In spite of everything, a culture of peace is emerging in all fields of human endeavour
monthly, year 22nd, number 312 – 26th December 2022
Good News Agency carries positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary work, the work of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn out” in the space of a day. It is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists, NGOs, service associations and high schools and colleges around the world.
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, an educational charity associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information It is a supporter of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace. In the final report of the Decade for a Culture of Peace project (2001-2010) provided to the UN Secretary-General for presentation to the UN General Assembly, Good News Agency is included among the three NGOs that have been playing an active role in the field of Information through Internet.*
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The news are be divided into seven areas of reference:
1. Government and politics
2. Education and teaching
3. Economy, finance and planning
4. Arts of living and relationships
5. Work, science and industry
6. Society and communication
7. Rules, regulations and environment
In this way we intend to cover seven main fields of human life and activities, in which to record and promote, as always, the presence of goodwill in action and the culture of peace and cooperation that are for us the guiding values in these complex times. Each news item you will find in the seven fields will in turn be linked to one in particular of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030 United Nations
SDGs number 1-No Poverty-
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
SDGs number 2-Zero Hunger
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
SDGs number 5-Gender Equality
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
SDGs number 6-Clean Water and Sanitation
Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
SDGs number 13-Climate Action
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
SDGs number 14- Life below Water
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
SDGs number 15-Life on Land
Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships to achieve the Goals
Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
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Government and politics – Education and teaching – Economy, finance and planning
Arts of living and relationships – Work, science and industry
Society and communication –Rules, regulations and environment
COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2022/2321 of 25 November 2022 in support of the South-Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) for the implementation of the Regional Roadmap on combating illicit arms trafficking in the Western Balkans and in support of disarmament and arms control activities in South-East and East Europe
28 November 2022 - The Council of the European Union (…) has adopted this decision:
Article 1
1. The Union shall support Western Balkans partners with the implementation of the ‘Regional Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of SALW/firearms and their ammunition in the Western Balkans by 2024’. The goals set out in the Roadmap are:
(a) by 2023, to ensure that arms control legislation is in place, fully harmonised with the EU regulatory framework and other related international obligations and standardised across the region;
(b) by 2024, to ensure that arms control policies and practices in the Western Balkans are evidence based and intelligence led;
(c) by 2024, to significantly reduce illicit flows of firearms, ammunition and explosives (FAE) into, within and beyond the Western Balkans;
(d) by 2024, to significantly reduce (…)
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2022/2269 of 18 November 2022 on Union support for the implementation of a project ‘Promoting Responsible Innovation in Artificial Intelligence for Peace and Security’
21 November 2022 - The Council of the European Union (…) has adopted this decision:
Article 1
1. With a view to the implementation of the ‘Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign And Security Policy’, and taking into account the Union’s Strategy against illicit firearms, small arms and light weapons and their ammunition entitled ‘Securing Arms, Protecting Citizens’ as well as the Commission’s Communication entitled ‘Artificial Intelligence for Europe’, the Union shall support the implementation of a project, ‘Promoting Responsible Innovation in Artificial Intelligence for Peace and Security’.
2. The project activities to be supported by the Union shall have the specific objective to support greater engagement of the civilian artificial intelligence (AI) community in mitigating the risks that the diversion and misuse of civilian AI research and innovation by irresponsible actors may pose to international peace and security (…)
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
United Nations – General Assembly - Second Committee – Seventy-seventh session – Agenda item 22 (c) -: Eradication of poverty and other development issues
Revised Draft Resolution: Women in Development
17 November 2022 - The General Assembly (…)
2. Reaffirms that the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will make a crucial contribution to progress across all the Sustainable Development Goals and targets, that the achievement of full human potential and of sustainable development is not possible if one half of humanity
continues to be denied its full human rights and opportunities, that women and girls (…)
3. Also reaffirms the commitment to promoting social inclusion in domestic policies and to promoting and enforcing non-discriminatory laws, social infrastructure and policies for sustainable development, as well as to enabling women’s full, equal and effective participation in the economy and decision-making processes and leadership (…)
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N22/701/02/PDF/N2270102.pdf?OpenElement
News related with SDGs number 1-No Poverty
United Nations – General Assembly - Human Rights Council – Seventy-seventh session – Agenda item 68 (b) - Promotion and protection of human rights: human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms
Draft Resolution: Human rights and unilateral coercive measures
2 November 2022 - The General Assembly (…)
1. Urges all States to cease adopting or implementing any unilateral measures not in accordance with international law, international humanitarian law, the Charter of the United Nations and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States, in particular those of a coercive nature, with all their extraterritorial effects, which create obstacles to trade relations among States, thus impeding the full realization of the rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights21 and other international human rights instruments, in particular the right of individuals and peoples to development;
2. Strongly urges States to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter that impede the full achievement of sustainable economic and social development, particularly in developing countries; (...)
