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*Trusted research, data & insights* ** for a better world for people, nature & climate

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WRI DIGEST *↓*
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*In this issue:*

* Electric School Buses Deliver More Than Just a Clean Ride ( #blurb1 )
* These 10 Countries Are Scaling Renewable Energy the Fastest ( #blurb2 )
* How Might a Super El Niño Differ From Past Events? ( #blurb3 )
* When School's Out, Electric School Buses Can Help Keep the Power On ( #blurb4 )

Kids in a school bus ( [link removed] )

Photo by Electric School Bus Initiative/WRI

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Electric School Buses Deliver More Than Just a Clean Ride ( [link removed] )
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It's back to school, which means millions of U.S. children will be riding diesel school buses to get to the classroom. But diesel exhaust is linked to serious health issues.
Electric buses are a cleaner, healthier alternative. And their benefits go even further.

Electric buses can save school districts around $7,000 a year per bus, reduce climate-harming emissions and even help lower electricity prices for consumers. We explore the wide-ranging benefits of electric school buses and who's already benefiting from them.

Read more ( [link removed] )

A wind farm on the horizon ( [link removed] )

Photo by Alexander Farnsworth/iStock

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These 10 Countries Are Scaling Renewable Energy the Fastest ( [link removed] )
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Solar and wind made up just 17% of global electricity last year. To stay on track for a net-zero future, that share needs to more than triple by 2030. Which countries are scaling renewables the fastest and what's behind their success?

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Forest fire ( [link removed] )

Photo by Paralaxis/iStock

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How Might a Super El Niño Differ From Past Events? ( [link removed] )
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Scientists say El Niño is intensifying fast, with a greater than 90% chance of a "super" event by late this year. The impacts could be devastating, worsening floods, wildfires and food insecurity around the world.

Read more ( [link removed] )

Electric school buses ( [link removed] )

Photo by Katherine Roboff/WRI

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When School's Out, Electric School Buses Can Help Keep the Power On ( [link removed] )
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Schools in the U.S. could save thousands of dollars. How? By sending power from their electric buses back to the grid. "Vehicle-to-grid" technology can turn parked school buses into revenue for schools — and savings for local communities.

Read more ( [link removed] )

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FEATURED NEWS RELEASE
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*STATEMENT: COP17 Advances Finance but Falls Short on Global Drought Action ( [link removed] )*

( [link removed] )

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP17 (Aug. 17–28) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, concluded with the announcement of a $1.3 billion finance portfolio for land restoration and drought resilience. But countries failed to agree on a global drought framework, with negotiations set to continue at COP18.

“The $1.3 billion portfolio for land restoration and drought resilience is welcome, but it is still a fraction of an estimated $278 billion annual financing gap. And too much of that finance has yet to reach the ground. Now the focus has to be on getting money into the communities and landscapes that need it most.

The true measure of COP17 will be whether families are safer when the next shock comes, with water to rely on, food on the table and land that can keep sustaining them. With El Niño intensifying, every delay leaves people more exposed.”

*— Susan Chomba ( [link removed] )
* *—* Director of Vital Landscapes, WRI Africa

*Read more* ( [link removed] )

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Vital Visualizations
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Fastest 5-year periods of growth in solar and wind graphic ( [link removed] )

Uruguay leads the world in renewable energy growth. It has grown its wind and solar power from just 1% to 35% of its electricity mix in five years.

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LINKEDIN / AUGUST 30, 2026 ( [link removed] )
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Peatlands play an outsized role in global carbon storage ( [link removed] )

Peatlands are carbon vaults. They cover just 4% of the world’s land, *yet store up to one-third of all soil carbon.* Protecting, restoring and sustainably managing these ecosystems is critical for people, nature and the climate.

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September 23, 2026
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