A good life for all within planetary boundaries
Humanity faces the challenge of how to achieve a high quality of life for over 7 billion people without destabilizing critical planetary processes. Using indicators designed to measure a ‘safe … Continue reading
Scientific data and its limits: rethinking the use of evidence in local climate change policy
Climate policy is typically seen as informed by scientific evidence that anthropogenic carbon emissions require reducing in order to avoid dangerous consequences. However, agreement on these matters has not translated … Continue reading
Do we need a new economics for sustainable development?
Neoclassical theory at the micro and macro levels has influenced thinking patterns in a period when development has become unsustainable in many ways. Climate change is one example, loss of … Continue reading
Environmental Injustice across Transnational Borders
Alexa Dietrich co-launches the “Just Environments” series by reflecting on the environmental challenges faced by transnational communities—in this case, families that live on opposite sides of the US-Mexico border, whose … Continue reading
Don’t call me resilient again!
The Habitat III Conference’s New Urban Agenda hails a “paradigm shift” for pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the new call for “safe, resilient, sustainable and inclusive cities” remains … Continue reading
Getting international climate finance to the local level
With the rapid ratification of the Paris Agreement, international climate funds will be important in scaling-up developing countries climate action. Evidence shows climate finance reaching the local level – as … Continue reading
Urban resilience efforts must consider social and political forces
The social and political norms, values, rules, and relationships that undergird and structure the myriad decisions made by public and private actors—what we call “socio-political infrastructure”—are likely to be as … Continue reading
Deadline 2020: How cities will get the job done
The report provides an analysis of the contribution that the 84 global C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) cities need to make to convert the agreement from aspiration into reality. … Continue reading
Boost resilience of small and mid-sized cities
Smaller settlements are growing faster than megacities — and they need more protection from extreme events. In our view, the central focus of Habitat III should be on small and … Continue reading
