World Resources Institute
A global nonprofit research organization that develops data, analysis, and practical solutions for environmental sustainability and human well-being.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The World Resources Institute, commonly known as WRI, is a global nonprofit research organization founded in 1982 in the United States. It works at the intersection of environmental protection, economic development, public policy, and human welfare. Its stated mission is to help society meet the needs and aspirations of present and future generations, with an emphasis on human health and well-being, environmental sustainability, and economic opportunity. WRI conducts research and supports implementation across six closely connected areas: food, forests, water, energy, cities, and climate. Rather than operating primarily as a campaigning membership organization or a commercial consultancy, it functions as a research, data, policy, and implementation institution. It collaborates with national and local governments, businesses, publicly traded companies, financial institutions, civil-society organizations, academic researchers, and other nonprofits. Its work commonly combines scientific analysis with policy recommendations, digital tools, risk assessment, market design, and institutional support. The institute is particularly associated with open or widely accessible information platforms. Global Forest Watch uses satellite imagery and related data to help users monitor forest loss, fires, land-use change, and forest carbon dynamics. Aqueduct assesses water-related risks, including water stress and the likelihood of severe water crises. Climate Watch provides country-level greenhouse-gas and climate-policy information. Other initiatives address land rights, environmental democracy, food loss and waste, circular-economy development, renewable-energy procurement, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable urbanization. WRI's flagship publication series is the World Resources Report, with individual editions addressing major questions in resource management and sustainable development. The institute also produces reports on greenhouse-gas emissions, forests, oceans, coral reefs, water quality, cities, material flows, and the relationship between environmental systems and economic opportunity. Its approach generally stresses the interdependence of environmental and social systems: for example, food security is linked to climate resilience, land management, biodiversity, rural livelihoods, and economic security. WRI has established or supported specialized centers and partnerships around particular challenges. The WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities focuses on urban development and quality of life, especially in rapidly growing cities in developing countries. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, developed with business and other partners, provides a widely used framework for measuring and managing greenhouse-gas emissions. The Science Based Targets initiative was established in 2015 to help companies align emissions-reduction targets with climate science. WRI has also contributed to the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy and the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance. The organization maintains international offices and works across more than 50 countries. Its activities include direct research, technical assistance, convening, standards development, data production, and support for public and private decision-making. WRI is therefore best understood as an international environmental and sustainable-development research institution rather than as a conventional consumer-facing brand. It remains active and has received strong ratings from Charity Navigator, according to the referenced material.
History
The World Resources Institute was established in 1982 with support from the MacArthur Foundation and under the leadership of James Gustave Speth. It was created during a period when environmental policy was expanding beyond conservation toward questions of resource use, economic development, pollution, energy, and the global consequences of industrial activity. From its beginning, WRI sought to connect environmental research with public decision-making rather than treat ecological concerns as separate from economic and social policy. James Gustave Speth led the institute during its formative period. Jonathan Lash became president in 1993 and remained in that role until 2011, followed by Andrew D. Steer from 2012 to 2021. Ani Dasgupta became president in 2021. Across these leadership periods, WRI developed from a U.S.-based research organization into an international institution with offices and programs in multiple regions, including Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. The institute's work broadened around six principal program areas: food, forests, water, energy, cities, and climate. It also developed a distinctive emphasis on data, measurement, monitoring, and risk assessment. