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The Paris Agreement demands climate action

The Paris Agreement is a landmark in collective efforts on climate change and is the result of many years’ hard work. It must now be implemented.

China's climate change combat

China was among the near-200 countries to adopt the Paris Climate Change Agreement (Paris Agreement) at an historic UN conference in Paris, France on 12 December 2015. As an emerging economy and one of the world’s major emitters of greenhouse gases, how China implements the Paris Agreement will be important. We asked Dr Xuedu Lu of the Asian Development Bank for his views.

What does mainstreaming biodiversity mean? Insights Blog

The theme of Biodiversity Day this year is “Mainstreaming biodiversity; sustaining people and their livelihoods”. According to World Bank figures, “natural capital accounts for an estimated 30% of total wealth in low income countries compared to only 2% in OECD countries”.

Governments can do more to preserve material resources and cut waste

Advanced economies have reduced their consumption of raw materials and improved waste management, but more should be done to design and produce goods in a way that uses fewer natural resources and produces less waste, according to a new OECD report.

Carbon emissions all at sea: why was shipping left out of the Paris Climate Agreement? Insights Blog

A stern warning for climate change, and our health - Shipping brings us 90% of world trade and has increased in size by 400% in the last 45 years. Cargo ships, tankers and dry-bulk tankers are an essential element of a globalised world economy, but they are thirsty titans and they won’t settle for diet drinks. There are up to 100,000 working vessels on the ocean and some travel an incredible 2/3 of the distance to the moon in one year.

Key Ingredients, Challenges and Lessons from Biodiversity Mainstreaming in South Africa: People, Products, Process - Environment Working Paper

This paper provides an in-depth review of experiences and insights from mainstreaming biodiversity and development in South Africa. More specifically, it describes how biodiversity considerations have been mainstreamed in five key sectors/areas, namely: land use planning, mining, water, infrastructure, and the agricultural sector.

The Other CCS: Carbon Capture & Storage vs. Carbon Cap & Share - Insights Blog

The initials ‘CCS’ usually stand for Carbon Capture and Storage. However, I was with the team in Paris during COP21 promoting the Cap Global Carbon proposal; the mechanism embodied in Cap Global Carbon is Cap & Share, and it occurred to us that the name ‘Carbon Cap & Share’ has the same initials, CCS. Are these two types of CCS complementary or antagonistic? Are they friends or enemies?

The Ocean Economy in 2030

Multiplication of Environmental Labelling and Information Schemes (ELIS): Implications for Environment and Trade - Environment Working Paper

This report explores potential effects of the recent rapid growth in Environmental Labelling Information Schemes (ELIS) around the world, with a focus on the implications of ELIS multiplication for environmental effectiveness and international trade.

Renewable energy: Catalyst for a clean energy transition

The Paris Agreement is an unprecedented achievement in the fight against climate change. A record number of countries came together, first in the French capital for the COP21 conference in November-December 2015 and then formally to sign the agreement at the UN on 22 April 2016, to ensure that future generations enjoy a stable, healthy and habitable world.