Key Points

References

1. many environmental groups have political agendas other than finding common ground on how to improve and sustain the environment
2. if the environment is going to improve, it will take consensus from a majority of reasonable people, not extremists.
3. environmentalism is one priority but not the only one for human society
4. environmentalism can succeed where a community stakeholder view exists

References

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Comparison to WEF Code of Conduct, Mission, Principles

WEF Code of Conduct

• The World Economic Forum adheres to the principles of independence, impartiality, moral integrity and intellectual integrity.

WEF Mission

• The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
• Our activities are shaped by a unique institutional culture founded on the stakeholder theory, which asserts that an organization is accountable to all parts of society. The institution carefully blends and balances the best of many kinds of organizations, from both the public and private sectors, international organizations and academic institutions.
  • how well does WEF actually adhere to its own mission? what stakeholder groups actually have representation? how?

WEF Principles

1. Strengthen global cooperation
   1. advance long-term security and humanitarian objectives for SDG 16
2. Advance peace and security
   1. promote good governance, strong institutions and social cohesion.
3. Re-globalize equitably
   1. new global social contract .. that.. reduces inequity and addresses debt burdens globally.
4. Promote gender equality
   1. prevent gender-based violence and discrimination .. respect of women’s human rights.
5. Rebuild sustainably
   1. measures should advance .. practices ... consistent with 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
   2. need to create a sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient future.
   3. raise the trillions of dollars in investments that are needed.
6. Deepen public-private partnerships
   1. funding for innovation and .. direct resources towards education, infrastructure, technology and humanitarian priorities.
7. Increase global resilience
   1. better global trading systems
      

Comment on WEF Principles

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climate-2023-UN-IPCC_AR6_SYR_SlideDeck.pdf link

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UNESCO: François Wibaux, f.wibaux@unesco.org, +33145680746 

World Water Assessment Programme

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UN-water-unesco.org-Groundwater making the invisible visible.pdf file

Groundwater accounts for 99% of liquid freshwater on Earth and is the source of one quarter of all the water used by humans. Large volumes of fresh groundwater are present below ground surface and distributed over the entire globe; however, this volume of freshwater is irregularly distributed over the continents.

An easy and open access resource to numerous people, leading to common pool characteristics, groundwater offers tremendous opportunities to society for gaining social, economic and environmental benefits and its contribution to satisfying our demand for water is considerable.

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Potential Value Opportunities

Potential Challenges

AMOC - Atlantic Meridianol Overturning Circulation - predictions improving

Collapse of Ocean Currents. link 

A study published Monday concluded that melting ice in Greenland caused by climate change could cause the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) to collapse as soon as 2025, ushering in dramatic consequences for the planet.

The AMOC brings warm water north and east from the Caribbean, while delivering colder Arctic water south. If it were to suddenly shut down, scientists believe North America would experience weather changes such as more severe hurricanes and northern Europe would get a lot colder.

In recent years, studies have shown that the current is at its weakest in 1,000 years. Although scientists are not certain why, several studies have attributed that weakening to an influx of fresh water from the melting of Arctic sea ice, including the Greenland ice sheet, and increasing precipitation — both of which are results of global warming. 

The AMOC is driven by heavier cold water sinking, which raises warm water to the surface, but since fresh water is lighter than salt water, it has reduced the tendency of colder water near the surface to sink.

an AMOC collapse would have wide-ranging effects including increased sea level rise in the Atlantic, a drop in precipitation over Europe and North America,

at the end of the last ice age, when studies suggest a “flood of freshwater spilled into the Atlantic, halting the AMOC and plunging much of the Northern Hemisphere — especially Europe — into deep cold” that lasted 1,000 years.

AMOC Atlantic current collapse will bring instant climate changes - 2024 yahoo

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, is a system of ocean currents that circulate water in the Atlantic Ocean like a conveyor belt, helping to redistribute heat and regulate global and regional climates. New research, however, warns that the AMOC is weakening under a warming climate, and could potentially suffer a dangerous and abrupt collapse with worldwide consequences.

"This is bad news for the climate system and humanity," researchers from Utrecht University's Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research wrote in a new study published in the journal Science Advances.

Image Removed

Considering the AMOC is the workhorse of the Atlantic, the consequences of such a collapse would result in "hugely chaotic changes in global weather patterns" that extend far beyond the Atlantic, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA who was not involved in the study.

"It would plunge Europe into essentially a regionalized Ice Age, while leaving the rest of the world on its continued warming path," Swain said. "The Southern Hemisphere would roast, the Pacific storm track would go kind of nuts, and there would be these extreme shifts in weather patterns that are very different from what you would expect from a more incremental or linear warming path."

The odds of such a collapse are low — about 5% or 10% this century, according to some researchers — but the consequences are so great that it would be unwise to ignore the possibility, Swain said.

"There's still a [90%] to 95% chance that won't happen, but would you be willing to bet the farm on a [90%] to 95% chance that something like this doesn't happen?" he said. "Would you get on a plane if there were a [90%] to 95% chance that it won't crash? I certainly wouldn't."

