Recommended think tanks and climate journalism sites

Every day, Inside Climate News compiles headlines about climate change from around the world. Contains articles on science, politics, policy, fossil fuels and clean energy.

Energy & Environment News is by far the most comprehensive source of daily news on the politics of climate, energy and environmental protection in Washington DC and the states. It also reports major new research findings from around the world. However, this insider’s publication requires an expensive subscription.

Vox provides the model for all that is best in an explanatory news site. Offers up-to-date detailed analysis of most national issues, including a large section devoted to climate, energy and environment.

High Country News is an independent nonprofit that reports on all issues relevant to the American West, including climate change, natural resources, biodiversity and energy development.

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is a nonpartisan nonprofit forging practical solutions to climate change. C2ES analyzes key climate and energy issues, and works with lawmakers and businesses to support effective climate policy.

The Columbia | SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) offers expert analysis and reports on US and international energy policy. Sign up for free to get notice of key reports and webinars where experts and policymakers debate the issues.

Resources for the Future (RFF) is a nonprofit Washington DC research institute that conducts rigorous economic research and policy development on climate and related issues.

The Niskanen Center is a center-right think tank that develops policy proposals in a wide range of areas, including climate and environment. It engages lawmakers and other players, and builds coalitions to advance its ideas. Explore their website for rigorous analysis of issues that challenge progressive thinking on many aspects of energy and climate policy. 

The Breakthrough Institute is an innovative environmental research center dedicated to finding technological solutions to environmental and human development challenges. Famous for their Ecomodernist Manifesto that explains why human prosperity and ecological vibrancy are not only possible, but inseparable.

The Stockholm Environmental Institute is a very highly regarded international nonprofit research and policy organization that tackles environmental and development challenges. It offers analysis and articles on a wide variety of climate and energy topics.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is a Washington DC nonprofit that advances science-based solutions for climate change, energy and environment issues. Growing out of a bipartisan Congressional initiative, EESI is an educational resource for policy development across the full scope of climate-relevant issues.

The Brookings Institute is a nonprofit public policy institute in Washington DC, carrying out analysis on the full range of issues concerning American and global society. A section on the energy industry is devoted in part to issues surrounding climate change and the renewable energy transition.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research institute that develops solutions to improve lives and protect nature. Attention is given to a broad array of natural resource conservation, energy and climate change topics.

The carbon-free energy transition – data and roadmaps

US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis (2020). This report marks the first time a Congressional body has generated a comprehensive plan to combat global warming. Modeling by the firm Energy Innovation suggests that the plan is strong enough for the US to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Princeton Net Zero America (2020). This is probably the most comprehensive and detailed roadmap for the US to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Five distinct technological pathways are described, all using known technologies, by which the US could fully decarbonize by mid-century.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is the primary US agency tasked with addressing the challenge of meeting technological requirements for the clean energy transition. Within DOE, the independently operating Energy Information Administration (EIA) provides energy data and forecasts in service of policymaking. The EIA analyzes all types of energy, including fossil fuels, nuclear power, renewables, and emerging technologies. And DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducts research in all areas of renewable energy, producing a copious stream of publications that support advocacy.

Our World in Data is a highly regarded compilation of open source information on many crucial global issues, including energy and environment. Contains profiles of energy use for many countries, including the US.

International climate and energy organizations

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides information to governments worldwide on the scientific basis for climate change, its impacts and future risks, and the options for mitigation and adaptation. Created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the IPCC’s sixth comprehensive report will appear in 2021 and 2022.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international environmental treaty that forms the basis for yearly meetings on nations. This is the source for information on international negotiations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) tracks energy use and the carbon-free energy transition throughout the world. Created in 1974 to deal with the Arab oil embargo and international energy crisis, its role has expanded to include data analysis, policy recommendations and energy solutions. Although often criticized for its “all of the above” energy approach, the IEA has recently generated a roadmap for a carbon-free energy transition by 2050.

Fossil fuels

British Petroleum’s (BP’s) Statistical Review of World Energy is the primary insiders resource for information on coal, oil and natural gas resources throughout the world.

Carbon Tracker is an independent think tank that analyzes the financial aspects of the carbon-free energy transition, with particular attention to the hazards of continued investment in fossil fuels.

Oil Change International is a research and advocacy organization that focuses on exposing the true costs of fossil fuels and facilitating the transition to a carbon-free economy.

Global Energy Monitor collects information on fossil fuel infrastructure worldwide, offering news, analysis and interactive tools to promote understanding of what it will take to fully transition away from fossil fuels.

Carbon pricing

The Carbon Tax Center is a think tank devoted to building the political will to enact a transparent and equitable carbon tax in the United States. It offers a very broad array of educational resources and in depth political and economic analyses of how carbon pricing has been implemented around the world.

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Inc. (RGGI, Inc.) is a nonprofit corporation that supports the further development and implementation of a cap and trade carbon pricing program among 11 Northeast and mid-Atlantic states.

The Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) is an international initiative catalyzing action toward the implementation of carbon pricing around the world. It seeks to apply the experiences with carbon pricing programs already in place to help inform the development of more effective policies.

Electric power and electrification

Volts is an explanatory news site that offers deep dives into all aspects of the electric power sector, from new technology to the politics of how the grid should be regulated. It also ventures outside these topics to include other issues associated with the renewable energy transition.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organization that supports the efforts of countries to carry out the transition to carbon-free energy. It provides a comprehensive information resource for science-based policy.

Forth is an Oregon nonprofit working to accelerate the use of smart, carbon-free transportation. It promotes new technologies, works to accelerate their market penetration, advocates for clean energy laws and acts as a catalyst to bring together government, industry and community stakeholders.

electrify now is a resource center offering information and practical guidance for shifting away from fossil fuel use in our everyday lives. Information resources and webinars address electrification of home heating, transportation, appliances, and just about everything else. For more information and practical help on home solar, see the very useful energysage website.

Carbon removal

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the primary government agency concerned with ensuring the abundance and integrity of the nation’s food supply. The website contains a wide range of resources on climate change impacts, conservation agriculture and many other topics. The USDA also conducts a broad range of climate-related research through a network of internal science services – including the US Forest Service, which is responsible for forest and grassland management, including wildfire impacts.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a government agency located within the Department of Interior, has a mission to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of public lands. The BLM has a crucial role in combating climate change, because it regulates both fossil and renewable energy development on public lands.

The Global CCS Institute is an international think tank with a mission to accelerate the development of carbon capture and sequestration technology. The Institute publishes a yearly CCS status report and is a repository of information about the application of CCS in manufacturing and the electric power sector.

The Forest Stewardship Council is an international organization that promotes sustainable forest management and offers certification for well-managed forests throughout the world.

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is an independent intergovernmental group that publishes global resource assessments, promotes effective policies for land use and species conservation, and builds capacity and knowledge among member states, which comprise most nations.