Insights Blog

The Rwizi River in Western Uganda livelihoods for thousands of people who live along its banks: water for drinking and sanitation, plants and animals for harvesting and hunting, and mud and sand for construction. However, climate change and over-exploitation have left the river badly damaged and at risk of drying up completely. The government has introduced new rules to protect the river and those who depend on it, but many people have no choice but to break these laws in order to earn a living.

From 27-28 November 2018, the GGKP's Sixth Annual Conference will be held in conjunction with the OECD's 2018 Green Growth and Sustainable Development Forum (GGSD) on the theme of "Inclusive solutions for the green transition: Competitiveness, jobs/skills and social dimensions" in Paris, France. Ulrike Kornek will present her paper, Is prioritization possible? Experts’ perceptions of obstacles and responses to staying below 2°C in Session J: Perceptions of Green Growth Policies.

Nicholas Howarth presented his paper Growth Through Diversification and Energy Efficiency: Energy Productivity in Saudi Arabia at the GGKP's Sixth Annual Conference, which focused on the theme of "Inclusive solutions for the green transition: Competitiveness, jobs/skills and social dimensions". Nicholas Howarth leads research on energy productivity at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC).

Dr. Christina Wong, Fulbright Senior Scholar at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, presented her paper The Social and Environmental Dimensions of China’s Spatial Planning System at the GGKP's Sixth Annual Conference, held in conjunction with the OECD's 2018 Green Growth and Sustainable Development Forum (GGSD) on the theme of "Inclusive solutions for the green transition: Competitiveness, jobs/skills and social dimensions" on 27-28 November 2018 in Paris, France.

Economists agree that significant, comprehensive carbon pricing schemes are the best way to ensure consistent financial incentives for reducing emissions across all sectors. Why, then, do we see so few countries employing them to green their industries? Professor Carolyn Fischer provided this piece in the context of the GGKP's Sixth Annual Conference on the theme of "Inclusive solutions for the green transition: Competitiveness, jobs/skills and social dimensions".

"We need to rethink green marketing strategies," says Simon Kuper, author and columnist at the Financial Times. Simon provided this piece in the context of the GGKP's Sixth Annual Conference on the theme of "Inclusive solutions for the green transition: Competitiveness, jobs/skills and social dimensions", which took place on 27-28 November 2018 in Paris, France.

It is critically important we monitor societal progress and design responsive policies to 21s- century challenges, such as climate change, the marginalization of more than a billion people, resource depletion and emerging pollution-driven health crises.

Faced with climate change and environmental degradation many cities are turning to Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) solutions to enhance climate resilience as well as restore the health of ecosystems. BGI is a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas, ranging in size from rain gardens right up to green streets, that are designed and managed to deliver a wide range of environmental, economic, and social benefits including improved water quality.

Tobias Kruse presented his paper How does going green affect firms’ profitability and valuation? Evidence from a global firm level dataset at the Sixth GGKP Annual Conference on the theme of "Inclusive solutions for the green transition: Competitiveness, jobs/skills and social dimensions", which took place on 27-28 November 2018 in Paris, France.

What are the most important environmental challenges in the Arab world, and how can the necessary programs be funded? Najib Saab, Secretary-General of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development, discusses ways forward in the Arab context and presents a new AFED report on Financing Sustainable Development in Arab Countries.