| Resource | Description | Publication Date | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zeleni razmislek [SI] | Zeleni razmislek. Priročnik za trajnostno poučevanje | 15/10/2022 | Waste |
| Od odpada do zaklada [SI] | Ustvarjalno-izobraževalni primeri nalog "Od odpada do zaklada" | 15/10/2022 | Waste |
| Sustainable Textile Industry [HU] | Sustainable Textile Industry. Presentation of the 4th Thematic Workshop by Nóra Mezőfi. | 18/10/2021 | Green Economy, Waste |
| Eco-labels in Europe [HU] | Eco-labels in Europe. Presentation of 4th Thematic Workshop by Dr. Éri Vilma. | 18/10/2021 | Green Economy |
| Sustainable Consumption [HU] | Sustainable Consumption. Presentation of 4th Thematic Workshop by Dr. Emese Gulyás. | 18/10/2021 | Green Economy, Waste |
| Strategy of Local Products in Zala County [HU] | Strategy of Local Products in Zala County. Presentation of 4th Thematic Workshop by Kovács Károly. | 18/10/2021 | Green Economy |
| European Green Office Handbook | A handbook of the European green office. | 17/06/2021 | Climate change, Green economy, Waste |
| Guide to create sustainable commuting [HU] | A guide on how to create sustainable commuting plans. | 17/06/2021 | Climate change, Green economy, Health |
| Nagypáli: An exemplary village for sustainable energy management in Zala county | A presentation describing an exemplary village for sustainable energy management in Zala county. | 17/06/2021 | Climate change, Green economy |
| Green Office Pocketbook [HU] | A pocketbook on how to make your office green. | 17/06/2021 | Climate change, Green economy |
| Green Office in Practice | Green Office in Practice - Renata Karba's Presentation in the Thematic Worskhop. | 17/06/2021 | Climate change, Green economy |
| REC Mobility Plan – a feasibility study | Current behaviors and potential improvements towards more sustainable modes of daily transport. | 17/06/2021 | Climate change, Health |
| From climate friendly households to climate friendly communities [HU] | A guide helping you to expand climate friendly households into climate friendly communities. | 17/06/2021 | Climate change |
| Sustainable commuting in Szentendre [HU] | Preparation and implementation of sustainable commuting in Szentendre - Best practice presentation by Gábor Heves. | 17/06/2021 | Climate change, Health |
| Presentation of the GreenReg project [SI] | Aleš Skalič presents the GreenReg project. | 17/06/2021 | Climate change, Biodiversity, Waste, Land use |
| SASMob project Szeged [HU] | SASMob project Szeged - Best practice presentation by Péter Pázmány. | 17/06/2021 | Climate change, Health |
| Energy Conscious Lifestyle [HU] | A trifold pamphlet on an energy conscious lifestyle. | 17/06/2021 | Climate change, Green economy |
| GreenReg 2nd Thematic Workshop - presentation [HU] | Presentation from the 2nd Greenreg thematic workshop by Kristóf Vadovics from the Greendependent Institute. | 10/03/2021 | Climate change, Green economy, Waste |
| GreenReg 2nd Thematic Workshop [HU] | Presentation from the 2nd GreenReg Project Thematic Workshop about the Green Office. | 10/03/2021 | Climate change, Green economy, Waste |
| GreenReg 1st Thematic Workshop [HU] | Presentation from the 1st GreenReg Project Thematic Workshop. | 24/11/2020 | Climate change |
| Strengthening dietary guidelines to feed a nature-positive future | Most dietary recommendations provided by national governments are not compatible with global environmental and health targets such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. | 11/08/2020 | Food, Climate change |
| Cities - where the fight for a green recovery will be won or lost | Cities are home to 55 per cent of the world’s population, all jammed together cheek-by-jowl. Little wonder, then, that cities are being hit hardest by COVID-19: an estimated 90 per cent of all reported cases have occurred in urban areas. | 06/08/2020 | Climate change, Green economy |
| Global Tailings Review | Mining waste can cause devastating harm to humans and the planet. With an ambition of zero harm, the first-ever Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management provides a framework for the safe management of tailings facilities. | 05/08/2020 | Waste |
| A new report looks at the illegal trade of plants and animals | The World Wildlife Crime Report found that along with threatening endangered species, wildlife crimes and exploitation of nature can promote climate change as well as negatively impact public health because of zoonotic disease transmissions. | 10/07/2020 | Biodiversity, Health |
| Record temperature trajectory threatens to breach 1.5°C global heating threshold | New climate data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) predicts that the annual mean global temperature is likely to be at least 1.0°C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900) in each of the coming five years (2020-2024) and there is a 20 per cent chance that it will exceed 1.5°C in at least one year. | 10/07/2020 | Climate change |
| How monitoring sewage could prevent a return of the coronavirus | In their efforts to stave off a second wave of COVID-19, scientists from around the world have turned to a new ally: sewage. | 07/07/2020 | Waste, Health |
| Preventing the next pandemic: Zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain of transmission | Tragically, two million people in low- and middle-income countries die each year from neglected endemic zoonotic diseases – such as anthrax, bovine tuberculosis and rabies. These are often communities with complex development problems, high dependence on livestock and proximity to wildlife. | 06/07/2020 | Health, Biodiversity |
| As daily COVID-19 cases reach a new high, new report examines how to prevent future pandemics | Ebola, SARS, Zika, HIV/AIDS, West Nile fever and now COVID-19. These are some of the highest-profile diseases to emerge in the last several decades. And while they emerged in different parts of the world, they have one thing in common. They are what scientists call “zoonotic diseases,” infections that jump between animals and humans, some of which leave illness and death in their wake. | 06/07/2020 | Health |
| The next wave - How to beat future pandemics | A new report by UNEP and The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) considers the root causes of the emergence and spread of COVID-19 and other zoonoses. Zoonoses are diseases that originate in animals and are transferred to humans. | 06/07/2020 | Health |
| Greening the entertainment industry | How were you planning to spend summer this year? Seeing your favourite band under a moonlit sky? Dancing at your beloved bar? Going to a festival with friends? Unfortunately, COVID-19 has made all those impossible. Like with other industries, the live music sector has been hard hit, as concerts and festivals are postponed because of social distancing measures and artists forced to take their gigs online. | 01/07/2020 | Green economy, Waste, Climate change |
| Experience your carbon footprint in VR | Bush fires in Australia, typhoons in the Pacific, droughts in Africa, melting glaciers in the Arctic. Climate change continues to make headlines across the globe yet many people still find it hard to understand it as many of these events are remote from their daily lives. | 25/06/2020 | Climate change |
| Six ways nature can protect us from climate change | United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a brand-new animation to explain the increasingly popular concept of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA). | 24/06/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| From Islam to Buddhism, faiths have long encouraged stewardship of nature | In most major religions there is scripture encouraging the protection and care of nature. From Buddhism to Christianity, Hinduism to Islam, faiths recognize the need for environmental stewardship and urge followers to be caretakers of the planet and its biodiversity. | 22/06/2020 | Biodiversity |
| Hungry for change: the global food system | In this interview, James Lomax, a programme manager with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), discusses the transformation required to meet the demands of a growing world population with diminishing resources. | 18/06/2020 | Food, Biodiversity, Land use |
| COVID19: Urgent Call to Protect People and Nature | Humanity's broken relationship with nature comes with a cost. That cost has revealed itself in terrible ways. Loss of lives, loss of jobs, and a shock to our global economy. This pandemic joins a long list of emerging diseases that will continue to undermine global stability unless we fix our relationship with nature. Together we can ensure the response to this global emergency makes our planet and our communities stronger. | 17/06/2020 | Green economy, Health |
| Action For Nature on World Environment Day | From countries taking action on policy issues to people raising their voices #fornature, World Environment Day was a major 2020 milestone featuring how biodiversity provides critical services for all of use. | 16/06/2020 | Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Gucci’s CEO on going green | Fashion is one of the most visible industries on our planet. What we wear marks who we are. The novelty has come with a price. Today, the fashion industry accounts for 10 per cent of the planet’s carbon emissions and is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply. | 16/06/2020 | Green economy |
| On trend: sustainable fashion in the wake of COVID-19 | For the global fashion industry, worth an estimated US$2.5 trillion annually, being smarter and more sustainable might just be the way to recover from staggering losses caused by COVID-19. | 16/06/2020 | Green economy, Health |
| Natura 2000 data - the European network of protected sites | Natura 2000 is the key instrument to protect biodiversity in the European Union. It is an ecological network of protected areas, set up to ensure the survival of Europe's most valuable species and habitats. The green infrastructure it provides safeguards numerous ecosystem services and ensures that Europe's natural systems remain healthy and resilient. | 15/06/2020 | Biodiversity |
| Transparent 2020: Mapping corporate action on plastic waste | WWF has established a vision of No Plastic in Nature by 2030 and imagines a world where our resources are never wasted. ReSource: Plastic leverages the power of business to achieve this vision. In its inaugural year, ReSource: Plastic worked with five Principal Members (Keurig Dr Pepper, McDonald's Corporation, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, and The Coca-Cola Company) as well as Thought Partners (The Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Ocean Conservancy) to establish a baseline of plastic use. This report presents key findings related to the ReSource Principal Members' global plastic footprints in 2018. | 09/06/2020 | Waste |
| World Environment Day: a look back | This year was a World Environment Day unlike any other; government leaders, scientists, celebrities and more came together for a virtual celebration and discussion, organized by the Government of Colombia) highlighting the complex environmental issues our planet faces. Looking at the world around us, it's apparent that now, more than ever, we need to act #ForNature. | 08/06/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Young people help turn the tide against plastic | Since the 1950s, the world has generated 9 billion tonnes of plastic, only nine per cent of which has been recycled. The majority of plastic waste ends up in landfills, dumps or in the environment. Some plastics take thousands of years to decompose, contaminating soil, clogging sewers, harming marine life, polluting the air, and entering the food system. | 08/06/2020 | Waste, Health |
| It is the time for nature: World Environment Day 2020 | World Environment Day is a day of celebration. It is a day upon which, for over forty years, people the world over have advocated and acted for a healthy environment. From beach clean-ups to mass tree-planting to marches, individuals, communities and governments have come out to stand shoulder-to-shoulder for our planet. | 05/06/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Moving on from COVID-19 on the right track | COVID-19 has unravelled our way of life. The recovery ask is daunting, ambitious and calls on us to invest far smarter than in the past. And we need to do so through the lens of climate change, which remains the existential threat facing the planet. | 05/06/2020 | Climate change, Health |
| Preventing pandemics: new report on zoonotics to be released in July | In the last century, a combination of population growth and reduction in ecosystems and biodiversity has created unprecedented opportunities for zoonotic diseases - where pathogens pass between animals and people. In 2016, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) flagged a worldwide increase in zoonotic epidemics. | 05/06/2020 | Biodiversity, Health |
| Why international cooperation is key to preserving the world’s oceans | Our ocean is connected. Distant areas are linked by currents that transport heat, food, and nutrients essential to life. The smallest microbes and ocean giants, such as whales and sharks, traverse ocean basins on their migratory routes. These movements connect all parts of the ocean, from the deep seas to shallow waters, and from coast to coast. | 04/06/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| The art of nature’s revival | Artwork from the competition is being showcased on UNEP’s social media accounts in Europe as a call to action. Whether depicting the treasures of the natural world or pressing environmental issues, the artists use their talents and creativity to inspire positive change #ForNature. | 04/06/2020 | Biodiversity |
| Act #ForNature Forum | Every two years, decision makers from around the globe come together at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), pushing for action on the most critical environmental challenges. | 04/06/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Safer use of chemicals can help protect biodiversity | From the smallest parasitic bacterium living in the bladder of a primate to the blue whale - biodiversity refers to the vast variety of life on this planet. | 03/06/2020 | Biodiversity, Green economy |
| Cooling industry supports fight against COVID-19, steps up climate action | The cooling industry is one of the sectors with a vital behind-the-scenes role in the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It provides everything from the right temperature conditions to safely transport and store medicines, and keep patients and care givers safe and comfortable in both traditional healthcare facilities as well as emergency hospitals assembled in halls, car-parks, and other municipal spaces. | 02/06/2020 | Climate change, Health |
