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 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.
A pipe sits atop dirt next to a building

Will Funds for Water Infrastructure Flow Fairly?

ReportUnited StatesBecky Hammer, Erik D. Olson
These report cards grade all 50 states on water funding equity.
A view of the cross-section of a cut water pipe

Getting the Lead Out: Removing Lead Pipes Would Yield Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in Health Benefits

Issue BriefUnited StatesErik D. Olson
Removing lead service lines could save the United States an estimated $786 billion from avoided health impacts over the next 35 years.

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Cleaner Cars, Fatter Wallets

Issue BriefUnited StatesLuke Tonachel

The current U.S. clean vehicles policy package will deliver climate, health, and economic benefits for all.

Jackson Water Crisis

Fact SheetMississippi, JacksonSarah Tallman, Kimberly Leefatt
The drinking water system in Jackson, Mississippi, has suffered from serious safety and reliability problems for decades. Despite recent attention from federal officials, including a lawsuit filed against the city of Jackson in late 2022, the water system’s problems have…

Water Affordability Business Case Downloadable Tool

OverviewUnited StatesLarry Levine, Ed Osann
To help provide safe and affordable water and sanitation to everyone in their communities, this tool allows utilities to assess the business case for implementing a discount program for low-income customers.

Energy-Burdened Communities Tool

MapLos Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, New Orleans, Birmingham, Atlanta, Memphis, Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis, Kansas City (Kansas), Chicago, Milwaukee, Flint, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Richmond (Virginia), Greensboro

Energy burden has disproportionately impacted low-income communities of color for decades. NRDC is actively working to bring justice to these communities through this mapping tool.

Tapping the Power of Wetlands to Secure a Thriving Planet

Issue BriefUnited StatesKate Poole
Even though wetlands cover only about 5 percent of the land in the coterminous United States, they support nearly half of all species federally listed as threatened or endangered, harbor more than 30 percent of plant species, and provide essential…

NRDC Polling on a Potential Lead and Copper Rule

PollingIllinois, Missouri, Wisconsin
This nationwide polling survey was conducted nationally and in Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin on opinions on various provisions of a potential lead and copper rule. The poll was conducted in mid-October, 2022.

The Clean Air Act 101

GuideUnited StatesShelia Hu

Since its bipartisan beginnings, this bedrock law has helped keep our air clean, combat climate change, and protect public health.

Water Affordability Advocacy Toolkit

OverviewUnited StatesLarry Levine, Sam Whillans
NRDC and the National Consumer Law Center’s menu of state- and local-level policy solutions—our Water Affordability Advocacy Toolkit—aims to address access to essential water services for vulnerable communities.