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— CH. 1 · FOUNDING AND LEADERSHIP EVOLUTION —

World Resources Institute

~3 min read · Ch. 1 of 8
8 sections

  • James Gustave Speth stood at the helm of a new organization in 1982. The World Resources Institute emerged from funding provided by the MacArthur Foundation that year. Speth guided the early years before handing control to Jonathan Lash in 1993. Lash led the group for eighteen years until Andrew D. Steer took over in 2012. Steer served through 2021 when Ani Dasgupta assumed the role of president. This succession of leaders shaped the direction of global environmental policy discussions for four decades.

  • The World Resources Institute reported revenue of $272 million in 2024. A significant portion came from international sources rather than domestic United States contributions. Between 2014 and 2018, the organization received more than US$63 million from outside the country. Stephen M. Ross donated $30 million in 2014 to create the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. The Bezos Earth Fund contributed over $100 million to the Land and Carbon Lab in 2021. Michael and Tanya Polsky pledged $100 million in 2025 through their foundation to support energy transition efforts.

  • WRI partnered with Google Earth Engine to launch Global Forest Watch in 2014. This open-source web application uses Landsat satellite imagery to map forest changes weekly. Users receive specific alerts about fires or deforestation within a defined area. Journalists and indigenous groups rely on these tools to track threats to their lands. By January 2021, the system generated a forest carbon flux map covering data from 2001 to 2019. Dynamic World followed as a near real-time application released in June 2022. It identifies wetlands, forests, trees, crops, and urban areas using high-resolution images.

  • Stephen M. Ross established the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities in 2014. The center focuses on improving quality of life in developing countries around the world. Their flagship report Seven Transformations for More Equitable and Sustainable Cities appeared in 2021. Previous work included Accelerating Building Efficiency: Eight Actions for Urban Leaders published in 2019. International offices operate in Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These locations allow direct engagement with local governments and communities across over 50 countries.

  • The Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance reached 6 GW capacity by 2018. Over 200 members including Google, GM, Facebook, Walmart, and Disney participate in this alliance. PACE launched during the 2018 World Economic Forum Annual meeting to accelerate the circular economy. This public-private collaboration platform works to build sustainable economic systems. The initiative unlocks markets for non-residential energy buyers seeking cleaner futures. Large companies join to lead rapid transitions toward zero-carbon renewable energy goals.

  • A 2008 report identified over 400 dead zones worldwide due to eutrophication. These areas include the Baltic Sea, Chesapeake Bay, and Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Eutrophication results from concentrated phosphorus discharge into lakes and rivers. WRI advocates for local nature-based solutions to improve ecosystems and resist climate impacts. The Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas ranks countries based on severe water crisis risks. Reports published in 1998 and 2011 tracked damages caused by coastal development and rising ocean acidity. A 2022 study examined reefs at a specific resolution to analyze protection provided to people and infrastructure.

  • WRI developed the Greenhouse Gas Protocol as a common standard for quantifying emissions. Biennial reports track estimates of fossil fuel combustion and greenhouse gas releases globally. The Science Based Targets initiative launched in 2015 to help companies set reduction targets aligned with climate science. The Climate Watch website enables journalists to examine greenhouse gas data by country. Per capita emissions figures are available through this platform. These tools support transparency and accountability in global emission management efforts.

  • Anil Agarwal served on the council of the World Resources Institute from 1988 to 1990. He criticized a 1990 study for allocating too much responsibility for global warming to developing nations. Agarwal argued that U.S. overconsumption impact was under-acknowledged in the analysis. He labeled the study an example of environmental colonialism. Data from the Amazon region shows rainforest managed by local communities stores carbon dioxide while government-managed areas act as net sources. The LandMark project provides maps indicating lands collectively held by Indigenous peoples and local communities. This critique sparked considerable debate about appropriate methodologies for such analysis.

Common questions

Who founded the World Resources Institute and when did it start?

James Gustave Speth stood at the helm of the World Resources Institute in 1982. The organization emerged from funding provided by the MacArthur Foundation that same year.

What is the revenue of the World Resources Institute for 2024?

The World Resources Institute reported revenue of $272 million in 2024. A significant portion came from international sources rather than domestic United States contributions.

When was Global Forest Watch launched by the World Resources Institute?

WRI partnered with Google Earth Engine to launch Global Forest Watch in 2014. This open-source web application uses Landsat satellite imagery to map forest changes weekly.

