Latest news with #17SustainableDevelopmentGoals
Hindustan Times
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Community-based solutions to the climate crisis
The international climate conventions have played a crucial role in forming a global alliance to combat the climate crisis. They assess the scientific, technical, and socioeconomic insights into climate change and pledge to reduce global temperature to 1.5 °C by 2030. Such international climate conventions contributed significantly to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To further strengthen the commitments made under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries convene each year at the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP). Climate crisis(Shutterstock) However, the progress achieved has raised doubts about the strength and effectiveness of climate leadership. Multiple climate crisis reports have highlighted that the global community repeatedly fails to deliver the comprehensive commitments necessary to address the crisis effectively. As a result, the world's most vulnerable regions, home to 3.3 to 3.6 billion people, face mortality rates from floods, droughts and storms that are up to 15 times higher than those in regions with low vulnerability. One critical component of global climate action is climate finance. Over the years, international financial pledges for climate action have steadily increased. In June 2024, the World Bank Group reached a historic high, delivering nearly $43 billion in climate finance. Meanwhile, the commitment by developed nations in 2002 to provide $100 billion annually to support developing countries was only achieved in 2022, a 13-year delay in reaching the promised target. Thus, a pertinent question arises whether alternative methods of combating the climate crisis exist. One such alternative can be found at the community level, where community-based adaptation is given significant importance. In times of delays and political uncertainty in climate financing, the local communities have mobilised their limited resources to the cause. Grassroots climate initiatives in India offer robust, community-driven solutions to the climate crisis. Locally led adaptation and mitigation span across various sectors, including agriculture, water conservation, renewable energy, ecosystem restoration, and livelihoods. In Telangana, the Deccan Development Society is a traditional organisation that adopts traditional farming using organic methods in dryland regions. Far from industrial agriculture, it is based on local seeds to establish food and nutritional sovereignty, drought resilience and autonomy in seeds and the market. It empowers approximately 5,000 Dalit and indigenous small-scale women farmers. In Maharashtra, water-scarce villages like Hiware Bazar have transformed themselves through watershed development systems. These villages rely on rain-fed farming and often face migration due to limited employment opportunities. Hiware Bazar implemented the Adarsh Gram Yojana with the support of NGOs and government schemes. With effective watershed development and strong community participation, the village saw a rise in groundwater levels. Farming methods improved, more jobs were created, the environment became healthier, and the society grew stronger. These changes helped the village become sustainable and independent. In Ralegan Siddhi village in the state, the introduction of pani panchayats as village-level water governance bodies ensured equitable water distribution and collective decision-making. The system has improved crop yields, led to a rise in rural incomes, and facilitated social reforms, including the prohibition of alcohol, education, and the empowerment of women. Another ecosystem restoration initiative was the Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) in Alwar district in Rajasthan. It was a community-led intervention to revive traditional water storage tanks. Through community-led planning and management, over 10,000 johads, traditional rainwater harvesting tanks, were constructed. These structures benefited nearly 750 villages and significantly reduced their vulnerability to drought. They underscored the significance of holistic development and creating employment opportunities for marginalised communities. The achievements of TBS earned national recognition and established it as a global model for community-led water conservation. In terms of forest governance, the Van Panchayat system of Uttarakhand stands as a pioneering model of community-based forest governance in India. Emerging from local resistance to British colonial forest control, it was institutionalised through the Van Panchayat Act of 1931. These locally elected councils manage common forests by formulating rules, protecting forest resources, regulating the use of timber and non-timber products, and retaining the revenues generated from these activities. The system ensures inclusive community participation, involving women and marginalised groups, and showcases the social, ecological, and economic viability of locally governed forest management. The Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), a collective of over two million women working in India's informal sector, serves as a compelling model for integrating gender empowerment and climate resilience effectively. In Gujarat's salt-producing regions, where women toil under harsh and resource-scarce conditions, SEWA has introduced solar-powered pump systems to replace polluting diesel generators. This shift has significantly lowered operational costs, reduced carbon emissions, and enhanced both productivity and earnings for the women. Complementing these energy transitions, SEWA has implemented climate-responsive initiatives such as rainwater harvesting and community-managed water systems, enabling women in drought-prone areas to secure reliable access to water for both household and agricultural needs. International climate conventions are crucial for global coordination and cooperation. However, they are often slow, costly and suffer from delayed implementation. On the other hand, alternative approaches based on local empowerment and equity offer cost-effective and innovative solutions to climate crisis-related problems. It thus shows that a combination of community participation and political will at local levels can yield more direct and localised results. These bottom-up approaches should be strengthened to achieve real, just, and lasting climate solutions. It also suggests that the global climate action should incorporate these locally grounded initiatives into its climate action approach. This article is authored by Mehdi Hussain, former research associate, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
