北欧绿色邮报记者陈雪霏专访印度水专家辛格。今年56岁的辛格本来是学医的，但是，被分到农村当医生时，当地农民说，我们不需要医生，我们更需要水，我们要你给我们治水。于是他和当地村民一起修河修渠，植树治水，收集雨水，经过30多年的努力，他已经恢复了7条河，让1200个小村庄都有水喝，而且年轻人又回到村里种菜了。新农村就这样建立起来了。
视频链接如下：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNvF9pvRJQI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNvF9pvRJQI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNvF9pvRJQI
摄像丹妮。
China seeks to combine PV and agriculture as new industrial model
BEIJING, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) — China sought to create a new model for the combination of PV power generation and modern agriculture.
With the treat of anti-dumping auction from the United States and Europe potentially restricting PV enterprises’ sales channels, creating additional demand locally is now essential for PV firms.
Shi Dinghuan, President of Association of Renewable Energy of China, said that developing agricultural PV market has important implications for the country’s agricultural transformation in the long term, while, in the short term, PV agriculture would be the valid measure for PV industry to solve the industrial dilemma. Enditem
News Analysis: Fiscal stimulus to assume bigger growth-supportive role
BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — Although growth uncertainties abound home and abroad, China has plenty of policy options — especially on the fiscal front — to put the economy on track to deliver the around 7 percent annual target.
In its latest effort, the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday put forward multiple fiscal policies aimed at stabilizing growth, such as coordinating funds to accelerate project construction, activating idle money and widening tax breaks.
Other measures include guidance funds for small and emerging businesses, and promoting public-private-partnerships (PPP).
China is battling a property downturn, industrial overcapacity, sluggish demand and struggling exports, which dragged growth down to 7 percent for the first half (H1) of the year.
On top of that, fresh pressures from capital market volatility, currency devaluation in emerging markets, and slumping global commodity prices are further muddying growth prospects.
To achieve the full year growth target, the ministry said it will closely monitor the changing dynamics in the economy and respond with more effective and targeted fiscal policies to support growth, an area where analysts say hold vast potential to shore up growth.
Fiscal surplus for the January-July period was 383 billion (60.22 billion U.S. dollars), leaving plenty room for expansionary policies to increase the budget deficit to 2.3 percent of GDP for 2015, up from last year’s target of 2.1 percent.
Within annual budget, China could record a fiscal deficit of 2.1 trillion yuan for the August-December period, 200 billion yuan more than the same period last year, according to a recent report by China International Capital Corp. (CICC).
In addition, the government’s ongoing drive to activate unspent fiscal funds will make the expansionary fiscal policy more sustainable.
According to the finance ministry, some 13.1 billion yuan of idle fiscal funds have been retrieved and will be redistributed to growth-stabilizing sectors, and 243.8 billion yuan recovered to local budgets.
The more efficient use of idle fiscal funds is equivalent to increasing the government’s disposable funds beyond the budget without raising the government sector’s debt ratio, noted a CICC report.
Meanwhile, to dissolve debt risks of local governments, China has allowed them to replace existing debts with new bonds. The top legislature has approved the expansion of a debt swap program for local governments worth 3.2 trillion yuan in 2015.
On the back of such fiscal support, China has stepped up spending on key infrastructure such as railways in the western regions, renovation of substandard housing and underground utilities, which have all helped boost economic activity already.
“We think infrastructure-investment growth will likely be revived from July’s 16 percent year on year to 20 percent in the coming months, which in turn will provide, at the very least, a counterbalance against China’s ongoing property and heavy industry downturn,” noted a UBS report.
In an assuring message to the market, China’s top economic planner on Monday said the world’s second largest economy is stabilizing and turning for the better, citing stabilizing power use, rail freight and a warming property market as proof for the improvement.
“The economic operation is expected to maintain steady expansion to realize the full-year growth target,” the National Development and Reform Commission said. Enditem
BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) — China’s output of new energy vehicles soared nearly 400 percent year on year in August to 24,500 units, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Tuesday in a statement on its website.
