to large corporations. However, larger businesses face stricter reporting requirements than smaller ones.

The EUDR spans multiple sectors, from food and beverage (such as companies sourcing cocoa and coffee) to fashion (leather goods, for example) to the healthcare industry (products such as latex gloves).

How Are Countries and Companies Preparing for the EUDR?

Under the EUDR, companies must prove that products linked to deforestation or degradation after Dec. 31, 2020, are not entering the EU market. This requires a due diligence process: collecting supply chain information (including geolocation), assessing the risk of deforestation and taking steps to eliminate any identified risk before the product can be put on the market.

Country-level efforts

Many producer countries are already taking concrete steps to prepare for the EUDR, from adopting national plans to developing traceability systems and improving data transparency. For example, Indonesia, Ghana and Vietnam are investing in government-led efforts to make information available to companies that must comply with the regulation. Delaying enforcement or altering the regulation’s scope could undermine these leading producer countries.

Vietnam stands out as a strong example of how the EUDR is reinforcing national policies to combat deforestation. As a top exporter of rubber and coffee, the country has shifted its focus from illegal logging to broader deforestation risks in agriculture since the regulation’s introduction.  In 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development adopted a national action plan prioritizing sustainable agricultural transformation. The following year, it launched a traceability system for coffee farms, piloting geospatial verification (such as satellite images) in key producing provinces. Developed through public-private collaboration, the system cross-references land-use maps and cadastral data to ensure EUDR compliance. Plans are also underway to expand it to rubber and cocoa.

Vietnam’s progress shows how the regulation can act as a catalyst for stronger policy alignment between global market demands and local sustainability goals. 

EU member states are also preparing by using satellite and aerial earth observation data, such as forest maps from 2020 (the EUDR cutoff year) to detect deforestation, alongside other monitoring solutions and tools to support compliant imports. 

Private-sector efforts

Companies across supply chains are ramping up EUDR preparations, sparking a wave of innovation in monitoring and traceability. Many are developing satellite-based systems to verify deforestation-free sourcing, training smallholder farmers to meet EUDR requirements and partnering with governments and NGOs to improve data sharing and risk assessment.

For example, Unilever and Meridia are working together to map smallholder farmers in Indonesia, making it possible to trace palm oil from plantation to mill. The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) has created a system to help companies follow sustainability practices and demonstrate EUDR compliance. Open-source platforms like WRI’s Global Forest Watch are also supporting companies in verifying supply chains.

These efforts from governments, companies and EU countries show how the EUDR is already driving unprecedented action — transforming compliance from a burden into an opportunity to build more responsible and transparent supply chains. The challenge now is scaling these solutions across all commodities and regions.

What's Next for the EUDR?

The EUDR represents a major milestone in the fight against commodity-driven deforestation.

The EU must reject attempts to weaken the regulation’s core requirements. Its effectiveness depends on maintaining its ambition without dilution or delay. Backtracking at this stage would undermine the EUDR’s credibility and send the wrong signal to global markets. 

At the same time, the EU should also step up efforts to provide clear guidance to businesses, along with practical training and support to help them develop the skills needed for compliance, especially for small businesses that may otherwise struggle to meet requirements.

The European Commission, the European Parliament and Member States should stay the course and deliver the EUDR as planned. It is not only a necessary response to the crisis of forest loss, but also a vital tool to support and complement producer country efforts to halt deforestation by 2030.

Editor's Note: This piece was originally published on July 8, 2025. It was updated in September 2025 to reflect new policy developments. 

Footnotes

1Timber and timber products are not included.

14244777628_a88be761e2_k.jpg Forests Europe deforestation regulation climate policy commodities corporate sustainability Type Explainer Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Authors Bo Li Sarah Carter Tina Schneider Sophie Labaste Olivia Campbell

STATEMENT: Countries Announce New Climate Pledges at UN Summit, But Far More Action Needed nate.shelter@wri.org Wed, 09/24/2025 - 18:00

NEW YORK (September 24, 2025) — The UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit closed today with several new climate commitments from countries setting emissions targets through 2035 — a critical waypoint on the path to net zero by mid-century. The Summit is an important milestone as the UN prepares its NDC Synthesis Report next month, which will assess the collective impact of new pledges before this year’s COP30.

This statement reflects both country announcements and official NDC submissions made so far, drawing on preliminary Climate Watch data to show their potential emissions reductions in gigatons compared to countries’ 2030 targets. 

Following is a statement from Ani Dasgupta, President & CEO, World Resources Institute: 

“We cannot sugarcoat it: these new climate plans do not put us anywhere near on track for a safe future. The lack of ambition from most major emitters so far, barring a few, underscores the immense political challenge countries face of transforming their entire economy. Yet vulnerable countries continue to step up with bold climate leadership.

“Countries’ last round of NDCs put the world on track for up to 2.8°C of warming, already exposing billions of people to more frequent and intense heatwaves, wildfires, storms and floods. By 2035, the world needs to cut 31.2 gigatons of emissions to stay on track for 1.5°C, or 20.2 Gt for 2°C. The NDCs and announcements so far would reduce that by just 2 gigatons  — only 6% of what’s needed for 1.5°C and 10% for 2°C. 

“By COP30, it is critical that all countries deliver the most ambitious possible climate plans, especially the major emitters still missing from the table.

“Some countries are taking steps to transform key sectors of their economy. Falling costs are accelerating this momentum: clean energy, heat pumps, and electric vehicles are now the lowest cost option in many parts of the world — creating jobs, boosting countries’ growth and competitiveness, securing reliable clean energy, and improving people’s quality of life. Countries need to do much more to seize this momentum and scale up renewable energy and clean transport solutions.

“The stakes could not be higher. Climate-related disasters cost the world at least $300 billion in 2024 alone, and without stronger steps these losses will continue to escalate. By COP30, all countries must present a clear response and double down on solutions within our grasp to cut emissions and build adequate resilience.”

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4 Levers to Help Scale Net-Zero Carbon and Resilient Housing alicia.cypress… Wed, 09/24/2025 - 11:05 .city-callout { border: 3px solid #9B216C !important; padding: 10px !important; } .city-callout-heading{ border-bottom: 0.5px solid #1a1919; padding-bottom: .6875rem; margin-bottom: .5rem; color:#9B216C !important; }

The built environment accounts for over one-third of global emissions. In rapidly developing markets like India and Mexico, a surge in housing construction faces a pivotal choice: lock in high-carbon infrastructure or, with the right interventions, enable resilient, low-carbon designs and create millions of green jobs.

When supported by integrated policies, targeted finance and adaptive business models, these markets have the potential to leapfrog to net-zero carbon and resilient buildings (NZCRBs), reducing emissions, strengthening climate resilience and delivering important socio-economic benefits — from lower energy bills to healthier living conditions.

Yet, progress remains slow: NZCRBs make up less than 1% of global building stock, with residential buildings comprising an even smaller percentage. While demand for efficient housing is growing rapidly, fragmented policies, limited financing and pilots that fail to scale still limit progress. By focusing on residential housing where these challenges converge and urgency is greatest, this article aims to unpack the most persistent barriers.

To unlock large-scale solutions and investment, it is essential to first clarify a shared definition of NZCRBs and then carefully map the systemic barriers to overcome.

What Are Net-Zero Carbon and Resilient Buildings?

NZCRBs minimize energy demand, employ renewable energy and are built or retrofitted using low-carbon or recycled materials. They are designed to withstand climate shocks, such as heat waves, flooding and storms, while reducing emissions through the entire life cycle of the building from material sourcing to operation to end-of-life.

There are many types of NZCRBs, including those designed for residential, commercial and institutional uses. Unlike traditional sustainability-certifiable buildings, which primarily focus on reducing energy use and environmental impact, or resilience-oriented buildings, which emphasize physical durability and disaster risk reduction, NZCRBs deliberately integrate both priorities. They simultaneously address decarbonization and climate adaptation, aligning the built environment with net-zero carbon pathways and safeguarding communities against intensifying climate hazards. This holistic approach ensures that homes are not only energy-efficient and low-emission but future-proofed and capable of maintaining safety and livability during extreme events.

The relative balance between the “net zero” and “resilience” dimensions of NZCRBs can differ across geographies. In medium-income, temperate regions with stronger energy policies, like in Mexico and Latin America, the emphasis often leans toward decarbonization, maximizing efficiency, renewable integration and carbon-neutral materials. In contrast, in climate-vulnerable and rapidly urbanizing regions such as India and Southeast Asia, resilience features may be prioritized, which could include passive cooling, flood-proofing and structural durability, with net-zero measures introduced incrementally. This geographic differentiation underscores the importance of context-specific pathways: All NZCRBs share common principles, but their design and implementation must reflect local climate priorities, regulatory frameworks and socioeconomic realities.

While NZCRB design principles can apply broadly, our focus is scaling both net-zero and resilient residential dwellings, given their outsized impact and opportunity. These homes offer clear benefits: lower energy costs, healthier indoor environments and reduced vulnerability to climate risks. However, key barriers persist, such as limited affordability, lack of tailored finance, weak policy enforcement, entrenched unsustainable practices and limited technical capacity — especially in emerging markets.

What’s Holding NZCRBs Back? And How Can Sustainable Buildings Be Scaled?

Smaller developers and building owners often face high upfront costs when shifting to NZCRBs. Energy-efficiency upgrades frequently place the financial burden on owners, while tenants capture most of the benefits. This split-incentive challenge is common in rental housing markets and hampers upgrades. In India, for instance, landlords of low-income rental units are often reluctant to invest in passive cooling or energy-efficient retrofits because tenants capture the utility savings but lack the security of tenure to justify contributing to upfront costs. Similar dynamics have been documented in Mexico’s rental housing sector, where building owners hesitate to finance rooftop solar or insulation improvements without mechanisms to share benefits and costs with tenants.

Risk‑sharing models, such as joint investments among owners, cooperative financing and owner–tenant agreements help distribute costs more fairly. In Europe, green lease arrangements are emerging to align incentives, explicitly linking rent structures to energy performance so both landlords and tenants gain from efficiency upgrades. These innovations tackle resistance and unlock investment, boosting investor confidence, fostering transparency and reducing the initial costs of action.

For residential buildings, pairing inclusive finance and supportive policy frameworks specifically addresses affordability and equitable access. However, policy gaps and weak enforcement continue to slow progress. Both local and national governments play critical roles as market catalysts.  Well‑designed and consistently enforced building decarbonization and resilience policies — integrated across housing, energy, utilities and planning —are needed to directly target regulatory fragmentation and unsustainable practices. For example, the Eco Niwas Samhita, India's Energy Conservation Building Code for residential buildings, sets mandatory efficiency standards for building envelopes, shading and ventilation, helping reduce heat and energy use in low- and middle-income housing.

In Mexico City, while detailed NZCRB‐type standards are less widespread (especially for low-income housing), the city’s complementary technical standards have been incorporating energy-efficiency and sustainability requirements into the building permit regime, especially for larger residential and mixed-use buildings. These are being updated to cover more resilience dimensions as well.

Stakeholder collaboration is often missing in practice, leading to fragmented standards, duplicated efforts and limited uptake of sustainable building solutions. In cities, global developers experiment with pilot NZCRB projects, but without platforms to share data or lessons, results remain siloed, stifling replication and market confidence. Stakeholder collaboration is therefore essential. Cross-sector knowledge hubs that share best practices and facilitate data exchange are crucial for setting standards and supporting government benchmarking for greater transparency and accountability. These platforms turn lessons learned into practice, provide businesses with supply chain and market intelligence, and address technical gaps and market barriers by creating the conditions for NZCRBs to move from pilots to market standards.

The Four Levers to Scale NZCRBs

Against this landscape of challenges, WRI's All in for a Net Zero Built Environment initiative has identified four critical levers for driving transformative change: coordinated action, supportive policies, tailored finance and business model innovation.

Each of the levers is mapped to different barriers. By directly targeting specific challenges like affordability, weak policy signals and lack of technical or financial innovation, these strategies provide a coherent pathway to scaling. While the four interconnected levers are essential for scaling NZCRBs in India and Mexico, the levers can also be applied globally.

1) Commitment and Collaboration

Scaling NZCRBs requires coordinated action across national and local governments, developers, financial institutions, utilities and community groups. City action plans and national roadmaps have proven critical in Europe, and more recently also in Mexico and India, to help bridge policy gaps by identifying retrofit targets and integrating housing, energy and planning policies. These strategies ensure coherence between local ambitions and national climate goals. Knowledge hubs and multi-stakeholder task forces that bring together architects, builders, investors, utilities, regulators and civil society can harmonize standards, track implementation and share best practices across markets. Embedding social inclusion within these structures ensures that vulnerable and marginalized groups are represented in decision-making, leading to equitable and effective outcomes. Without this vertical, horizontal and inclusive coordination, policies risk missing cross-cutting issues, such as aligning building codes with electricity access or linking housing subsidies to low-carbon design.

