by Lorenzo Rodriguez | May 11, 2022
The New Threats to Human Security in the Anthropocene report points out that public perception of safety and security is low worldwide despite years of development success. Groups benefiting from some of the highest health, wealth, and education outcomes present more...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Apr 29, 2022
The Global Commons Stewardship Index 2021has two central pillars: domestic impacts and international spillovers. It assesses both countries’ domestic effects on the Global Commons and the impacts embodied in trade and consumption. Aims to inform policymaking to reduce...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Feb 18, 2022
The Munich Security Conference (MSC) is a forum for debating international security policy. It acts as a venue for diplomatic initiatives to address the world’s most pressing security concerns by bringing together heads of state and government, ministers, leading...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Feb 16, 2022
Climate change accelerates and multiplies disasters, instability, and conflict. This requires European forces to adapt to operations in a challenging environment. The increasing risks from climate change mean that it is shifting from being solely a human security...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Feb 16, 2022
Describes the present ecological predicament and analyzes the security implications arising from this ecological disruption. In this sense, threats without “actors or explicit actor intention, such as infectious disease outbreaks, pandemics, and...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Feb 15, 2022
This year edition of The Global Risks Report presents the results of the latest Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS). The survey includes several sections: COVID-19 Hindsight, Future Outlook, Horizon, Severity, Effects and International Mitigation that underpin the...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Feb 12, 2022
The Department of Defense Climate Risk Analysis describes how climate change is modifying the geostrategic, operational, and tactical landscape. This has significant consequences for the U.S. national security and defense. For instance, threats such as: increasing...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Feb 12, 2022
The UN Security Council and Climate Change elaborated by the Security Council Report, explores the intersection between Climate Change and International Security. Discusses the possibility of engagement that the UN Security Council has to promote action to maintain...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Feb 11, 2022
The World Climate and Security Report 2021 is a flagship publication of the International Military Council on Climate and Security (IMCCS), “a group of senior military leaders, security experts, and security institutions across the globe dedicated to...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Nov 3, 2021
(UNEP & UNEP DTU Partnership, October 2021, 112p, full report) This edition of the Emissions Gap Report 2021 shows that national climate pledges and other mitigation measures will direct the world towards a global temperature rise of 2.7°C by the end of the...
by Cyrine Azaiez | Oct 26, 2021
Since 1998, International Energy Agency’s yearly flagship WEO publication has provided reliable, scientifically-backed “insights into global energy supply and demand” as well as the “implications for energy security, climate targets and...
by Friedrich Hirler | Oct 26, 2021
This multi- and transdisciplinary report/book dives into the vast pool of knowledge surrounding the impact of climate change on the Arctic Ocean and the continents around it. It explores the different but often complementary perspectives by “leading...
by Friedrich Hirler | Oct 26, 2021
In the foreword, Antonio Guterres notes that COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on progress towards the SDGs. The report estimates the necessary fiscal stimulus in the advanced economies reaching nearly 28% of GDP, but the figure drops to 6.5% in middle-income...
by Friedrich Hirler | Oct 21, 2021
The third annual Sustainable Development Outlook (SDO), noting that the “COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted significant setbacks upon the progress made towards achieving the SDGs, leading to a profound distress in the international community. However, despite these...
