This Newsletter guides you to content relevant for international co-operation and
economic development. Reposted from sources linked below. Feel free to circulate it to
your network. Edited by Karsten Weitzenegger <editor@weitzenegger.de>
CONTENT
Special Issue: Green Economy and Development
On the road again to Rio+20
1. UNEP: Green Economy is key catalyst for growth and poverty eradication
2. OECD: Green and growth go together
3. The Green Star Hotel Initiative supports the greening of Egypt's tourism industry
4. UNCTAD releases book ''Road to Rio +20''
5. UNEP Report spotlights benefits from boosting funding for forests
6. LDCs set to jump start to a green economy
7. The Africa Competitiveness Report 2011
8. Economic Report on Africa 2011 - Focused industrial policy
9. Climate Change and Asian Development Bank
10. EU renewable energy targets may boost land grabbing in developing countries
11. German government backs new energy strategy
12. Recommended Publications
13. Recommended Training and Events
14. Recommended Websites
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The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery - not
over nature but of ourselves. Rachel Carson
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1. Green Economy is key catalyst for growth and poverty eradication, says UNEP-report
UNEP has launched a report entitled Towards a Green Economy, Pathways to a Sustainable
Development and Poverty Eradication, in advance of Rio 2012, that focuses on
innovative ways to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development.
The report aims to ''demystify" two myths about greening the global economy. First,
sustainable development and economy go together. A green economy does not inhibit but
rather provides opportunities for employment and wealth creation, it argues. Secondly,
a green economy is not the prerogative of wealthy countries.
According to the report, this investment will set up the transition towards a green
economy, defined as low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive. A large
part of this transition, however, implies policies and investment that dissociate
growth from the current intensive consumption of materials and energy use.
The report also seeks to motivate policy makers to create the enabling conditions for
increased investments in a transition to a green economy. Investing 2% of global GDP
into ten key sectors can kick-start a transition towards a low carbon, resource
efficient Green Economy, a new United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report
suggests. The sum, currently amounting to an average of around $1.3 trillion a year
and backed by forward-looking national and international policies, would grow the
global economy at around the same rate, if not higher than those forecast under
current economic models.
In his foreword to the report, UNEP Executive Director Acheim Steiner writes: ''New
ideas are by their very nature disruptive, but far less disruptive than a world
running low on drinking water and productive land, set against the backdrop of climate
change, extreme weather events and rising natural resource scarcities. A green economy
does not favour one political perspective over another. It is relevant to all
economies, be they State or more market-led. Neither is it a replacement for
sustainable development. Rather, it is a way of realising that development at the
national, regional and global levels and in ways that resonate with and amplify the
implementation of Agenda 21''
Sources:
http://www.unep.org/GreenEconomy/Portals/93/documents/Full_GER_screen.pdf
http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/GreenEconomyReport/
http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?article3261
http://www.thebrokeronline.eu/en/trackback/id/6181
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2. Green and growth go together, says OECD
The OECD Green Growth Strategy
<http://www.oecd.org/document/10/0,3746,en_2649_37465_44076170_1_1_1_37465,00.html>,
and the new report, Towards Green Growth, provide a practical framework for
governments to boost economic growth and protect the environment.
Governments must look to the green economy to find new sources of growth and jobs.
They should put in place policies that tap into the innovation, investment and
entrepreneurship driving the shift towards a greener economy. Green growth makes
economic as well as environmental sense. In natural resource sectors alone, commercial
opportunities related to investments in environmental sustainability could run into
trillions of dollars by 2050.
Two broad sets of policies are essential elements in any green growth strategy: the
first set mutually reinforces economic growth and the conservation of natural capital,
including core fiscal and regulatory settings and innovation policies. The second
includes policies that provide incentives to use natural resources efficiently and
make pollution more expensive.
