On Friday, June 22nd, the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro came to a close. In total, more than 100 heads of state and tens of thousands of representatives from government, business, and civil society came together over two weeks to advance solutions on sustainable development. "Rio+20 closed with more of a whimper than a roar ," said Manish Bapna, WRI's interim president, who participated in several Rio+20 events. "We cannot lose sight of the big picture. It would be a mistake to conflate the outcome here with what's happening on the ground around the world. Real action is taking place on national and local levels in many countries." Photo: Manish Bapna at the Rio+20 Dialogue on "Sustainable Development for Fighting Poverty
Rio+20 in the Rear View: Companies Call for Better Water Governance - Amidst all of the controversy and frustration over commitments and lack of progress, something significant did happen at Rio: Forty-five major companies representing hundreds of billions of dollars in annual revenue called for "much greater action by Governments" to achieve global water security. These major companies endorse the U.N.'s Global Compact CEO Water Mandate, an initiative designed to assist companies in the development, implementation, and disclosure of water sustainability policies and practices. Full story >>>
Achieving the Benefits of a Green Economy through Clean Energy - How can policymakers deliver low-carbon development, particularly clean energy, at affordable costs? What strategies have countries used to attain the economic benefits of building a clean energy industry while keeping the burden to consumers low - and who is succeeding, and why? These are just a few of the questions that policymakers grapple with when tackling the challenges associated with transitioning to a green economy, one of the key themes of the Rio+20 conference. Priya Barua explores these questions and discusses WRI's upcoming, cross-country analysis of clean energy industry development.
Environmental Protection and Poverty Reduction Are Linked - "While some portray environmental protection in opposition to poverty reduction, the reality is that the two are intimately intertwined," explains Manish Bapna. "We can - and should - tackle poverty at the same time as we protect ecosystems and natural resources. ...Ultimately, we need to push sustainability to the center of the political and economic agenda - and envision a planet where environmental protection and economic growth are part of a cohesive and integrated strategy."Full story >>>
Survey Says: Results of WRI's Project on Communicating Climate Science by Video. For this pilot project, supported by Google.org, we produced a series of climate science videos featuring Andy Dessler (Texas A&M University), Brian Helmuth (University of South Carolina) and Paul Higgins (American Meteorological Society).
Where do Renewable Energy Purchases Fit into a GHG Inventory? Many companies seek to purchase renewable energy and use the zero-emissions rate in calculating their indirect emissions from electricity consumption.
EPA's New Source Performance Standards: A Positive Step Toward Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The EPA's proposed New Source Performance Standards would limit carbon pollution from new power plants.
Asian Organizations Commit to Advance Corporate Action on Climate Change. WRI's GHG Protocol recently held a week-long training session in India to further build Asian companies' capacities to measure and curb emissions
400 PPM: Carbon Dioxide Levels Cross A Sobering New Threshold. Air samples taken from the NOAA observatory in Barrow, Alaska show that concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere surpassed 400 parts per million (PPM) sometime this spring.
New Green Growth Alliance Will Help Spur Private Investment in Developing Nations. The G2A2 aims to scale-up private investment in green sectors like renewable energy, clean transportation, and sustainable agriculture
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