by Friedrich Hirler | Oct 21, 2021
Antonio Guterres begins by stating that “We are at an inflection point in history,” with COVID-19 upending unending our world, threatening our health, destroying livelihoods, and deepening inequality. Six action areas are described to acceleration the Sustainable...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Aug 22, 2021
This notable publication is the UN-Water’s report on water security and sanitation issues. This report “gives insight on main trends concerning the state, use, and management of freshwater and sanitation, based on work done by the UN-Water members and...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Aug 13, 2021
The authoritative Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, comprising 230 authors from 65 countries, has announced four “AR6” reports from its three Working Groups. In particular, to prepare these reports, the first step is the scoping process. The outline of the...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Aug 10, 2021
Since its inception, through its research on the physical science of climate change, the IPCC has been assessing the state of knowledge on climate change. It identifies agreements in the scientific community related to climate change and topics where further research...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Jul 31, 2021
(International Renewable Energy Agency, June 2021, 180p) During the decade of 2010 to 2020, the renewables power generation has been becoming increasingly competitive. Biggest cost reduction by energy source: Solar photovoltaics fell by 85%Concentrating solar power by...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Jul 31, 2021
This working group of Chinese, European, Russian, and US experts proposes pathways to manage competition, re-learning Cold War lessons, improving crisis communication, maximizing decision-making time in an escalating crisis, clarifying risks of hypersonic weapons,...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Jul 30, 2021
SDG Action has been launched with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network to support the UN’s “Decade of Action”. Therefore, this report is a resource for sustainability practitioners, offering analysis for pressing challenges and...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Jul 30, 2021
The GNFC works to understand food crises, leverage strategic investments, and foster coordination across sectors. The report provides global and regional overviews of food crises (including a forecast for 2021). Additionally, it offers 34 country-level outlines of...
by Lorenzo Rodriguez | Jul 30, 2021
In December 2020, 50 of the world’s leading biodiversity and climate experts appointed by the IPBES and IPCC held a virtual workshop “to examine the synergies and trade-offs between biodiversity protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation. It...
by Michael Sales | Jul 12, 2021
The Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) considered a range of information on UAP described in U.S. military and IC (Intelligence Community). The dataset described in this report is currently limited primarily to U.S. Government reporting of incidents...
by Michael Sales | Jun 1, 2021
While focused on improving recycling in the United States, this report lays out thinking that can be applied to many other nations. The problem is that the U.S. residential recycling system has not grown significantly in 20+ years. The Recycling Partnership believes...
by Michael Sales | Nov 15, 2020
Approximately 100 experts developed this richly illustrated plan intended to promote the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) and the Paris Agreement. Deep transformation of six economic sectors These activities account for almost all CO2...
by Michael Sales | Nov 14, 2020
This report presents the Federal Reserve Board’s current assessment of the resilience of the U.S. financial system. Similar reports are issued by other central banks. The Fed monitors four broad categories of vulnerabilities: Elevated valuation pressures that imply...
by Michael Sales | Oct 1, 2020
Net Zero commitments and the Paris Climate Accords may well be driving a massive shift Negative Emission Technologies (NETs), which are surveyed here with the intention of highlighting the private sector and investor opportunities. It explores the risks associated...
by Michael Sales | Oct 1, 2020
More than 11 million tons of plastic pollute the oceans yearly. There is an urgent need to amplify current efforts through a more coordinated and ambitious approach. Asserts that a new international treaty on plastic pollution will benefit both the environment and...
by Michael Sales | Oct 1, 2020
New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection released its Scientific Report on Climate Change which estimated that sea-levels could rise by as much as 5.1 feet by the year 2100 and 8.3 feet by the year 2150, eroding large land areas of the state, risking...
by Michael Sales | Oct 1, 2020
Via four scenarios, the extensively illustrated report (e.g., Energy Technology RD&D Budgets by country 2020) seeks to provide a comprehensive view of how the global energy system could develop in the coming decades. The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the...
by Michael Sales | Oct 1, 2020
This report is an annual responsibility of the WMO under the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Early warning systems (EWS) are a top adaptation priority in 88% of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to...
by Friedrich Hirler | Oct 1, 2020
Lively and extensive draft versions of a mixed, a pessimistic, and an optimistic scenario, each with advice for Red Cross preparedness. Scenarios: America Endures by Jerome C. Glenn (MP) with Jay Herson (Johns Hopkins School of Public Health) describes stretched...
by Friedrich Hirler | Sep 29, 2020
The second report of GPMB, stating that “COVID-19 has taken advantage of a world in disorder,” the pandemic is “far from over,” the “lack of leadership is exacerbating the pandemic,” and “it is well past time to act.” Describes six Lessons Learned from COVID-19 and...
by Michael Sales | Sep 19, 2020
Landscape Assessment of Financial Flows (LAFF) is appropriate in a landscape where an established multi-stakeholder partnership has identified a set of landscape objectives that stakeholders agree on and are working to pursue. Landscape objectives pursued: 1. create...
