It is widely acknowledged that reducing emissions from deforestation could bring about one-third of the greenhouse gas emission reductions we need by 2030 to stay on a 2-degrees trajectory. But protecting and managing forests wisely does not only make sense from a climate perspective. It is also smart for the economy. Forests are key economic […]
We are living in the most explosive era of infrastructure expansion in human history. The G20 nations, when they met in Australia in 2014, argued for between US$60 trillion and US$70 trillion in new infrastructure investments by 2030, which would more than double the global total value of infrastructure. Some of the key players in […]
Today, over 80 million tons of CO2 will be emitted from economies around the world. Tomorrow will be the same, as will the day after that. The emitted amounts of CO2 will likely stay in the atmosphere for hundreds, if not thousands of years, further compounding the challenges in reversing the current and expected effects […]
This is Morocco’s Noor 1 concentrated solar power plant, the first phase of what will eventually be the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world. It is an impressive sight—visible even from space–and it holds the promise of supplying over 500 megawatts of power to over a million Moroccans by 2018. It also embodies […]
Readers of this blog site will know that open data is data that can be freely used, re-used and redistributed – it’s legally open and technically open. Readers of this blog may not know that the $8.3 billion Climate Investment Funds (CIF), are providing scaled-up financing through the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to initiate transformational […]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-K1tatsBNk “I have been able to buy clothes, feed and educate my kids. I have I have even started building an extension to my house,” Yolanda says proudly. Yolanda is one of several producers around Quito in Ecuador, supplying goldenberries to Terrafertil – a climate positive business supported by the European Investment Bank via the […]
Put yourself for a moment in the shoes of a small-scale farmer in rural Mozambique. Two weeks before harvest, a massive flood wipes out your entire maize crop. You had been counting on this harvest for most of your annual income and much of your food. What would you do? How would you cope? When […]
The replanting of forests – when considering local livelihoods and national growth – can play a major role in achieving the climate objectives that were agreed in Paris. It is now time for investors to make a move and the ‘Forests for the Future, New Forests for Africa’ initiative has received the support of H.E. […]
Zero net deforestation is the new standard for doing business in production of soy, beef, palm oil, paper, and other agricultural commodities. Today it is almost impossible for a business to maintain a large market share without integrating sustainability into the core of its business strategy, and creating prosperous partnerships with local and indigenous communities […]
Written by Gabrielle Kissinger (Consultant, UNEP) with input from Ivo Mulder (REDD+ Economics Advisor, UNEP) and Johan Kieft (Green Economy Advisor, UNORCID) UN-REDD Programme This brief corresponds to the session: ‘Changing agricultural fiscal policies to stimulate sustainable economic growth, food production, and reduced deforestation‘ happening at the Global Landscapes Forum, 11.30 – 13.00, Sunday, 6 December, […]
Recent years have seen an expansion of commitments by forest country governments, corporations, donors, and investors to reduce deforestation and land-use emissions. However, these commitments have proven difficult to implement owing to the complex challenges of shifting from business-as-usual to a forest-friendly model of rural economic growth. At our session at the Global Landscapes Forum, […]
Researchers outline the current state of climate-smart agriculture in West Africa. Agriculture plays a key role in the economic development of West African countries. By directly providing employment and income to about 70% of the population, agriculture is the engine of West African economies. It is also the backbone of food security for rural and […]
In London on 10 June 2015, a variety of representatives of the finance community rubbed shoulders with anthropologists, foresters, NGOs and government representatives at the Global Landscapes Forum: The Investment Case. The event was part of a growing multistakeholder movement that seeks to harness the influence of the financial sector to transform rural landscapes. As […]
In June I attended the Global Landscapes Forum: The Investment Case meeting in London. Many good ideas were shared, networks strengthened and many new contacts for our company Nature Services Peru made. But overall, the meeting left me worried. Worried about the growing disconnect between financiers and the 100 million+ land use projects they are […]
A growing number of producers, traders and retailers have over the past few years made zero-deforestation pledges aiming to decouple production of palm oil, soy, beef and other commodities from deforestation impacts. The financial sector, however, has largely remained absent even though it is an important stakeholder as capital is a fundamental component of agricultural […]
