One important foundation for good policymaking is relevant and reliable data. In considering next steps in the international effort against climate change, policymakers and stakeholders are confronted by a wealth of data on everything from century-old emission trends to likely GDP growth decades in the future. Turning these data into useful input for decision-making is an enormous challenge.

This paper offers a set of policy-relevant insights and observations drawn from the Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT), a comprehensive database of climate-related indicators developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI). CAIT, which is publicly available from WRI, includes global and national-level data on a wide range of emissions, energy, economic, and socio-economic measures.