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KEY PUBLICATIONS AND ONLINE
RESOURCES
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
IMPROVING LIVES: WORLD BANK GROUP PROGRESS ON
RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN FISCAL YEAR 2006
(World Bank, December 2006)
This report reviews the World Bank's efforts to finance renewable energy
and energy efficiency projects through 61 projects in 34 different
countries. It notes that during fiscal year 2006, the Bank funded
renewable energy and energy efficiency projects amounting to US$860
million and committed an additional US$668 million. These figures
represent a 45% increase over fiscal year 2005, which more than doubles
the World Bank's target to increase financing of renewable energy by 20%
per year adopted at the International Conference on Renewable Energy
held in Bonn, Germany in June 2004. The
report.
Environmentally Sustainable
Transport and Climate Change: Experiences and lessons from community
initiatives
(UNDP and
GEF, November 2006)
This publication reviews 65 sustainable transport community projects
funded by the GEF Small Grants Programme, and provides lessons and
experiences that demonstrate the role community initiatives play in
testing new approaches, raising awareness of new ideas, piloting
innovative strategies, and informing and stimulating policy dialogue in
a cost-effective way. The
publication.
BUSINESS AND ECOSYSTEMS
(Earthwatch Institute, IUCN, World Business Council for Sustainable
Development, World Resources Institute, November 2006)
This issue brief explores the six challenges identified by the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment –water scarcity, climate change, habitat
change, biodiversity loss and invasive species, overexploitation of
oceans and nutrient overloading- discusses their implications for
businesses and provides examples of corporate responses. The
brief.
ECOSYSTEM CHALLENGES AND
BUSINESS IMPLICATIONS
(Earthwatch Institute,
IUCN, WBCSD and WRI, 2006)
This publication is based on facts and projections from the UN's
multi-year Millennium Ecosystem Assessment as well as interviews with
business leaders to assess the implications and strategies needed to
respond to environmental challenges. It indicates that many companies
recognize the risks associated with degrading ecosystems and are trying
to adapt accordingly, but most fail to associate healthy ecosystems with
their business interests. Four partners, the Earthwatch Institute
(Europe), the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the World Business
Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Resources
Institute (WRI), produced the report, which is the first of three
anticipated studies. The second will focus on how new business models,
markets and entrepreneurs can profit from responding to ecosystem
challenges, and the third will help business executives identify their
dependences on ecosystem services and ways to retain them for the long
term. The
report.
MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL
AGREEMENTS AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO THE ARCTIC
(UNEP/GRID-Arendal, 2006)
UNEP/GRID-Arendal organized a seminar in September 2006 on MEAs and
their relevance to the Arctic. This webpage offers links to resources
related to the meeting, including an overview
of Multilateral Environmental Agreements and their relevance to the
Arctic, available presentations and the seminar's final recommendations.
The
webpage.
Joining Forces and Resources for Sustainable Development -Cooperation
among Municipalities: A Guide for Practitioners
(UNDP, Bratislava Regional Centre, October 2006)
This guide provides local actors with practical ideas for
engaging in inter-municipal cooperation, focusing on incentive systems,
enabling legal environment and management arrangements. The
guide.
IMPLEMENTATION
BARRIERS TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A Civil Society Assessment in 15
countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America
(Sustainability Watch, September 2006)
This first "Sustainability Watch Report 2006" presents assessments
by national CSO networks on barriers that hinder the effective
realization of sustainable development goals. The
report.
THE APRM MONITOR: NEWS AND VIEWS ON
THE AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM
(Partnership Africa Canada, 2006) This newsletter offers summaries of a
workshop on "Improving Compliance with African Treaties" in the context
of African Peer Review Mechanisms (APRM), a story about Ghana's APRM,
and the 6th African Governance Forum, among other stories.
The
newsletter.
LIVING
PLANET REPORT 2006
(WWF and Global Footprint Network, October 2006) This year's Living
Planet Report explores the overall impact of humankind on the planet,
and confirms that humanity is using the planet's resources faster than
they can be renewed and that populations of vertebrate species have
declined by about one third since 1970. The report details the strain on
the world's natural resources and the declining numbers of the animal
species that depend on them, and offers solutions to reverse downward
trends in both these areas. The
report.
