Canada Failing to Meet its Emission Reduction Commitments

Canada's first ever review of its climate policies indicate that thenation will not meet it's 2020 emission reduction commitments. The election of Justin Trudeau's Liberal government was met with tremendous optimism from those concerned about climate change.

Although this government portrays itself as a climate leader, it is now clear that Canada will not meet its 2020 emissions reduction commitments. Canada has pledged to reduce its emissions by 17 percent compared to 2005 levels. This shortfall is in stark contrast to the ruling Liberal party's climate action rhetoric and it is at odds with this government's support for decreasing the upper temperature limit to 1.5° C as opposed to 2° C.

A new auditors report casts aspersions on Canada's climate leadership. The report indicates that except for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Canadian provinces are not on track to achieve their share of emissions reduction. To make matters worse neither the federal government nor individual provinces have adequately assessed the risk posed by climate change, nor do they have a clear idea of what is needed to adapt in the face of this threat.

The audit was conducted by the Federal Environment Commissioner and provincial auditors general. It examines climate change planning and emissions reduction between November 2016 and March 2018.

While the federal government is downplaying the 2020 target it is strongly emphasizing its commitment to the 2030 target. Canada is committed to reducing its national emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030 compared to 2005. However, in the absence of detailed plans including timelines, funding requirements and specific actions, this appears to be an effort to kick the can down the road rather than a cogent strategy.

Where plans exist they are not executed the report concludes. The net result is that Canada will surpass their 2020 carbon goal by at least 200 million tons.

However, it should be pointed out that the audit does not take into account the Pan Canadian Framework to deal with climate change which includes all territories and provinces except for Saskatchewan.

Canada is warming faster than other parts of the world. The average annual temperature has increased by 1.6 degrees Celsius between 1948 and 2013.  Wildfires may be the most immediate global warming related impact in Canada. There is a marked trend towards bigger fires and longer fire seasons. We have seen devastating fires in places like Fort McMurray and last summer B.C. was ravaged by massive forest fires. 

There are also other immediate and long term threats from climate change. Arctic warming is melting the permafrost in Canada's far north and sea ice is melting at a dangerous rate. As the country with the largest coastlines, Canada is especially vulnerable to sea level rise. The irrationality of failing to deal with climate threats will destroy property and cost Canadians billions of dollars.

Even though the Canadian government continues to say all the right things about its desire to address climate change, words must be accompanied by deeds to be more than hollow rhetoric.

The Death of Decoupling is a Major Blow to Climate Action

The evidence documenting the decoupling of economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions has been growing for years. The CDC has concluded that growth is compatible with emission reduction and Carbon Brief reported that 35 countries are showing signs of decoupling. If emissions coupled to growth is the problem then decoupling is the solution. This is the key to market driven solutions.

The Stern Review concludes the choice between climate action and economic growth is a false choice:
"The world does not need to choose between averting climate change and promoting growth and development. Changes in energy technologies and in the structure of economies have created opportunities to decouple growth from greenhouse gas emissions."
It should be pointed out that failing to curtail emissions is far more costly than the reductions themselves. The Stern Review warned of dire economic implication if we do not avert the worst impacts of climate change. In recent years it seemed as though the message was getting through.

California has been leading the way steadily building a profitable case for decoupling carbon emissions and growth. Charles Kolstad, a Stanford University economist concluded that California has demonstrated that it can stabilize emissions and have a prosperous economy.

As reported by Enviormental Leader, a 2016 report titled, the Global 500 GHG Performance, indicates that corporate revenues grew five times faster than emissions. The same year that this report was released more than 155 companies adopted science based emission reduction targets.

However, hopeful observations are being eclipsed by other more ominous findings. Many of the largest polluters have not shown any evidence of decoupling and in the US, after three years of declines, the EPA predicts that emissions will begin to rise again in 2018.

Recently released data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that after being flat for three years global emissions started to climb again in 2017. This is directly tied to increasing fossil fuel usage. Even coal, the dirtiest of dirty energy is ramping up production after a steady and precipitous decline.

We thought we had reason to believe that we may be able to decouple economic growth from greenhouse gas, emissions. Now that the streak of decoupling has ended so too has any hope of staying within safe upper threshold temperature limits.

The markets have failed because critical variables have not been factored into the value equation. At the crux of the issue is our reliance on fossil fuels and our preoccupation with unbridled growth. It is increasingly apparent that we must put limits on both.

Related
More Decoupling Proving Corporate Emissions Reduction Compadible with Growth
Corporations are Decoupling
Decoupling economic growth from emissions
More Evidence for the Decoupling of the Economy and Emissions
The Challenge of Sustainability: Economic Growth and Emissions Reduction
We Can Reduce GHG Emissions and Tackle Climate Change

Event - Impact Capitalism Summit

The tenth annual Impact Capitalism Summit will take place on April 17-18, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. Referred to as the "The DAVOS of Impact Investing".  The Impact Capitalism Summit is the largest convening of investors focused on maximizing impact and maximizing return across asset classes.

Impact Driving Alpha & Diversity Driving Alpha are this year's themes at the Impact Capitalism Summit in Chicago. This year's conference will explore how institutional investors are finding market performance returns and better by looking at diversity as a potential source of arbitrage. "Talent is equally distributed but opportunity is not." Across asset classes, there is a large segment of our economy that is on the sidelines. Non-white, non-male fund managers, CEOs, and entrepreneurs have little access to the fuel needed to bring about meaningful innovation. Because of this, what great fund, company and investment strategy has not been funded?

The Summit will explore the progress of leading impact investment portfolios, discover the latest innovations across sectors, themes and asset classes, and identify the steps needed to harness the power of capital markets to build a sustainable, fair and just economy where opportunity and prosperity are shared by all.

They have created a thought-provoking and actionable agenda designed to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and encourage collaboration in a unique environment that promises to capture the imagination and inspire participation. You will hear from prominent family offices, institutional investors, and influential foundations about what is driving their impact investment decision-making in 2018 and experience an exciting lineup of discussions, debates, and performances.

SPEAKERS

Meet and hear from leaders building transformational companies and leveraging the engine of capitalism for great profits and great good.  Seven new speakers have recently been added.

Michael Polsky @ Invenergy
Greg Shell @ Bain Capital
Brian Nesbitt @ Vistria
Amy Francetic @ Invenergy
Allison Clark @ MacArthur Foundation
Bryan Pini @ Mercy Investment Services
Kirk Sims @ Teachers Retirement System of Illinois

Click here for the full list of speakers. Click here to register/apply.

Event - Alliance Conference on the Environment, Health, Safety and Quality

The EGSQ event will take place on April 18 - 20, 2018 at the Fairmont Austin in Texas. This event will be attended by world’s leading EHSQ professionals to Change Business for Good.

Network, learn and collaborate with hundreds of users, Intelex personnel and industry experts to transform business.