The AMOC moves water in the Atlantic Ocean from north to south and back again in a long cycle, but there are indications that it has been weakening over the last century, including a roughly 15% decrease since 1950.

The system relies on a delicate balance of warm surface water and cold, salty water that sinks toward the sea floor, which together keep the current churning. But as the planet warms, melting glaciers and ice sheets — such as the Greenland ice sheet — are adding more freshwater to the system, which is diluting its salinity and disrupting traditional patterns.

"It's a self-amplifying feedback loop mainly affecting salinity, and the fresher the North Atlantic Ocean becomes, the weaker the AMOC, until you reach a critical value," said René van Westen, the study's lead author.

The study does not place a time frame on when such a collapse could occur, and Van Westen said such estimates can be controversial. But the paper was the first to demonstrate that the AMOC can reach a tipping point if enough freshwater is added to the system.

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International Chamber of CommercePrinciples for Sustainable Trade Finance: A New Benchmark for Green Trade

🔍 Key Highlights:

1. A Comprehensive Approach to Green Trade Finance (GTF): The PSTF outlines principles for Green Trade Finance, aligned with theLoan Market Association (LMA)'s Green Loan Principles (GLPs). It allows banks to assess the sustainability of transactions not only by project-based evaluations but also by the nature of the goods financed. This dual approach ensures that both the purpose of financing and the nature of goods align with green activities.

2. Reducing Greenwashing Risks: The ICC’s framework emphasizes the importance of consistent use of proceeds and robust evidencing. This is crucial to ensure that green-labeled products are genuinely sustainable, thereby channeling capital to activities that support environmental goals.

3. Sustainability-Linked Trade Finance: Building on the LMA's Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles, the ICC provides guidance tailored for trade finance, offering clarity on how to link sustainability performance targets (SPTs) with trade finance products. This ensures that sustainability-linked products drive genuine improvements in corporate sustainability practices.

4. A Future-Focused Perspective: While the document primarily covers Green Trade Finance, it also sets the ambition for future principles around Social Trade Finance. This holistic approach aims to balance environmental and socioeconomic considerations, paving the way for a more inclusive and sustainable trade finance ecosystem.

5. Supporting Data and Reporting: The PSTF emphasizes data-driven assessments and standardized reporting, aligning with theICMA - International Capital Market Association’s Green Bond Principles. Banks are encouraged to maintain transparency in tracking the sustainability of financed goods, ensuring that reporting practices are rigorous yet adaptable to the nature of trade finance products.

exporters-compile-traceability-proofs-of-land-to-comply-with-eus-new-deforestation-regulation/amp_articleshow

Indian exporters are putting together traceability proofs such as geolocation coordinates of plots of land and details of their entire supply chain as they gear up to comply with the European Union's new regulation on deforestation.

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requires firms to ensure that products exported to the EU have been grown on land which has not been deforested after December 31, 2020.

Effective, efficient measurement of environmental products

Jim>> SBTN podcast 

There is a long way to go to effectively quantify and manage affordably all environmental impacts for producers and consumers of environmental products.

SBTN is the start of a collaborative journey to measure and achieve targets for practical sustainable environment management as a part of corporate governance going forward.

Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) validation pilot results - 2024

steps toward setting science-based targets for nature. This pilot marks a key milestone in corporate sustainability, providing a credible framework for companies to assess their environmental impacts and take action on freshwater and land use.

What stands out is the ambition these companies have shown—moving beyond traditional compliance to embrace proactive, nature-positive goals. Through the independent validation process, these organizations have not only elevated their sustainability efforts but also gained increased credibility with stakeholders, from investors to consumers

However, the journey hasn’t been without challenges. Access to reliable data—especially in supply chains—remains a significant hurdle, as does engaging local stakeholders for validation. Yet, by refining the SBTN framework, companies now have more flexibility to set targeted, achievable goals while continuing to uphold scientific rigor.

With global regulatory frameworks like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) gaining momentum, these science-based targets offer a clear pathway to compliance and a future where businesses actively contribute to nature’s regeneration.

SBTN-Pilot-Study-2024-Science-Based-Targets-4-Nature.pdf.  link 

SBTN-Pilot-Study-2024-Science-Based-Targets-4-Nature.pdf. file

Jim>>  Thanks for the SBTN Pilot Study Report. It has some very useful ideas.

"SBTN equipped companies to assess and prioritize their environmental impacts and to set freshwater and land targets".

The key to building consensus and commitment for environmental improvements is trust. The SBTN approach is good way to build trust in the 

Potential Challenges

AMOC - Atlantic Meridianol Overturning Circulation - predictions improving

Collapse of Ocean Currents. link 

A study published Monday concluded that melting ice in Greenland caused by climate change could cause the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) to collapse as soon as 2025, ushering in dramatic consequences for the planet.

The AMOC brings warm water north and east from the Caribbean, while delivering colder Arctic water south. If it were to suddenly shut down, scientists believe North America would experience weather changes such as more severe hurricanes and northern Europe would get a lot colder.