Replacing natural capital with physical capital is expensive and the infrastructure
needed to clean polluted water can be costly, but the cost of inaction can be higher
still. Greening growth now, the report argues, is necessary to prevent further erosion
of natural capital, such as increased scarcity of water and other resources, more
pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss, all of which can undermine future
growth. In addition to the Synthesis Report, the document Tools for Delivering on
Green Growth outlines options available to policy makers for developing green growth
strategies. The report Towards Green Growth – Monitoring Progress: OECD Indicators
outlines ways to measure progress. http://www.oecd.org/greengrowth
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3. The Green Star Hotel Initiative supports the greening of Egypt's tourism industry
Tourism key to the economic recovery of Egypt. The Green Star Hotel Initiative (GSHI)
aims to improve the environmental performance and competitiveness of the Egyptian
hotel industry by promoting the implementation of environmental management systems and
environmentally sound operations, Within the framework of the PPP program oft eh
German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development BMZ, Egyptian and
German tourism key players joined forces with technical assistance provided by the
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to move the Egyptian
hotel industry towards sustainability. The Initiative is operated by AGEG Consultants
eG. http://www.greenstarhotel.net
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4. UNCTAD releases book ''Road to Rio +20''
UNCTAD has published the first in a series of volumes focusing on issues pertinent to
''green" economic growth – a low-carbon, resource-efficient approach to development
intended to raise living standards in sustainable fashion while combating climate
change and conserving biodiversity. The intent is to give practical expression to the
concept of sustainable development adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
The book features 14 articles and is intended to highlight critical topics and focus
global discussion in advance of the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development. The Rio +20 summit has as its main theme ''the green economy in the
context of sustainable development and poverty eradication. ''It also will focus on
the institutional framework for sustainable development at the international and
national levels. http://www.unctad.org/trade_env/greeneconomy/roadtorioGE.asp
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5. UNEP Report Spotlights Enormous Economic and Human Benefits from Boosting Funding
for Forests
Investing an additional US$40 billion (0.034 Percent of Global GDP) a year in the
forestry sector could halve deforestation rates by 2030, increase rates of tree
planting by around 140 per cent by 2050, and catalyze the creation of millions of new
jobs according to a report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Backed by the right
kinds of enabling policies, such an investment - equivalent to about two-thirds more
than what is spent on the sector today - could also sequester or remove an extra 28
per cent of carbon from the atmosphere, thus playing a key role in combating climate
change.
Forests in a Green Economy: A Synthesis was unveiled during this year's World
Environment Day (WED) celebrations. The theme, Forests: Nature at Your Service,
underscores the multitude of benefits that forests provide to humanity.
http://tinyurl.com/6x83hzq
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6. LDCs set to jump start to a green economy
With their low-carbon profile, rich natural assets and promising policy initiatives,
the world's 48 least developed countries are well-positioned to jump start the
transition to a green economy, according to a new UN report released at the start of
the Fourth UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV). Carla September
reviews the report, titled Why a Green Economy Matters for the Least Developed
Countries. http://www.world-economy-and-development.org/wearchiv/042ae69ee20b05812.php
According to a new report released by the UN Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD), most of the investments taken in LDCs have not yet resulted in significant
economic growth and job creation. ''Such investment has not tended to 'fertilize' LDC
economies by leading to greater links between foreign businesses and local firms that
can spread know-how and technology and help spur broad-based, long-term economic
growth," the body emphasised. In order to effectively address those countries'
economic potential, the international community should strengthen the ability of LDCs
to attract foreign investments by inter alia setting up a ''LDC infrastructure
development fund", the report reads. http://tinyurl.com/63op5zt
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7. The Africa Competitiveness Report 2011
The Report highlights areas where the urgent policy action and investment are needed
to ensure that Africa sustains its economic recovery and continues to grow in the
future. It maps out the continent's policy challenges and presents a unified vision of
the areas requiring critical attention. The Report can serve as a useful tool for
African decision makers in public and private spheres to measure the business climate
potential for fostering sustainable growth and prosperity. The Report also contains
in-depth assessments of the state of competitiveness, the impact of foreign direct
investment on the continent, and the trade performance of the region. It also outlines
the potential for increased productivity growth in agriculture and agribusiness. The
final sections include detailed competitiveness profiles for several African
countries. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GCR_Africa_Report_2011.pdf
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8. Governing Development in Africa - Economic Report on Africa 2011 - Focused
industrial policy
To catch up and, more important, to meet its own development objectives, Africa needs
to promote rapid industrialization that will promote innovation, technological
adoption, entrepreneurship, high value added and employment-generating manufacturing.