by Michael Sales | Sep 17, 2020
Multilateralism serves to bind powerful nations, discourage unilateralism, and gives small powers a voice and influence that they could not otherwise exercise. This extensive study, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development...
by Michael Sales | Sep 11, 2020
The purpose of Forest, Trees, and Agroforestry (FTA) Capacity Development is “to have capable forestry, agroforestry and sustainable land use research and development organizations, individuals, institutions and systems contributing to reducing poverty while...
by Friedrich Hirler | Sep 11, 2020
Once effective COVID vaccines are developed, they will be scarce. Allocation among countries raises complex issues among three groups: the COVAX facility led by WHO and GAVI, producers committed to a broad and equitable distribution, and national governments seeking...
by Friedrich Hirler | Sep 5, 2020
Goalkeepers focus on progress toward the SDGs, especially goals 1-6 on poverty, hunger, and good health. COVID-19 has reinforced the fact that everyone needs to do their part: governments, the private sector, civil society, and the general public. The Report...
by Michael Sales | Sep 1, 2020
Peterson was a Global Economist with Citi Research. She is now Chief Economist at The Conference Board. Mann is the Global Chief Economist at Citigroup. Their analysis asserts that if four key racial gaps for Blacks — wages, education, housing, and investment — were...
by Michael Sales | Sep 1, 2020
Social entrepreneurs found non-profit, hybrid or for-profit organizations who address a social or environmental problem, with a focus on vulnerable populations. As of August 2020, more than one third of all COVID cses are poor people in Africa, Brazil and India. The...
by Friedrich Hirler | Aug 31, 2020
COVID-19 Back to School (Irwin Redlener et al., National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia Univ, August 2020, 5p) Is it safe for my child to be in school? “As opposed to what we thought months ago, children can carry the coronavirus, infect others, and...
by Friedrich Hirler | Aug 19, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic will continue for the foreseeable future, but widespread vaccination could hasten its end. “At least 165 candidate vaccines…are in development worldwide,” and there is hope that one or more will soon be shown to be sufficiently safe and...
by Michael Sales | Aug 16, 2020
Plastic pollution in the Ocean is extensive, alarming, threatening marine species and ecosystems, impacting human activities and wellbeing, and costing billions of dollars yearly. The main drivers of plastic litter from land-based sources appear to be high population...
by Friedrich Hirler | Aug 12, 2020
Looks into the “frequency, severity, damage — and costs — from severe weather events”. The EDF finds a steadily worsening trend due to the effects of man-made climate change. Weather-based disasters “pose crushing safety, financial and health risks...
by Michael Sales | Aug 1, 2020
This is a well-organized report from an independent consultant to the IISS . The Institute provides information and analysis, builds networks, and seeks to influence security policy globally. The core messages of this report are: COVID-19 resulted in an...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jul 29, 2020
This analysis lays out a pathway towards the electrification of the US economy using technology that exists today. They aim to answer the question: “What is the best climate outcome we can achieve?” Main pathways: Layout how to use existing technologies to...
by Michael Sales | Jul 28, 2020
A brief and well-referenced report calling for states to make an immediate and large investment “into vote-by-mail capacity and provision of emergency, early, in-person voting centers. Verification of traceable ballots must be accurate and timely, and election...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jul 26, 2020
“The crisis has been unprecedented in its scope and scale, (but) has not affected all countries and all people in the same way,” and setbacks need not be permanent. It is quite possible to move ahead towards the SDGs, and “even possible to convert the crisis into an...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jul 21, 2020
COVID has caused immense suffering in our cities, exacerbating a wider social and economic crisis that has wiped out 400 million full-time jobs in the second quarter of 2020. It has exposed the stark inequality in our cities and our world, and laid bare the need “to...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jul 21, 2020
Before the pandemic, >820 million people were identified as chronically food insecure, with 135 million people categorized as crisis level or worse. That number could nearly double by the end of 2020. Moreover, as of late May, “368 million school children were...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jul 21, 2020
COVID-19 disinformation has real-world harms to public health (claims about magical solutions and disinfectants), specific groups (Chinese cover-up Jewish elite, Aryan immunity), and public order (police state, vaccine mind control, WHO, bioweapons). GDI tracks...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jul 21, 2020
On May 26, the EU proposed a major recovery plan to help repair the economic and social damage by the COVID pandemic, kick-start European recovery, and protect and create jobs. On July 21, EU leaders agreed on the plan and the financial framework for 2021-2027 to...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jul 14, 2020
The GAO, a nonpartisan investigative office of the Congress, conducted this report in response to the Trump administration’s move to assume substantially lower social costs of carbon emissions as the basis for relaxed environmental regulations. “To...