2) Supportive Policies

Mandatory energy codes for life-cycle emissions and climate-resilience standards accelerate mitigation, while incentives like tax breaks and fast-track permitting reduce compliance costs for builders and investors. Robust codes paired with life-cycle assessments ensure that emissions are addressed from construction through operation and end-of-life, preventing carbon lock-in and enabling a true accounting of environmental impacts. These tools provide a foundation for scaling NZCRBs that remains sustainable over decades. Effective programs often sequence voluntary initiatives to pilot new approaches, gradually transitioning to mandatory codes as supply chains and markets mature. This approach enables innovation at early stages, while safeguards, such as subsidies and social housing, ensure that standards do not exclude low-income communities, due to affordability constraints, as they take effect.

3) Financial Instruments and Mechanisms

Finance is a significant and complex barrier to NZCRB adoption. Residential buildings require substantial upfront and long-term capital, which smaller developers or households often cannot access. Effective solutions include:

• Sovereign green bonds fund climate-friendly buildings, but typically only large developers can access them.
• Blended finance of philanthropic and public funds can reduce risk to enable the participation of smaller firms and affordable housing projects.
• Performance-based investments channel financing toward projects that achieve energy savings and align capital deployment with measurable results.
• On-bill and property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing tie repayments to utility bills or property taxes to reduce upfront cost of construction or retrofit.

Case Study

Mexico’s Hipoteca Verde and EcoCasa

By giving homeowners and developers tailored financial support, Mexico shows that affordability and sustainability in the housing sector can go together. Under Mexico’s sustainable strategy called Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action, two programs stand out:

• Hipoteca Verde, run by Infonavit, which is both the national housing agency and the country’s single largest mortgage lender, offering additional mortgage lines for homeowners to install energy-efficient appliances.

• EcoCasa, run by Sociedad Hipotecaria Federal, which funds developers to design and build homes to passive standards that minimize energy use.

Both are financed through blended mechanisms combining national funds and international support. These programs reach low-income families, enable retrofits or efficient new builds, and embed sustainability into Mexico’s housing policy framework.

4) Business Model Innovations

Pilots often stall without scalable delivery models. Successful approaches feature shared-risk structures such as third-party ownership, joint ventures and performance-based contracts like those offered by energy service companies. Creating enabling conditions for one-stop-shops is also essential, as these entities streamline design, financing and construction, reduce transaction costs and ensure consistent project delivery. Together, these models lower market entry barriers for developers and households, build investor confidence and help move NZCRBs from isolated pilots to market scale.

Case Studies

Bootes, India — One-Stop Net-Zero Construction

Bootes, a construction firm in India, uses a single turnkey contract to deliver sustainable buildings by managing engineering, procurement and construction. The use of prefabricated modules enables speed and cost savings. For example, a public net-zero library in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh was completed in just 90 days. The library generates 100% on-site energy, reducing carbon emissions by around 85%, cutting embodied carbon via use of locally sourced low-environmental impact materials, implementing water conservation through rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling, and integrating ventilation and daylighting strategies for healthy indoor environments. While the company works across building typologies, its prefabricated modules are relevant for residential housing too as they allow for rapid scale-up and reduced material waste and construction time and cost. The company guarantees energy performance, uses joint ventures to share capital risk and aligns projects with India’s national net-zero targets. By handling every stage under one contract, Bootes cuts red tape for residential housing and public infrastructure.

Energiesprong, Netherlands — Retrofit at Scale

Energiesprong is a Dutch-born initiative that retrofits social housing to net-zero energy in under 10 days. Prefabricated solar façades and insulated rooftops are combined with 30-year energy performance contracts, allowing cost recovery through energy savings. Now operating in the UK, France and Germany, Energiesprong acts as a market facilitator, coordinating housing agencies, builders and financiers. Its strength lies in bulk procurement, standardization and public-private co-financing. Energiesprong proves that retrofitting thousands of homes can be as scalable and efficient as new construction.

No One Size Fits All: Coordinating Models, Instruments and Institutions for NZCRBs

Sustainable buildings require significant, long-term investment for both construction and ongoing operation, as maintaining strong environmental performance is an ongoing process. To scale NZCRBs, it is essential to combine funding strategies, business models and supportive policies or regulations in practical ways.

Within the first two years, governments and partners should establish the foundation for scaling NZCRBs by carrying out baseline assessments of residential building stock and emissions, along with gap analyses to identify priority needs. Clear decarbonization targets should then be set and integrated into city and national climate action plans.

Early pilot projects, as seen in Mexico, India and Northern Europe for example, should deploy financial tools such as green mortgages, subsidies for low-income households, and on-bill finance, allowing authorities to test which models are most effective for lowering upfront barriers across different contexts and building types. At this stage, it is also crucial to establish multi-level governance coordination platforms that bring together housing ministries, municipalities, utilities, developers, financiers and communities to ensure alignment and reduce fragmentation.

In the mid-term (3 to 5 years), the focus shifts to institutionalizing these foundational steps. Targets and lessons from pilots must be translated into enforceable building codes, performance standards and fiscal policies that move beyond voluntary adoption. Incentive-based programs, particularly those designed for low-income housing, can scale up proven approaches while ensuring equity. Building institutional capacity for monitoring, compliance and enforcement will be essential to ensure targets are not only aspirational, but achievable in practice.

By the long-term (next 10 years), NZCRB goals should be fully integrated into broader frameworks of urban planning, zoning, ESG reporting and fiscal reform. This period should see the expansion of climate-resilient housing programs, the implementation of life-cycle carbon requirements in planning rules and the full alignment of residential building standards with net-zero targets. International partnerships will be key to support technology transfer, innovation and access to advanced materials and designs. Finally, adaptation and equity must remain at the center of all strategies, ensuring that decarbonization delivers not only emissions reductions but also greater resilience and inclusive benefits for all communities.

Scaling NZCRBs is not just about building homes; it is about transforming entire systems by aligning policy, finance and innovative business models to unlock market-wide change. When inclusive governance is part of the status quo, countries can move from pilot projects to full-scale and widespread adoption.

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• All in for a Net Zero Built Environment
• Built Environment
• Urban Efficiency & Climate

Authors Roxana Slavcheva Rizkika Zulhijjiani Adriana Kocornik-Mina Sumedha Malaviya Shyny Sam Fairuz Loutfi

As Extreme Wildfires Threaten Forests, Indigenous Leadership Offers Solutions sarah.brown@wri.org Wed, 09/24/2025 - 10:00

Indigenous Peoples and local communities are among the world’s most effective forest stewards. Research continues to show that the lands they manage often lose less tree cover, store more carbon and support higher biodiversity than surrounding areas.

Yet a new report from WRI and WWF-Australia finds that these lands are disproportionately affected by increasing wildfires. Fueled by climate change, deforestation and decades of colonial-era policies that long restricted Indigenous rights to manage their lands — factors largely beyond the control of Indigenous Peoples and local communities — wildfire risk is rising for the very communities that have done the most to protect these forests, while contributing the least to climate change.

Here, we unpack the drivers behind these findings and explore how restoring autonomy to Indigenous Peoples and local communities can help reduce forest fire risk.

Indigenous and Community Lands Face Rising Fire Risks

The report analyzed satellite data from 2001 to 2024 in four fire-prone countries — Australia, Brazil, Canada and the United States — and compared tree cover loss within forests from both fires and other causes across three land management types: Indigenous- and community-held lands, protected areas and all other lands.

Who Are Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples? 

In the context of this report, local communities are groups of non-Indigenous individuals and families who live in the same area, share common interests and maintain strong social, cultural and economic ties to the land. They vary in size, identity, internal equity and the way they manage and use the land. This definition includes Afro-descendant communities.

Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct groups who self-identify as Indigenous and assert their rights and self-determination as stewards of their resources, environments and territories. They have deep ancestral ties to collectively owned lands, along with unique languages, knowledge systems, beliefs and livelihoods rooted in precolonial and pre-settler histories. 

Learn more.

Across the four countries combined, Indigenous- and community-managed lands lost just 6% of tree cover over

Extreme wildfires: a growing threat — and a call to support indigenous and community leadership 

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 the past two decades, compared with 11% in state-managed protected areas and 18% in lands under other management. In every country except Canada, Indigenous- and community-held lands saw less overall forest loss than other lands and, in most cases, even less than protected areas. In Canada, rates of forest loss were similar across all land management types.

Yet in Indigenous and community lands, a much greater share of the forest loss — about 62% — was driven by fire; slightly less than in protected areas but nearly twice the share seen in other lands. Most of these fires are not started by the communities themselves; many originate from land-clearing fires in surrounding areas, and, in some cases, fire is used deliberately to pressure or displace communities. This suggests these lands may face greater fire-related impacts as global forest fire activity continues to rise.

Indigenous Peoples and local communities are highly effective forest managers, playing a critical role in preventing deforestation and other permanent forms of forest loss. As a result, their lands see less overall forest loss than other land types, but a larger share of that loss is driven by wildfires. As wildfires increase around the world, these lands are increasingly affected by climate change, deforestation in surrounding areas and restrictive fire policies, all of which amplify wildfire risks.

Indigenous and community lands in Brazil are particularly vulnerable to rising fire activity, having seen a fifteenfold increase in fire-driven forest loss since 2001. Much of this loss occurred in the Amazon rainforest, where forest fires were once very rare but have become increasingly common due to decades of deforestation and climate change.

Deforestation and Climate Change Fuel the Wildfire Crisis

From the Amazon rainforest to Australia’s dry forests, extreme wildfires are no longer rare events. While fire can play a beneficial role in maintaining some ecosystems, climate change is making heat waves and droughts more frequent and severe, intensifying fire behavior and pushing ecosystems beyond their historical thresholds. In some regions, deforestation worsens these conditions by drying out forests and increases the risk that land-clearing fires will escape into surrounding areas.

Deforestation drives fires in Brazil

In Brazil, deforestation is a key driver of increasing wildfire activity. Clearing forests for agriculture fragments the landscape, allowing heat, wind and flammable grasses to spread deeper into intact forests. This makes them more fire-prone, increasing the risk of land-clearing fires escaping under hot, dry conditions and igniting surrounding forests. El Niño-driven droughts compound these risks by further drying out vegetation. Strong El Niño conditions leading into the 2016 and 2024 fire seasons, combined with high deforestation rates, fueled extreme wildfires in both years. As the planet warms, such events are expected to become more frequent, further amplifying wildfire risks across the country.

About 1.3 million hectares of forest — an area larger than the size of Puerto Rico — in Indigenous and community lands burned in those two years alone. Most of this loss occurred in the Amazon, home to more than half the Indigenous population in Brazil.

Climate change has increased fire risk in Australia, Canada and the US

In southeastern Australia, where over 84,000 Indigenous Peoples live in fire-affected areas, extreme fires burned 1.2 million hectares of Indigenous-held forest during the devastating 2019–2020 fire season. Strikingly, Australia accounted for about 32% of all fire-driven tree cover loss on Indigenous and community lands across the four study countries, despite containing only 8% of their total forest area. More than 20% of Australia’s temperate broadleaf forests burned during that season — roughly 10 times the typical amount that burns each year. In this region, climate change has made extreme heat events at least twice as likely, increasing the risk of severe wildfires. 

In Canada and the U.S., climate change is extending fire seasons and increasing the likelihood of extreme heat and drought, raising the risk of extreme wildfires like those seen in Canada in 2023. Over the study period, roughly 2.3 million hectares of forests on Indigenous land burned across the two countries. 

How the Wildfire Crisis Impacts Communities 

Beyond forest loss, wildfires can devastate communities by destroying homes and sacred sites, displacing families, harming health and threatening food security and livelihoods. For many Indigenous Peoples, the loss of nature to fire is deeply personal, often likened to losing a family member.  

In Canada, where Indigenous Peoples make up just 5% of the population, they accounted for more than a quarter of all wildfire evacuees between 1980 and 2021. Of the 16 communities evacuated five or more times during this period, 14 were Indigenous reserves. About 90% of smoke-related evacuations involved communities where more than half the population identified as Indigenous, leaving many at severe risk from smoke-related health impacts.

Studies have shown that Indigenous Peoples in Australia, Brazil and the U.S. are also disproportionately vulnerable to wildfire impacts, which often compound existing social and economic inequities.

While Indigenous Peoples are among the most affected, they are also among the most knowledgeable about managing fire on their lands. Their traditional practices, rooted in long histories of observation, stewardship and place-based knowledge, offer proven strategies to reduce wildfire risk and build resilience against wildfires.

Cultural Burning as a Traditional Management Solution 

Cultural burning, a traditional land management technique practiced by many Indigenous Peoples for thousands of years, involves small but frequent, low-intensity burns usually carried out during cooler, wetter periods. These burns reduce flammable fuel loads, encourage biodiversity and support livelihoods.

Unlike land-clearing fires or climate-fueled extreme wildfires, which tend to cause long-term ecological damage, cultural burning mimics natural fire cycles, such as those started by lightning, and helps prevent the buildup of dry, flammable vegetation. It also encourages new growth and maintains healthy, resilient landscapes.

