Dear John, 

2020 was a year we are happy to say goodbye to—and will never forget. It was filled with a heartbreaking loss of life, health and livelihoods for too many, and massive disruption for nearly everybody else. At WRI, we sought new ways to advance a mission made increasingly urgent by rising inequality and climate change: protecting the Earth’s capacity “to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.” We produced timely new analysis on how societies can Build Back Better from the COVID-19 pandemic and convened global webinars featuring experts with diverse perspectives. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, we acknowledged that environmental organizations like WRI have done too little to address institutional racism. We committed to do more to ensure that the solutions we advance benefit all members of society, especially communities of color who are disproportionately impacted by environmental injustice. Each week we shared these and other insights with you and our growing community of friends and supporters through the WRI Digest.

This week, in the last WRI Digest issue of the year, we highlight some of our most widely read pieces—and those with the most lasting implications for the years ahead. As you review these stories, I hope you’ll recall the importance of WRI’s work and feel inspired to help us continue to turn big ideas into action to address climate change and other urgent challenges facing humanity today.

With gratitude,

Lawrence MacDonald
Vice President of Communications
World Resources Institute