The Green Wave Gazette - A round-up of recent sustainabilty news and events around the globe by Synergy International.

Welcome!

This series will explore and provide source material on the international treaties and legal regimes that form the foundation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on SDG 14: Life Below Water.

This time we focused on SDG 15 - life on land!

Can Pollution Markets Work in Developing Countries?

At Synergy International, we're always exploring innovative solutions to tackle climate change and achieve NetZero emissions.

An important study by Michael Greenstone, Rohini Pande, Nicholas Ryan, and Anant Sudarshan—"Can Pollution Markets Work in Developing Countries? Experimental Evidence from India"—provides compelling evidence on the efficacy of market-based mechanisms in reducing carbon emissions, even in some of the world's most challenging urban areas. Read more...

New Analysis Reveals Countries are Falling Short on Nature Pledges Ahead of CBD COP16

Such a step up in framework should ensure that national biodiversity plans are no longer voluntary but binding, accompanied by financial incentives for countries that meet the new standards.

We can all applaud the momentum established by National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) during the UN Biodiversity Summit in 2024, with over 200 countries having signed up to the voluntary reporting action plan. Read more...

China’s accelerating green transition

China’s green energy revolution is the closest thing the world has to a result adequate to forestall climate change. While Europe and the U.S. struggle with insufficient investment and over regulation, China has surged ahead through aggressive industrial policy that has driven its renewable energy dominance. Whether it's solar, wind, electric vehicles or electrolyzers, China must be appreciated and acknowledged as the leading powerhouse.

From a Western perspective, it’s easy to excuse ourselves, thinking that multi-country democracies require a level of consensus building that includes those political leaders and members of our societies opposed to climate action. And there are plenty of such politicos and citizens! But China deserves recognition for the sheer scale of its public investments and its ability to galvanise private sector innovation. The result? Read more...

PRI in Person 2024

PRI in Person provides a unique platform for PRI signatories and other responsible investment leaders and professionals to learn, engage and collaborate with their peers around the globe. The 2024 conference will welcome up to 2,000 delegates in Toronto  and offer six streams of action-oriented content tailored for delegates at every stage of responsible investment. Expert speakers across the investment ecosystem will showcase industry-leading responsible investment practices and debate the impact of emerging ESG issues and global trends within rapidly evolving policy and regulatory landscapes.

8th - 10th October, Sydney, Australia

Global Nature Positive Summit 2024

The 2021 State of the Environment Report found a need for a significant investment in conservation and restoration to reverse the decline in Australia’s natural environment. This task will take collective action, across government, individual landholders, and voluntary private sector investment. The Global Nature Positive Summit aims to boost private sector investment to protect and repair our environment.

21st October - 1st November, Cali, Colombia

COP 16

COP 16 will be the first Biodiversity COP since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15. Financial institutions can join the Finance for Biodiversity delegation as a signatory of the FfB Pledge and/or as a member of the FfB Foundation!

11 November - 22 November, Baku, Azerbaijan

COP 29

The Government of Azerbaijan will host the 29th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 29), with a view to building on previous successes and paving the way for future ambition to effectively tackle the global challenge of climate change.