Vested interests and trade policy reforms

TRADE, SOCIETIES AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - SUSTRA NETWORKVested Interests and Trade Policy Reforms, Policy Brief Paper (2004). Produced for the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD). The SUSTRA network is financed by the 5th European Union framework programme

Global assessment Chapter 6: Options for decision makers

In recent decades, the extent and scope of societal responses to environmental problems, including biodiversity decline, have been extensive and diverse. The outcomes, however, have been mixed across sectors and levels of governance, with limited success in reverting global trends and in addressing the root causes of degradation. Lessons and opportunities also abound, amid new challenges and scenarios. This chapter discusses opportunities and challenges for all decision makers to advance their efforts in meeting, synergistically, internationally agreed goals for sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. In doing so, the chapter builds on the analysis in the previous chapters, which have identified direct and indirect drivers of change, evaluated progress or lack of progress in achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and several environmental conventions, and assessed plausible scenarios and possible pathways

Why protect ancient woodland in the UK? Rethinking the ecosystem approach

Sites of ancient woodland in the United Kingdom (UK) are diminishing rapidly and the multi-functional forest management system with its fragmented approach fails effectively to protect such woodland. In the face of reports on the destruction of ancient woodland, the HS2 High-Speed train project in the UK signifies the extent of trade-offs among the key stakeholders. Such large infrastructure projects typically come with high environmental and social costs, including deforestation, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss, and social disruption. This article examines the protection of ancient woodland in the UK and assesses the challenges in applying the ecosystem approach, an internationally recognized sustainability strategy, in the context of such protection. A better understanding of the ecosystem approach to manage ancient woodland is critical for promoting sustainable forestry practices in the UK and informs the discussion in this article of the importance of conserving ancient woodland globally. Lessons learned from UK woodland policies and certification schemes include the need to have in place strong regulatory frameworks, introduce clear indicators, and recognize plur-alistic value systems alongside economic considerations. The article concludes that the protection of ancient woodland in the UK requires distinct and strong laws that reflect multiple values of this resource, acknowledge the trade-offs among stakeholders, and adopt an inclusive approach to reduce power asymmetries

UWE - Celebrating Bristol Green Capital 2015 activities catalogue

This catalogue showcases and celebrates examples of the work of the hundreds of UWE staff and students who contributed to Bristol Green Capital 2015

UWE Celebrating Bristol Green Capital 2015 - Activities portfolio (supporting document for UWE Celebrating Bristol Green Capital 2015 activities catalogue)

This Activities Portfolio details projects, events and initiatives which represent the work of hundreds of UWE staff and students during Bristol's year as European Green Capital in 2015. It is the working file to accompany the UWE Green Capital 2015 Activities Catalogue

The global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services: Summary for policy makers

This report represents a critical assessment, the first in almost 15 years (since the release of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in 2005) and the first ever carried out by an intergovernmental body, of the status and trends of the natural world, the social implications of these trends, their direct and indirect causes, and, importantly, the actions that can still be taken to ensure a better future for all. These complex links have been assessed using a simple, yet very inclusive framework that should resonate with a wide range of stakeholders, since it recognizes diverse world views, values and knowledge systems.Fil: Díaz, Sandra Myrna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Settele, Josef. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; AlemaniaFil: Brondízio, Eduardo. Indiana University; Estados UnidosFil: Ngo, Hien. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services; AlemaniaFil: Guèze, Maximilien. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services; AlemaniaFil: Agard, John. University of The West Indies; Trinidad y TobagoFil: Arneth, Almut. Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie; AlemaniaFil: Balvanera, Patricia. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Brauman, Kate. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Butchart, Stuart. University of Cambridge; Reino UnidoFil: Chan, Kai M. A.. University of British Columbia; CanadáFil: Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecologia y Desarrollo Rural. - Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecologia y Desarrollo Rural.; ArgentinaFil: Ichii, Kazuhito. Chiba University; JapónFil: Liu, Jianguo. Michigan State University; Estados UnidosFil: Subramanian, Suneetha. United Nations University; JapónFil: Midgley, Guy. Stellenbosch University; SudáfricaFil: Miloslavich, Patricia. Universidad Simon Bolivar.; VenezuelaFil: Molnár, Zsolt. Hungarian Academy of Sciences; HungríaFil: Obura, David. Coastal Oceans Research and Development Indian Ocean; KeniaFil: Pfaff, Alexander. University of Duke; Estados UnidosFil: Polasky, Stephen. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Purvis, Andy. Natural History Museum; Reino UnidoFil: Razzaque, Jona. University of the West of England; Reino UnidoFil: Reyers, Belinda. Stellenbosch University; SudáfricaFil: Roy Chowdhury, Rinku. Clark University; Estados UnidosFil: Shin, Yunne-Jai. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Visseren-Hamakers, Ingrid. Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen; Países BajosFil: Willis, Katherine. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Zayas, Cynthia. University of the Philippines; Filipina

Options for Decision Makers

First paragraph: The Sustainable Development Goals and the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity cannot be achieved without transformative change, the conditions for which can be put in place now (well established) {6.2; chapters 2, 3, 5}. In the short term (before 2030), all decision makers can contribute to the sustainability transformation, including through the rapid and improved deployment of existing policy instruments and new initiatives that more effectively enlist individual and collective action for transformative change, and the reform and removal of harmful existing policies and subsidies (well established). Additional measures are necessary to enable transformative change in the long term (up to 2050) to address the indirect drivers that are the root causes of nature deterioration (well established), including changes in social, economic and technological structures within and across nations {6.2, 6.3, 6.4}.Additional co-authors: Esther Turnhout, Meryl Williams, Ivis Chan, Alvaro Fernandez-Llamazares, Michelle Lim, Saleem Ali, Susan Baker, Andrew Balmford, David N. Barton, Rupert Baumgartner, Timothy Baynes, Abigail Bennett, Brent Bleys, P.M. van Bodegom, Sara Brogaard, Mireille Chiroleu Assouline, Jennifer Clapp, Neil Craik, Maylis Desrousseaux, Rui Ferrero dos Santos, Doris Fuchs, Toby Gardner, Alexandros Gasparatos, Ariane Goetz, Jeroen B. Guinée, David Hall, Duncan Halley, Michael Howard, Caroline Howe, Cynthia Isenhour, Tim Jackson, Katia Karousakis, John Knox, Berit Köhler, Janne S. Kotiaho, William F. Laurance, Elodie Le Gal, Jin Leshan, Nengye Liu, Emanuele Lobina, Derk Loorbach, Martine Maron, Peter May, Timon McPhearson, Marieke Meesters, E. Migoni Alejandre, Daniel Miller, Angus Morrison-Saunders, Lila Nath Sharma, Barbara Norman, Ingeborg Palm Helland, Fabien Quétier, Jake Rice, Irene Ring, Denis Ruysschaert, Ronald Steenblik, William J. Sutherland, Jacqueline Tao, James Watson, Dara Zalesk