International Environment Forum - A Bahá'í inspired organization for environment and sustainability

19th IEF Webinar on Love for Nature

admin — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 13:40:24 +0000

19th IEF Webinar on Love for Nature admin 13. March 2023 - 15:40

19th IEF Webinar
Love for Nature

Book Club Style Webinar
Postponed to Saturday, 6 May 2023

19th IEF Webinar
Book Club Style Webinar on "Love for Nature", from Braiding Sweetgrass

Saturday, 6 May 2023 with a recorded reading by Robin Kimmerer
10am PDT California
1pm EDT New York
6pm GMT
7pm CEST Central Europe

This is the new Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/IEF-Sweetgrass-Beans
If you registered before, please, do so again with this new link.

Description: We'll be using the "Book Club" format for our webinar again this month, which is focused on member participation, discussion, and principles we can implement in our lives to live in harmony with our natural world.

We'll listen to Robin Kimmerer read the chapter "Epiphany in the Beans" from her book "Braiding Sweetgrass." This chapter discusses the deep love the author has for nature and presents a lens through which we can see nature the way she does.

You do not need to read ahead, as we will listen to the audiobook chapter together, but here is the link to the book.

In order to encourage maximum participation and discussion, "Book Club" Webinars are not recorded.

Last updated 1 April 2023

Leaves - April IEF newsletter is available

admin — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 17:50:47 +0000

Leaves - April IEF newsletter is available admin 17. April 2023 - 20:50

Read on line: Leaves 25(04) April 2023 light text version with fewer illustrations.
Download as a pdf version [0.4 mb].

Compassionate Era: Bahá’í Teachings on the Animal Kingdom

admin — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 16:31:58 +0000

Compassionate Era: Bahá’í Teachings on the Animal Kingdom admin 14. April 2023 - 19:31

Compassionate Era: Bahá’í Teachings on the Animal Kingdom

Wilmette Institute Webinar with IEF Member Carole Flood

April 16, 2023
11:00am PDT / 02:00 pm EDT / 20:00 CEST

The recording of this webinar is now available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vMX1WjkUUI

Animals of all kinds co-exist with us, from pets to farm animals to wildlife and microscopic organisms. We know more than ever now about animal sentience and capabilities, even as we impact the animal kingdom more than ever before—from extinction and species decline due to climate change and habitat loss, farming practices, pet ownership, and more. What do the Bahá’í teachings say about animals? How can those teachings help guide us in our daily lives and as a society? What does it mean to be kind to animals? What is our vision of animals in the future? Come and join us to explore these questions and many more!

Carole Flood has been an animal lover and Bahá’í from the beginning, and both of these loves have grown over time. Professionally, she has been an educator and an environmental advocate, often combining the two fields. (She holds two masters degrees: Educational Psychology and Statistics and Environmental Management and Policy.) Recently, she has taught environmental science at the college and high school levels and served as a sustainability coordinator at a private school; she has also worked at the Environmental Protection Agency and as an editor. She lives outside of Westminster, Maryland, with her husband, son, one dog, four cats, and lots of rural wildlife.

UNGA requests ICJ advisory opinion on climate change

admin — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 15:14:24 +0000

UNGA requests ICJ advisory opinion on climate change admin 11. April 2023 - 18:14

Climate change

UN General Assembly requests advisory opinion
from International Court of Justice on climate change

29 March 2023

On 29 March 2023 the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution seeking an advisory opinion on climate change and human rights from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

This is a milestone moment in a campaign launched over two years ago by the Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC), in a law school classroom in Vanuatu.

It was taken forward as a diplomatic endeavor by the Government of Vanuatu who worked alongside a core group of 18 nations to prepare the first draft of the resolution, and ultimately won the backing of over 120 countries before it was tabled in the UN today. The adoption by consensus for an advisory opinion from the ICJ is unprecedented.

An advisory opinion from the ICJ will provide clarity to States on their obligations under international law to protect their people, now and in the future, from climate impacts and their responsibility in upholding fundamental human rights.

While non-binding in nature, it will add weight to efforts to hold governments accountable on their climate promises and strengthen climate negotiations in multilateral fora, and it can be cited in climate litigation.