Scoop
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Home Is Where The Heart Is – And Where Development Begins
23 July 2025 Mathare, one of the country's largest slums, houses upwards of 500,000 people in five square kilometres, cramming them together and storing the human waste they produce in uncovered rivulets. But, when he recounted the visit later to UN News, this was not the image that stuck with him the most. What he remembered most clearly was a group of boys and girls, dressed in navy blue school uniforms – the girls in skirts and the boys in pants, both with miniature ties underneath their vests – surrounded by squawking chickens and human waste. There was no formal or UNICEF-funded school nearby. But, the Mathare community had come together to create a school where their children might just have the chance to break an intergenerational cycle of poverty and invisibility. 'That was a message for me that development should be localised. There is something happening at the community [level],' said Mr. Jobin. Globally, over one billion people live in overcrowded slums or informal settlements with inadequate housing, making this one of the largest development issues worldwide, but also one of the most underrecognised. 'The first place where opportunity begins or is denied is not an office building or a school. It is in our homes,' UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a high-level meeting of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Tuesday. A litmus test Mr. Jobin was one of the experts taking part in the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development at UN Headquarters in New York this month to discuss progress – or lack thereof – towards the globally agreed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One of the goals aspires to create sustainable cities and communities. However, with close to three billion people facing an affordable housing crisis, this goal remains unrealised. 'Housing has become a litmus test of our social contract and a powerful measure of whether development is genuinely reaching people or quietly bypassing them,' said Rola Dashti, Under-Secretary-General for the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Housing as a mirror for inequalities With over 300 million unhoused people worldwide, sometimes it is easy to forget about the one billion people who are housed inadequately. These people, who populate informal settlements and slums, live in unstable dwellings and in communities where few services are provided. 'Housing reflects the inequalities shaping people's daily lives. It signals who has access to stability, security and opportunity and who does not,' said Ms. Dashti. Children living in slums or informal settlements are up to three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday. They are also 45 per cent more stunted than their peers as a result of poor nutrition. Women and girls are more likely to experience gender-based violence. And human trafficking and child exploitation are also more prevalent. An intergenerational invisibility People in informal settlements are often not a part of the national census, according to Mr. Jobin, meaning that they are not taken into consideration in policies, social programmes or budgets. Even if they were given social protections, these settlements rarely have addresses at which families could receive cash transfers. This is why experts often say that the people living in informal settlements and slums are invisible in official data and programmes. 'You're born from an invisible family, so you become invisible,' Mr. Jobin said. 'You don't exist. You're not reflected in policies or budgeting.' This invisibility makes it almost impossible to escape poverty. 'You become a prisoner of a vicious circle that entertains itself and then you reproduce yourself to your kid,' he said, referring to an inescapable cycle of deprivation. The urban paradox More and more people are migrating into urban centres, leading to the growth of these informal settlements. With their growth comes more urgency to address the issues. The World Bank estimates that 1.2 million people each week move to cities, often seeking the opportunities and resources that they offer. But, millions of people are never able to benefit, instead becoming forgotten endnotes in an urban paradox that portrays urban wealth as a protection against poverty. By 2050, the number of people living in informal settlements is expected to triple to three billion, one third of whom will be children. Over 90 per cent of this growth will occur in Asia and Africa. 'These statistics are not just numbers; they represent families, they represent workers and entire communities being left behind,' said Anacláudia Rossbach, Under-Secretary-General of UN Habitat, which is working to make cities more sustainable. Housing as a human right It is not just national and local governments which struggle to contend with informal settlements. Organizations like UNICEF are also 'blind', Mr. Jobin said, regarding the scope of problems in informal settlements. Development partners face twin issues in designing interventions. There is not enough national data and informal governance, or slum lords, can be more critical for coordinating programs than traditional governmental partners. 'We know the issue, but somehow we have not really been able to intervene,' he said. Ms. Mohammed emphasised that 'we need to begin to see adequate and affordable housing as more than just a result of development; it is the foundation upon which all other development must rest." 'Housing is not simply about a roof over one's head. It's a fundamental human right and the foundation upon which peace and stability itself rests.'
