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According to the IPCC, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere is directly linked to the average global temperature on Earth, and the concentration has been rising steadily. The most abundant greenhouse gas, accounting for about two-thirds of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, is largely the product of burning fossil fuels.
There is alarming evidence that important tipping points, leading to irreversible changes in major ecosystems and the planetary climate system, may already have been reached or passed. One of the most urgent challenges facing countries across the world today is how to achieve economic prosperity and development while also combating climate change.
The Paris climate change agreement commits nations to limit global temperature rise to no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with countries pledging to cut or curb their greenhouse gas emissions – through a combination of mitigation and adaptation measures – by 2030.
Created a Post in Agriculture, Blue Economy, Climate Change
Introducing the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel); a substantial contribution to The Bluegreen Revolution...
This Ocean Panel is a unique global initiative led by serving heads of state and governments from around the world. Primary goals of the Panel are building capacity and momentum for a more sustainable ocean economy, informed by leading global experts and practitioners (Ocean Panel, 2022).
In 2020, the Ocean Panel released “Transformations;” an ambitious ocean action agenda to transform how we produce, protect and prosper from the ocean, including the shared ambition by all participating countries to sustainably manage 100% of their national ocean area. It also sets out priority actions across five critical areas – wealth, health, equity, finance, knowledge – to achieve a sustainable ocean economy by 2030 (Ocean Panel, 2022).
Ocean Panel countries have pledged significant ocean related commitments on international platforms, such as the Our Ocean Conference and the UN Ocean Conference; key to catalyzing action, driving investments, and delivering impact in priority areas. The first report of progress towards the Panel’s agenda shows the number of country commitments has continued to increase each year and that these commitments are followed by meaningful action, with the vast majority either completed (54 percent) or in progress (40 percent), sending a strong signal for effective implementation and accountability. The Ocean Panel has highlighted the link between a healthy, sustainable ocean economy and the achievement of the wider sustainable development agenda. ___ https://oceanpanel.org/ https://lnkd.in/gbEaBrvk https://lnkd.in/gWy6kq2B
Catch the Bluegreen Wave...
Revolution is not something fixed in ideology, nor is it something fashioned to a particular decade. It is a perpetual process embedded in the human spirit. Abbie Hoffman
No real social change has ever been brought about without a revolution... revolution is but thought carried into action. Emma Goldman
In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell
The earth is what we all have in common. Wendell Berry
Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. Rachel Carson
An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment. David Attenborough
Touch the earth, feel the earth, her plains, her valleys, her hills, and her seas; rest your spirit in her solitary places. Henry Beston
The first law of ecology is that everything is related to everything else. Barry Commoner
Awareness of ecological relationships is - or should be - the basis of modern conservation programs. Rachel Carson
The highest function of ecology is the understanding of consequences. Frank Herbert
Probably the most visible example of unintended consequences, is what happens every time humans try to change the natural ecology of a place. Margaret J. Wheatley
Relationships are the core message of ecology. Frances Moore Lappé
Ecology is the overall science of which economics is a minor specialty. Garrett Hardin
The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, not the other way around. Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day Founder
We need to renegotiate our contract with nature. Ecology is a unifying force that can diminish intolerance and expand our empathy. Gregory Colbert
We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations. John Paul II
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Chief Seattle
Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our children's lifetime. The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land. Luna Leopold
We won't have a society if we destroy the environment. Margaret Mead
Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one. Marianne Williamson
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. Harriet Tubman ___ https://lnkd.in/gXg3JuFa https://lnkd.in/geQ2bJTD https://lnkd.in/gzqgB_nB https://lnkd.in/gkRUdUtK https://lnkd.in/ggqGU_MN https://lnkd.in/gXgmNSk2 https://lnkd.in/gBNebUT6 https://lnkd.in/gxW6nMYU https://lnkd.in/gxticic9 https://lnkd.in/gju557zz https://lnkd.in/gswJma29 https://lnkd.in/gDw7nbdP https://lnkd.in/gA38b-Tj https://lnkd.in/ed5VURX https://lnkd.in/egPSiAg
Are you ready for the Bluegreen Wave (Revolution)???...
According to the World Bank Group, “the Blue Economy is sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health and encompasses many activities.”
"All economic activities related to oceans, seas and coasts. It covers a wide range of interlinked established and emerging sectors" - European Commission
"An emerging concept which encourages better stewardship of our ocean or 'blue' resources" - The Commonwealth of Nations
"Blue economy also includes economic benefits that may not be marketed, such as carbon storage, coastal protection, cultural values and biodiversity" - Conservation International
UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) is about "Life below water" and this SDG states to: "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development."