Where are the international offices of the World Resources Institute located?

International offices operate in Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These locations allow direct engagement with local governments and communities across over 50 countries.

Why does the World Resources Institute track dead zones worldwide?

A 2008 report identified over 400 dead zones worldwide due to eutrophication. WRI advocates for local nature-based solutions to improve ecosystems and resist climate impacts.

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All sources

79 references cited across the entry

  1. 1webAbout WRI's Board of Directors
  2. 2webWRI ANNUAL REPORT 2020-2021World Resources Institute
  3. 3newsClimate Change Envoy to Lead Influential InstituteJohn M. Broder — March 14, 2012
  4. 4webWorld Resources Institute
  5. 5webJames Gustave SpethWorld Resources Institute
  6. 6newsLosing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate ChangeNathaniel Rich — 1 August 2018
  7. 7news$10B Bezos Earth Fund hires a long-time global leader on climate issues as president and CEOLisa Stiffler — March 9, 2021
  8. 8newsAni Dasgupta, President and CEO, World Resources Institute: Philanthropy's opportunity to fill the gaps—and do it rightKyoko Uchida — April 17, 2023
  9. 9webWorld Resources Institute UNDP Climate Change Adaptation
  10. 10newsIllustrating a Call to Action for More Equitable and Sustainable Cities2 December 2021
  11. 11webWorld Resources ReportDecember 4, 2018
  12. 12webCharity Navigator - Rating for World Resources Institute
  13. 13newsRaising Early Warnings About Climate ChangeAndrew Steer — October 17, 2018
  14. 14webWorld Resources Institute
  15. 15webWorld Resources Institute Offices – Washington DCOffice Snapshots — 30 August 2016
  16. 16webWorld Resources InstituteBloomberg — 2017
  17. 17webCharitywatch: World Resources InstituteAmerican Institute of Philanthropy
  18. 18webWRI develops practical solutions that improve people's lives and ensure nature can thrive.
  19. 19reportForeign Funding of Think Tanks in AmericaBen Freeman — Center for International Policy — January 2020
  20. 20newsDeveloper Gives $30 Million to Establish City Planning CenterRobin Pogrebin — May 20, 2014
  21. 21webWRI 2021 Funding Commitments World Resources Institute
  22. 22journalRELEASE: WRI and University of Chicago Announce $100 Million Gift from Michael and Tanya Polsky to Accelerate the Global Energy Transition2025-02-12
  23. 23webTransformation and Impact World Resources Institute
  24. 24news'Massive gaps' seen in countries' plans to tackle climate change -studyTimothy Gardner — 19 October 2022
  25. 25newsPowering cities with clean energyM.A. Siraj — September 15, 2017
  26. 26newsFood That's Climate-Friendly, Tasty, NutritiousApril 19, 2023
  27. 27newsSustainable Hospitality Alliance partners with World Resources Institute to support the Hospitality Industry Tackle Climate Change Through Food25 May 2023
  28. 28newsHow Barranquilla brought green urban spaces to the people20 Feb 2023
  29. 29newsTranscript: This is Climate: Sustainable Cities5 April 2023
  30. 30newsWorld Resources Report: Creating a Sustainable Food Future - A Menu of Solutions to Feed Nearly 10 Billion People by 2050, Final Report, July 2019 - World ReliefWeb17 July 2019
  31. 31journalMaterial Flow Accounting: Measuring Global Material Use for Sustainable DevelopmentFridolin Krausmann et al. — 17 October 2017
  32. 32newsMapping Cameroon's Motley CanopyEmma Bryce — 15 November 2012
  33. 33newsNew online tool tracks tree loss in 'near real time'Matt McGrath — 21 February 2014
  34. 34newsThis Mapping Service Lets Us Watch Forests ShrinkLily Newman — 21 February 2014
  35. 35journalHigh-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover ChangeM. C. Hansen et al. — 15 November 2013
  36. 36bookTransformational Change for People and the Planet: Evaluating Environment and DevelopmentKatherine Shea — Springer International Publishing — 2022
  37. 37newsEyes in the skies: Getting the most out of satellite data and images QuillAnusuya Datta — January 31, 2022