Powered by Intelex, the 2018 EHSQ Alliance Conference will bring together Environmental, Health, Safety and Quality peers and industry leaders worldwide to:
  • Attend sessions from leading EHSQ professionals Connect, network and share in best practices
  • Learn how to create safer workplaces
  • Learn how to drive a culture of quality
  • Gain insights into sustainability in business
  • Get exclusive access to the EHSQ Alliance
At the core of this event, Intelex CEO and President, Mark Jaine, will provide all attendees exclusive access to the EHSQ Alliance, a revolutionary EHSQ technology in its first release, for FREE. He will introduce the technology, the long-term strategy, how it can be immediately leveraged in your business and how it will change our industry like never before.

The hotel negotiated rate expires on March 27th. Click here for more information or here to register.

Event - Environmental Social Governance Summit: A Driver of Shareholder Value

The 4th annual Environmental Social Governance Summit will take place on April 5th 2018 at the Crowne Plaza Times Square, New York, NY.

The program will convene 200 heads of ESG, pension funds, institutional investors, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and operational leaders to discuss how the ESG enterprise is reshaping itself to meet stakeholder expectations and best practices to improve company resilience.

The Skytop Strategies team is dedicated to crafting thought provoking agendas that are diverse, not only in areas of thought and experience, but in the broad range of attending speakers.

Highlighted ESG4 speakers include:
  • Dan Winters | Head of Americas - GRESB | Washington, D.C.
  • Mary Hartman Morris | Investment Officer, Corporate Governance - California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) | Sacramento, CA
  • Mariela Vargova | Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Impact Investments - Rockefeller & Co. | New York, NY
  • Maureen O’Brien | Director of Corporate Governance - Segal Marco Advisors | Chicago, IL
  • Meredith Miller | Chief Corporate Governance Officer – UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust | Ann Arbor, MI
  • Michael McCauley | Senior Officer, Investment Programs & Governance - Florida State Board of Administration (SBA) | Tallahassee, FL
  • Patricia Brammer | Manager, Corporate Governance Officer - Ohio Public Employees Retirement System | Buffalo, NY
  • Rodrigo Garcia | Chief Investment Officer and Chief Financial Officer - Illinois State Treasury | Chicago, IL
  • Scott M. Stringer | New York City Comptroller | New York, NY
  • David Mordy | Director, Investor Relations – CenterPoint Energy | Houston, TX

Watch this 2-minute testimonial video from Jim Rossman, Head of Shareholder Advisory with Lazard, David Katz, Partner with Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, and Eleazer Klein, Partner, with Schulte Roth & Zabel, about their experience at our 2018 Shareholder Activism Summit.


Click here to view the full agenda.

Use coupon code REG400 and get a $400 discount on the current ticket price.

Click here to register.

Event - Sustainable Brands Istanbul Turkey

This event will take place on April 18-19, 2018 at the Fairmont Quasar Istanbul in Istanbul, Turkey.  Looking to drive better business results? Sustainable Brands is home to the premier global community of brand leaders who are tapping environmental and social purpose to drive innovation and deliver new business and brand value.

Discover how shifting consumer demands around the world are changing the 21st-century economy. Benefit from NEW, fresh-from-the-field RESEARCH and CASE STUDIES to help you deliver positive social impact while strengthening your brand’s performance.

Learn from Today’s Change Agents

Sustainable Brands consistently delivers a world-class faculty of thought-leaders and practitioners who not only offer a diversity of insight, but provide tangible business results. More than one million change maker professionals representing the world’s largest global brands, disruptive social entrepreneurs, NGOs, investors, academia plus a multitude of other stakeholders that support them are gathering.

ANYONE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SHOULD ATTEND #SB18Istanbul


brand-strategy

BRAND STRATEGY

How brand leaders are building authentic, transparent sustainable brands that leverage the core strengths of their business while responding to changing customer and all other stakeholder expectations?


communication

COMMUNICATION

How can you use the right channels, tools and language to talk about your company's sustainable innovation in a way that is impactful, transparent and powerful?


innovation

INNOVATION & DESIGN

How are you inspired and equipped to apply design skills and thinking to help solve some of the most pressing needs of the day through better product and service design?


supply-chain

SUPPLY CHAIN

How can you find solutions that prevent supply chain disruptions and guide you to new partnerships and possibilities for efficiency and increased value?


consumer-behaviour

CONSUMER BEHANIOUR & INFLUENCES

How can you discover what consumers around the world want from brands today, and the ways to respond that ensure short and long term success?


social-impact

SOCIAL IMPACT

How can you find ways to increase individual and social well-being by removing social problems collectively?


To register click here.

Hawkings Urges Climate Action to Halt Global Warming

One of greatest minds the world has ever known has died leaving behind some disturbing predictions about climate change. British professor Stephen Hawkings warned, "we are close to the tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible". Hawkings was a ground breaking theoretical physicist, often described as the world's smartest man. He contributed to our understanding of space and time but he is best known for his finding that black holes are not entirely black. He succumbed to complications from the motor neuron disease ALS on March 14th at the age of 76.



Towards the end of 2016, Hawkings said that humanity's reign on Earth will come to an end due to man-made mass extinction. He spoke about the need to colonize space. "We must also continue to go into space for the future of humanity," he said. "I don’t think we will survive another 1000 without escaping beyond our fragile planet."

Hawkings cited threats to our survival including nuclear war, man-made viruses, and AI. He also said that "catastrophic global warming" represents a very grave threat to the survival of life on Earth. Right up until the end of his life Hawkings warned of the urgent need to halt global warming. "Climate change is one of the great dangers we face, and it's one we can prevent," Hawkings said.

Trump's climate denial

Hawkings openly confronted Trump calling him a "demagogue". He decried Trump's authoritarianism and called him on his climate denial and his decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement.  He said that he would like to, "ask him [Trump] to renounce his denial of climate change."
"I am not denying the importance of fighting climate change and global warming, unlike Donald Trump, who may just have taken the most serious, and wrong, decision on climate change this world has seen," Hawking said.  "By denying the evidence of climate change and pulling out of the Paris Agreement, Donald Trump will cause avoidable environmental damage to our beautiful planet endangering us and our children".
At the beginning of 2018, Hawkings sharply rebuked climate deniers by telling them to take a trip to Venus, a planet ravaged by extreme heat. He pointed out that Venus was once a habitable planet but the build-up of greenhouse gases created the inhospitable climate we see today. "This is what happens when greenhouse gases are out of control", he said. "Next time you meet a climate-change denier, tell them to take a trip to Venus; I will pay the fare", he added.

"Trump's action could push the Earth over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of two hundred and fifty degrees, and raining sulphuric acid," Hawkings said.



Distrust of science

The Trump administration has been at the forefront of efforts to undermine science. Hawkins commented on the growth of anti-science sentiments and he suggested this may have serious consequences.
"People distrust science because they don't understand how it works," Hawking said. "It seems as if we are now living in a time in which science and scientists are in danger of being held in low, and decreasing esteem. This could have serious consequences. I am not sure why this should be as our society is increasingly governed by science and technology, yet fewer young people seem to want to take up science as a career," Hawkings explained in a Wired interview.