Today’s win is a significant diplomatic moment for Vanuatu and Pacific Island nations who have a strong legacy in climate leadership. For instance, Vanuatu and small island developing states have long championed the need for a Loss and Damage fund – which came to fruition at COP27- and more recently led a six-nation Pacific pledge, ‘Port Vila call‘, to phase out of fossil fuels and called for a global Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“This is not a silver bullet but it can make an important contribution to climate action. The world is at a crossroads and we as the international community have the obligation to take greater action. Together we can send a loud and clear message into the future that on this very day the people of the United Nations acting through their governments decided to leave behind their differences and act together to tackle the challenge of climate change,” said H.E. Ishmael Kalsakau, Prime Minister of Vanuatu, as he introduced the draft resolution at the UN plenary hall today.

The advisory opinion is requested on the following question:

“Having particular regard to the Charter of the United Nations, the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the duty of due diligence, the rights recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the principle of prevention of significant harm to the environment, and the duty to protect and preserve the marine environment,

(1) What are the obligations of States under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases for States and for present and future generations;

(2) What are the legal consequences under these obligations for States where they, by their acts and omissions, have caused significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment, with respect to:

(a) States, including, in particular, small island developing States, which due to their geographical circumstances and level of development, are injured or specially affected by or are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change?

(b) Peoples and individuals of the present and future generations affected by the adverse effects of climate change?”

Link to the website with official text

SOURCE: https://climatenetwork.org/2023/03/29/major-climate-diplomacy-breakthro…

Last updated 11 April 2023

Triple Planetary Crisis and Global Governance

admin — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 08:53:05 +0000

Triple Planetary Crisis and Global Governance admin 11. April 2023 - 11:53

Triple Planetary Crisis and Global Governance

Global Policy Dialogue
Recife, Brazil, 19-20 January 2023

Global Policy Dialogue: Addressing the Triple Planetary Crisis
through Improved Global Governance

(excerpts from the Executive Summary)

The Triple Planetary Crisis (TPC), the nexus between climate change, loss of biodiversity and nature, pollution and contamination, is perhaps the single greatest challenge of our times: a problem of planetary scope... that can only be meaningfully addressed through international cooperation. The term TPC is an effort to capture the complex, intertwined crises faced by humanity which have accelerated considerably over the past half century.

The current global governance system has proven highly ineffective in tackling the TPC. In addition to recent rollbacks in climate commitments by wealthy countries, older problems remain. Key institutions of global governance, including central elements of the United Nations (UN) system, remain highly porous to global power geopolitics; specialized silos within the system often preclude a coordinated response to cross-cutting issues like climate change; and the developing world has become fragmented in its approach to global governance reform.

Against this backdrop, a Global Policy Dialogue (GPD) on Addressing the Triple Planetary Crisis through Improved Global Governance was convened on 19-20 January 2023 in Recife, Brazil, involving 53 select diplomats, researchers and experts from the UN Secretariat, think tanks and universities (including IEF member Maja Groff). The ideas and policy proposals generated covered four broad themes.

Just Transition and Sustainable Development and Trade

Reforming the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Bretton Woods Institutions to boost their ability to regulate and enforce strict social-environmental criteria in trade and finance flows, as well as enhance the latter's capacity to provide climate financing, not only for mitigation but also for climate adaptation and loss and damage.

Creating a global tax body to coordinate fiscal responses to promote a just transition, including: suggesting and/or implementing variable taxation rates to different energy sources in accordance with their rate of greenhouse gas emissions. As efficiency in increased, tax rates could be reduced accordingly.

Promoting change in behaviour consumption patterns to prevent excessive use of conventional energy and natural resources, as well as the exacerbation of associated environmental harms and inequalities.

Balancing the COP Agenda: Climate Adaptation and Loss and Damage

Developing a strategic plan - led by the Global South - containing a collective vision on climate adaptation and loss and damage to provide clarity on key concepts, needs and criteria, as well as serve as a basis for international cooperation initiatives based on common priorities for developing nations.

Creating a platform of good practices - where successful climate adaptation projects would be mapped, assessed and connected to international bodies and funding agencies, such as the Green Climate Fund, which would be dedicated to allocating the necessary resources to give scalability to these initiatives. In addition to making use of existing funding mechanisms, resources for the platform could be gathered through the creation of a mechanism to allow Emissions Trading System contributions, taxes and exceptional levies on major polluters, in accordance with the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities.

