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WRI DIGEST



Earth’s “Lungs” Are Disappearing at Alarming Rates 

Three global ecosystems make up 80% of the world’s tropical forests and two-thirds of the world’s biodiversity: the Amazon Rainforest basin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo basin and the Borneo-Mekong-Southeast Asia basin. Between October 26-28, 2023, leaders from around the globe will convene in Brazzaville, DRC for the first-ever Three Basins Summit to discuss the future of these tropical rainforests.
 
Tropical rainforests are known as the “lungs of the planet” for the vast amount of carbon they pull from the atmosphere and oxygen they produce. And yet data from WRI’s Global Forest Watch platform finds that despite growing commitments to end deforestation, rainforests continue to disappear. The tropics lost 10% more primary forest in 2022 than the previous year. As deforestation continues to threaten these critical ecosystems, the window is closing to protect them. Read more.

  
Crates with vegetables
A patch of the Amazon Rainforest where illegal gold mining has caused river contamination and deforestation. Photo by Paralaxis/iStock
Power grid

The US Will Not Meet Its Clean Energy Goals Without Permitting Reform 

U.S. President Joe Biden made historic investments in the country’s power grid last week, providing $3.5 billion in grants to expand wind and solar capacity, boost power line resilience, build out microgrids to fight power outages and more. While the investment is needed, so is policy reform. It currently takes an average of 4+ years to permit and build wind and solar projects, and about 10 years for transmission lines. Expediting permitting processes will be essential for the country to hit its goal of decarbonizing the power sector by 2035. WRI experts lay out potential solutions. Read more.

Woman on a boat

More and More Nations Are Getting Stuck in a Climate Debt Trap ​

Last week, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced it will grant “debt-for-nature" swaps in countries most vulnerable to climate change. These kinds of deals are increasingly important as developing nations — oftentimes those most exposed to the impacts of climate change — face mounting debt and tighter fiscal conditions. In this explainer, WRI experts unpack what’s causing the complicated climate-debt trap and propose solutions. Read more.

Man washing dishes

The Next Phase of Corporate Sustainability: Addressing Consumer Water Use ​

While more and more companies are setting targets to reduce water use and improve water quality in their own facilities and along their supply chains, few address water use at the consumer level. Meanwhile, household water demand has grown 600% over the last 50 years. That’s why some pioneering companies are now setting “downstream” targets, addressing consumers’ water use from products like shampoo, dish detergent and more. Read more.


Read More EXPERT INSIGHTS 




VITAL VISUALIZATIONS


  
EV Charging
Graphic by WRI
 

While primary forest loss ticked up in 2022 in the two countries with the most tropical forest, Brazil and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it rapidly increased in other nations like Ghana and Bolivia.



UPCOMING EVENTS
 

The Role of Hydrogen for Decarbonizing Industry in the U.S.
November 01, 2023
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM EDT, Online

Demystifying Finance: Opportunities to Scale the Adoption of ESBs
November 08, 2023
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST, Online

Tracking Tree Cover: Using Global Forest Watch Datasets for Restoration
November 09, 2023
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM EST, Online

 

 



WRI COP28 Resources Hub graphic
 


WRI’s experts are closely following the UN climate talks. Visit our Resource Hub for new articles, research, webinars and more.