The new energy vehicle output includes 9,175 pure electric passenger cars and 6,778 hybrid passenger cars, both up around 300 percent year on year. Production of pure electric and hybrid commercial vehicles stood at 6,446 and 2,142 units respectively in August, up 2,100 and 148 percent year on year.
China produced a total of 123,500 new energy vehicles from January to August, up 300 percent over the same period of last year, including 52,100 pure electric passenger cars, 32,800 hybrid passenger cars, 28,300 pure electric commercial vehicles and 10,200 hybrid commercial vehicles. Enditem
China scraps dividend tax for long-term investors
BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese investors holding a stock for more than one year will be exempted from a 5-percent dividend tax from Tuesday, authorities said.
Those who have held a stock for one month or less will have to pay 20 percent of the dividend they receive as income tax when they sell the stock, the Ministry of Finance said Monday in a statement jointly released with the country’s taxation authority and the securities regulator.
People who have held a stock for over one month to one year will have to pay a 10 percent dividend tax when they sell the stock, the statement said.
This move is part of the government’s efforts to promote long-term investment following a stock market rout since mid-June.
The Shanghai Composite has plunged more than 40 percent from a peak seen on June 12. Enditem
China seeks to combine PV and agriculture as new industrial model
BEIJING, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) — China sought to create a new model for the combination of PV power generation and modern agriculture.
With the treat of anti-dumping auction from the United States and Europe potentially restricting PV enterprises’ sales channels, creating additional demand locally is now essential for PV firms.
Shi Dinghuan, President of Association of Renewable Energy of China, said that developing agricultural PV market has important implications for the country’s agricultural transformation in the long term, while, in the short term, PV agriculture would be the valid measure for PV industry to solve the industrial dilemma. Enditem
News Analysis: Fiscal stimulus to assume bigger growth-supportive role
BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — Although growth uncertainties abound home and abroad, China has plenty of policy options — especially on the fiscal front — to put the economy on track to deliver the around 7 percent annual target.
In its latest effort, the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday put forward multiple fiscal policies aimed at stabilizing growth, such as coordinating funds to accelerate project construction, activating idle money and widening tax breaks.
Other measures include guidance funds for small and emerging businesses, and promoting public-private-partnerships (PPP).
China is battling a property downturn, industrial overcapacity, sluggish demand and struggling exports, which dragged growth down to 7 percent for the first half (H1) of the year.
On top of that, fresh pressures from capital market volatility, currency devaluation in emerging markets, and slumping global commodity prices are further muddying growth prospects.
To achieve the full year growth target, the ministry said it will closely monitor the changing dynamics in the economy and respond with more effective and targeted fiscal policies to support growth, an area where analysts say hold vast potential to shore up growth.
Fiscal surplus for the January-July period was 383 billion (60.22 billion U.S. dollars), leaving plenty room for expansionary policies to increase the budget deficit to 2.3 percent of GDP for 2015, up from last year’s target of 2.1 percent.
Within annual budget, China could record a fiscal deficit of 2.1 trillion yuan for the August-December period, 200 billion yuan more than the same period last year, according to a recent report by China International Capital Corp. (CICC).
In addition, the government’s ongoing drive to activate unspent fiscal funds will make the expansionary fiscal policy more sustainable.
According to the finance ministry, some 13.1 billion yuan of idle fiscal funds have been retrieved and will be redistributed to growth-stabilizing sectors, and 243.8 billion yuan recovered to local budgets.
The more efficient use of idle fiscal funds is equivalent to increasing the government’s disposable funds beyond the budget without raising the government sector’s debt ratio, noted a CICC report.
Meanwhile, to dissolve debt risks of local governments, China has allowed them to replace existing debts with new bonds. The top legislature has approved the expansion of a debt swap program for local governments worth 3.2 trillion yuan in 2015.