Fostering a New Global Deal to facilitate universal access to technology, capacity building and Research and Development (R&D), combined with macroeconomic and financial strategies to ensure the financial means required to develop technological solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Climate, Gender and Human Rights

Promoting and disseminating research and data on how the triple planetary crisis affects people differently, acknowledging intersectionality - different aspects of harm and discrimination and how they amplify the negative and unequal aspects of the TPC.

Developing communication and education strategies to make discussions on climate change more accessible, including with regards to instructions on how to behave in practical circumstances, such as when flooding and other extreme events occur.

Increasing accountability for the state's insufficient response to TBC, including by ensuring greater participation of civil society in the design, monitoring and implementation within countries of relevant climate conventions.

Biodiversity and Climate Governance

Creating greater synergies between the "Rio '92 Conventions": the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This could be advanced via greater cooperation channels between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the UNCCD's Committee on Science and Technology (CST), among other expert and scientific bodies.

Promoting a "Super COP" on climate, biodiversity and desertification, where some sessions and official events could be dedicated to addressing common challenges and solutions related to the UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD agendas collectively.

Making use of the consecutive presidencies of the G20 by developing nations (India, Brazil and South Africa) to enhance synergies between the G20, Bretton Woods Institutions and other key global governance structures to strengthen the climate and biodiversity agenda, especially with regards to global south priorities such as greater finance for adaptation, halting and reversing biodiversity loss and loss and damage.

SOURCE: based on https://ggin.stimson.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Summary-Report_Reci…

Last updated 10 April 2023

Exploring the future of work

admin — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 19:12:16 +0000

Exploring the future of work admin 10. April 2023 - 22:12

Employment

Exploring the future of work

new Bahá'í International Community Statement
Bahá'í World News Service
9 April 2023

BIC New York — With the changing landscape of work, influenced by digitalization, automation, and artificial intelligence, as well as other technological or social forces, a range of profound questions are entering public consciousness: What is the purpose of employment? What kinds of lives conduce to human fulfillment? What kinds of societies do we seek to create together?

The New York Office of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) examines these questions in a new statement titled “Employment and Beyond: Drawing on the Capacities of All to Contribute to Society,” which was presented to the 61st session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development.

The statement calls for an examination of the assumptions underlying economic models in relation to employment. In many contexts, says the BIC, the notion of work has evolved from solely being a means for survival to one that recognizes the creative potential of individuals to contribute to the well-being of society.

This idea underpinned the contributions of the BIC delegation in relation to the Commission’s priority theme for this year: “creating full and productive employment and decent work for all as a means of overcoming inequalities…”

The complexities of this pursuit were highlighted in the BIC statement, which reads: “History demonstrates that employment alone does not invariably foster equality. Many countries have, for example, experienced periods in which high rates of employment were accompanied by widening inequalities.”

At the UN Civil Society Forum held during the Commission, Liliane Nkunzimana, a representative of the BIC, expanded on this idea, emphasizing that traditional models of employment and wages are not sufficient to foster equitable and flourishing societies.

“The inadequate protection of workers in the formal and informal economy, reveals systemic inequities that prioritize conceptions of progress rooted in narrow self-interests, resulting in the advancement of a handful at the expense of the generality of humankind,” she said.

The challenge, then, is to move toward a more equitable economic system that refuses to exploit some for the benefit of others, a system that upholds the dignity of all people and meets their needs.

Echoing Ms. Nkunzimana’s concerns, Arash Fazli, another member of the delegation and holder of the Bahá’í Chair for Studies in Development at Devi Ahilya University in Indore, India, spoke about the need to rethink the dominant economic paradigm that has governed many societies for centuries. He emphasized the importance of interdependence and cooperation.

Dr. Fazli explained that prevalent economic thinking which sees human beings as “utility-maximizing, self-interested actors, and views the pursuit of unlimited economic growth and limitless wealth as the center of society,” has led to a crisis of values, where economic considerations have displaced all other values. “Almost every aspect of human life has been marketized,” he said. “The market has become the mediator of all needs and aspirations of humanity.”

“We need a new set of values based on the nobility of the human being,” added Dr. Fazli, “and principles that foster a sustainable relationship with the natural environment.” He also emphasized the importance of principles that recognize capacity in all people to contribute meaningfully to their societies, that centre on the oneness of humanity, and promote the elimination of the extremes of wealth and poverty.

Reflecting on these discussions, Ms. Nkunzimana underscores the significance of the growing desire at all levels of society to reshape the future of work.