Low intensity burns, conducted as part of Indigenous cultural burning practices, reduce fuel loads, support ecosystem health and maintain traditional land management methods. Image by Emma Renly/WRI Extreme wildfires are high intensity events that cause widespread forest loss and long-term ecological damage. They are frequently driven by extreme weather, uncontrolled land clearing and accumulated vegetation. Image by Matt Howard/WRI  Colonial legacies hamper traditional practices

Colonial governments often disrupted and criminalized cultural burning in favor of blanket fire-suppression policies, even in ecosystems that depend on periodic fire. By treating all human-set fires the same, these policies ignored the ecological benefits and cultural significance of traditional burning, increasing the risk of more extreme wildfires. In Australia, for example, disrupting Indigenous fire management in southeastern forests led to the accumulation of flammable vegetation and contributed to recent severe fires.

These policies also disregarded Indigenous sovereignty by restricting the use of Indigenous Peoples’ long-standing land management practices. Reversing this legacy requires recognizing and supporting Indigenous leadership in traditional fire stewardship.

Reviving Traditional Fire Stewardship Shows Promise  

Around the world, there is a slow but growing movement to restore cultural burning practices. Policy shifts in Australia, Brazil, Canada and the U.S., are beginning to recognize and support Indigenous-led fire programs that combine traditional knowledge with modern firefighting technique. Collaboration among Indigenous leaders, fire agencies and scientists can help ensure these methods are applied effectively and adapted to current climate challenges. Across these regions, several successful initiatives demonstrate how cultural burning can deliver ecological, social and economic benefits:

• In northern Australia, the Arnhem Land Fire Abatement project conducts early dry season burns to prevent large, late-season wildfires. By reducing the area burned in hotter months, the program lowers greenhouse gas emissions, generates carbon credits to help fund community programs and shows how Indigenous-led fire management can deliver both environmental and economic benefits.
• In Brazil, Indigenous fire brigades in the Xingu Indigenous Territory combine traditional fire management with satellite monitoring to protect villages, crops and forest edges from escaped land-clearing fires. other Indigenous Peoples-led efforts coordinated with federal fire agencies, these actions help maintain biodiversity, safeguard food security and strengthen community resilience against extreme wildfires.
• In British Columbia, Canada, Indigenous-led fire crews are partnering with provincial agencies to reintroduce cultural burning in fire-prone landscapes. Low-intensity burns are being used to revitalize native plant species, improve habitat for deer and other wildlife and reduce the buildup of flammable debris. These efforts not only lower wildfire risk but also reconnect communities with traditional fire stewardship practices.
• In the U.S., the Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) builds capacity for cultural burning while strengthening coordination with fire agencies. In northern California, the U.S. Forest Service works with the Yurok and Karuk Tribes to apply traditional burning techniques that not only reduce wildfire risk but also increase the availability of plants used in basket weaving — restoring both ecological health and cultural traditions. 

Reviving tradition to reduce wildfire risk

In Oregon, U.S., Lomakatsi Restoration Project, a nonprofit restoration organization, shows how Indigenous-led stewardship reduces wildfire risks while strengthening communities. Partnering with the Klamath tribal community and other Tribes with ancestral lands in the region, and with support from WRI’s Cities4Forests program and other partners, Lomakatsi crews thin overcrowded forests, carry out cultural and prescribed burns and build fire breaks to prevent catastrophic fires like the 2020 Oregon Labor Day Fires, which destroyed homes and sacred sites near the rural town of Chiloquin.  

Beyond reducing the risk of catastrophic fire, these efforts protect water sources, restore wildlife habitat, build community resilience and strengthen the community-based tribal workforce. Lomakatsi trains and employs local Tribal members and youth in ecological restoration, creating stable career pathways in rural economies where opportunities can be limited. By partnering with tribal communities to revive cultural burning and blending it with modern restoration techniques, Lomakatsi Restoration Project underscores what research already shows: Indigenous peoples are among the most effective managers of fire-prone forests.

Learn more.

Supporting Indigenous land rights and enabling community-led fire management are essential to reversing the disproportionate wildfire impacts on Indigenous and community lands. Reviving traditional fire stewardship is essential for containing wildfires and protecting land, but it won’t succeed in isolation. Alongside efforts to restore traditional practices, governments, NGOs and the private sector must create the enabling conditions for Indigenous-led solutions to thrive.

Traditional fire management techniques like cultural burning can help restore ecosystems and promote biodiversity by encouraging new growth. Image by David Clode/WRI

To support these efforts, five key areas of action can help restore balance to fire-affected landscapes and empower communities in these regions:

5 levers for action 

1. Securing and upholding Indigenous and community land rights. Legally recognized land rights and reversing colonial-era fire suppression policies give communities the authority to manage forests using traditional practices. Recognized, protected and enforced rights allow communities to prevent illegal logging, restrict harmful land use and invest in long-term fire prevention that help reduce forest carbon emissions.
2. Funding and training Indigenous- and community-led fire brigades. These brigades are often the first — and sometimes only — responders in remote regions. Long-term funding ensures they can maintain trained teams, operate year-round and access essential tools like protective firefighting clothing, water trucks and communications equipment. Investing in these brigades strengthens local capacity to prevent, detect and respond quickly to fires.
3. Expanding access to fire monitoring tools and early warning systems. Modern satellite-based tools can alert communities to new fire outbreaks, illegal burns and deforestation in near-real time. Paired with training, these platforms enable communities to act quickly, share evidence with authorities and hold perpetrators accountable. Expanding access also requires reliable connectivity, technical support and local-language interfaces wherever possible.
4. Ending deforestation in critical biodiversity areas. In many regions, wildfire risk is closely linked to deforestation. Stopping deforestation not only preserves biodiversity and carbon storage but also removes a primary cause of uncontrolled fires. Policies to halt illegal clearing, enforce supply-chain accountability and promote sustainable land use are critical for long-term fire prevention.
5. Taking action on climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to preventing the hotter, drier conditions that lengthen fire seasons and increase fire intensity. Without urgent climate action, other fire prevention measures will be less effective in the long term. 

Tools to support Indigenous- and community-led fire management 

Platforms like LandMark map the boundaries and legal status of Indigenous- and community-held lands worldwide to increase awareness of the threats they face and their contributions to sustainably managing the environment. Mapping these territories enable Indigenous Peoples and local communities to document land encroachments and advocate for stronger legal protections. Other platforms like Global Forest Watch are also increasingly being used by Indigenous Peoples to identify and respond to wildfires in near real-time using satellite-based fire alerts that provide timely information on active fires and their locations. 

A Rights-Based Path to Fire-Resilient Forests

Extreme wildfires are not inevitable. Tackling their root causes — deforestation, climate change and the suppression of traditional fire stewardship — can protect forests and the communities who depend on them.

Indigenous Peoples and local communities are not simply stakeholders in this effort; they are leaders with deep ecological knowledge and proven fire management strategies. Supporting their autonomy, rights and solutions is both a matter of justice, and one of the most effective strategies we have to safeguard biodiversity, protect carbon stores and build climate resilience in an era of escalating wildfire risk. 

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RELEASE: Ocean Panel Commits to Five More Years with New Workplan to Propel Ocean Action sophie.brady@wri.org Wed, 09/24/2025 - 08:40

New York (September 24, 2025) — The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) today committed to five more years of urgent, coordinated ocean action, backed by a bold new workplan through 2030. The Panel — comprising of 18 heads of state and government from coastal and island nations — works to accelerate progress toward a healthy ocean, resilient communities and a sustainable blue economy, amid mounting threats from climate change, overfishing and biodiversity loss. 

At its annual meeting, held at the United Arab Emirates’ Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, the Ocean Panel unveiled a renewed agenda focused on moving decisively from commitments to action — and from ambition to global leadership. The updated workplan prioritizes strengthening global ocean data systems, which remain underfunded despite being essential for informed, sustainable decision-making. It also includes launching a new ocean finance working group to help mobilize the estimated $550 billion needed each year to support the shift to a sustainable ocean economy, by unlocking investments from both public and private sectors.  

Efforts will also be intensified to accelerate the roll out of Sustainable Ocean Plans, with the goal of achieving 100% sustainable management of the world’s national waters. Panel leaders are calling on all ocean and coastal states to join them in this ambition through the 100% Alliance. 

The announcement builds on momentum from the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France (UNOC3), where world leaders underscored the ocean’s role in tackling climate change, protecting biodiversity and sustainable development. Themed “The Road from Nice to Belém and Beyond: Advancing Ocean Action for Climate, Nature and People”, the Ocean Panel meeting included discussions on national ocean climate actions and collective progress toward the Paris Agreement goals.  

“The ocean’s future depends on sustained global cooperation and the Ocean Panel’s next five years will play a critical role in driving it,” said Surangel S. Whipps Jr., President of Palau and Ocean Panel Co-chair. “The threats facing the ocean are too great for short-term efforts. They require long-term commitment, bold leadership and impactful delivery. The new workplan will ensure the Ocean Panel continues to at least 2030, with a strong focused on improving ocean data, advancing sustainable fisheries and boosting the ocean’s role in tackling climate change.” 

“The Ocean Panel has significantly raised global ambition and deepened our understanding of how to sustainably use and protect our ocean,” said Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway and Ocean Panel Co-chair. “However, the ocean continues to suffer from mounting challenges. The Ocean Panel will work together and with partners to scale up solutions that protect nature, support people and create jobs, and strengthen the ocean’s role in tackling climate change.” 

Ocean Panel members reaffirmed support for recent developments in global ocean governance, including the High Seas Treaty reached the 60 ratifications needed to enter into force last week. 11 Ocean Panel members have ratified the treaty so far, complementing their commitment to 100% sustainable ocean management.     
Members also welcomed the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, ratified on September 15, 2025. This critical agreement targets harmful subsidies that encourage overfishing, setting the stage for further actions to protect vulnerable fish stocks. 

“It’s clear that we must place the ocean at the heart of global action, recognizing its vital role in regulating our planet, sustaining biodiversity, and supporting communities. That is why the UAE championed ocean–climate action as hosts of COP28 and is now continuing its long tradition of marine and coastal conservation through its Sustainable Ocean Plan journey as part of the Ocean Panel,” said Her Excellency Ms. Razan Al Mubarak, IUCN President and UAE’s Sherpa to the Ocean Panel. “Nature conservation — from mangroves to marine life — is central to sustainable ocean planning. As we look ahead to the IUCN World Conservation Congress in the UAE and COP30 in Belém, this collective action will be critical to delivering the just, inclusive, and sustainable ocean economy the world urgently needs.”  

Key priorities of the Ocean Panel’s new 5-year workplan:

• 100% Sustainable ocean management: Supporting member countries to complete and implement Sustainable Ocean Plans (SOPs), while continuing to call on all coastal and ocean states to join this commitment through the 100% Alliance campaign
• Global Ocean Observations: Securing reliable, accessible ocean data by expanding observation systems and calling for collective investment in this critical global resource.  
• Ocean-Climate nexus: Expanding nature-based solutions such as mangrove and seagrass restoration, and championing the integration of ocean-based solutions into countries’ national climate plans (Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs) through the Blue NDC Challenge.
• Sustainable fisheries and aquatic foods: Advancing climate-resilient seafood systems that support nutrition, livelihoods and economic security for coastal communities.
• Mobilizing finance: Addressing the $550 billion annual ocean finance gap by unlocking scalable, inclusive investment solutions aligned with sustainability goals.
• Equity and inclusion: Embedding equity into all aspects of governance, and elevating the voices of Indigenous peoples, women, youth and local communities.

About the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy 
Co-chaired by Norway and Palau, the Ocean Panel includes Australia, Canada, Chile, Fiji, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Norway, Palau, Portugal, Seychelles, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Together, these 18 nations represent 42% of the world’s coastlines, 37% of global EEZs, 18% of the world’s fisheries, 20% of the world’s shipping fleet. The Ocean Panel is supported by the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean. Based on the shared understanding of the need to improve the state of the ocean, the countries in the Ocean Panel are committed to producing national sustainable ocean plans with the aim of sustainably managing 100% of the ocean area under national jurisdiction. Learn more at oceanpanel.org. World Resources Institute (WRI) serves as the Secretariat for the Ocean Panel. Learn more at www.wri.org/our-work/topics/ocean. 

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Local Action Helps Mainstream Net-Zero, Climate-Resilient Buildings in Mexico and India shannon.paton@… Wed, 09/24/2025 - 08:00

Through the All in for a Net Zero Built Environment initiative, WRI Mexico, WRI India and partners worked closely with local governments, developers and community stakeholders to advance net-zero carbon and resilient buildings (NZCRBs) in four cities. These local interventions are proving essential to mainstreaming NZCRBs, building capacity, and launching demonstration projects in additional cities and at the national level.

