In parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, only 28% of health facilities have electricity connections and of those that do, almost three-quarters of grapple with unreliable supply. The agriculture and education sectors face similar struggles. Drawing on a new WRI working paper, Senior Associate Lily Odamo outlines four actions that can link energy and sustainable development in Africa, starting with heightened global ambition and engagement. Read More.

Progress towards a low-carbon economy could be at risk due to the economic impact of COVID-19. It doesn’t have to be that way. America’s New Climate Economy, a new working paper by Devashree Saha and Joel Jaeger, illustrates how low-carbon investments in the U.S. can create jobs, spur economic growth and reduce costs for Americans. Ten charts in their blog post tell the story. Read more.

This year private and public entities around the globe turned to planting trees as a weapon against climate change. However, planting is just the beginning. Success will require harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and local action to create globally consistent datasets that track where the trees are growing, how much carbon they store and what other benefits they provide to people and the environment. Now is the time to start tracking progress. Read more.