LINKING
TRADE, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY
(ICTSD, 2006)
This collection of issue briefs addresses challenges in linking trade,
climate and energy negotiations, looking at opportunities for the
climate and trade systems to be mutually supportive. Essays analyze how
climate-friendly measures – including incentives such as climate
standards, strategically targeted subsidies and liberalization in
environmental goods and services – within the various trade regimes
could make a major contribution toward a sustainable energy transition,
and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The
report.
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: PROGRESS IN ASIA AND
THE PACIFIC 2006
(UNESCAP and UNDP, October 2006) The UN Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and UN Development
Programme (UNDP), with the involvement of the Asian Development Bank
(ADB), produced this report. It provides estimates of populations
affected by social and economic poverty in the Asia-Pacific region and
compares it with sub-Saharan- Africa and Latin America and the
Caribbean. The report highlights that the Asia-Pacific region as a whole
is on track to achieve most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
but indicates that progress in many individual countries is slow and
performance on some of targets, including infant mortality and access to
basic sanitation, is unsatisfactory. The
report.
THE WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2007: DEVELOPMENT AND
THE NEXT GENERATION
(World Bank, September 2006) The World Bank released this report during
it Annual Meetings in Singapore. The report suggests that developing
countries that invest in better education, healthcare and job training
for young people between the ages of 12 and 24 years of age could
produce surging economic growth and reduce poverty. The
World Bank report.
MAKING POVERTY REDUCTION IRREVERSIBLE: DEVELOPMENT IMPLICATIONS OF THE
MILLENNIUM ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT
(IIED, 2006) This paper, authored by Steve Bass, identifies the major
developmental implications of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)
and calls for action in four areas: information, institutional reform,
international cooperation, and investment vehicles and budgets. The
paper.
RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES IN DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES: LESSONS FROM MAURITIUS, CHINA AND BRAZIL
(UNU,
2006) This report reviews three renewable energy developments that have
taken place in developing countries without significant foreign
investment: bagasse cogeneration in Mauritius, ethanol in Brazil and
solar hot water in China. It suggests that renewable energy planning
should be approached strategically by developing countries, with
specific technological strategies grounded in national industrial
capacity and energy resources. The
report.
SUSTAINING THE ENVIRONMENT AT THE WORLD BANK
(WRI,
2006) This policy note by Frances Seymour of the World Resources
Institute (WRI), examines the implications of the merger of the World
Bank's environment and infrastructure units and raises questions about
whether and how the Bank will promote environmental sustainability. The
policy note.
IUCN E-DISCUSSION FORUM: THE FUTURE OF
SUSTAINABILITY: HAVE YOUR SAY!
Open to
all IUCN Members, Councilors, Commissions, staff worldwide, and the
general public, this e-discussion is taking place from 21 August to 15
September 2006. The e-discussion forum will provide inputs to the
preparations for the fourth IUCN World Conservation Congress, to be held
in Barcelona, Spain in 2008, while a summary will be available on the
IUCN website later this year. The
forum.
ONE
PLANET, MANY PEOPLE: ATLAS OF OUR CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
(UNEP,
2006) This publication offers a collection of 405 Powerpoint slides,
divided into regional and thematic sets, which use remote sensing
technology to give a visual presentation of scientifically verifiable
information about changes in the global environment. The
Atlas.
BUSINESS IN THE WORLD OF WATER
(WBSCD,
2006) This report by the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD) finds that water shortages pose potentially as
serious a challenge as climate change. It explores three future
scenarios to understand how businesses can contribute to sustainable
water management, including an analysis of innovation in water
efficiency, security of water supply and water rights. The
report.
RICH COUNTRIES, POOR WATER
(WWF,
2006) This report offers one of the first comprehensive overviews of
water issues in the developed world, highlighting the impacts of water
problems in countries such as Australia, Spain, Japan, the UK and the
US. It shows that a combination of climate change and drought and loss
of wetlands that store water, along with poorly thought-out water
infrastructure and resource mismanagement, is making this crisis truly
global. The
report.