Why a New Green Revolution Agricultural productivity gains since the 1950s have resulted from the development of farming systems that rely heavily on external inputs of energy and chemicals to replace management and on-farm resources. The intensity to which the natural environment has been modified to attain this productive capacity has directly resulted in degradation of natural resources; notably land, water, and the biodiversity, that sustain these systems.
Agroecology, Regenerative Agriculture, and Sustainable Development The science of agroecology is rooted in our collective consideration and comprehension of agriculture and natural history and can be defined as the study of complex interactions between the components, reactions, and processes of the global (natural) environment, and human (anthropogenic) activities associated with agriculture and food systems. It provides the ecological basis for more sustainable farming, as well as the opportunity to characterize or refine the cumulative effects of agriculture activities at watershed, ecoregion, national, and global scales.
As a philosophy and approach to land management and watershed protection in agriculture and farming systems, Regenerative Agriculture explores all aspects of agricultural and food systems as connected through a web—a network of entities who grow, enhance, exchange, distribute, and consume goods and services. It’s about farming and ranching in a style that nourishes people and the earth - specific practices and holistic principles to restore soil and ecosystem health, address inequity, and leave our land, waters, and climate in better shape for future generations (NRDC, 2022). ___ https://lnkd.in/gdAXvCk9 https://lnkd.in/g6Kcq5Fj https://lnkd.in/gXg3JuFa https://lnkd.in/gFfsrTXK https://lnkd.in/gghcMBqF https://lnkd.in/gj3S_Zbz https://lnkd.in/g4hSj-rG https://lnkd.in/gpXNEFV6 https://lnkd.in/gei_B3f7 https://lnkd.in/g66RJrNX https://lnkd.in/gaf3TrJy https://lnkd.in/gxZWqJXA https://lnkd.in/gXgmNSk2
I am deeply grateful for especially my family, friends, and Mother Earth in all her glory...there is still time folks, and a Bluegreen Revolution is coming....
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. William Arthur Ward
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. Albert Schweitzer
A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues. Cicero
We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. Cynthia Ozick
Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. Marcel Proust
Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. Aesop
Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture. Kak Sri
He who thanks but with the lips Thanks but in part; The full, the true Thanksgiving Comes from the heart. J.A. Shedd
Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow. H. W. Beecher
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. Denis Waitley
There is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings. J. R. Moskin
I am grateful for what I am and have. My Thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite — only a sense of existence. Henry David Thoreau ___ Thank You words and music by Led Zepplin. https://lnkd.in/eEf7-X8j
Created a Post in Gender Equality - ISLANDS, Climate Change, Gender
Interested in gender in global environmental governance? Have a look at the Gender Climate Tracker!
This platform tracks the progress in integrating gender mandates in environmental policies at the global and national level, checks on women participation in international negotiations while also providing country-specific data and resources.
You can also become a tracker by adding resources to this link https://genderclimatetracker.org/node/12222
The United Nations (UN): Unity and Community
General Background The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945; its Membership has grown from the original 51 Member States in 1945 to the current 193 Member States. All UN Member States are members of the General Assembly.
The UN has evolved over the years to keep pace with a rapidly changing world, and the work of the UN is guided by its basic purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter. But one thing has stayed the same: it remains the one place on Earth where all the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity.
The UN serves as a global forum where countries can raise and discuss the most difficult issues, including problems of war and peace. In addition to maintaining international peace and security, the UN protects human rights, delivers humanitarian aid, promotes sustainable development and upholds international law.
The idea of the UN was born during World War II (1939-1945). The name "United Nations", coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was first used in the Declaration by UN of 1 January 1942, during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations pledged their Governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers. World leaders who had collaborated to end the war felt a strong need for a mechanism that would help bring peace and stop future wars. They realized that this was possible only if all nations worked together through a global organization. The UN was to be that Organization (UN, 2022).
States are admitted to membership in the UN by decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. The recognition of a new State or Government is an act that only other States and Governments may grant or withhold. Members of the UN pay for everything that the Organization does, according to a scale of assessments agreed upon by all. This scale is based on a country’s ability to pay, national income and population.
