RESOURCES FOR THE Future (RFF) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with headquarters in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1952 under the Truman Administration, RFF initially had a domestic focus, but has since shifted to include international affairs. With a variety of outlets for data dissemination, RFF provides intellectual leadership in environmental economics. Research methods are based in the social sciences and quantitative economic analysis, including cost-benefit trade-offs, valuations, and risk assessments. RFF scholars compile core knowledge on a range of environmental topics, with the goal of contributing to scholarship, teaching, debate, and decision making. One major division of research is energy, electricity, and climate change.
RFF was the first think tank in the United States devoted exclusively to environmental issues. The impetus for RFF came from William Paley, who had formerly chaired a presidential commission charged with examining whether the United States was becoming overly dependent on foreign natural resources and commodities. Today, the RFF board of directors consists of members of the business community, former state officials, academics, and leaders of environmental advocacy organizations. It is increasingly inclusive in terms of nationality, race, and gender.
By 2006, RFF had operating revenue of $10.6 million, of which nearly 70 percent came from individual contributions and private foundations, as well as the 25 percent that is generated from government grants. The rest was withdrawn from a reserve fund valued at over $35 million that was created to support the organization’s operations.
RFF has approximately 40 staff researchers composed of senior fellows, fellows, resident scholars, research assistants, and associates. In addition, RFF hosts visiting scholars from academia and the policy community. RFF scholars share their findings through seminars and conferences, congressional testimony, and global media. They publish in external peer-reviewed journals and several RFF publications, including discussion papers, reports, issue briefs, and Resources magazine. The online Weathervane is a guide to global climate policy. RFF Connection is an electronic newsletter that provides updates on events, research, and publications. RFF Press offers hundreds of titles on environmental issues written by the organization’s staff and outside experts.
The focus of RFF’s research has shifted to include global concerns, although U.S. policy innovation and implementation maintain importance. International research topics include environmental governance in the European Union, the UN-based negotiations that produced the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol, and the U.S. proposal for a technology transfer agreement. RFF scholars also examine the related topics of climate stabilization and air pollution control in rapidly developing countries such as China and India.
RFF’s Climate and Technology Program analyzes and critiques options for U.S. policy and the role of technology development and deployment in combating carbon emissions. In 2007, RFF scholars authored a series of background reports related to the design of federal climate policy. They provide stakeholders and policymakers with an understanding of policy options, from which effective mandatory federal policy might be crafted. Researchers have estimated the costs of emissions abatement, calculated the benefits of mitigating climate change impacts, assessed the effect of the choice of discount rate for long-term policies, and characterized uncertainty in such analyses.
RFF is certified as a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Management, Organizational and Business Improvement Services (MOBIS) contractor for consulting, survey, and facilitation services. MOBIS contractors assist the federal government to respond to new mandates and evolving practices. RFF researchers are also analyzing proposed actions and evaluating current efforts of state and local governments as well as the business sector.
RFF provides ongoing support to many state and nongovernmental organizations, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. For decades, the RFF Seminar Series has provided the Washington community with a weekly forum in which scholars, journalists, advocates, and policymakers interact. RFF internships and doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships train and support future leaders and scientists.