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N22/669/39/pdf/N2266939.pdf?OpenElement
News related with SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities
Motorola and Lenovo Foundation announce the next phase of the initiative to revitalize endangered indigenous languages
13 December 2022 - This year, the United Nations General Assembly declared the period from 2022 to 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022-2032). It is an initiative to make the world's population aware of the critical situation of several of these languages and to mobilize people and resources for their preservation, revitalization and promotion. Today Motorola announced the new phase of the project focused on indigenous languages of India, which will take place in the coming months.
As new generations of indigenous peoples learn and use technology more, they must be able to use their native language in new digital formats so that the language does not disappear. UNESCO estimates that an indigenous language is lost every two weeks, resulting in the disappearance of around 3,000 unique languages by the end of the century. To help preserve our human heritage and the stories of indigenous cultures and encourage future generations, Motorola is working with the Lenovo Foundation to integrate languages into its smartphones. With this initiative, Motorola has become the first mobile phone manufacturer to give Cherokee citizens access to a fully localized user interface and to offer full compatibility with an indigenous language in the Amazon (…)
News related with SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities
Human Rights Day: Education unions mobilise and organise in defence of human rights everywhere
8December 2022 – As the world marks 74 years since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the struggle for dignity, freedom, and justice for all continues. Unions are leading this global effort, working together across borders and continents for the fundamental principle of human dignity. Despite the progress achieved in the past decades, the overlapping crises the world is facing today threaten to send us back decades in the fight for human rights. The climate crisis, the pandemic, wars, rising authoritarianism, and the cost-of-living crisis are reshaping the world. For millions of children and youth, the all-important and enabling right to education is at risk, threatening to change the course of their lives and their communities forever. The figures are staggering. Over 244 million children were out of school globally in 2021. While the number of children excluded from education has been decreasing in most parts of the world, in Sub-Saharan Africa it has been on the rise, as the region struggles with the impact of compounding crises. Education unions fight for their students’ right to education, as well as the rights of educators. The global education union movement has championed Sustainable Development Goal 4 on inclusive and equitable quality education for all and work to ensure every student has a qualified and well supported teacher. However, the rights of workers, including educators, are also being chipped away. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is clear: everyone has the right to just and favourable conditions of work and protection against unemployment. Everyone has the right to equal pay for equal work. Everyone has the right to just and favourable remuneration. And everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions to protect these rights. (…)
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Re|Shaping Cultural Policies for the promotion of fundamental freedoms and the diversity of cultural expression – the Palestine project
24 November 2022 - In 2019, Palestine was one of 16 countries selected to implement the project Re|Shaping Cultural Policies for the Promotion of Fundamental Freedoms and the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which was implemented by UNESCO and generously funded by Sweden. The project is within the framework of UNESCO’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, and aimed to support Parties to the 2005 Convention to strengthen the human and institutional capacities of government actors and civil society to monitor and report on policies and measures that protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions. Despite the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic which broke out a few months after the project commenced, Palestine, through the Ministry of Culture, submitted its QPR in October 2020. The QPR referred to 55 cultural policies, programs and best practices implemented between 2017 and 2020 and which correspond to the provisions of the 2005 Convention. The QPR also highlighted the challenges facing the creative sector in Palestine and outlined future plans to overcome these and enhance the cultural scene. After two very difficult years brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a better time to invest in culture, to allow creativity to thrive, and to enable creative economy to build back our communities and societies better.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
UNESCO Member States commit to invest at least 10% of education budget on early childhood education