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, WRI published comparative work on material-flow accounting, seeking to quantify the physical inputs and outputs associated with industrial economies. This helped extend environmental analysis beyond individual pollutants toward the overall material intensity of economic systems. WRI's forest work became increasingly technology-driven. Beginning in 2002, it worked with the Cameroon Forest Initiative to combine satellite imagery, land-use information, protected-area boundaries, community forests, logging concessions, and mining data into more usable forest maps. In 2014, WRI partnered with Google Earth Engine and researchers associated with the University of Maryland to develop Global Forest Watch. The platform uses satellite observations and related datasets to provide frequent information on forest change, fires, and deforestation alerts. It has been used by civil-society organizations, researchers, public officials, journalists, companies, and Indigenous groups. The institute expanded its urban work in 2014 when Stephen M. Ross supported the creation of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. The center focuses on urban mobility, access, development, governance, and quality of life, particularly in rapidly growing cities in developing countries. WRI later published major urban reports, including work on building efficiency and equitable and sustainable city transformations. WRI also became involved in business-facing climate standards and coalitions. Together with partner organizations, it helped develop the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a framework for quantifying and managing greenhouse-gas emissions. In 2015, it participated in establishing the Science Based Targets initiative, which assists companies in setting emissions goals aligned with climate science. The institute manages Climate Watch, a successor to the CAIT Climate Data Explorer, allowing users to examine national and per-capita emissions and related climate information. Other initiatives extended WRI's reach into circular-economy policy, renewable-energy procurement, food waste, environmental democracy, Indigenous and community land rights, water risk, and ecosystem protection. The Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy was launched at the 2018 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. The Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance brought together major energy buyers, providers, and service companies to expand corporate access to renewable electricity. LandMark maps collectively held and used lands, while Champions 12.3 promotes a target-measure-act approach to reducing food loss and waste. WRI's research has also addressed oceans, coral reefs, water quality, eutrophication, and nature-based solutions. Its Aqueduct tools rank and visualize water risks, while later forest-carbon and land-cover mapping projects have attempted to improve the transparency of emissions, removals, restoration, and land-use change. The institution remains active as a nonprofit research and implementation organization working with public, private, and civil-society partners worldwide.
- 2022
Dynamic World is released
[1]WRI and Google Earth Engine release a near-real-time land-cover classification platform.
- 2021
Forest carbon mapping work is expanded
[1]WRI uses Global Forest Watch-related methods to map forest carbon emissions and removals at high spatial resolution across multiple years.
- 2021
Ani Dasgupta becomes president
[1]Ani Dasgupta succeeds Andrew D. Steer as WRI president.
- 2018
Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy launches
[1]PACE is launched as a public-private collaboration platform at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.
- 2015
Science Based Targets initiative is established
[1]WRI joins partners in creating an initiative to help companies align emissions targets with climate science.
- 2014
Global Forest Watch is developed
[1]WRI partners with Google Earth Engine and forest-change researchers to develop an open monitoring platform based on satellite data.
- 2014
WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities is established
[1]A major contribution from Stephen M. Ross supports a WRI center dedicated to sustainable urban development.
- 2008
WRI receives a sustained four-star Charity Navigator rating
[1]The referenced material states that WRI has maintained a four-out-of-four-star Charity Navigator rating since October 2008.
- 2002
Forest mapping work expands in Cameroon
[1]WRI works with the Cameroon Forest Initiative to integrate satellite imagery and land-use data for forest monitoring and management.
- 1997
Comparative material-flow accounting work begins
[1]WRI publishes an early comparative study using material-flow accounting to examine material inputs and outputs in industrial economies.
Products and positioning
An independent nonprofit research and implementation organization that converts environmental science and resource data into policy guidance, decision tools, standards, and practical programs for governments, businesses, and civil society.
Research publication series
World Resources Report
WRI's flagship report series examines major resource and sustainability questions. Individual reports address topics such as food, cities, climate, ecosystems, and economic development, translating research into accessible analysis for policymakers, businesses, and civil-society organizations.
Forest monitoring platform · 2014
Global Forest Watch
An open forest-monitoring platform using satellite imagery and other geospatial data to identify forest loss, fires, and land-use changes. Its users include researchers, governments, NGOs, journalists, companies, and Indigenous communities seeking evidence for conservation, supply-chain oversight, and land-rights work.
Water-risk assessment tool
Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas
A data and mapping tool that evaluates water-related risks across countries and regions, including exposure to water stress and severe water crises. It is intended to support planning by governments, companies, investors, and infrastructure decision-makers.
Climate data platform
Climate Watch
A successor to the CAIT Climate Data Explorer that presents greenhouse-gas emissions, national comparisons, and related climate information. The platform is designed for researchers, journalists, policymakers, and other users examining national and per-capita emissions trends.
