| Trusted research, data & insights for a better world for people, nature & climate |
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Image by PradeepGaurs/iStock |
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This month, London broke the record for its all-time hottest day in May. France did, too. Research says climate change is making extreme heat more frequent, and Europe is warming faster than the global average. But just how much worse can it get?
As the planet warms, every tenth of a degree of temperature rise brings growing risks for scorching heat waves. WRI analysis explores how 1.5 and 3 degrees C of warming could affect the world’s largest cities. See what the projections look like for your city. |
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Image by Besides the Obvious/Shutterstock |
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Like many places, China’s population is aging. By 2050, 40% of its residents will be 60 or older. WRI research in Beijing found that older adults travel just as much in retirement, but the city’s transport wasn’t built for them — from hard-to-board buses to challenging digital payment systems. We explore what cities can do to prepare for aging populations. |
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Image by Tongpool Piasupun/Shutterstock |
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An AI data center can consume as much electricity as 100,000 households. Yet AI can also help track deforestation in real time and accelerate climate science. Whether AI offers promise or peril depends on how we choose to use it. |
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Image by KTG Strategy/WRI |
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Rwanda loses 40% of its total food production per year, while nearly one in 5 households is food insecure. From turning coffee waste into cooking fuel to transforming food scraps into compost, Rwanda’s small businesses are stepping up to fight the challenge. |
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On May 21, 2026, we mourned the passing of Rafe Pomerance, one of the first to understand that climate change is the defining challenge of our time. Over five decades, he put climate action on the political agenda — helping organize the landmark 1986 U.S. Senate hearings on the greenhouse effect and serving as a key architect of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. WRI was privileged to call Rafe a colleague from 1986–1993.
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“Much has been written and will be written about Rafe, as his contribution to the climate movement cannot be overstated. He was a delightful person, who drew people in with his contagious positive energy, his indefatigable passion to push new ideas forward and his generous spirit.” |
— Christina DeConini, WRI Director of Government Affairs |
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By 2100, more than half of China’s and South Korea’s population are projected to be 60 or older. This is well above the global average of around 30%. |
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| Grasslands are an overlooked player in climate change mitigation.
Ninety percent of their carbon is stored underground, where their diversity helps increase the amount of organic carbon stored in roots and soils.
Because of this, and because many grasslands plants have deep and resilient root systems, their carbon stores may be more stable than those in forests, better able to withstand environmental stressors like droughts and fires. |
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May 28, 2026
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDT, Online
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June 02, 2026
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM EDT, Online
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How You Can Help
WRI relies on the generosity of donors like you to develop evidence-based solutions and turn research into action. You can support our work by making a gift today. |
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