Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

Paul Gilding has spent 35 years trying to change the world, doing everything he can think off. He’s served in the Australian military, chased nuclear armed aircraft carriers in small inflatable boats, plugged up industrial waste discharge pipes, been global CEO of Greenpeace, taught at Cambridge University, owned and run two ground-breaking sustainability focused companies and been a close confidant and advisor to the CEOs of some the world’s largest companies. More articles are available at his website here.  We’re all focused on the drama and entertainment of Trump’s takeover of the world’s centre of military, security and economic power. For some it’s exciting and entertaining, for others terrifying and apocalyptic. I too have been glued to the news – at various times having each of those responses! But now I’ve come back to earth, recognising it all for what it is. Important, but a sideshow to a much bigger and more important game. And on reflection, I’m  glad  ...

This article was published February 21, 2017 in the  Maximpact Blog  written by Maximpact writer Sunny Lewis. PARIS, France  ( Maximpact.com  News) – Nineteen global banks and investors, worth a total of US$6.6 trillion in assets, have agreed on a set of standards for financing sustainable development framed as the first-ever Principles for Positive Impact Finance. On the last Monday in January, the set of four unpublished Positive Impact Principles was launched to provide a global framework for financiers and investors to analyze, monitor and disclose the social, environmental and economic impacts of the financial products and services they deliver. The Principles for Positive Impact Finance are a direct response to the challenge of financing the  UN’s Sustainable Development Goals  . Adopted by the world’s governments in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all, each of the 17 SDGs has specific targets to be achieved...

Allen L. White is Vice President and Senior Fellow, Tellus Institute; Co-Founder and former CEO of the Global Reporting Initiative;, Co-founder of Corporation 20/20; and Founder of the Global Initiative for Sustainability Ratings.   The first weeks of the Trump presidency have raised profound anxieties among government leaders and citizens alike. A steady stream of ill-prepared executive orders, unnerving tweets and unsettling phone calls have left allies and adversaries alike confused about Mr. Trump’s intentions.  In a matter of days, his bellicose tone has raised serious threats of confrontation with China and Iran, alienated Australia, and rattled relations with Mexico and European allies. Meanwhile, the institutional foundations of post- War stability—e.g. NATO, World Trade Organization, United Nations— face a U.S. hostile to the very notion of international rules of conduct. Disruption for disruption’s sake seems to be the order of the day. And while “America Fi...

Jack Moss has 30 years of experience throughout the world in the private sector side of the water services industry. He joined AquaFed in 2005 as senior adviser, contributing to its creation and international recognition. He has been the Executive Director since 2015. Water pollution is as dangerous as, if not more so than, air pollution”. Having made this statement publicly several times recently I should explain what I mean. The thought came to me as I was reflecting on the high level of concern that is given to climate change compared to that given to water issues. Climate change has a high profile, water issues do not – why? Climate has a high political profile through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), regular Conferences of Parties, international treaties and extensive media coverage. While the recognition of water issues is growing, they remain far behind in attention and action. There is now a large body of science that fewer ...

Prof. Geoffrey Lipman is founder of the  SUNX – Strong Universal Network , it supports community climate resilience through Impact -Travel, (pro /cons measured and managed, green growth at the core and 2050 future proofed). Our X brand shows both the eXistential reality of climate change and the eXchange of innovation and learning through the SUN “Centres, Connections and Community” system. He was Assistant Secretary General and Spokesperson of UNWTO, the World Tourism Organization and he is Chair of the Advisory Board of the Christel DeHaan Tourism & Travel Research Institute. Whatever combination of forces led to Donald Trump becoming President of the United States - and for at least the next 4 years, control of nearly a quarter of the global economy, with his finger on the nuclear button - remains a frightening mystery to most of us. Now he has that control and is showing his disruptive leadership style he would do well to remember Newton’s third law “To every actio...

I had missed this last year but thought it was worth reproducing it anyway.Full Report available here: This is the summary.  In September 2015, 193 Member States attending the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Summit in New York adopted a new global development framework: ‘Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’. The Agenda consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (or ‘Global Goals’ as they are popularly known) and 169 targets, which commit all signatory countries to tackle issues as diverse and deep-rooted as gender inequality, climate change, access to quality education and the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies. The SDGs officially came into force on 1 January 2016 and the UK must now move forward with implementing the Goals at home and supporting other countries to achieve them overseas. Achieving the SDGs will require financial investment of trillions of dollars from a variety of sources. We welcome the Inte...