  38. 38newsThe world's best rainforest guardians already live therePeter Yeung — 1 May 2023
  39. 39webLandMark Map
  40. 40webCase Studies
  41. 41newsNASA Satellites Help Quantify Forests' Impacts on the Global Carbon BudgetFebruary 3, 2021
  42. 42journalGlobal maps of twenty-first century forest carbon fluxesNancy L. Harris et al. — March 2021
  43. 43newsPurdue launches new AI-based global forest mapping projectJanuary 25, 2023
  44. 44newsNew near-real-time tool reveals Earth's land cover in more detail than ever beforeCarolyn Cowan — 9 June 2022
  45. 45newsDynamic World: A New Online Tool from World Resources Institute and Google Earth Engine Shows How the Planet Is Changing in Near Real TimeGary Price — 9 June 2022
  46. 46journalDynamic World, Near real-time global 10 m land use land cover mappingChristopher F. Brown et al. — 9 June 2022
  47. 47webCO₂ and Greenhouse Gas EmissionsHannah Ritchie et al. — 11 May 2020
  48. 48newsSizing Up How Agriculture Connects to DeforestationAdam Voiland — 11 August 2021
  49. 49newsStephen Ross Makes Over $30 Million Gift to WRI to Advance Sustainable Cities19 May 2014
  50. 50newsWRI releases new cities report on building efficiencyNick Michell — 5 June 2016
  51. 51newsConsume less, recycle more to meet climate goals, ministers sayAnastasia Moloney — 5 February 2021
  52. 52newsPACE Releases Guidance for Circular Economy Transition in Five Sectors News24 February 2021
  53. 53webREBA – Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance
  54. 54webGoogle, GM, and more than 300 other companies launch Renewable Energy Buyers AlliancePhil Dzikiy — 28 March 2019
  55. 55journalLife's Bottleneck: Sustaining the World's Phosphorus for a Food Secure FutureDana Cordell et al. — 17 October 2014
  56. 56newsWRI: Investing in nature is most cost-effective for water crisis3 September 2022
  57. 57webThe 10 Most Water-Stressed Countries In The WorldAlisa Mala — December 30, 2022
  58. 58newsExtreme water stress affects a quarter of the world's population, say expertsEmily Holden et al. — 6 August 2019
  59. 59journalMachine learning prediction of connectivity, biodiversity and resilience in the Coral TriangleLyuba Novi et al. — 10 December 2022
  60. 60newsDeeper Peril for Coral ReefsJohn Collins Rudolf — 24 February 2011
  61. 61newsCould online maps save coral reefs? - CNN.comDean Irvine — May 25, 2010
  62. 62newsRecipe for saving coral reefs: Add more fishWildlife Conservation Society — April 8, 2015
  63. 63newsCoral Reefs as Coastal DefendersOctober 17, 2022
  64. 64journalOpportunities for and Alternatives to Global Climate Regimes Post-KyotoAxel Michaelowa — 4 November 2015
  65. 65journalConcepts and Methodologies for Measuring the Sustainability of CitiesMaría Yetano Roche et al. — 17 October 2014
  66. 66journalAsia-Wide Emissions of Greenhouse GasesToufiq A. Siddiqi — November 1995
  67. 67press releaseAs one of the first companies in the world, Novozymes has had its net-zero target validated by the Science Based Targets initiativeNovozymes — November 10, 2022
  68. 68webSet Science-Based Emission Reduction Targets UN Global Compact
  69. 69newsThe World's Greenhouse Gas Emissions in One Graphic Climate CentralJuly 3, 2015
  70. 70news7 climate change data tools and what they tell youMegan Darby — 21 October 2015
  71. 71newsIn the Amazon, Indigenous and Locally Controlled Land Stores Carbon, but the Rest of the Rainforest Emits Greenhouse GasesBob Berwyn et al. — 16 January 2023
  72. 72webHome | The Access Initiative
  73. 73newsIndia ranks 24th out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index21 May 2015
  74. 74newsIs Global Progress to Fight Food Loss and Waste Enough?Liz Goodwin — 28 October 2022
  75. 75journalAnil Agarwal (1947–2002)David Dickson — January 2002
  76. 76journalGlobal Warming in an Unequal World: A Case of Environmental ColonialismAnil Agarwal et al. — 21 November 2019
  77. 77bookWorld resources 1990-91: a reportOxford Univ. Pr — 1990
  78. 78journalEnvironmentalist of the PoorRamachandra Guha — 2002
  79. 79bookRisk, Environment and Modernity: Towards a New EcologyScott Lash et al. — SAGE — 5 April 1996