The IIED blog
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First steps towards a global agreement
21 September 2018IIED director Andrew Norton responds to the end of the first session of negotiations of new laws for the high seas, calling for a greater presence of the views of those most affected to ensure a fair and inclusive treaty
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Power that changes lives: three lessons from a rural energy champion
19 September 2018Mini-grids are providing rural communities in Tanzania with the energy they need to move beyond powering household appliances, to generating new business and boosting the local economy
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Addressing the political and technical challenges of measuring adaptation
18 September 2018Susannah Fisher outlines the challenges that need to be addressed in order to effectively measure progress on adaptation as part of the first global stocktake in 2023
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Creating knowledge and supporting action: citizen-generated evidence from food diaries in Uganda
14 September 2018Citizens in Western Uganda are using food diaries to generate data on food consumption – helping them understand their own diets and advocate for a better food system
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Locally controlled forest enterprises are the whole enchilada
10 September 2018Duncan Macqueen explains how community forest enterprises in Mexico are already supporting the integrated delivery of the SDGs
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New rules for high seas must include poorest countries’ needs
5 September 2018For new laws concerning the high seas to be effective and fair, it's vital that the poorest people are listened to and given an active role in protecting and managing our oceans. So says Essam Yassin Mohammed, who is in New York for the negotiations
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Governments must move to formal negotiations in Bangkok and start shaping the final rulebook
4 September 2018Achala Abeysinghe says this week’s UN climate talks need to make progress on agreeing the operational guidelines or ‘rulebook’ for the Paris Agreement – a vital step towards putting the climate deal into practice
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Transforming aid for urban areas
4 September 2018There is a new way to finance community-driven development, working with local funds set up and managed by grassroots organisations. This can work well at scale with local governments to meet basic needs and reduce urban poverty. David Satterthwaite explains why it’s time external agencies took note of this
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Negotiating transparency for the Paris deal: next stop, Bangkok
28 August 2018As climate experts gather in Bangkok for the final negotiating session before the December UN climate talks, guest blogger Tshewang Dorji discusses the transparency requirements of the Paris Agreement – and why these need to work for the LDCs.
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Going 'mobile first' to reach African audiences
23 August 2018Mobile means more than being on the move, it means connecting to the next generation of African audiences
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The power of storytelling: can traditions from the past find answers to the climate problem?
17 August 2018IIED has been exploring how the power of cultural exchanges can be harnessed to find solutions to the complex global challenge of climate change. And we want to hear from you to learn more
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Crucial agreement with China could save Mozambique’s forests
14 August 2018Chinese companies can help Mozambique conserve country’s threatened forests, writes Duncan Macqueen
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More haste less speed? Taking time to learn
7 August 2018Some recent experiences have led Rosalind Goodrich to reflect on the importance of allowing time for learning
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How I learnt to make my voice count at the UN climate negotiations
23 July 2018A junior climate negotiator from Laos explains how a recent training workshop gave her the tools to navigate the complex UN climate talks and the skills to push for more positive outcomes for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) from these crucial international exchanges
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How can insights from CBA12 inform global discussions on the SDGs and resilience?
16 July 2018Delegates to this week's UN High Level Political Forum on sustainable development will be considering the subject of resilience. Clare Shakya highlights some of the insights from CBA12 in Malawi that are relevant
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Long-term strategies under the Paris Agreement – key principles for good governance
13 July 2018The Paris Agreement calls for Parties to communicate their long-term, low greenhouse gas emission development strategies by 2020. Achala Abeysinghe looks at how to ensure good governance for these strategies
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The Green Climate Fund is facing an opportunity – not a crisis
12 July 2018Neha Rai, senior climate researcher at IIED, says the Green Climate Fund needs to reform its decision-making processes – and there is no more time to waste
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Assessing adaptation and development progress
6 July 2018Countries need to know whether their efforts to adapt to climate change are working. The first in a new series of webinars discussed approaches that can help governments assess their progress
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Improving Tanzania’s power quality: can data help?
29 June 2018Ben Garside and Davida Wood discuss whether customer-sourced data can help unpick the problems of electricity supply in Tanzania
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There’s justice in the battle for biodiversity
28 June 2018Increasingly recognised as the irreplaceable basis of our natural world, biodiversity is also fundamental to human wellbeing and sustainable development. James Mayers looks at why effective conservation action is inextricably linked with development and social justice
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Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland – a master class in the politics of change
27 June 2018IIED welcomed one of the world’s most distinguished figures in development at the 2018 Barbara Ward Lecture. Director Andrew Norton reflects on Dr Brundtland’s speech and highlights a vital message for those working in sustainable development
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How tackling climate change could tackle inequality
26 June 2018Sarah Colenbrander and Andrew Sudmant report on research showing that cutting greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas will benefit vulnerable residents most
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Kampala sets example for how cities can help refugees
20 June 2018On World Refugee Day Diane Archer looks at how one city in Africa is exploring ways to support its refugee and migrant population
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What is 'aggregation' and how can it get climate finance working for the most vulnerable?
19 June 2018Climate finance is not being invested at the volume and scale needed to enable vulnerable communities across the world to respond effectively to the impacts of climate change. Sam Greene discusses some of the innovations that are 'aggregating' finance, recipients or information together to help money to flow to where it matters
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How Bus Rapid Transit can make housing affordable to low-income households
6 June 2018A paper in the latest issue of the journal Environment and Urbanization explores how affordable public transport – via a Bus Rapid Transit system – can make housing affordable for low-income groups. David Satterthwaite describes how a roll-out of this public transit could work in Mumbai