WRI's Our mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.
We work with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. Our transformative ideas protect the earth and promote development because sustainability is essential to meeting human needs and fulfilling human aspirations in the future.
We operate globally because today’s problems know no boundaries. We are avid communicators because people everywhere are inspired by ideas, empowered by knowledge, and moved to change by greater understanding. We provide innovative paths to a sustainable planet through work that is accurate, fair, and independent.
Each year, WRI evaluates its work by identifying where we are having the greatest impact, as well as determine where out tactics might be improved. The following are some of the outcomes we've achieved that show what's possible when we work together as a global community.
- New forest conversion moratorium in Indonesia will be independently monitored. As part of a $1 billion Indonesia-Norway partnership on REDD+, Indonesia instituted for the first time ever a moratorium on forest conversion that can be independently monitored. This transparency was made possible in part by WRI developing the country's forest maps, advocating behind-the-scenes for transparency, and building political/financial support for a "degraded land for palm oil" strategy that softened opposition to a moratorium.
- Two major global initiatives -- The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) and Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) -- have agreed to use the GHG Protocol Product and Scope 3 Standards. Adoption and endorsement of the standards by such influential groups ensures they will be widely adopted by companies globally. Because the use of the standards enable effective greenhouse gas management in companies' value chains and products, this should result in significant global GHG emissions reductions.
- New Ventures helps small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets reduce 135,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) and sustainably manage or conserve 1,490,448 hectares of land in 2010. The ability of these companies to create positive environmental impacts -- while also providing profits for the companies and investors and creating jobs -- proves that private sector solutions to environmental challenges can work. They also demonstrate that environmentally-focused business models can succeed.
- Civil society participation in the South African electricity planning process results in more renewable energy in the 2010-2030 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) plan and greater attention to energy efficiency. Electricity Governance Initiative (EGI) South Africa partners convened civil society organizations, shared information through a dedicated website, produced relevant and timely policy briefs, and worked with the government of South Africa to open up the national electricity planning process to extensive stakeholder engagement.
- The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement conserves 72 million hectares of boreal forest, the largest landscape protection agreement in the world. WRI, through the Global Forest Watch network, put the issue of Canadian forest loss literally on the map, showed where forest loss was occurring and where intact forests remained, highlighted the global significance of the Canadian boreal, and enabled informed conversation and compromise among stakeholders.
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