In the latest #TheGreenRenaissance podcast, reflections from PAGE@HLPF 2021 ?

Find out how governments can turn economic recovery into sustainable economic transformation (... the answer? A mix of finance, private sector incentives, citizen engagement, and partnerships).

Listen and subscribe ? bit.ly/3ziY6A6

With Guy Ryder (International Labour Organization), Inger Andersen (UN Environment Programme), Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter (Federal Ministry for the Environment, Germany), H. E. Elizabeth Thompson (Government of Barbados), Dr. Febrio Nathan Kacaribu (Ministry of Finance, Indonesia) and Melati Wijsen (Youth Climate Activist).

Rather than regarding the human and economic costs as inevitable, countries would do far better to ensure that their populations and their infrastructure were more resilient. This would involve strengthening infrastructure such as bridges and roads, as well as schools and other buildings that provide shelter and support at times of crisis. Above all, governments should invest in more robust health infrastructure.

The AIPH World Green City Awards are designed to champion ambitious nature-orientated approaches to city design and operation. Specifically, they seek to recognise public initiatives relying on a greater use of plants and nature to create better city environments – helping to fulfil local aspirations for improved economic, social and environmental resilience. The awards celebrate innovation, achievement, and commitment to the globally recognised imperative to embrace nature-orientated solutions that harvest the power of plants and associated ecosystems services to help address the major challenges facing cities today – or tomorrow.

AIPH initiated these awards to bring wide recognition to the value of plants in providing solutions for common city problems and create an enabling environment to shape and nurture a strategic shift in city governance and planning.

Entries are now open to cities for the inaugural 2022 edition of the AIPH World Green City Awards. AIPH and partners invite all cities, large and small, to showcase their ambitious actions for nature and enter today!

*Upcoming Green Recovery Workshop*

The Green Fiscal Policy Network (GFPN) is a joint partnership between UNEP, GIZ, and the IMF launched in 2011 with the aim of facilitating knowledge sharing and dialogue on green fiscal policies.

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, GFPN will host a two-day workshop titled "ROLE OF FISCAL POLICIES IN A GREEN COVID-19 RECOVERY: Experience, Best Practice and Next Steps in the Asia-Pacific Region." Six live sessions will explore the potential role of fiscal policies to ensure a Green Recovery.

Attendees will hear from policy experts around the world, including representatives from the Bank of Asia, S&P Global, UNFCCC, UNESCAP, UNEP, IMF, GIZ, UNEPFI, OECD, and the governments of Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea, Fiji, and the Philippines.

Learn More + Register Below!

An interesting Booklet of Best Practices from the New Deal for Nature and People Coalition (ND4NP), led by African Network of Young Leaders for Peace and Sustainable Development. Lots of ground-level insight!

Photo by Tucker Tangeman on Unsplash

The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to advance key parts of President Joe Biden's agenda, after moderates and progressives reached a compromise allowing them to move forward on the multitrillion-dollar plans.

The U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) projected that the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Democrats' reconciliation spending package would reduce U.S. carbon emissions by 45 percent by the end of the decade compared to 2005.

“In our analysis of the combined impact of both the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Budget Resolution’s instructions, we are on track to reduce U.S. emissions to approximately 45 percent beneath 2005 levels by 2030,” Schumer wrote in a "Dear Colleague" letter.

“When you add Administrative actions being planned by the Biden Administration and many states - like New York, California, and Hawaii - we will hit our 50 percent target by 2030,” he continued.

“People can feed their own families, even if they don't have money to buy food in the market. In their own back yards or on land in their local communities, they can get the nutritious greens they need for their families.”

Food has become a serious need to the Philippines as COVID-19 hit the country. Their government and communities have started a “community gardening" project to recover from the situation.

One of the founding mothers of the Homeless People’s Federation of the Philippines, Ofelia Bagotlo, describes how community gardens on vacant city plots are providing vital nutrition for the urban poor.

Vacancy at GGKP:

Green Finance Platform Community Engagement Consultant to advance outreach & knowledge sharing on green & sustainable finance.

Expected Duration: 1 October 2021 – 31 March 2022.

Closing Date: 14 September 2021.