UPI
22-07-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Trump administration pulling United States out of UNESCO
President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Friday. The Trump administration pulled the United States out of UNESCO Tuesday. Photo by Francis Chung/UPI | License Photo July 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department announced Tuesday that the United States has decided to exit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The Trump administration informed UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay of the decision as the State Department stated in a press release that "continued involvement in UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States." The release charged that "UNESCO works to advance divisive social and cultural causes and maintains an outsized focus on the [United Nation's] Sustainable Development Goals, a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy." The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all U.N. member states in 2015, and is based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals, described by the U.N. as "an urgent call for action by all countries" to partner in a relationship in recognition "that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth, all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests." The release also cites UNESCO's decision "to admit the 'State of Palestine' as a member state," which it considers "highly problematic," and has "contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization." White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly announced on X Tuesday that "President Trump has decided to withdraw from UNESCO, which supports woke, divisive cultural and social causes." "Like many U.N. organizations, UNESCO strayed from its founding mission. Going forward, U.S. participation in international organizations must make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce posted to X Tuesday. Azoulay criticized the U.S. withdrawal in a statement. "This decision contradicts the fundamental principles of multilateralism, and may affect first and foremost our many partners in the United States of America," said Azoulay. In regard to the State Department's insinuation of anti-Israel rhetoric, she said such claims "contradict the reality of UNESCO's efforts, particularly in the field of Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism." Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar endorsed the withdrawal in a social media post Tuesday, calling it "a necessary step, designed to promote justice and Israel's right for fair treatment in the U.N. system, a right which has often been trampled due to politicization in this arena." Both Israel and the United States withdrew from UNESCO in 2019 under the first Trump administration, but the United States rejoined under former President Biden. UNESCO also received international support despite the American exit. French President Emmanuel Macron posted to X Tuesday in which he called the organization "a universal guardian of science, the ocean, education, culture, and world heritage." "The withdrawal of the United States will not weaken our commitment alongside those who lead this fight," he added. As per the UNESCO Constitution, the United States will remain a full member until the end of 2026. Azoulay said in her statement that "the United States of America is and will always be welcome."