“By enriching conversations about work with an exploration of relevant moral and spiritual principles,” she says, “a deeper understanding can be fostered of the need to not only develop people’s skills and abilities for employment, but also to cultivate people’s commitment to social justice.”

Source: https://news.bahai.org/story/1653/

Last updated 10 April 2023

Global Futures Forum

admin — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 11:22:25 +0000

Global Futures Forum admin 29. March 2023 - 14:22

United Nations

Global Futures Forum

New York and online
20-21 March 2023

Global Futures Forum Calls for UN Reforms to Address Emerging 21st Century Challenges

New York, 28 March 2023:

Civil Society Organizations worldwide have called for a strengthened United Nations to address emerging 21st century challenges and opportunities. At the Global Futures Forum from March 20-21—which reached over 2,000 registered participants from across the globe both online and in person in New York—CSOs deliberated on some three dozen reform proposals and engaged key diplomats, UN officials, and others to better understand how the suggestions could be implemented. A key to success will be the meaningful engagement of Civil Society in the preparation of the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals Summit and the 2024 Summit of the Future.

"In spite of the diversity of backgrounds and interests among participants there is a common denominator that unites us,” opened Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Co-Chair of the Coalition for the UN We Need and Executive Director, Global Women Leaders: Voices for Change and Inclusion. “We want the UN, the multilateral architecture to deliver more and better and to respond to the global governance challenges of today’s world.”

The SDG Summit, scheduled for September 2023, is this year's top UN priority, said the UN’s Under Secretary-General for Policy, Guy Ryder, and Summit Co-Facilitators, Ambassador Fergal Mythen of Ireland and Ambassador Alya Al Thani of Qatar. Citing the vital contributions of Civil Society in the adoption of the SDGs in 2015, Ryder emphasized the need for the preparatory processes of the Summit of the Future (SOTF) to include strong multi stakeholder engagement.

The Global Futures Forum featured reports from recent CSO regional forums, a deep dive into the gender dimension of the proposals, and seven thematic consultation tracks where participants discussed numerous proposals for the reform and reimagining of the institutions and practice of global governance. These seven thematic tracks addressed issues such as the global economic and financial architecture, environmental governance, building inclusive, just and peaceful societies, adopting a Global Digital Compact, peace and security, human rights, and promoting meaningful engagement in governance, especially for youth, women and vulnerable populations in the Global South.

These thematic discussions represent contributions to an interim "People's Pact for the Future," which will be an evolving vehicle for feeding diverse civil society ideas and insights into official discussions on the SOTF outcome document.

At the concluding session, German Ambassador Antja Leendertse provided delegates with additional details on SOTF preparations, including the upcoming discussions on the scope of the SOTF and the imminent report of the High-level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism appointed by the Secretary-General last year.

On behalf of the organizers, Ms Espinosa thanked delegates for their commitment. “This movement for a better UN is real, is serious and is much needed. The time is now. We have our homework ahead of us.”

The IEF is a co-sponsor of the Coalition for the UN We Need (C4UN) and the Global Futures Forum and participated actively in its preparation.

SOURCE: Post-Global Futures Forum Brief 28 March 2023, C4UN

Last updated 29 March 2023

The Latest on Climate Change

admin — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 16:45:07 +0000

The Latest on Climate Change admin 23. March 2023 - 18:45

Climate change

The Latest on Climate Change

IPCC Sixth Assessment Synthesis Report
Summary for Policy Makers
Released 20 March 2023

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as the scientific advisory body to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), provides the authoritative assessment of the science of climate change and its impacts, which it summarises for policy makers in a Synthesis Report that is approved by governments. The sixth and latest reporting cycle has just concluded with the release on 20 March 2023 of the AR6 Synthesis Report. Below we provide the Headline statements that are the overarching conclusions of the approved Summary for Policymakers which, taken together, provide a concise narrative with high confidence.

AR6 Synthesis Report Headline Statements

A Current Status and Trends

Observed Warming and its Causes

A.1 Human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850–1900 in 2011–2020. Global greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase, with unequal historical and ongoing contributions arising from unsustainable energy use, land use and land-use change, lifestyles and patterns of consumption and production across regions, between and within countries, and among individuals.

Observed Changes and Impacts

A.2 Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred. Human-caused climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. This has led to widespread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people. Vulnerable communities who have historically contributed the least to current climate change are disproportionately affected.

