Climate Change was the Hot Topic at the World Economic Forum in Davos

Climate change was the dominant theme at and this year's World Economic Forum (WEF). Panel discussions covered a wide range of related topics and including global warming, ocean sustainability and biodiversity. Al Gore, David Attenborough and Jane Goodall were among the participants.

This year's Global Risk Assessment report released at the WEF in Davos revealed, yet again, that climate change and related phenomenon are among the greatest risks both in terms of impact and likelihood. The report surveys nearly 1,000 decision-makers (public sector, private sector, academia and civil society) who are asked to assess the risks facing the world.  Over a ten-year horizon, extreme weather and climate-change policy failures are seen as the gravest threats.

Women are the Key to a More Sustainable Future

The importance of women to the future of our species goes way beyond their procreative power.  Female leadership is better leadership and this augurs a better world.

Women's Day is an opportunity to advocate for true equality and to share the evidence revealing why women are the more sustainable sex. Empowering them is good for people, the planet and profits. If we want to move forward we need to unambiguously assign blame. Women's rights are human rights and men that deny these rights need to be called out.

G19 Leaves Trump Behind and Moves Forward on Climate Action

A recent G20 summit communiqué out of Hamburg Germany acknowledged the abdication of Trump but emphasized the global commitment to responsible climate action. Historically the G20 has made unanimous declarations but Trump's decision to quit the Paris Climate Agreement resulted in a break with this tradition. Despite the isolation of the US, the world's leading economic powers indicated that they remain serious about climate action. The summit was marked by riots and Trump was singled out as the preferred target of the protestors.

Trump was characteristically awkward at the summit and he appeared to have difficulty following the discussion at times. At one point Trump had to be diverted from his day-dreaming to turn around and pose for the cameras. Trump's only contribution was an initiative to help other countries burn fossil fuels more cleanly. This is rather ironic as the Paris Agreement seeks to end the burning of hydrocarbons.

Aussies Feeling the Heat of Global Warming

Australia continues its warming trend and scientists know that this is due to anthropogenic climate change. Even though carbon emissions were flat for the third straight year, 2016 was still the hottest year on record. Sixteen of the 17 hottest years on record have occurred since the dawn of the new millennium. According to the World Meteorological Association, 2016 was 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer on average than temperatures for the preindustrial Earth. That is only .3 degrees Celsius below the upper threshold limit of 1.5-degree-Celsius. Extreme heat is not just a source of discomfort it can be deadly. The Australian Climate Council says that more people have been killed by heat in the last century than any other natural disaster.

Protests are a Necessary and Appropriate Response to the Trump Administration

Donald Trump has augured protest unlike any that have gone before it. The level size and scope of these protests are unprecedented. They started while Trump was on the campaign trail and persist to this day. We have seen a massive protest on Inauguration Day January 20th and the Women's March that took place on January 21.

The electoral victory has spawned an unprecedented movement. Protest is important and never more than in the dark times heralded by Trump's win in November.  The reasons to protest are numerous and include the numerous swipes Trump and Republicans have taken on climate action and environmental protections.

The Importance and the Power of Protest: Why We Must Stand Up to Trump

The need for protests challenging the Trump administration's destructive actions and their deceptive narrative have become even more glaringly apparent in the wake of the tragic murder of peaceful Muslims in a Quebec city mosque. Look at the face of terrorism, note the pale skin and the light blue eyes. The man who committed this barbaric crime was not an ISIS sympathizer he supported Donald Trump and other racist nationalistic movements. This man is what is called in French "pure laine" literally meaning pure wool, referring to those whose ancestry is exclusively French-Canadian.  As reported by The Independent, the killer's Facebook page indicates that he is a supporter of nationalistic movements including Donald Trump in the US, Le Pen in France, and the separatist Parti Quebecois.

Engaging Boards of Directors on Sustainability is a Key Success Factor

Boards of directors can play an invaluable role helping a company to inculcate sustainability into their DNA. Because of their unique position, boards of directors are well placed to integrate sustainability into business strategies and practices. This supports both the long-term profitability and the viability of an enterprise.

However, there is a disconnect between what is good for a firm and what they are actually doing. Most boards of directors are not engaged in sustainability even though almost all managers and directors think they should be.

Event - The Sustainability Summit 2017

This Summit will take place on March 23-24, 2017 in London. What does COP21 and the push for greater environmental sustainability mean for business? The Sustainability Summit will bring together key thinkers, policymakers and business leaders, who will deliver strategies, ideas and solutions to decision makers, helping them to turn challenges into new opportunities and prepare for the future.

Event - COP 22 and IRENA Renewable Energy Side Events

COP 22 will take place November 7-18, 2016 in Marrakech, Morocco. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), established in 1994, aims to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level that prevents "dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system".

How Sustainability has Become a Mainstream Phenomenon

Sustainability programs are not just for forward-thinking international conglomerates they are now part of mainstream practices for business both large and small. The data has convincingly made the case that sustainability is good for business and managers are integrating it into their strategies in ever increasing numbers.

There are a number of good reasons why businesses are embracing sustainability. In 2015 sustainability reached a tipping point and in 2016 it has become obvious that sustainability is a 21st-century megatrend. We are even beginning to conceive of a post sustainability world.