Advancing Local Action with Global Impact

Buildings are responsible for 36% of energy use and nearly 40% of energy-related CO2 emissions globally. Without rapid decarbonization, the sector’s emissions could double by 2050 due to urbanization, population growth and increased demand for cooling as the planet warms. In this context, net-zero carbon and resilient buildings offer a major opportunity to align climate goals with economic and social benefits. Alongside cutting emissions, they can reduce energy bills, improve indoor air quality, lower urban temperatures and enhance disaster resilience.

Learn More: 4 Levers to Help Scale NZCRBs

Despite progress in some areas, NZCRBs still make up less than 1% of global building stock. We unpack the major barriers and lay out four levers that can help them scale faster. Read more.

Since 2023, the All in for a Net Zero Built Environment initiative has worked with cities in India and Mexico to accelerate NZCRB implementation through the development of national whole life carbon roadmaps and City Action Plans. These roadmaps and action plans not only chart technical solutions in the buildings sector, but also identify the policy, finance, governance shifts and partnerships needed to make these solutions mainstream. Participating cities and countries gain access to tailored technical assistance, peer-to-peer learning and global advocacy platforms to raise ambition and unlock investment in NZCRBs. The initiative also works to link local pilot projects with national strategies and global best practices. This helps ensure that innovations can be scaled, adapted and replicated — bridging the gap between isolated success stories and market transformation.

The program puts a strong focus on how NZCRBs can unlock co-benefits and spur economic growth. Mexico, for example, has positioned energy-efficient construction as a competitive asset that can reduce operating costs, attract green investment and create new jobs. Additional benefits highlighted in India include improving public health through better air quality, reducing energy poverty and mitigating extreme heat in cities.

Through the All in for a Net Zero Built Environment initiative, both Mexico and India are seeing local action spur national momentum toward a net-zero built environment.

Mexico: A National Roadmap Takes Shape

In Mexico, WRI and Sustentabilidad para Mexico (SUMe) supported the cities of Monterrey and Hermosillo in developing City Action Plans, building on their near-term climate plans and decarbonization commitments. The cities identified transformative actions for the buildings sector from a whole lifecycle of carbon perspective and mapped them according to their urgency and priority.

These local efforts have helped catalyze a broader debate on how to embed net-zero targets into national housing subsidies, public works tenders and building codes. They have also fed into a series of working groups led by WRI México, SUMe and local stakeholders to design Mexico’s National Roadmap to decarbonize the built environment through the full building lifecycle. A national workshop in July 2025 convened more than 100 leaders from the construction sector, government, academia and civil society. This milestone event marked the culmination of a year-long process of technical studies, stakeholder consultations and scenario analysis designed to chart a credible pathway for decarbonizing Mexico’s buildings sector by mid-century.

The new roadmap sets out clear actions for the federal administration, including the adoption of mandatory energy codes, incentives for retrofits and low-carbon materials, and public procurement policies that prioritize NZCRBs. By linking climate ambition with economic opportunity, the plan positions Mexico to reduce building energy use by up to 35%, cut operating costs for households and businesses, stimulate demand for national green industries and create thousands of skilled jobs.

Participants stressed that without coordinated implementation across ministries and levels of government, the roadmap’s targets will remain aspirational, making cross-sector collaboration essential to turn vision into action. Ministries responsible for energy, housing and industry have already expressed interest in aligning their sectoral strategies with the roadmap’s milestones.

India: Cities Lead the Way on NZCRBs

WRI India and the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) worked with two fast-growing cities, Nashik and Thiruvananthapuram, to turn national climate targets into actionable local plans for NZCRBs.

In Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, WRI collaborated with municipal officials, state agencies, architects and community groups to co-develop and launch a City-level NZCRB Action Plan. The plan identifies 20 priority actions spanning the entire building lifecycle, including developing carbon databases for materials, introducing green procurement guidelines, integrating NZCRB principles into urban zoning and building permits, and adopting demolition waste recovery systems. Thiruvananthapuram’s commitment builds on its existing 17 MW of municipal rooftop solar capacity and seeks to extend energy efficiency gains to both new and existing buildings. The plan also incorporates climate resilience measures to counteract rising urban heat and monsoon flooding risks.

Nashik, a historic city in Maharashtra, is seeing unprecedented infrastructure investments driven by the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, making this a critical moment for the city to consider its carbon footprint in the buildings and construction sector. Nashik has already established its Climate Action Plan, yet this does not address embodied carbon emissions. In the newly developed action plan for building sector decarbonization, WRI India and Nashik’s local government set transformative actions that address both operational and embodied carbon, such as mainstreaming the use of renewable energy, adopting energy efficiency measurement in all building types, establishing a database of low and zero-carbon materials that are locally produced, and collaborating with academic institutions to provide skill development programs related to building decarbonization.

With India’s urban population projected to reach 600 million by 2036, these interventions aim to help curb rising building emissions, which already make up 32% of the country’s total. At the same time, they can enhance liveability and equity for a rapidly urbanizing population. The two cities’ experiences will inform similar roadmaps in other urban areas, creating a blueprint for integrating climate, development and housing priorities.

From Roadmap to Rollout

The next phase in both countries focuses on implementation and scale.

In Mexico, stakeholders are working to establish a national steering committee that will oversee roadmap execution, track progress and coordinate policy across ministries. Pilot projects will be launched in public buildings to demonstrate cost-effective pathways to NZCRBs, with the goal of attracting blended finance and private sector participation.

In India, Thiruvananthapuram will move from planning to pilot implementation, starting with municipal facilities and affordable housing projects that integrate solar PV, passive cooling and efficient materials.

Both initiatives will require sustained capacity building for local governments, training programs for construction trades and stronger data systems to monitor building performance. WRI and partners will continue to facilitate knowledge exchange between cities and countries, ensuring lessons from early adopters inform global standards and funding priorities. Key areas for future collaboration include:

1. Recommend and, where appropriate, found, steering committees to monitor, coordinate and enforce NZCRB standards in Mexico and India.
2. Develop pathways to launch pilot projects under the City Action Plans and roadmaps to demonstrate scalable NZCRB delivery across public and private assets and infrastructure.
3. Share a compendium of international best practices to mobilize private sector finance through incentives, blended finance and business model pilots, and learn from experts in the field.
4. Evaluate and iterate, using monitoring frameworks embedded in city plans and national strategies to refine policy and expand impact.

The All in for a Net Zero Built Environment initiative reflects a pivotal inflection point: from defining net-zero carbon and resilient buildings to building actionable roadmaps grounded in local realities and ready to be implemented at scale. Globally, the initiative has expanded its network to include a consortium of local and global partners (such as the World Green Building Council, local green building councils and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development) and participating jurisdictions. This provides a platform for cities, countries and industry representatives to share lessons on financing retrofits, scaling renewable integration and overcoming institutional barriers.

Early impacts demonstrate that roadmaps are not just documents — when co-created with stakeholders and tied to concrete investment and policy measures, they can become powerful accelerators of market change.

All in for a Net Zero Built Environment, supported by the We Mean Business Coalition, brings together key global partners — led by WRI, the World Green Building Council and World Business Council for Sustainable Development — to accelerate the implementation of net-zero carbon and resilient buildings by enhancing cross-sector and multi-level coordination. The objective is to accelerate market transformation and transition to a healthier, greener, more inclusive built environment. monterrey-mexico.jpg Cities Cities Buildings net-zero emissions Urban Efficiency & Climate Type Project Update Exclude From Blog Feed? 0 Projects

• All in for a Net Zero Built Environment
• Built Environment
• Urban Efficiency & Climate

Authors Roxana Slavcheva Sumedha Malaviya Shyny Sam Fairuz Loutfi

STATEMENT: Now is the Time to Enforce, not Delay, the EU Deforestation Regulation sophie.brady@wri.org Wed, 09/24/2025 - 04:53

Brussels / The Hague (September 24, 2025) — The European Commission has once again proposed delaying the enforcement of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), pushing back its start date for a second year in a row. The new implementation date would be late December 2026. By postponing enforcement yet again, the EU risks undermining the credibility of the law, its reliability as a partner to commodity-producing countries and its global climate commitments.

The regulation is designed to prevent commodities linked to deforestation and forest degradation – such as coffee, cocoa, soy, beef, leather, palm oil, rubber and wood – from being sold on the EU market. The EUDR is one of the most comprehensive environmental laws ever passed, with the potential to reshape global supply chains. 

Following is a statement by Stientje van Veldhoven, Vice-President and Regional Director for Europe of World Resources Institute:

“The European Commission’s new proposal to delay the EUDR is troubling. Forest loss reached record levels in 2024, with 6.7 million hectares of tropical rainforest destroyed — an area nearly the size of Ireland. Every minute, we lose the equivalent of 18 football fields of tropical forest. At a time when Europe itself is reeling from extreme summer heatwaves and record forest loss due to devastating wildfires, postponing protections for forests sends exactly the wrong signal.

“The Commission argues that certain systems aren’t ready yet. Yet all the elements legally mandated in the regulation to support implementation — IT systems, guidance, FAQs, and benchmarking — have been in place for months. Many businesses have already invested in traceability, from using satellite monitoring to training smallholder farmers. Producer countries such as Malaysia, Ghana and Vietnam are also building national systems to support compliance. Delaying for the second time undermines companies that have proactively prepared, sending the wrong market signal thereby creating additional uncertainty for businesses. 

“Regardless of the delay, the EUDR, which already passed through the full legislative cycle in 2023, should remain as is. There is political pressure to erode the law by, for example, introducing a so-called ‘no-risk’ country category. Such a move would make the EUDR much less effective as it would undermine the due diligence system, which is at the core of the EUDR. Such a clause would create large loopholes for deforestation-linked products. Our analysis shows that exempting EU Member States or other countries from the declaration requirement would allow unscrupulous actors to launder products linked to deforestation — such as leather from Brazil — into EU supply chains.

“The EU accounts for 13–16% of global deforestation through imports, despite having just 7% of the world’s population, giving it a disproportionate responsibility.  We call on the EU Council and EU Parliament to reject this delay and move forward with the enforcement as planned. Further delay would not ease implementation challenges; it would jeopardize forests, climate goals, Europe’s credibility.”

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What Does ‘Green’ Procurement Mean? Initiatives and Standards for Cement and Steel. ciara.regan@wri.org Thu, 07/17/2025 - 13:30 .measuring-product-level-emissions, .ckeditor-accordion-container>dl dt>a, .ckeditor-accordion-container>dl dt>a:not(.button),.ckeditor-accordion-container>dl, dd p { font-family: "acumin-pro-semi-condensed",sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.3333; } .ckeditor-accordion-container > dl dd { margin-inline-start: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; } .ckeditor-accordion-container>dl dt { border-top:none; margin-top: 0; }

Decarbonizing cement and steel production — which together are responsible for nearly 14% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions — will be critical to achieving national and global climate goals. But progress has been slower than in other sectors, like transportation and power, for several reasons.

One prominent reason is the role of CO2-emitting chemical processes in steel and cement production. On top of that are entrenched manufacturing practices, slow turnover of equipment in plants, and the relatively high cost of low-carbon technologies — all of which make it difficult to introduce changes that would decrease emissions.

This is where “green procurement” comes in. Green purchasing, or procurement, is emerging as one of the most effective policy measures to drive early demand for low-emissions cement, concrete and steel. Within the public sector, green procurement means prioritizing the purchase of low-carbon products in government-funded construction projects. In the private sector, it means leveraging companies’ purchasing power to decarbonize their supply chains and investments.

The past few years have seen several green procurement initiatives and policies for cement and steel introduced around the world. However, they often differ in key areas — including reporting requirements, definitions of what qualifies as “green” or low-emissions, and the ambition of their emissions-intensity benchmarks. These differences can limit comparability and create challenges for suppliers and buyers operating across multiple jurisdictions.

To drive meaningful global progress, these initiatives need to work together. Harmonizing green procurement measures through aligned definitions, data frameworks and methodological approaches is essential to ensure they are interoperable and mutually reinforcing. Importantly, harmonization does not require uniformity. Rather, it means that different systems should be able to interact and align in meaningful and consistent ways.

Measuring Product-Level Emissions

Initiatives and policies around green procurement are increasingly based on “emissions-intensity” benchmarks; for example, how much CO2 is released per ton of cement or steel produced. Such benchmarks help determine if a product meets certain standards or qualifies for a certification.

[Read more]

To set these benchmarks, programs usually require manufacturers to report standardized emissions data for each product. This is done through Type III Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which are like nutrition labels for environmental impacts. EPDs are based on Product Category Rules (PCRs), which explain how environmental impacts, including but not limited to GHG emissions, are measured and reported for specific product types. At the foundation of this system is lifecycle assessment (LCA) data with emissions and resource-use information that suppliers use to develop their EPDs.

While EPDs and PCRs provide standardized rules for measuring and reporting product-level emissions, the way green procurement initiatives and policies apply these tools can vary significantly.

