Post-2015 Development Agenda: Realising the convergence of the Post-MDG and SDG decision-making processes

Posted on: 11 July 2013
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This paper has been produced by Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future and CAFOD as part of their work on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The objective of this paper is to inform the debate about the need for convergence and coherence between the two primary processes which together constitute the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

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The future of high streets: progress since the Portas Review

Posted on: 10 July 2013
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This report, which comes a year from the launch of the Portas Pilots, summarises progress on high streets and the next phase in the future of the high street. The report outlines what the government and other organisations have done to support the high street, how the 27 Portas Pilots have been tackling their local challenges and sets out next steps for the future of the high street.

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Sustainable Tourism for Development: Enhancing capacities for sustainable tourism for development in developing countries

Posted on: 10 July 2013
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This Guidebook has been launched by the UNWTO with the financing of the European Commission Directorate-General Development and Cooperation, as a part of the project “Enhancing capacities for Sustainable Tourism for Development in Developing Countries”. The Guidebook seeks to enhance the understanding of tourism in all its dimensions and describe how the sector relates to the EU Agenda for Change. It should enable EU services in Brussels and the EU Delegations in 180 countries, as well as other development institutions, to include sustainable tourism development in their programme cycles. The guidebook will be tested in six developing countries (Botswana, India, Kenya, Vietnam, Senegal and Timor-Leste. The Guidebook takes a comprehensive approach to tourism, covering a wide range of topics relating to its planning, development, management and impact. By working through the whole document, users will be able to identify priorities for intervention across a spectrum of issues.

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Sun, sand and ceilings: Women in the boardroom in the tourism industry

Posted on: 10 July 2013
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Equality in Tourism, a new women’s network dedicated to ensuring that women have an equal voice in tourism and an equal share in its benefits, has been launched with the release of a report that challenges the industry to start taking gender equality seriously. The report reveals that although women make up the majority of the tourism workforce in most countries, they are woefully under-represented at executive levels of the world’s top tourism companies. The new website can be found here.

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Bad weather, good habits: encouraging social housing tenants to save more

Posted on: 10 July 2013
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With the impact of welfare reform and Universal Credit looming, there is a pressing business case for social landlords to encourage their tenants to get into the habit of saving regularly, however little, to guard against the threat of rainy days ahead. Based on in-depth interviews with over 220 residents and a thorough understanding of their worries, interests, aspirations, and attitudes towards money, as well as insights from behavioural economics, a new  report  from Lemos & Crane sets out innovative ways for landlords to achieve this objective – including a new ‘RentPlus’ product, where tenants opt-in to save as part of their rental payment.

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The economic impact of the UK meeting and event industry

Posted on: 10 July 2013
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This economic impact study presents a milestone in the history of the UK meeting industry, calculating for the first time the sector’s value to the UK economy. The study was commissioned by the MPI Foundation and was supported by industry investors. The research was undertaken by the International Centre for Research in Events, Tourism and Hospitality at Leeds Metropolitan University. The study estimates 2011 meetings activity and profile (meeting volume, venue volume, types, number of attendees and expenditure) in the UK and model the contribution that meetings activity made to the national economy in 2011 (such as direct, indirect and induced GDP contribution, employment, tax revenue and industry output).

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Global Exhibition Barometer

Posted on: 10 July 2013
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Since 2009, UFI has regularly assessed the impact of the economic downturn by developing a “Crisis Barometer” based on the perceptions of UFI members in 84 countries and including, for the USA, an identical survey conducted by SISO (Society of Independent Show Organizers). The scope of the survey has since been broadened to include members of AFIDA (Asociacion International de Ferias de America) in Central and South America and of EXSA (Exhibition and Events Association of Southern Africa).  Results of this survey were initially published in February, May & August 2009. This report has evolved as the “Global Exhibition Barometer”, with two surveys per year. The current document presents the results of the 11th survey conducted in June 2013. Where possible it identifies trends drawing on the results of the previous surveys.

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Roads Task Force

Posted on: 10 July 2013
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The Roads Task Force (RTF) was set up by the Mayor of London in July 2012 to tackle the challenges facing London’s streets and roads.  This independent body brings together a wide range of interests and expertise, united in the belief that the Capital needs a long-term strategy for roads and a commitment to major investment in street management and urban design. The RTF report sets out a vision of how London can cope with major population growth and remain one of the most vibrant, accessible and attractive world cities. Transport for London has responded to the RTF report to explain how it plans to improve London’s roads and streets in partnership with the boroughs, developers and others. It also sets out how it will deliver improvements in the short-term and conduct further, detailed studies to assess and develop longer-term RTF proposals.

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Smart buildings: people and performance

Posted on: 10 July 2013
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Building management systems now have the capability to learn and even anticipate their occupants’ needs, according to a new from the Royal Academy of Engineering. The report highlights both the opportunities and the risks associated with these advances in smart technologies. By 2020, there will be an estimated 50 billion networked appliances and sensors worldwide, constituting a vast global network of data-generating devices such as sensors and their URLs, known collectively as the ‘internet of things’. These sensors enable building management systems to respond to their occupants’ needs and preferences for light, temperature settings and other services. They can help to save energy and other resources by switching devices off when they are not in use. The report argues that  it is vital that buildings can evolve and adapt to accommodate their users and allow them control over their environment. Architects and engineers need to anticipate the needs of users, consulting with them at the start of the design process.

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The limits of thermal comfort: avoiding overheating in European buildings

Posted on: 10 July 2013
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The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has released a new guide to provide greater understanding and improved prediction of overheating in commercial buildings. Price £42 (Free to CIBSE members )

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