Environment and Sustainable Development

Perspectives on Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development, January 2014

Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals: Perspectives of the South Centre

  • Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development

The United Nations’ Post-2015 Development Agenda should not simply extend MDGs, or reformulate the goals, but focus instead on global systemic reforms to remove main impediments to development and secure an accommodating international environment for sustainable development. (more…)

Climate Policy Brief 12, November 2013

Integrating a Gender Perspective in Climate Change, Development Policy and the UNFCCC

This policy brief discusses the opportunities, challenges and constraints for integrating a gender perspective into global climate change policy as well as the current effort of gender mainstreaming in the UNFCCC. The brief is a companion piece to a previous note that explored the nature, content and implications of the Gender Decision made at COP 18, Doha, 2012. (more…)

SouthViews No. 72, 24 July 2013

G77 on Food and Agriculture: Subsidies of Rich Countries and Commodity Speculation Must Be Curbed

The G77 and China made a statement on SDGs and food security and sustainable agriculture as well as health, stressing the need for developed countries to cut rich countries’ agriculture subsidies and for curbing speculation in commodity markets that result in price volatility. Many developing countries that were self sufficient in or exporters of food now depend on imports. Below are excerpts of the statement presented by Ambassador Peter Thomson of Fiji, Chair of the G77 and China, on behalf of the Group, at the third session of the UN working group on SDGs, on 22 May 2013.

(more…)

SouthViews No. 71, 23 July 2013

G77 on SDGs and Poverty Eradication

The G77 has stressed that efforts to eradicate poverty at national level have to be supported by global trade and investment rules to address developing countries’ constraints and marginalization as well as reform of the international financial institutions. Below are extracts of the G77 and China statement at the open working group on SDGs on 19 April, presented by Fiji’s deputy permanent representative Mr. Luke Daunivalu.

(more…)

SouthViews No. 70, 19 July 2013

G77: Each SDG Must Include International Dimension

Below is the statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China by its Chairman, Ambassador Peter Thomson of Fiji, at the second session of the General Assembly Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (New York, 17 April 2013).

(more…)

SouthViews No. 69, 18 July 2013

SDGs: Food security and sustainable agriculture

The attainment of food security and the move towards sustainable agriculture, including increased food production in developing countries, are among the most important issues in the SDGs.

(more…)

SouthViews No. 68, 16 July 2013

SDGs: Poverty Eradication

This is a brief paper on conceptual aspects of poverty eradication as an issue for the SDGs.

In line with our overall approach to the SDGs, the issue of poverty eradication should have goals and targets for countries but also for the international dimension, which includes the Global Partnership for Development (that involves policies relating to global macro-economics, debt, trade, finance, and access to technology) and the means of implementation (i.e. finance and technology for developing countries).

(more…)

SouthViews No. 67, 15 July 2013

SDGs: Overall Conceptual FrameworkDevelopment

This paper of the South Centre on the overall concept of the SDGs was presented by its Executive Director Martin Khor during the expert panel at the opening day of the first session of the UN’s open working group on SDGs held in the General Assembly hall on 14 March 2013. It had also been presented to a meeting of the G77 and China in New York as part of its preparation for the meetings of the UN working group on SDGs.

(more…)

SouthViews No. 66, 12 July 2013

Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development

By Yılmaz Akyüz

The United Nations’ Post-2015 Development Agenda should not simply extend MDGs, or reformulate the goals, but focus instead on global systemic reforms to remove main impediments to development and secure an accommodating international environment for sustainable development. This is a big, ambitious agenda which cannot be acted on overnight. An action plan for systemic reforms could be supplemented, but not substituted, by specific goals in some areas of economic and social development. This paper was presented to a brainstorming workshop of the G77 and China held in the UN in New York in February.

(more…)

SouthViews No. 62, 7 June 2013

Solar trade wars threaten the fight against climate change

By Martin Khor

Amidst the gloomy news in the deteriorating climate change situation, is this bright spark — the cost of solar energy has been going down dramatically.

(more…)

Climate Policy Brief 11, April 2013

Climate Change Financing Requirements of Developing Countries

1. Introduction

This paper surveys the existing literature on the climate change financing requirements of developing countries in the two UNFCCC categories of mitigation and adaptation. The reported estimates are based on the current state of play in estimation exercises. (more…)

Climate Policy Brief 10, February 2013

Overview of the Results of UNFCCC COP18/CMP8

I. INTRODUCTION

This overview outlines in summary form the main results of the negotiations during the 18th Conference of the Parties (COP18) and the 8th COP Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP8) that took place in Doha, Qatar, from 27 November to 8 December 2012.

(more…)