Circular Economy, Food Systems, and Biodiversity Are Key Focus Areas for the EU Green Deal Priority vs Progress, Expert Stakeholders, 2021 Stakeholders rated a range of sustainability issues on two dimensions – level of priority and progress made. Two issues – clean energy and climate – are areas where priorities and progress are both viewed as being strong. Circularity, food systems, and nature are all issues where priorities are high, but where progress is seen to be weak. These areas … “Insight of the Week: Circular Economy, Food Systems, and Biodiversity Are Key Focus Areas for the EU Green Deal”
On September 26th, National Geographic’s Chief Science and Exploration Officer, Terry Garcia, and I were in Boston MA to publish the 2014 Greendex survey on the status of sustainable consumption across 18 countries, the fifth edition of this National Geographic / GlobeScan collaboration. If you are unfamiliar with it, the Greendex is a composite measure of sustainable (or not) consumer behavior consisting of 65 different types of choices and behaviors analyzed and tracked across four sub-indexes. Quite aptly, we chose … “New Metrics on Consumer Behavior Change”
In uncertain and volatile times, global organizations need greater insight on how to better manage risks and capitalize on opportunities, build trust with their stakeholders and society, and exert a greater influence in shaping their external context. Faced with these challenges, what can those charged with managing companies and their reputation do to stay ahead of the game? To help equip corporate leaders to take on these challenges, we are publishing 14 sector intelligence reports (covering Automotive, Banking, Beer, Chemical, Clothing, Electricity, Food, IT/Tech, Media and Entertainment, Mining, Oil and Petroleum, Pharmaceutical, Supermarkets, and … “Understanding Views on Business – GlobeScan Radar Infographic and Sector Intelligence Reports”
A report on electricity sector intelligence, drawn from GlobeScan Radar’s 2013 study of global public attitudes towards business in society.
How did we lose the room? This is the question facing the sustainability community as GlobeScan’s latest Radar data shows a decline in how serious the global public considers environmental issues to be. With ample scientific evidence to the contrary (see the latest IPCC report), how do we explain the decreasing public concern in environmental issues? And, on World Environment Day 2014, what does this mean for organisations trying to make headway on sustainability? GlobeScan’s recent Radar public opinion survey asked … “Enough of the Doom and Gloom: Amidst Declining Environmental Concern, Real Leadership is Needed to Re-Engage the Public”
More than 1.6 billion people around the world rely on kerosene lamps as a source of light. Kerosene is a toxic fuel oil that can irritate the skin and adversely affect the central nervous system, contributing to the nearly 2 million premature deaths caused by indoor pollution related illnesses. Kerosene fuel also adversely impacts the environment. A recent report shows that 7-9 percent of the kerosene used in lamps is converted into black carbon, a powerful climate change pollutant, and … “Life Is Better With Luci: How Solar Lanterns Help Keep Haitian Communities Safe and Healthy”
26 March 2013 – Circle of Blue, a team of award-winning journalists and researchers reporting on water and other worldwide resource issues, and the Institute for Globally Transformative Technologies (LIGTT) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a pioneer in bringing scientific solutions to critical global problems, have partnered to create Choke Point: Index, the first dynamic, open-source data and on-the-ground journalism project exploring the globally significant competition between water, food, and energy. The world’s demand for fresh water is growing so fast that, by 2030, … “First Dynamic, Open-source Data and Journalism Project to Explore Linkage between Water, Food and Energy”
The consequences of high oil prices–still around $100 a barrel–are making themselves felt again. Exxon has announced increased profits, and prices at the fuel pump are at near-record levels.
So the fact that fears of further price increases are at the top of consumers’ concerns about energy, according to GlobeScan’s world public attitudes tracking, should not come as a surprise. Nearly one in four citizens (23%) across nine countries polled since 1998 now cites rising prices as their primary energy-related concern.
The latest data also reveals the impact of last year’s incident at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant. Concern about the risks posed by nuclear power had fallen away significantly the last time this question was fielded in 2008, as many governments contemplated ramping up their nuclear programs in response to increasing concerns over energy security and supply. But the Fukushima accident has clearly made many think again, and worries about the risks of nuclear power are now mentioned as the primary energy-related concern by nearly as many (21%) as possible price increases.
However, other recent GlobeScan findings suggest that some countries are bucking the trend. While support for building new nuclear power stations has fallen in many countries, it has remained stable in the USA, and has risen in the UK. With support for nuclear expansion also high in China and Pakistan, it is too soon to say that public opinion has swung decisively against nuclear power.
Finding from the GlobeScan Radar, Wave 2, 2011
For more information on this finding, please contact Sam Mountford (Read Bio)
Energy issues are seen by sustainability experts as the most important sustainable development challenge facing their country, the latest findings from the SustainAbility Survey reveal. But the findings also highlight some significant differences from region to region in perceptions of what the pressing issues are, and confirm that use of resources of all kinds is likely to dominate the agenda as emerging economies continue to develop.
Several times a year, GlobeScan and SustainAbility interview a panel of experts from around the world who work on sustainability issues within corporations, NGOs, academia, government departments, and scientific institutions. They are regularly asked to predict what the most critical sustainability issues will be over the months and years to come.
Energy is mentioned as the most urgent issue in North America, Europe, and emerging markets. While climate change emerges as the second most important issue in North America, in emerging markets water issues are seen to be nearly as critical as energy. Emerging markets are also more concerned than their industrialized-world peers about poverty and inequity, as well as deforestation and land use issues.
The results also show that European experts are more likely to be concerned about economic issues in the context of the ongoing Eurozone debt crisis, while awareness of sustainable development challenges is more frequently seen as an urgent issue by North Americans.
Finding from The 2011 GlobeScan/SustainAbility Survey (read the press release / read the full report)
For more information on this finding, please contact Sam Mountford (Read Bio)
Conducted for The U.S. Conference of Mayors and sponsored by Siemens, this survey of nearly 400 mayors in all 50 US states has found that energy and sustainability efforts have maintained momentum within cities.