Working together for a sustainable future

Despite the dire warning, Hawkings described himself as an "enormous optimist" adding the caveat that we must learn to work together. Hawkings called out Trump for his nativism and his anti-immigrant policies. However, Hawkings conceded that Trump will likely continue to appease his base rather than adopt evidence based policies.

Solving the climate crisis demands that we work together and Trump appears to be doing just the opposite. "[W]e only have one planet, and we need to work together to protect it," Hawkings wrote. "To do that, we need to break down, not build up, barriers within and between nations."

Durwood Zaelke, the founder and President of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD), told Futurism that Hawkings is "spot on". "We’re chasing a fast-moving—indeed an accelerating problem of climate change, with slow-moving solutions, and we’re getting further behind every day," Zaelke said. "[W]e’ll soon face climate-driven chaos that will threaten our very civilization and our democratic form of government, while the fear of chaos feeds authoritarian regimes."

Final words

Just before his death, Hawkings developed mathematical proofs for the multiverse. He also suggested that the universe is finite and darkness will ultimately bring it to an end as stars run out of hydrogen fuel. He hypothesized that small amounts of warming may be a common factor in both the death of our planet and the end of the universe. While runaway global warming may end life on Earth, the universe may succumb to what is called "heat death".  According to this view the universe will go dark as it warms ever so slightly to reach temperatures just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero.

A private funeral will be held for Hawkings  at St. Mary's Church on March 31 and his ashes will be interred in the grave next to Sir Isaac Newton and close to Charles Darwin at Westminster Abbey.

Public-Private Wastewater Partnerships

Public-private partnerships involving wastewater are part of an innovative approach to sustainability that delivers results. Wastewater is an overlooked and underutilized resource that delivers results. Businesses, communities, residents, and the environment all stand to benefit from wastewater initiatives. This reduces demand for clean water which is particularly important in areas subject to drought. Corporations are coming to terms with issues related to resource scarcity and increasingly showing leadership in water management.

The three year long drought and resultant water crisis in Cape Town is a clarion call. On May 4th the four-million residents of South Africa's second-largest city will run out of water in what is being called "Day Zero" The availability of water is or will be a major concern for many cities and towns around the world. Some of the big cities that are currently concerned about water shortages include São Paulo, Bangalore, Beijing, Cairo, Jakarta, Moscow, Istanbul, Mexico City, London, Tokyo and Miami.

Corporate America is getting ever more serious about sustainability and water is a major focus of their efforts. The water demands of most businesses make such considersations an indispensable part of sustainability initiatives. This implies that they work alongside the communities in which they are located to collaboratively plan strategies to manage water scarcity. Businesses are cooperating with governments and local resident to develop strategies that mitigate risk. In some cases the private sector may require government incentives to recycle, store and capture water.

Public-private partnerships are one of the most effective ways of addressing water scarcity. Sustainable water management partnerships offer win-win scenarios for both businesses and communities. This benefits the economy, the environment and local residents.

One such partnership can be found in drought-prone North Central Texas. To address the problem of water scarcity businesses are cooperating with local towns to come up with some creative solutions. As reported by Triple Pundit, two cities in Texas are collaborating with a hygiene solutions company to manage their water resources.

A Sealed Air plant in Iowa Park is now using recycled effluent water from the town's wastewater treatment plant. By using abundant wastewater they have reduces their demand for potable water by 40 percent. The water reuse partnership between a Sealed Air plant and the towns of Iowa Park and Wichita Falls will conserve 19 million gallons of drinking water each year.

The idea for this innovative $1.5 million project arose as a consequence of sustained periods of drought in Texas. Effluent water is an ideal solution because it is drought proof and has environmental co-benefits like reducing demand on clean water.

Businesses across the country can benefit from collaborative wastewater projects like the one in Texas. Another form of wastewater, referred to as greywater, is already being used extensively in the beer industry.

The demand for wastewater solutions will continue to grow as water resources become ever more scarce.

Related
Water and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Recycling or Reclaiming Water: A Sustainable Solution for Industry
World Water Day: Employment and Energy
Water is a Key to Sustainable Development
Water Stewardship Steps: Developing a Water Strategy
Six Innovations for Better Water Management
A Condensed History of Responsible Water Stewardship
WBCSD Report: Building the Business case for Water Valuation
Report - Water Cooperation in Action: Approaches, Tools and Processes
Solutions to the World Water Crisis Requires International Cooperation
The Business of Water Management Requires Collaboration
Water Risk Tool: The Convergence of Business and Conservation
New Tool Helps Companies with Water Risks

Combating Climate Change to Slow Species Extinction



"We are entering a new era in Earth’s history: the Anthropocene. An era in which humans rather than natural forces are the primary drivers of planetary change. But we can also redefine our relationship with our planet, from a wasteful, unsustainable and predatory one, to one where people and nature can coexist in harmony."

WWF International director general Marco Lambertini
We are facing the sixth mass extinction event. According to a 2015 report one sixth of the world's species face extinction because of climate change. Human activity is eradicating species at an alarming pace and the death of the last male Northern White Rhino is a clarion call.

At the beginning of this year there was a massive die-off of the saiga antelope. Initial research suggests this may be attributable to climate induced changes to the microbiome. Other mass-die offs include starfish, swallows, gazelles and bats. As reported by the Atlantic, mass animal die-offs are becoming increasingly common.

A small rodent known as the Bramble Cay Melomys (aka reef mosaic-tailed rat) is the first species thought to have been rendered extinct by climate change. Many more species are at risk from climate change and many of these are expected to become extinct as the planet continues to warm.

Dozens of species are going extinct every day. This is the largest number of species die-offs since a meteorite is thought to have destroyed most life on the planet 65 million years ago. Although extinctions are a natural phenomenon human activity is radically accelerating the rate at which this is occurring.

Some scientists predict that human activity will soon cause our own extinction. US conservation biologist Guy McPherson believes that methane emissions will lead to many more near term extinctions in the next decade including human beings. McPherson is a professor emeritus of natural resources and the environment at the University of Arizona, he suggests that rising GHG levels will create feedback loops* that cause abrupt climate change (aka nonlinear climate change).

Climate change already kills people and animals and if left unchecked it will get far worse. climate change has laid waste to vast swaths of coral in the Great Barrier Reef and the Arctic is on the cusp of a death spiral. Fish populations are collapsing and climate change is threatening half of all wildlife including rhinos, polar bears, and tigers.

A 2016 report from the World Wildlife Federation and the Zoological society of London states that human activity is destroying life on Earth. The study found that wild animal populations dropped by 58 percent between 1970 and 2012 and it predicts animal species will decline by more than two thirds by 2020. The study, Living Planet Report 2016 is a damning indictment of humanities destructiveness. However the report includes successful transitions and solutions.

Although the situation is dire, there are a number of success stories that give us reason to believe that we can combat species extinction. Individuals and organizations like the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) work to protect endangered species and they understand that combating climate change is key to this effort. LDF is a private non-profit organization that supports environmental causes and climate action.