This will enable the continent to overcome the low contribution of industry and
manufacturing to GDP and employment. The formulation and implementation of industrial
policy will enable African governments to target particular activities or sectors for
support. Each country will have to identify niche industries where it has competitive
advantages or the capability to develop dynamic advantages. This in turn will
contribute to Africa's industrial development. However, unlike most countries in
post-independence Africa, which thwarted the emergence of a capitalist class, the 21st
century African developmental state has to vigorously attempt to build an indigenous
capitalist class.
Also, unlike the experiences of the 20th century developmental States elsewhere,
industrialization in Africa in the 21st century will have to be sensitive to
environmental sustainability (chapter 3). The development of renewable energy and a
green economy as part of Africa's overall development strategy cannot be
over-emphasized. Renewable energy in particular and the green economy in general offer
Africa a basis for transforming the structures of its economies and to create
sustainable jobs and livelihoods.
The industrial strategy of the developmental States of East Asia suggests that
creating industrial winners through fiscal incentives to facilitate enhanced
productivity and some form of protectionism were critical for the growth of local
manufacturing. While protectionism may be difficult and largely unfashionable in a
globalized economy regulated by WTO, nonetheless, as part of their industrial policy,
African States should ensure a phasing-out process to protect local industries, which
is necessary for their growth and consolidation. This will enable them to compete,
over time, in the global economy.
http://www.uneca.org/era2011
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9. Climate Change and Asian Development Bank
ADB is helping developing countries shift to low-carbon growth and protect those most
vulnerable against the expected impacts of climate change. ADB's long-term strategic
framework for 2008-2020 (Strategy 2020) makes tackling climate change part of our core
operations. ADB is supporting a comprehensive program of assistance to developing
member countries for climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, and
mainstreaming of climate change considerations into ADB operations.
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Brochures/InFocus/climate-change.asp
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10. EU renewable energy targets may boost land grabbing in developing countries
The EU's renewable energy target of 20% of its energy supply from renewable energies
by 2020 will cause widespread 'land-grabbing' in developing countries, according to a
new Action Aid report. The EU adopted the target in the 'Renewable Energy Roadmap' in
January 2007, and has come under increasing scrutiny from civil society.
http://tinyurl.com/5ucwlbv
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11. German government backs new energy strategy
The German government now aims to implement the Energy Strategy it adopted in late
2010 more swiftly and more rigorously than originally intended. Only ten years from
now the last nuclear power plants are to be closed down. Germany aims to enter the age
of renewables as quickly as possible. Speaking in Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel and
three of her ministers presented in detail the steps that will be involved. No
provision has been made for a way back. The strategy will entail changes to power grid
expansion plans and the subsidy system for renewable energy such as solar and wind.
The government already dropped plans to add a further cut to incentives for
photovoltaic energy. Both chambers of parliament have to agree a change of course on
energy strategy by the parliamentary summer break in July.
http://www.bundesregierung.de/Webs/Breg/EN/Issues/Sustainability/sustainability.html
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12. Recommended Publications
A Global Green New Deal
http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/08087.pdf
Response to crisis or paradigm shift towards sustainability? FES International Policy
Analysis.
A Global Green New Deal: Rethinking the Economic Recovery
http://tinyurl.com/3hprmgw
Edward B. Barbier charts the way for recovering from the recession and saving the
planet at the same time.