ELIMINATING WORLD POVERTY: MAKING GOVERNANCE
WORK FOR THE POOR
(DFID,
July 2006) This "White Paper on International Development" by the UK's
Department for International Development sets out what the British
government plans to do to reduce world poverty over the next five years.
The White Paper.
A NEW ERA FOR OIL PRICES
(Chatham
House, 2006) Author John Mitchell argues in this report that oil is
pricing itself out of the market, making previously expensive
alternatives highly attractive to energy consumers and forcing oil
consumers to use current technology more efficiently. The
report.
PLAN B 2.0: RESCUING A PLANET UNDER STRESS AND A
CIVILIZATION IN TROUBLE
(Earth
Policy Institute, 2006) In this book, Lester Brown offers three
components for "Plan B:" (1) a restructuring of the global economy so
that it can sustain civilization; (2) an all-out effort to eradicate
poverty, stabilize population, and restore hope in order to elicit
participation of the developing countries; and (3) a systematic effort
to restore natural systems.
More
information.
EBRD SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2005
(EBRD,
June 2006) This report looks at the promotion of sustainability
by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This
year's report has a special focus on energy, covering the development of
the EBRD's new energy policy and its activities across the energy
sector. Case studies also address the Bank's consideration of
environmental and social issues in project finance. The
report.
AFRICA ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK-2: OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR
WEALTH
(AMCEN and UNEP, 2006) The African Ministerial Conference on the
Environment (AMCEN), with the support of UNEP, produced this AEO-2
report, which identifies opportunities the environment provides to
implement the MDGs. It suggests that Africa transition from being a
major exporter of primary resources to being one with a vibrant
industrial and manufacturing base. It also proposes putting
government-held lands into production rather than over-exploiting
existing agricultural land and adopting proper pollution controls and
greater efficiency in water management. The
report.
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS REPORT 2006
(ECOSOC Statistics Division, 2006) This report was released during the
2006 substantive session of the Economic and Social Council. It offers a
progress report on achieving the MDGs and includes contributions from
statistical departments of more than 20 UN funds, programmes and
agencies and other international organizations. The report finds that
developing countries have made progress in providing access to clean
water and schooling, but efforts to achieve other internationally agreed
targets are falling behind schedule. The
report.
WORLD ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SURVEY 2006
(UN, 2006) Under-Secretary-General Jose Antonio Ocampo launched the UN
World Economic and Social Survey 2006 (WESS 2006) in Geneva to coincide
with the substantive session of the Economic and Social Council in July
2006. This report analyzes long-term social and economic development
issues and discusses the positive and negative impact of corresponding
policies. WESS 2006 suggests that developing nations should determine
country-specific economic policies and chart their own reform path,
because the report finds that the conventional strategy since the 1980s
of giving more space to the global market has been only partially
effective. The
report.
IMPLEMENTATION OF AND FOLLOW-UP TO THE
OUTCOMES OF THE WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
(UN, 2006) This report was prepared by the UN Secretary-General pursuant
to a request originating from the Tunis phase of the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS), regarding the modalities of the interagency
coordination of the implementation of WSIS outcomes, including
recommendations on the follow up process. The
report.
PREVENTING DISEASE THROUGH HEALTHY
ENVIRONMENTS: TOWARDS AN ESTIMATE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN OF DISEASE
(WHO, 2006) This report is based on a review of available scientific
evidence as well as consultations with more than 100 experts for
estimates of how much environmental risk factors contribute to the
disease burden of 85 diseases. The results are summarized globally, by
14 regions worldwide, and separately for children. The findings suggest
that environmental risk factors play a role in more than 80% of the
diseases regularly reported by the World Health Organization. The
report.
PODCAST: WORLD
BANK ON GAS FLARING
(World Bank podcast, 20 June 2006) Each year about 150 billion cubic
meters of natural gas are flared. Traditionally considered a safe and
effective way of getting rid of excess natural gas that comes with oil
production, gas flaring (i.e. burning natural gas) is now a great cause
of concern for the large amount of greenhouse gas emissions it generates
and the waste of valuable energy resources. The World Bank has prepared
an online
podcast on the topic.
