The earth’s natural resources, biodiversity and ecosystems collectively make up our planet’s Natural Capital, which is the foundation of socioeconomic development of current and future generations. Natural capital generates ecosystem services which make a direct contribution to human well-being.Ecosystem services are classified in four groups:Provisioning services are outputs of ecosystem services which include food, fuel and water.
Each year, the UN chooses a theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity. Every theme is geared to increase the understanding and awareness of the biodiversity issues it relates to. Climate change was the focus of 2007, just before the first Kyoto protocol commitment period. Biodiversity and climate change are fundamentally linked. Worldwide, about 72000 plant species are used for medical purposes, of which 21% are endangered.
Small hydroelectric plants (SHP) have been conceived in Argentina as part of the strategy to address climate change under Nationally Appropriated Mitigation Actions (NAMA), which form part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The IDB, together with the Government of the Province of Salta, and the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, developed a proposal for NAMA related to SHP.
Recent market signals show a correlation between low oil prices and negative impacts on the renewables industry. The clearest example that has arisen in recent months is with manufacturers of solar technology in developed countries like the United States or even in China, whose shares have lost their market value at the same rate as the shares of companies in the industry oil.
The first objective of the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All initiative is to provide universal access to modern energy services by 2030. No region is closer to reaching that goal than Latin America and the Caribbean, which is why the Inter-American Development Bank, which runs the Sustainable Energy for All Americas initiative, has thrown its support behind providing planning help for Latin America and the Caribbean.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, women often responsible for taking care of the home and raising children. In the region, millions of women stay at home to take care of the housework and children. What does this have to do with energy? A lot. Since women and children spend more time at home, they will mostly benefit if the family can afford higher thermal quality housing, i.e. a house where the temperature inside is comfortable, whether it is hot or cold outside.
Who has not heard of smart grids? The term is increasingly common in discussions about the present and future of the electrical grid. But, what is a smart grid? Some people equate smart grids with smart meters that measure and inform the user in real time about energy consumption and its cost. Others see smart grids as the control of distributed generators connected to homes or to medium voltage networks.