A Green Venture Fund to Finance Clean Technology for Developing Countries.
http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/1424899
Center for Global Development (CGD) Working Paper 245, by Darius Nassiry and David Wheeler
Breathe in, breathe out, and drop the Coke
http://tinyurl.com/3db6w4l
Buddhist, economist, two-time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize and WFC Councillor
Sulak Sivaraksa reflects on the habits of Western societies in his newest book. In an
interview with 'The Independent' Sholto Byrnes writes, ''Sivaraksa's view is that true
happiness is not to be found in material gains or in the constant pursuit of unlimited
growth, but starts with the search for inner calm."
Can Green and Lean Go Together?
http://tinyurl.com/3vb7mv5
A workshop explored how the private sector is changing its business model to
incorporate environmental responsibility. Options and approaches for appropriate
regulatory environment for innovation and adoption of green solutions were also discussed.
Carbon Finance and Pro-Poor Co-Benefits
http://pubs.iied.org/15521IIED.html
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Sustainable Markets
Discussion Papers, Author: Rachel Godfrey Wood
Cooperation for a Green Economy
http://tinyurl.com/3u8zex5
UNEP-DirectorAchim Steiner suggests that Rio+20 could provide the frameworks,
financing and market mechanisms to support transitions to a Green Economy across the
world. It also could provide leadership that addresses the absurdities of current
economic configurations, while unleashing investments and steering society towards
wider notions of wealth generation, he says.
Designing the International Green Climate Fund: Focusing on Results
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2011/0425_green_climate_fund_sierra.aspx
A transitional committee met for the first time last month to begin work on the
formation of the Green Climate Fund, a development stemming from last December's
international climate change talks in Cancún. Katherine Sierra argues that the new
Green Climate Fund must have a vision for achieving significant and transformative
climate change results, through development strategies and programs, in order to be
effective.
Evaluation of programmatic approaches to support for the environment in Africa 1996-2009.
http://tinyurl.com/3t3g999
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark evaluation report.
Fair and Green?
http://pubs.iied.org/15518IIED.html
Social impacts of payments for environmental services in Costa Rica. International
Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) report, by Inas Porras.
Global environmental governance at Rio+20: Thinking big - doing little?
http://tinyurl.com/3dhjlv6
There is little faith in the reform of the UN system; nonetheless, the United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 – also
known as Rio +20 – is not only to set the stage for a green economy, but also to
provide an impetus for the institutional reform of the UN environmental sector. The
ministerial-l evel advisory group brought together by the UN Environmental Program
(UNEP) is preparing the reforms. The state of the discussion is analyzed by Barbara
Unmüßig.
Green, fair and productive: How the 2012 Rio Conference can move the world towards
sustainability
http://www.ourfutureplanet.org/newsletters/resources/Business/Green%20Economy%20Coalition.pdf
The Green Economy Coalition has come together in an effort to promote progress towards
a resilient economy that provides a better quality of life for all within the
ecological limits of one planet. There are strong practical reasons for this
transition, but it also taps into fundamental human values of fairness, environmental
stewardship and careful use of limited resources.
Leveraging private investment: the role of public sector climate finance.
http://tinyurl.com/6by6bkn
This ODI Background Note focuses on how public finance and risk mitigation instruments
can remove the barriers to private sector investment and thereby leverage significant
amounts of private capital for climate change mitigation.
Making Growth Inclusive
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/policy/trade/making-growth-inclusive.html
Growth is back on the development agenda, promoted by bilateral and multilateral
donors, and the G20, as the most effective way to lift people out of poverty. Economic
growth has reduced poverty in developing countries in the past, but by ignoring the
issue of equality, donors and poor country governments have failed to maximise the
benefits of that growth – and in some cases, people have become worse off. This Oxfam
paper by Elizabeth Stuart extracts lessons from case studies of Brazil, Viet Nam, and
Ghana to suggest three key areas that may deliver growth that is inclusive: a proper
redistributive agenda; appropriate macroeconomic prudence; and a pro-poor private sector.
New SID Development issue: Challenges to sustainability
http://tinyurl.com/6xat5ee
Produced for the SID World Congress in July 2011, development opin ion leaders share
their ideas on sustaining economic growth in balance with nature while ensuring local
people's rights, identity and livelihoods.