Last September LDF awarded $20 million in grants to initiatives that address climate change. Founder and Chairman of LDF Leonardo DiCaprio said, "These grantees are active on the ground, protecting our oceans, forests and endangered species for future generations – and tackling the urgent, existential challenges of climate change".

LDF’s Climate Programme contributed $3,573,562 to climate related projects including projects pursuing 100 percent renewable energy and projects that protect ecosystems. Terry Tamminen, CEO of LDF commented: "This round of grants comes at a critical time. With a lack of political leadership and continued evidence that climate change is growing worse with record-breaking heatwaves and storms, we believe we need to do as much as we can now, before it is too late".  In the last 2 decades LDF has given away a total of $80 million to support conservation and climate action. Organizations like the LDF offer hope for a better world.

It is becoming increasingly evident that the fate of humanity is tied to the Earth's biodiversity. If we want to combat species extinction we must combat climate change.

* Some of the feedback loops that may contribute to nonlinear climate change include wildfires, El Niño, algae and permafrost. We risk triggering tipping points from which we will not be able to recover.  


Related
People Powered Mass Extinction 
Climate Documentary from Leonardo DiCaprio: Before the Flood (Video)
Leonardo DiCaprio's environmental doc 'The 11th Hour'
Is Celebrity Environmental Advocacy Counterproductive?
Leonardo DiCaprio's Address at the UN Climate Summit
Video - Carbon: Green World Rising (Part 1 of 3)
DiCaprio's Climate Focused Oscar Speech

Republicans Protect the NRA and the Fossil Fuel Industry for Blood Money

Both the NRA and the fossil fuel industry are the harbingers of death they wield their power with legislative impunity thanks to their minions in the GOP. Republicans receive generous compensation in return for the political protection they provide.

Americans are being killed by the NRA's gun advocacy and the fossil fuel industry's pollution. Both the NRA and the fossil fuel industry deceive Americans through sophisticated misinformation campaigns and outright lies. Wanting to protect kids from gun violence in schools is something everyone can agree with. Similarly, we should also want to protect our kids from the far more deadly effects of climate change.

Just as gun violence is abetted by the powerful lobbying efforts of NRA, the fossil fuel industry's control over the GOP has stymied climate action. It is no secret that both the NRA and the fossil fuel industry have bought the support of legislators. It is the height of hypocrisy that Trump campaigned on a platform of "draining the swamp". The truth is these two lobby groups have never had more influence in Washington and statehouses across the country.

Protecting children from harm is a cultural universal, but we must concede that we failed to do so after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14th, 2012. We must also admit that we are failing to protect our children from the deadly impacts of climate change.

While there is growing agreement surrounding the need to protect children from gun violence, we must also protect our kids from the far deadlier scourage of climate change that kills up to 1000 children every day.

It is not only that Republicans and the NRA oppose common-sense gun safety legislation, they have also killed government support for researchers studying gun violence. Perhaps it may have to do with the fact that research findings contradict their position. For example, studies show that owning a gun to protect your family actually makes your home much less safe. So it is absurd to suggest that the solution is more guns. This is eerily reminiscent of the Republican subterfuge supporting the fossil fuel industry's obfuscation.

Like the NRA the fossil fuel industry opposes both climate action and the science that studies it. The tobacco industry, big sugar, the NRA and the fossil fuel industry are masters in the art of deception and subterfuge. They buy politicians and manipulate public opinion to serve their own interests. These interests are antithetical to the national interest and the government's responsibility to protect its citizens.

As reported by Everytown, CDC statistics indicate that there were 175,703 firearm deaths in the US from 2012 to 2016. This averages out to nearly 13,000 gun homicides a year or 96 deaths each day including seven children and teens every day. For every one person killed with guns, two more are injured. Over the last five years, there are an average of 200 people injured by firearms each day.

Fossil fuels are a leading source of global warming causing emissions. Climate change already kills people and animals it has already laid waste to vast swaths of coral in the Great Barrier Reef and the Arctic is on the cusp of a death spiral. Going forward the range of possible climate impacts are terrifying.

Attribution science demonstrates that climate change is deadly. However, exact estimates of the number of deaths caused by climate change are hard to quantify. Although estimates vary, a review of the research suggests that we can conservatively estimate that at least 100,000 people are killed by climate change each year with millions more suffering from related adverse health impacts. Others suggest that as many as 400,000 people die each year because of climate change and more than a billion people may be adversely impacted. Whatever this number may be it is expected to grow as the planet gets hotter.

We know with considerable certainty that climate change increases the intensity of extreme weather events. We also know that the fossil fuel industry is a leading cause of extreme weather. Heat waves alone cause fatal heat stress that has killed tens of thousands of people in some years (in 2003 more than 70,000 people died from a heat wave in Europe). The warming planet also exacerbates potentially fatal consequences of inadequate water supplies, undernutrition and disease.

Global warming affects both the social and environmental determinants of health. We are talking about the basics required to sustain life (clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter). The WHO lists malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress as the leading causes of climate change related mortality.

Climate change undermines food production and causes undernutrition, which currently causes 3.1 million deaths every year. Climate change also causes extreme weather that according the WHO currently kills an average of 60,000 people each year. Disease is another fatal corollary of climate change. According to a 2012 study called "Climate Vulnerability Monitor" climate change is killing 400,000 people annually.

The WHO states that between 2030 and 2050 climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year. As reported by Weather.com, Saskia Heijnen of Wellcome Trust, a London-based biomedical research charity, corroborated the WHO's research.

The fossil fuel industry is the leading cause of deadly air pollution that is known to cause cardiovascular and respiratory disease. The high temperatures associated with global warming exacerbate the problem. 

As reported in Science Daily, a 2017 study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill estimates that air pollution associated with unchecked climate change will cause 60,000 deaths globally in the year 2030 and 260,000 deaths in 2100.

Despite these depressing statistics, we may be approaching the critical mass required to make the necessary political changes. The movement against the NRA and their representatives in Congress also has implications for the fossil fuel industry. Gun safety advocates have joined climate advocates to challenge the Trump administration and Republican legislators.

Led by students and corporations, people across the country are challenging the NRA. The demand for responsible gun safety is part of a movement that threatens to weaken the NRA and enfeeble the GOP in the forthcoming midterm elections. People want to protect kids from gun violence and similar sentiments are driving resistance to the fossil fuel industry.

Related
Corporate America Versus the NRA
Student Led Movement Challenges the NRA and the GOP 

Webinar - Clean Air Act Policy Change

This webinar will take place on March 21, 2018. The full title of the webinar is "Clean Air Act Policy Change: How the End of the ‘Once In, Always In’ Policy Could Impact Major Source Emitters About the Webinar".  On January 25, 2018, the EPA announced that it was withdrawing the “Once in, Always in” policy for the classification of major sources of hazardous air pollutants under section 112 of the Clean Air Act. With the new guidance, sources of hazardous air pollutants previously classified as “major sources” may be reclassified as “area” sources at any time, as long as the facility limits its potential to emit below major source thresholds.

EPA’s change in policy also triggers a broader question about how facilities can best take advantage of their compliance systems to streamline their permitting and confirm applicable requirements to facilitate better business decisions.