On the back of such fiscal support, China has stepped up spending on key infrastructure such as railways in the western regions, renovation of substandard housing and underground utilities, which have all helped boost economic activity already.
“We think infrastructure-investment growth will likely be revived from July’s 16 percent year on year to 20 percent in the coming months, which in turn will provide, at the very least, a counterbalance against China’s ongoing property and heavy industry downturn,” noted a UBS report.
In an assuring message to the market, China’s top economic planner on Monday said the world’s second largest economy is stabilizing and turning for the better, citing stabilizing power use, rail freight and a warming property market as proof for the improvement.
“The economic operation is expected to maintain steady expansion to realize the full-year growth target,” the National Development and Reform Commission said. Enditem
DALIAN, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday welcomed deeper cooperation between developed and developing nations to improve China’s urban development and planning.
“Each and every country has its own unique strengths, or comparative strengths, in its urbanization process,” Li told business leaders during the annual meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum.
Noting China’s urbanization rate at only 55 percent, the premier said China’s urbanization remains a long-term process and will provide vast room for domestic demand.
Acknowledging challenges in rapid urbanization, Li said China will press ahead with the large-scale renovation of low standard housing, where about 100 million urban residents deserve modern living conditions.
The premier added that China is developing underground infrastructure, with latest progress having been made in underground urban utility pipeline networks.
The Summer Davos Forum is being held from Sept. 9-11 in China’s northeastern city of Dalian. Li is expected to give a keynote speech on Thursday. Enditem
By Xuefei Chen Axelsson
Stockholm, Sept. 8(Greenpost)–Stockholm International Water Institute, SIWI’s Executive Director Torgny Holmgren spoke at opening of World Water Week in Stockholm on Aug.24, 2015.
Filmed by Anneli Larsson on Aug. 24, 2015 in Stockholm.
By Xuefei Chen Axelsson
Stockholm, Sept. 8(Greenpost)–Marshall Islands’ President Christopher Loeak spoke at the World water week in Stockholm about the situation in his country.
Marshall Islands’ President Christopher Loeak spoke at the World water week in Stockholm about the situation in his country on Aug. 24, 2015, filmed by Anneli Larsson.
“Although the future of my country is bleak, we are optimistic people.” said Loeak.
He said they have taken a lot of measures to deal with the climate change including using solar energy and treating waste water.
| By Xuefei Chen Axelsson
Stockholm, Sept. 8 (Greenpost)–Scientists at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a new way to study nanoparticles one at a time, and have discovered that individual particles that may seem identical in fact can have very different properties, according to news reaching here from Gothenburg.
Christoph Langhammer, Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Physics Photographer / Source Sabina Johansson The results, which may prove to be important when developing new materials or applications such as hydrogen sensors for fuel cell cars, will be published in Nature Materials. “We were able to show that you gain deeper insights into the physics of how nanomaterials interact with molecules in their environment by looking at the individual nanoparticle as opposed to looking at many of them at the same time, which is what is usually done,” said Associate Professor Christoph Langhammer, who led the project. By applying a new experimental approach called plasmonic nanospectroscopy, the group studied hydrogen absorption into single palladium nanoparticles. They found that particles with exactly the same shape and size may exhibit differences as great as 40 millibars in the pressure at which hydrogen is absorbed. The development of sensors that can detect hydrogen leaks in fuel cell powered cars is one example of where this new understanding could become valuable in the future. “One main challenge when working on hydrogen sensors is to design materials whose response to hydrogen is as linear and reversible as possible. In that way, the gained fundamental understanding of the reasons underlying the differences between seemingly identical individual particles and how this makes the response irreversible in a certain hydrogen concentration range can be helpful,” said Langhammer.
