Skip to main content

News

Displaying Results 26 - 50 of 74

While Uzbekistan has improved its environmental performance in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to water and sanitation (SDG 6) and forests and tree cover loss (SDG targets 15.1, 15.2, 15.3), significant challenges remain related to air quality (SDG 11.6), water resources…
Participants in the motor industry’s complex supply chains, regulators as well as investors seeking to invest sustainably are increasingly interested in considering the carbon footprint of vehicles over their entire lifetime - from material extraction and production to manufacturing, use and…
A dilemma has galvanised the Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and infrastructure community for some time: How to ensure the bankability of pipelines of sustainable projects in emerging economies. PPP lenders and debt-providers continue to argue that there are not enough bankable projects to…
Armenia has been a pioneer in the use of the Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) model in the Caucasus to improve its infrastructure and public services. In 2000, nine years since its independence, it concluded its first wave of water concession agreements for the provision of drinking water and…
Kyrgyzstan has been one of the pioneers of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Central Asia, with the introduction of a PPP model in its legal and regulatory framework since 2009, and the most recent PPP legislation enacted in 2021. On the back of this PPP experience, the Government has launched…
Addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate disruption, pollution and nature loss, requires an innovative approach to financing as a way to rapidly and systemically address these interlinked issues. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) offers a financing mechanisms for infrastructure projects…
Public procurement represents 10 per cent of Georgia’s GDP. Therefore, innovation-enhancing procurement (IEP) can be a powerful policy lever to catalyze innovation and promote sustainability. Using public procurement to drive innovation is one of the recommendations arising from the Innovation for…
As the sun sets in northern México, less than 100 kilometres from its border with the United States, news from the latest coal mining disaster near Sabinas, in the state of Coahuila, is heartbreaking for the families awaiting at the surface. Military divers who have bravely attempted to make their…
July is a month to start enjoying the harvest of fruits and vegetables for many in Europe and the topic of reducing food loss and waste becomes very urgent. In Serbia, agriculture is an important sector of the economy, contributing around 6% of GDP. In March 2022 food production accounted for 10.4…
UNECE is supporting the Government of Moldova in its efforts to enhance its national innovation system to accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development. During the online meeting on 16 June, the two sides agreed to develop a Roadmap for Innovation and Technology Transfer, which will feed into…
The UNECE region is not on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Public procurement can be a powerful policy lever to accelerate progress. Some Governments in the UNECE region spend as much as 20 percent of GDP annually on procuring goods, services, and infrastructure.…
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) have become one of the preferred mechanisms for financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in many countries in the UNECE region. Through its approach to PPPs for the SDGs, UNECE supports countries identifying, developing and implementing infrastructure…
A large, multidisciplinary team of international experts under the leadership of UNECE is working in Bishkek, assessing the environmental performance of the country by examining developments during the past decade.   The third review of Kyrgyzstan measures progress made and considers challenges…
Embracing sustainable infrastructure that is green, circular, inclusive, resilient, fiscally sustainable, and of high quality is crucial for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) can promote the development of such infrastructure projects by putting…
Infrastructure investment is long-term in nature and can lay the foundations for sustainable development in member States. To improve the sustainability of infrastructure and public services, such investments must be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) says the United Nations…
The transition to a decarbonized energy sector is a critical step for keeping global warming below 2°C. To succeed, countries will need to phase out, or at least substantially limit the use of coal.  While the benefits of the green transition are numerous, it will require a deep structural shift…
As guests of the planet, we human beings can thrive only if our host environment is thriving. We are strongly connected to it, more than we probably understand and more than we probably dare to admit. Conversely, the ways humans treat the environment has clear negative effects on our health and…
The second Environmental Performance Review (EPR) of Armenia kicks off in Yerevan under the lead of UNECE and carried out by a large, multidisciplinary team of international experts. This is the 56th EPR since the establishment of the UNECE EPR Programme over a quarter of a century ago. Armenia has…
In light of the global focus on decarbonization, which is critical to achieve the goal of keeping global warming below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels, the energy sector must undergo profound modernization, with a focus on phasing down unabated coal extraction and use. However, to meet…
Since its independence, Armenia has been one of the fastest-growing economies among the countries in Eastern Europe and South Caucasus (EESC) with GDP growth averaging 6 percent during the last two decades. Fueled by substantial reforms and increased foreign investment, the country embarked on a…
UNECE is leading a large and diverse group of international experts carrying out the 55th Environmental Performance Review (EPR) since the establishment of the UNECE EPR Programme, 25 years ago. Azerbaijan has requested UNECE to review its environmental performance for a third time. To provide the…
COP26 was a positive step forward in the fight against climate change, but as the UN Secretary General pointed out in his comments: “it is not enough. We must accelerate climate action to keep alive the goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.” The compromise deal reflects the…
Transitioning towards a knowledge-based economy away from a resource-intensive model of economic growth is central for sustainable development among the seven countries of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) - Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,…
As world leaders gather in Glasgow for COP 26, there is increasing recognition that the transition to renewable energy is vital to tackle climate change. The circular economy aims at sustainable production, consumption and resource use by minimizing pollution, turning waste products into productive…
A decade after independence, Armenia embarked on a radical reform path to create a vibrant, market economy – triggering substantial economic growth, often reaching double digits.   As recent trends and volatility indicate, sustaining such growth requires addressing a range of structural challenges…