Explainers. "What is Circular Economy and Why does It Matter?". United Nations Development Programme. October 23, 2024. https://climatepromise.undp.org/... (Contributed by Gregory Autin).
Our current economic system can be considered a “linear economy”, built on a model of extracting raw materials from nature, turning them into products, and then discarding them as waste. Currently, only 7.2% of used materials are cycled back into our economies after use. This has a significant burden on the environment and contributes to the climate, biodiversity, and pollution crises. Circular economy (CE), on the other hand, aims to minimize waste and promote a sustainable use of natural resources, through smarter product design, longer use, recycling and more, as well as regenerate nature. Besides helping tackle the problem of pollution, CE can play a critical role in solving other complex challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss.
Posted on 23/10/24
Recent Abstracts
Construction Industry Value Chain
The global construction industry is the world’s largest consumer of raw materials. Construction accounts for 25%–40% of total carbon emissions globally. Companies across all sectors of the construction value chain are embedding sustainability into their operations and products, developing innovative green products, a ...
Posted on 24/03/22
The Development Impact of the War in Ukraine: Initial Projections
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says that the war is demolishing over two decades of economic progress. It reports that at least $100 billion of infrastructure, buildings, roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, and other built assets have already been destroyed by the war. The UNDP says that the impact o ...
Posted on 23/03/22
Lean Construction Concept Used to Develop Infrastructure Facilities for Tourism Clusters
Lean construction increases the efficiency of developing infrastructure facilities for tourism destinations. This study proposes the methodological approach to the implementation of megaprojects of tourism clusters based on the lean construction concept. It is to serve as the basis for organizing and planning developme ...
Posted on 22/03/22
An Architecture Guide to the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals Volume 2
Architecture and architects play a major role in developing sustainable cities and the built environment to achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This extensive collection of architectural projects across the world illustrates how architecture and architects can contribute to each of the SDGs. The 8 ...
Posted on 21/03/22
Greenpeace Sustainability Barometer 2021 – We Are Ready and Finally Want a Sustainable Future!
Today’s youth demands more commitment to sustainable development and more direct participation. Young people have the most confidence in NGOs advancing the sustainable development agenda, followed by science and citizen initiatives. For the younger generation, environmental destruction, species extinction, and climat ...
Posted on 19/03/22
Citizen Participation: Linking Government Efforts, Actual Participation, and Trust in Local Politicians
Citizen participation is key for effective and successful local government. Without participation, local government initiatives have a limited effect on improving trust in local politics and politicians, resulting in much more challenging policy implementation. Without the effective involvement of citizens in local g ...
Posted on 17/03/22
High Fuel Prices Not Slowing down German Motorists, Road Use Data Suggests
A typical vehicle traveling at 90 km/h burns 23% less fuel than at 110 km/h. Driving at 100 km/h on the autobahn burns around 10% less fuel than at 130 km/h. A significant reduction in oil imports to fuel traffic would immediately reduce the upward pressure on gasoline prices. However, an analysis of current traffic ...
Posted on 15/03/22
Building Participatory Accountability Systems for City Policies: Handbook
Sustainable urban development calls for effective cooperation and collaboration between all relevant stakeholders. Governance is one of the fundamental drivers of change that promotes direct partnership between the municipalities and the private and third sectors. Governance requires municipal authorities and their i ...
Posted on 15/03/22
Voluntary National Review 2020: Ukraine
United Nations in Ukraine. “Voluntary National Review 2020: Ukraine,” 2021. https://ukraine.un.org/... By yearend 2020, Ukraine made progress on 15 of the 17 SDGs. In its Voluntary National Review 2020, the country reported success in reducing poverty, improving labor remuneration standards, housing subsidies, and long ...
Posted on 13/03/22
What Impact Will the Russia-Ukraine Conflict Have on the Tourism Industry?
Europe, Asia and the Middle East have seen the number Russian tourists increase over recent decades. Now, the Russian invasion and its war on Ukraine and the sanctions and air restrictions imposed on Russia will have a significant impact on tourism in various countries. Soon after the invasion of Ukraine, Canada, the E ...
Posted on 12/03/22
Baden Hilft!
The war in Ukraine is destroying the country and shaking Europe and the world. The conflict is causing a refugee crisis of historic proportions. Humanitarian needs are surging as the war continues and escalates. More people are being displaced by the violence, with as many as 12 million people needing assistance. Baden ...
Posted on 11/03/22
How Aviva Plan to Eliminate Sustainability Fraudsters
Sustainability charlatans are so-called "sustainability professionals" and other self-anointed "SDG experts" who actively and knowingly greenwash their activities or those of their clients through opaque methods and questionable reporting practices. Although not standardized, environmental social and governance (ESG) ...
Posted on 10/03/22
The Green Deal Is Dead, Long Live the Green Deal
Dependency of the European Union on energy imports is 60%. In 2021, Russia made up 45% of the EU's imported gas, costing €1 billion daily despite sanctions. While energy markets will remain very tight, Europe must effectively diversify supplies from its current main supplier (Russia) and look for new solutions to mee ...
Posted on 08/03/22
Shell Buys Russian Oil at Bargain Price
Western refiners and petrochemical plants depend on Russian oil, requiring the US and its allies to exclude energy from the sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Still, refiners are struggling to get funding and ships to export Russian oil, causing them to cut back production and a backup in Russia’ ...
Posted on 06/03/22
Applications Open for Russian Citizens to Become United Nations Volunteers
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program is an opportunity for Russian citizens to help the UN address the challenges of sustainable development and global peace. Volunteers serve for one year in UN programs and projects in various countries and act as agents of sustainable transition in various professional fields ...
Posted on 05/03/22