The 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP14) closed on Thursday, November 29 with broad international agreement on reversing the global destruction of nature and biodiversity loss threatening all forms of life on Earth. To combat the crisis, governments agreed to accelerate action to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, agreed in 2010, from now until 2020. Work to achieve ...

Landmark Convention on Biological Diversity decision calls on governments to conduct strict risk assessments and seek indigenous and local peoples’ consent ahead of potential release of “exterminator” technology The UN on Thursday, November 29, 2018 made a significant global decision on how to govern a presumably high-risk new genetic engineering technology – gene drives. A gene drive is a genetic ...

The first green bond issued by the World Bank 10 years ago created the blueprint for today’s $500+ billion labeled bond market. Heike Reichelt, Head of Investor Relations and New Products at the World Bank Treasury, in this treatise looks at how green bonds changed investor and issuer behavior and how the same model can be applied to help achieve the ...

Kenya’s umbrella organisation of plastic recyclers on Thursday, November 29, 2018 said it planned to recycle 14,000 tonnes of plastic bottles by 2025 as it steps up efforts towards the management of plastic pollution. The Kenya PET Recycling Company (PETCO) is planning to spearhead the collection and recycling of 20 per cent of the plastic wastes by the end of ...

A university don has urged nations to resort to the use of information, communication and technology (ICT) in biological diversity conservation efforts. Prof. Moussa Moustafa, vice president and dean, Faculty of Information Systems and Computer Science, October 6 University in Egypt, told a side event at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Sharm El Sheik that ICT offers hope in eradicating ...

As the annual day approaches for honouring Ghanaian farmers, one of Ghana’s serial award winners in the farming business and the 2009 National Best Farmer is exceedingly excited. His excitement is not because he will be receiving another award at the national ceremony, which will take place in Tamale, Northern region, on Friday December 7, 2018. Davis Narh Korboe, popularly ...

Chinese authorities on Thursday, November 29, 2018 ordered suspending research activities of persons involved in the gene-edited babies’ incident, denouncing the matter as “extremely abominable in nature” and in violation of Chinese laws and science ethics. The gene-edited twins matter reported by the media has brazenly violated Chinese laws and regulations and breached the science ethics bottom line, which is ...

Ahead of the United Nations climate change negotiations (COP24) that holds from December 2 to 14, 2018 in Katowice, Poland, the Least Developed Countries Group came together in the Polish city for preparatory meetings from November 26 to 27 to consolidate positions and to strategise ahead of the upcoming talks. Mr. Gebru Jember Endalew, Chair of the LDC Group, said: “It has been a ...

Sustainable development stakeholders have called on all tiers of government to accelerate progress towards reducing the impact of climate change on the environment. They made the call at a National Civil Society Consultative Workshop on the Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in Abuja on Thursday. Mr Michael David, the Head, National ...

The Nigerian Thoracic Society (NTS) has appealed to the National Assembly to enact law that would curb unwholesome activities of oil companies about environmental degradation. Prof. Peters Etete, the National President of the society, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Abuja. He spoke on sidelines of the ...