| COVID-19 updates from UNEP | Featured here are selected updates showing examples of United Nations Environment Programme work supporting global efforts to protect biodiversity, to put an end to the illegal trade in wildlife, to safeguard the handling of chemicals and waste and to promote economic recovery plans that take nature and the climate emergency into account. | 01/06/2020 | Biodiversity, Health |
| VIDEO: It's Time for Nature | For World Environment Day 2020, everyone is invited to share why it’s time for nature. Nature is on the verge of a breakdown. One million animal and plant species are likely to disappear - soon. Be a part of the solution and join us in the global call #ForNature. | 29/05/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Good health is an environmental right | There are several human rights related to the environment- these are our environmental rights. Without clean, safe, healthy and sustainable ecosystems, numerous human rights cannot be fulfilled. The right to health; in addition to being a universally recognized human right, is intertwined with ecosystem health. Good health is a human and environmental right. | 27/05/2020 | Health, Biodiversity |
| Four Sustainable Development Goals that help future-proof global recovery | The pandemic has exposed that gains made to address poverty, hunger, good health and well-being may face serious setbacks, unless the global community also urgently addresses the global environmental threats that have similar capacity to gravely undermine the systems that enable humanity and the planet to survive and thrive. | 26/05/2020 | Health, Biodiversity |
| Building Back Better with Natural Resources | The paper –launched by the IRP - calls for rethinking the way we generate wealth, the way we move and live, through a natural resource lens. Based on a decade’s worth of research, it provides scientific facts and policy recommendations to help us better protect the planet and human health. | 26/05/2020 | Biodiversity, Green economy |
| Enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions through Protected Areas | Nationally Determined Commitments (NDCs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2015 Paris Agreement underscore the role protected areas and other conserved areas play in reaching global mitigation and adaptation targets. This is a review of 151 currently available NDCs to determine how Parties intend to utilize protected areas to contribute to their adaptation and mitigation commitments. | 23/05/2020 | Climate change |
| Restoring ecosystems in the Mediterranean | As the Mediterranean region grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to continue working on sealing the pathways through which pathogens can jump from animal hosts to humans. This can be achieved by restoring the health of strained ecosystems and by halting the relentless encroachment on nature. | 21/05/2020 | Biodiversity, Waste, Health |
| Biodiversity: our solutions are in nature | Nature-based solutions offer ways to promote human well-being, tackle climate change and protect our living planet. | 21/05/2020 | Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Seven ways we are making ourselves sick (and how we can stop) | Of all the issues exposed by this pandemic, perhaps the most poignant is the fact that having neglected the elements that surround us for much of the last century, we have inadvertently made our world a less healthy place to live. Evidence indicates that our lifestyles and behaviours have affected our living environment; and consequently, undermined our health. | 19/05/2020 | Health, Biodiversity |
| Red Lists: Gauging the force of nature in North Macedonia | Maintaining healthy ecosystems are important to help protect against the spread of disease. A large mixture of species means that some act as ‘dead end’ hosts, preventing diseases from spreading. As countries plan their economic recovery for after the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial that the role biodiversity plays in underpinning the health of people and planet is taken into account. Here’s one example from North Macedonia. | 15/05/2020 | Health, Biodiversity |
| Building back better - Leadership #ForNature | In the lead up to World Environment Day, UNEP welcomes bold commitments for a sustainable future. Here’s what some leaders said at the recent virtual Petersberg Climate Dialogue. | 14/05/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Indoor Soilless Farming: Phase I: Examining the industry and impacts of controlled environment agriculture | This Innovation Analysis from The Markets Institute at WWF examines the environmental impact of various systems of indoor soilless farming. These systems include hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics in greenhouse and vertical settings | 14/05/2020 | Land use, Food |
| COVID-19 is disrupting a food industry already thrown into turmoil by climate change | Today’s COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the critical role of rice in ensuring global food security while combating climate change. | 14/05/2020 | Health, Food, Climate change, Land use |
| Harnessing tech to employ last-mile tree planters in a COVID-19 world | In recent years there has been much technological development in terms of restoring degraded land—from big satellite data and complex carbon measuring systems, to tree tracking and tree-based currencies. Investments in land restoration can create much needed jobs and income in rural areas of developing countries. | 12/05/2020 | Biodiversity, Land use |
| Record global carbon dioxide concentrations despite COVID-19 crisis | In April 2020 the average concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere was416.21 parts per million (ppm), the highest since measurements began in Hawaii in 1958. | 11/05/2020 | Climate change |
| Homing in on methane emissions from the oil and gas industry | According to The Climate and Clean Air Coalition, methane’s global warming potential is 84 times that of carbon dioxide (CO2) over a 20 year timeframe. Methane has a big impact on climate change in the near-term which means that targeting it is an important tool in fighting a warming planet. | 08/05/2020 | Climate change |
| Building Back Better: Why we must think of the next generation | COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerability of global systems to protect the environment, health and economy, demonstrating that there are no individual solutions to a global crisis. But the pandemic has allowed us to revisit our relationship with nature and provided the opportunity to build back better on a planetary scale. Central to this effort will be the principle that we should all have the right to a healthy environment. In particular, we must uphold this right for children who are often not able to exercise their rights. | 08/05/2020 | Biodiversity, Climate change, Green economy, Health |
| Birds connect our world | Migratory birds are part of our shared natural heritage and they depend on a network of sites along their migration routes for breeding, feeding, resting and overwintering. | 07/05/2020 | Biodiversity, Land use |
| Coral reef resilience key to support the underwater cities threatened by climate change | Understanding the different responses of coral reefs to bleaching events is critical for managing coral reefs in a changing climate. Coral reefs are naturally resilient ecosystems, and have been observed to recover well after mortality events if they are given the chance to and other stressors are reduced. | 05/05/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| There are no winners in the illegal trade in wildlife | Illegal wildlife trade has many negative consequences for human well-being and species conservation. When criminal actors trade in endangered species, they weaken entire ecosystems and they threaten essential links of the world's biological diversity. Biodiversity loss is one of the greatest global threats in our time, and it also means a narrower genetic pool and therefore less resilience to resist diseases of any kind. | 05/05/2020 | Biodiversity |
| Faith-based organizations can help the transition to a more sustainable post-COVID-19 world | The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is partnering with others, within and outside the United Nations, to get people, including adherents of the world’s religions, to revisit our relationship with nature and rebuild a more environmentally responsible world. | 04/05/2020 | Biodiversity, Health |
| VIDEO: Wildlife crime - a threat to our health | Illegal wildlife trade has many negative consequences for human well being and species conservation, when criminal actors trade in endangered species they weaken entire ecosystems and they threaten essential links of the world's biological diversity. | 04/05/2020 | Biodiversity, Health |
| Management of natural assets is key to sustainable development: Inclusive wealth provides the way forward | Sovereign nations typically measure economic success in terms of GDP (income) but this approach is risky as it fails to track and measure the impact of this on nature. Inclusive wealth, on the other hand captures financial and produced capital, but also the skills in our workforce (human capital), the cohesion in our society (social capital) and the value of our environment (natural capital). | 30/04/2020 | Biodiversity, Green economy |
| Transforming the energy system—a post-COVID-19 win-win for people and planet | Employment opportunities are a key consideration in planning for low-carbon economic growth. The widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies creates employment opportunities up and down the supply chain. Worldwide, the sector employed 11 million people at the end of 2018, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). | 29/04/2020 | Climate change, Green economy |
| Global public tells the United Nations: Take action on climate change and the environment | In January 2020, the UN75 initiative launched a global conversation, inviting people around the world to discuss their priorities for the future, obstacles to achieving them, and the role of global cooperation in overcoming these challenges. | 27/04/2020 | Climate change |
| Incorporating human rights into the world’s biodiversity agenda | Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) shall adopt a post-2020 global biodiversity framework. This framework will be a stepping stone towards the United Nations’ 2050 Vision of "Living in harmony with nature" where "By 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people”. | 27/04/2020 | Biodiversity |
| COVID-19 does not mean climate action is on hold | If the world has seen a scary future with the emergence of COVID-19, the future of our planet in a 3-4° C scenario takes us to an entirely different level of uncertainty, including in terms of health. | 24/04/2020 | Climate change, Health |
| How nature can protect us from pandemics | In this video, Bernard Bett discusses the delicate relationship between humans, wildlife and the pathogens that circulate among them in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. | 24/04/2020 | Biodiversity, Health |
| Global public tells the United Nations: Take action on climate change and the environment | Zoonotic diseases are increasing. A review of the global trends of emerging infectious diseases since 1940 confirms that their outbreaks have been increasing with time. About 60 per cent of these diseases are zoonotic and slightly over 70 per cent of the zoonotic infections are caused by pathogens that originate in wildlife. | 23/04/2020 | Biodiversity, Health |
| Responding to the needs of environmental defenders and civil society | All around the world, environmental defenders are fighting for healthy environments - not just for their communities but for everyone. Despite, their valiant and valuable work, environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs) remain highly vulnerable and under increasing attack across the globe. | 22/04/2020 | Climate change, Health, Biodiversity |
| Take the oceans video challenge now from home | This new challenge is designed to help participants gain skills to plan, sequence and craft an informative and persuasive video, while at the same time developing knowledge about oceans, coral reefs and the impacts of climate change. | 21/04/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Uptick for renewable electricity | Renewable energy is the fastest growing source of electricity supply, but it’s important to bear in mind that electricity accounts for only about 20 per cent of energy used—the rest is mainly fossil fuels: coal, oil and gas. | 20/04/2020 | Climate change, Green economy |
| Towards a greener economy in Europe through “sector coupling” | Fiscal stimulus packages in Europe to “build back better” after the coronavirus pandemic provide an opportunity for initiating a transformational and green recovery with the creation of green jobs. One such investment opportunity is in sector coupling. | 17/04/2020 | Green economy, Climate change |
| Promoting the engagement of MEAs in the negotiation process of the zero draft of the Post 2020 global biodiversity framework | The importance of the engagement of other multilateral environmental agreements is reflected in the overarching principles of the consultation process. | 16/04/2020 | Biodiversity |
| How to change the world (and five sources of inspiration) | As the Earth Day is observed again this April and as plans are being put in plan to move forward, you’re invited to draw inspiration from people and projects already working to make the world a better place. | 15/04/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| No Food Left Behind, Part 3: Second Helping: Can the Gig Economy Rescue Surplus Food from Farms | Through an iterative human-centered design and research process, the research team asks the question of whether the agricultural industry could leverage technology and the gig-economy workforce to tackle the challenge of getting surplus produce to market. | 15/04/2020 | Land use, Food |
| Statement from the Partnership for Action on Green Economy: The Choices We Make Now Will Shape the Future | In the midst of our global response to COVID-19, the world is in need of an economic transformation, one that promotes both the sustainable wellbeing of individuals as well as the environment in tandem. We have arrived at a turning point. The challenges we face now, together, are tremendous. But in the face of current adversity, and the near halt of our global economy, we have a collective opportunity to join together for a brighter, more sustainable future. | 14/04/2020 | Green economy |
