World Resources Institute (WRI)

The World Resources Institute (WRI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., focuses on creating sustainable solutions for protecting and enhancing the natural environment. Founded more than 20 years ago, the WRI's mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth's environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Using innovation and research in practical ways, the WRI is a think-tank dedicated to solving seemingly intractable problems such as global climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, and degradation of ecosystems. By engaging with special interest groups, corporations, public advocates, and government agencies, the WRI creates extensive programs domestically and internationally to deliver both shortterm results and long-term goals. In creating mutually beneficial arrangements with NGOs, corporations, and environmental organizations, the WRI seeks to improve the lives of people while promoting viable sustainable development goals. For example, the WRI supports market-based emissions trading for encouraging innovative means to reduce carbon emissions from greenhouse gases.

Active internationally, the WRI has been involved in major international negotiations such as the 1992 Rio Declaration, the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The WRI works with intergovernmental bodies such as the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank and the Equator Banks to encourage sustainable practices and systems worldwide.

The WRI has built a global network of international organizations, local activists, scientists, governments, entrepreneurs, and businesses throughout the world. Working closely with nearly 400 partners in more than 50 countries on a broad spectrum of sustainable development issues, they work to enhance our collective ability to catalyze permanent change.

The WRI and its president Jonathan Lash, for example, worked in 2005 with General Electric and its CEO and Chairman Jeffrey Immelt to create ecoimagination initiatives to reform business approaches with respect to the environment and development. Jonathan Lash, the only leader of a nonprofit environmental organization ever to be named one of the “100 most influential people in finance” by Treasury and Risk Management magazine, focuses on creating a vision for the future. The WRI's Sustainable Enterprise Program specifically targets work with businesses to create profitable solutions to environment and development challenges. The WRI brings together corporations, entrepreneurs, investors, and business schools to accelerate change in business practice. The program improves people's lives and the environment by helping business leaders and new markets thrive.

The WRI, in collaboration with The Aspen Institute, publishes a biennial report—Beyond Grey Pinstripes—examining the business schools' ability to prepare future managers in understanding the intersections of [Page 2280]social, environmental, and economic perspectives in a competitive global economy. Started in the 1990s, Beyond Grey Pinstripes grades universities from around the world on their coursework, research, and institutional support for examining businesses' economic and social impacts. The WRI and The Aspen Institute share information on leading coursework, student opportunities, faculty pioneers, and institutional support for social, environmental, and ethical programs/curricula in business schools around the world. A searchable Web site shares ratings, criterion, syllabi, and supporting information by the participating business schools. By 2005, 54% of the participating schools required a course in ethics, CSR, sustainability, or business and society, a near 60% increase since 1991. Indepth reports from the WRI/Aspen Institute database focus specific attention on business and society topics such as activities in China, MBAs and women, CSR and finance, and corporate governance.

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