Key Green Procurement Initiatives and Policies

The following are examples of green procurement initiatives and government policies currently being implemented for cement, concrete and steel:

Initiatives (benchmarks listed in Table 1):

• The Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative (IDDI) was started under the UN Industrial Development Organization. IDDI launched the Green Public Procurement Pledge in September 2022 to encourage governments to report environmental data and use low- and near-zero-emissions cement/concrete and steel in their construction projects. IDDI has nine current member countries, including Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
• World Economic Forum’s First Movers’ Coalition (FMC), is a public-private partnership that was launched in 2021 targeting companies’ procurement of near-zero-emissions goods across seven emissions-intensive sectors. FMC includes 102 global companies, each of which has committed to using its purchasing power to create markets in at least one of these sectors. So far, 27 companies have committed to the steel sector target and seven companies have committed to the cement/concrete sector target.
• The Climate Group’s SteelZero and ConcreteZero initiatives are corporate partnerships committed to using net-zero steel and low- and net-zero-emissions concrete (and effectively cement, as its key ingredient). SteelZero, launched in 2020, is a partnership with ResponsibleSteel and currently includes 42 companies. ConcreteZero, launched in 2022, is a partnership with WBCSD and WorldGBC and currently includes 36 companies.

Government policies (benchmarks listed in Table 2):

• In the United States, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act allocated $4.5 billion to the General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to purchase construction materials with “substantially lower embodied carbon” under the Federal Buy Clean Initiative. Between 2023 and 2024, GSA and FHWA published low-emissions benchmarks (see Table 2) based on EPA interim guidance. In late 2024, EPA announced a draft approach under its Carbon Labeling Program. While these steps laid the groundwork for Buy Clean implementation, the Trump administration has since directed agencies to disregard these priorities at the federal level. The future of U.S. involvement in international efforts like IDDI and FMC is uncertain, though states like California, Colorado and New York continue advancing their own Buy Clean policies.
• The European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) allows it to establish “ecodesign requirements” for iron, steel and other products beginning in 2025 based on sustainability characteristics, including product carbon footprints. Cement ecodesign requirements will be established through the EU Construction Products Regulation (CPR) and will guide the bloc’s development of mandatory green public procurement rules and incentives through the ESPR. However, it remains unclear how the ESPR will align or interact with international initiatives, such as the IDDI, or national efforts.
• Ireland enacted a policy in 2024 mandating green public procurement of cement and concrete. It requires the purchase of blended cements with at least a 30% of the clinker (the most emissions-intensive ingredient in cement and concrete) replaced with supplementary cementitious materials for all public construction. The mandate also requires cement and concrete EPDs to be submitted when bidding for public contracts. This is the first stage of a decades-long strategy to decarbonize the Irish cement and concrete sector.
• Türkiye started implementing a green public procurement program for cement in early 2025. The government has placed a limit on the amount of clinker allowed in cement used for public construction projects, requiring public contracts to use cement with 20% clinker replacement through 2029 and 25% clinker replacement from 2030.

These green procurement initiatives focus on product-level accounting. Green procurement policies that require project-level emissions accounting (which considers the whole construction project, and not just individual materials used) have been enacted in countries such as Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K. and Sweden.

As part of the SteelZero initiative, member organizations must make a public commitment to buying and using 100% net-zero steel by 2050 and an interim commitment to buy and use low-emission steel for 50% of their steel requirement by 2030. Photo by Anthony Fomin/Unsplash Comparing Benchmarks and Decarbonization Ambition of Product-Level Programs

The main product-level green procurement initiatives and policies for cement and steel come with varying definitions of the regulated material. They set different benchmarks for what is defined as “low-emissions” or “near-zero emissions.” They also differ in their emissions-intensity benchmarks; the technological readiness of decarbonization options that can meet these benchmarks; and their targeted share of total purchases (for example, how much of their total purchases need to be “green”).

Understanding these differences will help guide conversations about harmonizing standards as low-carbon products become more available.

Among the above initiatives, the FMC is most focused on spurring the adoption of cutting-edge decarbonization technologies in the industrial sector. FMC recruits cement- and steel-consuming companies with high climate ambition. All signatories commit to making sure that at least 10% of their cement, concrete and/or steel bought by 2030 qualifies as “near-zero” (benchmarks given in Table 1). The FMC’s high decarbonization benchmarks target a small portion of the market, requiring technologies and approaches that have significant decarbonization potential but are less developed and not yet ready for large scale deployment. The aim of such a program is to spur investment and help create early demand for near-zero emissions products, even if they currently come with a “green premium” due to higher production costs. Scaling these solutions will require strong policy support and investment to drive down costs over time.

IDDI aims to encourage widespread uptake of green public procurement policies in member countries by offering different levels of commitment with decreasing carbon-intensity benchmarks. It allows member countries four commitment levels: The first only requires data reporting, while subsequent levels require increasing use of low- and near-zero products. IDDI allows multiple options for target setting, including methodologies and benchmarks from IEA, Responsible Steel, FMC, SteelZero, ConcreteZero and national green labels. This enables countries to set targets based on nationally determined circumstances. As with FMC, products meeting higher levels of commitments will likely have a green premium.

SteelZero and ConcreteZero have less stringent benchmarks but aim for wider market penetration compared to FMC. They set interim targets to purchase 50% low-emissions steel and concrete by 2030, increasing to 100% net-zero products by 2050. These two initiatives offer companies more flexibility by allowing multiple pathways for certification, such as through ResponsibleSteel, SBTi or other related standards. Products meeting these benchmarks could have a green premium.

Table 1. Benchmarks and standards adopted by public and private procurement initiatives

Initiative/ Policy

Type

 

 

Definitions & BenchmarksTargeted Share of Purchases FMCPublic/private

Near zero emissions steel: 50-400 kg CO2e/t.
Near zero emissions cement: 184 kg CO2/t.

Near zero emissions concrete: 70-144 kg CO2/m3.

10% by 2030IDDIPublic

Multiple options including using IEA, Responsible Steel, FMC, SteelZero, ConcreteZero standards and national labels.

IEA:-

 

Low Emission Steel: 400 - 2400 kgCO2e/t crude steel

Low Emission Cement: 240 - 750 kgCO2e/t cement Near Zero Steel: 50 - 400 kgCO2e/t crude steel Near Zero Cement: 40 - 125 kgCO2e/t cement

Signatories to decideSteelZeroPrivateLow emission steel: 350-2000 kg CO2e/t.
Net zero steel: As close to zero as possible.50% low emission by 2030
100% net zero by 2050ConcreteZeroPrivateLow embodied carbon concrete: 150-382 kg CO2/m3.
Net zero concrete: As close to zero as possible with at least 90% mitigation.30% low carbon by 2025
50% low carbon by 2030
100% net zero by 2050

Notes: Range for steel, cement and concrete depends on scrap share, clinker ratio and concrete compressive strength respectively. Source: Authors’ analysis

Table 2. Benchmarks and standards adopted by public procurement policies in various countries

Government or AgencyType of PolicyMaterialDefinitions & BenchmarksU.S. GSARecommendation/prioritySteel

20th Percentile: 611-2,228 kgCO2e/t

40th Percentile: 713-2,324 kgCO2e/t

Better than Average: 760-2,408 kgCO2e/t

Cement

20th Percentile: 0.751 kgCO2e/kg

40th Percentile: 0.819 kgCO2e/kg

Better Than Average: 0.858 kgCO2e/kg

Concrete

20th Percentile: 228-321 kgCO2/m3*

40th Percentile: 261-362 kgCO2/m3*

Better Than Average: 277-402kgCO2/m3*

U.S. FHWA

Recommendation/priority

 

Steel

20th Percentile Unfabricated Reinforcing Bar: 0.614 kgCO2e/kg

40th Percentile Unfabricated Reinforcing Bar: 0.678 kgCO2e/kg

Better Than Average: 0.755 kgCO2e/kg

 

20th Percentile Unfabricated Hot-rolled Structural Sections: 0.713 kgCO2e/kg

40th Percentile Unfabricated Hot-rolled Structural Sections: 0.816 kgCO2e/kg

Better Than Average: 1 kgCO2e/kg

 

20th Percentile Steel Deck: 1.63 kgCO2e/kg

40th Percentile Steel Deck: 1.85 kgCO2e/kg

Better than Average Steel Deck: 2.32 kgCO2e/kg

Concrete

20th Percentile: 146-406 kgCO2e/yd3**

40th Percentile: 168-448 kgCO2e/yd3**

Better than Average: 177-478 kgCO2e/yd3**

California

Recommendation/priority

 

Steel

Hot Rolled Structural Steel: 1.01 tCO2e/t

Hollow Structural Sections: 1.71 tCO2e/t

Steel Plate: 1.49 tCO2e/t

Concrete Reinforcing Steel: 0.755 tCO2e/t

Colorado

Recommendation/priority

 

Steel

Fabricated Steel Reinforcing Bar "Rebar": 1030 kgCO2e/t

Fabricated Hot-rolled Steel: 1,220 kgCO2e/t

Fabricated Plate Steel: 1,730 kgCO2e/t

Fabricated Hollow Structural Sections: 1,990 kgCO2e/t

CementCement: 1,112 kgCO2e/tConcreteConcrete: 232-580 kgCO2e/m3New YorkRecommendation/priorityConcreteConcrete: 275-541 kgCO2e/y3European Union

Recommendation/priority;

Green taxonomy/ labels

Steel, Cement/ConcreteTo be determined starting 2025 through ESPR and Industrial Decarbonization Accelerator ActIrelandMandateCementMaximum Clinker Content of Cement: 70%TürkiyeMandateCementMaximum Clinker Content of Cement: 80%

Note: While standards created by the U.S. GSA and the FHWA were planned to be replaced by those adopted by the EPA, implementation of the Federal Buy Clean Initiative has been halted.

 *Depending on compressive strength

**Depending on compressive strength and region

***Depending on share of scrap inputs

Comparing low-emissions benchmarks across public procurement policies is challenging due to differences in the types of goods covered, regional variation in raw material availability, and a lack of harmonized definitions and interoperability. Much of this stems from differences among product sub-types and categories, each with distinct characteristics, production processes and emissions profiles. The figure above uses U.S. federal and California Buy Clean policies as examples to illustrate how they compare with key green procurement initiatives.

Because these initiatives and policies target various levels of decarbonization and would require technologies at different stages of development, they can complement one another. For example, less stringent emissions-intensity benchmarks with a higher bar on market penetration can incentivize the adoption of technologies and approaches that are widely available today. Meanwhile, more stringent benchmarks can send signals that there is interest in deep decarbonization technologies in the industrial sector and help increase investment and development. By addressing different stages of decarbonization, this range of initiatives allows countries and companies to make commitments that best fit their circumstances.

Harmonizing Standards

There is a need for harmonization, or alignment, in standards across these green procurement initiatives and policies. But that doesn’t mean we need a one-size-fits-all solution. We will likely need multiple standards and protocols to cover the types of production and varied manufacturing practices across the world.

What is important is that these standards are interoperable: Consistent methodologies for measurements and data reporting, as well as clear definitions for scopes and benchmarks, are needed to ensure standards speak a common language and help avoid an undue administrative burden on manufacturers. Lack of alignment could risk sending contradictory signals to the market, resulting in an uneven playing field and undercutting decarbonization efforts.

Below are several important considerations for harmonizing green procurement standards:

• Level of accounting: Initiatives need to be mindful of how different entities (such as the private and public sectors) account for and set targets for cement, concrete and steel emissions. Approaches include product-level, project-level, facility-level or industry-level accounting (i.e., whether the emissions benchmark is specific to the product, such as concrete; specific to a project that can include many materials; specific to individual facilities; or an industry average for the material). Many green procurement initiatives and policies launched in the last few years have targeted product-level accounting. However, project-level accounting, such as whole building life cycle assessments, will also be needed to decarbonize the cement and steel sectors. This type of project-level accounting is required within IDDI’s Level 2 requirements.
• Scope of coverage: Coherence is needed in the scope (i.e., boundary of emissions accounting) and type of GHG emissions accounted for in each initiative (e.g., only CO2, or other GHGs as well). Manufacturers supplying low-emissions products to government contractors and private companies need to be able to use the same methodologies to account for and report their emissions intensities.
• Reporting mechanism: Initiatives and policies should seek alignment in their measurement methodologies, data collection and reporting mechanisms to allow an apples-to-apples comparison. This could include things like harmonized product category rules and a common methodology for environmental product declarations. The International Energy Agency published a report in April 2023 outlining the robust emissions measurement and data collection methodologies that are critical for achieving net-zero in the steel industry. Initiatives like IDDI have also published guidance for harmonizing data reporting standards. For data reliability and interoperability, initiatives will need to ensure the type of accounting used in data reporting is transparently declared in a standardized, digital format.
• Definitions: Definitions of terms like “low-emissions,” “near-zero emissions” and “net-zero emissions” need to be consistent across initiatives and policies to avoid confusion and misalignment in targets. However, consistent definitions don’t need to constrain flexibility. Standards can be made flexible by setting ranges and categories for emissions-intensity benchmarks, such as the Global Cement and Concrete Association's (GCCA) Low Carbon Rating for Cement and Concrete.