Join Cority’s Ian Cohen and Arcadis’ Linda Kemp and Brad Micheel as they walk through what this policy change means for you and your business.

You will learn

An overview of the ‘Once In, Always In’ policy
The difference between ‘Major Source’ and ‘Area Source’ classification
What this could mean for industry and how to prepare
How to understand compliance obligations and use them to drive business decisions

About the Speaker

Ian Cohen, Product Marketing Manager – Safety, Environmental and Sustainability, Cority. Mr. Cohen, MS is the Product Marketing Manager responsible for Cority's Environmental and Safety initiatives. Before taking this role, Ian was Cority's Environmental Product Manager, where he was responsible for developing Cority's Environmental Compliance and Data Management Suite. Prior to working with Cority, Ian was an environmental specialist at Florida Power & Light Company, a NextEra Energy, Inc., company, where he led the development, implementation, and management of various environmental management systems and programs. Ian is well versed in the development of enterprise environmental management information systems and is a subject matter expert in corporate sustainability, including program development, annual reporting and stakeholder communications. Ian earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Master of Science in Environmental Science, both from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Linda Kemp, Air Services National Practice Leader, Arcadis. Ms. Kemp has over 30 years of experience in environmental consulting, with more than 25 years focused on resolving air quality challenges facing our clients. Her expertise includes emissions inventory development and quality assurance, New Source Review, Title V permitting, and minor new source review and permitting, compliance best practices, enforcement support and negotiations with regulatory agencies. In addition, her experience has addressed more unique aspects of permitting, including development of process-specific emission factors, developing and implementing source testing programs for unusual processes and facilities, management of change effects on permitting, developing a chemical evaluation procedure to avoid permit exceedances, air toxics evaluations and potential community exposure considerations, and developing applicability determination and tracking programs. Ms. Kemp has worked in a variety of industrial sectors, including mining, chemical, manufacturing, municipal, Federal, and aerospace. Prior to joining ARCADIS, she owned and directed an environmental compliance firm for four years that specialized in air quality. Ms. Kemp has authored and presented papers on environmental regulations, NEPA, air permitting, and source reduction strategies. She has won client awards for outstanding service and professional association awards for environmental planning.

Brad Micheel, Principal Management Consultant, Arcadis. Mr. Micheel has over twenty years of experience assisting clients with management of their environmental programs, including estimating emissions, developing compliance demonstration plans, and implementing management information systems for the tracking, monitoring, and reporting of business information. His areas of expertise include Title V and synthetic minor operating permits, Maximum Achievable Control Technology standards, Prevention of Significant Deterioration permitting, and state construction and operation permitting for companies around the world. Mr. Micheel has worked with companies in the aerospace, oil & gas, electric utility, cement, metals processing, agricultural and chemical industries, as well as with government and military operations. He has worked predominantly as a consultant; in addition, he has also worked for a leading environmental software company as well as an ethanol fuel company as their Corporate Permitting and Regulatory Compliance Manager. Mr. Micheel has a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in South Dakota.

For more information or to register click here.

Webinar - Climate Adaptation Policy at the State and Local Level

A webinar titled "Climate Adaptation Policy at the State and Local Level" will take place on Monday, Apr 16th 2018 at 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM EDT. The webinar is presented by Arizona State University's School of Sustainability, with the American Society of Adaptation Professionals and the University of the District of Columbia's College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences. This is the first in a new five-webinar series titled "Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience Leadership Series".

Panelists include Michael McCormick, California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and Guy Williams, on the Detroit Climate Action Plan. This session will be moderated by Elizabeth Graffy, Professor of Practice at the Arizona State University's Center for Science, Policy & Outcomes and a Senior Sustainability Scientist at the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability.

Subsequent webinars will address Innovations in Climate Solutions and Climate Justice and Adaptation plus other timely and impactful subjects.

Click here to register.

Student Led Movement Challenges the NRA and the GOP

A student-led movement is taking on the NRA, the GOP and the president. This is not only manifesting as a series of protests, this is a movement that may augur major political changes. A solid majority of Americans want to see common sense gun legislation, the NRA and the GOP do not. People and corporations are taking on the NRA and demanding change in the wake the February 14th Parkland Florida shooting at a school named after conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas. However, the real heroes of this story are the students themselves.

Although the US House passed a bill on March 14th it does not address some of the key issues. This includes changes like increasing the age of eligibility to buy an assault rifle which according to a recent Politico/Morning Consult poll, is supported by 82 percent of Americans. In an apparent concession to the NRA Trump walked back his support for the measure.

Protests

On March 14th at 10 AM students across the country and around the world walked out of their classrooms to protest political inaction on gun violence in America. This included students in Boston who assembled even though classes had been canceled due to a snowstorm.

It is estimated that around 200,000 students took part in the demonstration at more than 3000 schools across the country. The 17-minute protest remembered the 17 people who were killed at the Parkland Florida school massacre exactly one month earlier. GOP lawmakers and the NRA were the targets of this national walkout. Student protestors decried the inaction of lawmakers, the Trump administration, and the President himself. To underscore this point protests took place in front of the White House in Washington DC and in front of Trump Tower in Manhattan.



Students held signs with slogans like "Fire Politicians, Not Guns". Democratic lawmakers greeted the students in DC, however, no Republicans were present.

The national walkout is a precursor to a protest scheduled to take place on March 24th. The March For Our Lives protest is expected to be the largest gun violence rally in history, it will take place in Washington DC and in cities and towns all across the nation. A half million people are expected to assemble in the nations capital and many thousands more in cities throughout the US.

Follow the money

Although some would like to suggest that all politicians are to blame, the reality is that many Democrats along with former President Barack Obama tried to enact gun legislation in the wake of the Sandy Hook school massacre in 2012. This effort failed due in large measure to the political influence of the NRA and the intransigence of the GOP.

Almost all of the millions of dollars that the NRA spends on politicians goes to Republicans. Of the top 100 House recipients of NRA donations 95 are Republicans and in the Senate all of the top 50 recipients are Republicans.

Parents

Parents, particularly those that have lost children to gun violence are committed to this issue and they have pledged to see it through to the end. A father whose daughter was murdered at the Parkland school said, "I’m tired, but people are counting on me—people with children. I just can’t let it happen to another parent. I can’t."

Another father of a slain Parkland school student told Florida legislators, "these acts of violence happen way to often...I have no interest in being polite...we are not going anywhere... this is the time we are going to get this done...I have devoted the rest of my life to defeating this gun lobby".

Many parents have indicated that if politicians won't introduce the necessary legislation then they will vote these lawmakers out of office.

NRA

The NRA has become even more virulent in the wake of the Parkland shooting. Not only are they speaking out against those who are pleading for responsible gun safety measures they are challenging the modest gun safety legislation that passed in Florida.

Like the commander and chief, they are masters of spin and deception. They obfuscate and accuse their opponents of doing what they themselves are guilty of. This recent NRA video illustrates the point.