Korea Herald
01-07-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Ultima Markets Unveils First Sustainability Academy in the CFD Industry
SINGAPORE, July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- has launched the first sustainability academy in the CFD industry, setting a key milestone within the financial services sector. Developed by the Ultima Impact Foundation, the educational initiative reflects the broker's belief that real progress begins with providing access to knowledge, from the experts to everyone. The sustainability academy features a curated series of short video lessons led by professors from globally respected universities, and top scientists working in some of the most influential organisations in the climate space. Drawing from their years of work in climate risk, natural capital, nature-based solutions and sustainable finance, every lesson distills complex ideas into simple, actionable messages. While much of this content is typically only available in graduate classes, Ultima Impact has chosen to make this content freely available to all, through a dedicated learning section on its website. The foundation hopes this will allow anyone to have the opportunity to better understand these global challenges. "Sustainability can feel complex and difficult to grasp, especially for those who are just starting to learn about it. Our goal with the academy is to demystify these topics and make them more approachable and relatable to everyone," said Jean Philippe, Director of the Ultima Impact Foundation. "These highly respected scientists and professors carry with them a huge wealth of knowledge, but too often their ideas remain within university walls. We wanted to bring their ideas out into the open, to connect academia with the public in a meaningful manner, thereby inspiring more people to engage, learn and take part in the global sustainability conversation." This initiative was created as part of Ultima Markets' broader sustainability agenda. As the first CFD broker to join the United Nations Global Compact, the company aligns its operations with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals, using education and accessibility as tools to advance meaningful global progress. By ensuring the academy is open to everyone everywhere, we hope to create greater awareness and build a future for all," he concludes. About Ultima Markets Ultima Markets is a licensed multi-asset broker offering access to over 250 CFD instruments, including Forex, Commodities, Indices and Shares. The platform serves traders in over 170 countries and regions, with a focus on reliable execution and client-first service. Ultima Markets has earned multiple accolades including the Most Advanced Multi-Asset Trading Platform Europe 2025 from Gazet International and the Best Educational Trading Hub Brokerage Global 2025 from Global Business and Finance Magazine. As the first CFD broker to join the United Nations Global Compact, it champions sustainability and ethical finance. Ultima Markets is a member of The Financial Commission and offers eligible clients insurance protection up to US$1,000,000 per account via Willis Towers Watson. About Ultima Impact Foundation Ultima Impact Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation established to lead Ultima Markets' long-term commitment to sustainability and social impact. Rooted in the belief that business can be a force for good, the Foundation bridges purpose and impact to create measurable, lasting change for individuals, communities and the planet. Its initiatives span ecological restoration, biodiversity, climate resilience, education, innovation and community development. The Foundation works hand-in-hand with partners on the ground, guided by strong governance and driven by a vision for sustainable, inclusive impact.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
‘We all can contribute towards achieving goals through sustainable consumption'
1 2 A Ranchi-based social development professional and founder of a non-profit organisation, Citizens' Foundation, Ganesh Reddy, has been recently elected as the secretary of the UN Global Compact Network, India's (UNGCNI) governing council 2025–27. While speaking to Dhrubajyoti Malakar, Reddy shares his vision and plans for Jharkhand and the country at large on sustainable development. First of all, congratulations to you for assuming the coveted post. How are you feeling about it? Thank you. It feels good to receive such acknowledgements. It also brings a renewed sense of responsibility towards the field I have been associated with and a motivation to do good work for society. Tell us about UNGCNI. Global Compact Network India is one of the United Nations agencies like UNICEF, UNDP, and UNESCO, etc. It was established in India in 2000. UN Global Compact Network is the largest organisation engaged in corporate sustainability across the globe. And in India as well, it is the largest organisation engaged with different corporates, PSUs, and NGOs. UNGCNI does advocacy to promote the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), also runs various pilot projects to promote SDGs under CSRs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain Knee pain | search ads Find Now Undo How do you assess India or Jharkhand's performance in particular, in achieving the SDGs? We are not in a very good state as of now, and there are lots of work to be done. Reasons to the setback is many including investment crunches, not adopting to sustainable development practices in development projects, lack of coordination among departments to adhere to the SDGs, among others. To achieve the goals, not only the govts but the citizens also have to start acting responsibly. What are your visions and plans to address the shortcomings after assuming the post? We are focusing on engaging with more stakeholders in coming days. Our stakeholders are the state govts, union govts, corporate and PSUs. We are also planning to establish four or five regional hubs across the country to ensure better coordination, capacity building with the states. We are also planning to form goal-based sub committees for better monitoring on implementation of the SDGs. Apart from this, UNGCNI is going to target more MSMEs for strengthening our partnerships. How do you think your association with UNGCNI is going to benefit Jharkhand? As I said, we are focusing on building partnerships with various entities and sensitising them more on adhering to the SDGs, which will prove to be beneficial for Jharkhand and the country as well. How can commoners contribute to achieving the SDGs? We all can contribute towards achieving the goals through responsible consumption. Natural resources are limited, we have to make sure how responsibly we consume. For example, while taking a bath, if we use a bucket instead of a shower, we will be able to lower the burden on the planet to a great extent.