Other Factors to Account For

So far, the standards implemented by international green procurement initiatives have focused on North American and European practices. However, most of the world’s cement and steel production and use currently takes place in Asia, and demand for these products is set to increase rapidly in Africa. Green procurement initiatives need to bring these regions and their standards into the mix for alignment to drive meaningful decarbonization across borders. The green taxonomies for industrial products being set by India and China can provide a foundation for green public procurement policies in these countries based on national circumstances.

Green procurement initiatives should also align with the standards being set by climate-related trade policies, such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and national green taxonomies to prevent duplicate efforts and the risk of contradictory signals.

Green procurement is emerging as a powerful lever to accelerate decarbonization in cement and steel by creating early demand for low- and near-zero emissions products. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives depends on aligning definitions, data standards and methodologies across countries and sectors. With the right coordination and support, green procurement can play a central role in catalyzing a low-carbon industrial transition globally.

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Authors Ankita Gangotra Willy Carlsen Katie Lebling Kevin Kennedy John Feldmann

Cities Are Heating Up. Better Infrastructure Can Cool Them Down. margaret.overh… Wed, 07/16/2025 - 13:00

In a city, a grassy park might be a place to stretch out with a book, an asphalt road your route to work, a building wall a canvas for a mural. But beyond their familiar roles, each of these surfaces plays a critical and often unseen role in shaping urban heat.

Many cities are warming at twice the global rate — a problem that's only worsening with rapid urbanization. And while rising temperatures are a problem everywhere, some cities and neighborhoods (often the poorest and most vulnerable) swelter more than others.

The reason for this comes down to the urban environment. Built infrastructure like roads, buildings and sidewalks, as well as natural infrastructure like trees and water bodies, determines how heat moves through a city. In most cities, the abundance of dark, impervious surfaces, like asphalt, traps heat and drives temperatures up — contributing to the urban heat island effect.

But urban infrastructure can also be one of the most powerful tools to keep people cool, without relying on energy-hungry air conditioning. The key is focusing on "surface infrastructure" — the places where the physical city and the atmosphere interact. In fact, cities around the world are showing that seemingly simple changes to surfaces, like painting roofs white or planting trees, can have a surprisingly big impact on temperatures. It's a matter of knowing how and where to use these solutions.

White roofs, like this one on Milos Island, Greece, can keep people cool inside while lowering surrounding temperatures. Photo by photopoems/Shutterstock What Makes a City Hotter — or Cooler

Urban infrastructure interacts with energy from the sun — reflecting it, absorbing it, transforming it, storing it — in ways that shape the experience of urban heat. Understanding and harnessing these mechanisms is key to designing cooler cities.

Surfaces can absorb or reflect heat

When sunlight strikes a surface, one of two things happens: The energy is either absorbed or reflected. While energy that gets reflected back into the atmosphere doesn't cause warming, energy that is absorbed by surfaces is re-emitted as heat. Dark surfaces tend to absorb energy and elevate temperatures; white or reflective surfaces tend to have the opposite effect.

There's more than one way to measure heat. Looking at different metrics offers a more complete picture of how effective heat solutions are — from lowering the air temperature outside to changing how hot it feels.

Land surface temperature (LST) uses satellite data to measures the temperature of surfaces such as roofs, treetops and roads.

Air temperature is measured about two meters above the ground using combined data from various weather stations. This is the metric commonly seen in weather reports.

Heat index measures it feels like outside by adjusting air temperature based on humidity.

Wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is similar to heat index, but considers direct sunlight and wind speed in addition to air temperature and humidity.

Universal thermal comfort index (UTCI) accounts for the combined effects of direct sunlight, reflected radiation, air temperature, wind level and humidity to accurately measure heat's impact on the human body.

Strategically increasing reflectivity (also known as "albedo") — for example, by painting rooftops or pavements light colors — can significantly decrease local temperatures. Phoenix has reduced surface temperatures by over 7 degrees C (12 degrees F) in some areas by adding reflective treatments to pavements. In the Almeria region of southern Spain, after farmers whitewashed their greenhouse roofs, local air temperature fell by about 1.6 degrees C (2.9 degrees F) compared to surrounding areas.

Cool roofs have the additional benefit of lowering indoor temperatures and reducing the need for air conditioning. In Malaysia, white roof tiles have reduced annual household energy use by 13%, bringing down power demand as well as energy costs.

Measuring land surface temperature can tell us how these interventions directly impact temperatures of surfaces, like roofs or roads. But measuring local air temperature also gives us important information about how reflective surfaces impact temperatures and people more broadly.

Shade offers instant relief 

Trees, as well as structures like awnings, bus shelters and covered walkways, intercept sunlight and prevent it from being absorbed by the ground — or by people. This dramatically improves how hot it feels outside, creating a respite even on scorching days.

While increasing shade may seem obvious, the benefits can be staggering. One study found that tree shade can reduce surface temperatures by up to 25 degrees C (45 degrees F) compared to sunny, asphalt-paved areas. Cities are taking note: A community-led project in Freetown, Sierra Leone, planted more than 1 million trees over the last five years to combat rising temperatures.

Thermal comfort indices can be used to measure how shade (or the lack of it) affects people, providing guidance for where to plant trees and build shelter.

Green spaces cool the air by releasing water

A grassy park often feels noticeably cooler than a sunlit sidewalk. This is in part thanks to "evapotranspiration" — the process by which water moves from the land to the atmosphere, both through plant leaves and direct evaporation of water. Much like how sweating cools the human body, evapotranspiration draws heat from the surrounding environment and uses it to transform liquid water into vapor, lowering local air temperatures in the process.

This property, combined with the shade they provide, makes urban trees an especially powerful tool for mitigating heat. Moist surfaces like soil and open water bodies have a similar effect, known as evaporative cooling.

Cities can tap into these benefits through strategies like green roofs, green spaces and permeable pavements (which have gaps that allow water to evaporate). Medellín, Colombia, has managed to decrease its local air temperature by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees F) by creating a network of "green corridors" — trees and vegetation strategically planted along roads, paths and bike lanes and connecting green spaces throughout the city.

The flip side is that evaporation also increases humidity, which can compound the health risks of extreme heat. When evaluating these solutions, it's important to consider their impact on the heat index — a metric which combines air temperature and humidity — to more accurately assess how people feel outside.

'Thermal delay' shapes daytime and nighttime heat

Different materials absorb and emit heat at different rates, which shapes urban temperature cycles. For example, asphalt warms dramatically during the day and releases that heat well into the night, keeping cities sweltering after the sun goes down.

Water bodies, on the other hand, can absorb and store significant amounts of heat without much change in temperature. This is why water stays cooler than the air when it's hot out — and why swimming is so refreshing on a summer day. During the day, air near the surface of a water body is cooled by the water and can be carried by breezes, lowering temperatures in nearby areas. At night, water releases only a small share of its stored heat very slowly, helping to avoid the high nighttime temperatures common in heavily built-up areas.

In 2005, Seoul, South Korea, demolished approximately 6 kilometers of elevated urban highway to uncover and restore the Cheonggyecheon Stream. After the project's completion, researchers compared air temperatures near the stream to those in a developed area four blocks away and found it was nearly 6 degrees C (over 10 degrees F) cooler by the stream. Not only that, but the revitalized waterway has boosted tourism, created green space for residents to enjoy and lent a massive boost to biodiversity.

While thermal delay affects temperatures day-to-day, it also moderates temperatures over longer periods — reducing the occurrence of either extreme heat or cold because of the slow, constant release of stored heat. This is a primary reason why coastal land areas have milder climates than inland areas. The cooling and moderating effects of thermal delay are best measured using air temperature.

The rehabilitated Cheonggyecheon Stream in Seoul, South Korea has lowered nearby temperatures while creating new green space for residents to enjoy. Photo by Daniel Gauthier/iStock Matching Solutions with Cities' Cooling Goals

Each one of these infrastructure solutions offers value on its own. But to achieve broader or more complex goals — like reducing overall energy demand or keeping pedestrians and transit riders safe during heat waves — cities will often need a multi-pronged approach. By understanding the relationships between goals, heat metrics, cooling mechanisms and infrastructure solutions, cities can make more meaningful progress against extreme heat.

For example, a city might aim to lower overall temperatures while also keeping people cool in areas with high pedestrian traffic. To accomplish this, it could blend broad and localized strategies: A citywide effort to implement cool roofs and cool pavements would increase reflectivity across large surface areas, helping to reduce heat absorption and bring down air temperatures for the whole city. In neighborhoods with high pedestrian exposure — such as commercial corridors or transit hubs — incorporating more trees or shade structures could measurably reduce people's heat exposure and health risks as they go about their days.

This kind of tiered strategy allows cities to deliver both widespread heat hazard reduction and immediate relief in the places people need it most.

Explore the grid below to see how different infrastructure solutions can be combined to meet various resilience and health goals.

Heat Goals, Explained

[Read more]

Cool people outdoors: Provide significant site- or corridor-specific reduction in thermal stress, as measured by thermal comfort indices like the universal thermal comfort index.

Lower area-wide temperatures: Reduce air temperatures across a large area throughout the day.

Flatten peak temperatures: Reduce air temperatures in the hottest period of the day across a neighborhood or city.

Reduce nighttime temperatures: Reduce nighttime minimum temperatures across a neighborhood or city. Particularly relevant for providing relief from heat stress during multi-day heatwaves.

Reduce surface temperatures: Reduce the absorption of heat by surfaces in the urban environment, as measured by land surface temperature.

Cool without adding humidity: Reduce air temperatures without contributing additional humidity to the urban environment, to manage the heat burden of an area as defined by heat index. Particularly relevant in areas with high baseline humidity during the warmest seasons.

Cool without water: Reduce the temperature of an area without requiring additional water resources. Particularly relevant in arid or water stressed regions.

Reduce indoor heat: Reduce the heat absorbed by buildings to reduce indoor air temperatures and thermal stress.

Reduce energy consumption: Reduce the heat absorbed by buildings in order to decrease energy demand for cooling the buildings.

A Toolkit to Protect Cities Against Extreme Heat

Heat is a universal challenge — but mitigating it offers cities an opportunity to respond with creativity and local insight. Each built environment is unique, and each piece of infrastructure can either exacerbate heat or help reduce it.

The solutions listed here offer a flexible toolkit. By understanding how sunlight interacts with the urban landscape and intentionally using infrastructure to influence these interactions, cities can achieve clear, measurable goals for urban heat resilience and protect their residents in a warming world.

To learn more, see WRI's Urban Heat and Passive Cooling initiative.

The graphics in this article were produced by Sara Staedicke.

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Authors Elizabeth Jane Wesley Eric Mackres Kurt Shickman Eillie Anzilotti Madeline Palmieri

Farmers Restore the ‘Cradle of Mankind’ in Kenya’s Greater Rift Valley shannon.paton@… Mon, 07/14/2025 - 23:00

Every morning, Joyce Muthoni steps onto her farm in central Kenya with quiet determination. She moves from tree to tree — pruning, weeding, checking the soil — nurturing each seedling. Muthoni’s farm is a vibrant mix of crops and native trees, from maize and macadamia nuts to tree tomatoes, plums, loquats and over 60 avocado trees. This rich diversity has helped improve her farm’s soil health and boosted harvests. She now grows enough fruits and vegetables to both eat and sell at the local market, providing a steady income for her family.

But this is just the beginning of her day. Later, she travels deep into the nearby Kieni Forest, her hands in the earth once more. She works alongside other women in her local Community Forest Association (CFA) to care for young saplings they’ve planted, destined to become the forest’s future canopy.  

Joyce Muthoni, a farmer with KENVO, at her farm in Kieni, Kenya. Photo by Prowl Limited/WRI

Nestled in central Kenya, Kieni Forest is a lifeline for the surrounding community. For many, it offers opportunities to earn a living through ecotourism, conservation, small-scale farming, tree nurseries and sustainable timber harvesting of pine and cypress trees. Kieni is also the origin of several rivers, including the Kariminu, which supplies water to homes and farms. The forest’s many indigenous trees — including Prunus Africana, Olea Africana and others — provide cooling shade, nurture the soil and provide resilience against a changing climate.  

Muthoni is more than a farmer; she is a custodian of ecological knowledge passed down through generations — learnings she now shares with her three grandchildren. She understands the rhythms of the land, the soil, the seasons, and the native species that once thrived there. She’s also part of Restore Local, a growing movement taking root to restore forests and degraded landscapes in Kenya’s Greater Rift Valley.

“I saw an opportunity not just to restore our land, but also revive our livelihoods,” said Muthoni. “Today, I guide others to restore the forest — because trees bring in rain, clean air and resilience in the face of climate change.”

A Changing Landscape in Kenya’s Greater Rift Valley

Stretching across Kenya like a vast green artery, the Greater Rift Valley is one of the country’s most ecologically and culturally significant landscapes. It harbors an extraordinary array of ecosystems, from lush tropical rainforests and freshwater lakes to savannah and woodlands. The area teems with wildlife — particularly the famous “Big Five” of Africa: lions, buffalo, elephants, leopards and rhinoceros. The region is often referred to as the “cradle of mankind,” a landscape vital in the study of human and species evolution.

