The world’s people are demanding “transformative change that is fair and sustainable,” Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday, calling on government leaders to use the upcoming slate of key United Nations meetings in September to “kickstart a decade of delivery…
Category: Sustainability
‘Recognise non-state actors’ roles in implementing SDGs’
Dhaka, July 13 (UNB) – Speakers at a dialogue in New York said non-state actors including NGOs, think tanks, media and private sectors, in developing countries like Bangladesh, are playing a critical role in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Poor nations not liable for emissions ‘collected thru ages’
12 July 2019 – Citing climate change as being caused by “emissions accumulated throughout history”, the head of China’s Xiamen Airlines told the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York on Friday that heavy carbon…
Rohingya: Cox’s Bazar ecological balance at stake: Hasina
PM seeks global solution to climate change Dhaka, July 10 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the environmental balance of Cox’s Bazar is under threat as settlements are being established there for Rohingyas clearing hills and forests. “For…
Sustainable development needs fundamental governance changes
New York, 8 July 2019: “The world is off-track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Most governments have failed to turn the transformational vision of the 2030 Agenda into real transformational policies. Even worse, xenophobia and authoritarianism are on…
World is off track in its education commitments for 2030
Almost a third of the way to the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals, new UNESCO projections prepared for the UN High-level Political Forum show that the world will fail its education commitments without a rapid acceleration of progress.…
Is there a co-relation between human development & SDGs?
By Pedro Conceição UN, Jul 1 2019 (IPS) – “People are the real wealth of nations,” began the first Human Development Report (HDR). That 1990 report marked a turning point in the global development debate. During the second half of…
No dev work that damages environment: experts
Dhaka, June 29 (UNB) – Stating that no development effort will be effective if it ruins the ecological and environmental balance, speakers at a public dialogue on Saturday urged the government to ensure a more environment-friendly budget. Poribesh Bachao Andolon…
Budgetary reform for sustainable development in BD urged
Dhaka, June 21 – Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), a civil society platform of Bangladesh called for budgetary system reform for sustainable development. The platform recommended the budgetary system be reformed to effectively impact the country’s sustainable development at roundtable programme…
Marginal communities must increase socio-political capabilities: Rehman Sobhan
He calls for incorporating their voices in the national budget Dhaka, June 20 – Chairman of Centre for Policy Dialogue Prof Rehman Sobhan on Thursday said marginal communities have to gain political power along with increasing their capabilities to end…
Meat in middle: Blended options -Join eaters in sustainability
From Danielle Nierenberg Greetings from Baltimore! Diets and lifestyles like veganism, vegetarianism, and the Mediterranean Diet help eaters reduce meat consumption and protect the planet. One of these diets, flexitarianism, may make it easier for even committed meat eaters to…
“We are eroding the foundations of our livelihoods”
07/05/2019 – by Hans Dembowski As the latest UN report on biodiversity shows, the international community must change consumption and production patterns. Otherwise, we are risking our food security, health and quality of life. It is striking that many of…
Asia-Pacific Region falters on UN development goals
By Thalif Deen UN, Jun 14, 2019 (IPS) – UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a Chatham House meeting in London last week that the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), one of the legacies of the late Secretary-General Kofi Annan,…
Planning can save the Planet: China chooses renewable energy
By Sara Flounders 23 Apr 2019 – The very corporations that are responsible for the problem are denying global warming, with immediate consequences for the whole world. Carbon emissions from the burning of oil, gas and methane are heating the…
Unleash all creative potentials to achieve SDGs
Mostafa Kamal Majumder Recent official information and statistics affirm, Bangladesh is on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With four years of the 15-year time span to achieve 17 goals already spent, a government report says, ‘Bangladesh is…
65-day Fishing ban in Bay of Bengal for sustainable reserve
Chattogram, May 20 (UNB) – The government on Sunday imposed a 65-day ban (from May 20 to July 23) on fishing in the Bay of Bengal, aiming to boost commercial fishing in the country. Catching all types of saltwater fish…
Putting water at the heart of sustainable fashion
LONDON, May 20 2019 (IPS) – The Copenhagen Fashion Summit celebrated its tenth anniversary last week. The summit, which is often referred to as the Davos of fashion, is a key date in the fashion diary for those businesses with a…
A low-carbon Belt and Road
By Ma Jun and Simon Zadek Beijing – Discussions about climate action nowadays often focus on the largest past and current emitters. But, if one looks to the future, the biggest climate risks and opportunities lie in the more than…
River as a companion: Titash ekti nadir naam – II
May 16, 2019 SANDRP Just as all festivities of a fisherfolk life are connected to the river, their dreams and nightmares are riverine too. “For several days I’ve been noticing something different in the river’s flow pattern-familiar calculation just don’t…
As fathers die, Kashmir’s children become breadwinners
SRINAGAR, India-administered Jammu and Kashmir, May 9 2019 (IPS) – Mubeen Ahmad was nine years old when his mother sold him into service to a mechanic for the petty sum of few thousand Indian rupees. His mother had found it hard to support…
For digital inclusion leaving no one behind
‘Take a risk, challenge yourself and always be positive’ Dhaka, April 21 – Sonia Bashir Kabir, the outgoing managing director of Microsoft Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and Laos, wants to play a role in making technology available for the citizens…
Smart cities hold key to sustainable development
BANGKOK, Thailand, Apr 3 2019 (IPS) – Asia and the Pacific’s phenomenal development has been a story of rapid urbanization. As centres of innovation, entrepreneurship and opportunity, cities have drawn talent from across our region and driven economic growth which has…
Finding a way to food sustainability
AUSTIN, United States, Apr 9 2019 (IPS) – There’s much to think about regarding food this month. April is Reducing Food Waste Month in the United States, as efforts mount here to reduce food loss and waste, while globally Sunday Apr.…
SDGs: Ambitions are affordable for Asia and the Pacific
BANGKOK, Thailand, Apr 4 2019 (IPS) – Three years of implementation of the transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific shows the region has some catching up to do. Despite much progress, the region is not on…
SDGs and Bangladesh: Progress, challenges, missing links
‘Despite various challenges Bangladesh is on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goals’, a recent government report claims. The report titled Sustainable Development Goals: Bangladesh Progress Report 2018 says, Bangladesh is performing well in various aspects including poverty reduction, gender equality,…
World Bank support to help improve livability in Dhaka
Washington, Mar 31 (UNB)— The World Bank has approved $100.5 million to improve public spaces and urban services in four neighbourhoods under the Dhaka South City Corporation. The Dhaka City Neighborhood Upgrading Project will benefit about a million residents. It…
Reverse engineering for SDGs
ROME, Feb 20 2019 (IPS) – When young people from small towns and villages seek higher education they have to usually migrate to big cities leaving their local communities behind. On completion of their degree from the Universities, they generally prefer…
Green money without inflation
To what extent can the money created by the central bank be used to finance investments in the environment? This is a question often asked today. The green activists respond with enthusiasm that the central bank—and, in particular, the European…
A 3-trillion-dollar business UNEP wants people to develop
NAIROBI, Mar 12 2019 (IPS) – In the East African region, communities around the continent’s largest water body, Lake Victoria, regard the water hyacinth as a great menace that clogs the lake and hampers their fishing activities. But in Lagos, Nigeria,…
Why is protecting biodiversity in Africa important?
Because climate change alone can cause the loss of over half of African bird and mammal species, trigger a 20-30% decline in lake productivity, and a significant loss of plant species. Africa is home to a rich and diverse animal,…