| Healthcare waste: what to do with it? | Improper treatment and disposal of healthcare waste poses serious hazards of secondary disease transmission due to exposures to infectious agents among waste pickers, waste workers, health workers, patients, and the community in general where waste is improperly disposed. | 09/04/2020 | Waste, Health |
| Six nature facts related to coronaviruses | Zoonoses that emerged or re-emerged recently are Ebola, bird flu, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), the Nipah virus, Rift Valley fever, sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus, Zika virus disease, and, now, the coronavirus. They are all linked to human activity. | 08/04/2020 | Biodiversity, Health |
| Food for thought: Instagram cooking show targets food waste during Italy lockdown | Italians have shown fortitude, patience and creativity to get through this dark period. Massimo—Chef patron of the three-Michelin-star restaurant, Osteria Francescana in Modena, and co-founder of Food for Soul, an organization that fights food waste through social inclusion, with his wife Lara Gilmore—is no different. | 07/04/2020 | Food, Waste |
| UNEP Statement on COVID-19 | Human activity has altered virtually every corner of our planet, from land to ocean. And as we continue to relentlessly encroach on nature and degrade ecosystems, we endanger human health. In fact, seventy-five percent of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, i.e. viruses originating from the transfer from animals, whether domesticated or wild, to humans. | 06/04/2020 | Biodiversity, Health, Waste |
| Change-making in the time of COVID-19 | Crises like COVID-19 show the urgency to promote necessary transformations for our society to survive in the 21st century. It can be a good reminder that in any breakdown, there is always a chance for breakthrough. | 06/04/2020 | Biodiversity, Climate change, Health |
| Coronaviruses: are they here to stay? | In 2016, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) flagged a worldwide increase in zoonotic epidemics as an issue of concern. Specifically, it pointed out that 75 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic and that these zoonotic diseases are closely interlinked with the health of ecosystems. | 03/04/2020 | Health, Climate change |
| A message from nature: coronavirus | To help prevent further outbreaks of zoonotic viruses like COVID-19, the illegal wildlife trade and the destruction of habitats must stop. We cannot go back to business as usual. And we will need to rebuild by working with nature, not against it. | 03/04/2020 | Biodiversity, Health |
| Coronavirus, faith leaders and sustainable development | The coronavirus has turned our world upside down. Countries, societies, families and individuals are affected in so many ways. In the midst of this global crisis we believe that this is also a time for innovation, for finding new and better ways to tackle our global challenges. | 02/04/2020 | Biodiversity, Health, Climate change |
| Stuck inside? Here are ideas to bring nature in | Are you stuck in self isolation to help flatten the coronavirus curve? On official quarantine or lockdown? Are you taking on a new role as "home school teacher due to school closures? Here are a few ways to bring the outside in -- enjoyable for learners of all ages. | 01/04/2020 | Health |
| COVID-19 and the nature trade-off paradigm | Within weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, which has since spread around the globe. In addition to loss of lives, the virus has disrupted society and demobilized the global economy. | 31/03/2020 | Climate change, Health |
| Stuck inside? Here are ideas to bring nature in | Schools, events and activities in so much of the world have come to a standstill in the wake of COVID-19, with little or no movement recommended. But that does not mean we cannot still enjoy the world and mysteries that abound below and above its surface. | 27/03/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Enhancing NDCs through Nature-Based Solutions | Nature-based Solutions are varied approaches to address a wide range of challenges for society, while also benefiting people and nature. Recently, Nature-based Solutions have emerged as essential tools to support broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. | 25/03/2020 | Climate change |
| Virus which causes COVID-19 threatens great ape conservation | Johannes Refisch is a United Nations Programme Manager and Coordinator who oversees the Great Apes Survival Partnership. In this interview, he explains why disease prevention is critical, and what specific measures are being taken. | 25/03/2020 | Biodiversity |
| Five fun activities to teach your children about plastic pollution | Encourage your children to use (clean) plastic rubbish to make their own instruments. They can even put on a concert for you or for social media. | 23/03/2020 | Waste |
| On the frontline: farmers | Living Lands is working with farmers in South Africa’s Baviaanskloof to rehabilitate and restore landscapes. These farmers are on the front lines of the climate crisis and environmental degradation. Together, they are exploring new income streams, building resilience to the shifts of a changing world and taking action to fight climate change. | 22/03/2020 | Land use, Climate change |
| The wonder trees that nurture marine biodiversity | This 2020 theme for the International Day of Forests on 21 March is Forests and Biodiversity. It's an often-quoted fact that forests are home to 80 per cent of terrestrial biodiversity, but did you know that one type of tree also supports marine biodiversity—the mangrove tree? | 22/03/2020 | Land use |
| Microplastics in wastewater: towards solutions | The world demands and produces more and more plastic every year, much of which eventually finds its way into rivers, lakes and the ocean. Analysis of water and sediment worldwide indicates that microplastics are ubiquitous in freshwater, marine ecosystems and soils. | 20/03/2020 | Waste, Climate change |
| Sailing towards a plastic-free ocean | Through the scientific microplastics research, the researchers—Sanae Chiba, Holly Griffin and Yurie Seki—were able to help to fill a gap in knowledge about the status of marine plastic pollution in the western North Pacific. | 19/03/2020 | Waste |
| Global light pollution is affecting ecosystems—what can we do? | One of the less frequently reported impacts of human activity on the environment is the presence of artificial light. Lighting disrupts photosynthesis and the activities of insects, birds and other animals. | 13/03/2020 | Biodiversity, Health |
| Changes in building and construction have great potential to slow global warming | One way to reduce greenhouse gases is the use of recycled and more environmentally friendly building materials. | 12/03/2020 | Green economy, Climate change |
| Ten biodiversity-related publications to look out for in 2020 | Nature-based solutions offer the best way to achieve human well-being, address climate change and protect the planet. Yet nature is in crisis, as we are losing species at a rate 1,000 times greater than at any other time in recorded human history. | 10/03/2020 | Biodiversity |
| Creating a safer future for girls | In many countries, women may be asked to handle the management and disposal of household waste, which could expose them to highly toxic substances that may significantly impact their health and that of their families. | 06/03/2020 | Waste, Health |
| Climate leadership for inspiration on Women’s Day and every day | International Women’s Day is a time to reflect, take stock of achievements and challenges and to find ways to work to move the needle forward in achieving gender equality. Supporting women who are stepping up today and every day will encourage more to lead on climate action tomorrow. | 06/03/2020 | Climate change |
| Data for study Conventional land-use intensification reduces species richness and increases production: A global meta-analysis | The dataset consists of 449 cases that cover a variety of areas used for agricultural (crops, fodder) and silvicultural (wood) production. | 03/06/2020 | Land Use, Biodiversity |
| Solving Plastic Pollution Through Accountability | The global plastics pollution crisis will only worsen unless all actors across the plastics value chain are made more accountable for the true cost of plastics to nature and people. The new study, Solving Plastic Pollution Through Accountability, finds that too much responsibility for reducing plastics pollution is currently focused on consumers and waste management and efforts will remain insufficient unless action is taken across the entire value chain. | 05/03/2020 | Waste, Health, Green economy |
| Underwater architects | Did you know that coral reefs provide a home that supports more than a quarter of all marine life? Corals are much more than just beautiful to watch. They provide important ecosystem services to people and planet. Yet they are under threat of near extinction if we don’t act now. | 04/03/2020 | Biodiversity |
| Children on precipice of existential threat from lack of climate action | Climate change and ecological degradation are threatening the health and future of children in every country, and every country in the world is failing to shield children from these threats, according to the findings of a recent landmark report released by a Lancet Commission of over 40 child and adolescent health experts from around the world. | 04/03/2020 | Climate change, Health |
| Coronavirus outbreak highlights need to address threats to ecosystems and wildlife | Diseases passed from animals to humans are on the rise, as the world continues to see unprecedented destruction of wild habitats by human activity. Scientists suggest that degraded habitats may encourage more rapid evolutionary processes and diversification of diseases, as pathogens spread easily to livestock and humans. | 03/03/2020 | Biodiversity, Health |
| The road to the strategy on the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration | The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030 is expected to be a global call to action, drawing together political support, scientific research and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration. Everyone is invited to help shape the Decade. | 03/03/2020 | Biodiversity |
| How climate change is making record-breaking floods the new normal" | Floods are made more likely by the more extreme weather patterns caused by long-term global climate change. Change in land cover—such as removal of vegetation—and climate change increase flood risk. | 03/03/2020 | Climate change, Land use |
| Faith for Earth: Shifting the needle on environmental action | Faith leaders are particularly well placed to communicate meaningful, pro-environment messages. The principle of environmental stewardship is a common thread among almost all religions, and we need to better exploit that fact. | 02/03/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| UNEP launches Glowing Glowing Gone campaign on loss of coral due to climate change | Through Glowing Glowing Gone, The Ocean Agency hopes to garner public support to inspire policy and funding to conserve coral reefs and save an ecosystem on which our entire planet depends. | 28/02/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Seven ways you’re connected to coral reefs | Among the most valuable elements of nature is the coral reef. Coral reefs are home to the largest variety of species in the ocean. You might think of them as underwater rainforests—full of living and nonliving components that, together, create one of the world’s most unique and important ecosystems. | 28/02/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity, Food |
| Why Transition to Deforestation-Free Agriculture? | Forests and agriculture hold more than 30% of the solution to the climate crisis, but currently receive less than 3% of climate finance. | 25/02/2020 | Land use, Climate change |
| The new neighborhood: creating new community around sustainability and social well-being | Cities today are responsible for some 75 per cent of global energy and resource use, and some 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. Rapid urbanization and unsustainable practices in all sectors from transport to buildings and construction to waste management to energy will amplify the environmental impacts of cities. | 25/02/2020 | Green economy, Climate change, Health |
| No Plastic in Nature: A Practical Guide for Business Engagement | In “No Plastic in Nature: A Practical Guide for Business Engagement,” World Wildlife Fund provides an evidence-based guide for companies seeking to employ effective strategies for mitigating plastic waste within their business. Based on interviews with seven leading companies from consumer-oriented sectors, independent research, and analysis of best practices, the report outlines four distinct strategies businesses are currently undertaking and draws lessons from them and the progress achieved | 25/02/2020 | Waste, Health, Green economy |
| Belgium, on its way towards a circular economy | The concept of circular economy is at the forefront of global discussions. The International Resource Panel argues that a transformation from a linear economy—where products, once used, are discarded—to a circular one—where products and materials continue in the system for as long as possible—will contribute to a more sustainable future. | 25/02/2020 | Green economy |
| What does the UN Environment Programme bring to the table in the zero-budget natural farming debate? | Climate change impacts—including crop losses due to global heating—unregulated use of fertilizers and pesticides leading that degrade the soils, deplete groundwater and cause health hazards; costly seeds, inputs and high interest rates on loans are among the challenges facing India’s agricultural sector. The latter are leading to chronic farmer indebtedness and are causing great distress to farming families. | 24/02/2020 | Land use, Climate change, Green economy |
| Religious leaders launch historic commitment to end tropical deforestation in Indonesia | Over 250 religious leaders gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia to make an historic commitment to protect the third largest tropical rainforest area in the world. | 21/02/2020 | Land use, Climate change, Biodiversity |
