RMI Outlet
US Policy
What Is Needed to Meet US Climate Commitments
The United States has committed to reduce carbon pollution to at least 50-52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 as part of rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement. This newly ambitious nationally determined contribution (NDC) recognizes the urgency for immediate action to reduce cumulative pollution and stabilize the climate. The NDC…
Put Cities at the Heart of America’s Infrastructure and Economic Recovery
As we approach President Biden’s 100th day in office, the challenges still facing the nation are stark: over 550,000 coronavirus deaths, 100,000 small businesses shuttered, 10 million unemployed and a national reckoning on racial injustice—all on a planet destabilized by climate change. As more Americans get vaccinated,…
If You Build It, the Cars (and the Pollution) Will Come
Colorado plans to expand highways by almost 200 new lane-miles over the next decade. RMI analysis suggests this could increase driving and pollution at the scale of adding 70,000 more cars to Colorado roads every year, running counter to Colorado’s robust climate and transportation policy goals. Road Expansion Fails…
Democratizing Data
As we enter the spring of 2021, we are already well into the decisive decade. By 2030, the United States needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50–65 percent below 2005 levels to limit climate change to 1.5°C of warming. Fortunately, after four years of a leadership vacuum at…
Moving from a “Whole-of-Government” to a “Whole-of-Society” National Climate Strategy
Under the new Biden-Harris Administration, climate action once again has a place in federal policy. On day one, President Biden took action to return the country to the Paris Agreement and just a week later, he signed a robust executive order focused on the climate crisis. As we…