During the Great Recession of 2008, advocates urged that quantitative easing—central banks buying bonds to inject liquidity into financial markets—accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. Few governments managed to deliver. This time, green quantitative easing is not only urgent but within reach. Policy makers have a much better understanding of the risks of ignoring climate change and better tools to incorporate climate considerations in asset purchases. Leonardo Martinez-Diaz and Giulia Christianson explain why the time is right for green quantitative easing. Read more.

The decisions world leaders make today will affect the world long after the coronavirus crisis recedes. They are faced with a choice: prop up the failing fuels of the past or forge a new path toward a clean, secure and prosperous future. Global Energy Director Jennifer Layke and research analyst Norma Hutchinson explain that investing in renewables has a high economic return, creates millions of new jobs, and helps to build a low-carbon world after COVID-19. Read more.

2020 was slated to be a significant year of action for the climate. We’re now living in a very different world, but the threats of climate change have remained the same—and will worsen if not addressed as we tackle the COVID-19 crisis. Yamide Dagnet and other WRI climate policy experts make the case for climate action this year, explaining that “key climate events may be delayed, but the climate emergency is not.” Read more.