| New toolkit to help countries switch to climate-smart urbanization | Global heating has been described as the “defining issue of our time”. An effective response to climate change requires deliberate and sustained action from both state and non-state actors that is anchored in nationally determined contributions. Implementing these contributions requires supportive regulatory and institutional frameworks and a regular assessment of their adequacy and effectiveness. | 19/02/2020 | Climate change, Green economy |
| How minerals and metals companies can help achieve Agenda 2030 | Despite enormous efforts to decouple economies from resource use, the extraction of mineral resources has increased markedly in recent decades and, over the last decade, at a faster rate than economic growth. | 19/02/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity, Green economy |
| Three ways the United Nations Environment Programme works to address illegal trade in wildlife | Illegal wildlife trade continues to pose a real danger to biodiversity, ecosystems and human health, as a number of emerging diseases stem from animal products, both domestic and wild. | 17/02/2020 | Biodiversity, Health |
| Safe transport modes for women can only mean better connectivity | Women’s access to safe public transportation is key to sustainable development. In some parts of the world, a significant number of women and girls use low-carbon transport modes, particularly walking and cycling to travel to work. | 17/02/2020 | Climate change |
| Dive tourism: how to minimize your environmental impact | While irresponsible tourism can pose a threat to corals, well-managed tourism can provide many benefits, including economic opportunities for local communities that rely on coral reefs. | 13/02/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity, Green economy |
| Pangolin news roundup on World Pangolin Day | Pangolins, nocturnal animals that feast on ants, are highly sought after for their supposed, but unproven, medicinal benefits, and as a culinary delicacy. They are said to be the most trafficked wild animal in the world. | 13/02/2020 | Biodiversity |
| Global forum on cities highlights need for sustainable development | Cities are hubs for cultural, scientific and economic development, but they can also be stark reminders of the environmental and socio-economic challenges we face. Today, cities are responsible for some 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions and consume 75 per cent of the world’s energy and resources. As the human population continues to grow and the planet faces unprecedented threats from climate change, there is a critical need for sustainable urban planning. | 12/02/2020 | Climate change, Green economy, Land use |
| Need for Nature - A call for biodiversity | Facing the extinction of 1 million plant and animal species, countries are working on a plan to stop biodiversity loss. A draft plan being developed under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity calls for urgent action to stop biodiversity decline. | 12/02/2020 | Biodiversity |
| Double challenge: the decline of biodiversity is no less a problem than climate change | Even though climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing human history, the alarming decline of biodiversity is no less a problem. We are in a hurry, and yet we still do not take these challenges with the seriousness they require. | 12/02/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Big international gathering will home in on migratory species | In the last 150 years or so, human activity and associated pollution, and human-induced climate change, have been reducing and altering habitats that had previously changed only very slowly over millennia. Many migratory species rely on wetlands as stepping stones en route to their final destination, but these ecosystems, like many others, are coming under increasing pressure. | 12/02/2020 | Biodiversity |
| What’s in the air? World Urban Forum 2020 launches world’s largest real-time air quality databank | The exposure to polluted air seems almost impossible to escape. According to the World Health Organization 9 out of 10 people—92 per cent—breathe air that exceed safe limits. The most affected by toxic air are those living in cities in low- to middle-income countries. | 11/02/2020 | Climate change, Health |
| Global Futures: Assessing the global economic impacts of environmental change to support policy-making | World Wildlife Fund report reveals for the first time the countries whose economies would be worst affected over the next 30 years if the world doesn’t act urgently to address the global environmental crisis. | 11/02/2020 | Green economy, Biodiversity, Climate change |
| 2020 is a super year for nature and biodiversity | Nature-based solutions offer the best way to achieve human well-being, tackle climate change and protect our living planet. Yet nature is in crisis, as we are losing species at a rate 1,000 times greater than at any other time in recorded human history and one million species face extinction. In addition to important moments for decision makers, including the COP 15 on Biodiversity, the 2020 “super year” is a major opportunity to bring nature back from the brink. | 10/02/2020 | Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Taking pulses to a higher level | In celebration of World Pulses Day (10 February), read on to learn about the value and benefits of pulses—or legumes—to human health, and how consuming them can help achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. | 07/02/2020 | Food, Health, Land use |
| New insights into how global change is impacting freshwater environments | A new global study sheds light on how interactions between specific characteristics of catchments, such as carbon and pollution, affect aquatic plant diversity and function in freshwater environments. | 31/01/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| 2020 resolutions for nature | A new set of goals for biodiversity will be decided by government leaders this October at the Convention of Biological Diversity conference. The agreements, if ambitious enough, will set a new course for the next decade to put nature at the heart of all decision making, for governments and businesses. | 31/01/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity, Green economy |
| “Wetlands and Biodiversity” is the theme for World Wetlands Day 2020 | The UN Decade on Ecosystems Restoration 2021–2030 will help drive the conservation and restoration of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and wetlands will be very much part of the picture. | 31/01/2020 | Biodiversity, Land use |
| Eco-conscious resolutions for Clean Seas—it’s never too late | It’s never too late to make a new resolution for the environment. If you’re looking for inspiration for actions that will not only benefit you but will help to turn the tide on plastic pollution, here are some extra incentives. | 29/01/2020 | Waste |
| Tourism to tackle plastic pollution with new commitment | Alongside the 8 million tonnes of plastic that enter the ocean every year, 300 million tonnes of new plastic is created annually, utilizing non-renewable resources such as oil, gas and coal, and contributing to climate change. If growth in plastic production and incineration continue, cumulative emissions by 2050 will make up between 10 and 13 per cent of the total remaining global carbon budget. As a result, the implications of plastic overconsumption extend even further than the litter that is visible in the ocean. | 29/01/2020 | Waste, Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Biodiversity in grave danger: what can be done in 2020? | While all the data is telling us that the planet is heating up at an unsustainable rate, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the acting executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, warns that “humanity will have given up on planet Earth if world leaders cannot reach an agreement this year to stop the mass extinction of wildlife and destruction of life-supporting ecosystems.” | 28/01/2020 | Biodiversity |
| Swimming on the edge: endurance swimmer takes on melting glaciers | Marine protected areas offer one of the best options to maintain our oceans’ health and avoid further degradation. These “nature-based solutions” can be particularly effective when developed as part of a wider management solution. | 28/01/2020 | Climate change |
| The effect of wildfires on sustainable development | Climate change and global heating however, are increasing the likelihood and intensity of wildfires, which could have a growing impact on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. | 23/01/2020 | Climate change |
| Decade of Action on the Sustainable Development Goals is under way | The Sustainable Development Goals are known as the world’s blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 goals are all interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that they are all achieved by 2030. | 22/01/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity, Food, Health, Land use, Green economy |
| Who turned up the temperature? Climate change, heatwaves and wildfires | The cautionary tale of the boiling frog describes how a frog that jumps into boiling water will save itself by jumping straight out, but the frog that sits in the water while it gradually gets hotter and hotter will boil to death. The global warming crisis surrounds us today and we must act now to protect ourselves. | 17/01/2020 | Climate change |
| Perfect storm: when climate change stokes wildfires, marine heatwaves and biodiversity loss | While wildfires can be part of some ecosystems, human-induced climate change is making them more frequent, larger and more widespread. The increase of forest fires has a dual impact on biodiversity and climate | 16/01/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Are “megafires” the new normal? | The global average temperature is now 1.1°C higher than at the beginning of last century. Higher temperatures create, in some parts of the world, drier conditions, increasing the likelihood and intensity of wildfires, and megafires. | 10/01/2020 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| What did the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative achieve in 2019? | “We recognize that outdated and unsustainable patterns of development, production and consumption are driving deforestation and that a major, fundamental shift in values, lifestyles and public policies is needed to protect rainforests. Agriculture is now the primary driver of deforestation—an unnecessary trade-off, as we can feed a growing population with the land we already have.” | 09/01/2020 | Land use, Biodiversity |
| Governments, smart data and wildfires: where are we at? | Did you know that wildfires occur naturally or can be started deliberately or by accident by humans? In some parts of the world, such as Indonesia and Brazil, forest fires have been started deliberately to make way for oil palm and soy bean plantations, or pasture for cattle—all in the name of alleviating poverty, creating economic wealth, and jobs or, mistakenly, food security. | 03/01/2020 | Land use, Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Visioning Futures: Improving Infrastructure Planning to Harness Nature’s Benefits in a Warming World | This report, with support from GIZ, outlines a new planning approach integrating considerations of natural capital and ecosystem services, climate risks and resilience, and sustainable development needs to support social-ecological system scale planning. It provides key recommendations for global and local institutions influential in infrastructure development, from multilateral development banks and other funders to NGOs and the private sector, to address these gaps and facilitate an improved planning approach. | 31/12/2019 | Climate change, Green economy |
| 2020 is International Year of Plant Health | Plants are the source of the air we breathe and most of the food we eat, yet how to keep them healthy is often ignored. This can have devastating results: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that up to 40 per cent of food crops are lost due to plant pests and diseases annually. This leaves millions of people without enough food to eat and seriously damages agriculture—the primary source of income for rural poor communities. | 26/12/2019 | Land use, Food, Biodiversity, Climate change |
| 2020: a crunch year for the biodiversity and climate emergencies | Nature-based solutions offer the best way to achieve human well-being, address climate change and protect the planet. Yet nature is in crisis, as we are losing species at a rate 1,000 times greater than at any other time in recorded human history. | 23/12/2019 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Go green this holiday season | The tourism industry is estimated to contribute 8 per cent of global greenhouse gases. When factors such as construction of hotels and the energy needed to facilitate tourism are considered, this figure might go much higher. | 18/12/2019 | Climate change, Waste, Green economy |
| Every straw counts in the fight against climate change | Actions breed reactions in the market — so if we want to be a part of designing a future that works better than today, then we need to redesign our lives to mimic the kind of future we want to live in | 16/12/2019 | Climate change, Waste, Green economy |
| Smart management of wildfires can help curb global heating | Extensive wildfire disasters, such as recently reported in Australia, Indonesia and the United States, adversely affect communities, economies and ecosystems. More generally, they contribute to air pollution and global warming, and indicate that existing mechanisms to deal with wildfire, centered around disaster risk management, are insufficient. | 16/12/2019 | Climate change |
| New report envisages 10-fold increase in global wind power by 2050 | The pace of development of offshore wind technologies and markets is faster than most people would have expected a few years ago. Larger wind turbines are enabling more efficient energy production and lower electricity costs, paving the way to achieve more than 1,000 gigawatts of cumulative offshore wind capacity by 2050 to meet the Paris Agreement. | 13/12/2019 | Climate change, Green economy |
| “Treasures of the mountains” under threat from climate change and land use | Communities in mountain regions, who often live near wildlife and are dependent on crops and livestock, are faced with great hardships. As dry seasons get longer and water for irrigation gets scarcer, conflicts over natural resources arise between local mountain communities and animals. | 11/12/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Rewilding London’s urban spaces | Rewilding is an approach to conservation that lets nature return areas of land to a wild state. The process involves allowing ecosystems to restore themselves over time, so they can recover from degradation. | 11/12/2019 | Biodiversity |