FILLING THE GAPS: PRIORITY DATA NEEDS AND KEY
MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES FOR NATIONAL REPORTING ON ECOSYSTEM CONDITION
(The Heinz Center, 2006) This report recommends "urgent action" to fill
10 key environmental indicator information data gaps that it finds are
preventing better environmental decision making in the US. The
report.
SCIENCE ON SUSTAINABILITY 2006
(Japan for Sustainablity, 2006) This resource is the result of a
literature review, interviews and questionnaires with some 170 experts
and scholars in Japan, the US and Europe regarding the scientific status
of seven fields related to environmental sustainability: climate,
energy, resources and wastes, food and water, biodiversity, ecosystems
and services, and environmental impact assessment. The
research project.
ENERGY AND GENDER ISSUES IN RURAL SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
(FAO,
2006) This paper by Yianna Lambrou and Grazia Piana discusses gender
issues and energy linkages within the international sustainable
development context and presents recommendations on ways of
incorporating gender sensitivity into energy and development policies
and planning processes. The
report.
AGRICULTURE AND ACHIEVING THE MILLENNIUM
DEVELOPMENT GOALS
(World Bank, 2006) This report from IFPRI and the World Bank, authored
by Mark W. Rosegrant, Claudia Ringler, Todd Benson, Xinshen Diao,
Danielle Resnick, James Thurlow, Maximo Torero and David Orden, examines
agriculture's role in meeting the MDGs under various development
scenarios. The report.
A GUIDE TO WORLD RESOURCES 2005
(WRI,
2005) This 24-page guide provides a synthesis of the larger report and
contains 12 new messages on environmental income and pro-poor
governance, based on feedback from readers of the larger report. The
guide.
REPRESENTING CONSTITUENTS, SERVICING NATURE:
THE ROLE OF AN MP IN ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN
MALAWI
(Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy, 2006) The book is one of
several case studies on environmental representation undertaken by World
Resources Institutes partner organizations in Africa. The
book.
STRENGTHENING THE JOHANNESBURG IMPLEMENTATION
TRACK: CONSIDERATIONS FOR ENHANCING THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT'S MULTI-YEAR PROGRAMME OF WORK
(Stakeholder Forum, April 2006) This report from the Stakeholder Forum
for a Sustainable Future draws from several workshops it convened to
develop 19 considerations or recommendations to enhance and maximize the
CSD process and its importance. The
report.
IEG-DOSSIER
(Stakeholder Forum, 2006) The International Environmental Governance (IEG)
dossier is the Stakeholder Forum's "online clearing house on the reform
of the UN environment and development architecture." It summarizes and
offers links to a variety of related resources, including country
positions and proposals, NGO and major group proposals, and UN
activities and decisions related to reform. The first issue was released
as a print version, for distribution at CSD-14. The
website.
PRIORITIES FOR "ENERGY CYCLE": SUMMARY OF THE
POSSIBLE POLICY APPROACHES IDENTIFIED IN THE SECOND CYCLE REGIONAL
IMPLEMENTATION MEETINGS (2005-2006)
(Stakeholder Forum, 2006) Richard Sherman authored this content analysis
of the Regional Implementation Meetings (RIMs) leading up to CSD-14. It
identifies 84 obstacles, constraints and challenges and 148 possible
policy approaches across the thematic areas on the CSD-14 agenda: energy
for sustainable development, climate change, atmosphere/air pollution
and industrial development. The
report.
FIGHTING POVERTY: A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
(WBI, InWEnt, UN Global Compact, Insituto Ethos, 2006) This publication
reports on the proceedings of of the 10th International
Business Forum on "Business and the Millennium Development Goals: An
Active Role for Globally Responsible Companies," which took place from
11-13 September 2005 in New York. The report was launched during the
World Bank Institute's April 2006 meeting on "Business, NGOs and
Development: Strategic Engagement to Meet the Millennium Development
Goals." The
report.
