Land for life: Securing our common future

Posted on: 21 October 2011
By: mackene
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The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Secretariats collaborated on this new book to convey how sustainable land management practices are helping shape a sustainable future for people and the planet. The book is illustrated with high quality photos donated by the GoodPlanet Foundation and from other sources, to demonstrate how human ingenuity is largely driving innovations in soil, land, water, and vegetation management. It describes how harnessing natural, social, and cultural capital is addressing fundamental needs for livelihood and well-being, such as food, water, energy, and wealth, while delivering global environmental benefits.

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Rebalancing Britain: Policy or slogan? Liverpool city region: building on its strengths

Posted on: 21 October 2011
By: mackene
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This document, an independent assessment commissioned by the Prime Minister, studies the potential for growth, job creation and investment in the Liverpool City Region. The Liverpool City Region local enterprise partnership, local councils and businesses in the area helped Lord Heseltine and Sir Terry compile the report. They will all now work together on the recommendations and how they can be driven forward across the city region.

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Is localism delivering for climate change? Emerging responses from local authorities, local enterprise partmnerships and neighbourhood plans

Posted on: 21 October 2011
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This report explores the impacts of the coalition’s localism agenda on climate change action. It asks: Are local authorities continuing to work on climate change?  How is action being encouraged?  What potential do local enterprise partnerships (LEPs), local nature partnerships (LNPs) and neighbourhood plans have to strengthen local action on climate change?

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4th Nordic Passive House Conference. Helsinki, 17-19 October 2011

Posted on: 19 October 2011
By: isadm
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The aim of the Nordic Passive House conference series is to share knowledge and find new solutions for very low-energy and nearly zero-energy houses. The conferences gather along North-European building professionals increasing the awareness and acceptance of very low-energy houses in construction market. The 4th Nordic Passive House Conference is connected to World Sustainable Building Conference SB11 arranged from 18th to 21st October 2011. Presentations are available online.

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Low carbon cities, resilience and social justice. Birmingham, 17 October 2011

Posted on: 17 October 2011
By: isadm
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This workshop was aimed at providing a space for presenting and discussing recent research on the relationships between low carbon urbanism, resilience, vulnerability and social justice. We invited a number of key researchers in the field in order to establish which thematic areas have received insufficient attention until now, and how we might go about in covering them. A particular emphasis was placed on the development of aReader on Low Carbon and Resilient Cities as well as future research funding proposals in this domain. A report and presentations are available online.

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Putting the ‘s-word’ back into sustainability: Can we be more social?

Posted on: 14 October 2011
By: mackene
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Professor Tim Dixon, Director of the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development (OISD), has written a paper which argues that climate change and environmentalism have dominated the sustainability debate, and as a result there is a danger that social issues are being neglected. He adds that social sustainability needs to be at the heart of housing and mixed use development, warning that “recent English city riots have bought this point back sharply into focus.” The paper highlights ways of measuring social sustainability and identifies the operational issues in mainstreaming the concept in major mixed use projects. It was commissioned by developer the Berkeley Group and was produced by the OISD at Oxford Brookes University.

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Climate in Asia and the Pacific: a synthesis of APN activities

Posted on: 14 October 2011
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The latest synthesis report from the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), which draws together its scientific research from across the region, has climate change adaptation as a major theme. The APN hope that the report will allow countries to develop “appropriate policy responses to climate vulnerability and impacts”. The report is expected to develop knowledge ahead of both the UNFCCC climate conference in Durban (COP17) later this year and the ‘Rio+20’ UN Conference on Sustainable Development’ in the summer of 2012. The report will also contribute to the work of the current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s fifth assessment report, due to be released in 2014.  [loaded 14 October 2011]

 

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Everyone needs a home

Posted on: 13 October 2011
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This paper presents the work of a number of Housing Forum working groups, covering issues related to localism, affordable housing, housing for older people and retrofit of the existing housing stock to deliver the low carbon agenda.

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Shelter private rent watch

Posted on: 13 October 2011
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This is the first report in a series using official private rental market statistics to examine rent levels and affordability for average earners at local authority level. Further reports will examine affordability for Local Housing Allowance claimants and trends in rent inflation.

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Aqua alta: Exhibition and conference on climate impact and hydraulic engineering. Hamburg, 11-13 October 2011

Posted on: 13 October 2011
By: isadm
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This event is described as the only exhibition and conference event worldwide dedicated to expert exchanges in matters of climate change and protective measures and the impact of climate change on flood protection and disaster management. It provides a forum for politicians, business experts, academics and experts to discuss the latest developments and strategies in a whole range of issues linked to climate change. Abstracts are available online.

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