Issue 219: Policy Priorities Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow

A Note from RFF’s President

Folks at Resources for the Future (RFF) have been strategizing. How do we best advance rigorous analysis paired with pragmatic and forward-thinking solutions to address the defining climate, energy, and environmental policy challenges of our time? At a moment when these questions are deeply intertwined with economics, RFF is uniquely positioned to illuminate the trade-offs and opportunities that lie ahead.

In the coming year, we will invest in our traditional and emerging streams of research that reflect both the urgency and complexity of today’s world. Our work will address how the nation can meet rapidly growing electricity demand while maintaining both resilience and affordability for households already facing financial pressures. We will explore the shifting global economic landscape, where US competitiveness and innovation in clean technologies are being shaped by trade policies, supply chains, and industrial strategies. We will explore, alongside leaders across the economy, what the next generation of solutions might look like in the face of evolving energy and climate realities. And we will deepen our research into the economic consequences of increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events, from local labor markets and housing to broader macroeconomic effects that reverberate across sectors and geographies.

Each of these priorities reflect RFF’s enduring commitment to providing independent, nonpartisan research that equips stakeholders and policymakers with the insights they need to improve critical decisions. In this issue of Resources, you’ll get a snapshot of some of these priority areas and the state, federal, or international policy implications of each.

Billy Pizer
President and CEO, Resources for the Future