Current Progress in Adaptation and Gaps and Challenges

A.3 Adaptation planning and implementation has progressed across all sectors and regions, with documented benefits and varying effectiveness. Despite progress, adaptation gaps exist, and will continue to grow at current rates of implementation. Hard and soft limits to adaptation have been reached in some ecosystems and regions. Maladaptation is happening in some sectors and regions. Current global financial flows for adaptation are insufficient for, and constrain implementation of, adaptation options, especially in developing countries.

Current Mitigation Progress, Gaps and Challenges

A.4 Policies and laws addressing mitigation have consistently expanded since AR5. Global GHG emissions in 2030 implied by nationally determined contributions (NDCs) announced by October 2021 make it likely that warming will exceed 1.5°C during the 21st century and make it harder to limit warming below 2°C. There are gaps between projected emissions from implemented policies and those from NDCs and finance flows fall short of the levels needed to meet climate goals across all sectors and regions.

B Future Climate Change, Risks, and Long-Term Responses

Future Climate Change

B.1 Continued greenhouse gas emissions will lead to increasing global warming, with the best estimate of reaching 1.5°C in the near term in considered scenarios and modelled pathways. Every increment of global warming will intensify multiple and concurrent hazards. Deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions would lead to a discernible slowdown in global warming within around two decades, and also to discernible changes in atmospheric composition within a few years.

Climate Change Impacts and Climate-Related Risks

B.2 For any given future warming level, many climate-related risks are higher than assessed in AR5, and projected long-term impacts are up to multiple times higher than currently observed. Risks and projected adverse impacts and related losses and damages from climate change escalate with every increment of global warming. Climatic and non-climatic risks will increasingly interact, creating compound and cascading risks that are more complex and difficult to manage.

Likelihood and Risks of Unavoidable, Irreversible or Abrupt Changes

B.3 Some future changes are unavoidable and/or irreversible but can be limited by deep, rapid and sustained global greenhouse gas emissions reduction. The likelihood of abrupt and/or irreversible changes increases with higher global warming levels. Similarly, the probability of low-likelihood outcomes associated with potentially very large adverse impacts increases with higher global warming levels.

Adaptation Options and their Limits in a Warmer World

B.4 Adaptation options that are feasible and effective today will become constrained and less effective with increasing global warming. With increasing global warming, losses and damages will increase and additional human and natural systems will reach adaptation limits. Maladaptation can be avoided by flexible, multi-sectoral, inclusive, long-term planning and implementation of adaptation actions, with co-benefits to many sectors and systems.

Carbon Budgets and Net Zero Emissions

B.5 Limiting human-caused global warming requires net zero CO2 emissions. Cumulative carbon emissions until the time of reaching net-zero CO2 emissions and the level of greenhouse gas emission reductions this decade largely determine whether warming can be limited to 1.5°C or 2°C. Projected CO2 emissions from existing fossil fuel infrastructure without additional abatement would exceed the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C (50%).

Mitigation Pathways

B.6 All global modelled pathways that limit warming to 1.5°C (>50%) with no or limited overshoot, and those that limit warming to 2°C (>67%), involve rapid and deep and, in most cases, immediate greenhouse gas emissions reductions in all sectors this decade. Global net zero CO2 emissions are reached for these pathway categories, in the early 2050s and around the early 2070s, respectively.

Overshoot: Exceeding a Warming Level and Returning

B.7 If warming exceeds a specified level such as 1.5°C, it could gradually be reduced again by achieving and sustaining net negative global CO2 emissions. This would require additional deployment of carbon dioxide removal, compared to pathways without overshoot, leading to greater feasibility and sustainability concerns. Overshoot entails adverse impacts, some irreversible, and additional risks for human and natural systems, all growing with the magnitude and duration of overshoot.

C Responses in the Near Term

Urgency of Near-Term Integrated Climate Action

C.1 Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health. There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. Climate resilient development integrates adaptation and mitigation to advance sustainable development for all, and is enabled by increased international cooperation including improved access to adequate financial resources, particularly for vulnerable regions, sectors and groups, and inclusive governance and coordinated policies. The choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years.

