João Alfredo Street was not much different from others in the bustling city of Porto Alegre, Brazil: sidewalks were narrow, road signs were few and far between, and car crashes were frequent. But things changed in 2019 when the street received a makeover. Today, curbs are wider. Dedicated pedestrian crossing lanes stretch across the road. Kids and adults enjoy the sight of leafy plants as they rest on the street’s numerous benches. And most importantly, traffic crashes are down by over 50%. 

João Alfredo Street is just one example of Brazil’s “Complete Streets” approach to road safety and sustainability. While most cities aim to reduce traffic crashes through behavioral strategies like helmet- and seatbelt-wearing campaigns, Complete Streets emphasizes designing streets with more bike lanes, broader sidewalks and green space to encourage biking, walking and public transportation. The approach makes transportation safer literally from the ground up. Read more.

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More and more satellites are monitoring methane from space, with the latest entering Earth’s orbit early this month. This is a huge step, given that about 45% of today’s net global warming is driven by methane emissions. Classified as a short-lived climate pollutant, methane and other “super pollutants” remain in the atmosphere for less time than carbon dioxide, but have a bigger impact on warming. Read more.

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Ocean temperatures hit another record high, with the average global sea surface temperature reaching 21.06 degrees C (69.91 degrees F) last month. But while the ocean is increasingly feeling the impacts of climate change, it is also home to some of the most promising solutions. WRI research shows that ocean-based climate action can deliver up to 35% of the emissions cuts needed by 2050. Read more.

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Biodiversity conservation is severely underfunded, with recent research showing a $700 billion gap in current funding compared to what’s needed by 2030 to maintain ecosystem integrity. “Biodiversity credits” are emerging as a potential solution, but they also present risks. WRI experts break down this new concept. Read more.

Short-lived climate pollutants come from many sources. If they’re not reduced dramatically, the world faces a more than 50% chance of falling short of global climate goals.