Our Highlights of 2019

Sustainable Energy is 100% Renewable – Recommendations

The Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll) initiative pledged to ensure universal access to modern energy services, double the rate of improvement in energy efficiency and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030. Yet, it’s self-published progress reports states that the initiative has fallen short of its objectives.

This report summarises the initiatives often underlined structural shortcomings. Namely, a lack of integration into other UN frameworks, an excessive focus on centralization and profitability, a disproportionate emphasis on private finance, a lack of inclusion of diverse business models and a lack of representation and civil society involvement. The report then examines the SEforALL Action Agendas for eight African countries.

An Inspiring Future Policy Award Ceremony 2019: Empowering Youth

What an exciting event we held last week: The World Future Council is truly proud about the Future Policy Award Ceremony 2019 at which our “Oscar for best policies” – the Future Policy Award 2019 – distinguished eight truly exemplary policies empowering young people!

PR: Future Policy Award 2019 crowns eight best policies

Policies from Rwanda, Estonia, Scotland, Nepal, South Africa, Europe, Los Angeles and Senegal are this year’s winners of the “Oscar for best policies”

Article: Renewable energy: A catalyst for gender equality?

The Canadian environmentalist and filmmaker, James Cameron, once explained: “The nation that leads in renewable energy will be the nation that leads the world.”

(Em)Powering Cities in the European Union

Renewable energy remains at the top of the agendas of many policy makers worldwide. And that is for good reason – Technologies for renewable power generation, heating and cooling, and transport are affordable and most often the cheapest option.

Press Release: Securing a World of Climate Resilience, Prosperity and Peace. World leaders identify solutions and call for immediate action

World leaders identify solutions and call for immediate action
Hamburg / Cairo, 16.9.2019.

FPA 2019: About the shortlisted policies

67 policies from 36 countries contest for Future Policy Award received

The Mainstreaming of Organic Agriculture And Agroecology in the Himalaya Region

Excerpt

The Mainstreaming of Organic Agriculture And Agroecology in the Himalaya Region: Adequate policies that advance the transition towards sustainable agriculture and food systems to ensure healthy food for all, to overcome social and economic inequalities and to protect our environment, climate, and biodiversity, are urgently needed. After highlighting the world’s best policies scaling up agroecology with the Future Policy Award 2018, the World Future Council and IFOAM – Organics International proudly present the study “The Mainstreaming of Organic Agriculture and Agroecology in the Himalaya Region. Policy Contexts in Bhutan, India and Nepal”, realized with the kind support of the Schweisfurth Foundation. It is follow up of our efforts to showcase existing political support towards organic farming and agroecology and brings new insights on the current institutional efforts and limitations of mainstreaming sustainable agriculture across the Himalaya Region, with a focus on three countries: Bhutan, India and Nepal.

Full study

Preview

There is no doubt that organic agriculture and agroecology provide an effective pathway for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and delivering the 2030 Agenda. The sustainable management of our planet’s natural resources underpins our ability to achieve these
targets. The transformation of our agriculture and food systems will represent an essential step towards this vision. The right to food is recognized by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and was enshrined in the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. However, discussion on achieving a world free from hunger is often associated with a plea for increasing productivity with any means. This short-sighted approach needs to be reversed. Food systems need to be transformed with a systemic and holistic approach, while food and those who produce it need to be valued. When food is produced in a sustainable way, it increases food security, preserves natural resources, enhances biodiversity, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The complex nature of the challenges we face and the urgent endeavour our policymaking is called to address require public policies designed, implemented, monitored, and revised in a coherent, participatory, and comprehensive manner, as defined by the Seven Principles for Future-Just Lawmaking. These are based on the International Law Association’s 2002 Delhi Declaration on Sustainable Development Law.2 In addition, we have to ensure that our policies create a conducive environment for supporting the transition of our food systems. Hence these policies should respect the four Guiding Principles of Organic Agriculture3 and the 10 Elements of Agroecology.

100% Renewable Energy for Bangladesh – Access to RE for all within one generation.

Excerpt

‘100% Renewable Energy for Bangladesh – Access to renewable energy for all within one generation’.

This scientific feasibility study unveils that deploying 100% renewable energy in Bangladesh is possible and can provide access to reliable energy for all its citizens, while increasing living standards to the level of industrialized countries by 2050. It proves that a renewable energy based system can create 1 million more jobs than the fossil fuel industry in the same timeframe.

Read the full report