News & Commentary

Meet the activists and NRDC staff propelling change, read our expert analysis, and learn about the latest challenges and solutions to advancing a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable world.

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Explainer

Get a breakdown of complex climate, public health, nature, and equity topics to inform your activism.

Dispatch

Read about activists tackling climate justice and other environmental causes in their communities and beyond.

Perspectives

Discover intersectional viewpoints from activists and artists on the environmental issues of the moment.

NRDC in Action

Find out how NRDC protects people and the planet by learning about some of our key fights.

Expert Blogs

Hear from our policy advocates, scientists, and litigators about the challenges and solutions for building a healthier and more just world.

NRDC Sets Region Specific Water Targets for Each Office

Expert BlogUnited States, New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Bozeman, Beijing, San Francisco, Santa MonicaMaria McCain

NRDC has seen a steady decline in total water usage institution-wide and has taken steps to advance water stewardship.

Constructing Change with Building Energy Codes in India

Expert BlogIndiaSameer Kwatra, Prima Madan

By 2030, India will have added nearly one billion square meters of new commercial floor space--more than the land area of New York City and Washington D.C combined. Building smart from the start is a real opportunity to reduce emissions…

Clean Energy Skills for Women Entrepreneurs in India

Expert BlogIndiaSameer Kwatra, Charlotte Steiner

For the millions in rural India striving to righten their lives after the crushing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the worsening climate crises, clean energy skills and trainings can be a lifeline.

Climate Change Is Already Hurting Illinois. We Need to Act.

Expert BlogIllinoisJ.C. Kibbey

Climate change is hurting us here and now in Illinois. Our state has the best chance in a generation to take ambitious action on climate change, but the window is closing. We need to act now to pass equitable climate…

All Eyes on India’s Plan for the Kigali Amendment

Expert BlogIndia, InternationalSameer Kwatra, Prima Madan

As parties to the Montreal Protocol are gathering virtually for the second part of the Open-Ended Working Group meeting this week, India is in the spotlight. Although India is already taking action on climate friendly cooling, it is now one…

Indy Passes Benchmarking Policy to Address Climate

Expert BlogIndiana, IndianapolisEmily Barkdoll

Indianapolis City Council passed Proposal 185, a Benchmarking and Transparency Ordinance which is a key priority in realizing Mayor Joe Hogsett’s commitment to making the city carbon neutral by 2050.

Clean Energy for Clean Transportation in India

Expert BlogIndiaSameer Kwatra

Transitioning to EVs in India is a major opportunity for revving up the economy, spurring job growth, improving air quality, and reducing carbon emissions. Although electric vehicles are cleaner even with conventional grid power, pairing them with renewable energy can…

Nurses Wanted in a City Long Plagued by Coal Plant Pollution

DispatchPeoriaMaudlyne Ihejirika
Through efforts to train a more diverse pool of nurses and create family-sustaining careers, workforce leaders in Peoria, Illinois, are jump-starting their economy and addressing the inequities of the past.

A Ray of Hope to Bridge the Climate Divide

Expert BlogIndiaSameer Kwatra, Charlotte Steiner

The most vulnerable people, including millions in India already battling a deadly COVID-19 pandemic, face the worst impacts of climate change. Climate disasters like the cyclone last month, coming on heels of the year-long pandemic, have exacerbated and laid bare…

Putting Pembroke’s Priorities Above a Gas Giveaway

Expert BlogIllinoisAmulya Yerrapotu

Nicor Gas is currently pushing a gas line extension bill to foist costly and dangerous fossil fuel energy onto Pembroke—one of Illinois’s last remaining historical Black farming communities—for decades to come.

Solutions for Extreme Heat as India Battles Covid

Expert BlogIndiaSameer Kwatra, Prima Madan

India, currently battling a severe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, is facing multiple climate stressors simultaneously. Fueled by climate change, heatwaves and other extreme weather events are longer, more frequent, and more intense.

Coping with Extreme Heat in the time of COVID-19

Expert BlogIndiaSameer Kwatra

As COVID-19 cases soar to over 23 million, India’s healthcare infrastructure is being stretched to the brink. Parts of India are also fighting extreme summer heat. Extreme heat is not merely an inconvenience; it is a major global health threat…

A New Customer Bill of Rights: Affordable Utility Services

Expert BlogIllinois, United StatesDeron Lovaas, Larry Levine
The vital need for uninterrupted utility service was evident before the coronavirus pandemic, but the COVID-19 public health emergency has reinforced the essential nature of utility service and the threats of energy and water poverty.

Unlocking the Billion-Dollar EV Opportunity for Gujarat

Expert BlogGujarat, IndiaSameer Kwatra
While COVID-19 is an immediate priority for India, actions to reduce harmful emissions such as by transitioning to electric mobility can achieve major wins for public health, for the environment, and for India’s economy.