The Secretary-General is Chief Administrative Officer of the UN – and is also a symbol of the Organization's ideals and an advocate for all the world's peoples, especially the poor and vulnerable. The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a 5-year, renewable term. The current Secretary-General, and the 9th occupant of the post, is António Guterres of Portugal, who took office on 1 January 2017. On the 18th of June, 2021, Guterres was re-appointed to a second term, pledging as his priority to continue helping the world chart a course out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UN is part of the UN system, which, in addition to the UN itself, comprises many funds, programs and specialized agencies, each of which have their own area of work, leadership and budget. The programs and funds are financed through voluntary rather than assessed contributions. The Specialized Agencies are independent international organizations funded by both voluntary and assessed contributions. The UN coordinates its work with these separate UN system entities, which cooperate with the Organization to help it achieve its goals.
Under the chairmanship of the UN Secretary-General, the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) provides broad guidance, coordination and strategic direction for the UN system in the areas under the responsibility of Executive Heads. Focus is placed on inter-agency priorities and initiatives while ensuring that the independent mandates of organizations are maintained.
The Executive Heads meet twice a year to consider policy and management issues impacting organizations of the UN system. The work of the Board is supported by two high-level committees: The High-level Committee on Programs (HLCP) and the High-level Committee on Management (HLCM). Under each Committee there are inter-agency mechanisms and networks to coordinate specific topics.
UN Charter The Charter of the UN is its founding document. The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the UN Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945. The UN Charter codifies the major principles of international relations, from sovereign equality of States to the prohibition of the use of force in international relations. Since the UN's founding in 1945, the mission and work of the Organization have been guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter, which has been amended three times in 1963, 1965, and 1973.
The UN can take action on a wide variety of issues due to its unique international character and the powers vested in its Charter, which is considered an international treaty. As such, the UN Charter is an instrument of international law, and UN Member States are bound by it.
17 Goals to Transform Our World The Sustainable Development Goals are a UN call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. More important than ever, the goals provide a critical framework for COVID-19 recovery (UN, 2022).
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. Seventeen SDGs were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; embarking on a 15-year plan to achieve these Goals. _____ We are different; we are always have been and always will be. However, different shouldn't divide us, but unify us because different is an asset. Elizabeth Margo
In union there is strength. Aesop
Unity to be real must stand the severest strain without breaking. Mahatma Gandhi
Even the weak become strong when they are united. Friedrich von Schiller
The significance which is in unity is an eternal wonder. R. Tagore
So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. Baha'U'Llah
There is beauty and power in unity. We must be united in heart and mind. One world, one people. Lailah Gifty Akita
We were born to unite with our fellow men, and to join in community with the human race. Cicero
No part of the human community can live entirely on its own planet, with its own laws of motion and cut off from the rest of humanity. Hugo Chavez
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. Helen Keller
We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community. Dorothy Day
With community, comes friendship. Nikhil Parekh
As our planet grows smaller each and every day / Everyone affecting everyone in every way / We're all citizens of the world community / All here together and we're searching for unity. Adam Horovitz
We must attempt to bring people back to the warmth of community, to the worth of individual effort and responsibility...to better their lives and their children's future. Robert Kennedy
In the end, it comes down to values [...] We want the world our children inherit to be defined by the values enshrined in the UN Charter: peace, justice, respect, human rights, tolerance and solidarity. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General _____ https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-emblem-and-flag https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/18-00151_visitorcentre_fact_s… https://www.un.org/en/our-work/official-languages https://www.un.org/en/about-us/ https://www.un.org/en/ https://www.un.org/en/essential-un/ https://www.un.org/en/about-us/member-states https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-system https://unic.un.org/ https://unsceb.org/structure https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2021/09/un_system_chart.pdf https://www.un.org/geospatial/ https://www.un.org/geospatialnetwork/ https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdgs-framework-for-covid-19-r… https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdg-moment/ https://sdgs.un.org/ https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/ https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdg-planning-calendar/ https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/student-resources/ https://unstats.un.org/wiki/display/sdgehandbook https://www.un.org/regularprocess/woa2launch https://www.un.org/en/transforming-education-summit https://www.un.org/en/sdgmediazone https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023 https://www.unwater.org/news/un-2023-water-conference https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=SJ&exp=INT&level=0&locati… https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=ip https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/opportunities-within-the-un/i… https://unjobs.org/themes/internship https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/what-we-do/what-can-you-do/li… https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx
Created a Post in Climate Change
Why the Internet Plays a Crucial Role in Saving Humanity
We adults have done poorly in the climate crisis. Today's youth are more aware of global warming than their elders. Will they do better than us on climate change? I don't know, because our ability to overcome all the existential threats to humanity depends critically on human intelligence.