New guide for SMEs on ''Greening China''
http://www.eurochambres.eu/Content/Default.asp?PageID=1&DocID=3215
Following the publication of the policy brief ''Winning China's markets'', a new guide
was produced in the framework of the Understanding China programme. ''Greening China''
highlights the opportunities for European small and medium enterprises (SMEs) arising
from the green growth in China, which is expected to be boosted by China's recently
published Five-Year Plan.
Powering the Green Economy. The Feed-In Tariff Handbook.
http://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/energy_climate_change.html
The climate and energy book from the World Future Council is a collaborative effort,
written by Miguel Mendonça, the WFC Research Manager, David Jacobs and Benjamin
Sovacool. It provides detailed analysis of feed-in tariff design, and provides a guide
to campaigning for them. It includes discussion of other support schemes, of barriers
and technical issues, and of the place of good policy in driving a green collar economy.
Regional Trade Agreements and the Environment: Developments in 2010
http://tinyurl.com/3dkrzwt
This report provides an update on recent developments in the field of Regional Trade
Agreements and the environment. Issues arising in the implementation of RTAs with
environmental considerations are examined as well as experience in assessing their
environmental impacts. It is the fourth update prepared under the aegis of the Joint
Working Party on Trade and Environment. The report covers developments over the period
from late 2009 to December 2010 and is based on publicly available information
The costs to developing countries of adaptation to climate change: new methods and
estimates.
http://tinyurl.com/42nnrxv
World Bank (WB) report, by Sergio Margulis et al.
The State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2010: Sustainability and Transparency
http://pubs.iied.org/G03066.html
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) report, by Jason Potts,
Jessica van der Meer, and Jaclyn Daitchman.
The Transition to a Green Economy: Benefits, Challenges and Risks from a Sustainable
Development Perspective.
http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/content/documents/Green%20Economy_full%20report.pdf
Report by a Panel of Experts to Second Preparatory Committee Meeting for UNCSD.
Towards a Global Finance System at the Service of Sustainable Development
http://www.eadi.org/index.php?id=997&rid=t_360&mid=406&aC=f67c7c9b&jumpurl=8
Assessing the development impact of European and global financial reforms. By
Stichting Onderzoek Multinationale Ondernemingen (SOMO).
Whose Crisis, Whose Future? : Towards a Greener, Fairer, Richer World, by Susan George
http://tinyurl.com/3ol83tm
Today we are in the midst of a multifaceted crisis which touches the lives of everyone
on the planet. Whether it's growing poverty and inequality or shrinking access to food
and water, the collapse of global financial markets or the dire effects of climate
change, every aspect of this crisis can be traced to a transnational neoliberal elite
that has steadily eroded our rights and stripped us of power. And yet our world has
never been so wealthy, and we have, right now, all the knowledge, tools and skills we
need to build a greener, fairer, richer world. Such a breakthrough is not some
far-fetched utopia, but an immediate, concrete possibility. Our future is in our hands.
World Development Report 2011: Conflict, Security, and Development
http://vx.worldbank.org/t/3093660/23001220/19461/0/
With more than 1.5 billion people living in countries affected by conflict, the World
Development Report 2011 looks into the changing nature of violence in the 21st
century. Interstate and civil wars characterized violent conflict in the last century;
more pronounced today is violence linked to local disputes, political repression, and
organized crime. The report underlines the negative impact of persistent conflict on a
country's or a region's development prospects, and notes that no low income,
conflict-affected state has yet achieved a single Millennium Development Goal.
World on the Edge
http://www.earth-policy.org/books/wote
How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse. Earth Policy Institute book, by
Lester R. Brown.
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13. Recommended Training and Events
Capacity WORKS - Qualification for the consulting industry
http://www.ageg.de/ageg/capacity_works_what_is/
Capacity WORKS is the German Technical Cooperation's (GTZ) management model for
sustainable develoment. This method supports steering and management of international
cooperation projects and is applied widely in GTZ's programmes and projects. AGEG was
selected as accredited CB provider for GTZ in the roll-out trainings to implement its
CAPACITY WORKS management model. Open 2,5-day basic courses as well as inhouse courses
for clients are offered on a regular basis.
