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Newsletter, July

Join us for an event at IIED, read about London Climate Action Week, mining procurement, evaluating SDGs and more.

Critical theme

The polluter elite, inequality and the ecological crisis

Independent researcher Dario Kenner has spent years studying the ‘polluter elite’ and how they have blocked the transition to a green economy.

Who are the polluter elite and how are they keeping the UK, USA and other countries addicted to fossil fuels? At a discussion at IIED's headquarters on 22 July, he’ll show that their personal wealth and interest in maintaining the status quo opens new options for campaigns.

Find out more about the event and register to attend.

Interview with Stefano D'Errico

Pathways to learning – finding new ways to evaluate SDG progress

The United Nations High Level Political Forum is a great opportunity to take stock of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

With this year’s forum under way in New York, Stefano D’Errico discusses how countries can use the agenda principles as a framework to evaluate their trajectory towards sustainable development.

"The Sustainable Development Goals give us a common vocabulary for what it takes to achieve sustainable development, and with these goals all countries have the same understanding of what sustainable development entails."

– Stefano D'Errico

Blog by Teresa Corcoran

London Climate Week: is the world ready with its emergency response?

At an international debate during London Climate Action Week, progressive voices from the global North and South shared how they’re showing leadership in tackling the climate emergency – and called on the rest of the world to match their ambition.

Read the report from the event.

Guest blog by Jeff Geipel

Why procurement should be the "next frontier" in transparency for mining

Mine sites often spend more on obtaining goods and services – hundreds of millions of dollars a year – than anything else. Jeff Geipel of Mining Shared Value says this procurement needs better data and transparency - but it has the potential to become a lever for economic and social development.

Read his blog.

Blog by Dilys Roe

Bwindi: bees, baskets and brilliant guided walks

Tracking rare mountain gorillas is on the bucket list of many travellers. But what about the people who live in the same places as gorillas? Dilys Roe reports on a project helping local people to develop new businesses that benefit from tourism.

Read her blog.

Working paper, 36 pages

Building resilience to climate change through social protection: Lessons from MGNREGS, India

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is India’s flagship social protection programme. This paper is part of a series of studies that analyse how MGNREGS builds and strengthens the resilience of rural households to different climate shocks. It provides evidence for global policymakers on how to integrate climate risk management into social protection provision and to address poverty in the context of climate change.

Download the working paper.

Working paper, 56 pages

Production alimentaire, expansion agricole et déforestation au Mai-Ndombe, RDC

This French language working paper examines the relationship between deforestation, biodiversity loss and food production in the Mai-Ndombe province in the DRC, and the disconnect between forest conservation policies and agricultural priorities for food security. It presents various alternatives to uncontrolled deforestation in the area and explores elements of REDD+.

Download it now. An English summary is also available.

IIED Briefing papers

Briefings

Evaluating sustainable development: how the 2030 Agenda can help

Apes, crops and communities: land concessions and conservation in Cameroon

Financing local responses to poverty, climate and nature

Backgrounder: Transformative change to reduce deforestation in DRC

Now hiring

Group manager

IIED is seeking a group manager for our Human Settlements research group, working alongside the group director to support strategic management. The successful candidate will have high quality problem-solving skills and proven solid experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders from different backgrounds and cultures.

Find out more and apply by 31 July 2019.