Caption: A single gold plasmonic nanoantenna probes the hydrogen absorption in an adjacent palladium nanocube. Illustration: Ella Marushchenko and Alex Tokarev¨ Photographer / Source Karin Weijdegård Others have looked at single nanoparticles one at a time, but the new approach introduced by the Chalmers team uses visible light with low intensity to study the particles. This means that the method is non-invasive and does not disturb the system it is investigating by, for example, heating it up. “When studying individual nanoparticles you have to send some kind of probe to ask the particle ‘what are you doing?’. This usually means focusing a beam of high-energy electrons or photons or a mechanical probe onto a very tiny volume. You then quickly get very high energy densities, which might perturb the process you want to look at.” said Langhammer. ” This effect is minimized in our new approach, which is also compatible with ambient conditions, meaning that we can study nanoparticles one at a time in as close to a realistic environment as possible.”
Tina Gschneidtner, Kasper Moth-Poulsen, Svetlana Syrenova and Christoph Langhammer. Photographer / Source Karin WeijdegårdEven though they have now reached the level where their results are ready to be published, Christoph Langhammer believes they have just scratched the surface of what their discovery and developed experimental methodology will lead to in relation to further research. He hopes that they have helped to establish a new experimental paradigm, where looking at nanoparticles individually will become standard in the scientific world. “It is not good enough to look at, and thus obtain an average of, hundreds or millions of particles if you want to understand the details of how nanoparticles behave in different environments and applications. You have to look at individual ones, and we have found a new way to do that.” he added. “My own long-term vision is to apply our method to more complex processes and materials, and to push the limits in terms of how small nanoparticles can be for us to be able to measure them. Hopefully, along the way, we will gain even deeper insights into the fascinating world of nanomaterials.” The paper Hydride formation thermodynamics and hysteresis in individual Pd nanocrystals with different size and shape is published online in Nature Materials on September 7. |
By Xuefei Chen Axelsson
Stockholm, Sept. 7(Greenpost)–Swedish Prime Minister said at the World Water Week that man cannot live without water.
Filmed by Anneli Larsson on Aug. 24, 2015 in Stockholm.
He stressed the importance of having clean water for life. He also recalled the journey of Sweden’s history of cleaning water.
He called on the people all over the world to join hands to provide clean water and face climate change.
BEIJING, Sept.2 (Xinhua) — Representatives from China’s top government bodies met on Saturday in Haikou, the capital city of southern China’s Hainan province, to discuss a draft plan on integrated local development.
The plan is part of the trial program that aims to coordinate the planning system on a provincial level in order to eliminate incompatibilities between plans issued by different government departments.
After the meeting, Hainan local government will make some revisions and a consultation to seek views before publishing the final plan.
Such efforts by Hainan and relevant experiences will be introduced to other parts of China if proven successful.
In an attempt to improve policy coordination, China in June selected Hainan to pilot a trial program encouraging rational use of land and better environmental protection. (Edited by Ding Lei, dinglei@xinhua.org)
北欧绿色邮报网信息：中国环保部代表团日前在此间召开的国际水周上发布环保技术国际智汇平台吸引环保技术公司参加技术比赛。
详细内容如下：
Dear Distinguished Partner/Counterpart/Expert/Resource Person,
FIRST 3IPET TOP 100 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
TECHNOLOGIES CONTEST
CALL FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICABLE TECHNOLOGIES
As part of efforts to protect the environment and address the challenges of air, water and soil pollution through appropriate prevention and control strategies, the Foreign Economic Cooperation Office (FECO), with the support of the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) of China, established the Integrated, Intelligent, and International Platform for Environmental Technology (3iPET). 3iPET aims at taking advantages of the technologies and cooperation network of governments, companies, and private organizations in China and other countries to provide both online and offline services to showcase and promote Chinese and foreign environmental technologies to solve the environmental problems locally and globally.
FECO is organizing the first ever 3iPET contest to select the top 100 environmental protection technologies in each of the areas of air, water and soil (including solid waste) pollution prevention and control. The contest will be organized between August and October 2015, and the best 100 adjudged technologies in each of the three categories will be published in the “Top 100 technologies for 3iPET” for Air, Water and Soil (including solid waste) pollution prevention and control. The selected technologies will be promoted through the 3iPET platform.
