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WRI DIGEST

What's Next for State Climate Action in the US? 7 Areas to Watch

The Biden administration has committed to a historically ambitious climate agenda. We are seeing a profound shift in U.S. federal climate policy — from rollbacks and international disengagement to progress and cooperation. Yet state-level action will remain essential. Senior Associate Devashree Saha and co-authors name seven high-impact state-level policies to watch in 2021, plus federal programs and policies that can encourage and reinforce state-level action. Read More.

States are making progress toward 100% clean electricity, like the power produced by these Arkansas-made wind turbines. Photo by U.S. Department of Energy/Flickr.

Disaster clauses in all new IDA debt would allow countries to automatically defer interest and principal payments following shocks such as pandemics like COVID-19. Credit: Kabita Darlami/Unsplash.

Confronting Simultaneous Climate, Public Health, and Economic Shocks in Developing Countries

Compound shocks—such as COVID-19 plus economic shocks plus extreme weather events—are devastating to small economies and can have dire consequences for development. A fresh approach to disaster risk finance can help. In a new commentary, Leonardo Martinez-Diaz and Lauren Sidner show how. Read More.

Investing in EVs can help governments and consumers build back better after COVID-19. Photo by Chuttersnap/Unsplash

4 Reasons to Prioritize Electric Vehicles After COVID-19

A witty ad by General Motors at the U.S. Superbowl is the latest sign EVs are going mainstream. Transportation is a top source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, so the new commitment to EVs from America’s iconic car maker signals a new level of corporate ambition. Vishant Kothari and Ryan Sclar outline the many benefits of driving electric. Read more.

Recycling plant. Just 8.6% of the resources that enter the economy each year get recycled and used again. Photo by Peter Craven/Wikimedia Commons

5 Opportunities of a Circular Economy

Global use of resources has tripled since 1970 and could double again by 2050—yet less than 10% of resources are recycled and used again. New materials-focused action agendas from the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE) show how fresh approaches to plastics, textiles, electronics, food and capital equipment can jumpstart a circular economy. PACE Global Director David McGinty identifies five cross-cutting opportunities making better use of these and other materials. Read more.