GIZ 14th International Business Forum Berlin 2011
http://www.gc21.de/ibt/en/modules/gc21/ws-FLEXdialogue/info/ibt/ibf2011.sxhtml
Berlin, Germany, 5-7 June 2011
Investment Climate for Climate Investment - fostering business dynamics for inclusive
low carbon growth
TrainEval - Training for Evaluation in Development
http://www.traineval.org
TrainEval is an advanced training programme for evaluation in development, which is
specifically focused on the European Development Cooperation and the EC evaluation
approach. TrainEval's four modules take place in Brussels.
4th World Economic and Environmental Conference
http://www.wec-wec.net
Qindao, China, 18-20 June 2011
Eschborn Dialogue 2011: Responsible economic action - sustainable development: new
ways forward for national economies?
http://www.gtz.de/en/25641.htm
Eschborn, Germany, 21-22 June 2011, GIZ
How can resource efficiency and environmental and climate protection be synchronised
with economic growth? What will it take to broker out solutions to the conflicts of
interest between the North and South as well as between global committees, individual
states and peoples? What kind of innovations and technologies are needed to secure
standards of living without destroying the natural resources that sustain them? Under
the title, 'Responsible economic action – sustainable development: New ways forward
for national economies?'‚ we want to debate the opportunities and challenges inherent
in a structural shift towards a more sustainable economy.
Green Growth and Development Workshop
http://tinyurl.com/3mk9ou2
Paris, France, 28 June 2011
International Conference on Renewable Energy and Gender
http://www.area-net.org/index.php?id=3585
Abuja, Nigeria, 29 June - 1 July 2011
7th International mesopartner Summer Academy on Economic Development
http://tinyurl.com/3qwnhtc
Duisburg, Germany, 4-8 July 2011
Third International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts and Responses
http://on-climate.com/conference-2011/
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 21-22 July 2010
Challenge of the Balance
http://www.cseindia.org/node/1259#
New Delhi, India, 1-30 August 2011
A course on Policies, Politics & Practices of Environmental Management in the
Developing World
Systemische Ansätze in der Evaluierung: Möglichkeiten und Nutzen
http://www.ageg.de/training_opportunities/systemische_evaluation/
Two workshops about systemic approaches in evaluation with Trainer Richard
Hummelbrunner in German language.
4th International Conference on Higher Education for Sustainable Development
http://www.leuphana.de/institute/infu/unesco-chair/conferences-2011.html
Lüneburg, Germany, 14.-16.09.2011,
Higher Education for Sustainable Development: Moving the Agenda Forward
Green Economy and Sustainable Development: Bringing Back the Social Dimension
http://www.unrisd.org
Davos, Switzerland, October 10-11, 2011
United Nations Research Institute for Sustainable Development
Rio+20 - United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 4-6 June 2012
The objective of the Conference is to secure renewed political commitment for
sustainable development, assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the
implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and
address new and emerging challenges. It is envisaged as a Conference at the highest
possible level, including Heads of State and Government or other representatives. The
Conference will result in a focused political document.
Master's degree in Anthropology, Environment and Development
http://tinyurl.com/3o65qkq
London's Global University, United Kingdom.
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14. Recommended Websites
Chance2sustain: The first three publications available online
http://www.chance2sustain.eu
Chance2Sustain examines how governments and citizens in cities with differing patterns
of urban economic growth make use of participatory (or integrated) spatial knowledge
management to direct urban governance towards more sustainable development.
Clean Energy Information Portal - reegle
http://www.reegle.info
reegle acts as a unique clean energy information portal, targeting specific
stakeholders including governments, project developers, businesses, financiers, NGOs,
academia, international organizations and civil society. Alongside comprehensive
country energy profiles, energy statistics and a directory of relevant stakeholders it
also offers the clean energy search and an extensive glossary. There is also an
insightful clean energy blog with interesting and up-to-date background information.