by Michael Sales | Jul 12, 2020
One of 31 projects supported by the European Union’s Civil Society Support Programme, an initiative that is part of the Negotiation Framework Document, which constitutes the basis of the negotiations of Turkey’s accession to the European Union (EU). Turkey has...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jul 9, 2020
Part 5 of The CIDRAP Viewpoint focuses on surveillance—the ongoing and systematic collection and analysis of data—as “the cornerstone of public health practice.” To have a meaningful impact, the data must be organized and analyzed in a thoughtful, structured way, with...
by Michael Sales | Jul 1, 2020
This detailed report covers Apple’s environmental initiatives and experiences through the 2019 fiscal year, i.e., September 2019. It covers Apple’s efforts to address climate change, the resources it uses, and the role that chemistry plays in the...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jun 30, 2020
Formed in Jan 2019, the Committee held >1000 meetings with stakeholders and 17 official hearings. “American leadership and ingenuity are central to solving the climate crisis.” Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, “We cannot wait…while the harmful human and economic...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jun 30, 2020
A handbook by the 8-member Massachusetts Testing, Tracing, and Supported Isolation (MA TTSI) collaborative. TTSI seeks to enable a safe and free society by providing an end-to-end framework with scaled-up testing, rapid contact-tracing, using assets and spirit of the...
by Michael Sales | Jun 29, 2020
A national and state-by-state flood models presented are the “culmination of decades of research and development” from “a multitude of resources and techniques” that “builds on previously peer-reviewed scientific research.” The...
by Michael Sales | Jun 22, 2020
This document aims to explain the work of the UNCCD, drawing on relevant developments in policy and practical examples of actions that can be to tackle land degradation and drought with a view to enhancing human health and well-being in the wake of the COVID-19...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jun 19, 2020
Masks, gloves, gowns, and other protective equipment produced by hospitals, healthcare facilities, and individuals can be infected with the virus, leading to public health risks. Nine 1-2p Factsheets are available. Factsheet topics: Introduction to COVID-10 Waste...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jun 10, 2020
In the post-corona world, “renewable energy is more cost-effective than ever – providing an opportunity to prioritize clean energy in economic recovery packages and bring the world closer to meeting the Paris Agreement goals.” The United Nations...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jun 6, 2020
An “experimental adaptation” of the annual INFORM Epidemic Risk Index in face of the global COVID-19 pandemic. It surveys “countries at risk from health and humanitarian impacts of COVID-19 that could overwhelm current national response capacity, and...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jun 5, 2020
Humanity’s broken relationship with nature comes at a cost, revealed in terrible ways by the COVID-19 pandemic. Humans have increasingly encroached on the natural world, resulting in escalating contact with wildlife and new zoonotic diseases causing deadly pandemics....
by Friedrich Hirler | Jun 2, 2020
Part 4 of The CIDRAP Viewpoint series, “based on our current reality and the best available data.” Contact tracing is most effective early in the course of an outbreak, or much later when other measures have reduced disease incidence to low levels, e.g. it was “key...
by Michael Sales | Jun 1, 2020
Covid-19 has interrupted defense planning and strategic reflection. Key points of the report : • A broadening of our definition of security beyond military threats is overdue. Resilience in the face of this sort of crisis is an important element of national security....
by Friedrich Hirler | Jun 1, 2020
The pandemic is having dramatic effects on everyday life, global prosperity, international security, and geopolitics. It is a transformative shock, and its negative effects on the global economy are a secondary shock. Unemployment is rising, global supply chains are...