In recent years, studies have shown that the current is at its weakest in 1,000 years. Although scientists are not certain why, several studies have attributed that weakening to an influx of fresh water from the melting of Arctic sea ice, including the Greenland ice sheet, and increasing precipitation — both of which are results of global warming. 

The AMOC is driven by heavier cold water sinking, which raises warm water to the surface, but since fresh water is lighter than salt water, it has reduced the tendency of colder water near the surface to sink.

an AMOC collapse would have wide-ranging effects including increased sea level rise in the Atlantic, a drop in precipitation over Europe and North America,

at the end of the last ice age, when studies suggest a “flood of freshwater spilled into the Atlantic, halting the AMOC and plunging much of the Northern Hemisphere — especially Europe — into deep cold” that lasted 1,000 years.

Collapse of key Atlantic current could have catastrophic impacts - yahoo

AMOC Atlantic current collapse will bring instant climate changes - 2024 yahoo

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, is a system of ocean currents that circulate water in the Atlantic Ocean like a conveyor belt, helping to redistribute heat and regulate global and regional climates. New research, however, warns that the AMOC is weakening under a warming climate, and could potentially suffer a dangerous and abrupt collapse with worldwide consequences.

"This is bad news for the climate system and humanity," researchers from Utrecht University's Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research wrote in a new study published in the journal Science Advances.

Image Added

Considering the AMOC is the workhorse of the Atlantic, the consequences of such a collapse would result in "hugely chaotic changes in global weather patterns" that extend far beyond the Atlantic, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA who was not involved in the study.

"It would plunge Europe into essentially a regionalized Ice Age, while leaving the rest of the world on its continued warming path," Swain said. "The Southern Hemisphere would roast, the Pacific storm track would go kind of nuts, and there would be these extreme shifts in weather patterns that are very different from what you would expect from a more incremental or linear warming path."

The odds of such a collapse are low — about 5% or 10% this century, according to some researchers — but the consequences are so great that it would be unwise to ignore the possibility, Swain said.

"There's still a [90%] to 95% chance that won't happen, but would you be willing to bet the farm on a [90%] to 95% chance that something like this doesn't happen?" he said. "Would you get on a plane if there were a [90%] to 95% chance that it won't crash? I certainly wouldn't."

The AMOC moves water in the Atlantic Ocean from north to south and back again in a long cycle, but there are indications that it has been weakening over the last century, including a roughly 15% decrease since 1950.

The system relies on a delicate balance of warm surface water and cold, salty water that sinks toward the sea floor, which together keep the current churning. But as the planet warms, melting glaciers and ice sheets — such as the Greenland ice sheet — are adding more freshwater to the system, which is diluting its salinity and disrupting traditional patterns.

"It's a self-amplifying feedback loop mainly affecting salinity, and the fresher the North Atlantic Ocean becomes, the weaker the AMOC, until you reach a critical value," said René van Westen, the study's lead author.

The study does not place a time frame on when such a collapse could occur, and Van Westen said such estimates can be controversial. But the paper was the first to demonstrate that the AMOC can reach a tipping point if enough freshwater is added to the system.

AMOC collapse - So this won't affect you much but it could be a big problem for your children and grand children

AMOC collapse - expected impacts

researchers say that models indicate an AMOC collapse is possible, and that such an event would significantly alter the planet's climate. Its effects would be most acute in Europe, where temperatures could decrease up to 18 degrees on average, or even as much as 36 degrees in places such as Norway and Scandinavia. It could also trigger "seesawing" conditions between the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Other potential effects include rapidly rising sea levels, with more than 2 feet of sea-level rise possible along some coastal regions, including the Netherlands and the U.S. East Coast. New York City could be inundated by as much as 31 inches of sea-level rise, Van Westen said.

The Amazon rainforest would see its dry and wet seasons flipped, potentially leading to its own tipping point. (A separate study published this month found that parts of that rainforest could collapse as soon as 2050.)

Effects on the Pacific Ocean and U.S. West Coast would probably be smaller

How People Live Impacts Environment - Old vs Young

https://www.yahoo.com/news/greta-thunberg-her-gen-z-070000637.html

In January 2020, for example, Greta Thunberg and a group of other leading “youth climate activists” co-wrote a scathing public statement in which they declared that, when it comes to the climate, “Young people are being let down by older generations and those in power.”

according to a fascinating new poll by YouGov, the old actually seem to be doing more to tackle climate change than the young.

In the poll, those aged 18-24 claimed to be the most worried about climate change. When it came to doing something other than moan, however, it was a different story. Almost 90 per cent of the over-65s said they recycled “as much as possible”, compared with only half of the young. The old were also more likely to save water, turn down the heating, wash their clothes at low temperatures, buy locally produced food, avoid excessive packaging, buy energy-efficient appliances, switch off the lights when leaving a room, and repair things rather than throw them away. On top of that, more of them had cut down on the number of flights they took.

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