ECO-EXERGY AS SUSTAINABILITY
(WIT Press, May 2006) This new book, edited by S.E. Jørgensen, examines
the shortcomings of using cost/benefit analysis to address environmental
issues, explores the concept of sustainability and considers how to
estimate sustainability to make better decisions relating to the
environment.
More information and purchasing details.
GLOBAL MONITORING REPORT 2006
(World Bank, April 2006) The third annual Global Monitoring Report on
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) examines the progress achieved
in meeting the MDGs. The report focuses on poverty and malnutrition,
human development outcomes, commitments on aid, trade and debt relief,
the performance of international financial institutions, and governance
issues. It concludes that in spite of significant progress in some
countries,
the world is
still far from achieving the MDGs. In particular, it notes that many
countries in Africa and South Asia are not on track to meet their goals.
It highlights the need for a far greater effort to implement the vision
of global action and mutual accountability to achieve the results
envisaged at the Monterrey Summit on financing for development in 2002.
The report places
special emphasis on the importance of good governance to strengthen
accountability for resource use and for development outcomes. It argues
that donors and international finance institutions should strengthen
their own anticorruption controls (including through the debarment and
cross-debarment of suppliers engaging in bribery and corruption). The
report also calls for increased transparency and technical assistance
and funding to encourage good governance, rather than fragmenting and
depleting already weak country systems.
The report.
TRENDS IN
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(UN DESA,
2006) This publication contains a compilation of maps and graphs related
to the four interrelated areas to be discussed during CSD-14: energy for
sustainable development, industrial development, atmosphere and air
pollution and climate change. This recurrent publication tracks progress
in meeting sustainable development challenges, with this and future
issues focusing on the themes under review in each two-year cycle of the
Commission on Sustainable Development. The
publication.
GOVERNING LAND: REFLECTIONS FROM IFPRI RESEARCH
(IFPRI,
March 2006) This publication, authored by Stephan Dohrn, summarizes
findings of research by the International Food Policy Research Institute
(IFPRI) related to land management and governance to promote strategies
and policies targeted toward the achievement of gender equity, poverty
reduction, and sustainable resource management. The
report.
STRENGTHENING GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY
(ippr,
April 2006)
This paper draws from the discussion at the high-level, three-day
conference the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) convened at
the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center in Italy in July 2005
regarding global civil society. Author Leni Wild identifies recent
examples in which global civil society groups have been a force for
progressive social change as well as specific ways these progressive
forces can be strengthened. The
paper.
SWISSCOM SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
(Swisscom,
2006) Swisscom, the largest telecom operator in Switzerland, has
integrated a sustainability report into this 2005 Annual Report,
bringing together the economic, social and environmental performance of
the business in a single document based on Global Reporting Initiative
reporting guidelines. The
report.
BP
SUSTAINABLITY REPORT
(BP, 2006)
Global energy group BP's Sustainability Report 2005 is entitled "Making
energy more." The report.
UNEP/GRID-ARENDAL MAPS AND GRAPHICS LIBRARY
UNEP/GRID-Arendal
has established a new online Maps and Graphics Library that provides
information on various aspects of communication and sustainable
development. The library.
ACHIEVING THE MDGS IN ASIA: A CASE FOR MORE AID?
(UNESCAP,
2006) This report analyzes aid to sub-regions in the world on a needs
basis calculated on percentage share of underweight children and other
Millennium Development Goal indicators, and suggests that Asia is being
ignored in favor of Africa. This report was prepared by UNESCAP as
background for the Asia 2015 Conference - Promoting Growth, Ending
Poverty, London, 6-7 March 2006.
The report.
VALUING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
(bepress,
2006) This article, authored by Edward Barbier and Geoffrey Heal,
appears in The Economists' Voice 3:3, an online peer-reviewed
journal. The article considers an emerging field aimed at valuing
ecosystems, whose purpose is to help policy makers decide things such as
how best to provide New York with clean water or the role that expanded
wetlands might play in limiting storm damage in New Orleans.
More information.
