United Nations

UN warns of rising levels of toxic brine as desalination plants meet growing water needs

UNU-INWEH, Hamilton Canada World’s ~16,000 desalination plants discharge 142 million cubic meters of brine daily — 50 percent more than previously estimated; Enough in a

READ MORE

Canada in the global water world: A UN analysis of capabilities

UN University – Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton, Canada Several avenues to elevate Canada’s role on the global water stage are recommended Hamilton,

READ MORE

Where the Water Is

UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton Canada (op-ed published by Project Syndicate)   Sustainable Development Goal 6 calls for universal access to clean water

READ MORE

World added far more solar than fossil fuel power generating capacity in 2017

UN Environment, Paris / Nairobi China leads with more than half of world’s new solar capacity; global solar investment jumps 18 percent to $160.8 billion;

READ MORE

Worsening worldwide land degradation now ‘critical,’ undermining well-being of 3.2 billion people

IPBES, Bonn 26 March,  2018 Main cause of species loss; driver of the migration of millions of people by 2050 In landmark 3-year assessment report,

READ MORE

IPBES: Biodiversity and nature’s contributions continue dangerous decline, scientists warn

IPBES, Bonn 23 March 2018 Human well-being at risk; Landmark reports highlight options to protect and restore nature and its vital contributions to people Biodiversity —

READ MORE

New EU ‘urban mining’ tools map valuable resources in e-waste, scrap vehicles, mine waste

Project ProSUM, Brussels Standardized, consolidated data helps to identify recovery potential of secondary raw materials worth € billions wasted annually Expert European organizations have united

READ MORE

World e-waste rises 8 percent by weight in 2 years as incomes rise, prices fall: UN

UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY, Bonn / INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION, Geneva / INTERNATIONAL SOLID WASTE ASSOCIATION, Vienna E-waste per capita rises 5 percent from 2014 to 2016;

READ MORE

UN-backed report: Record new renewable power capacity added worldwide at lower cost

UN Environment, Paris / Nairobi Global investment of $241.6 billion (excluding large hydro), 23 percent less than 2015, brought 138.5GW of new renewable power capacity

READ MORE

E-waste in East and Southeast Asia jumps 63 percent in 5 years

UN University, Sustainable Cycles Programme — Bonn, Germany Per capita consumption of gadgets, appliances, other products with a cord or battery, rising quickly with incomes; Report

READ MORE

Experts warn booming seaweed industry

United Nations University – Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton, Canada Beyond sushi wrap: Expanding number of valuable uses drives astonishing growth of seaweed

READ MORE

Galapagos: Wind turbines replace millions of liters of diesel since 2007, meet 30% of energy needs

Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership, Montreal World’s top utilities hand over project keys, chart path for Ecuador’s famously biodiverse archipelago to meet 70 percent of fast-rising

READ MORE

Powerful new global arena needed to confront coming water challenges, elite UN board warns

UN S-G’s Advisory Board, Water & Sanitation 18 Nov 2015 Blunt valedictory report from Secretary-General’s water and sanitation advisory board suggests routes to next generation world water

READ MORE

Vast energy value in human waste

United Nations University – Institute for Water, Environment and Health — Hamilton, Canada 3 Nov 2015 Safe, systematic collection of human waste in low-resource countries

READ MORE

Water problem hotspots demand effective new approaches to international cooperation

UN University – INWEH, Hamilton 1 Oct 2015   Importance of water cooperation grows as climate changes advance; Tajikistan Foreign Minister honored for water-related leadership

READ MORE

World loses trillions of dollars worth of nature’s benefits each year due to land degradation

UN University – INWEH, Hamilton, Canada 15-SEP-2015 To better inform the tradeoffs involved in land use choices around the world, experts have assessed the value

READ MORE

Investing ~3.5% GDP in science, technology, innovation: benchmark for sustainable development

UNSG’s Scientific Advisory Board Paris 9 July 2015 UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board calls for advisor, not observer seat for science at leaders’ policy-making table; recommends

READ MORE

Renewables re-energized: Green energy investments worldwide surge 17% to $270 billion in 2014

UN Environment Programme, Paris, Nairobi 31-Mar-2015 Driven by Solar and Wind, World Investments Reverse 2-year Dip, Brush Aside Challenge from Sharply Lower Oil Price; 103gw

READ MORE

Achieve international water goals to preempt looming conflicts born of desperation: UN

United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton CANADA 22-FEB-2015 Corruption, siphoning 30 percent of water sector funding, must end for world development

READ MORE

Vulnerability to dengue virus: UN University publishes 1st global maps

UN University INWEH (Institute for Water, Environment & Health ), Hamilton CANADA 23-DEC-2014 Large Parts Of Europe, South America Face Rising Vulnerability The first-ever maps of

READ MORE

Creating smarter cities to promote healthier people: new global science program debuts

United Nations University UNU International Institute for Global Health, Kuala Lumpur 9 Dec. 2014 ‘Science of Systems’ comes of age in pioneering interdisciplinary programme; Secretariat

READ MORE

Beyond infrastructure – New attitudes also needed to end open defecation: UN (World Toilet Day)

UN Water (Geneva / New York) One billion people don’t use toilets: 1 in 6 people in developing regions; New UN-Water GLAAS findings underscore critical gaps in

READ MORE