Students

Students are going after the NRA and the politicians that support them with a clear-minded vision of what needs to be done. As one student explained, "My generation won't stand for this". They are focused on the source of the problem by calling out Donald Trump, the NRA, and their lawmaker minions in the GOP. They have made it clear that if politicians refuse to change, they will encourage voters to make the change.

Sarah Cadwick is a 16-year-old survivor of the Parkland school shooting. She has emerged as one of the leaders of students who are spearheading this passionate and articulate protest. In this video, Cadwick takes on the NRA by responding to the NRA's threats.



Emma Gonzalez is another survivor of the Parkland massacre who has become the Internet's leading voice on gun safety. In the absence of responsible government, she is calling for political change. In this speech, she led the crowd in calling efforts to resist sane gun legislation "BS". Like so many of her fellow students, she pulled no punches singling out politicians and the commander and chief. "If they don’t turn around right now and state their open support for this movement, they are going to be left behind," González said. "You are either with us or against us."



In this video another survivor Cameron Kasky directly challenged Republican Senator Marco Rubio and the NRA.



Here are some excerpts of an op-ed written by Kasky:
"We can't ignore the issues of gun control that this tragedy raises. And so, I'm asking -- no, demanding -- we take action now...our politicians abandoned us by failing to keep guns out of schools. But this time, my classmates and I are going to hold them to account. This time we are going to pressure them to take action. This time we are going to force them to spend more energy protecting human lives than unborn fetuses. One of the most frustrating arguments I've heard is that it wasn't the Republican Party that killed those people and it wasn't the National Rifle Association -- it was the shooter himself...However, the shooter is not the only one responsible for this tragedy. While the alleged shooter may have had several issues, he also lived in a society where Sen. Marco Rubio refuses to take responsibility for the role gun culture may have played in this tragedy. And there is no denying that the NRA continues to donate millions of dollars to politicians at every level of government. Then those politicians -- often "family values" conservatives -- rile up their base by making them think that "liberals" are going to take their guns away. Not knowing any better, some of these people stockpile guns in advance of a gun ban that never comes, and the gun manufacturers and the NRA make millions...The Republicans, generally speaking, take large donations from the NRA and are therefore beholden to their cruel agenda. And the Democrats lack the organization and the votes to do anything about it... there is a desperate need for change -- change that starts by folks showing up to the polls and voting all those individuals who are in the back pockets of gun lobbyists out of office. Please do it for me. Do it for my fellow classmates. We can't vote, but you can, so make it count."
Students are serious about gun safety and they will not rest until see it through.

Well funded

This movement should not be underestimated. The student that are leading the protests are both passionate and articulate. They are also very well funded. So far the movement has attracted more than $2 million in donations via a GoFundMe page. There have also been some major contributions from celebrities including Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg. George and Amal Clooney have pledged a half a million dollars to help fund a student march on Washington.




Political change

These students have made it clear that they are targeting politicians, specifically the NRA funded GOP. We have already seen Republicans voted out of office in state elections across the country. Last November Republicans suffered defeats in elections across the nation from Florida to Washington state. In these elections women, minority and LGBT candidates secured historic wins.

On March 13th Democrat Conor Lamb defeated Republican Rick Saccone to win Pennsylvania's deeply conservative 18th district. This is a district that Trump won by almost 20 points in 2016. Saccone described himself as, "Trump before Trump was Trump". This was a stunning upset in a solidly red state. The importance of Pennsylvania stems from the fact that it is one of three states that handed Trump the presidency. This is one of the blue collar rust belt states that comprise the core of Trump's support. This has tremendous implications for districts all across the nation.

The district is so solidly Republican that Democrats have not bothered to field a candidate for more than a decade. Not only is this a deeply red state it is also a state where Republican gerrymandering was recently exposed by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional. So there was every reason to believe that Saccone would win.

Trump did everything he could to secure a win for Saccone. He actively campaigned and held a rally just before the election. He sent in everything he had including Vice President Mike Pence, his son Donald Jr., and his daughter Ivanka. Trump even levied a tariff on steel and aluminum that he thought would appeal to the people of Pennsylvania. According to a Monmouth University poll, the tariffs did not sway voters. Even with all the firepower, Trump threw into the campaign he could not carry his man across the finish line. However, he did energize Democrats to vote against Saccone.

Now that students have joined women in rejecting Republicans, it looks as though we may be on the cusp of historic GOP losses in the forthcoming midterm elections. Republicans are now facing what could amount to a rout in the 2018 midterms.

Elizabeth Warren was among the Democrats who met with students at the March 14th protest in Washington. "The NRA has held Congress hostage for so many years now," Warren told MSNBC, adding "These young people are here to set us free".

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Event - Sustainability Action in Turbulent Times

This Action Lab event will take place on Wednesday, 14 March 2018 from 18:30 to 21:00 (GMT) at the St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, 78 Bishopsgate, London, United Kingdom.

At this event you will find like-minded sustainability professionals taking part in an action-packed evening of meaningful conversations, idea generation and professional skill building. In true form for The Action Lab, expect immersive learning and speed networking through thought-provoking activities and valuable dialogue. All this at our awesome venue - The Bedouin Tent, in the heart of the city with drinks and canapes included in your ticket price.

What you will learn

Driven by value and purpose, everyone working to achieve a more sustainable world wonders where they can personally make the biggest impact.  This issue is considered from four perspectives: corporate, government, nonprofit and science  The event will also explore:
  • How external geopolitical factors are helping or hindering our ability to be changemakers. 
  • The success factors behind our biggest personal breakthroughs and achievements
  • Priorities for collectively driving change in these turbulent times 

Who should attend

This event is for senior sustainability professionals working in the private, public and charitable sectors. Professionals who have chosen to spend their career building a greener and more equitable world.

Attendees tend to come from a diverse range of organizations and companies; and specialize in many topics including corporate supply chains, resource efficiency, transport, housing, water, energy, food, farming, conservation, sustainability communications, research, policy, and campaigning.

Registration

Places are limited to 30 people and booking is essential to secure your place.
Click here to register.

Webinar - Women and Sustainability: Your Green Career Audit

This free online event will take place on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 3 pm (15:00). Your Green Career Audit is a one hour long webinar by Rhian Sherrington, Executive & Career Coach, Founder, Women in Sustainability.

Where exactly ARE you right now in your 'green career'? Do you know what you simply must have in your working life in order to enjoy a fulfilling and meaningful career? Gain clarity and perspective by particpating in this powerful training derived from Envision Circle Group Coaching Programme.

This special webinar from Women in Sustainability, aims to enable female change makers to flourish on their 'green' career path.  This is for women who are passionate about making a difference and appreciate how challenging this can feel.  If you want to be a change maker this webinar if for you.

Women in sustainability are facing complex changes and challanges. This entails juggling a wide variety of demands in terms of time, energy and attention.  To maximize the unique expression of your talents it is important to make the time and space to reflect on your career, your ambitions and your desires.  This webinar will help you to do this through insightful examiniation of your green career.  The result will be valuable clairity, focus and renewed motivation.