The Benefits of Near-Term Action

C.2 Deep, rapid and sustained mitigation and accelerated implementation of adaptation actions in this decade would reduce projected losses and damages for humans and ecosystems, and deliver many co-benefits, especially for air quality and health. Delayed mitigation and adaptation action would lock-in high-emissions infrastructure, raise risks of stranded assets and cost-escalation, reduce feasibility, and increase losses and damages. Near-term actions involve high up-front investments and potentially disruptive changes that can be lessened by a range of enabling policies.

Mitigation and Adaptation Options across Systems

C.3 Rapid and far-reaching transitions across all sectors and systems are necessary to achieve deep and sustained emissions reductions and secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. These system transitions involve a significant upscaling of a wide portfolio of mitigation and adaptation options. Feasible, effective, and low-cost options for mitigation and adaptation are already available, with differences across systems and regions.

Synergies and Trade-Offs with Sustainable Development

C.4 Accelerated and equitable action in mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts is critical to sustainable development. Mitigation and adaptation actions have more synergies than trade-offs with Sustainable Development Goals. Synergies and trade-offs depend on context and scale of implementation.

Equity and Inclusion

C.5 Prioritising equity, climate justice, social justice, inclusion and just transition processes can enable adaptation and ambitious mitigation actions and climate resilient development. Adaptation outcomes are enhanced by increased support to regions and people with the highest vulnerability to climatic hazards. Integrating climate adaptation into social protection programs improves resilience. Many options are available for reducing emission-intensive consumption, including through behavioural and lifestyle changes, with co-benefits for societal well-being.

Governance and Policies

C.6 Effective climate action is enabled by political commitment, well-aligned multilevel governance, institutional frameworks, laws, policies and strategies and enhanced access to finance and technology. Clear goals, coordination across multiple policy domains, and inclusive governance processes facilitate effective climate action. Regulatory and economic instruments can support deep emissions reductions and climate resilience if scaled up and applied widely. Climate resilient development benefits from drawing on diverse knowledge.

Finance, Technology and International Cooperation

C.7 Finance, technology and international cooperation are critical enablers for accelerated climate action. If climate goals are to be achieved, both adaptation and mitigation financing would need to increase many-fold. There is sufficient global capital to close the global investment gaps but there are barriers to redirect capital to climate action. Enhancing technology innovation systems is key to accelerate the widespread adoption of technologies and practices. Enhancing international cooperation is possible through multiple channels.

SOURCE: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/resources/spm-headline-statements/

Last updated 23 March 2023

Global fresh water demand will outstrip supply by 40% by 2030

admin — Sun, 19 Mar 2023 17:10:25 +0000

Global fresh water demand will outstrip supply by 40% by 2030 admin 19. March 2023 - 19:10

Water

Global fresh water demand will outstrip supply by 40% by 2030

Fiona Harvey, Environment editor
The Guardian 17 March 2023
with an extract from the full report

Global fresh water demand will outstrip supply by 40% by 2030, say experts

Landmark report urges overhaul of wasteful water practices around world on eve of crucial UN summit

The world is facing an imminent water crisis, with demand expected to outstrip the supply of fresh water by 40% by the end of this decade, experts have said on the eve of a crucial UN water summit.

Governments must urgently stop subsidising the extraction and overuse of water through misdirected agricultural subsidies, and industries from mining to manufacturing must be made to overhaul their wasteful practices, according to a landmark report on the economics of water.

Nations must start to manage water as a global common good, because most countries are highly dependent on their neighbours for water supplies, and overuse, pollution and the climate crisis threaten water supplies globally, the report’s authors say.

Johan Rockstrom, the director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and co-chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, and a lead author of the report, told the Guardian the world’s neglect of water resources was leading to disaster. “The scientific evidence is that we have a water crisis. We are misusing water, polluting water, and changing the whole global hydrological cycle, through what we are doing to the climate. It’s a triple crisis.”

Rockstrom’s fellow Global Commission on the Economics of Water co-chair Mariana Mazzucato, a professor at University College London and also a lead author of the report, added: “We need a much more proactive, and ambitious, common good approach. We have to put justice and equity at the centre of this, it’s not just a technological or finance problem.”

The report marks the first time the global water system has been scrutinised comprehensively and its value to countries – and the risks to their prosperity if water is neglected – laid out in clear terms. Like with the Stern review of the economics of the climate crisis in 2006 and the Dasgupta review of the economics of biodiversity in 2021, the report authors hope to highlight the crisis in a way that policymakers and economists can recognise.

