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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What Are the Effects of Climate Change?

GuideUnited States, InternationalCourtney Lindwall

A rapidly warming planet poses an existential threat to all life on earth. Just how bad it gets depends on how quickly we act.

Causes and Effects of Lead in Water

GuideUnited States, Flint, Michigan, IllinoisKeith Mulvihill

How this harmful neurotoxin got into our taps and what it’ll take to get it out.

Flint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know

GuideFlintMelissa Denchak
After officials repeatedly dismissed claims that Flint’s water was making people sick, residents took action. Here’s how the lead contamination crisis unfolded—and what we can learn from it.

What Is Environmental Racism?

GuideUnited States, InternationalMaudlyne Ihejirika
This form of systemic racism disproportionately burdens communities of color.

Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know

GuideUnited States, InternationalJillian Mackenzie, Jeff Turrentine
How smog, soot, greenhouse gases, and other top air pollutants are affecting the planet—and your health.

Economic Inclusion and Justice: High-Quality Careers for All

OverviewUnited StatesMarc Boom, Lara Ettenson
Racial justice, economic equity, public health, and climate action are inextricably linked. To create healthier working conditions and communities for all, NRDC advocates for policies that support high-quality, family-sustaining careers.

Connecting Communities and Science at American Geophysical Union 2020

ResourceKristi Pullen Fedinick, Meleah Geertsma, Marisa Guerrero, Yukyan Lam
The Union of Concerned Scientists and NRDC co-convened a panel to connect the latest research—especially on the disparate and cumulative environmental burdens affecting low-income communities and communities of color—to effective policymaking for environmental justice.

Translating Joe Biden's Climate Vision into Action

OverviewUnited StatesJosh Axelrod, David Doniger, Brendan Guy, Allison Johnson, Gina McCarthy, Bobby McEnaney, Claire O'Connor, Erik D. Olson, Khalil Shahyd, Ann Shikany, Dr. Lisa Suatoni, Anthony Swift, Lauren Urbanek, Mae Wu, Ben Longstreth, Luke Tonachel, Melissa Lin Perrella
NRDC experts take a deep dive into President-elect Joe Biden’s key plans to address climate change—the strongest national climate agenda ever laid out by a U.S. president-elect.

Colorado 2030: Committing to Equitable Climate Action

ReportColoradoAriana Gonzalez, Arjun Krishnaswami, Noah Long
Analysis from NRDC and our partners outlines effective and equitable actions Colorado can take to achieve the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

Guide to Community Climate Vulnerability Assessments

ReportUnited StatesMarissa Ramirez, Kristi Pullen Fedinick
Communities across United States face the joint challenges of climate change and growing inequality. Properly addressing these challenges means first understanding the unique situation of each community—where they are vulnerable and where policies will have the greatest impact.

Losing Ground: Severe Repetitive Flooding in the United States

OverviewUnited StatesAnna Weber
There are many ways that repeatedly flooded homes can be made safer from flooding, but the federal government’s efforts are not keeping pace with increasing flood risk. The result is a steadily growing number of properties that flood over and…

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…