The global cost of disasters is growing: The economic burden of disasters is intensifying. While the direct costs of disasters averaged $70–80 billion a year between 1970 and 2000, between 2001 and 2020 these annual costs grew significantly to $180–200 billion. But the real cost is far higher. Disaster costs …
SHILLONG, Oct 18: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday welcomed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail and mining, despite opposition from several civil society groups. “FDI in retail would help in doing away with middlemen and benefit farmers, who form 80 percent of the population, and also consumers,” Sangma …
This report sets out the final recommendations of the Panel for the role, design, and operations of the CDM. Presented at the 69th meeting of the CDM Executive Board (September 2012) and subsequently made public, it affirms the importance of maintaining the CDM as a tool to help address the …
Human stress on the environment has long been debated and different views about the human drivers of greenhouse-gas emissions have emerged. Now research synthesizes the debate by looking at empirical evidence and offers new insights on the role of human population, affluence, urbanization, trade, culture and institutions on greenhouse-gas emissions …
The Earth Summit was a historical opportunity to set the world on the correct development trajectory. Negotiators from 191 countries came together to chart a road map for sustainable development and poverty eradication. The theme was green economy. But developed and developing countries refused to bury their differences. Developed countries …
The objective of this report is to provide an independent assessment of the impact of the CDM across a broad range of metrics and possible effects. The impact of the CDM is assessed firstly in relation to its original purposes stated in Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol, namely “to …
Developing Asia is the driver of today’s emissions intensive global economy. As the principle source of future emissions, the region is critical to the task of global climate change mitigation. Reflecting this global reality and a range of related domestic issues, the governments of the People’s Republic of China, India, …
Once every two years, IGES releases a white paper focusing on key policy agendas in the Asia-Pacific region. The Fourth IGES White Paper, entitled "Greening Governance in Asia-Pacific" examines innovative approaches to governance and institutions that have emerged from the region and recommends governance arrangements and policy solutions to accelerate …
The UNEP Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) project has released a guidebook on climate change adaptation financing, titled “Assessing International Funding for Climate Change Adaptation: A Guidebook for Developing Countries.” The guidebook reviews options for international financing of adaptation activities and projects in developing countries. It examines public and private sources …
The objective of this report is to provide an independent assessment of the impact of the CDM with respect to promotion of sustainable development in host countries and transfer of technologies from the developed world to developing countries. The purpose of the research is to provide the High Level Panel …
India has slammed the advanced world for paying mere “lip service” to the needs of developing countries, while not doing much in reality to give them finances and transfer technology to help them pursue high growth while protecting the environment. “Lot of lip service has been paid and is being …
India on Thursday expressed disappointment with the “weak” political will of developed countries to provide developing nations with enhanced means to implement objectives of Green Economy, which it said will also be a “green-wash” if the process is not democratised. As around 100 world leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, …
Document for sustainable development drafted by negotiators from 194 countries Negotiators of 194 countries have come out with a document for sustainable development, but missed the crucial point of funding and technology transfer by developed countries to help the developing and the poor nations embrace green development. This prompted India …
Differences galore over the commitments made at the Earth Summit As the leaders met in a mountain-girdled Brazilian town for the crucial official round of discussions on the Rio+20 text, what was most noticeably missing was the kind of excitement that was witnessed two decades ago, when more than 172 …
The document provides the full text of 53 pages final outcome document of Rio+20 Conference adopted on June 22, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, released during United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 Summit). The document describes: 1) the common vision, 2) Renewing political commitment : a) reaffirming the …
As climate change negotiators settle into their familiar roles at their first major meeting since COP 17 in Durban, South Africa, climate watchers will have their eyes fixed on the 14-25 May UNFCCC gathering in Bonn, Germany to see how the tenuous December deal - struck by sleep-deprived negotiators at …
Agricultural research and innovation has been a major source of agricultural growth in developing countries. Unlike most research on agricultural research and innovation which concentrated on the role of government research institutes and the international agricultural research centers of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, this paper focuses on …
Developing countries in Asia, led by China and India, are among the fastest growing economies in the world today. Economic growth in the region in the coming 20 years will exceed the average level of world economy, boosting a continuous increase in primary energy demand. While such economic development would …
The Asia-Pacific region’s rapid growth since the 1950s had been supported by a favourable external economic environment and opportunities arising from globalization. This, however, has changed dramatically in the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. In the new global environment, sustaining the region’s growth and realizing the Asia-Pacific …
Trade can have an important role to play in the mitigation of, and adaptation to climate change. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) - are among those that have touched on this issue …
The Durban Climate Change Conference held last December 2011 had all the elements of a highly charged political drama: global leaders in a high-stakes game to save the world, the palatable tension over clashing interests, claims of sabotage and backdoor deals juxtaposed with impassioned demonstrations and panicky news blitzes, the …