18 November 2022 - Countries committed to invest at least 10% of total education spending on pre-primary education and to ensure that salaries and working conditions of pre-school personnel are at least at par with those of primary education teachers at the UNESCO Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. They also reaffirmed the commitment to guarantee at least one year of free pre-primary education, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4. Research in neurosciences and social sciences shows that 85% of brain development takes place in the first 5 years of life. To call attention to this important phase of a child’s development and to renew commitments to early childhood care and education, over 2,500 participants from 147 countries gathered at the World Conference, including heads of states, ministers, educators and experts. The conference’s final document, the Tashkent Declaration, adopted by countries on the last day of the conference, reaffirms the right of all children to pre-primary education and further calls for greater attention to environmental education to ensure that awareness of climate change and sustainable development starts in the early years.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
South Sudan: How school meals encourage girls to stay in school
16 November 2022, Eulalia Berlanga - Waking up each morning and attending class is something many in the world take for granted. But here in South Sudan, every day in attendance is a victory. The country has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world with only one-third of people able to read. Girls are especially at risk of not finishing their education. Many are married off, aged as young as 14, and expected to have children soon after. In 2018, more than 156,000 girls were enrolled in the first year of school but just over 5,000 were enrolled in the final year. A key ingredient to keeping students in school is the school lunch that’s provided through WFP as part of a joint World Food Programme-UNICEF project in urban areas of South Sudan to improve resilience, school attendance, and nutrition. The lunch is often the only nutritious meal students receive each day and provides incentive for parents to send their children to school. For other students, it also takes pressure off their home life so they can focus on their studies. For such ambitious students, receiving this support is invaluable and will have a ripple effect, providing positive contributions for their immediate family and community.(…)
https://www.wfp.org/stories/south-sudan-how-school-meals-encourage-girls-stay-school
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
USA - New Holland Agriculture delivers tractors to women farmers in Uganda
9 December 2022: CNH Industrial brand New Holland Agriculture has delivered 20 of its TT4.75 tractors to women farmers in the Soroti and Katakwi districts of Uganda. Working alongside its local distributor – The Cooper Motor Corporation (CMC) – the brand is helping to progress the agricultural sector and supporting sustainable development within the country. Significant political leaders were involved in the tractor handovers – namely the Vice President of Uganda, Jessica Alupo. Joining her were the country’s Speaker, Deputy Speaker and several Ministers to various associations in the Soroti and Katakwi districts.
News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality
HUSTON - Baker Hughes launches consortium exploring technologies to transform abandoned wells for geothermal energy production
9 December 2022: Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, is spearheading the geothermal energy consortium Wells2Watts, which aims to transform dry-nonproductive geothermal wells and non-productive oil and gas wells into geothermal wells capable of generating renewable electrical power. With its industry partners, the consortium looks to accelerate technology development and commercially scale geothermal as a baseload energy supply. The consortium will focus on how technology can retrofit a well at the end of its productive life for geothermal energy and renewable electricity production. The near-term focus of the consortium includes opportunities using closed-loop geothermal technology. Largely funded by its industry partners, the consortium also receives support from technology providers, including Vallourec and GreenFire Energy, through in-kind materials and labor contributions for construction, testing and piloting purposes. The first consortium project will center around the test well at the Baker Hughes Energy Innovation Center located at the Hamm Institute for American Energy in Oklahoma City, Okla., to create the first-of-its-kind closed loop geothermal laboratory in the world (…)
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
Architect envisions “living homes” that keep you warm if you feed them (but may occasionally sneeze)
(by Rebecca Coons)
29 November 2022 - In Argentina, architect Juan Manuel Prieto has used artificial intelligence to conceptualize “Habitable Monsters” to draw attention to the potential of living architecture. Made of organic materials such as muscle tissue, fur, scales, tentacles, and even fangs, the living but (hopefully) non-sentient structures would be energy-efficient, feeding off of the waste of its inhabitants. In a submission to online publication design boom, Prieto says Habitable Monsters urges humanity to “move into the warm womb of a living organism” that may drool or sneeze but doesn’t require environmentally damaging materials like concrete or metals to construct. When its inhabitants move, the monster/house simply dies and decomposes. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
United Nations – General Assembly - Second Committee – Seventy-seventh session – Agenda item 20 -: Globalization and interdependence
