Affidavit on behalf of Union Territory of Puducherry in the matter of a news item titled "India lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover since 2000 Global Forest Watch" which appeared in the Indian Express, April 13, 2024. The report dated April 25, 2025 said that there is no loss …
In 2024, all countries will be updating and submitting their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). These national climate plans outline commitments towards tackling climate change. These plans impact all walks of life and must therefore be inclusive of the whole of society. By examining recent practices across 11 countries, Oxfam found …
Effective climate budgeting requires meaningful participation and systematic public engagement. Without these it is difficult for governments to provide climate financing that aligns with household priorities, and households will continue to spend large amounts of money responding and adapting to climate change without, and sometimes against the flow of, public …
The primary responsibility for providing on-the-ground services and for ensuring the controlled management of solid waste, on the other hand, lies with the local authorities. Often fiscally constrained with many competing priorities beyond waste, local authorities may have limited ability to deliver adequate services. Their technical and operational capacities may …
The objective of this assessment is to provide an overview of good practices that have emerged in relation to the implementation, protection and promotion of procedural access rights to enable the right to a safe, clean healthy and sustainable environment. This report broadly covers the good practices, advancements, issues and …
Published in collaboration with the Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG), this case study explores the role of electricity bills in enhancing information disclosure practices of electricity distribution companies (discoms) and improving public participation in decision-making. It explores the case of Tamil Nadu, where a unique bill format ‒ …
Social-ecological transformation in Asian cities is instrumental to achieving many global development and climate targets. As dense settlements of human and economic activity, Asian cities present unique challenges but also opportunities for low-carbon transitions.
Just over six months since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, civic freedoms remain under threat across the world. A new brief released by the CIVICUS Monitor documents ongoing and unjustifiable restrictions on the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression. The brief also finds …
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Pushpendra Kumar Vs Nagar Panchayat, Kadaura & Others dated 23/06/2020 regarding restoration of a water body called the main pond (Sadar Bazar) of Kadaura town, district Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh. Such restoration would help access to drinking water. Direction was also …
Engaging the private sector in infrastructure financing through public-private partnership (PPP) can contribute significantly to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, PPP has yet to realize its potential fully in several Asia-Pacific economies. To promote this blended financing modality, a more conducive environment for PPP need …
The first-ever global assessment of environmental rule of law finds weak enforcement to be a global trend that is exacerbating environmental threats, despite prolific growth in environmental laws and agencies worldwide over the last four decades. Despite a 38-fold increase in environmental laws put in place since 1972, failure to …
South Africa's National Climate Change Bill has been gazetted and is open for public comment. The purpose of the Bill is to build an effective climate change response and ensure the long-term, just transition to a climate resilient and lower carbon economy and society, reads a statement from the department …
Order of the Supreme Court of India in the matter of M. C. Mehta Vs Union of India & Others dated 24/05/2018 regarding amendments to the Master Plan for Delhi. Apex Court observed that Delhi is being ravaged by unauthorised encroachments and illegal constructions with impunity and none of the …
Although not considered in climate models, perceived risk stemming from extreme climate events may induce behavioural changes that alter greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we link the C-ROADS climate model to a social model of behavioural change to examine how interactions between perceived risk and emissions behaviour influence projected climate change. …
This report provides an overview of the current status of national legislation and institutional arrangements of relevance to EIAs and SEAs across the globe, as well as emerging issues and trends. It does this primarily through providing examples from a wide selection of countries of their EIA/SEA arrangements and in …
educing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation plus the sustainable management of forest and enhancement of carbon stocks (REDD+) is a global climate change mitigation initiative. The United Nations REDD Programme (UN-REDD) is training governments in developing countries, including Nigeria, to implement REDD+. To protect local people, UN-REDD has developed …
This paper investigates the public participation (PP) process in environmental impact assessments (EIA) of three large-scale hydropower plants (HPs) in Nepal, with a view to improving the PP process to accommodate the interests and needs of local citizens impacted. The degree of utilization of PP in EIA is determined by …
Several intergovernmental policy instruments, including the World Heritage Convention of UNESCO and the Convention on Biological Diversity, have proposed to develop integrated strategies to build bridges between biological and cultural diversity agendas. We contend that to succeed in this endeavor, it is crucial to link biocultural revitalization to conservation practice. …
Total loss to Nigeria from corruption in the electricity sector in 16 years of democratic experience has been put at over N11 trillion. This was contained in a research report titled: "From Darkness to Darkness: How Nigerians are Paying the Price for Corruption in the Electricity Sector" published by an …
South Asia is home to nearly a quarter of the world’s population and is a region of dynamic economic growth, yet it performs relatively poorly on health and nutrition indicators. As a potential route towards addressing this poor performance, a range of accountability initiatives has been implemented to improve service …
The UN is stepping up efforts to support countries, policymakers, and civil society organizations in tackling climate change through better education, training and public awareness, and has issued new guidelines detailing how this can be done. Empowering societies and all relevant stakeholders is crucial to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions …
