Among the most urgent concerns for the future is to have enough water to sustain a human population projected to reach 9.6 billion people by 2050.[1] The UN Millennium Development Goals recognize that access to water and sanitation is essential to economic development and poverty alleviation.[2] However, global consumption patterns indicate that we are becoming… Keep reading →
The world is constantly and almost instantaneously transforming right before our eyes. Given the complexity and interconnectedness of resulting emerging challenges it is advisable for policymakers to attempt to get ahead of the curve. This is exactly what the World Economic Forum’s “Outlook on the Global Agenda 2015” is envisioned to offer to a broad… Keep reading →
The Green Climate Fund seems to be off to a decent start with funding pledges in place from various countries around the globe ahead of today’s first donors’ conference in Berlin (Germany). The Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) approved the governing instrument and the fund itself in… Keep reading →
Pollution is one of the many environmental challenges facing the world today. The impact of pollution is more severe in developing countries, leading to ill health, death and disabilities of millions of people annually. Developed countries have the resources and technologies to combat pollution. As a result of the health risks and the potential impact… Keep reading →
A new study commissioned by the United Nations revised its global population projection upward to 13.2 billion people by 2100 – including billions of new middle-class consumers. According to Germany’s Spiegel Online, the study’s lead researchers give this high population growth scenario a probability of 95 percent to materialize. Unsurprisingly, increasing total consumption in the developing… Keep reading →
A Rolling Stone article has been getting much attention for suggesting that as domestic fossil fuels markets for products like coal and petroleum coke diminish, companies increasingly seek overseas markets – often aided by US government offices – much like tobacco companies pushed their product overseas a couple decades ago. “Even as our nation is… Keep reading →
A Moroccan engineer cycles past the solar panels of the solar power station of Ain Beni Mathar near Oujda on May 31, 2011. The station provides 13% of the Moroccan energy needs it is claimed.
When an energy industry opportunity sums up most of the current trends in global business and is ready for investment, how do you convince companies to take advantage of it? Keep reading →
Rethinking the Power of the Grid
By Dr. Henri WinandOur reliance on electricity is nothing new, but in the era of global connectivity and the burgeoning mobile economy, our dependence on power has grown dramatically. This is especially true in developing countries, where the growth of mobile has opened up economic frontiers and brought new opportunities. Sadly, all of that progress can be undermined… Keep reading →