Resources for the Future (RFF)
Resources for the Future (RFF) is an independent, nonprofit research institution in Washington, DC. RFF is organized into two programs designed to deliver research and cost-effective solutions to address the world’s most important environmental and natural resource challenges. RFF’s Energy and Climate Program focuses on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, advance a reliable and clean energy system, and ensure a healthy environment – while balancing the need for economic growth. RFF’s Land, Water, and Nature Program focuses on the management of key land, water, and marine resources that support a thriving economy and society, while ensuring healthy and productive natural systems and building resilience in a changing climate. Although RFF is located in Washington, DC, its research scope comprises programs in nations around the world.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Nonprofit organization (NPO)
- Industry Type:
- Environmental
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
- Year Founded:
- 1952
- Employees:
- 11-100
Our Mission
Our Mission
RFF’s mission is to improve environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement.
Our Vision
RFF is committed to being the most widely trusted source of research insights and policy solutions leading to a healthy environment and a thriving economy.
Our Core Values
RFF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization that operates according to four core values:
BALANCE
RFF focuses on improving both environmental and economic outcomes.
INDEPENDENCE
RFF is nonpartisan and its research is nonproprietary and publicly available.
RIGOR
RFF adheres to the highest scientific and professional standards.
RESULTS
RFF’s work leads to better decisions.
Governance and Leadership
RFF’s Board of Directors includes industry and environmental leaders as well as former state and federal policymakers and preeminent scholars.
Learn more about RFF’s Board of Directors and leadership.
Support
As a 501(c)(3) organization, RFF is supported by donors who understand the role that rigorous, objective research plays in formulating sound public policies. More than 70 percent of the funding raised from individuals, corporations, private foundations, and government agencies goes directly to RFF’s research and public education activities.
Learn more about supporting RFF’s commitment to excellence.
History
In 1952, a presidential commission mandated the creation of a research institution to examine the nation’s use of natural resources and implications for the future of the US economy and national security. RFF was founded as a result—the first think tank devoted exclusively to natural resource and environmental issues. The organization’s notable contributions include pioneering and developing the fields of environmental and resource economics, creating analytical techniques widely used in economic and policy analysis, producing landmark surveys of America’s energy and resource future, and crafting policy innovations that are now embodied in environmental, energy, and natural resource regulatory regimes around the world.