This event is for professional women working in careers/ businesses that are building a greener, healthier and happier world. Women who attend come from private, public and charitable sectors; from a diverse range of organisations and companies, including resouce management, waste, energy, transport, water, food, facilities, farming, communications, research, policy, campaigns, media, housing, retail, professional services, etc.

Women in Sustainability Women in Sustainability Professional Network helps women thrive in careers that are building a healthier, happier and greener world. They organise coaching-led networking, speaker events and online groups to foster collaboration, personal & professional development.

Space is limited so click here to book your place now. 

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Remembering Marjory Stoneman Douglas 
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Remembering Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school is now synonymous with a Valentines Day massacre, however, the school in Parkland Florida was named after a leading figure in the history of American conservationism. Marjory was a writer best known for her Everglades conservation advocacy. Marjory helped people to understand that the well being of humanity is inextricably linked to the health of the environment. One of her critics described her as having both "moral authority" and a tongue like a "switchblade".

The core of Marjory's enduring legacy is her stalwart defense of the Everglades. Over the period of many decades, she succeeded in fighting off development efforts in the Everglades. She galvanized people in defense of what she described as an ecosystem worth protecting. If it were not for her, the Everglades may very well have been drained and developed. Consequently, she has earned the appellation of "Grand Dame of the Everglades".

Among the many awards and distinctions that she earned in her life is the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The medal is the highest honor given to a civilian. The citation for the medal read, "Marjory Stoneman Douglas personifies passionate commitment. Her crusade to preserve and restore the Everglades has enhanced our Nation's respect for our precious environment, reminding all of us of nature's delicate balance. Grateful Americans honor the 'Grandmother of the Glades' by following her splendid example in safeguarding America's beauty and splendor for generations to come."

Marjory was one of the first to make the connection between the health of the environment and the well being of humanity. She never relented in her efforts to raise consciousness and confront injustice. She was a woman of action who was well known for embarrassing politicians. She unflinchingly spoke truth to power calling out Presidents, politicians and powerful developers. In addition to being one of America's leading figures in environmental conservation, Marjory was an accomplished journalist, author, and civil rights, advocate.

The Parkland High School is not the only building that bears her name. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's headquarters in Tallahassee is named after her and the National Parks Conservation Association established an award in her name. She was inducted into the National Wildlife Federation Hall of Fame and the Women's Hall of Fame. Marjory was a pragmatic soul who asked that people plant trees rather than giving her presents.

Women' s rights

It is fitting that we remember Marjory close to Women's Day as she was very active in the women's suffrage movement. She was a feminist before the word was invented. She not only followed the movement she was a leading voice. She anticipated some of the core issues of our times including the importance of having women in leadership positions.

Marjory once said, "It is a women's business to be interested in the environment". She did not back down when she was ignored or dismissed as a "damn butterfly chaser", nor did she heel when President Richard Nixon eliminated funding for her Everglades protection organization.

Biography

Marjory was born on April 7, 1890, in Minneapolis, Minnesota but she spent most of her life in Florida. Although Marjory wrote many books, her most influential work is a 1947 book called The Everglades: River of Grass. This book has been compared to Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. At sixteen she published her first story in St. Nicholas Magazine, the same publisher that would go on to publish Carson's first story many years later. One year later she won a prize from the Boston Herald for a story called, "An Early Morning Paddle."

Marjory earned a BA in English from Wellesley College where she distinguished herself as an excellent student and capable orator. She was first sensitized to the plight of refugees after the first world war when she served as a member of the American Red Cross in Paris. She then served as assistant editor and daily columnist at the Miami Herald. She promoted responsible urban planning in Miami while supporting free trade.

Social and environmental injustice were common themes in her writing. She spearheaded support for the tropical botanical garden in South Florida which sought to make the Everglades into a national park. In the 30s Marjory began writing plays, in the 40s Marjory worked as the book review editor of the Miami Herald. In the 50s, Marjory was the charter member of the first American Civil Liberties Union chapter in the South. She was also an active supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). In 1952 she published her first of four novels. She also published several nonfiction books. She was the editor of the University of Miami Press in the early 60s and kept writing throughout her life.

Visionary

Marjory was also a visionary who presaged much of our modern day environmental movement. Her views have withstood the test of time. In a Miami Herald column on poverty, Marjory warned of "weak or inadequate" government and lax public opinion. Marjory's prophetic voice is especially prescient in the realm of environmental conservation.

Florida Governor Lawton Chiles described her legacy saying, "Marjory was the first voice to really wake a lot of us up to what we were doing to our quality of life. She was not just a pioneer of the environmental movement, she was a prophet, calling out to us to save the environment for our children and our grandchildren."

A figure for the ages

University of Florida professor Kevin McCarthy wrote the introduction to a collection of Marjory's short stories titled, A River in Flood. "Probably no other person has been as important to the environmental well-being of Florida than this little lady from Coconut Grove", McCarthy wrote in the introduction.

Just before she died the Christian Science Monitor said of The River of Grass, "her book is not only a classic of environmental literature, it also reads like a blueprint for what conservationists are hailing as the most extensive environmental restoration project ever undertaken anywhere in the world".

Marjory died on May 14, 1998 at the age of 108. Her obituary in the Independent read as follows, "In the History of the American environmental movement, there have been few more remarkable figures than Marjory Stoneman Douglas."

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Women are the Key to a More Sustainable Future

The importance of women to the future of our species goes way beyond their procreative power.  Female leadership is better leadership and this augurs a better world.

Women's Day is an opportunity to advocate for true equality and to share the evidence revealing why women are the more sustainable sex. Empowering them is good for people, the planet and profits. If we want to move forward we need to unambiguously assign blame. Women's rights are human rights and men that deny these rights need to be called out.

Men are the problem

We cannot ignore the fact that sexism and misogyny are not women's issues, these are problems that are being perpetrated by men so it stands to reason that men should be part of efforts to address these injustices.

This is not a plea for token quotas,  research corroborates the observation that women are better leaders than men. This makes the #metoo movement all the more prescient. The tragic ubiquity of women who have been subjected to abuse is a damning indictment against men. It has been said that behind every great man stands a woman, it is more appropriate to say that for every one of the billions of women who have suffered abuse there is a man. Even those men who don't overtly disrespect women, commonly condone it, or are afraid to speak out against it.

Men are not only the perpetrators of abuse, they have also been the dominant sex for thousands of years. During this time they have subjugating women and caused widespread social injustice, wealth inequality, environmental degradation and the climate crisis.

The research convincingly points to women being better eco-stewards. Whether we are talking about agriculture, the economy, political leadership or lifestyle, women are the more sustainable sex. Men have failed which is why it is not just a splashy headline to say women are humanity's best hope for survival.

Helping women to assume leadership positions advances social justice and environmental health. This is more than a plea for equality it is an acknowledgment of the fact that we need new leadership if we are to alter our perilous trajectory.

To make it possible for women to have greater access to power and resources we need to dismantle institutionalized sexism and even more importantly we need to confront the culture of misogyny that infects our world. The society that does not stand united in opposition to this sickness is a culture of enablers.

