Last week, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, announced that the central objective of the UN for 2021 will be to build a Global Coalition for Carbon Neutrality. He stated that he firmly believes that “2021 can be a new kind of leap year — the year of a quantum leap towards carbon neutrality”.
The United Kingdom’s Treasury (economic and finance ministry) is gearing up to launch an independent global report on the importance of biodiversity for economies and future prosperity. Led by Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta, the Dasgupta Review on the Economics of Biodiversity could help precipitate a major rethink on how we value biodiversity and its implications for policy and natural capital finance.
The digital transformation has impacted all industries and sectors, allowing us to face obstacles that previously seemed insurmountable. For those of us who work in sustainable development, the use of technological tools to exchange and disseminate knowledge on a large scale has represented unimaginable potential to increase the impact of our projects.
High mountain ecosystems play a leading role by allowing aquifers to recharge, which produce water that eventually reaches an aqueduct for purification and subsequent distribution. It is crucial to maintain the “good health” of our high mountain ecosystems and ensure that, even in a warmer climate, they continue to provide these valuable services.
In 2015, I had the opportunity to climb above 2,900 meters above sea-level and visit two mountainous areas, one in Colombia and then another in Ecuador, both rich in páramo forests.
The global pandemic caused by the spread of COVID-19 has led to millions of infections and over a million deaths so far. This pandemic has dramatically affected the lives, health, and economy of our communities and peers. At the IDB, we have gone from visiting projects and having in-person interactions with clients and stakeholders, to having to manage everything remotely.
This has created considerable challenges when it comes to holding meaningful consultations with stakeholders during the preparation and implementation of our projects.
This December will mark the fifth anniversary of a historic achievement for international climate action: the Paris Agreement. During the UN Climate Summit (“COP21”) in Paris, France, this milestone represented a call by the international community to increase climate ambition and achieve the transformation of current development trajectories towards net-zero emissions and climate-resilient economies.
On August 12, 2020, the IDB hosted a webinar on how the Blue Economy can help to spark a sustainable and inclusive recovery in the Caribbean after COVID-19. The event aimed to promote the Blue Economyas a key driver for recovery, raise awareness of the importance of ocean and coastal resources beyond fisheries and tourism and highlight the IDB’s agenda on this issue, particularly for small states with big ocean spaces (#BOSs).
The COVID-19 pandemic has gravely impacted all aspects of health, government, society, industry, and our interaction with each other. Environmental and social governance have not been exempted, and the pandemic has drastically challenged the way governments and other actors ensure that environmental and social safeguards continue to protect ourselves and our environment.
Latin America and Caribbean countries are facing a pandemic with myriad social and economic consequences. At the same time, we also have climate change enhanced fires raging in Brazil’s Pantanal and hurricanes pounding the Caribbean. This complex situation shows that governments, the private sector, civil society, and multilateral development banks (MDBs) need to work together to support a sustainable recovery.
The 2020 hurricane season reminds us of the importance of infrastructure services in limiting the spread of Covid-19. Natural disasters can damage infrastructure assets, such as health clinics, water pipes, and communication lines. This would prevent covid-19 patients from receiving care, hinder handwashing efforts, and delay contact tracing.