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OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050: The consequences of inaction
Posted on: 16 March 2012
By: mackene
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Filed under: News
Based on joint modelling by the OECD and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, this report looks forward to the year 2050 to find out what demographic and economic trends might mean for the environment if the world does not adopt more ambitious green policies. It also looks at what policies could change that picture for the better. This Outlook focuses on four areas: climate change, biodiversity, freshwater and health impacts of pollution. These four key environmental challenges were identified by the previous Environmental Outlook to 2030 (OECD, 2008) as “Red Light” issues requiring urgent attention.
Plane speaking: Air and noise pollution around a growing Heathrow Airport
Posted on: 14 March 2012
By: mackene
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A report from the London Assembly’s Environment Committee highlights the fact that passenger numbers at Heathrow could grow by a third to 95 million, and calls for steps to be taken to ensure the growth in passengers does not make air quality around the airport worse. The Committee argues that improving public transport links, alongside the introduction of more greener, quieter planes and ensuring the airport’s on-site vehicles meet the latest EU emissions standards, is essential to tackling the problem. The report also looks at noise pollution around Heathrow, which now affects people living up to 20km away. The Committee believes there is scope to develop a tighter and more consistent approach to dealing with the impacts of aircraft noise, and recommends that more stringent standards are adopted and the trigger point at which people quality for noise insulation assistance is lowered.
GMS 2020: Balancing economic growth and environmental sustainability. Bangkok, 20-21 February 2012
Posted on: 13 March 2012
By: mackene
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The Asian Development Bank (ADB), together with Mekong countries, including Cambodia, China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, among other regional stakeholders, hosted the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Conference, which addressed several themes relating to economic growth and environmental sustainability. Presentations are available from the following sessions: decade of development, growth and impacts 2001-2010 in the GMS; food security; land, water and climate change; energy; and responses to challenges of the next decade in the GMS.
21 Issues for the 21st Century Result of the UNEP Foresight Process on Emerging Environmental Issues
Posted on: 23 February 2012
By: mackene
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The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released a report which outlines the findings of UNEP’s Foresight Process aimed at identifying and ranking the most pressing emerging environmental issues. The report outlines 21 emerging issues and provides governments, civil society and business with scientific assessments to forge a forward-looking outcome at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20). he Foresight Process concluded that the most pressing one is the need to align governance to the challenges of global sustainability. The second most pressing issue identified is the need to transform human capacities for the 21st century, and to move towards a green economy. The third most pressing issue is the need to ensure food safety and security for nine billion people. Other issues highlighted by the Foresight Panel include the need to: reconnect science and policy; catalyze rapid and transformative changes in human behavior towards the environment; develop new insights on water-land interactions; accelerate the implementation of environmentally-friendly renewable energy; integrate biodiversity across the environmental and economic agendas; manage the unintended consequences of climate change mitigation and adaptation; and develop a new approach for minimizing risks of novel technologies and chemicals.
The future of EU environmental policy: challenges and opportunities
Posted on: 1 February 2012
By: isadm
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The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) has produced a special report for the All Party Parliamentary Group which provides a brief review of key environmental challenges facing the EU, the main policy and strategic discussions currently underway and assesses some of the prospects and challenges for the future.
Value of green infrastructure in Birmingham and the Black Country
Posted on: 25 November 2011
By: mackene
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This Wildlife Trusts report presents a survey valuing a range of ecosystem services provided by the urban Green Infrastructure in Birmingham and the Black Country (containing the city of Wolverhampton and the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall). One main aim of this research was to provide information about the wide range of ecosystem services and its value to human well-being. Another aim was to provide a best practice example within the UK applying the value transfer approach to evaluate ecosystem services.
BLOSSOM – Bridging long-term scenario and strategy analysis: organisation and methods
Posted on: 21 October 2011
By: mackene
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A new report from the European Environment Agency summarises the results of a three-year project that examined to what extend foresight studies underpinned environmental policies in 12 EU Member States. It shows several successful examples of how European countries are giving increasing attention to using long term approaches, such as scenario building, when formulating environmental policies.
Migration and global environmental change: Future challenges and opportunities
Posted on: 21 October 2011
By: mackene
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The Government’s Foresight project commissioned this project in October 2009 to consider the issues of human migration and global environmental change over the next 50 years. The final report, which received technical direction from a group of six leading experts, chaired by Professor Richard Black (University of Sussex), represents the culmination of two years work involving over 350 experts from 30 countries from a diverse range of disciplines. The report identifies a wide range of issues including the management of ‘trapped’ populations who are unable to move; and the implications of people being as likely to move towards areas of environmental risk as they are to move away from such areas. However, importantly, it concludes that migration may not be just part of the ‘problem’ but can also be part of the solution to managing global environmental change, representing a form of adaptation and contributing to long-term resilience. All the reports and the evidence reviews which formed the basis of the evidence base commissioned by Foresight are available to download.
A guide to the benefits of urban trees
Posted on: 13 October 2011
By: mackene
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Greenleaf Urban Tree and Landscape Products has published a guide on the benefits of urban trees, which will be distributed to councillors and local government officers. The 12-page guide has been created to help educate policy and decision makers on the many ways in which trees can improve urban environments.
Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services
Posted on: 7 September 2011
By: mackene
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This new biodiversity strategy for England builds on the Natural Environment White Paper and provides a comprehensive picture of how we are implementing our international and EU commitments. It sets out the strategic direction for biodiversity policy for the next decade on land (including rivers and lakes) and at sea. Defra has also published a document which discusses the technical issues and options for developing a set of headline indicators to track progress with the new Strategy for England’s Wildlife and Ecosystem Services (Biodiversity 2020). It also invites comments on the scope and detail of the indicators. Click here for access to this document.
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