15 November 2022 - The General Assembly (…)
2. Notes that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development and the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change carry forward many of the ideas and recommendations of the Declaration on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order and the Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order;
3. Reaffirms the need to continue working towards a new international economic order based on the principles of equity, sovereign equality, interdependence, common interest, cooperation and solidarity among all States;
4. Reiterates that States are strongly urged to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries; (…)
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N22/693/12/PDF/N2269312.pdf?OpenElement
News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
United Nations – General Assembly - Second Committee – Seventy-seventh session – Agenda item 18 (a) -: Towards the achievement of sustainable development: implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through sustainable consumption and production, building on Agenda 21
Promoting zero-waste initiatives to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
15 November 2022 - The General Assembly (…)
1. Requests the Secretary-General to set up an advisory board of eminent persons, based on voluntary contributions, selected on the basis of their knowledge, experience and expertise and with due regard to gender balance and equitable geographic representation, in consultation with Member States, for a period of three years, to promote local and national zero-waste initiatives through, inter alia, the dissemination of best practices and success stories, based on the work of, and without duplication with, relevant existing regional and global platforms, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), within their respective mandates; (…)
3. Encourages Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations to implement zero-waste initiatives at all levels, so as to promote environmentally sound management of waste and sustainable development; (…)
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N22/693/31/PDF/N2269331.pdf?OpenElement
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
Washington State University researchers develop new method to produce biogas from sewage sludge
(by Meghan Sapp)
7 November 2022 - In Washington state, a new method to treat sewage can efficiently convert leftover sludge to biogas, an advance that could help communities lower their waste treatment costs while helping the environment. Reporting in the journal, Waste Management, a Washington State University research team tested a pre-treatment technology, adding an extra step to typical treatments and using oxygen-containing high pressure steam to break down sewage sludge. They found that they were able to convert more than 85% of the organic material to biogas (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Young Rohingya volunteers confront gender-based violence in crowded Bangladesh camps
(by Matthew Saltmarsh in Kutupalong)
9 December 2022, Bangladesh - UNHCR-backed programmes are empowering young Rohingya men and women to change the behaviour of their peers. Gender-based violence has been a pernicious problem here since the population exploded five years ago. With few opportunities to earn an income, men have too often taken out their frustrations on women. That violence has accompanied other harmful practices like human trafficking, child marriage and dangerous onward journeys to other countries. One initiative offers reason for hope. Trained and mobilized by UNHCR and partners, young refugees are coming together in male, female and mixed groups, to raise awareness about these harmful behaviours. The progammes – SASA, Girls Shine and Male Role Models — offer the young volunteers purpose, fulfillment and a small stipend. And they are yielding results. The volunteers share information with their communities at mosques, tea stalls, community centres and by going door-to-door. Several of the men described how, since joining the programme, they had also started to help around the home, chopping vegetables or collecting water. In the last five years, UNHCR has established 47 service points for gender-based violence survivors across the 17 camps in Cox’s Bazar, offering case management, psychosocial support and referrals.
News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality
Anera Helps raise awareness about good nutrition
7December 2022 – In the Kids of the Future Kindergarten, in central Gaza, a group of mothers listen attentively as health specialists explain the basics of healthy nutrition for kindergarteners. The educational sessions are part of Anera’s Farms to Fosool program, which aims to raise awareness among parents in marginalized areas about proper nutrition and its importance for children’s health. The program also provides free meals for children. Manar Swailem is a nutrition and public health specialist who works with the program. She presented some explanations and basic information about child nutrition and the nutrients that the youngsters need as they grow. She also pointed out some bad feeding practices and how they negatively impact a child's development. The educational sessions were held in four kindergartens in disadvantaged areas of central and southern Gaza. Some 40 mothers participated in the sessions. Manar was pleased with the turnout and the impact.
