Emancipating Transformations: From controlling ‘the transition’ to culturing plural radical progress

Posted on: 30 May 2014
By: mackene
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This paper challenges the tendency towards authoritarian modes of dealing with environmental threats by drawing attention to the potential of more plural, emergent and unruly ‘transformations’ to achieve progressive change. Instead of seeing democracy as an ‘enemy of nature’, we can see hope-inspired democratic struggle as an essential part of sustainability, not an add-on.

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Climate & Development Knowledge Network: Inside Stories

Posted on: 29 May 2014
By: mackene
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The Climate & Development Knowledge Network regularly produces “Inside Stories on Climate Compatible Development” that explore the lessons learned from a range of city and subnational initiatives. The latest in the series, published in May 2014, include: Catalysing sustainable tourism: The case of Chiang Mai, Thailand; Integrating climate change concerns into disaster management planning: the case of Gorakhpur, India; Addressing heat-related health risks in urban India: Ahmedabad’s Heat Action Plan; A local vision of climate adaptation: Participatory urban planning in Mozambique; and Pioneering renewable energy options: Thailand takes up the challenge.

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Delivering global environmental benefits for sustainable development

Posted on: 28 May 2014
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The three key messages of this report from the Scientific and Tecxhnical Advbisory Panel (STAP) to the 5^th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly, held in Mwxico in May 2014, are: Environmental degradation must be tackled in a more integrated and holistic way, addressing individual focal area concerns in ways that yield multiple benefits, enhance ecosystem services, and improve governance systems within and across national boundaries. Sustainable  development should be at the core of GEF interventions, enabling improved human well-being, health, livelihoods and social equity at the same time as environmental protection; the GEF should continue to be catalytic and innovative while actively seeking to effect permanent and transformational change.

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Best practice in national support for urban transportation

Posted on: 23 May 2014
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Cities are growing rapidly, and their transit systems need to keep up. As the world’s urban population soars from 3.4 to 6.4 billion between now and 2050, cities must invest in high quality public transit to create sustainable, economically healthy, and livable cities. A new study released by the Institution for Transportation & Development Policy evaluates nine key countries (Brazil, China, Colombia, France, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and USA) and if their investment in urban mass transit has kept pace with the needs of their growing populations.

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2nd Annual Pacific Cities Sustainability Initiative Forum: Creating resilient and livable cities. Manila, Philippines, 11-13 March 2014

Posted on: 21 May 2014
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Now entering its fifth year, the Pacific Cities Sustainability Initiative convened a group of more than 150+ urban sustainability experts from across the globe for its second invitation-only dialogue focused on contemporary urban sustainability challenges, and exploring promising new approaches to creating cities that are both resilient and livable. Presentations are available online.

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Building repertoires of methods for appreciating alternative pathways

Posted on: 15 May 2014
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This section, on the STEPS website, acts as a gateway to research methods that help ‘broaden out’ and ‘open up’ pathways to social, technological and environmental sustainability that favour the rights, interests and values of marginalised and excluded peoples. The STEPS Centre (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) is an interdisciplinary global research and policy engagement centre uniting development studies with science and technology studies. Our cross-cutting work covers agriculture and food; energy & climate change; health & disease and water & sanitation.

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STEPS Centre blog

Posted on: 15 May 2014
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The STEPS Centre carries out interdisciplinary research projects and policy engagement activities with partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. Bringing social and natural scientists together across development studies and science and technology studies, the Centre works in and across the areas of food/agriculture, health/disease, water/sanitation and energy/climate change to generate new thinking and practical solutions. The work looks at how pathways to sustainability, linking environmental integrity with social justice.

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Impact assessment for sustainable development: Knowledge systems for the future. Brussels, 1-2 April 2014

Posted on: 15 May 2014
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As a European research consortium LIAISE investigated over the past found and a half years the Impact Assessment (IA) practices in relation to Sustainable Development (SD). Specific attention was given to the question how the process of IA in various venues (i.e. nation states, supra national organizations and local organizations) is related to the processes of research and knowledge production. The conference presented the main findings of LIAISE in evaluating IA practices, research agenda setting, tool repository development, test cases, and outreach. Presentations are available online.

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Tests of success for the SDGs

Posted on: 8 May 2014
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A new tool has been developed to help governments and other stakeholders to create and choose ambitious and effective sustainable development goals (SDGs) and targets, which fulfill the commitments made by world leaders at Rio+20.

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Sustainable transport and just cities. Medellin, 7 April 2014

Posted on: 7 May 2014
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During the World Urban Forum (WUF 7), the SLoCaT Partnership on Sustainable Transport (SLoCaT) and UN-HABITAT co-organised this event to raise the awareness of WUF 7 partners on the critical role that sustainable, low carbon transport has to play in realising equitable and just cities that are also environmentally sustainable. The objective of the event were to demonstrate the importance of sustainable transport for making cities more socially and economically equitable, and contribute towards the development of a SLoCaT collaborative work program on sustainable transport and poverty alleviation. Presentations are available online.

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