CLEAN-ENERGY TRENDS 2006
(Clean
Edge, 2006) This report, from a research and publishing firm, considers
emerging clean-energy markets and reviews the growing prospects for
renewable energy producers such as wind, solar and biofuels.
The report.
RETOOLKIT
(World
Bank, 2006) This Renewable Energy Toolkit:
An Operational Guide for Electric Services (REToolKit)
seeks to help users improve the design and
implementation of renewable energy initiatives in developing countries.
The Toolkit.
EC ENERGY GREEN PAPER
(EC, March
2006)
The European Commission published this Green Paper on 8 March 2006. It
seeks to develop a common, coherent European Energy Policy, with the
objective of helping the European Union lay the foundations for secure,
competitive and sustainable energy.
The Green Paper.
CATALYZING CHANGE: A SHORT HISTORY OF THE WBCSD
(WBCSD,
2006) This publication reviews the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development's past ten years, examining the people and
points that inspired business leaders to engage in sustainable
development. The
report.
FROM CHALLENGE TO OPPORTUNITY: THE ROLE OF BUSINESS
IN TOMORROW'S SOCIETY
(WBCSD,
2006) This WBCSD publication is signed by eight business leaders who are
part of WBCSD's "Tomorrow's Leaders Group" and represent Adidas, BP, CLP,
GrupoNueva, Procter & Gamble, Storebrand, Swiss Re and TNT. They argue
that tomorrow's leading companies will be those that address the world's
major challenges, including poverty, climate change, resource depletion
globalization and demographic shifts, and suggest new business models
that would improve the bottom line while tackling these issues. The
report.
WORKING EFFECTIVELY AT THE INTERFACE OF FOREST
SCIENCE AND FOREST POLICY: GUIDANCE FOR SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCH
ORGANIZATIONS
(IUFRO,
2005) This publication by Richard W. Guldin, John A. Parrotta and Eeva
Hellström offers guidelines to provide advice to researchers and
research leaders on how to plan, conduct, and organize research
activities so that results can more quickly and easily be transformed
into usable information for problem-solving and policy-making. The
publication.
SCIENCE FOR ENVIRONMENT POLICY: DG ENVIRONMENT
NEWS ALERT SERVICE
(EC, 2006)
The
European Commission's DG Environment recently launched this "Science for
Environment Policy" news service, which seeks to improve the
dissemination of research results so they are more useable for policy
makers and to help communicate understanding of environmental issues to
the general public.
More information.
To
subscribe, send an email titled SUBSCRIBE Sci-Env-Policy to
science-env-policy@biois.com.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK (GEO) YEAR BOOK 2006
(UNEP, February 2006) This year's Global Environment Outlook (GEO) Year
Book focuses on energy and air pollution, concluding that indoor air
pollution may be responsible for up to 2.4 million premature deaths a
year while outdoor air pollution from industries and vehicle may trigger
about 800,000 premature deaths annually, with 65% of the deaths
occurring in the developing countries of Asia. In addition, its section
on emerging challenges focuses on crop production in a changing climate,
and fish and selfish farming in marine ecosystems. The
Year Book.
ASSESSING ENVIRONMENT'S CONTRIBUTION TO POVERTY
REDUCTION
(UNEP;
IIED; IUCN; WRI, 2005) This paper examines how countries can use
information and assessment methods to measure and report on progress
towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7 (ensure environmental
sustainability). This study reviews the five indicators of the MDG
framework that measure progress toward reversing environmental resource
loss, including indicators of forest cover, biodiversity, energy use,
emissions of carbon dioxide and ozone-depleting substances, and use of
solid fuels. The
paper.
INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
(A. Pedone,
2005) This book, for French-speaking audiences, contains a compilation
of international instruments on environmental protection adopted prior
to 2005. For more information on how to order, e-mail:
Editions-pedone@wanadoo.fr
or telephone: +33-1-43-54-05-97.