| Meet the youth standing up for our environmental rights | Every day, around 93 per cent of the world’s children under the age of 15 years (1.8 billion children) breathe air that is so polluted it puts their health and development at serious risk, says the World Health Organization. And yet, as environmental crises unfolded across the world, it is children who have dared to step up, to defend our environmental rights. | 10/12/2019 | Climate change, Health |
| Clean air as a human right | Most of the global population is exposed without their consent to hazardous substances and wastes that increase their likelihood of developing diseases and disabilities throughout their lives. In some cases, it has the potential to be a human rights violation. | 10/12/2019 | Climate change, Waste |
| How climate change disproportionately impacts those with disabilities | From powerful cyclones to extreme droughts, human-induced extreme weather events have become a daily fixture of life today. As stated in the recently published Emission Gap Report, in the 10 years of producing the report, the gap between what we should be doing to reduce the impacts of climate change and what we actually are is as wide as ever. | 09/12/2019 | Climate change, Health |
| The huge potential of agriculture to slow climate change | Industrial farming systems succeed in producing large volumes of food for the global market. However, they cause significant soil erosion, biodiversity (including pollinator) losses and pollution of freshwater bodies. They promote a high dependency on the agro-industry and its products and require huge amounts of freshwater and fertilizer. Agriculture contributes about 23 per cent of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, with the livestock sector representing 14.5 per cent of such emissions. | 04/12/2019 | Climate change, Land use, Biodiversity, Food |
| Reducing Food Waste in Schools: The Business Case | This business case outlines the calculations and examines how reducing plate waste can save money and enable savings to be re-invested into school food programs to improve food and nutritional quality, educational programs, and local economies. | 04/12/2019 | Waste, Food |
| Ecosystems restoration is a grassroots response to global challenges | Interview with Musonda Mumba, UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) incoming chair of the Global Partnership on Forests and Landscape Restoration. | 28/11/2019 | Climate change, Land use |
| Three ways to give green | There are lots of gift ideas that don’t come at a cost to the Earth. From making things yourself to selecting gifts that cut down on waste or electricity use, think creatively about how to use fewer natural resources. | 27/11/2019 | Green economy |
| On the brink: Emissions Gap Report findings in 60 seconds | The newly launched Emissions Gap Report tracks the gap between where greenhouse gas emissions are heading and where they need to be. | 26/11/2019 | Climate change |
| 10 things to know about the Emissions Gap 2019 | The annual United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) flagship Emissions Gap Report is now online. But what is this report really about? And why should you care? | 26/11/2019 | Climate change |
| Restoring and rehabilitating land a big step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals | With just 10 years remaining before the world’s nations are due to realize the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030, we still have a long way to go for countries to deliver on their targets and reverse the climate, species and resource consumption crises. | 19/11/2019 | Climate change, Land use, Biodiversity |
| Economic and environmental benefits of crossbreeding dairy cows with beef bulls | Given the challenging conditions of today's dairy industry, dairy farmers are seeking solutions to enhance their bottom lines. Crossbreeding dairy cows with beef bulls is one such solution that has emerged with the potential to result in wins for both the dairy producer and the environment | 18/11/2019 | Green economy, Food |
| Thirty years on, what is the Montreal Protocol doing to protect the ozone? | The Montreal Protocol to protect the Earth’s ozone layer is to date the only United Nations environmental agreement to be ratified by every country in the world. It is also one of the most successful. With the parties to the Protocol having phased out 98 per cent of their ozone-depleting substances, they saved an estimated two million people from skin cancer every year. | 15/11/2019 | Waste, Climate change, Health, Green economy |
| Nairobi Summit looks at solutions to climate change and environmental degradation for women and girls | A number of side and related events at what is known as the “Nairobi Summit” touched on issues related to environment such as the nexus between population, empowerment of women, youth and climate change, to accelerate action to achieve climate-resilient sustainable development. | 14/11/2019 | Climate change, Health |
| Many products still contain mercury. These alternatives could replace them | Mercury—a toxic heavy metal that can cause serious and lasting health problems—turns up in many places that you wouldn’t expect. It has now been more than two years since the entry into force of the Minamata Convention, a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. But the production of many mercury-containing products continues around the globe. | 14/11/2019 | Waste, Health |
| What’s in your bathroom? The hidden plastics in your beauty products | Microplastics in personal care products can go effortlessly down the drain as you wash. Because they are so small, wastewater filtration cannot treat them, and they can easily enter rivers and seas. | 12/11/2019 | Waste, Health |
| Why mercury still poses important threats to human health | Everyone on the planet is exposed to mercury at some level—whether through the food we eat, the air we breathe, or the cosmetics that we use. And while there are a number of measures that individuals, companies and governments can take to guard against mercury poisoning, the toxic heavy metal will continue to endanger human and environmental health until we manage to comprehensively address mercury throughout its life cycle. | 12/11/2019 | Waste, Health |
| The human health benefits of conserving and restoring peatlands | The study suggests that thousands of deaths could be prevented over the next three decades across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore through improved land management to reduce the number and extent of peatland fires. The fires contribute to dangerous levels of particulate matter harmful to human health. Air quality near large population centres could improve significantly, saving lives, the study found. | 08/11/2019 | Health, Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Helping countries with biodiversity conservation targets | The project provides technical and financial support to developing countries, small island states and countries with economies in transition to report on progress in achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and their associated National Biodiversity Targets, in accordance with Article 26 of the Convention. | 07/11/2019 | Biodiversity |
| Rooting for the environment in times of conflict and war | Despite the protection afforded by several legal instruments, the environment continues to be the silent victim of armed conflicts worldwide. | 06/11/2019 | Health, Biodiversity, Climate change, Waste |
| Curbing negative environmental impacts of war and armed conflict | Environmental factors are rarely, if ever, the sole cause of violent conflict. However, the exploitation of natural resources and related environmental stresses can be implicated in all phases of the conflict cycle, from contributing to the outbreak and perpetuation of violence to undermining prospects for peace. | 05/11/2019 | Health, Biodiversity, Climate change, Waste |
| Why food systems need to change | Essentially current food systems are failing us in terms of livelihoods, human health and the environment. We have to look beyond the idea that more food in the world and greater productivity will solve our problems. Local and national food systems need to be strengthened to adapt to the climate crisis and become better equipped to provide diverse diets for consumers in food-insecure communities. | 04/11/2019 | Health, Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Strengthening UN Environment Programme important to the Nordic countries | As UNEP is a relatively small, normative organization, the UN reform may be a huge opportunity for the organization to ensure that the environmental dimensions of sustainable development are integrated in the United Nations’ work at country level. | 31/10/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change, Green economy |
| Spotlight on cities | Cities have always been drivers and incubators of innovation. It is often said that the battle for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will be won or lost in cities. For this to happen, cities will have to continue to drive innovation to achieve a lasting impact in communities and to ensure that “no one and no place” is left behind. | 31/10/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change, Green economy, Waste, Land use |
| The German islet putting wind into the sails of climate action and clean seas | Sylt is vulnerable to sea-level rise: the increasing severity and frequency of storm surges threaten to engulf villages and wash away beaches as well as the biodiversity of its dunes and tidal flats. | 29/10/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Three ways we can better use nitrogen in farming | Without nitrogen, most of the world’s crops wouldn’t exist. Nitrogen is to corn, wheat and rice, what water is to fish. Yearly, more than 100 million tonnes of nitrogen are applied to crops in the form of fertilizer, helping them grow stronger and better. But issues arise when nitrogen run-off occurs, polluting air, water and land in the process. It is estimated that nitrogen discharge accounts for a third of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. | 24/10/2019 | Land use, Climate change |
| Saving the snow leopard | Big cats are elusive, but the snow leopard especially so. Locals living alongside the leopards often refer to them as the ‘ghosts of the mountains’ as they are hardly ever seen. Due to a demand for their fur, and increasing pressures on their habitats from expanding industries, pastoralists and climate change, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature predicts that a further 10 per cent of are expected to disappear by 2040. | 23/10/2019 | Biodiversity |
| Why nitrogen management is key for climate change mitigation | Growing demand on the agriculture, transport, industry and energy sectors has led to a sharp growth in the levels of nitrogen pollution and related greenhouse gas emissions. Nitrous oxide (N2O) from industry and combustion, for example, is 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. | 22/10/2019 | Land use, Climate change |
| Changing the approach: turning nitrogen pollution into money | Waste is money. At least that’s what Mark Sutton of the United Kindgom Centre for Ecology & Hydrology wants policymakers to understand. Sutton, who has studied nitrogen pollution for more than three decades, is convinced that there is a way to harvest emitted nitrogen to be reused by farmers as nitrogen fertilizer. | 22/10/2019 | Land use, Climate change, Waste |
| Analiza ogljičnega odtisa nagrobnih sveč [SI] | Slovenija je na vrhu evropskih držav po porabi nagrobnih sveč. Letna poraba na pokopališčih znaša približno 16 milijonov sveč, kar pri gorenju prispeva k obremenitvam kakovosti zraka, hkrati pa povzroči približno 2.400 ton odpadkov. | 19/10/2019 | Climate change, Waste |
| Our Planet. Our Future | The health of our planet and humanity’s future are inseparable. Both are in serious danger. | 18/10/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change, Green economy, Health |
| UNEP and adidas Runtastic launch free running challenge that enables users to compete with a wild snow leopard | The free adidas running app, launched in Pasching, Austria, is part of an international wildlife conservation campaign dubbed Run Wild, and will run for a period of 12 days from the International Snow leopard Day on 23 October 2019. | 16/10/2019 | Biodiversity |
| How can we Tackle our Global Environmental Challenges? | Our planet faces enormous environmental challenges. According to a report commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers, entitled “International Environmental Governance – Accomplishments and Way Forward”, the Nordic countries believe that effective and efficient policies to tackle these challenges ultimately depend on the extent to which they are anchored in science, and inclusive of the voices of all beneficiaries, often represented by civil society organizations. | 15/10/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change, Green economy, Health |
| The untapped potential of citizen science to track progress on the Sustainable Development Goals | Data generated by citizens (citizen science) has tremendous potential for helping us monitor the goals. Engaging citizens in the data collection process improves community awareness and action. | 14/10/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Protecting whales to protect the planet | Up until now, protecting great whales has been viewed as a human good. But the International Monetary Fund research points out that protecting whales also has a monetary incentive, as it turns out whales are an important nature-based solution to capturing carbon from human emissions. | 14/10/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Satellites record second lowest Arctic sea ice extent since 1979 | While they may be far from the world’s major population centres, changes in the polar regions have global implications: they affect the world’s climate through carbon storage and/or release, heat balance, and other environmental and ecological impacts. | 14/10/2019 | Climate change |