Climate Impacts: Global and Regional Adaptation Support Platform (ci:grasp)
http://cigrasp.pik-potsdam.de/
ci:grasp aims to support decision-makers and climate change adaptation practitioners
in developing countries by providing structured and coherent climate information.
Information is presented following an impact chain logic, where climate change stimuli
lead to climate impacts, which in turn require adaptation measures. Information is
currently available for nine focal countries. The platform contains almost 1,000
thematic maps and nearly 300 outlines of existing adaptation projects. It will be
expanded continuously. Users are invited to contribute to the adaptation project
database, share their knowledge on adaptation, and give feedback on ci:grasp.
DEW Point Resource Centre
http://www.dewpoint.org.uk
The DEW Point Resource Centre generates and disseminates knowledge on behalf of DFID
staff and their development partners in environment, water resources, water and
sanitation and climate change.
energypedia
http://www.energypedia.info
Energypedia is a wiki platform where you can write, create, revise and disseminate
articles providing information and your experience about technologies and approaches
related to renewable energy and development aid. Furthermore you can jointly organize
discussion processes and groups. Energypedia will optimize the exchange of knowledge
and the joint work amongst energy experts around the world. Developed by the
Dutch-German Partnership Programme Energising Development (EnDev)
EnviroWindows - EEA platform for knowledge sharing and development
http://ew.eea.europa.eu
EnviroWindows makes available the web technologies of the European Environment Agency
(EEA) to facilitate collaboration on projects, organise partnership activities, and
connect geographically distributed users working on research, policymaking, and
eco-innovation.
FuturePolicy.org - Best Policies for Future Generations
http://www.futurepolicy.org
The objective of FuturePolicy.org is to present policy solutions and provide users
with many helpful tools, such as background information, details on policy elements
and benefits, sample texts, case studies, and further links.
German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE)
http://www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de/en/home/
The RNE supports Germany on its way towards sustainability, to promote sustainability
as an issue for public discussion, to support the German government in all matters of
sustainability. On this website you will find details on the members of the Council,
its topical work programme, the mandate given by the German government, the fact sheet
as well as information about the Council´s office and its bid invitations.
Green Growth Leaders
http://greengrowthleaders.org
''Shaping sustainable economies is the fundamental challenge of our time. Facing it,
however, requires outstanding leadership, new means of communication and innovative
collaborations across borders, sectors and mindsets. This is the founding idea of The
Green Growth Leaders (GGL), a global alliance of cities, regions, countries and
corporations, sharing a vision of building prosperous, green economies and communities
-and a better tomorrow for their citizens.
ILO - Green Jobs
http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/green-jobs/lang--en/index.htm
The ILO agenda for Green Jobs promotes a socially fair transition, in which
vulnerabilities, changes in the labour market and new business models are addressed
through an inclusive social dialogue. Green jobs help reducing negative environmental
impact, ultimately leading to environmentally, economically and socially sustainable
enterprises and economies.
Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Communication (INFU) Database
http://www2.leuphana.de/infutools/chair/networking/search.php
Here you have the opportunity to select or to search for specific institutions dealing
with sustainability in Higher Education. You can also register your institution.
Local coping strategies database
http://maindb.unfccc.int/public/adaptation/
Community-based adaptation can greatly benefit from knowledge of local coping
strategies. The secretariat has developed a local coping strategies database to
facilitate the transfer of long-standing coping strategies and knowledge from
communities which have adapted to specific hazards or climatic conditions, to
communities which may just be starting to experience such conditions as a result of
climate change.
New World Bank resources and research tools
http://data.worldbank.org
The World Bank's Open Data portal offers free access to more than 60 data sets. This
session will provide an introduction to and demo of the site and its more than 7,000
development indicators. Born from the World Bank's Open Data, the eAtlas of Global
Development helps visualize the world's most pressing development challenges through
mapping, charting, and graphing of data. See how to use it in presentations, research,
and more. The World Bank eLibrary is a subscription product that includes the World
Bank's full-text collection of more than 6,000 books, reports, journals, and other
documents on social and economic development.
