At COP 28 in Dubai, the Finance Initiative of the United Nations Environment Program and the International Labour Organization released a new report entitled Just Transition Finance: Pathways for Banking and Finance. Among other things, this guide for financial institutions to: “Tailor products to support place-based just transition priorities and invigorate local economies; promote investments…(Read more)
Tag: technology
Plastics Circularity Investment Tracker Identifies $160B in Private Investments
In early November 2023, The Circulate Initiative, a US non-profit, published the key global findings of its Plastics Circularity Investment Tracker, an online tool for investors. For the period 2018-2023, the tracker identified 3,700 investment deals around the world and USD 160 B worth of investments in upstream and downstream products and services, including materials,…(Read more)
China-Singapore Green Finance Task Force
In climate finance for the global transition to clean energy, one of the most significant events of 2023 has been the establishment of the China-Singapore Green Finance Task Force. The group is chaired by Dr. Ma Jun, Chair of the China Green Finance Committee, and Ms. Gillian Tan, Assistant Managing Director and Chief Sustainability Officer…(Read more)
Renewables Save $.5B in Fuel Costs in 2022
A new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) finds that: “the renewable power added in 2022 reduced the fuel bill of the electricity sector worldwide. New capacity added since 2000 reduced the electricity sector fuel bill in 2022 by at least USD 520 billion.” IRENA’s Director-General, Francesco La Camera, said: “There is no…(Read more)
Asia-Pacific Consultation on Gender Equality in the Digital Age
The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women has released the report of its Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation on the theme of gender equality in the digital age. The consultation was convened by the UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and UN Women’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in…(Read more)
Using AI in Evaluation
At the blog of the American Evaluation Association, AEA 365, evaluation consultant Sylva Ferretti has contributed a two-part reflection on working with AI in evaluation, particularly ChatGPT. Overall, she finds this AI tool to be useful, additive, and even progressive in her practice in the field of international development and humanitarian assistance. ChatGPT is, especially, able…(Read more)
Opportunities and threats for US clean energy in 2023
Writing for Canary Media on January 2, 2023, Jeff St. John surveys the potential for and barriers to renewable energy growth in the United States, asking whether the Inflation Reduction Act can power the sector to overcome significant obstacles and achieve new levels of scale and capacity. Specifically, to what extent can the IRA reduce…(Read more)
US to Triple Climate Change Spending over the Next Ten Years
The World Economic Forum has underscored the significant commitment by the federal government in the United States to triple spending on climate change over the next ten years. Citing a new report by RMI, WEF notes that: “The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act include more than…(Read more)