Event - Green Sports Alliance Summit: College Sports Sustainability Summit

PAC-12 will host the first conference wide College Sports Sustainability Summit. It will take place on June 27th 2017 in Sacramento, California. This event is part of the annual Green Sports Alliance Summit.

The College Sports Sustainability Summit is part of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's (OSTP) call to action to tackle climate through sports. This event is supported by member universities that have pledged to take a leadership position in promoting sustainability through sports.

Paris Climate Agreement Comes into Force

The world's first global initiative to reign in climate change has come into effect. On October 5, 2016, less than a year after the Paris Climate Agreement was signed at COP21, a critical threshold was passed. With the ratification of more than 62 countries, the pact will formally enter into force on November 4, 2016.

Many thought we would not be able to secure a deal in Paris at the end of last year. Then detractors doubted that enough countries would ratify it. The naysayers have been proven wrong.

This historic agreement is designed to combat climate change through drastic emissions reduction pledges known as the INDCs. To bring this carbon cutting global agreement into force 55 countries representing 55 percent of global emissions had to formally join.  The US, China and the EU have all signed onto the deal.

Earth Day 2016 is the Most Hopeful Ever

This is an Earth Day unlike any that have preceded it. After almost five decades of grass roots activism, the festivities in 2016 finally have something to celebrate. This year we are driving a stake into the heart of climate pessimism. We are challenging those that doubt our resolve and we are breathing hope into a new climate narrative. 

We are seeing tremendous momentum in renewable energy and corporate sustainability. There is clear evidence that the fossil fuel industry is in decline. The Paris Climate Agreement offers the strongest reason yet to be optimistic this Earth Day. For the first time in history the human race has come together to collectively resolve to take on the greatest threat modern humans have ever known.

US China and Others to Sign the Paris Climate Agreement on Earth Day Suggesting an Early Start to Implementation

The US and China, the world's leading carbon emitters have agreed to sign the historic Paris Climate Agreement at a signing ceremony on Earth Day. The signing of the agreement on Friday April 22nd at UN headquarters is more than just a symbolic gesture.

Of the 196 countries on-board at COP21 in Paris last December, as many as 155 other nations, including India, are expected to sign the agreement on Earth Day.

Remembering Berta on International Women's Day

On International Women's Day 2016 we mourn the loss of Berta Cáceres, a truly heroic environmental organizer. On March 3rd she was gunned down in her hometown of La Esperanza, Intibuca in Honduras. Her assassins are still at large and unlikely to ever be brought to justice.

Berta was an indigenous women who championed land and resource rights. In 1993 she co-founded the National Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH). She was a dedicated protector of the natural world who bravely stood up to powerful corporations, corrupt governments and police with ties to death squads.

Dr. Brundtland the Mother of Sustainable Development (Video)

Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland is widely regarded as the mother of sustainable development and she is a highly effective political and environmental activist. On January 18, 2016, Dr. Brundtland received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Zayed Future Energy Prize 2016 for her global leadership on sustainability. Dr. Brundtland is the first female recipient of this award.

On behalf of the UN Foundation, President and CEO Kathy Calvin congratulated Dr. Brundtland and highlighted the legacy of her work:

Indigenous Women Struggling with Climate Change and Environmental Degradation

Women are on the front lines of climate change and environmental degradation and this is particularly true of indigenous women. Those who are socially and economically disadvantaged will be the hardest hit so this is an immense concern to indigenous women and the situation is even worse for such women living in developing countries. The climate-induced environmental threats they face include sea-level rise and shifts in the ranges of important species of food bearing plants.

Environmental insults are compounding the climate crisis. This is more than just a disruptive inconvenience for indigenous women, it is a direct threat to their physical, social and economic well being. For these women, many of whom live in a very close relationship with the natural world, climate change is an existential threat.

Empowering Women is Synonymous with Combating Climate Change

If we want to address climate change around the world and in the developing world in particular we need to see more women in leadership roles. There is good evidence to support the idea that when women lead communities are more sustainable.

Climate change is a critical issue for everyone, but it is especially hard on women. Happily women are also an essential part of the solution, not only because they make up half (48.1), but because women tend to be more green in their lifestyle choices and women in the workforce tend to more sustainable.

Green Sports Alliance: Making Athletics more Sustainable

With 344 members, 300 teams, 172 venues and 20 leagues, in 14 different countries the Green Sports Alliance is a major force in sustainable athletics.  The Green Sports Alliance helps sports leagues to be more sustainable.

Sports are an incredibly powerful activity that garner the attention and interest of billions of people around the world. With this is mind the Green Sports Alliance strives to leverage the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities.

They inspire sports leagues, teams, venues, their partners and millions of fans to embrace renewable energy, healthy food, recycling, water efficiency, species preservation, safer chemicals and other environmentally preferable practices.

COP21 Deal Signals the End of Fossil Fuels and the Beginning of an Era of Unprecedented Growth for Renewables

The Paris climate deal erases any doubt that fossil fuels will be replaced by renewable energy. Even before the start of COP21, the world had already begun to accept that the end of fossil fuels and the dawn of a low carbon economy powered by renewables. We now have the political will, investment dollars and technological innovation required to drive the transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

In an interview taped for CBS' Face the Nation, John Kerry called the climate pact "a breakaway agreement" that will change how countries make decisions and "spur massive investment." We have already seen how reduced demand and increased supply have resulted in a glut of oil pushing prices to around $36 a barrel. Oil prices have not been this low in more than five years.