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Building more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous societies in Europe and Central Asia
Posted on: 10 October 2013
By: mackene
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Filed under: News
The United Nations Development Group (UNDG) and UNECE have released a report which presents the UN system’s vision for the post-2015 development agenda in Europe and Central Asia. It argues that the region has a critical role to play in shaping the generation of new development goals. The report was created as a series of 14 short thematic pieces, accompanied by an advocacy paper that lays out the overall vision. The short issue briefs provide policy-makers and negotiators of the future development agenda with a concise overview of the key points for each issue. Themes include managing the earth’s ecosystems, and governance for sustainable development.
Planning and design for sustainable urban mobility: Global Report on Human Settlements 2013
Posted on: 8 October 2013
By: mackene
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This report, from UN Urban Habitat, argues that the development of sustainable urban transport systems requires a conceptual leap. The purpose of ‘transportation’ and ‘mobility’ is to gain access to destinations, activities, services and goods. Thus, access is the ultimate objective of transportation. As a result, urban planning and design should focus on how to bring people and places together, by creating cities that focus on accessibility, rather than simply increasing the length of urban transport infrastructure or increasing the movement of people or goods. Urban form and the functionality of the city are therefore a major focus of this report, which highlights the importance of integrated land-use and transport planning. This report provides some thought-provoking insights and policy recommendations on how to plan and design sustainable urban mobility systems. Links are also provided to background studies, including case studies, regional studies and thematic studies.
Wealthier, healthier cities: How climate change action is giving us wealthier, healthier cities
Posted on: 8 October 2013
By: mackene
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While national governments struggle to establish an agreed global climate deal, many of the world’s largest cities have been taking action to combat the effects of a changing climate. As a result their residents are benefiting from healthier living and better business environments. These are just some of the findings from a recent report published by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Conor Riffle, head of CDP’s Cities Programme, talks about the report and how climate change adpatation can make cities both wealthier and healthier. Listen to the podcast here.
Fulfilling the Rio+20 promises: Reviewing progress since the UN Conference on Sustainable Development
Posted on: 8 October 2013
By: mackene
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The June 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, also known as Rio+20, brought together leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector to build upon the commitments made 20 years ago when world leaders gathered to stimulate political will toward sustainable development at the first Earth Summit, held in Rio in 1992. Rio+20 resulted in the outcome document “The Future We Want,” which laid out a number of negotiated commitments intended to spur action toward sustainable development. In addition, the Rio Summit mobilised more than 700 voluntary commitments with an estimated valuation in excess of USD$500 billion. Stakeholder Forum and the Natural Resources Defense Council have jointly conducted an initial review of the progress made on key negotiated and voluntary commitments made at Rio+20.
Cities Today
Posted on: 7 October 2013
By: mackene
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Cities Today, the leading magazine on sustainable development of cities, is now available as an app for iPad, Android tablets and Kindle Fire. The app can be downloaded free for a limited period and offers digital versions of the magazine with multimedia links to video and audio.
Student attitudes towards and skills for sustainable development
Posted on: 30 September 2013
By: mackene
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Research into student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development (SD) was conducted in 2012, continuing research from 2010 and 2011. This longitudinal study has identified trends in demands and expectations from students new to university; tracked longitudinal attitudes from first-year students as they progress their university careers; captured student opinions both pre and post increase in tuition fees. The report found that more than 80% of students surveyed believe sustainable development should be actively promoted and incorporated by UK universities, a belief which increases as they progress through their studies. In the survey’s third year the research strengthens the conclusion of the two previous reports, showing that interest in sustainable development remains strong among students throughout their university careers and with the introduction of increased tuition fees.
Sustainable and inclusive urbanization in Asia Pacific
Posted on: 18 September 2013
By: mackene
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The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has released a Strategy Paper outlining potential activities and points of entry for UNDP to support governments and local communities in achieving inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities. The strategy paper notes that the scale and pace of urbanization in the region has caught many governments and communities unprepared, as demand for land, shelter, energy supplies and social and environmental services has outstripped supply. It recommends that UNDP encourage cross-sectoral implementation through focusing on: urban governance and empowerment, especially in secondary cities and peri-urban areas; poverty and vulnerability; environmental sustainability, energy efficiency and climate resilience; and disaster risk reduction.
Freiburg, Germany: Vauban Sustainable Urban District
Posted on: 16 September 2013
By: mackene
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The Committee on Social Inclusion, through the Inclusive Cities Observatory has drawn up a case study on urban development policy carried out in the neighborhood of Vauban in Freiburg (Germany). The Vauban Sustainable Urban District process took place in the German city of Freiburg between 1993 and 2006. It is based on the city government’s aim of restoring an old military barracks based on ecological and social cohesion criteria, and creating a participatory process that would generate the NGO Forum Vauban and would have inter- and intra-administrative coordination structures to enable proposals emerging from the process to be implemented and permit a high degree of coordination between the public participation process and the local government.
Transdisciplinary research on sustainability in Europe: generic issues. Prague, 23-24 May 2013
Posted on: 9 September 2013
By: mackene
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This one and a half day workshop invited approximately 50 invited experts from across the EU area who are working in Transdisciplinary Research for Sustainability (TDRS). The event was for professionals from the European Research Area (ERA) organisations and policy areas and for those running (or have run) transdisciplinary research projects on sustainability. Slides and podcasts are available online.
Green growth and green jobs: Transition to a Zero Carbon Britain
Posted on: 13 August 2013
By: mackene
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The Liberal Democrats have published a paper which sets out the framework for a long-term strategy to set the UK on the path to a carbon neutral future and deliver the benefits of green growth, building on the work of Liberal Democrats in Government.
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