| Zelena proračunska reforma za Slovenijo: odzivanje na krizo s trajnostno vizijo [SI] | Paket reform, pogosto imenovan zelena proračunska reforma, združuje okoljske izboljšave z gospodarskimi spodbudami in priložnostmi za fiskalno konsolidacijo. Zeleno proračunsko reformo za Slovenijo predstavlja poročilo »Zelena proračunska reforma 2013: odzivanje na krizo s trajnostno vizijo«, pripravljeno v okviru projekta Plan B za Slovenijo. | 11/10/2019 | Green economy, Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Poland takes decisive action against illegal trade of hydrofluorocarbons | International illegal trade in ozone depleting substances and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)—powerful greenhouse gases—pose a serious threat to the environment and human health. | 11/10/2019 | Waste, Climate change, Health |
| Infografika: Podnebne spremembe in projekcije za Slovenijo [SI] | Infografika: Podnebne spremembe in projekcije za Slovenijo je nastala v okviru projekta Klima za podnebje. S projektom smo želeli prispevati k vzpostavljanju podporne družbene klime za oblikovanje, sprejetje in izvajanje ambicioznih, stroškovno učinkovitih in pravičnih ukrepov za doseganje nacionalnih ciljev zmanjšanja emisij toplogrednih plinov do 2020 in 2030. | 11/10/2019 | Climate change |
| Cities can fight climate change and improve lives by finding new ways to be cool | Life has always been hotter in cities. Concrete soaking up and radiating sunlight, and the concentration of people, cars and machinery crank up the temperatures, making them on average 5–9°C warmer than rural areas. This has led to fast growth of power-hungry air conditioning units delivering cooling. The problem is that this cooling has been pumping out excess heat and greenhouse gas emissions, which warm the planet and so lead to an ever-greater need for cooling. | 10/10/2019 | Climate change, Health |
| Caring for the environment helps to care for your mental health | The environment can influence either positively or negatively a person’s mental well-being. A recent study showed how the idea of living in the midst of the climate crisis was affecting Greenlanders’ anxiety and depression levels. The effects of our changing climate—economic uncertainty, job insecurity, extreme and volatile weather patterns, and displacement—also influence mental health. | 10/10/2019 | Climate change, Health |
| Global network of financial centres plan huge growth in sustainable finance and launches regional programme for Africa | Action on climate and other environmental challenges needs financial backing. The FC4S and its members can be a major driving force for positive change by directing finance to investments that shore up our planet’s ability to support human development rather than undermine it | 10/10/2019 | Green economy |
| New app allows users to sidestep Sarajevo’s smog | Based on leading technologies and innovation from the London Air Quality Network, run by the Environmental Research Group of King's College London, the ‘Sarajevo Air’ app calculates the lowest pollution route between any two points in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. | 08/10/2019 | Climate change, Health |
| Towards resilience and risk reduction for coral reefs in Central America | Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystems on the planet. They provide food, livelihoods and economic opportunity for millions of people. Coral reefs also protect coastal communities from storm surge flooding and wave action during tropical cyclones as well as beach erosion. | 08/10/2019 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| UNEP lays the groundwork for cleaner soil in Serbia | The polluted sites are often located close to urban areas and rivers. Organic pollutants and metals can leach into the soil, affecting food and water and risking biodiversity loss. | 07/10/2019 | Waste, Land use, Biodiversity |
| Youth to power the decade on restoration | Young people came out in force at September’s Global Landscape Forum in New York City. They spoke with passion on critical landscape restoration, for a cleaner, more sustainable future with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, 2021-2030. | 03/10/2019 | Climate change, Biodiversity, Land use |
| When we protect nature, nature protects us | Already, 3.2 billion people are affected by land degradation. Every year, 10 per cent of Gross Domestic Product is lost soil erosion, pollution and biodiversity loss, mostly caused by unsustainable agriculture. | 03/10/2019 | Land use, Climate change |
| Climate action for peace – faith-based perspectives | Around 80 countries jointly agreed that the greatest impending threats to humanity could be triggered by climate change, not terrorism, nuclear war or the conflicts around the world. | 02/10/2019 | Climate change |
| Evidence rising: the emerging pollutants poisoning our environment | Antibiotics in the environment appear to be spreading. A recent global study found that concentrations of antibiotics in some of the world’s rivers exceed “safe” levels by up to 300 times. | 02/10/2019 | Waste, Health |
| Case Studies on Integrating Ecosystem Services and Climate Resilience in Infrastructure Development | This is a review of innovative practices across several regions of the world that integrate both ecosystem services and climate change projections in planning and design. | 01/10/2019 | Climate change |
| Shifting the needle on cocoa production practices worldwide | Did you know that, typically, less than 7 per cent of the price of your chocolate bar goes to cocoa producers? Or that large amounts of global cocoa production are associated with illegal deforestation and biodiversity losses? | 30/09/2019 | Land use, Food, Green economy, Biodiversity |
| Smarter Choices - Alternatives to Mercury | While the health risks are well-known, mercury emissions by humans continue to increase. You can make a difference, actions such as recycling electronics, responsibly using clean energy and avoiding gold mined with mercury can help people and the planet. | 27/09/2019 | Waste, Health |
| Honouring earth’s champions and young champions | As leaders gathered in New York to tackle the climate crisis during talks at the United Nations throughout the week, the Champions of the Earth award—the UN’s highest environmental honour—celebrated action. | 27/09/2019 | Climate change |
| Celebrating bold, young innovators acting on climate change | The seven Young Champions of the Earth gathered in New York to talk at a series of events and attend a training before celebrating their win at the inaugural gala ceremony. | 26/09/2019 | Climate change |
| Faiths for Forests campaign launched at Climate Action Summit | The Faiths for Forests campaign was launched on 22 September as a contribution to the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit, kicking off a global faith-based movement of mobilization, education and advocacy around halting and reversing tropical deforestation. | 24/09/2019 | Land use |
| Addressing pharmaceutical waste in Albania | In Albania, dealing with pharmaceutical waste has become a serious concern. Often, this potentially hazardous refuse is burned in open areas or disposed of untreated, which can lead to the contamination of drinking, surface and ground waters, creating a serious health hazard to locals and potentially damaging the environment. | 24/09/2019 | Waste, Health |
| Clean air commitments made as part of UN Climate Action Summit activities | The critical need to reduce air pollution while accelerating climate action and improving human health was highlighted in a series of Art 2030 installations launched at the United Nations headquarters in New York. | 24/09/2019 | Climate change, Health |
| Global Launch of the UN Principles for Responsible Banking | Leading economists call climate change the greatest market failure in human history. If unchecked, climate change could lead to a loss equal to 5-20 percent of global GDP each year. | 24/09/2019 | Climate change, Green economy |
| We Will: Efficient, Climate-Friendly Cooling for All | As climate change raises global temperatures, the challenges will grow, compounded by urbanization and urban warming. | 24/09/2019 | Climate change |
| UNEP and German Ministry for Environment launch GO for SDGs | The initiative targets three change-agent groups: policy makers, businesses and youth. It aims to raise ambition for building inclusive and sustainable economies and societies by showcasing exemplary approaches from countries and strengthening capacity for replication across regions. | 24/09/2019 | Green economy |
| Marine heatwaves kill corals quicker than previously thought | Coral bleaching is caused by global heating and leads corals to expel vital algae that live in its tissues, resulting ultimately in the death of these animals. | 23/09/2019 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Climate connects everything | Climate change was top of the agenda at the Social Good Summit. Young thought leaders from all regions of the globe, including those honoured by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), spoke out on issues central to the climate crisis at the Social Good Summit. | 23/09/2019 | Climate change |
| From “lost decade” of climate action, hope emerges | The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) today released a look back at ten years of its Emissions Gap Report—a hugely influential publication that compares where greenhouse gas emissions levels are headed to where they should be to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. | 22/09/2019 | Climate change |
| Scaling-up Nature-Based Solutions for Mitigation, Resilience and Adaptation | Nature provides many solutions for climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development. | 22/09/2019 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Driving Transformational Change: Architecture and Ecosystems for Healthy Resilient Cities | Our great cities, and the different architectural styles in which they are built, demonstrate the ingenuity, diversity and success of our species. | 22/09/2019 | Climate change, Waste, Biodiversity, Land use |
| 1,200 children descend on Belgian beach to fight marine litter | Around 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean every year, endangering both marine species and human health. | 21/09/2019 | Waste, Biodiversity, Health |
| UN flagship report urges G20 to embrace transformative climate action | Global emissions are reaching record levels and show no sign of peaking, pushing global temperatures ever higher. Winter in the Arctic is now 3°C warmer than in 1990. | 21/09/2019 | Climate change |
| The streets of New York came alive with hope | In the biggest climate march the world has ever seen, young and old school and work strikers in 150 countries from all continents including Antarctica, took to the streets. | 21/09/2019 | Climate change |
| Champions of the Earth 2019 for Inspiration and Action | Fridays For Future is a movement that began in August 2018, after then 15 years old Greta Thunberg sat in front of the Swedish parliament every schoolday for three weeks, to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis. | 21/09/2019 | Climate change |
| Ten years of climate neutrality for The UN Environment Programme | At 47 years old, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is well into maturity. That means it’s seen its fair share of achievements—including realizing the 1987 Montreal Protocol for limiting ozone emissions, and the 2012 Minamata Convention limiting toxic mercury—as well as mistakes, notably increased air travel. | 20/09/2019 | Climate change |
| Paul Polman: the Dutch trailblazer on a mission to redesign business to save the planet | The former head of consumer goods giant Unilever believes the world needs to totally redesign the way growth and financial success are measured to unlock the potential of a sustainable future. | 19/09/2019 | Climate change, Green economy |
| World Car-Free Day: London prepares to close its city centre for what will be its biggest car-free day to date | Air pollution kills thousands of people every year and two million more live in areas where levels of air pollution are above the limit established by the World Health Organization. This is why the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has decided to hold the capital’s biggest World Car-Free celebrations to date. | 18/09/2019 | Climate change, Health |
| World Ozone Day 2019: 32 years and healing | Thanks to international cooperation the ozone layer is healing. It’s been 32 years since the global community agreed to the Montreal Protocol, which banned ozone depleting substances. | 16/09/2019 | Climate change |
| Bringing virtual forests to life | Lush and green ancient forest is not what most people imagine when thinking of Russia. But despite living a fast-paced city life, Marianna Muntianu knew the reality all too well. | 16/09/2019 | Land use, Biodiversity |
| Our everyday choices matter | The future is made up of the cumulative outcomes of our actions today. The way we move, what food we eat and how we treat our clothes are all crucial to determining the impact we have on the planet. | 16/09/2019 | Waste, Green economy |
| Young environmental prize winner for Europe makes virtual forest restoration in Russia a reality | Twenty-nine-year-old Marianna Muntianu has won the Young Champions of the Earth Prize for making virtual trees a reality through her mobile game “Plant the Forest”. | 16/09/2019 | Land use, Biodiversity |
| UNEP helps launch new global coalition to combat sand and dust storms | Sand and dust storms—also known as sirocco, haboob, yellow dust, white storms, and the harmattan—are a natural phenomenon linked with land and water management, and climate change. | 13/09/2019 | Climate change, Land use |
| Electric public transport: a Super Solution | Public transport contributes approximately 25% of all energy related CO2 emissions worldwide. Electric public transport is a super solution that could reduce 250 million tones of carbon emissions by 2030 and it has a lot more benefits. | 13/09/2019 | Climate change, Green economy |
| “Business as usual” could lead to catastrophic global sea-level rise, says new study | As hurricane season bears down on many people and communities this month, one of the key factors linked to increasing severity of a storm’s impacts—sea level rise—sees new predictions emerge for “worst-case scenarios”. | 11/09/2019 | Climate change |
| Boyan Slat: Dutch engineer-turned-cleaner puts faith in humanity’s ‘better angels’ | When 20-year-old Boyan Slat accepted the United Nations Champion of the Earth award in 2014 for his efforts to clear the ocean of plastic, he made two predictions: that the road ahead would be bumpy and that he would not give up. | 11/09/2019 | Waste |
