How local governments can lead the biodiversity movement: New ICLEI Global Ambassador for Local Biodiversity will shine a spotlight on local action

Over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods while 1.6 billion people, including 70 million indigenous people, depend on forests for their livelihood. Nature underpins our very existence and livelihoods and is integral to the effective functioning and well-being of urban communities. The decline of the natural world, due to 

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Asian cities act on biodiversity on the road to 2020

In the last decade, the campus of Peking University in Beijing has recorded sightings of over 200 bird species – accounting for one seventh of all bird species in China. Cities are home to extraordinary amounts of animal and plant biological diversity. As cities work to develop comprehensive approaches to protecting these natural resources, the 

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Stockholm Pursues Climate Holy Grail: a Fossil Fuel-Free Future — Part 5: New Eco-Districts

How virtually all of Stockholm’s clean energy and sustainability measures have been deployed to create two of the city’s most remarkable eco-districts. By John J. Berger, PhD, an energy and environmental policy specialist based in the San Francisco Bay Area.   Hammarby Sjöstad and Stockholm Royal Seaport Stockholm Royal Seaport is known in the city as 

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An aerial view of the Royal Palace in Stockholm

Stockholm pursues climate holy grail: a fossil fuel-free future — Part 4: Transforming transportation

By John J. Berger, PhD, an energy and environmental policy specialist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. To achieve its paramount goal of being fossil-fuel free in 2050, Stockholm will need to eliminate about two million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by then—a drop of over 80 percent. Fortunately, Stockholm’s efforts are occurring in a 

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9 cities that lead on nature-based development

The health of natural ecosystems is crucial to the health of cities and urban populations. From essential services like water purification, flood control and climate regulation to a range of physical and mental health benefits, societies thrive by building a strong connection to nature. Biodiversity loss and ecosystem changes are a reality in our urban 

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Stockholm Pursues Climate Holy Grail: a Fossil Fuel-Free Future — Part 3: Clean Heat

By John J. Berger, PhD, an energy and environmental policy specialist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, who is currently working on a new book on resolving the climate crisis. — Early Climate Efforts STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—How did Stockholm’s energy transition begin? To properly answer that question, I went to talk with Gustaf Landahl, the head 

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Stockholm pursues climate holy grail: A fossil-fuel-free future — Part 2: Stubborn emissions

By John J. Berger, PhD, an energy and environmental policy specialist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, who is currently working on a new book on resolving the climate crisis. — STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—Stockholm is aligned with the Swedish government in its belief that climate change is one of the world’s greatest challenges. Sweden’s parliament, prompted 

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Lessons in sustainability from India’s past: Water, water everywhere?

India currently ranks second worldwide in farm output. The country has a total arable land area of 159.7 million hectares and 82.6 million hectares of irrigated crops. Agriculture dominates water use in the country, demanding 83 percent of available fresh sources. This puts tremendous strain on fresh water in India – a challenge set to 

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Plotting a new course: Towards external financing for nature-based solutions in cities

By Ingrid Coetzee, Senior Manager, Biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions, ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center (CBC) and Kobie Brand, Director of the CBC   The challenge of rapid urbanization The United Nations World Cities Report 2016, Urbanization and Development: Emerging Futures, predicts that by 2030 two-thirds of the world’s population will be living in cities. It further 

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Stockholm pursues climate holy grail: A fossil-fuel-free future — Part 1: Ambitious goals

By John J. Berger, PhD, an energy and environmental policy specialist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, who is currently working on a new book on resolving the climate crisis. — It’s been 20 years since Stockholm became the world’s first city to create a formal climate action plan. Back then, the city was producing 

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