Emissions accounting standard
Greenhouse Gas Protocol
A framework developed with partner organizations to help companies and other institutions quantify, report, and manage greenhouse-gas emissions. It has become an important reference point for organizational and value-chain emissions accounting.
Near-real-time land-cover dataset · 2022
Dynamic World
A high-resolution, near-real-time land-use and land-cover classification application developed with Google Earth Engine. It distinguishes categories such as trees, crops, wetlands, water, and urban land and can support restoration monitoring, protected-area assessment, and detection of land change.
Urban sustainability center · 2014
WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
A WRI center focused on sustainable urban development and improved quality of life, particularly in rapidly growing cities in developing countries. Its work addresses urban systems, access, mobility, planning, governance, and the relationship between city growth and environmental performance.
Indigenous and community land information platform
LandMark
A mapping and information initiative documenting lands held and used collectively by Indigenous peoples and local communities. The project supports greater visibility of community land rights and helps analyze relationships between land governance, forest protection, and carbon storage.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance
United States · Global
WRI participated in an alliance bringing together large clean-energy buyers, energy providers, and service companies to expand access to renewable electricity for non-residential customers.
Outcome. The alliance reported more than 200 members and approximately 6 gigawatts of capacity by 2018, according to the referenced material.
- 2018Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy
Global
PACE was launched as a public-private collaboration intended to accelerate the transition toward circular production and consumption systems.
Outcome. The platform created a convening and collaboration mechanism for governments, companies, and other institutions working on circular-economy solutions.
- 2014Global Forest Watch
Global
WRI worked with Google Earth Engine and research partners to create a public-facing system for monitoring forest change with satellite data.
Outcome. The platform supports forest-loss alerts, fire monitoring, supply-chain transparency, conservation research, and land-rights advocacy.
- 2012Champions 12.3
Global
A coalition promoting a target-measure-act approach to reducing food loss and waste, with the stated objective of halving food loss and waste by 2030.
Outcome. The initiative became a platform for governments, companies, and civil-society organizations working on food-loss and food-waste measurement and reduction.
Brand decisions
2022
Release Dynamic WorldProduct launchBackground
Land-use and ecosystem monitoring requires frequent, consistent, and geographically detailed information about changes on the ground.
Action taken
WRI and Google Earth Engine released a near-real-time, high-resolution land-cover classification application.
Aftermath
Dynamic World expanded WRI's portfolio of open geospatial tools for restoration, conservation, fire, and deforestation monitoring.
2015
Create the Science Based Targets initiativeStrategyBackground
Companies needed more consistent methods for setting emissions-reduction targets that reflected climate science rather than voluntary goals without a common analytical basis.
Action taken
WRI joined partner organizations in establishing an initiative to guide companies toward science-aligned emissions targets.
Aftermath
The initiative became a prominent framework for corporate climate-target setting and validation.
2014
Establish the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable CitiesOtherBackground
Rapid urban growth was increasing pressure on transport, infrastructure, housing, public services, and environmental systems, particularly in developing countries.
Action taken
WRI created a dedicated urban center with support from Stephen M. Ross to focus on sustainable city development and quality of life.
Aftermath
The center became a major institutional platform for WRI's urban research, technical assistance, and city-focused reporting.
Recent events
- 2022
Dynamic World land-cover monitoring platform is released[1]
Product launch
WRI and Google Earth Engine released a near-real-time land-use and land-cover dataset intended to support ecosystem monitoring, restoration assessment, and detection of deforestation and fires.
- 2015
Science Based Targets initiative is established[1]
Product launch
WRI became one of the organizations involved in establishing an initiative to help companies set emissions-reduction targets consistent with climate science.
- 2014
WRI establishes the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities[1]
Other
A major contribution from real-estate developer Stephen M. Ross supported the creation of a center focused on sustainable urban development and quality of life in developing-country cities.
- 1990
Criticism of WRI methodology prompts debate over climate responsibility[1]
Other
Environmental thinker Anil Agarwal criticized a WRI study for assigning insufficient weight to U.S. overconsumption and for placing too much responsibility for global warming on developing countries. The dispute contributed to broader discussion of equity and emissions-accounting methods.
Sources2 sources
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