by Michael Sales | May 25, 2020
COVID has demonstrated what a serious crisis can do to the intensive care system. This is a threat assessment of the size of a threat and its probability posed by prospective nuclear explosions. The world is facing a clear threat of an “outbreak” of nuclear weapons...
by Friedrich Hirler | May 20, 2020
Commentary by the CSIS Senior VP on the pandemic as a “history-altering event,” with no “V-shaped recovery for major economies.” Compares three scenarios based on a variety of variables: number of waves, vaccine availability, availability of therapeutics, vaccine...
by Friedrich Hirler | May 17, 2020
“COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. Everything has been impacted.” New statistical records are being set on an almost weekly basis. The CCSA has compiled “a snapshot of some of the latest information,” derived from 36 international organizations and...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 30, 2020
The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota seeks to help planners envision what might happen later in 2020 or in 2021. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is “the worst global public health crisis in over 100...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 28, 2020
A flagship report by the International Energy Agency in “response to the exceptional circumstances” its coverage includes real-time analysis of current developments. As usual, it looks into the “2019 energy and CO2 emissions data by fuel and...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 22, 2020
NIAID, part of the US National Institutes of Health, “is committed to safeguarding the health of Americans and people around the world by accelerating research efforts to prevent, diagnose, and treat COVID-19.” This strategic plan, structured around four research...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 21, 2020
An independent report by >100 leading researchers from Australia’s Group of Eight (Go8) universities, presenting two options: Elimination requiring restrictions for a longer duration at first and Controlled Adaptation by suppressing the illness to a low level and...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 21, 2020
The COVID-19 health crisis is an economic crisis. Limiting social interactions has also limited economic interactions. The collapse in economic activity undermines livelihoods and increases extreme poverty and hunger. “Policy responses in developed countries…do not...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 18, 2020
The pandemic presents “a substantial shock to the post-WWII order, and the worst may be yet to come until a vaccine is widely distributed. The recovery will likely be difficult and extended, and US global leadership is at risk. The three scenarios: downward...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 17, 2020
As chains of transmission begin to decline, along with new COVID-19 cases, decisions are needed at the state level on how to transition out of strict physical distancing. Decision-makers must make choices based on individual situations in their states, risk levels,...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 14, 2020
The World Health Organization gives an overview of the current situation, key insights, and national and international strategies. “Countries must do everything they can to stop cases from becoming clusters and clusters from becoming explosive outbreaks.” Speed,...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 13, 2020
An extensive analysis with many charts and graphs on the state of the science, 9 scenarios on how the situation might evolve, planning and managing responses (for resilience, supply chains, employees, and customers), state and local governments, challenges to emerging...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 10, 2020
In order to save lives, reduce burdens on healthcare, ease strict distancing, and confidently make progress toward returning to work and school, the US “must implement a comprehensive system to identify all COVID-19 cases and trace all close contacts of each...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 5, 2020
As of March 30, three-quarters of Americans were living under state or local stay-at-home mandates or advisories, and the economic fallout has been swift and dramatic. “Up to one-third of US jobs may be vulnerable—and more than 80% are held by low-income workers.”...
by Michael Sales | Apr 2, 2020
The document contains an overview of the project (22p) and four annexes that synthesize the works of CIEL committees that monitor compliance of state with the obligations laid out in UN treaties protecting: Human Rights (3p) Women’s Rights (8p) Economic, Social,...
by Michael Sales | Apr 2, 2020
This report provides insight into the interaction of global politics and technology regarding blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) by which data are recorded, shared and synchronized across a network of participants. Blockchain can be used to expedite...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 1, 2020
“Messages from government leaders and even public health officials have been all over the map, leaving in their wake much confusion and anxiety.” Fairly well-established principles too often ignored include “Don’t over-reassure,” “Proclaim uncertainty,” and “Admit...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 1, 2020
Currently, “821 million people regularly go to bed hungry.” Due to the economic and logistical consequences of COVID-19, “the depth and breadth of hunger will increase worldwide.” Describes countries at risk and the number of people “chronically food insecure” and...