In recognition of the expertise and active involvement of your organization in the promotion of environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) and the global network of your programmes and activities we hereby solicit for your support and assistance in disseminating the information about the contest within and outside China to environmental technology suppliers and promoters. Please find attached information materials and guidelines on the contest. The electronic copies of the information materials and guidelines can be downloaded from the official FECO website atwww.mepfeco.gov.cn
It will be appreciated if you can kindly assist in publicizing the contest by disseminating the attached information and materials. Please revert in case you need additional information or further clarifications.
We thank you for your support and cooperation.
(signed)
Chen Liang
Director General
Foreign Economic Cooperation Office
Ministry of Environmental Protection of China
To whom it may concern:
Call for Participation in 3iPET Cooperation Hubs
In order to advance environmental protection in China, the development and adoption of advanced and practical environmental technologies are an important means to improve environmental quality. At the same time, China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” promotes the continuing trend for Chinese environmental technologies and industries to “go out” to promote clean development globally. To support China’s efforts in the “three battles” of preventing and controlling water, air and soil pollution, and its implementation of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, the Foreign Economic Cooperation Office of Ministry of Environment Cooperation (MEP/FECO) developed the International, Intelligent and Integrated Platform for Environmental Technologies (3iPET), relying on its advantages in international cooperation in environmental protection. 3iPET was officially launched in June 8th, 2015.
3iPET relies on the Internet and powerful database, and combines online and offline service. Its functions include integration and exhibition, evaluation and screening, matchmaking and promotion of environmental technologies, technology services, which serves as an exchange and communication platform. Its goals include promoting domestic and foreign exchange and cooperation with respect to environmental technologies, facilitating import and export of environmental technologies, and providing technical support for China’s efforts in pollution control. The organizational structure of 3iPET includes a steering committee, strategic partners, technology service alliances, a domestic and international cooperation hub platform, and expert consultancy teams. For further information, please visit http://3ipet.mepfeco.org.cn.
We now sincerely call for your joining 3iPET as an international cooperation hub. The international cooperation hubs will conduct information exchange with 3iPET. Through 3iPET, international hubs can obtain information about domestic and international environmental protection policies, global environmental technologies, domestic and international projects, and industrial cooperation opportunities, and will be responsible for providing information about international environmental protection policies, advanced abroad environmental technologies providers, international technological mergers & acquisitions and related projects abroad on a regular basis. Additionally, 3iPET will cooperate with hubs to support technology matchmaking, technology promotion, industrial incubation, project demonstration, financial and business combination opportunities, and policy dissemination.
If you are interested, please complete the information form of 3iPET International Cooperation Hub in the attached Annex, and send it via email to FECO by August 31st, 2015. My colleagues Ms. Tang Lu and Ms. Li Haoting will be at your disposal if you have any question, and you can reach them through:
Tel: 010-82268877, 010-82268880
Fax: 010-82200586
E-mail: tang.lu@mepfeco.org.cn, li.haoting@mepfeco.org.cn
Annex: Information Form for 3iPET International Cooperation Hub
We warmly welcome your participation and contribution. It is our sincere hope that we could achieve win-win cooperation through 3iPET cooperation hubs.
Chen Liang
Director General
Foreign Economic Cooperation Center
Ministry of Environment Cooperation of China
Attachment: Information Form for 3iPET International Cooperation Hub
Attachment
Information Form for 3iPET International Cooperation Hub
| Name: | |
| Address: | |
| Contact person: | Telephone: |
| Fax: | E-mai: |
| Introduction:
|
|
Stockholm, Aug.26 (Greenpost)–China is calling for submission of applicable technologies for technologies contest in environmental protection.
The news was released by the delegation from Ministry of Environment Protection of China during the ongoing World Water Week in Stockholm during Aug. 23-28, 2015.