| Restoring fortune to the fields of Georgia | Sometimes referred to as ‘the bread basket of Georgia’, Dedoplistskaro’s fertile soils have provided a living for generations of farmers. But today, periods of drought, compounded by strong, dry winds that erode fields and scatter seeds, are hitting local communities hard. | 06/09/2019 | Land use, Biodiversity, Climate change, Food |
| Combatting species loss using nature | Now a major extinction event is happening before us due not to any cataclysmic event but an unprecedented and ongoing pressure on the environment by humans. There an estimated 7.7 billion people today, making us the most populous large mammal on Earth. | 06/09/2019 | Biodiversity |
| Freestyle skier Kelly Sildaru: step by step towards a positive environmental impact | We want to change youth behaviour and raise their environmental awareness through giving simple recommendations and instructions on how to become eco-friendly | 05/09/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Extreme heating: are we hot enough to act now on climate? | The cautionary tale of the boiling frog describes how a frog that jumps into boiling water will save itself by jumping straight out, but the frog that sits in the water while it gradually gets hotter and hotter will boil to death. | 03/09/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Leyla Acaroglu: the disruptive designer reshaping minds to change the world | Leyla Acaroglu traces her passion for disruptive design to twin epiphanies in her late teens: the realization that her survival was intrinsically linked to the health of the planet and the simultaneous conviction that she was incredibly privileged to be able to do something about that life-changing appreciation. | 03/09/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change, Health |
| The transformers: UN Champions who dared to reimagine their worlds | A corporate titan with an unconventional agenda; the food specialists who looked outside the (takeaway) box; the ocean explorer whose name has become synonymous with conservation: these are just some of the environmental heroes who have dedicated their lives to bringing their audacious visions of a better world to life. | 03/09/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Protecting Georgian forests from space | Forests worldwide provide a multitude of services, including protection against natural hazards and habitat for plants and animals, as well as contributing to carbon storage. | 28/08/2019 | Biodiversity, Land use |
| Golf’s championship takes a swing at single-use plastics | In recent years, and as with most major events, The Open relied on single-use plastic bottles to provide drinking water for fans, players, staff and officials. | 28/08/2019 | Waste, Biodiversity |
| What would it really take to plant a trillion trees? | The first rule for ecosystem restoration is to stop the further destruction of forests, wetlands, and other critical ‘green infrastructure’. Conserving natural habitats is always cheaper than restoring it later. | 23/08/2019 | Biodiversity, Land use |
| Introducing the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative | UN Messenger of Peace @JaneGoodallInst introduces @IRIforests, a new global effort uniting people of all faiths to end tropical deforestation. | 23/08/2019 | Biodiversity, Land use |
| Private sector opportunities in climate finance | Climate Change presents huge financial risks to the global economy. The financial world thus needs to effectively incorporate climate change strategies into their work—already, banks from across the globe have embarked on this process. | 22/08/2019 | Climate change, Green economy |
| Not so rosy: time to halt trafficking of coveted tropical timber | From Guatemala to Madagascar to Thailand to Zambia, rosewoods have been targeted by timber traffickers who seek to profit especially from its growing demand in China. | 22/08/2019 | Biodiversity, Land use |
| How to develop a non-motorized transport strategy | Improving the convenience, comfort and safety of walking and cycling reduces the demand for travel by personal motor vehicles, helping to alleviate the critical traffic challenges facing many cities. As zero-emission modes, walking and cycling are critical efforts in reducing the harmful local pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. | 21/08/2019 | Climate change, Green economy |
| The drivers of species loss are multilateral in nature | Sustaining life on earth has taken center stage, where it belongs, helped by young activists, media, policymakers, scientists, politicians, and society at large; all of whom understand the imperative of conservation and who understand the importance of ensuring a sound regulation of trade of flora and fauna. | 17/08/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Making mercury history | Mercury has a long environmental shelf life and a global pathway, as it cycles between the atmosphere, the ocean and land. | 16/08/2019 | Waste, Biodiversity |
| Mangroves: a Super Solution | Mangroves are an amazing #ClimateAction Super Solution, they are effective carbon sinks, storing four times more CO2 than rainforests. And when it comes to storm protection and sea level rise, mangroves are 1000 times cheaper per kilometre than building sea walls. Check out the video! | 13/08/2019 | Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Below The Canopy | The importance of biodiversity below the forest canopy is often underappreciated, and yet it is a crucial component of healthy functioning forest ecosystems. Below the Canopy: Plotting Global Trends in Forest Wildlife Populations is the first-ever global assessment of forest-dwelling wildlife populations and highlights the multitude of threats forest-living species are facing. | 13/08/2019 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Prosecutors are key to progressing environmental law | If human society is to stay within the bounds of critical ecological thresholds, it is imperative that environmental laws are widely understood, respected and enforced. This is the environmental rule of law. | 09/08/2019 | Climate change |
| Running plastic pollution out of town step by step | In February 2017, the UN Environment Programme launched the Clean Seas campaign at the Economist World Ocean Summit in Bali, Indonesia. The campaign engages governments, the general public and the private sector in the fight against marine plastic pollution. | 09/08/2019 | Waste, Green economy |
| Land is a Critical Resource, IPCC report says | Land is already under growing human pressure and climate change is adding to these pressures. | 08/08/2019 | Land use, Climate change |
| Nature can still heal itself, if we give it the urgent attention it needs | The increasing intensity and frequency of climate extremes impacts life on earth in many ways. Ocean and terrestrial ecosystems, which we all depend on, are equally affected, as is our planet’s capacity to sustain our growing needs. | 08/08/2019 | Climate change |
| Air pollution-eating moss cleans hotspots in Europe | Moss naturally filters pollutants from the air very effectively. Using remote technology, the CityTree combines this moss air purifying factor with remote technology to increase the air flow through the “trees”. | 31/07/2019 | Climate change |
| Rangers—unsung heroes of wildlife conservation | Did you know that population numbers of mountain gorillas have doubled in the last 30 years thanks to effective protection of their habitats by rangers? | 30/07/2019 | Biodiversity |
| Saving our Species | On World Ranger Day 2019 we celebrate the men and women around the world who fight to protect our threatened species. | 30/07/2019 | Biodiversity |
| Rewilding in Argentina: the giant river otter returns to Iberá park | The first attempt to reintroduce an extinct mammal in Argentina brings hope for restored ecosystems and increased ecotourism opportunities based on wildlife watching. | 24/07/2019 | Biodiversity |
| Explore: Interconnected marine systems | UN Environment Programme has created immersive digital experiences for its #WildforLife campaign. These four ecosystem-based “journeys” show the magic of interconnected natural systems and inspire people to take action to protect these distinct ecosystems. | 22/07/2019 | Biodiversity |
| Meet UN Environment’s new Mountain Hero Malcolm Wood | As a para-alpinist, Wood is used to organizing expeditions to some of the highest summits around the world, to attempt a paragliding or speed flight descent. | 22/07/2019 | Biodiversity |
| Last call for a food systems revolution | Half of the world’s population is directly engaged in agriculture and nearly 40 per cent of land is devoted to agriculture and livestock. Food production sustains us all, but it also comes at a cost: water sources are being depleted and contaminated by food production, and unhealthy diets are burdening our health care systems. | 19/07/2019 | Food, Land use, Climate change, Biodiversity |
| More conservation efforts critical to save the vaquita | While optimism can be in short supply when it comes to wildlife conservation, the spotting of three vaquita calves in October 2019 in the Upper Gulf of California in Mexico was a particularly exciting moment. | 17/07/2019 | Biodiversity |
| Enhancing knowledge and capacity on legal elements for forest management | The Forestry Department of the Food and Agricultural Organization held a technical working group meeting in May 2019 in Rome, Italy, to develop legal elements that would guide forest management, timber production and trade. | 17/07/2019 | Land use, Climate change, Biodiversity, Green economy |
| Addressing justice and sustainable development | According to the World Justice Project’s Measuring the Justice Gap report, the justice needs of 5 billion people around the world are unmet. | 17/07/2019 | Health |
| Implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) through fisheries legal frameworks | The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) organized an expert workshop in May 2019 in Rome, Italy, to explore the implementation of the Convention through fisheries legislation. The workshop brought together around 26 legal and technical experts. | 17/07/2019 | Biodiversity |
| Medellín shows how nature-based solutions can keep people and planet cool | This summer, as temperatures have soared across Europe, India, Egypt and many other places, the first reaction of those with access to cooling has often been to crank up the air conditioning. | 17/07/2019 | Climate change, Green economy |
| Smart wastewater management can help reduce air pollution | Heavily polluted urban waterways emit toxic gases such as methane and nitrous oxide which are also greenhouse gases, and a recent global study found that concentrations of antibiotics in some of the world’s rivers exceed safe levels by up to 300 times. | 16/07/2019 | Waste, Climate change |
| Marine litter and the challenge of sustainable consumption and production | Plastics are part of modern life. But when not properly managed, they harm our health, biodiversity and ecosystem services. The problem of plastic pollution has been growing, and the costs mounting, particularly for the marine environment. | 15/07/2019 | Waste, Biodiversity |
| Learning for a green recovery | Over the next 6-18 months, it is estimated that countries will invest over $20 trillion to recover from the fallout of COVID-19. The make-up of these financial decisions will define the shape of our societies and economies for decades to come, including our ability to respond to greater environmental challenges lying ahead. | 15/07/2019 | Climate change, Green Economy |
| Let’s invent the future this Youth Skills Day! | Engaging young people in sustainable development efforts is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. | 15/07/2019 | Climate change, Green economy, Biodiversity, Health |
| The triple planetary crisis: Forging a new relationship between people and the earth | As we stand at the crossroads of a world that has plunged into the worst recession in modern history, we carry with us, the tremendous responsibility of ensuring that our actions continue to be guided by the Rio+20 outcome document The Future we Want and Agenda 2030, to promote the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development. | 14/07/2019 | Climate change |
| How to feed 10 billion people | With a global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, it is not unreasonable to ask: how are we going to feed all these people? | 13/07/2019 | Food |
| Get to know: Belgium | Belgium, a champion for the environment, is also one of UN Environment Programme's strongest partners. | 12/07/2019 | Climate change, Green economy, Biodiversity, Health, Waste, Land use |
| Tapping trash for gold | A third of all food produced globally is wasted every year, and its disposal often contributes to air pollution, generating unnecessary emissions, in addition to representing wasteful practices. | 12/07/2019 | Waste, Food, Climate change |
| Bread to beer: an unlikely sandwich cast-off | “Team Toast” have built Toast Ale—an award-winning beer made from surplus bread. Team member 25-year-old Michael Lawrence is taking over pubs in London to raise awareness about the dangers of food waste, and promote simple, innovative and local solutions that can help curb it. | 11/07/2019 | Waste, Food |
| No Food Left Behind, Part 2: A Tale of Two Markets: A Model for Working Together to Fully Utilize the Surplus | The second report in the No Food Left Behind series looks at crops grown for the processing market—frozen, canned, and pickled—and the drivers for waste in this market. The report compares losses in the processing crop market to those in the fresh market, detailed in the first report. | 09/07/2019 | Land use, Food |
| Countdown to Extinction | Ecological and climate breakdown share many of the same drivers: notably, the destruction of forests and other natural ecosystems by industrial agriculture. Some 80% of global deforestation is a result of agricultural production, which is also the leading cause of habitat destruction. | 10/06/2019 | Land use, Biodiversity |
| Letak Doseženi rezultati projekta GPP 2020 (javno naročanje za nizkoogljično gospodarstvo) [SI] | V okviru evropskega projekta GPP 2020, ki je potekal v osmih državah članicah, je Umanotera sodelovala kot nacionalni podporni partner. GPP 2020 je spodbujal izvajanje zelenega oz. nizkoogljičnega javnega naročanja (ZeJN). Namen projekta je bil izvesti večje število zelenih/nizkoogljičnih javnih naročil in ob tem predstaviti ogljične in energijske prihranke ter krepiti usposobljenost javnih naročnikov pri izvajanju zelenih/nizkoogljičnih javnih naročil. | 09/05/2019 | Green economy |
