Image
A busy market in Lagos, Nigeria. Photo: ariyo olasunkanmi/Shutterstock.

Renewable energy is the only way to fuel African growth

Public-private partnerships are proving to be an effective way of solving Nigeria's energy supply crisis My country, Nigeria, will soon become the third most populous country in the world, reaching a forecast 400 million people in 2050. This demographic growth is happening at an incredible speed.…
Image
Tractor spraying pesticides on vegetable field with sprayer at spring. Photo: Fotokostic/Shutterstock.

Fixing the food system: how cities can truly feed the world

Urban areas can change the broken food system that causes ill-health and environmental degradation Over half of the world’s 7.7 billion people live in towns and cities. By 2050, more than two thirds of them will do so. Materials, waste, emissions, knowledge and influence follow this population…
Image
Aerial shot of Amazon rainforest in Brazil, South America. Photo: Gustavo Frazao/Shutterstock.

Exploiting rainforest riches while conserving them

Products that are sustainably harvested from the Amazon can form a powerful bioeconomy Climate change is coming to the global policy agenda, and damage to the world’s tropical rainforests is a key component of it. In my own country, Brazil, there is widespread concern about climate change linked to…
Image
Wheat field with sun. Photo: TTstudio/Shutterstock.

Why investors must look beyond returns

Profitability and sustainability can reinforce each other. Business should do well, do right and do good – and it pays When starting a business, founders grapple with its purpose – the reason for it to exist. This purpose has multiple dimensions, seldom one. These could include: developing goods…
Image
Man looking at piles of rubbish at a landfill. Photo: Comaniciu Dan/Shutterstock.

Going circular offers a great opportunity

Combating climate change and the throwaway economy could achieve a leap in prosperity In the past few months, I have heard Sir David Attenborough, and believe him when he says the next 10 years are make-or-break time for environmental stability on this planet. I have heard Greta Thunberg, and share…
Image
Indonesian farmers harvesting rice. Photo: happystock/Shutterstock.

Transforming the food system to feed tomorrow's world

Supporting sustainable rice production protects the global commons, increases farmers’ incomes and is good for our business The delicate ecosystem that allows our planet and its people to thrive is under pressure as never before. The UK Government recently became the first in the world to declare a…
Image
Our failure to act over the past decades means that we are increasingly accepting that a part of our climate disruption is irreversible, and looking at adapting to it. But this, of course, should not prevent us from setting targets to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to stop it getting worse. Photo: testing/Shutterstock.

Pricing carbon will help us better deal with climate change

Nearly 1,400 companies are adopting an internal carbon price so as to future-proof prosperity The impact of climate disruption is already visible worldwide: irreversible damage to the oceans, more floods and prolonged droughts, which are causing issues for food production. Methane explosions in…
Image
A new drive for cooperation is propelling civil society, labour leaders, company CEOs and some governments to join together to bind business, communities and policy makers into new forms of common environmental action. Photo: Humannet/Shutterstock

A new green revolution can fix our relationship with the Earth by 2030

Extraordinary collaboration is succeeding where national and international government action alone has so far failed For years, big environmental problems were for governments and international organisations to solve. But despite all their efforts the state of the global environmental commons has…
Image
Partnership model: some Japanese fishing communities benefited from responsible resourcing. Photo: Marco Scotto/Shutterstock.

We can turn the tragedy of the global commons into an opportunity

The global commons are being pushed to breaking point, so coalitions are forming to protect them and to build lasting prosperity My country, Japan, was long dependent on fishing. In the past, every fisherman in a coastal community would be tempted to catch as much as possible. When everyone did so…
Image
Aerial view of coastal area in Seychelles with turquoise water on left and beach on right. Photo: Jag_cz/Shutterstock.

From decline to recovery: a rescue package for the ocean

Our relationship with the ocean is at a crossroads. The decisions we take in the next five years will determine our future, our security, our very existence. They will make or break whole economies and dictate how and where we live. And there will be many more losers than winners should we ignore…

GEF Updates

Subscribe to our distribution list to receive the GEF Newsletter.

Sign up