The details is as the following:
Dear Distinguished Partner/Counterpart/Expert/Resource Person,
FIRST 3IPET TOP 100 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
TECHNOLOGIES CONTEST
CALL FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICABLE TECHNOLOGIES
As part of efforts to protect the environment and address the challenges of air, water and soil pollution through appropriate prevention and control strategies, the Foreign Economic Cooperation Office (FECO), with the support of the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) of China, established the Integrated, Intelligent, and International Platform for Environmental Technology (3iPET). 3iPET aims at taking advantages of the technologies and cooperation network of governments, companies, and private organizations in China and other countries to provide both online and offline services to showcase and promote Chinese and foreign environmental technologies to solve the environmental problems locally and globally.
FECO is organizing the first ever 3iPET contest to select the top 100 environmental protection technologies in each of the areas of air, water and soil (including solid waste) pollution prevention and control. The contest will be organized between August and October 2015, and the best 100 adjudged technologies in each of the three categories will be published in the “Top 100 technologies for 3iPET” for Air, Water and Soil (including solid waste) pollution prevention and control. The selected technologies will be promoted through the 3iPET platform.
In recognition of the expertise and active involvement of your organization in the promotion of environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) and the global network of your programmes and activities we hereby solicit for your support and assistance in disseminating the information about the contest within and outside China to environmental technology suppliers and promoters. Please find attached information materials and guidelines on the contest. The electronic copies of the information materials and guidelines can be downloaded from the official FECO website at www.mepfeco.gov.cn
It will be appreciated if you can kindly assist in publicizing the contest by disseminating the attached information and materials. Please revert in case you need additional information or further clarifications.
We thank you for your support and cooperation.
(signed)
Chen Liang
Director General
Foreign Economic Cooperation Office
Ministry of Environmental Protection of China
To whom it may concern:
Call for Participation in 3iPET Cooperation Hubs
In order to advance environmental protection in China, the development and adoption of advanced and practical environmental technologies are an important means to improve environmental quality. At the same time, China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” promotes the continuing trend for Chinese environmental technologies and industries to “go out” to promote clean development globally. To support China’s efforts in the “three battles” of preventing and controlling water, air and soil pollution, and its implementation of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, the Foreign Economic Cooperation Office of Ministry of Environment Cooperation (MEP/FECO) developed the International, Intelligent and Integrated Platform for Environmental Technologies (3iPET), relying on its advantages in international cooperation in environmental protection. 3iPET was officially launched in June 8th, 2015.
3iPET relies on the Internet and powerful database, and combines online and offline service. Its functions include integration and exhibition, evaluation and screening, matchmaking and promotion of environmental technologies, technology services, which serves as an exchange and communication platform. Its goals include promoting domestic and foreign exchange and cooperation with respect to environmental technologies, facilitating import and export of environmental technologies, and providing technical support for China’s efforts in pollution control. The organizational structure of 3iPET includes a steering committee, strategic partners, technology service alliances, a domestic and international cooperation hub platform, and expert consultancy teams. For further information, please visit http://3ipet.mepfeco.org.cn.
We now sincerely call for your joining 3iPET as an international cooperation hub. The international cooperation hubs will conduct information exchange with 3iPET. Through 3iPET, international hubs can obtain information about domestic and international environmental protection policies, global environmental technologies, domestic and international projects, and industrial cooperation opportunities, and will be responsible for providing information about international environmental protection policies, advanced abroad environmental technologies providers, international technological mergers & acquisitions and related projects abroad on a regular basis. Additionally, 3iPET will cooperate with hubs to support technology matchmaking, technology promotion, industrial incubation, project demonstration, financial and business combination opportunities, and policy dissemination.
If you are interested, please complete the information form of 3iPET International Cooperation Hub in the attached Annex, and send it via email to FECO by August 31st, 2015. My colleagues Ms. Tang Lu and Ms. Li Haoting will be at your disposal if you have any question, and you can reach them through:
Tel: 010-82268877, 010-82268880
Fax: 010-82200586
E-mail: tang.lu@mepfeco.org.cn, li.haoting@mepfeco.org.cn
Annex: Information Form for 3iPET International Cooperation Hub
We warmly welcome your participation and contribution. It is our sincere hope that we could achieve win-win cooperation through 3iPET cooperation hubs.
Chen Liang
Director General
Foreign Economic Cooperation Center
Ministry of Environment Cooperation of China
Attachment: Information Form for 3iPET International Cooperation Hub
Attachment
Information Form for 3iPET International Cooperation Hub
| Name: | |
| Address: | |
| Contact person: | Telephone: |
| Fax: | E-mai: |
| Introduction:
|
|
Stockholm, August 25(Greenpost)– Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) has joined efforts with the Global Resilience Partnership to launch the Global Resilience Challenge Water Window.
The Water Window is a grant-based competition focused on building resilience to different water challenges, including floods.
Zurich is the first private sector member of the Resilience Partnership and provides a USD 10 million investment to fund solutions to build flood resilience. The Global Resilience Partnership and Zurich call on other corporations to join them so that all can better realize a resilience dividend.
Zurich will invest USD 10 million as part of its long-term commitment to the Global Resilience Partnership (the Resilience Partnership), convened by The Rockefeller Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The Resilience Partnership is driving a shared global resilience agenda, where humanitarian and development planning is better aligned, deploying precious resources to support innovations, which will build stronger communities that are able to overcome chronic stresses and better handle inevitable shocks.
The Global Resilience Challenge Water Window (the Water Window) invites submissions that will build resilience to different water challenges and which stand to benefit of millions of people. The Water Window will seek to support innovative solutions – or to scale up those that are already working – that fall within one or more focus areas of the Resilience Partnership overall: technology; innovative financing, including risk transfer mechanisms; measurement & diagnostics (e.g. tools that enable better understanding problems and risk caused by water); policy; and learning & innovation (including community practices that enhance awareness, education, engagement, female empowerment, and action orientation). Zurich will look specifically for innovations aimed at enhancing flood resilience in line with its global flood resilience program launched in 2013. The funding is provided by the Z Zurich Foundation.
The Water Window’s goal is to identify and realize strong solutions that will be shared through an open learning platform. Zurich and other corporations joining the Water Window will be part of the challenge’s assessment, selection and development processes. KPMG East Africa Limited, the implementing partner of the first Global Resilience Challenge, will also be the implementing partner of the Water Window, handling all administrative and operational issues.
Beyond the Water Window, Zurich will play an active role in the Resilience Partnership by contributing its market-leading resilience measurement expertise, engaging on finding optimal financing solutions, or supporting the development and implementation of public policy.
Chief Executive Officer Martin Senn said: “Water is one of the most critical development challenges we face today. Tens of millions of people struggle to gain access to clean drinking water every day; a shortage of water is limiting economic growth in many countries, while flooding affects more people each year than any other form of natural disaster. At Zurich, we believe we have a responsibility to use our expertise in insurance and risk management to help communities and households build resilience against such globally interconnected risks. With the commitment of USD 10 million we will build on the progress of our flood resilience program. We invite other companies to join us in the water resilience challenge, where there are a host of issues to focus on beyond floods.”
“Crisis is the new normal, and with so much of the world’s population living on or near water, flooding is often the source of crises,” said Dr. Judith Rodin, president of The Rockefeller Foundation.
“The Global Resilience Partnership is leading the charge to build resilience across the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and South and Southeast Asia, and Zurich is an excellent addition because of the expertise they can lend to spur innovation in building resilience to flooding. We look forward to welcoming other corporations to the Resilience Partnership, because when communities are resilient, so too are businesses. That’s part of the dividend of investing in resilience.”
P.S.
To get instant access to Zurich’s news releases, calendar and other corporate publications on your iPad, iPhone or Android phone please go to your App Store and get the free Zurich Investors and Media App.
For broadcast-standard and streaming-quality video and/or high resolution pictures supporting this news release, please visit our Multimedia Pressroom.
Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) is a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets. With more than 55,000 employees, it provides a wide range of general insurance and life insurance products and services. Zurich’s customers include individuals, small businesses, and mid-sized and large companies, including multinational corporations, in more than 170 countries. The Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1872. The holding company, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd (ZURN), is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and has a level I American Depositary Receipt (ZURVY) program, which is traded over-the-counter on OTCQX. Further information about Zurich is available at www.zurich.com.
Corporate responsibility is a key part of Zurich’s strategy and supports its mission to help its customers understand and protect themselves from risk. Zurich is focusing on its strengths as a business, and on key enablers of success – actions it needs to take to achieve its strategic objectives. Zurich thinks about corporate responsibility in the same way, focusing on seven areas that either make use of its insurance, risk management and investment expertise, or are enablers of Zurich’s success. They are:
• Enhancing community flood resilience (see more on Zurich’s global flood resilience program)
• Investing our Group assets responsibly [Zurich is a signatory of the Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI)]
• Working with Zurich corporate customers to help them understand and manage their corporate responsibility risks
• Community investment locally and through the Z Zurich Foundation
• Environmental performance, and health and safety management in its office buildings
• Diversity and inclusion in its workforce
• Responsible supply chain management
Zurich participates in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI), FTSE4Good and CDP.
Zurich has been a signatory of the UN Global Compact since 2011 and is committed to making the Global Compact and its principles part of Zurich’s strategy, culture and day-to-day operations.
STOCKHOLM, Aug. 25 (Greenpost)– The workshop “Managing Water Resources for Green Growth and Equity” was held on Tuesday at the ongoing World Water Week in Stockholm.
Director-General of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Ms. Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, delivered a keynote speech on green growth and equity.
Practitioners and analysts have given the distinctive development trajectories of countries and regions, the pathways through which water can contribute to green growth and equity.
Dr. Akissa Bahri (African Development Bank), Mr. Dhesigen Naidoo (Water Research Commission, RSA), Ms. Sofia Ahlroth (World Bank Group), Mr. Dammika Sirinesa (National Development Bank PLC) and Dr. Casey Brown (University of Massachusetts) have been the panelists.
Stockholm, Aug. 21(Greenpost)–From 30 November to 11 December, the world’s leaders will gather in Paris for the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The session is particularly important since the countries are to agree on a new global climate agreement that will apply from 2020.
The Government wants to see a global, fair and legally binding climate agreement that will help keep global warming as far below two degrees Celsius as possible. The agreement must allow countries to take ever more ambitious emission reduction measures over time.
Sweden wants to see legally binding emissions limitation commitments for all countries. All countries should contribute according to their responsibilities and respective capabilities. Sweden also wants the agreement to cover support to low-income countries’ implementation of measures for both emission reductions and adaptation. Support should cover financing, technology diffusion and capacity-building. In particular, support is needed to strengthen efforts in the poorest and most vulnerable countries.
Being able to measure, report and verify countries’ emissions is a prerequisite for stronger commitments over time. The agreement must therefore contain fundamental principles for a common regulatory framework for transparency and monitoring of countries’ commitments and implementation.
All countries should present their contributions to the new agreement in good time before the Paris session. The EU’s decision to reduce emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2030 is an important step, but a higher level of ambition is needed from both the EU and other parties that have submitted their bids.
The Government considers that a higher level of ambition prior to 2020 is important, both to close the gap between what countries are doing and necessary emission reductions, and to build confidence in the negotiations.
Many difficult issues remain to be solved before and during the session in Paris, including what parts of the new agreement should be legally binding, how adaptation and emission reductions can be given equal political importance in the agreement, how climate financing can increase and which countries should contribute.
Reaching a global climate agreement in Paris is expected to be a major challenge, and even if an agreement is reached it will not provide a complete solution to the problem of climate change. The new agreement is needed to create a platform for more ambitious climate commitments and enhanced global action in the years ahead. However, a number of political and technical issues will remain after Paris, for example the detailed reporting regulations and market mechanisms under the new agreement.
