World Resources Institute (WRI)

About

WRI has been a CCAC partner since 2017, working to support countries in delivering stronger emission reduction pledges to the Paris Agreement by highlighting the long-term economic and social benefits associated with effective reduction of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). Indeed, with a mission to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and it capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations, much of WRI’s work to secure a sustainable and economically prosperous future is contingent on the ability to effectively control and reduce SLCPs.  

To this end, WRI's work with the Coalition focuses on three key areas: 

1. To increase understanding of the urgent importance of reducing powerful climate forcers like methane, hydrofluorocarbons, black carbon and tropospheric ozone to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C, particularly in the near term.  
2. To share objective analysis and global expertise to support countries that want to include targets, policies, and actions on SLCPs in enhanced nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and long-term low greenhouse gas emissions development strategies (LTS) to the Paris Agreement.
3. To highlight the impact of SLCPs on achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. 

 
In order to achieve these goals, WRI works with the CCAC and other partners to scale up national ambition towards reducing SLCPs by: 

• Preparing policy papers on options to incorporate SLCPs in NDCs and LTS 
• Completing in-depth assessment of opportunities to reduce SLCPs in major economies 
• Emphasizing the links between SLCP reduction activities and COVID-19 economic recovery plans 
• Organizing high-level and technical events for policymakers to advance ambition at the nexus of climate, clean air, and health 
• Tracking national SLCP reduction commitments in NDCs, LTS, and other policy measures 
• Identifying key entry points to reduce SLCPs across the global food system 

Ultimately, actions to address SLCPs will be essential to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, related sustainable development objectives, and support the recovery from the global COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis. Indeed, the outcomes achieved by reducing SLCPs are relevant to many economic recovery goals, including creating jobs, increasing household income, improving public health, reducing poverty and inequality, and attending to global climate change. 

As Andrew Steer (WRI’s President and CEO) has emphasized, “The Climate and Clean Air Coalition is about remarkable leaders working together to bring solutions to scale. It’s about collaboration with national governments, cities, companies, civil society groups, all working together to address today’s most urgent problems: the air we breathe, and the existential climate change we face.” WRI’s work directly supports these objectives, in addition to promoting socio-economic development and human well-being across the globe.