Shortly after his re-election, Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made an appearance at COP27, where he vowed to protect and restore the Amazon rainforest after years of intense deforestation and resource extraction. WRI experts offer a path toward Brazil’s climate leadership. A “bioeconomy” in the Amazon would allow the country’s economy to grow while preserving the world’s largest rainforest. Read more.

Financing countries’ national climate plans will cost trillions of dollars each year. And yet from 2019-2020, only $803 billion was spent annually. New WRI research details financial tools countries can use to close the growing gap. Learn more.

Urban populations in Africa are projected to double by 2050 while the country’s water demands triple. WRI and partners launched the African Cities Water Adaptation Fund (ACWA Fund) at COP27 to address this urgent challenge. The fund will direct $5 billion to urban water resilience solutions in 100 African cities by 2032. “Our goal with the ACWA Fund and Platform is to ensure city leaders have a go-to facility that is responsive to their needs,” said Wanjira Mathai, WRI’s managing director for Africa and global partnerships. This announcement is one of several from WRI at COP27. Check out WRI’s COP27 Resource Hub for more news.