Many governments still do not realise how interdependent they are when it comes to water, according to Rockstrom. Most countries depend for about half of their water supply on the evaporation of water from neighbouring countries – known as “green” water because it is held in soils and delivered from transpiration in forests and other ecosystems, when plants take up water from the soil and release vapour into the air from their leaves.

The report sets out seven key recommendations, including reshaping the global governance of water resources, scaling up investment in water management through public-private partnerships, pricing water properly and establishing “just water partnerships” to raise finance for water projects in developing and middle-income countries.

More than $700bn (£575bn) of subsidies globally go to agriculture and water each year and these often fuel excessive water consumption. Water leakage must also be urgently addressed, the report found, and restoring freshwater systems such as wetlands should be another priority.

Water is fundamental to the climate crisis and the global food crisis. “There will be no agricultural revolution unless we fix water,” said Rockstrom. “Behind all these challenges we are facing, there’s always water, and we never talk about water.”

Many of the ways in which water is used are inefficient and in need of change, with Rockstrom pointing to developed countries’ sewage systems. “It’s quite remarkable that we use safe, fresh water to carry excreta, urine, nitrogen, phosphorus – and then need to have inefficient wastewater treatment plants that leak 30% of all the nutrients into downstream aquatic ecosystems and destroy them and cause dead zones. We’re really cheating ourselves in terms of this linear, waterborne modern system of dealing with waste. There are massive innovations required.”

The UN water summit, led by the governments of the Netherlands and Tajikistan, will take place in New York on 22 March. World leaders are invited but only a few are expected to attend, with most countries to be represented by ministers or high-ranking officials. It will mark the first time in more than four decades the UN has met to discuss water, with previous attempts stymied by governments reluctant to countenance any form of international governance of the resource.

Henk Ovink, a special envoy for international water affairs for the Netherlands, told the Guardian the conference was crucial. “If we are to have a hope of solving our climate crisis, our biodiversity crisis and other global challenges on food, energy and health, we need to radically change our approach in how we value and manage water,” he said. “[This] is the best opportunity we have to put water at the centre of global action to ensure people, crops and the environment continue to have the water they need.”

Seven calls to action on water

1. Manage the global water cycle as a global common good, to be protected collectively and in our shared interests.

2. Ensure safe and adequate water for every vulnerable group, and work with industry to scale up investment in water.

3. Stop underpricing water. Proper pricing and targeted support for the poor will enable water to be used more efficiently, more equitably, and more sustainably

4. Reduce the more than $700bn of subsidies in agriculture and water each year, which often fuel excessive water consumption, and reduce leakage in water systems.

5. Establish “just water partnerships” which can mobilise finance for low- and middle-income countries.

6. Take urgent action this decade on issues such as restoring wetlands and depleted groundwater resources;, recycling the water used in industry; moving to precision agriculture that uses water more efficiently; and having companies report on their “water footprint”.

7. Reform the governance of water at an international level, and including water in trade agreements. Governance must also take into account women, farmers, indigenous people and others in the frontline of water conservation.

SOURCE: The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/17/global-fresh-water-…

Extract from

Turning the Tide: A Call to Collective Action

The Global Commission on the Economics of Water
March 2023
www.watercommission.org

A seven-point call to collective action

A sustainable and just water future can be achieved. It requires transforming the economics and restructuring the governance of water. We must take actions that are bolder, more integrated, across sectors and more networked at national, regional and global levels.

First, we must manage the global water cycle as a global common good, to be protected collectively and in the interests of all. It means recognising that communities and nations are connected regionally and globally; that water is increasingly intertwined with climate change and the depletion of the planet’s natural capital; that water is critical to food security as well as all the SDGs; and that water cannot be put back on a sustainable trajectory without justice and equity in every corner of the globe.

Second, we must adopt an outcomes-focused, mission-driven approach to water encompassing all the key roles it plays in human well-being. We must deliver on the human right to safe water. We must act collectively to stabilise the global water cycle. It means mobilising multiple stakeholders, public, private, civil society and local community; utilising innovation policy to catalyse solutions to concrete problems; and scaling up investments in water through new modalities of public-private partnerships. And we must ensure that the value that is created collectively gets shared widely.

Third, we must cease underpricing water. Proper pricing along with targeted support for the poor will enable water to be used more efficiently in every sector, more equitably in every population and more sustainably both locally and globally. We must also account for water’s non-economic value in decision-making to ensure we protect nature, on which the planet and all life depend.