https://www.anera.org/stories/health-education-for-gaza-mothers/
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Pakistan at excellent momentum to end polio, says global delegation
2 December 2022- Islamabad– There is unprecedented support and commitment to ending polio in Pakistan by 2023, and with the current momentum maintained, the country will be able to interrupt transmission in the coming year, a high-level global delegation on polio concluded at the end of its visit to the country on Thursday. The delegation was led by Chair of the Polio Oversight Board (POB) Dr Chris Elias, WHO Regional Director Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari and UNICEF Regional Director George Laryea-Adjei. “The last steps to ending polio are the toughest but eradication is within reach thanks to the hard work happening in Pakistan,” Dr Elias said. “During my three-day visit, I was again impressed by the resolve of the government and community, especially frontline workers, to ensure polio is gone forever,” he added. “Reaching every child during the upcoming polio campaigns and strengthening the routine immunization system are now critical to success.” The Polio Oversight Board is the highest decision-making body of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. This is the delegation’s second visit together to Pakistan this year (…)
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
CSE and Department of Science and Technology join hands to develop electric vehicle (EV) batteries that are suited to India
22 November 2022- New Delhi- Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the Government of India have collaborated to create a platform that will support the development of new electric vehicle (EV) batteries to suit Indian requirements. A white paper will be prepared on a roadmap for the development of new battery technologies in India; this would be followed by the creation of an expert-industry forum or platform to support this process. This collaborative initiative was kicked off recently with a round table on locally appropriate EV batteries that are safe, durable and effective within the constraints of a hot and humid tropical climate (…) This was the first in a series of consultations that will be held with experts from leading institutions and representatives from vehicle manufacturers, battery industry, regulatory bodies, testing entities and independent laboratories focused on battery chemistries. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
United Nations – General Assembly - Second Committee – Seventy-seventh session – Agenda item 18 (k) -: Sustainable development
Revised Draft Resolution: Sustainable mountain development
15 November 2022 - The General Assembly (…)
2. Encourages States to adopt a long-term vision and holistic approaches, including by incorporating mountain-specific policies into national sustainable development strategies, increase efforts to end poverty in all its forms and dimensions, address food insecurity and malnutrition, promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, traditional crops and diets, and fight against social exclusion, environmental degradation and disaster risk in mountain areas, (…)
3. Encourages Member States, and invites international organizations and other relevant stakeholders, with respect to sustainable mountain development, to reduce and reverse biodiversity loss and the degradation of land and soil, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals; (…)
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N22/696/76/PDF/N2269676.pdf?OpenElement
News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land
Space Technologies offer opportunity to achieve one-sixth of emissions cuts needed to reach net zero by 2050
(by Staff Writers)
14 November 2022 - Satellite technologies are already reducing carbon emissions by 1.5 billion tonnes (or 1.5 gigatons) every year, according to independent research commissioned by Inmarsat from leading consultants at Globant's Sustainable Business Studio. This is equivalent to almost a third of the entire United States' carbon emissions in 2021, or the lifetime emissions of 50 million cars. (…) If satellite technologies were adopted universally by these industries, the CO2 savings currently being delivered through satellite technologies could almost quadruple to up to 5.5 billion tonnes a year based on current technologies alone, the Globant analysis suggests. This is equivalent to one-sixth of the total carbon emissions currently estimated as necessary to keep the global temperatures rise below 1.5C by 2030 - or one-third of that necessary to keep temperature rises below 2C - underlining the positive impact space technologies could have on the largest single challenge facing the world. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
UK researchers secure grant to develop sustainable materials
(by Juan Pedro Tomas)
10 November 2022 - In the UK, the Imperial College London will lead a collaboration between industrial and academics partners to develop functional materials from biowaste products. A new $7.1 million, five-year project, called “VALUE”, aims to develop functional materials from local, bio-based waste resources. The new initiative will provide opportunities to move away from unsustainable traditional materials and reduce CO2 emissions and waste. The project is funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (ESPRC), park of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The team also aims to create a new supply chain for sustainable materials and applications, guided by life-cycle and techno-economic analysis. (…)
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
Over 50 top firms pledge to align lobbying activity with Paris Agreement
(by Cecilia Keating)
8 November 2022 - New Action Declaration on Climate Policy Engagement launched at COP27 - More than 50 companies have signed a new "action declaration" that commits them to bring their policy engagement activity into line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Launched today at the COP27 Climate Summit, the Action Declaration on Climate Policy Engagement, has been signed companies that boast almost $900bn in annual revenues, including leading brands such as Unilever, Ikea owner Ingka Group, Commerzbank, Tech Mahindra, and Enel. (…) Catherine McKenna, chair of the United Nations High Level Expert Group on the Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities, said business had a major role to play in pushing governments tpo adopt more ambitious climate policies. (…)
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4059721/firms-pledge-align-lobbying-activity-paris-agreement
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
Ukrainian refugees relieve stress with a support dog named Noir
15 December 2022, By Helen Womack and Zsófia Juhász in Budapest, Hungary - Nine-year-old Maria was distraught when she had to abandon her beloved dog Sharik as her family fled the war in Ukraine earlier this year. Now, at a community centre in the Hungarian capital Budapest, Maria and other Ukrainian refugee children are taking part in a fun-filled therapy session with an emotional support dog called Noir. Maria has special needs and difficulty speaking, but the joy on her face needs no words as she strokes the gentle black Border Collie. Animal therapy is among various relaxing activities on offer at the Budapest Helps! Info and Community Centre, a joint venture between the Budapest Municipality, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). As the war grinds on into its tenth month, psychotherapists are concerned for the mental health and well-being of refugees, often separated from loved ones, sometimes bereaved, and all facing an uncertain future. Therapists from the Cordelia Foundation, a non-governmental organization and UNHCR partner that provides mental and social support to victims of trauma, are visiting shelters around the country and have already helped over 400 refugees, suffering from various degrees of depression or anxiety.
