This report provides a comprehensive overview of the renewable energy market, industry, investment and policy developments worldwide. It covers recent developments, current status, and key trends; by design, it does not provide analysis or forecast. Prepared by REN21, a global renewable energy policy multi-stakeholder network, the report relies on up-to-date renewable energy data, provided by an international network of more than 500 contributors, researchers, and authors. This report, covering the year 2013, focuses on:
- Expansion of supporting policies in developing economies;
- Additions to electricity generating capacity;
- Progress made in renewables heating and cooling;
- Shifts in investments;
- Leaders in renewable energy deployment; and
- Evolution of the renewable energy field in the last decade.
The report is designed to provide information to governments, business, academia and the public about the impact of climate change on the Arab countries, and encourage concrete action to face the challenge. The report analyzes the Arab response to the urgent need for adaptation measures, and uses the latest research findings to describe the vulnerabilities of natural and human systems in the Arab world to climate change and the impacts on different sectors. In an attempt to help shape adequate policies, the report discusses options for a post-Kyoto regime and outlines the state of international negotiations in this regard.
This report is designed to contribute to the discourse on the sustainable management of water resources in the Arab world and provides critical understanding of water in the region without being overly technical or academic in the nature. The unifying theme is presenting reforms in policies and management to develop a sustainable water sector in Arab countries. Case studies, with stories of successes and failures, are highlighted to disseminate learning. The report contributes to the ongoing dialogue on the future of water and catalyses institutional reforms leading to determined action for sustainable water policies in Arab countries.
The environmental and health sciences have brought important insights into the connection of environmental pressures and ecosystem damages. Well-known assessments show that habitat change, the overexploitation of renewable resources, climate change, and particulate matter emissions are amongst the most important environmental problems. Biodiversity losses and ill health have been estimated and evaluated.
This report focuses not on the effects of environmental pressure, but on its causes. It describes pressures as resulting from economic activities. These activities are pursued for a purpose, to satisfy consumption. Environmental pressures are commonly tied to the extraction and transformation of materials and energy. This report investigates the production-materials-consumption nexus.