Climate Data: Insights and Observations

One important foundation for good policymaking is relevant and reliable data. In considering next steps in the international effort against climate change, policymakers and stakeholders are confronted by a wealth of data on everything from century-old emission trends to likely GDP growth decades in the future. Turning these data into useful input for decision-making is an enormous challenge.

This paper offers a set of policy-relevant insights and observations drawn from the Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT), a comprehensive database of climate-related indicators developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI). CAIT, which is publicly available from WRI, includes global and national-level data on a wide range of emissions, energy, economic, and socio-economic measures.