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
DENVER - KeyBank Makes $450,000 Grant to support Food Bank of the Rockies' Culturally Responsive Food Initiative
8 December 2022Food Bank of the Rockies and KeyBank announced a $450,000 grant from KeyBank at a mobile food pantry hosted by Food Bank of the Rockies this week at an event held at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Since its founding in 1978, Food Bank of the Rockies has been a leader in the fight against hunger. The organization serves about half of Colorado and all of Wyoming, providing food and other essentials to over 800 Hunger Relief Partners and through signature programs like their monthly 70 plus mobile pantries.
The KeyBank grant will aid Food Bank of the Rockies in purchasing fresh and nutritious produce and additional culturally responsive food for partners serving their communities through the Culturally Responsive Food Initiative, which impacts approximately 10,000 households annually in the Metro Denver area. During the next three years, Food Bank of the Rockies plans to scale the program to serve approximately 30,000 households through 10-20 Hunger Relief Partners and their 70 plus mobile pantries.
News related with SDGs number 2-Zero Hunger
Cambodia: ICRC celebrates 30 years of physical rehabilitation programme in Cambodia
7 December 2022- Battambang – On 22 November, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) celebrated the 30th anniversary of its physical rehabilitation programme in Cambodia, having provided support to more than 166,000 people with disabilities in the country. To mark the occasion, the ICRC organised an all-day event inside the physical rehabilitation centre in Battambang province, the country's first and largest centres with integrated prostheses, orthoseses and wheelchair production. (…)
https://www.icrc.org/en/document/cambodia-icrc-celebrates-30-years-physical-rehabilitation-programme
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
JAPAN, VICTORY ON THE PITCH AND IN THE STANDS: THE FANS' CIVILITY GESTURE
Civilization lesson from the Japanese people. After celebrating the victory over Germany (2-1) in the opening match at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Japanese fans made a very beautiful and significant gesture. Before leaving the Khalifa Stadium, and after having witnessed the sensational feat of their heroes, they cleaned up their sector, collecting various bags containing waste. In reality, it is something normal for the Japanese people, who are used to respecting every place. Indeed, the Japanese fans had already been filmed after the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador as they cleaned up their seats when the rest of the fans left the stands. A normal gesture for the Japanese, a lesson for the rest of the world.