| Priporočila za uporabo trajnostnih zahtev v postopkih zelenega javnega naročanja stavb [SI] | V okviru projekta Trajnostna gradnja (CEC5) so v Umanoteri ustvarili Priporočila za uporabo trajnostnih zahtev v postopkih zelenega javnega naročanja stavb (marec 2014) | 09/05/2019 | Climate change |
| Letak “Kako naj prispevam k ljudem in naravi prijaznejšim športnim dogodkom?” [SI] | V okviru projekta Čista zmaga – trajnostni športni dogodki, ki so ga izvajali od marca 2012 do avgusta 2013, je nastal letak z napotki za v uporabo organizatorjem “Kako naj prispevam k ljudem in naravi prijaznejšim športnim dogodkom?” Namen projekta je bil preko športnih dogodkov doseči spremembe v delovanju posameznikov in organizacij in tako prispevati k doseganju trajnostnega razvoja. | 09/05/2019 | Waste, Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Proračun lokalne skupnosti [SI] | Namen projekta Ozelenjevanje občinskega proračuna je bil opolnomočiti lokalne skupnosti za prispevanje k prehodu v zeleno, z viri gospodarno in konkurenčno nizkoogljično gospodarstvo in trajnostno družbo z zeleno reformo občinskih proračunov. V okviru projekta je nastal dokument Proračun lokalne skupnosti (april 2017). | 09/05/2019 | Green economy, Biodiversity, Climate change |
| Zakaj je pomembno ozelenjevanje občinskega proračuna in kakšne so koristi? [SI] | Namen projekta Ozelenjevanje občinskega proračuna je bil opolnomočiti lokalne skupnosti za prispevanje k prehodu v zeleno, z viri gospodarno in konkurenčno nizkoogljično gospodarstvo in trajnostno družbo z zeleno reformo občinskih proračunov. V okviru projekta je nastal dokument Zakaj je pomembno ozelenjevanje občinskega proračuna in kakšne so koristi (junij 2017) | 09/05/2019 | Green economy, Biodiversity, Climate change |
| State of the Practice: Sustainability Standards for Infrastructure Investors | This new study by Stanford Global Projects Center—commissioned by Guggenheim Investments and World Wildlife Fund—reviews a range of multi-stakeholder infrastructure sustainability standards and project rating programs, a necessary step to transition sustainable infrastructure investing into an institutional asset class. | 17/01/2019 | Green economy |
| Educating Tomorrow's Food Waste Warriors | With so much food moving through schools each day, there is a huge opportunity to work with students, teachers, food service providers, cafeteria staff, and more, to fight waste and inspire change in both institutions and young people. Schools can use their cafeterias as classrooms and help students understand the connection between what they eat and their planet, and forge lifelong stewardship habits. | 19/12/2018 | Waste, Food |
| Holding your Government Accountable for Climate Change: A People’s Guide | All around the world there are increasing incidents of climate-fuelled heatwaves, floods, droughts, and extreme weather events. Every person has the right to a healthy environment – to life, health, food, and an adequate standard of living. Climate change poses a threat to these rights. But we can make a difference. | 11/12/2018 | Climate change |
| Living Planet Report 2018 | The Living Planet Report documents the state of the planet—including biodiversity, ecosystems, and demand for natural resources—and what it means for humans and wildlife. Published by WWF every two years, the report brings together a variety of research to provide a comprehensive view of the health of the Earth. | 29/10/2018 | Biodiversity |
| A Crisis of Convenience: The corporations behind the plastics pollution pandemic | The plastic pollution crisis has become increasingly visible in recent years; shocking images of choked wildlife and piles of plastic waste in our communities and ecosystems have intensified public concern. | 23/10/2018 | Waste |
| A Coal Phase-Out Pathway for 1.5°C | A rapid transition away from coal is technically and economically possible, but it will require aggressive retirement of coal plants coupled with equally aggressive deployment of efficiency measures and low-carbon power sources. The briefing explores the specifics of how such reductions could be implemented over the coming three decades, given the geographical distribution and age structure of the global coal plant fleet and the new coal plant pipeline. | 08/10/2018 | Climate change |
| WWF Education for Nature Annual Report 2018 | Education is one of the most powerful drivers of change. For 24 years, the Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program (EFN) has played a pivotal role in preserving and restoring Earth’s epicenters of biodiversity by supporting conservationists across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Through scholarships, fellowships, and small grants, EFN enables individuals to pursue degrees and attend trainings, and provides funding for local organizations to train communities in WWF priority places. | 01/10/2018 | Biodiversity |
| The Final Countdown: Now or never to reform the palm oil industry | The investigation exposes the total failure of Wilmar International, the world’s largest palm oil trader, to break its links to rainforest destruction. | 19/09/2018 | Land use, Food, Biodiversity |
| WILDLABS: Annual Report 2017 | Since WILDLABS’ launch in late 2015 it has become a platform for 2,300 experts around the world to openly share information and collaborate on technology solutions to pressing conservation challenges | 28/08/2018 | Biodiversity |
| No Food Left Behind, Part 1: Underutilized Produce Ripe for Alternative Markets | This report details research to begin to understand the magnitude of the opportunity through the collection of baseline data from farms on post-harvest losses of peaches, potatoes, tomatoes, and romaine lettuce. | 21/08/2018 | Land use, Waste, Food |
| Destination Zero – Seven Years of Detoxing the Clothing Industry | This Greenpeace Germany report shows the progress of global clothing brands and suppliers in detoxing from hazardous chemicals, as well as identifying future challenges for all stakeholders. | 12/07/2018 | Green economy, Health |
| Moment of Truth: Forest Destruction for Palm Oil | Immediate action worldwide to halt deforestation and restore extensive areas of natural forest is key to limiting climate change and biodiversity loss. Halting and beginning to reverse the destruction of the world’s forests for agriculture is the cheapest, quickest and most equitable option to stabilise the climate and buy time for a just transition to a low-carbon economy. | 19/03/2018 | Land use, Food, Biodiversity |
| Wildlife in a Warming World: The Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity | This report examines the impact of climate change on nearly 80,000 species in 35 of the world’s most diverse and naturally wildlife-rich areas. It models a number of different climate scenarios—from a no-emissions-cuts business-as-usual rise in global mean temperatures of 4.5°C to a 2°C global rise to keep to the upper limit of the Paris Agreement. | 13/03/2018 | Climate change, Biodiversity |
| Tackling Deforestation Through a Jurisdictional Approach | Jurisdictional approaches seek to align interests and coordinate actions among governments, businesses, local communities, and NGOs toward shared conservation, supply chain sustainability, and green development goals | 07/03/2018 | Land use |
| Less Is More: Reducing Meat and Dairy for a Healthier Life and Planet | Our food system — including changes in land use linked to agriculture — is currently responsible for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. Meat and dairy production alone already releases as much greenhouse gas emissions as the transport sector. | 05/03/2018 | Food, Health, Climate change |
| Hotel Kitchen: Fighting Food Waste in Hotels | WWF is working to transform sectors where we see potential to make the biggest impact. It’s estimated that 40% of food waste happens in customer-facing businesses like restaurants, supermarkets and hotels. Hotels, which serve $35 billion dollars in catering and banquets each year in the US, are an ideal test bed to learn, iterate, drive waste reduction, and help reshape the food service industry as leaders in food waste reduction. | 13/11/2017 | Waste, Food |
| Practitioner's Guide to Developing River Basin Report Cards | This guide is designed for government or non-profit employees, development officials, river basin managers, private sector representatives, community organizers, academics, journalists, or any others interested in acting to secure the health and future of a freshwater resource. It provides an overview of river basin report cards and their utility, as well as guidance on how to create a report card and leverage the process and results to drive change | 25/10/2017 | Biodiversity |
| Green Recovery and Reconstruction Toolkit | The GRRT is a toolkit and training program designed to increase awareness and knowledge of environmentally responsible disaster response approaches. Although disasters wreak havoc, the rebuilding efforts that follow represent a significant and important opportunity to restore communities in a more environmentally and socially responsible way. | 10/10/2017 | Green economy |
| Building Back Safer and Greener: A Guide to Sound Environmental Practices for Disaster Recovery | Post-disaster recovery and reconstruction can cause many adverse environmental impacts. This guide outlines ways in which they can be avoided, and good practices can be promoted, in order to reduce future disaster risk and ensure long-term livelihoods and well-being for local people | 05/07/2017 | Green economy |
| Air Quality Policies in Slovenia | This document describes Slovenia's national-level policies that impact air quality. It is based on research that UN Environment conducted in 2015 in response to Resolution 7 of the first UN Environment Assembly. | 01/07/2017 | Climate change, Health |
| Green Growth Indicators 2017 | Green growth policies need to be founded on a good understanding of the determinants of green growth and need to be supported with appropriate indicators to monitor progress. This book presents a selection of updated and new indicators that illustrate the progress that OECD and G20 countries have made since the 1990s. It updates the 2014 edition. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia set up the methodology for monitoring the amount of food waste. The statistical data published in this publication are the first data of this kind that have been collected. | 20/06/2017 | Green economy, Biodiversity |
| The Environmental Risks of Neonicotinoid Pesticides | The purpose of this review is to collate and summarise scientific evidence published since 2013 that investigates the impact of neonicotinoids on non-target organisms and to bring it into one place to aid informed decision making. | 12/01/2017 | Biodiversity, Health |
| Food Among Waste | Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia set up the methodology for monitoring the amount of food waste. The statistical data published in this publication are the first data of this kind that have been collected. | 20/12/2016 | Food, Waste |
| PFC Pollution Hotspots: How these Chemicals are Entering Our Bodies | In the USA and Europe, pollution problems have been building up since as long ago as the 1950’s, when PFC production started, dominated by the production of the PFCs PFOS and PFOA – now known to be highly persistent and toxic. The manufacture of hazardous per- and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) is leading to contamination of the local environment, including surface water, drinking water, groundwater as well as air and dust. | 14/11/2016 | Green economy, Health |
| Europe’s Pesticide Addiction: How Industrial Agriculture Damages our Environment | Europe’s dependency on chemical pesticides is nothing short of an addiction. Crops are routinely doused with a variety of chemicals, usually applied multiple times to single crops throughout the whole growing season. Industrial agriculture, with its heavy use of chemical pesticides, pollutes our water and soil and leads to loss of habitats and biodiversity. | 13/10/2015 | Land use, Biodiversity, Health |
| Energy [R]evolution | Dynamic change is happening in energy supply, but the change needs to happen faster. this energy [r]evolution scenario proposes a pathway to a 100% sustainable energy supply, ending CO2 emissions and phasing out nuclear energy, and making redundant new oil exploration in the arctic and deep sea waters such as off the coast of Brazil. it also demonstrates that this transformation increases employment in the energy sector. | 21/09/2015 | Climate change |
| Footprints in the snow – Hazardous PFCs in remote locations around the globe | PFCs are environmentally hazardous substances, which are persistent in the environment. Once released into the environment they break down very slowly; they can remain in the environment for many years after their release and are dispersed over the entire globe. These pollutants are found in secluded mountain lakes and snow from remote locations, they accumulate in living organisms such as the livers of polar bears in the Arctic and also in human blood. | 14/09/2015 | Waste, Health |
| Ecological Farming: The seven principles of a food system that has people at its heart | Ecological farming is a vision of sustainability, equity and food sovereignty in which safe and healthy food is grown to meet fundamental human needs, and where control over food and farming rests with local communities, rather than transnational corporations. | 18/05/2015 | Land use, Biodiversity, Health |
| Tied Down. Why Europe’s energy giants keep us hooked on imported fossil fuels | Europe’s biggest power companies are putting pressure on EU politicians to weaken future commitments to cut carbon emissions and boost renewables and energy efficiency. Ambitious, binding targets in these three areas would help Europe tackle the global threat of climate change, while slashing its dependence on imported fuels. | 09/10/2014 | Climate change |
| Powe[R] 2030 | This report by Greenpeace based on modelling from Energynautics illustrates the extent of this clash across Europe, and the potentially enormous cost savings if Europe chooses to shift more quickly to a system based on renewables. | 25/03/2014 | Climate change, Green economy |
| Bridging the Emissions Gap: A UNEP Synthesis Report | This report explains to decision-makers and stakeholders the range of potential options available to close the emissions gap in 2020. It includes a package of ideas beginning with the big picture from the modeling community, then focusing on opportunities to reduce emissions from international sources of emissions, and finally highlighting current national efforts in important emitter countries. | 16/11/2011 | Climate change |
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