Data, Reports & Resources

NRDC is a leader and trusted source in environmental policy and research. 

From reports to issue briefs, we ensure accountability through peer review led by our Science Office, which provides data and scientific analysis that help shape and guide NRDC’s policies and positions. We also offer a range of other resources, such as 101 guides and consumer-focused scorecards to increase access to knowledge about how everyone can be a catalyst for change. 

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A man picks a tomato from a dumpster filled with discarded food.

Food Waste 101

GuideUnited StatesShelia Hu
An overview of why we throw away so much food, how it impacts people and the planet, and what we can do to waste less.
A bee landing on a blooming purple flower

Neonics: The Toxic Truth

Fact SheetUnited States, Minnesota, Michigan, California, ColoradoAllison Johnson, Daniel Raichel, Lucas Rhoads, Lena Freij
Pesticides kill bees, pollute water, and threaten our health.
A plastic cup among a pile of wet leaves and branches on the ground

Single-Use Plastics 101

GuideUnited StatesCourtney Lindwall
Here’s everything you need to know about the most ubiquitous (and avoidable) kind of plastic waste: the kind made to be tossed in mere minutes.

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Unethical Seafood: How U.S. Leadership Can Curb Illegal Fishing

Fact SheetUnited States, InternationalDillon Hanson-Ahumada, Molly Masterton, Irene Gutierrez, Sandy Aylesworth
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a major driver of harmful overfishing. IUU fishing depletes fish populations, harms marine habitats, and endangers sensitive species, and is also linked to transnational crimes, including human trafficking, money laundering, murder at sea…

Sailing to Nowhere: Liquefied Natural Gas Is Not an Effective Climate Strategy

ReportUnited StatesChristina Swanson, Amanda Levin, Amy Mall

Exporting liquefied natural gas would undercut the goal of holding warming at or below 1.5° Celsius and have devastating effects on frontline communities. The United States should instead prioritize clean energy investments, both at home and abroad.

NRDC's Annual Energy Reports

ReportUnited StatesRalph Cavanagh, Amanda Levin, Sophia Ptacek
NRDC each year reviews the most recent data to present an overall picture of the U.S. energy sector, which is undergoing a major shift toward increasing amounts of renewable energy and cost-effective energy efficiency. However, America still must do more…

Why the World Must Commit to Protecting 30 Percent of the Planet (30x30)

Fact SheetUnited States, InternationalLauren Kubiak, Zak Smith, Lisa Speer, Brendan Guy, Jennifer Skene, Paul Todd
Nature is in crisis. A million species worldwide currently face extinction, many within decades, and human actions are causing ecosystems to crumble on land and on sea. We must take immediate actions to protect the natural world—and in doing so…

Offshore Drilling: Putting the Nation’s Coastline at Risk

Fact SheetUnited States, East, WestJacob Eisenberg, Alexandra Adams
We must protect our coasts and push for clean, renewable and efficient energy that will protect our lifegiving oceans, the communities that rely on them, and our climate by helping us transition off oil.

Ocean-Climate Guide to Action

ReportUnited States, CaliforniaDr. Lisa Suatoni, Sandy Aylesworth
Healthy oceans are a crucial component in the global fight against climate change, but only a handful of countries currently include meaningful ocean-based mitigation and adaptation actions in their plans to meet their Paris goals. This guide provides options for…

Unintentional Partner: How the United States Helps the Illegal Shark Fin Market

ReportUnited StatesElizabeth Murdock, Vanessa Villanueva
In recent decades, shark populations have suffered steep declines, due primarily to the lucrative market for shark fins, both legal and illegal. NRDC found that the United States plays a substantial, unrecognized role in facilitating the unsustainable international shark fin…

A Better Future Through Protecting America’s Ocean Habitats

Fact SheetUnited StatesAlison Chase
Overexploitation and pollution has stressed our ocean, and acidification and temperature rises are harming marine life and impacting all of us who rely on the ocean for food, jobs, and recreation. We must act now to protect important ocean habitats.

Offshore Oil Revenue: A Bad Deal for Virginia

Fact SheetUnited States, VirginiaJacob Eisenberg
Offshore oil and gas drilling is an inherently dirty, dangerous business that can cause oil spills along with air and water pollution—all of which would threaten the $2.7 billion generated annually in the state by industries that rely on clean…

California’s Marine Protected Areas: Underwater Refuges Safeguard Our Unique Ocean Life

Fact SheetUnited States, CaliforniaVanessa Villanueva
California’s network of marine protected areas is hailed as a global model. However, ongoing investments in research and monitoring, outreach and education, policy and permitting, and, importantly, enforcement are required to ensure that these underwater refuges will benefit our environment…

Transforming Local Policies to Achieve Environmental Justice

Fact SheetUnited StatesMeleah Geertsma
Across the country, low income communities and communities of color experience disproportionate burdens from environmental hazards, unhealthy land uses, historical traumas, and other sociodemographic stressors. However, community advocates and their allies are fighting back by transforming zoning and local land-use…