Yet even with its rich ecological and cultural heritage, the Greater Rift Valley faces growing threats. More than 30% of Kenya’s land mass is degraded. This causes a chain reaction of challenges from reduced agricultural productivity to water insecurity that cost the country at least 3% in GDP per year.

Things are especially severe in the Greater Rift Valley. Years of deforestation, unsustainable land use and changing climate patterns have depleted the land and affected livelihoods. Forests and biodiversity have disappeared in some places. Degraded soils can’t support the abundance of plants they once did. Crop harvests grow more uncertain.  

But hope is taking root through local restoration champions like Muthoni.

Restore Local Takes Hold in Kenya’s Greater Rift Valley

Many land restoration projects are top-down, led by international NGOs or government agencies. WRI’s Restore Local initiative changes the model by putting local communities at the heart of restoration. Research shows restoration projects led by locals like small farmers and business owners are 6-20 times more likely to yield benefits to communities than those carried out by larger entities.

And the benefits are many. Restoring degraded landscapes through tree-planting, sustainable farming and other practices can boost food production, grow farmers’ incomes, provide clean water and mitigate disasters like droughts, floods and rising heat.

So far, Restore Local has invested in 44 institutions made up of farmers, small business owners and community groups in the Greater Rift Valley. The project provides capacity building, targeted financing, effective monitoring and policy support to “restoration champions.” The impact is already visible: Champions have planted 3.5 million trees in the region, with a target of planting 5.9 million and restoring 4,700 hectares of degraded land in the Greater Rift Valley. Their approaches and the benefits they accrue vary, but their efforts all add up to one central goal: revitalizing the world’s cradle of civilization.

David Wamuya of Afrex Gold Limited holds up an avocado sapling at one of the company’s tree nurseries. Photo by Third Factor Production/WRI Meet the Greater Rift Valley’s ‘Restoration Champions’

In Nakuru, Kenya, Wezesha Community Based Organization is working closely with local farmers to restore their degraded farms. “When we first came here, the land was dry and bare, and crops were failing,” said Redempta Mutisia of Wezesha. “But we saw potential in the land and set out to bring it back to life.”

Farmers at a Wezesha tree nursery. Photo by Prowl Limited/WRI

The Many Benefits of Restoring Kenya’s Greater Rift Valley

Restoring the Greater Rift Valley could unlock wide-reaching environmental, social and economic benefits, including:

1) Food security: Restoring land supports soil health, reduces erosion and boosts crop yields, bringing greater food stability.

2) Improved livelihoods: Restoration creates jobs in tree nurseries, agroforestry, tourism and conservation. For women and youth in the Greater Rift Valley, restoration offers dignified income and greater participation in natural resource governance.

3) Improve water quality and quantity: Reforesting water catchment areas and rehabilitating degraded watersheds can improve the flow and quality of freshwater to lakes, rivers and springs.

4) Biodiversity: Restoring land creates conditions for native plants, animals and microorganisms to thrive.

5) Economic development: Degraded lands cost Kenya billions annually. Land restoration can boost economic returns by improving agricultural productivity, supporting biodiversity and ecotourism and creating jobs. It can also reduce economic costs by mitigating floods, droughts and other disasters.

6) Climate resilience and carbon sequestration: Restoration buffers communities from climate shocks like droughts and floods while capturing carbon through trees and soil.

Wezesha trains farmers on agroforestry techniques, which integrate trees alongside crops and animal husbandry. The community group emphasizes the value of growing diverse trees and crops as opposed to monocultures, which supports biodiversity, improves soil health and boosts farm yields. To date, Wezesha has worked with farmers to grow over 500,000 tree seedlings, including avocadoes, citrus fruits, cypress trees, Olea Africana and other species.

“In a few years, the land will be beautiful, and the birds will come singing again,” said Redempta.

Afrex Gold helps local farmers plant avocado trees on their farms. Farmers plant the avocado alongside subsistence crops. Most of them eventually fully dedicate sections of their farms to growing avocado trees, which fetch a high price. Afrex Gold supplies farmers with quality seedlings, trainings and access to markets via their own packing facility in Thika. Once avocados are ready for harvest, farmers sell their produce directly to Afrex Gold at pre-agreed rates. This eliminates intermediaries such as brokers and middlemen, allowing farmers to earn a reliable and fair income.

With the financial support received from Restore Local’s TerraFund, Afrex Gold has expanded its nursery and now produces 50,000 seedlings annually, distributed to farmers across the region.

“Since Afrex Gold introduced this initiative here, soil erosion has gone down, our avocado trees are doing well, and we are also able to improve our livelihoods from selling the fruit,” said Julius Muli, one of the business’s partner farmers.

Paran Women’s Group is a collective of 64 Indigenous women’s groups based in Ololunga, Kenya. They are working to restore degraded lands in and around the Mau Forest, one of Kenya’s most vital ecological assets and the largest of the country’s five main water towers. In addition to feeding major rivers and lakes, the Mau Forest regulates river flows, mitigates floods, prevents soil erosion and supports groundwater recharge. Paran Women’s Group blends ancestral wisdom with modern restoration efforts in conserving and restoring it.

“We have been able to restore 100 hectares of degraded lands in our community, leveraging intergenerational transfer of indigenous knowledge,” said Naiyan Kiplagat, the group’s founder. Paran has also distributed 70,000 seedlings to 3,000 women and is on track to plant 150,000 trees by the end of 2025. Women — most of them from the Masai and Ogiek Indigenous communities —are able to sell fruits and other goods that the trees produce, in addition to their traditional livelihoods as pastoralists.

Members of the Paran Women Group at one of their restoration sites on the slopes of the Mau Forest. Photo by Third Factor Production/WRI Restoration Works

As birds return to reforested hillsides, as farmers harvest stronger crops, and as water once again flows through dry riverbeds, the message is clear: When we restore nature, we restore our livelihoods and ourselves.

But no single actor can do this alone. To scale and sustain these successes, restoration champions need continued support from governments, the private sector, civil society, communities and funders. It will take a united effort to restore millions of hectares, strengthen rural economies, and secure a better future for generations to come.

The Afrex Gold team at their avocado processing plant in Thika, Kenya. Photo by Third Factor Production/WRI

“Restoration is not just about recovering what was lost; it’s about reimagining what is possible,” said Wanjira Mathai, WRI’s Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships. “It’s about dignity, opportunity and resilience rooted in the land. The champions we work with are lighting the path forward. Our role is to ensure that path becomes a highway, wide enough for millions to walk.”

Watch the videos below or on Youtube to meet the Greater Rift Valley’s champions and see their impact firsthand.

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• Restore Local
• Global Restoration Initiative

Authors Christine Mboya

STATEMENT: 8 African Nations Commit to 100% Sustainable Ocean Management darla.vanhoorn… Fri, 07/11/2025 - 09:31

YAOUNDÉ  (July 11, 2025) – Yesterday, eight African nations — Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria — adopted the Yaoundé Declaration, committing to sustainably manage 100% of ocean areas under their national jurisdiction by 2030. The commitment was made at the International Conference on the Blue Economy in the Gulf of Guinea, held in Yaoundé, Cameroon.  

Through the regional declaration, the eight countries have pledged to develop and implement Sustainable Ocean Plans (SOPs) that will guide the sustainable use, protection, and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems. Other commitments will seek to tackle Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU) and strengthen marine security.  

Following is a statement from Wanjira Mathai, Director of WRI Africa: 

“The ocean is one interconnected system that spans beyond national borders, and governments must manage it that way. The Yaoundé Declaration is a powerful signal of regional leadership, showing that countries across the Gulf of Guinea are not just willing, but determined to build a sustainable, inclusive blue economy together.

“With the Our Ocean Conference coming to Kenya next year, this commitment sets the tone for African leadership on the global stage. Transboundary cooperation like this also helps shift African wisdom, solutions and priorities to the forefront, steering ambitious, homegrown answers to ocean challenges. 

Following is a statement from Cynthia Barzuna, Deputy Director of WRI’s Ocean Program: 

“The Gulf of Guinea is one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems — a lifeline for millions who rely on it for food and jobs. But it’s under siege from climate change, pollution, and overfishing. The Sustainable Ocean Plans these countries will develop offer a clear, actionable blueprint to manage 100% of their waters, balancing protection, prosperity and resilience. 

“This commitment positions the Gulf of Guinea as a driving force in a global wave for ocean sustainability. It directly aligns with the goal of Ocean Panel, a coalition of 18 countries working towards 100% sustainable management of national waters. The Panel pioneered the concept of Sustainable Ocean Plans and, through the 100% Alliance, is urging all coastal and ocean states to follow suit.” 
 
Editor’s note: WRI serves as Secretariat of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy — a group of 18 heads of state and government from countries committed to sustainably managing 100% of their national waters by 2030 — and coordinates the 100% Alliance, a global initiative co-led by Chile and France that encourages all other coastal and island countries to make that same commitment.

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Grounding Global Water Risk Assessments in Local Data shannon.paton@… Thu, 07/10/2025 - 16:56

More companies are assessing water risks, either voluntarily or in response to regulatory requirements. However, navigating the complex and diverse water challenges across global portfolios while under pressure from external stakeholders is complex. Global-level data is useful for a broad view, yet assessing water risks effectively also requires local insights.

Companies rely on tools like Aqueduct’s Water Risk Atlas to identify which parts of their operations and value chain face significant water risks. Aqueduct’s indicators are based on peer-reviewed, open-source, globally consistent data and methods, allowing for global benchmarking and screening. Water risks in Chicago can be directly compared to water risks in Cape Town and Cairo, all at the click of a button.

However, it’s important to recognize that Aqueduct presents a high-level view, not a ground truth assessment of water risks. Once global data is collected, companies should validate the results internally through staff conversations and externally through outreach as they finalize their priorities.

WRI partnered with Unilever to share a few real-world examples of how Unilever enhanced its water stewardship prioritization exercise by complementing the global Aqueduct results with targeted local feedback and insights.

Bridging the Global-to-Local Gap

A prioritization exercise is an essential part of the water stewardship journey. It helps companies make informed decisions on where to act, given that water is local and companies cannot act everywhere.

In Unilever’s case, the company must assess more than 300 production sites, offices and warehouses across 100 countries. It’d be nearly impossible for Unilever to run a water risk assessment of this scale using only local data. It could lead to data quality issues, data definition discrepancies and even data scarcity. By using Aqueduct’s global indicators, Unilever can spend fewer resources assessing water risks and more resources on taking action.

After this first step, Unilever contacts facility managers whose sites fall within a high-risk sub-basin, giving them the opportunity to provide feedback. If a manager disputes the water stress status — for example, if the Aqueduct data doesn’t reflect the reality on the ground — Unilever often brings in expert consultants to investigate the location using local data, such as details on the facility’s water source, provider and key water infrastructure.

When Global and Local Data Align

Using Aqueduct’s Baseline Water Stress (BWS) indicator, which measures the competition over water resources, Unilever found that the global results resonated with local understanding the vast majority of the time. This holds true across different geographies and levels of water stress.

Unilever found that on sites exposed to Aqueduct’s most extreme water stress — where water demand outpaces natural replenishment — facility managers felt the challenge on the ground.

For example, in Konya, Turkey, Aqueduct showed extremely high levels of water stress, and local staff confirmed this challenge.

Turkey is a highly water-stressed country. It’s been plagued by recurring droughts in recent years that have impacted both people and nature. In Konya, competition over water resources is extremely high. Agriculture uses around 90%, leaving very little for domestic and industrial demand. According to Aqueduct, water demand exceeds the renewable, available water supply for three months of the year.

Unilever found through ground truthing that the region faces major water challenges, including sharply declining groundwater tables, erosion and even sinkholes in the landscape. This kind of corroborating local feedback, and alignment between global and on-the-ground data, reinforces the site’s priority status and creates momentum for action internally throughout the company, from the management team to the local facility team.

When Global and Local Data Mismatch

Despite its utility, a global model will never replace local knowledge. Aqueduct’s indicators are built using global assumptions, resulting in unique limitations that users must consider when evaluating the data. Specifically, Aqueduct is limited in its ability to model the local management of water.

Unilever found through its validation process with site managers that for a few facilities, the lived experience is different from what Aqueduct’s Baseline Water Stress indicator reported.

Reporting water stress in freshwater-abundant areas

Aqueduct reported high water stress in a few sub-basins next to the Great Lakes in North America — a region with abundant freshwater. How is this possible? This mismatch is due to how Aqueduct allocates water supply from Lake Michigan, routing water through natural discharge points rather than the human-made intake points.

To begin with, water demand is extremely high in the region. Illinois ranks as the fourth largest industrial water user in the world.

However, high water demand does not necessarily mean high water stress. In the case of the Great Lakes, human engineering enables water users to access its supply from multiple intake locations across the shoreline — a dynamic that no global hydrological model can capture because there is no global dataset on the human transfer and management of water.