Political engagement

Women are not passively waiting for men to wake up. Women are taking to the streets and their halls of government to demand change, this includes protests against Donald Trump.  Two and a half million people participated in the Women's March in 2017 making it the biggest protest in US history.  The rise of women is not just an American phenomenon, it is a global movement.

Women are getting directly involved in government in unprecedented numbers (although they are still underrepresented) and they are seeking elected office. In response to the election of Trump in the US an unprecedented number of women have stepped into the political fray.  In the last 14 months significant numbers of women have won elections in states where Trump won big in 2016. 

Women are among the most vulnerable to climate change which may be one of the reasons they are at the forefront of the call for change. In two years, the number of women mayors in large cities that are taking the lead on climate change has quadrupled from four to 16.  A group of female scientists decided to become politically active in the wake of Trump's victory.  Four female scientists working in the climate and ecology fields decided to start a group called 500 Women Scientists. That movement has grown and there are now more than 14,000 members who advocate for inclusiveness and oppose Trump's sexism and anti-science stance.

Environmental and agricultural stewardship

Women's leadership is capable of unleashing major economic opportunities in the sustainable economy. This is the conclusion from WomenRising2030, an initiative launched by the Business and Sustainable Development Commission. The recently released report is called Better Leadership, Better World: Women Leading for the Global Goal.

Women are already involved in all levels of climate action.  The fact that women are more green than men has important implications for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  According to WorldWatch there is a "critical link between investing in women and achieving sustainability goals." Sadly WorldWatch concludes that the "omission of a strong focus on women and sustainability is not uncommon across the global community."  Nonetheless  there is evidence to indicate that women, "preserve traditional knowledge, maintain biodiversity, and ensure household food security and nutrition."

There is a $12 trillion "economic prize" associated with meeting the SDGs and women are our best hope of achieving these goals. 

Women are already a force in agriculture.  In Asia where women produce 50 percent of agricultural output and in Africa women represent nearly 80 percent of the agricultural labor force.  If women have equal access to agricultural resources, WorldWatch claims production could increase by up to 30 percent and hunger could decrease by up to 17 percent.

Economic empowerment

Women are the key to economic outperformance, says the new WomenRising2030 report. Women are already an economic force to be reckoned with but they are destined to be a far bigger force moving forward. Women now control about $20 trillion, or 30 percent of the world’s assets. That generates about $120 billion of the $415 billion in annual investment revenues. Women's interest in social and environmental impacts will also be reflected in their investment decisions.

It is important to note that, women are growing their assets faster than men and starting more businesses than men.  Women-run small and growing businesses make up 30 percent of registered global businesses.

Women's economic clout is destined to grow prodigiously. Women are the next big global growth market and their economic empowerment will change the patriarchal paradigm. Over the next 35 years women will be part of the biggest wealth transfer in history. More than $40 trillion dollars will be transferred to women in the coming decades. By 2030 two thirds of the wealth in the US will be in women's hands.  According to one study cited by WorldWatch if men and women participated equally in the economy it would add $28 trillion to the GDP by 2025.

Women are also better leaders in the household. According to the International Planned Parenthood Federation, on average, women reinvest up to 90 percent of their incomes back into their own households, compared to 30-40 percent by men.

Workforce revolution

There’s a women’s business revolution going on and the value of women leaders is driving demand. "There is incredible value in investing in women’s leadership," said Vineet Rai, founder Aavishkar-Intellecap Group, a leading impact investor based in India.

The impact of women in business is assessed in a new WomenRising2030 report. The report indicates that women’s leadership in business is critical to driving significant economic opportunities andbetter performance, as well as broader, long-term benefits for society and the environment.

The influx of women into more senior positions will revolutionize the workplace. This includes transparency, environmental action, long-term thinking, innovative approaches to social issues and widespread collaboration.

Increased wealth and deeper penetration into the work force will empower women and give them more resources to lead and enact change. However, access to education and gender inequality constitute serious obstacles.

Gender inequality

If we are to unleash the potential of women to revolutionize business and drive social and environmental betterment will need to tackle gender inequality. Even though research indicates that women tend to be more competent in social and environmental issues than men there is a massive gap between the sexes in senior positions.

The statistics show the state of gender inequality.Women comprise only 15 percent of board seats worldwide and only 5 percent of chief executives listed in the S&P 500. 

Narrowing the gap in gender equality in the workplace can help unlock more than $12 trillion in new market value linked to the SDGs. A new report from BNY Mellon and the U.N. Foundation suggests that there is $40 billion in potential new annual revenue associated with bringing women’s access to financial services to parity with men’s. The "Powering Potential" report suggests this translates to an additional 254 million women with retail banking services, 79 million with a line of credit, 60 million with loans for education and other expenses, and 19 million with mortgage products. Only one in 10 women have access to the credit needed to operate and grow. That’s a $285 billion gap.

Despite all that they have to offer, women and girls continue to suffer from overt oppression in the form of discriminatory policies and less obvious forms of repression like poor health care and substandard education.

"Women’s leadership cannot be a 'nice-to-have' for business. Companies that continue to have male-dominated leadership will miss out on business opportunities unlocked by gender-balanced teams," said Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever and member of the Business Commission. "At the current pace, it will take 217 years to achieve gender equality – and that’s bad news for economy and society. We at Unilever understand the importance of gender-balanced leadership and investments across our value chains. Women’s leadership makes good business sense."

There is an immense societal benefit associated with encouraging women to achieve their full potential. In both large and small ways men must support enjoin the struggle and fight for real equality. According to WorldWatch the private sector also has an important role to play. The WomenRising2030 report suggests that companies must build gender-balanced leadership teams, and promote gender equality throughout their value chains.

Change is coming

Corporations are essential to helping women to move beyond current limits. Companies are increasingly supporting programs that assist women. For example, companies like Symante and General Motors support STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education for women. Agora Partnerships, a Latin America social-venture accelerator, has partnered with Banco de America Central Nicaragua to test a variable-payment loan program with women-run small businesses.

Our world is changing and women will play an increasingly significant role. Women are already having advantageous effects. As reported by Leon Kaye, in a Triple Pundit article, women in technology management are benefiting a diverse range of nonprofit organizations. Part of this success is attributable to being inclusive and putting employees first.

As reported by ImpactAlpha, firms like Ellevest, a robo-adviser designed for women, run by Sallie Krawcheck, the former CEO of Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s wealth management group, are moving forward.
"Investment managers are making it easier to find women-led companies or companies that promote women’s financial inclusion and empowerment. In public equities, nearly two-dozen gender-lens investment vehicles hold more than $910 million. In venture capital, a list gathered by gender lens investing expert Suzanne Biegel and Wharton Social Impact initiative found 58 venture capital funds with $1.3 billion in assets that are betting on women."
Those that are not supporting gender equality are being confronted. The world’s biggest asset manager, BlackRock, sent a letter to 367 organizations in the Russell 1000 companies asking them to justify how the lack of gender diversity on their boards aligned with their long-term strategies and to report on their efforts to address this gender imbalance.

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