Passed nearly a year ago, the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act sets the country on a path toward a low-carbon future. However, millions of Americans live in communities reliant on the coal and fossil fuel industry for jobs, revenue and more. While the Inflation Reduction Act includes a provision that encourages investment in these “energy communities,” it fails to comprehensively identify or prioritize all the communities at risk of being left behind by the clean energy transition. WRI experts explain how and why the U.S. government can redefine America’s “energy communities” to direct resources where they’re needed most. Read more.

The search for sustainable building materials continues. Concrete and steel are both significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions, piquing interest in mass timber as an alternative. A new report from WRI, however, finds that using wood to replace concrete and steel may not be as climate- or environmentally friendly as some believe it to be. Lead author Tim Searchinger explains. Read more.

About 65% of Africa’s farmland is unproductive, eroded or otherwise degraded, putting food security and livelihoods in jeopardy. But around the continent, a burgeoning restoration movement is growing. Small farmers and entrepreneurs are driving change at the local level, strategically planting trees like cashew and macadamia to revitalize the soil, prevent erosion and grow their incomes. In the process, they’re re-greening the continent and making it more resilient to climate change. In a new TED Talk, WRI’s Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships Wanjira Mathai explains how local restoration champions can and already are revitalizing Africa’s degraded landscapes. Watch here.