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
Rules, regulations and environment
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EUROPEAN COMMISSION - Celtic Interconnector between Ireland and France: Next milestone reached
28 November 2022 - France and Ireland have taken a further important step in constructing the Celtic Interconnector, an underwater electricity connection linking the two EU countries. The contract signature for this EU Project of Common Interest (PCI) was witnessed today (Nov 25) in Paris (…) Today's signature is the next important milestone in the project to develop this new electrical link between France and Ireland by 2027, with an approximate length of 600 km and a capacity of 700 MW, enough to power 450,000 households. In 2019, the project was awarded a Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) grant worth 530 million to support construction works - one of the biggest CEF grants for works. (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
EDF Renewables, Enbridge and CPP Investments announce France's First Offshore Wind Project, Saint-Nazaire, is now fully operational
Nov 24, 2022 – (…) a significant milestone as France's first commercial-scale offshore wind project, the 480-megawatt Saint-Nazaire Offshore Wind Farm, is now fully operational. Located between 12 and 20 km from the southwest coast of France, the wind farm will help support the French State's energy transition goals, which include targets to generate 32% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. By providing secure, low carbon, affordable and reliable energy, Saint-Nazaire is also responding to the global energy challenge at a crucial time. The wind farm will produce the equivalent of 20% of the Loire-Atlantique's annual electricity consumption and supply the equivalent of the consumption of 700,000 people with electricity every year. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
10 futuristic smart city proposals around the world
24 November 2022 - As our world changes, our cities continue to change. Sustainable, smart, futuristic city concepts began to appear frequently. Designers, planners, and architects are working to create more sustainable and livable city concepts. The futuristic smart city proposals usually have a high level of global preservation, advanced telecommunications, and artificial intelligence. We have listed for you 10 futuristic smart city projects that are expected to be built in the near future. (…)
https://parametric-architecture.com/10-futuristic-smart-city-proposals-around-the-world/
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
How much energy could we harvestf artificial photosynthesis?
17 November2022 - Solar cells use photovoltaic technology to generate electricity, but the process is far from efficient. Plants are much better at converting sunlight into energy. Now, scientists are looking for ways to mimic the process of photosynthesis, which would turn Earth’s most abundant resource into fuel. How much energy could we acquire by doing what plants do best? (…) Plus, photovoltaics still isn’t as efficient as photosynthesis, which captures and stores about 60% of received solar energy in the form of usable fuel. Some scientists even think an 80% target is possible. Given that artificial photosynthesis could potentially quadruple the amount of energy we could harvest, it’s no wonder that scientists have been researching the topic since the 1970s. (…)
https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/jane-marsh/how-much-energy-could-we-harvest-from-20221117/
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
United Nations – General Assembly - Second Committee – Seventy-seventh session – Agenda item 18 (i) -: Sustainable development
Draft Resolution: ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
16 November 2022 - The General Assembly (…)
2. Also takes note of the role and activities of the International Renewable Energy Agency, encouraging the Agency to continue to support its members in the achievement of their renewable energy objectives, as well as the contributions of the International Solar Alliance (…)
4. Strongly encourages Governments and other relevant stakeholders to take actions to achieve universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy, increase the global share of renewable energy, improve the inclusion of developing countries in energy sector cooperation, where relevant, and increase the rate of improvement in energy efficiency for a clean, low-emission, low-carbon, climate-resilient, safe, efficient, modern, affordable, reliable and sustainable energy system (...)
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N22/697/81/PDF/N2269781.pdf?OpenElement
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
SHV Energy, GTI Energy announce partnership to produce renewable propane
(by Juan Pedro Tomas)
10 November 2022 - In the Netherlands, SHV Energy said it has inked a partnership with US-based GTI Energy to further develop a process for commercial-scale, on-purpose production of renewable propane. The European firm noted that the process will employ a novel technology for producing renewable propane and butane from bioethanol, delivering the propane and butane as the primary products, which is a significant improvement on current commercial processes (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY - IRENA and UNIDO support global energy transition through Green Hydrogen
9 November 2022 – (…) In their statement made at the UN Climate Change Conference COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, both Organisations' leads declare to jointly advance the transition towards sustainable energy through green hydrogen in pursuit of access to energy, energy security and economic development. Furthermore, IRENA and UNIDO intend to leverage international cooperation as an enabling platform to facilitate investments, policies and clean technologies to accelerate an inclusive and sustainable industrial development aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. (…)
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
Smart city planning must work for both private business and public citizens
8 November 2022 –
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/11/smart-city-internet-infrastructure/
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
EUROPEAN COMMISSION - Commission invests 3 billion in innovative clean tech projects to deliver on REPowerEU and accelerate Europe's energy independence from Russian fossil fuels
4 November 2022 - Today (Nov 3), the European Commission is launching the third call for large-scale projects under the EU Innovation Fund. With a budget doubled to 3 billion thanks to increased revenue from the auctioning of EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) allowances, this 2022 call for large-scale projects will boost the deployment of industrial solutions to decarbonise Europe. With a special focus on the priorities of the REPowerEU Plan, the call will provide additional support towards ending the EU's dependence on Russian fossil fuels. (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
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