Fourth, we must phase out some USD 700 billion of subsidies in agriculture and water each year, which tend to generate excessive water consumption and other environmentally damaging practices. We must drastically reduce leakages in water systems (“non-revenue water”) that cost billions annually, by prioritising sustained maintenance efforts. We must accelerate efforts to require disclosure of water footprints, which are key to steering capital and consumer preferences in favour of sustainable practices. Each of these steps will allow us to re-direct resources towards incentivising water conservation and universal access.

Fifth, we should establish Just Water Partnerships (JWPs) to enable investments in water access, resilience and sustainability in low- and middle-income countries, using approaches that contribute to both national development goals and the global common good. JWPs should drive down the cost of capital by using the complementary strengths of every stream of finance—rechannelling today’s inefficient domestic subsidies, leveraging on the multilateral development banks and development finance institutions, and crowding in private companies, banks and institutional investors, and philanthropic money. The economic returns on these investments will vastly exceed their costs. The JWPs should also maximise synergies with climate change strategies and national programs to achieve inclusive growth.

Sixth, we must move ahead on the opportunities that can move the needle significantly in the current decade. Fortifying freshwater storage systems, especially the natural assets such as wetlands and groundwater, which have been dangerously depleted. Developing the urban circular water economy especially by recycling industrial and urban wastewater, which remains largely untreated. Reducing water footprints in manufacturing, including the reuse of water in producing critical materials such as the lithium we need for electrification. Shifting agriculture to precision irrigation, less water-intensive crops and drought-resilient farming that can also raise incomes. We must drive down the costs of technologies in each case by adopting them at scale.

Seventh, underpinning all our efforts, we must reshape multilateral governance of water, which is currently fragmented and not fit for purpose. Trade policy must be used as a tool for more sustainable use of water, by incorporating water conservation standards in trade agreements, highlighting wasteful water subsidies and ensuring that trade policies do not exacerbate water scarcity in water-stressed regions. Multilateralism should also support capacity building for all, prioritise gender equality in water decision-making, and empower farmers, women, youth, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and consumers who are at the frontlines of water conservation.

SOURCE: https://watercommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Turning-the-Tide…

Last updated 19 March 2023

Floods and droughts are intensifying

admin — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 16:47:04 +0000

Floods and droughts are intensifying admin 17. March 2023 - 18:47

Water

Climate change

Floods and droughts are intensifying

Nature Water March 2023

A study published in the journal Nature Water on 13 March 2023 finds that extreme rainfall and droughts have increased in frequency, duration and extent on every continent in the last 20 years due to human induced climate change. Warming conditions intensify the water cycle, increasing evaporation during dry events and raising atmospheric moisture that results in heavy precipitation. The global frequency and intensity of events correlated well with the rise in global mean temperatures due to burning fossil fuels and other human releases of greenhouse gases.

The study, which examined over 1,000 events from 2002 to 2021, used satellite data that monitored shifts in Earth's water storage on and in the land, including groundwater, surface water, ice and snow. It then used an algorithm that indicates where the wetness or dryness of land was greater than usual.

The most extreme rains were in sub-Saharan Africa, in central and eastern North America, and for a while in Australia. The most intense droughts were in northeastern South America, the Cerrado region of Brazil, and in the American southwest. Drought events were 10 percent more frequent that heavy rains, but their geographic extent and duration were similar. The swing between extreme drought and unprecedented flooding is called "weather whiplash".

The result of such extreme events is a range of outcomes such as crop failures, infrastructure damage, economic losses, humanitarian crises and conflict. Water stress significantly affects the poor, as with the continuing drought in Somalia, killing millions of livestock and resulting in widespread famine. Many ecosystems are also being damaged.

Continued global warming will mean that drought and rainstorms will be more frequent and severe, both longer and affecting larger areas. Infrastructure that was designed for once-in-a-100-year events will be increasingly challenged. To respond, flood waters can be used to recharge depleted aquifers. Regenerating soil in agriculture so that it can absorb more water and store carbon will also help to increase water resiliency.

Based on Matthew Rodell and Bailing Li. 2023. Changing intensity of hydroclimatic extreme events revealed by GRACE and GRACE-FO. Nature Water, 13 March 2023 https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-023-00040-5.

Last updated 17 March 2023

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