by Friedrich Hirler | Mar 28, 2020
Outlines “steps that can be taken as epidemic transmission is brought under control in different regions” Phase 1: Slow the Spread – Lists thresholds for action and 8 required steps: maintain physical distancing, increase testing capacity, ensure the functioning...
by Friedrich Hirler | Mar 20, 2020
The magazine views the pandemic as “a world-shattering event whose far-ranging consequences…will lead to permanent shifts in political and economic power in ways that will become apparent only later.” It asked “12 leading global thinkers for their predictions.” The...
by Friedrich Hirler | Mar 10, 2020
The pandemic is “a defining moment for modern society. This call for action asks every country to step up with public, private, and civic sectors collaborating to suppress transmission and stop the pandemic, cushion the economic effects of people (a large-scale...
by Friedrich Hirler | Mar 9, 2020
An idealistic scenario from 2050, looking back to the origin and evolution of the coronavirus over the last three decades, where there is widening human awareness of how the planet actually functions and the myopic policies that have driven inequality, poverty,...
by Friedrich Hirler | Mar 1, 2020
An annual survey of global climate indicators (temperature, greenhouse gases, and ozone, oceans, cryosphere, high-impact events) and climate-related risks to human health, food security, population displacement, marine life, and biodiversity). The past five years are...
by Friedrich Hirler | Mar 1, 2020
Key messages on protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights, and promoting gender equality, e.g. pandemics worsen existing inequalities for women and girls. Other key messages: in times of crisis, women and girls may be at higher risk of intimate partner...
by Friedrich Hirler | Feb 20, 2020
The 12 experts consider climate-related risks in seven world regions and a security risk perception survey of 56 other experts worldwide, 1 year, 10 years, and 20 years from 2020. Climate change not only acts as a threat multiplier but can have direct implications for...
by Friedrich Hirler | Feb 1, 2020
Seeks “to help business and policy leaders to understand the forces transforming the global economy, based on studies of 22 OECD countries. Work opportunities have increased everywhere, but work security and income growth have declined or expanded unevenly. As...
by Friedrich Hirler | Feb 1, 2020
The National Security, Military, and Intelligence Panel (NSMIP) analyzed the security implications of two warming scenarios: Near Term (1-2oC by mid-century), and Medium-Long Term (2-4oC). The former would pose High to Very High security threats; the latter would pose...
by Friedrich Hirler | Feb 1, 2020
A non-technical overview of our interconnected global risks, climate, politics, oceans, forced migration, biodiversity, finance, food security, digital innovation for good, and transformation. Discussion of “How to Spur Radical Change” explains Transformation...
by Friedrich Hirler | Feb 1, 2020
Argues for placing children 0-18 years old, at the center of the Sustainable Development Goals and the heart of the concept of sustainability. The health and future of every child and adolescent worldwide is under immediate threat from ecological degradation, climate...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jan 15, 2020
This annual report examines “the key trends and metrics about corporate sustainability: how, and how well, companies are making progress in assessing and minimizing their impacts and embracing a range of strategies that move them forward in significant...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jan 15, 2020
A report based on the WEF Global Risks Perceptions Survey of “nearly 1,000 decision-makers from the public sector, academia, and civil society.” Scientists are not mentioned, although some respondents, most likely, have science backgrounds. This 15th annual edition on...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jan 1, 2020
In 2019, the world’s 2,153 billionaries had more wealth than 4.6 billion people. Calls for a “human economy that is feminist and benefits the 99%, not only the 1%.” Proposes “a set of solutions to radically reprioritize care”, the ‘4Rs’...
by Michael Sales | Dec 4, 2019
“Global monitoring efforts have resulted in an underestimation of the urban sanitation crisis and the risks to public health, the economy, and the environment.” Studies of 15 cities in the global South (where 106M people live) showed that on average, 62...
by Friedrich Hirler | Dec 1, 2019
Report of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Published annually since 2006, these essays involve 81 scientists from 12 countries reporting on the acceleration of ice melting in a region where temperature changes are twice as high as elsewhere. ...
