COP24 closing plenary meeting in Katowice, Poland, 16 December 2018. Katowice, 15 December 2018 – After two weeks of crunch negotiations – with overtime – the almost 200 parties gathered in Katowice, Poland, for the United Nations COP24 two-week climate…
The apparel industry has a climate problem and it wants to do something about it. In fact, textiles, it has been suggested, cause more carbon emissions than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Now global fashion brands are joining to…
In six months, millions of Europeans will go to the ballot box to choose the next European Parliament (EP). Nationalists and self-proclaimed progressives have already designated this election as a confrontation between democrats and autocrats, and between pro- and anti-Europeans.…
by Greg Browder As COP24 in Poland reaches its mid-point, it is becoming distressingly obvious that reaching the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Centigrade will be extremely challenging. Recognizing that millions of people…
Katowice, 7 Dec (Prerna Bomzan and Meena Raman)- At a stocktake plenary held on 6 Dec, the Co-chairs of the UNFCCC’s Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA), informed Parties the time had come for the Chairs to…
Katowice, 6 Dec (Evelyn Teh)- The technical part of the stocktake on the pre-2020 implementation and ambition kicked off on 5 Dec. at the ongoing climate talks under the UNFCCC in Katowice, Poland.
An African delegation is in the Polish city of Katowice to join 30,000 delegates and thousands others from almost 200 countries attending the 4th edition of what has come to be known as annual climate change negotiation conferences organised under…
Most people will experience climate change in the form of water – higher frequency and intensity of floods and droughts, an increase in waterborne diseases, and overloaded sewage systems that are unable to cope with new demands.
Dhaka, Dec 5 – Experts at a dialogue on Wednesday said, local governments are critical for turning Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) into a reality for communities, households and individuals, particularly to those who are at risk of falling behind.
Speakers at a dialogue stressed the need for involving all, including the grassroots people, in the journey of attaining the core objectives of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Since the general election in September, Sweden has found itself in a political deadlock awaiting the formation of a government. One of the issues dividing the two main parliamentary blocs is whether there should be a cap on profit margins…
By Manuela Matthess Berlin, Dec 3 2018 (IPS) – COP24 is the time for g overnments to act and increase their pledges to prevent global warming ensuring a just transition that leaves no one behind.
by Fernando Cabrera Neuquen – Argentinian President Mauricio Macri claims that exploiting his country’s oil and gas shale reserves – the second-largest in the world – is vital not only to lift the economy out of the doldrums but also…
The next round of global climate negotiations, COP 24, takes place in December. It will need to make rapid progress on implementing the Paris Agreement so as to close the gap between what science requires and what countries are doing.…
The government of Bangladesh, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and stakeholders at a dissemination forum on Wednesday discussed tools for designing climate-smart development projects.
Fish will soon be off the menu, unless global leaders strike a deal ending multi-billion dollar harmful fisheries subsidies blamed for threatening world fish stocks and widening the inequitable use of marine resources.
By IPS World Desk Rome, Nov 24 2018 (IPS) – The first global Sustainable Blue Economy Conference will be held in Nairobi, Kenya from Nov. 26 to 28 and is being co-hosted with Canada and Japan. Over 13,000 participants from…
The Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) today underscored the need for keeping specific initiatives by the political parties in their election manifestos to make sustainable the infrastructural transformation of the country’s economy.
A new report looks at the characteristics of high-growth firms, drivers of high-growth, and what this means for policymakers. November 2018—Policies to create jobs, promote entrepreneurship and growth are key priorities for many emerging economies. Designing and implementing reforms is…
When Peter Thomson, the United Nation’s Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, heard in 2010 there was going to be a 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, he knew he had to include the ocean question.
Though the presence of women is growing gradually in all types of jobs, women still have to face numerous challenges to break the glass ceiling at workplaces and pursue a desired career, speakers said at an event here on Saturday.
Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus has set a 20-year timeline to build a new civilization alongside replacing the “greed-driven” society which will help remove enormous amount of “frustration and gloom”.
Rome, 9 November 2018 – At this week’s Paris Peace Forum, Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will ask global leaders to consider the crucial role that increased investment in rural areas of developing…
Bangladesh needs to mobilise domestic investment alongside increasing it in infrastructure with ‘spillover tax revenues’ not relying too much on overseas money as infrastructural needs in Bangladesh remain enormous, says a global development expert.
Unsafe food costs low- and middle-income economies US$ 110 billion in lost productivity and medical expenses each year. Preventative measures—including greater investment, better regulatory frameworks and measures that promote behaviour change—can help countries avoid food safety problems.
By Thalif Deen Ottawa, Canada, Oct 23 (IPS) – The international community will be commemorating two milestones in the history of population and development next year: the 50th anniversary of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the 25th anniversary of…
Dhaka – The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved a total of 21 projects, including one to procure 35 dredgers at a cost of Tk 4,489.03 crore for enhancing the dredging capacity of Bangladesh Inland…
Gulrez Shah Azhar Santa Monica – The record-setting heat that blanketed the planet this summer was a sticky reminder that as global temperatures increase, people on the margins of society – the sick, the elderly, and the poor – will…
Monica Araya and Carlos Manuel Rodriguez San Jose – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body tasked with providing scientific evidence and consensus on climate change and its implications for decision-makers and the public, has just…
Asia and the Pacific accounted for 42.6% of global GDP at purchasing power parity in 2017, up from 30.1% in 2000. Around 780 million people from the region moved out of extreme poverty from 2002 to 2013.