'A destructive combination of earthquakes, floods, droughts and other hazards make South Asia is the world’s most disaster-prone region. The effects are aggravated by climate change, unsuitable social and development policies, and environmental degradation. The effect is to slow or block development and keep millions trapped in poverty.

It does not have to be this way. Oxfam's experience shows that successful disaster risk reduction policies, integrated into
development work, save lives an more...

'Given increasing evidence of environmental degradation, the system
needs reform urgently. However, it should be noted that the system
needs reform not because it has “failed,” but because it has outgrown its
own original design.

This book seeks to identify a number of practical steps that can foster
a more efficient and effective environmental regime, making better use
of the resources available and designed in a way that will be more helpful
to the implementation of international more...

Global Village Beijing serves as a consultant to the Beijing Olympic Committee and has been involved in the creation of the “Green Games.”
Together with China Charity Federation (CCF), GVB founded the “Green Angel Project” and cooperated with the China Artists Association to host the “Green Olympics Green Picture Exhibition.”

GVB developed an environmental training program for Chunshuyuan community and also gave a detailed introduction on Green Communities to members of the Inter more...

UNEP has been working with the Beijing Olympic Committee for three years to help make the Summer Games environmentally - friendly, and the Chinese government has spent US$17 billion on a large-scale green drive ahead of the Games, including a series of long-term environmental improvements for the city. UNEP's Executive Director also attended the opening ceremony on 8 August as part of UNEP's continuing support for the Greening of the Games.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) acts as energy policy advisor to 27 member countries (which are essentially the world's richest nations) in their effort to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for their citizens. Founded during the oil crisis of 1973-74, the IEA’s initial role was to co-ordinate measures in times of oil supply emergencies. As energy markets have changed, so has the IEA. Its mandate has broadened to incorporate the “Three E’s” of balanced energy policy makin more...

Although nature traditionally gets the blame, it is human failure that turns a natural shock such as a cyclone into a humanitarian disaster.

Brazil will launch a satellite in 2011 to monitor deforestation and urban expansion around the world, it has been announced. The United Kingdom–Brazil collaboration was announced last week (14 July) at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Society for Progress in Science. It is part of the continuing UK–Brazil Partnership in Science and Innovation, and stems from discussions between governments and research partners that began in 2007 during the UK–Brazil Year of Cooperation on Science more...

It is hard to imaging the 'environmental impact' of e-commerce. After all, it doesn't emit any pollutants or use much energy and natural resources. It would also be hard to imagine it connected to the now familiar topics of sustainability such as climate change, and biodiversity and habitat losses. But their environmental impacts are there. And the impacts are not only significant, their nature and magnitude are such that the ways to resolve them are by no means evident or familiar to us.

Success in our efforts to address climate change depends on various factors : getting the numbers right; identifying the most appropriate instruments; striking an all-inclusive global deal for the post-2012 architecture; promoting new policies that foster eco-innovation. But moving forward on all these tracks depends on another strategic element: mobilising political will.


Political will is the space where action starts; it is the DNA of new and better realities. It will be crucial to count more...

This interview with Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was conducted by the IPS (Inter Press Service) at the UNFCC headquarter in Bonn. The International negotiations which begin in Bali on December 3rd are considered as crucial for saving the planet from the devastating effects of global warming, Key points of the interview were the historical chance of the Bali conference, the urgent need to take immediate action on the topi more...