Given that useless information has dominated the internet and will certainly be produced at an ever-increasing rate, it is unrealistic to expect young people to make major advances in science and technology when they are fed fake news, misinformation, self-confirming information bubbles, and conspiracy theories. Even if the internet were suddenly filled with truths and facts now, it would take a decade for young people to absorb the knowledge, a second decade to make scientific and technological breakthroughs, and a third decade to deploy new applications at scale.
Since it is impossible to make a sudden leap in human intelligence or morality overnight, our CO2 emissions and global temperatures will continue to rise. When will the future be bright? My realistic and optimistic estimate would be when most people have enjoyed 30 years of quality content like books on the Internet.
Created a Post in Circular Economy, Climate Change, Industry and Entrepreneurship
Kind regards from the Guatemalan Cleaner Production Centre Foundation -CGP+L-.
In May 2018, the CGP+L launched the Environmental Performance Program with the aim of providing technical tools that contribute to improving the competitiveness and performance of companies and institutions in Guatemala, starting with the DDA (Environmental Performance Assessments) that facilitates technical forms to carry out self-assessments on different environmental issues.
It is important to mention that this initiative has the institutional support of the Guatemalan Chamber of Industry and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
Since the beginning of the program, we have periodically shared data, analysis and trends, with the idea of providing feedback to the different sectors of the country and identifying progress and areas of opportunity.
On this occasion we are pleased to share the executive summary of the first report on the Environmental Performance Profile - Guatemala, presenting the information that has been generated in the first four years of activity, and in which you can learn in detail the behavior of the 35 aspects defined for this methodology. This publication is based on the analysis of 296 self-assessments of companies in Guatemala, carried out between May 2018 and August 2022.
With the following link you have access to the executive summary (Spanish and English) and the full report (Spanish), we invite you to review and share the information that has been generated:
https://bit.ly/ReportesPerfildeDesempenoAmbientalGuatemala
We take this opportunity to remind you that the DDA is freely accessible through www.desempenoambiental.net. By carrying out the self-assessment, in addition to identifying the points of progress and opportunities for improvement, as well as making a comparison of the result with the general trend, the level of compliance can be identified in order to obtain the Environmental Performance seal, which seeks contribute to the strengthening and environmental differentiation of companies and institutions.
We are available for any comment or doubt in this regard, we appreciate the usual attention and support and we hope that this publication will be a positive contribution.
Created a Post in Climate Change, Sustainable Finance
Green Finance Platform’s Database Shows Significant Rise in Global Green Finance Measures!
Dear Green Community & Sustainable Finance Practitioners,
We are happy to share the latest numbers and analysis of the Green Finance Measures Database (GFMD). GMFD is a global compendium of sustainable finance policies and regulations across over 100 developed, developing and emerging economies. This year, we added 100 new sustainable policy and regulatory measures on the database, reaching a total of 784 national and sub-national financial measures from 109 countries which is a 317% growth since 2015.
Read more about, check the press release that summarizes the key highlights and discussion.
If you find it useful kindly circulate it among your networks.
How to Balance Our Long-term and Short-term Goals in the Climate Crisis
We must first define what our long-term and short-term goals are, because they vary from person to person. To be universal, the definitions of these goals that I refer to focus on the most important things. The long-term goal is to keep humanity alive as long as possible, and the short-term goal is to meet everyone's basic needs, such as food, shelter, medicine, etc. As long as there are sufficient resources to meet our basic needs, we can continue to pursue the long-term goal, but if the short-term goal conflicts with the long-term goal, how do we balance them? Take global warming, for example. Our long-term goal requires billions of people to drastically reduce their carbon emissions by greatly reducing their consumption of fossil fuels, when in fact fossil fuels provide most of their basic needs. It seems impossible to achieve the long-term goal because few people will care about the future of humanity if they cannot feed their families. Should we then hopelessly cause the suffering of billions of people in the coming decades and possibly make our own species extinct in the coming centuries by continuing business as usual? Certainly not! Since we cannot sacrifice our basic needs for humanity's future, everything we do will shorten or widen the distance between the long-term and short-term goals. When widening is inevitable, shortening is necessary to bridge the distance. In other words, anything that helps us achieve our short- and long-term goals must be prioritized and accelerated. For example, scientific progress is useful both to meet our basic needs and to save everyone’s future. I believe that scientific and technological progress can be accelerated by making geniuses all over the world.