by Friedrich Hirler | Nov 1, 2019
The “gold standard” of long-term energy analysis: the annual report of the International Energy Agency, an independent arm of the OECD in Paris. The report describes global energy trends, energy and the Sustainable Development Goals, and scenarios for oil, natural...
by Friedrich Hirler | Oct 1, 2019
“Intended as a key resource in the face of increasing risks of high-consequence and globally catastrophic biological events.” Provides 195 country profiles on health security and capabilities across six categories, 34 indicators, and 85 sub-indicators. The key...
by Friedrich Hirler | Sep 10, 2019
Some 850 million people still lack access to energy. “The Integrated Distribution Framework” is proposed, to integrate “energy access into financially sustainable utility concession agreements. Seeking “universal energy access” to end energy poverty (Sustainable...
by Friedrich Hirler | Sep 1, 2019
Includes the “expert input from more than 60 engineers and industry leaders who participated in an April 2019 workshop organized around power, industry, transport, and buildings decarbonization.” Outlines six pillars (1) Zero-Carbon Electricity, (2) Electrification of...
by Friedrich Hirler | Sep 1, 2019
Introduces the concept of six transformational “building-blocks of SDG achievement: (1) education, gender and inequality; (2) health, well-being and demography; (3) energy decarbonization and sustainable industry; (4) sustainable food, land, water and oceans; (5)...
by Friedrich Hirler | Aug 1, 2019
This Special Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change looks into the connection between climate change and land, but also the impacts of human land use on the ecosystem. They conclude that “climate change has adversely impacted food security and...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jul 1, 2019
A Report by the World Resources Institute, World Bank, UNEP, UNDP that tries to answer the question of how we can sustainably feed the nearly 10 billion people that are estimated to live on the planet by 2050. It is lined out that ]food demand is on course to increase...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jul 1, 2019
An annual report by the Food and Agriculture Organization that presents the latest estimates on food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition at the global and regional levels. The 2019 edition continues to signal that significant challenges remain in the fight against...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jul 1, 2019
This report by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network has ranked 105 cities annually since 2017. The results show that there will be significant work to do across the board if the SDGs are to be achieved by 2030, as cities on average scored only 48.9%. The top...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jun 1, 2019
A report by the Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network which includes the SDG Index and Dashboard with considerable detail finding mixed results. Denmark, Sweden and Finland top the Index, but “no country is on track for achieving all 17...
by Michael Sales | May 1, 2019
A sobering detailed, comprehensive, and richly referenced and illustrated analysis that asserts that, whether measured by its present scale or projected growth, the existing plastic economy is fundamentally inconsistent with the Paris Agreement. In 2019, the...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 6, 2019
The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment: Mountains, Climate Change, Sustainability, and People (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development; Jan 2019, 627p) The HKH region extends over all or part of 8 countries, encompasses 1.8 billion people—nearly six times...
by Friedrich Hirler | Apr 5, 2019
A massive two-volume effort from the U.S. Global Change Research Program that was mandated by the U.S. Congress, and thus escaped the head-in-sand climate change denial of the Trump administration. Volume 1: Climate Science Special Report (2017, 470p; 23p Summary),...
by Friedrich Hirler | Mar 18, 2019
A recent Special Report by the International Pane for Climate Change summarizing >6,000 studies. It focuses on impacts of 1.5°C warming above preindustrial levels, with comparisons to 2.0°C warming. The key message: at current rates, “global warming is likely to...
by Friedrich Hirler | Mar 1, 2019
The flagship report of the UN Environment Programme was first published in 1997. This 6th report (GEO6), with the theme of “Healthy Planet, Healthy People,” covers climate change as a priority issue, the growing chasm between rich and poor countries, declining genetic...
by Friedrich Hirler | Mar 1, 2019
Produced by GRID-Arendal, a Norwegian foundation cooperating with the UN Environment Program, written by a team of 15 scientists and 12 reviewers. In addition to many maps and charts, the clearly-written text warns of the melting cryosphere (ice, snow, permafrost),...