OECD - Green Growth
http:// www.oecd.org/greengrowth
By analysing economic and environmental policies together, by looking at ways to spur
eco-innovation and by addressing other key issues related to a transition to a greener
economy such as jobs and skills, investment, taxation, trade and development, the OECD
can show the way to make a cleaner low-carbon economy compatible with growth
Start Your Waste Recycling Business - ILO Business Manual
http://www.ilo.org/emppolicy/what/pubs/lang--en/WCMS_114978/index.htm
The ILO has on demand now adapted training material originally developed for Zambia
and Tanzania on waste management, to suit the Zimbabwean context, with a focus on
waste recycling as a business idea for community based organisations. The adapted
training package Start Your Waste Recycling Business comprises four key documents (i)
Technical Handouts (ii) Business Manual (iii) Business Plan and (iv) Trainers Guide
Sustainable Development Online
http://sdo.ew.eea.europa.eu
In the drive for sustainable production and business the needs of small and medium
sized enterprises (SMEs) must be met. SMEs (enterprises) often lack the resources,
information and trained personnel that are essential to move towards more sustainable
business practice. This gap has been recognized at official level with the result that
a large number of initiatives have been undertaken to address the specific needs of
SMEs. This SDO database identifies and describes a cross-section of such initiatives
and will grow to include other types of information (case studies, good / best
practice examples) relevant to SMEs.
The Center for Global Development
http://www.cgdev.org/section/topics/climate_change/
CGD's work on climate change examines current and future impacts on developing
countries, identifies how rich countries can help developing countries become more
climate resilient, seeks policy mechanisms to create low-carbon economies in rich and
developing countries, and gathers and discloses emissions-related data to inform the
policy dialogue and boost incentives for steep cuts in the emissions of heat-trapping
gases.
Sustainable Development Policy & Practice
http://uncsd.iisd.org
Knowledge management project on international activities preparing for the UN
Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, also referred to as Rio+20).
The Earth Summit 2012 Stakeholder Forum
http://www.earthsummit2012.org/index.php/institutional-framework-for-sd/sdg2012
SDG2012 is Stakeholder Forum's programme on Sustainable Development Governance (SDG)
towards Rio+20. The programme includes our work as secretariat for the sustainable
development network which is managed by the Climate and Sustainability Platform, ANPED
and IUCN.
The World Future Council (WFC)
http://www.worldfuturecouncil.org
The WFC consists of up to 50 respected personalities from all five continents. They
come from governments, parliaments, the arts, civil society, science and the business
world. Together they form a voice for the rights of future generations. BAsed in
Hamburg, Germany, the WFC staff working in Brussels, London, Washington and Johannesburg.
UNCSD 2012 - Green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty
eradication
http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?menu=62
Green Economy focus of the the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
(UNCSD) - RIO+20.
UNCTAD's Green Economy site
http://www.unctad.org/trade_env/greeneconomy/index.asp
UNCTAD's mandate on Trade and Environment, to be achieved in cooperation with other
relevant organizations, focuses on helping to ensure balance in the trade and
environment debate by highlighting issues of concern to developing countries and
strengthening the development dimensions.
UNESCAP - Green Growth
http://www.greengrowth.org/
Green Growth is a policy focus for the Asia and Pacific region that emphasizes
environmentally sustainable economic progress to foster low-carbon, socially inclusive
development. Green Growth is a globally relevant approach to sustainable economic
growth that was developed in Asia. It is impeartive that countries in the Asia and
Pacific region continue their economic growth to alleviate poverty and to achieve
social progress. However, increased environmental degradation, climate change and
diminishing natural resources require an unconventional approach to support the
export-driven economic activities of the region.
World Bank Business Planet - Mapping the Business Environment
http://rru.worldbank.org/businessplanet/
Take a trip around the world to discover how easy (or difficult) it is to do business
in 183 economies. View data on new business creation around the world. Measures of
entrepreneurial activity are calculated from data collected directly from registrar of
companies on the number of newly registered corporations.
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