Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

The 2022 Sustainable Development Report - a little late blog it came out in July. The climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and an increased number of conflicts around the world have placed the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in jeopardy, according to The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022, released by the United Nations today. The Report highlights the severity and magnitude of the challenges before us, with these cascading and intersecting crises creating spin-off impacts on food and nutrition, health, education, the environment, and peace and security, and affecting all the SDGs, the blueprint for more resilient, peaceful and equal societies. COVID-19 AND ITS CONSEQUENCES According to the latest data presented in the Report, the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc across the Goals and its effects are still far from over. Global “excess deaths” directly and indirectly attributable to COVID-19 reached 15 million by the end of 2021. More than four years of progressin all...

Who would have believed a few weeks back that the United States was going to pass the largest ever climate bill.  Of course, it isn't as comprehensive as the original President Biden's 'Build Back Better' legislation. I was a huge supporter of the original proposals not just because they did more on climate change but because I was in the middle of writing the book 'Tomorrow's People and New Technology' and it did more to create a cushion to the massive changes we are going to see in the next ten years. As President Biden said in his address to the Joint Session of Congress on April 29th, 2021: "We will see more technological change — and some of you know more about this than I do — we’ll see more technological change in the next 10 years than we saw in the last 50.  That’s how rapidly artificial intelligence and so much more is changing. And we’re falling behind the competition with the rest of the world." Change is happening so fast it adds to th...

Reuters reported that former Grenada climate resilience minister is to be the next Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He will replace Patricia Espinosa (Mexico) who finished her second term in July after the preparatory meeting for COP27.  Previous Executive Secretaries have been Christiana Figueres (Costa Rica 2010-2016), Yvo de Boer (Netherlands 2006-2010), Joke Waller-Hunter (Netherlands 2002-2006) and Michael Zamit Cutajar (Malta 1995-2002) Simon Steill has in additional to being Minister for Climate Resilience and Environment (2018 to 2022) he was Minister for Education and Human Resource Development (2017-2018) and Minister of State for Human Resource Development and the Environment (2015-2017) According to Reuters: "Stiell has been a visible figure at U.N. climate negotiations, often calling for the world's largest polluters to set more ambitious climate goals and to deliver finance promised to vulnerable countries, including small isl...

 Register your event here    LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACTING FOR SDGs   Dear colleagues, Join us this September to celebrate the anniversary of Agenda 2030 by leading on SDG local action! https://act4sdgs.org/     Local governments across the world have taken inspiration from Agenda 2030 for better service delivery in the post COVID 19 and recent economic crises. SDGs are also contributing to plan strategically and integrate the different aspects...

Tomorrow's People and New Technology was discussed by one of its co-authors Carolina Duque Chopitea on an episode of What is Innovation? with Jared Simmons.  Episode 66 of Innovation is a window into the uncertain future . Jared talks with Carolina Duque Chopitea, Director of Technology and Product at Reciqlo , a Circular Economy company that builds solutions for glass recycling, and Co-founder of Brandformers , a digital marketing and consultancy company that helps brands with their digital transition. They discuss why it's important to see innovation as a way of looking at the future, and they unpack the ingredients of innovation that go beyond technology.  How do you balance the good and the bad of tech innovation? Are you innovating with a meaningful purpose? Carolina's insights and expertise will help guide you to become more 'circular' in your view of technology and innovation. Carolina wrote the book with Felix Dodds and Ranger Ruffins . Description of th...

On 25 May 2022 UN Women announced a partnership with BlackRock, Inc “to cooperate in promoting the growth of gender lens investing”. A collective of feminist activists and women’s rights organisations from around the world have come together to respond. You can read their letter to UN Women below. To:  Sima Sami Bahous,  UN Women Executive Director, Åsa Regnér,  UN Women Deputy Executive Director for Policy, Programme, Civil Society and Intergovernmental Support;  Anita Bhatia,  Deputy Executive Director for UN Coordination, Partnerships, Resources and Sustainability Subject:  UN Women’s MoU with BlackRock Dear Ms Bahous, Ms Regnér, Ms Bhatia, We write to you on behalf of the undersigned feminist organizations, networks, constituencies and individuals, all of which are committed to ensuring that the United Nations delivers on international agreements on gender equality, SDG 5 and women’s human rights. We are dismayed to hear that on May 25th, 2022, UN Women...

 Hi friends  the summer is on us, and I thought I would share my favorite books in case you wanted to try any of these. I am a huge audiobook fan, so these are also great on audible. 1. The Space Team by  Barry J. Hutchison (Author), Phil Thron (Narrator), Zertex Books (Publisher). Possibly the funniest book series available. Barry has a warped sense of humor. There is a deal on audible for the first three for $20 its defiantly worth a buy. I have listened to the series at least 3 or 4 times. There is also a free download Collecting six short stories and novellas from across the Space Team Universe, Space Team: A Lot of Weird Space Shizz is yours to download and keep forever. Stories in the collection include: "Dead Men Don't Get Paid" - a novella featuring undead space detective, Dan Deadman. Space Team: The Holiday Special - Die Hard meets the Nativity. In space! Death Comes to Carverville: A Tobey Maguire Mystery - OK, this one's just weird. The Space Team is a...

Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy:  August August 15-26: Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Conference on Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction BBNJ (BBNJ IGC-5) August 23 to September 1 st : World Water Week 2022 ‘Seeing the Unseen: The Value of Water” August 29 to September 2 nd : The Fourth Meeting of the Intersessional Process (IP4) for Considering the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste Beyond 2020 August 29 to 2 nd September: Africa Climate Week September September 13 th : UN General Assembly 77 th Session opens September 16-25: Act for Sustainable Development Goals September 19: Transforming Education Summit at the UN General Assembly September 19-25:   New York Climate Week October October 13-21: The 68 th Meeting of the International Whaling Commission October 24-25 UN GA water preparation for 2023 Water Conference October 24-28 UNC Water ...