by Friedrich Hirler | Mar 1, 2019
This report by the International Resource Panel looks into material resources, water, land use, environmental impacts, multi-benefit policymaking, and two scenarios: Baseline and Sustainability. It finds it feasible, that a combination of resource efficiency, climate...
by Friedrich Hirler | Mar 1, 2019
A report by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water, notes the 2018 edition of the World Water Development Report (WWDR 2018) seeks to inform policy and decision-makers, inside and outside the water community, about the potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) to address...
by Friedrich Hirler | Feb 1, 2019
The first global assessment from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Commission on Genetic Resources, drawing on information from 91 country reports prepared by some 1,300 contributors, and inputs from 175 authors and reviewers. Discusses genetic...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jan 1, 2019
The 37 scientists from 16 countries, led by Walter Willett and Johan Rockström, warn that most of the world population is inadequately nourished and many environmental systems and processes are pushed beyond safe boundaries by current food production. A global...
by Friedrich Hirler | Nov 28, 2018
An especially worrisome report from Britain’s premier medical journal, warning that public health gains of past decades are being reversed and offset by climate change. Prepared by 150 experts from 24 academic institutions and UN agencies, who tracked 41 indicators...
by Friedrich Hirler | Oct 1, 2018
A report by the Stockholm Resilience Centre to The Club of Rome. Jergen Randers, Johan Rockström, and four others describe four scenarios in detail: 1) Same: baseline of current policies; 2) Faster: acceleration of economic growth; 3) Harder: government and business...
by Friedrich Hirler | Oct 1, 2018
The 12th edition the World Wildlife Fund’s biennial flagship report, provides the latest data of the Living Planet Index, which tracked over 4,000 vertebrate species in the 1970-2014 period. The key finding is that global populations have declined by 60% due to...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jul 1, 2018
This report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development highlights the value of natural ecosystems in economic growth and good practices in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. They focus on the need “to mainstream biodiversity into economic...
by Friedrich Hirler | May 1, 2018
This report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature looks into the impact of climate change on the maritime environment. “The ocean is now changing more rapidly than it has for millions of years,” due to human interaction with the atmosphere and...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jan 1, 2018
The annual report of the new Global Challenges Foundation in Stockholm overlaps with the WEF Risks Report in concerns about nuclear weapons, chemical and biological weapons, catastrophic climate change, ecological collapse, pandemics, and natural...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jan 1, 2018
Published by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, this is a powerful eye-opening work by 184 authors, summarizing some 4,000 sources. Insights: Land degradation—a pervasive, systemic phenomenon in all parts of the...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jan 1, 2018
A report by produced by the International Resource Panel that stresses the need for a circular economic system to create a sustainable global economy, enabled by remanufacturing, refurbishing, repair, reuse, and value-retention processes, resulting in less waste,...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jan 1, 2018
This report by the World Resources Institute argues that “we are not making progress anywhere near fast enough.” Current economic models “are deeply inadequate” in capturing opportunities for a transformational shift or the grave dangers of climate inaction. “Bold...
by Friedrich Hirler | Jan 1, 2018
This report published by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water aims “to inform policy and decision-makers, inside and outside the water community, about the potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) to address contemporary water management challenges across all sectors,...
by Friedrich Hirler | Dec 1, 2017
This compact 3-page overview by William A. Ripple and seven others was published in BioScience Journal and is a follow-on to an earlier 1992 statement. Signed by >15,000 scientists from 184 countries, now organized as the Alliance of World Scientists, most...
by Cyrine Azaiez | Jun 12, 2013
On 12 June 2013, the Conference of European Statisticians held under the auspices of UNECE in Geneva, endorsed a set of recommendation for a framework to measure sustainable development and associated sets of indicators. This is a “key step toward harmonizing various...
Our world is in the midst of multiple crises, aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. This includes a crisis in education and learning, notably at K-12…
A global movement aimed at empowering people to act responsibly. Aims to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability literacy through its various activities. It is also committed to assisting…
A center providing interdisciplinary education and cutting-edge research to help leaders navigate a rapidly changing world. The programs offered are designed to help aspiring and current sustainability and environmental leaders…