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Efficient land governance has long been recognized as a major driver of sustainable and equitable development. Carried out effectively, it can enable us to address critical challenges such as those of climate change, urbanization, gender equality, and food security. But the technical complexity of land administration, together with institutional and political hurdles, often made…

Many emerging climate change risks are concentrated in urban areas. Urban areas hold more than half the world’s population and most of its built assets and economic activities. They also house a large proportion of the population and economic activities most at risk from climate change.Climate change impacts on cities are increasing. Key issues include rising temperatures, heat stress, water…

This paper explores options for including land use in a future (post-2020) climate change agreement as anticipated by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP). Options are considered with an eye toward reaching agreement under the ADP, keeping in mind the level of ambition of global efforts, and the need to…

The global share of renewable energy can reach as high as 36% by 2030 with technologies that are already available today as well as with improved energy efficiency and energy access. Going further than this will require thinking “outside the box”, with early retirement of conventional energy facilities, technology breakthroughs and consumer-driven societal change. The report summarised here,…

The gap between rich and poor has widened not only in developing countries and emerging economies, but also in developed countries, and even in traditionally egalitarian nations. In other words, the reason for inequality has regional and national as well as historical, policy and institutional origins. Inequality has been growing for decades, but this trend has intensified in the beginning…

Cities are either helpful or unhelpful in achieving sustainable development. As we declared in the 2012 Manifesto for Cities and further reiterate here: “the battle for a more sustainable future will be won or lost in cities.” How we plan, build, and manage our cities now will determine the outcome of our efforts to achieve a sustainable and harmonious development tomorrow. Well- planned cities…