Our Outer Space Future: Is There a Better Way Out?
On 2 January 2019, the People’s Republic of China successfully landed its Chang’e 4 probe on the far side of the moon. A historic achievement for China, but significant in what it implies for the future of outer space in
We Need To Talk About Toilets
Toilets are something we seldom think about, unless we’re in desperate need of one. It may sound funny, but toilets are the most overlooked human right. Every year, over 360,000 children die from preventable diseases caused by poor sanitation. In
Can Resilience Go Digital?
Disasters typically hit hardest at the most vulnerable populations among us. Such people often have the poorest access to information and the weakest tools to help them prepare or recover. In developing countries, this includes smallholder farmers, who face worsening
Forests: Our Hope for Reducing Climate Change
If you’ve seen recent headlines, you would think we are losing our first line of defence against climate change. According to the Economist, “The world is losing the war against climate change.” The Washington Post recently posited: “This is the
The International Agri-Food Network: Creating Opportunities for Farmers in Food Policy
This article is part of our Editorial Series called "GFAR impakters". This is done in partnership with GFAR - The Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation - For more follow on Twitter: #GFARImpakters or view here. The UN Committee on World
Why Water holds the key to sustainable development
Sustainable development is not possible without ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. As Sustainable Development Goal 6 states, access to WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) is a basic right, and persons with disabilities are
Beyond financing: getting private sector support for sustainable development right
SERIES TITLE: Pipe dream or achievable vision: How can we deliver on the 2030 Agenda? The 2030 Agenda foresees a bright future for humanity, one in which everyone enjoys peace and prosperity on a bountiful planet. But, with nationalism, populism and protectionism
Spreading the seeds of sustainable bioenergy
The Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) has produced a set of twenty-four indicators for the assessment and monitoring of bioenergy sustainability at the national level. The GBEP indicators are intended to inform policymakers about the environmental, social and economic sustainability aspects
Trump Watch: Beautiful, Clean Coal!
Coal, historically, is the dirtiest source of energy ever used. Yet, once again, this week-end, Trump tweeted that it was beautiful and clean: America is blessed with extraordinary energy abundance, including more than 250 years worth of beautiful clean coal. We
Trust or bust: The UN must put its house in order to attract finance for development
This article is the first of a series "Pipe dream or achievable vision: How can we deliver on the 2030 Agenda?" The 2030 Agenda foresees a bright future for humanity, one in which everyone enjoys peace and prosperity on a bountiful