Instead, Aqueduct models the outflow from Lake Michigan through the drainage network based on elevation data. In Unilever’s case, we found that Aqueduct models the outflow from Lake Michigan through the sub-basin adjacent to where it operates.

Because Aqueduct only uses a sub-basin's internal water supply to calculate its risk, agnostic to what neighboring basins have, Unilever’s resulting water stress score is high. Based on feedback from the local facility manager and consultations with the Aqueduct team, Unilever removed the facility from their prioritization exercise but kept it on the list for regulatory disclosures for consistency.   

Reporting water abundance in areas of high stress

In a sub-basin near São Paulo in Brazil, Unilever encountered a different kind of discrepancy. This time, the local facility managers disagreed with Aqueduct’s low water stress result. They reported to Unilever’s sustainability team that the facility experienced water shortages in the past and had even resorted to trucking in water at times.

Indeed, São Paulo and its surrounding area have faced many water challenges in recent years. In 2014, the city nearly ran out of water. A major driver of the region’s water stress is poor water quality, something not captured by Aqueduct’s indicator. If the water is too polluted to use, then there will be less water available to use than Aqueduct models suggest. As a result, local water stress will be intensified.  

In this area, water quality issues are largely driven by land degradation. Forests, for example, help to filter out pollutants, reduce heat and stabilize rainfall and soil moisture. Unfortunately, over three-quarters of the forest in São Paulo’s headwaters have been lost.  

Compounding the water quality issue are large water transfers to the city of São Paulo, which are not modeled by Aqueduct.

Unilever understood that information shouldn’t only flow from the sustainability team to local facilities. Rather, the company took the local reports seriously and commissioned a regional analysis through external consultants to better understand the water challenges and potential solutions.  As a result, Unilever added this facility to its prioritization exercise.

How to Reflect Local Realities in Water Risk Assessments

Unilever’s case study shows that integrating local feedback into global risk assessments helps the company manage water risks more effectively by improving the prioritization process. Here are our key takeaways for companies to enhance their global water risk assessments with local feedback to ensure they reflect real-world conditions on the ground:

1) Use global data as a starting point

After using Aqueduct to run a water risk assessment, use the results to start conversations with your facility managers and other internal stakeholders. Allow information to flow in all directions. Create a list of locations to investigate for further analysis. These may include:

• Places with the highest levels of risk.
• Places with high risk and high business materiality metrics, such as financial value or product volume.
• Places where the Aqueduct result does not align with the local perception, whether it's an overestimation or underestimation of risk.

2) Document any global-local deviations

Clearly document all conversations, sources and research used to supplement the Aqueduct indicator. This is especially important when reporting to regulatory disclosure frameworks.

3) Review and revise often

Water stewardship is an iterative process. Periodically check in on your priority sites (or potential priority sites) to assess whether any should be reclassified based on changing conditions. For example, a water risk assessment should be rerun when Aqueduct is updated every few years or when a company adds new facilities.

4) Communicate and share internally and externally

At its core, water stewardship must be a collaborative exercise. The more companies talk publicly and share experiences with global-to-local data integration, the faster the community can connect, learn from one another and work toward water-secure outcomes. Communication should happen both internally and externally. Internally, communicate with teams outside the sustainability department, such as procurement, to enhance corporation action. Externally, share lessons with peer organizations and others operating in priority locations to foster collective action.

Using the Data for the Right Purpose

The integration of global and local data can strengthen the prioritization exercise, enrich the narrative and generate buy-in, ultimately improving the company’s water stewardship interventions.

What’s important is understanding how to supplement global data with local knowledge and understanding, whether you are using Aqueduct or any other global data product. Global data is a good place to start, but real change on the ground cannot be achieved without ground truth data.

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• Aqueduct

Authors Samantha Kuzma Marc Dettmann Lourens Meijer

How Advanced Transmission Technologies Can Revamp the Aging US Power Grid alicia.cypress… Thu, 07/10/2025 - 13:00

The North American power grid is often referred to as “the world’s largest machine.” What may appear to be a haphazard collection of power plants and lines is actually an interconnected, highly engineered system of three networks stretching millions of miles across southern Canada and the continental United States. Its operators perform miracles every day, instantaneously connecting electricity supply from thousands of power plants with the demands of over 400 million people. Amazingly, this machine is 99.95% reliable; the average U.S. customer loses power only twice a year for a total of five hours.

However, 70% of the grid is over 50 years old, and it’s being tested in unprecedented ways. The American Society of Power Engineers gave the U.S. grid a grade of C- in its 2021 report card. Energy demand is growing for the first time in decades, spurred by resurgent manufacturing (much of which was spurred by investments in the Inflation Reduction Act), rapacious data center growth (largely due to artificial intelligence), and nascent electrification of industries once built on fossil fuels, such as the shift from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles. Meanwhile, increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events have battered the grid in recent years, costing consumers billions in extra energy expenses.

To safely and affordably meet increased electricity demand while decarbonizing the grid, we must build new high-voltage long-distance transmission lines (HVTLs). But this won’t happen overnight: New HVTLs take an average of 10 years to build and cost an average of $1 million per mile. Meanwhile, electricity customers nationwide paid $11.5 billion in congestion costs in 2023 — nearly double the amount they paid in 2020. Congestion occurs when there is not enough transmission capacity to deliver the cheapest sources of electricity, and higher-cost resources must be dispatched instead to meet demand.

The U.S. power grid needs help. Advanced transmission technologies  are an important part of the solution.

High-voltage long-distance transmission lines are spread across a wind farm in Altamont Pass, Calif. By deploying advanced transmission technologies, the U.S. can expand and modernize the power grid. Photo by B. Christopher / Alamy Stock Photo. What Are Advanced Transmission Technologies?

Advanced transmission technologies are a promising set of tools that can be used to quickly and cheaply expand the capacity and improve the operation of the existing grid. The category includes both grid enhancing technologies that can be installed on top of the existing grid, as well as advanced conductors that can replace and increase the capacity of existing lines. These technologies are well-tested and have already been widely deployed across the world.

Despite their “advanced” label, many advanced transmission technologies are surprisingly simple in concept. Take improvements to the line ratings for example: To limit the risk of overheating, transmission lines have historically been rated “statically,” meaning they only transmit power up to a threshold, conservatively set to be safe under the hottest conditions (when lines are unable to carry as much power as when it's cooler).

However, colder temperatures and higher winds actively cool transmission lines and therefore allow them to safely carry more power than their static line rating would suggest. This means that almost all statically-rated lines could be transmitting at least 10% more capacity 90% of the time. When simple sensors are installed, new “dynamic” line ratings (DLRs) can be adjusted in real time as wind and temperature shifts, allowing around 30% to 50% more power to be transmitted in favorable climates.

Other advanced transmission technologies use complex technologies to improve grid efficiency. For example, advanced power flow control devices (APFCs) allow grid operators to control how power is flowing across the grid by changing the resistances of different power pathways. Electricity, like water, flows along the path of least resistance. Building on this analogy, The WATT Coalition describes APFCs as “partial dams” which can be used to redirect “water” (power) across different channels, ensuring that more of the grid is used efficiently. APFCs boost overall system capacity and reduce congestion costs.

What Are the Benefits to Scaling Advanced Transmission Technologies?

Perhaps the greatest advantage of advanced transmission technologies is that they can be deployed in a fraction of the time it takes to build new transmission lines. On the shorter end, DLR projects take an average of only three months to complete. Even more ambitious projects, like converting a line so that it transports direct current power instead of alternating current power, can triple the capacity of an existing line in half the time it takes to build a new line.

Secondly, advanced transmission technologies are cheaper to build than new transmission lines and unlock far more economic benefits than costs. Upgrading transmission lines with new, higher capacity advanced conductors can provide similar gains in capacity compared with building new transmission lines, yet they can be anywhere from five to 10 times cheaper per-mile. Grid enhancing technologies like DLR can provide an even greater cost-benefit return. In 2018, the Midwestern utility AEP spent $500,000 to install DLR on 25 miles of its lines. In only 10 months of monitoring, the system saved more than $15 million in congestion costs, providing a whopping 30 to 1 benefit-cost ratio in less than a year of operation.

Finally, advanced transmission technologies can improve reliability and public safety by reducing the likelihood of grid failures and wildfires. Take DLR, for example: On our warming planet, temperatures may sometimes be hotter than the ones used to conservatively set static line ratings. Whereas static lines will maintain line current even in high heat, lines with DLR will sense the extreme weather and lower current, reducing the risk of the line sagging into vegetation and igniting a fire. Advanced conductors also mitigate wildfire risk by reducing sag, while APFC systems can help quickly deenergize parts of the grid when needed.

Though the study of advanced transmission technologies for wildfire mitigation is an emerging field, governments are already recognizing their potential. For example, Utah’s recently passed HB 212 directs utilities to study advanced transmission technologies for their wildfire mitigation potential as part of the utilities’ integrated resource plans. 

What Progress Is Being Made to Implement Advanced Transmission Technologies?

Hundreds of utilities have already deployed advanced transmission technologies successfully in the U.S. Survey studies compiled by the Idaho National Laboratory for grid enhancing technologies and advanced conductors attest to their high benefit-cost ratios, ease of implementation and quick payback periods. To date, most of the advanced transmission technology projects undertaken by U.S. utilities have been voluntary and limited in scope. However, there are hopeful signs that U.S. policymakers are beginning to recognize the potential of advanced transmission technologies to meet our grid challenges quickly and cost-effectively and will enact legislation to make them more widespread.

Policy activity on advanced transmission technologies has been particularly robust at the state level. Since 2023, more than 10 states governed by both Republicans and Democrats have adopted advanced transmission technology legislation. Proving momentum, in 2025 alone, 17 states saw the introduction of related bills. These bills primarily work by requiring utilities and other transmission owners to study advanced transmission technologies as alternatives to building new lines. For example, South Carolina’s recently passed H 3309 requires utilities to assess advanced transmission technologies as solutions for transmission needs within their integrated resource planning process.

Activity at the national level is happening as well. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANOPR) last June that included a framework for requiring DLR on transmission lines. This has received broad support in comments from consumer advocate groups, utilities and grid operators. Supporters of a DLR requirement argue that such a regulation is necessary to secure “just and reasonable” electricity rates — core to FERC’s mandate — because of the cost savings that DLR unlocks for consumers.

What Are the Major Barriers to Deployment and How Can We Overcome Them?

Advanced transmission technologies have not been widely deployed in the U.S., and many utilities, regulators, policymakers and consumers remain unaware of their benefits. Requirements to study advanced transmission technologies in utility proceedings such as integrated resource plans and (including those recently passed by Indiana and Ohio) will help to raise awareness of their benefits while giving advocates greater leverage to push for their adoption. and Ohio) will help to raise awareness of their benefits while giving advocates greater leverage to push for their adoption.

Governors can also work to encourage adoption. In 2023, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey convened a working group to study advanced transmission technologies and make recommendations for their adoption in New England. Governors can also include them in their budget requests, as New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham did in the 2026 budget by calling for a $1 million grid modernization grant program. 

Ironically, the low costs of advanced transmission technologies, which make them such promising tools to quickly meet grid challenges, are also a barrier to their implementation. Simply put, they don’t make utilities as much money. Under traditional “cost of service” business models, regulated utilities are allowed to recover their capital costs plus an allowed rate of return through electricity prices.

As several advocates have pointed out, this incentive structure means that utilities can make more money by pursuing capital-intensive projects like new transmission lines over cheaper advanced transmission technology projects. Furthermore, these projects are not yet eligible for cost recovery in some states, meaning utilities aren’t able to profit from deploying advanced transmission technologies. Things are slowly changing, however; recent bills passed in Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Indiana have authorized cost recovery for these technologies.

Reforming outdated business models should be considered to spur adoption. One such proposal called “shared savings” would allow utilities to recoup some of the savings that result from projects in their electricity rates. Another policy idea, called performance-based ratemaking, would tie utility profits to meeting certain performance targets that incentivize advanced transmission technologies — for example, a target to increase the amount of power a utility can carry on its existing system. Finally, shifting from incentivizing to explicitly requiring utilities to deploy advanced transmission technologies in the public interest, as FERC did with the DLR ANOPR, is another way to deploy these technologies at scale.

A Critical Investment

At a time when customers face rising energy bills and terawatts of clean energy languish in queues to interconnect to the grid because of a lack of grid capacity, advanced transmission technologies represent our best hope for quickly and cost-effectively reducing the pressure on our grid. These technologies are essential complements to new lines and must at least be considered by utilities and regulators when they review proposals to increase transmission capacity.

In the U.S., momentum is growing to deploy advanced transmission technologies at scale, and an abundance of evidence shows that these technologies are safe, effective and affordable. Let us build on this momentum to secure the prosperous clean energy future we all deserve.

WRI's Ian Goldsmith contributed to this report.

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• U.S. Energy

Authors Joe Hack