SUSTAINABLE ASIA 2005 AND BEYOND – IN THE PURSUIT OF
INNOVATIVE POLICIES
(IGES,
January 2006) The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies has
published its first white paper. The paper "consolidates the primary
outcomes of its policy research for sustainable development in Asia and
the Pacific region since its establishment in 1998." It warns that
further declines in environmental capital would risk a reversal of the
economic gains made over the past three decades, and bring social and
political instability to the region. It urges significant and immediate
action at all levels throughout the region.
More
information.
LAND RIGHTS FOR AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT: FROM KNOWLEDGE
TO ACTION
(IFPRI,
2006) This series of 12 briefs, edited by Ester Mwangi, is drawn from
deliberations at a workshop held from 31 October to 3 November 2005, and
hosted by the UNDP Drylands Development Center and the International
Land Coalition. The workshop addressed key land tenure issues in Africa
that influence food security, environmental sustainability, agricultural
intensification, conflict, peace building and broader rural development.
The briefs.
WORLD ECONOMIC SITUATION AND PROSPECTS 2006
(ECOSOC,
February 2006) This report was launched during the February 2006
organizational session of the UN Economic and Social Council by
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Jose Antonio
Ocampo. It is the UN's annual analysis of current developments in the
world economy and emerging policy issues. The
report.
MILLENNIUM ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT FOUNDATION
REPORTS
(Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, January 2006) The Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment (MA) has released four technical volumes, which are the
products of the four MA working groups. The volumes examine: Current
State and Trends; Scenarios; Policy Responses; and
Multi-Scale Assessments. A Summary for Decisionmakers was
compiled from the four volumes. These reports contain the detailed
scientific assessment (including literature citations) on which the
shorter MA synthesis reports were based. The
reports.
OUTGROWING THE EARTH: THE FOOD SECURITY
CHALLENGE IN AN AGE OF FALLING WATER TABLES AND RISING TEMPERATURES
(Earth
Policy Institute, 2005) This text by Lester Brown examines linkages
between population growth, agricultural productivity, soil fertility,
water tables, climate change and security. The
report.
ENERGY "FACTOIDS"
(Sustainable Energy Coalition, 2006) The Sustainable Energy Coalition
has released the second set of five "factoids" in a series considering
various energy issues, including renewable energies, fossil fuels and
reliance on oil, and biomass. The "factoids" outline findings from
recent studies and focus in particular on issues facing the U.S.
More information.
ENERGY PLANNING, TECHNOLOGIES AND SUSTAINABILITY:
A PRIMER
(Cen2eco:
Centre for Economic and Ecological Studies, 2005) This primer considers
the "performance, costs, and resource implications for a wide range of
power generation technologies used to supply electricity in energy
markets." It also addresses demand-side considerations at the regional,
national and local levels. The
report.
Survey on General Assembly CIVIL SOCIETY HearingS
(UN NGLS,
2006) This new report from the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service
provides insights on a recent survey of civil society organizations
seeking feedback on the "Hearings of the UN General Assembly with NGOs,
civil society organizations and the private sector," held in New York in
June 2005. The survey suggests that the Hearings were widely viewed as
being worthwhile, while lessons learned included the need to provide
more time for preparatory meetings. The
report.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENGAGING
COMMUNITIES PROCEEDINGS
(ICEC,
2006) This resource includes all submitted papers from the August 2005
International Conference on Engaging Communities, which met in Brisbane,
Queensland, Australia. The
resource.
PILOT 2006 ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDEX (EPI)
(Center
for Environmental Law and Policy, Yale University, and Center for
International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia
University, 2006) The EPI ranks 133 countries on 16 indicators tracked
in six established policy categories, identifying targets for
environmental performance and measuring how closely each country comes
to these goals. The report finds that
environmental policy results "can be tracked with the same
outcome-oriented and performance-based rigor that applies to poverty
reduction, health promotion, and other global development goals." It
also argues that clearer targets, monitoring and mainstreaming are
needed for environmental protection efforts. The report suggests that
the top-ranked countries such as New Zealand and Sweden commit
significant resources to environmental protection. The pilot EPI
was formally released at Davos, Switzerland, during the annual meeting
of the World Economic Forum. More
information and the report.
If you
would like to submit details of
recently published documents and online resources,
send a message to
Diego Noguera, IISD
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