The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with American cleantech CEO Chris Kemper, has announced the 2025 Young Champions of the Earth. Three environmental entrepreneurs from India, Kenya, and the United States have been recognized for their innovative contributions toward advancing a circular economy and addressing urgent environmental challenges. Their solutions tackle issues such as… [Read More]
Poverty in Kenya: Understanding Root Causes, Lasting Impacts, and Local Solutions
Poverty in Kenya remains a pressing issue in 2025, with millions of people still unable to meet their daily needs despite steady economic growth. Families across the country face hardships such as food insecurity, inadequate healthcare, and limited access to education. The challenge is especially acute in rural areas and marginalized regions, where poverty rates… [Read More]
Rockefeller Foundation Backs Global Call to Integrate Regenerative School Meals into Climate Policies
The governments of Brazil, France, and Somalia, along with the World Food Program, The Rockefeller Foundation, and The Global Partnership for Education, have issued a joint call urging countries to integrate resilient and regenerative school meals into national climate policies. This appeal was launched during a high-level discussion hosted by The Rockefeller Foundation on the… [Read More]
When Survival Is at Stake: How Bread and Water for Africa® Provides Urgent Relief
Across Africa, countless children are struggling to survive under extremely harsh conditions in countries such as Ethiopia, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and in refugee camps in Kenya. They lack the most basic necessities of life—food, clean water, and medicine—leaving them in a constant fight for survival. Currently, more than 92 million children in… [Read More]
The Lab Launches 2026 Call for Ideas to Accelerate 8 Innovative Climate Finance Vehicles
The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance (the Lab) has opened its 2026 Call for Ideas, aiming to identify and accelerate eight innovative solutions that can unlock private climate investment in emerging markets. This cycle emphasizes regional programs tailored to address specific financial and climate challenges across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Brazil, India, Latin America and the… [Read More]
IOC and UNDP Seek Partnerships to Protect and Sustain the Sargasso Sea
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched a joint Call for Partnerships to advance the project “Strengthening stewardship through cooperation in an economically and biologically significant high seas area – the Sargasso Sea.” The initiative aims to provide scientific and technical expertise to support governance and… [Read More]
San Salvador Champions Integration of Living Heritage in Urban Planning
Government officials from national and municipal institutions in El Salvador took part in a three-day training session aimed at strengthening the integration of intangible cultural heritage into urban development. Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Housing, Directorate of Territorial Planning, CORSATUR, the Planning Authority for the Historic Center of San Salvador,… [Read More]
Trump’s H1-B Visa Fee Hike Announcement Sparks Confusion Among Indian Applicants
The cost of applying for a new H-1B visa has now risen to $100,000, sparking widespread confusion and concern in India, where the visa is most heavily used by professionals in the U.S. technology sector. Reports of the fee hike led to panic among some passengers traveling from San Francisco to India, with videos showing… [Read More]
Viet Nam and UN Reinforce Partnership to Accelerate Climate Action
The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and three United Nations agencies — WHO, UNDP, and UNICEF — held a consultation workshop in Ha Noi to strengthen the integration of health into Viet Nam’s national climate change response. The event supports the preparation of Viet Nam’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) report… [Read More]
Asia-Pacific Biodiversity Finance Dialogue: Over 40 Countries Explore Innovative Conservation Solutions
More than 120 biodiversity finance experts and government representatives from Europe, Asia, and the Pacific convened in Da Nang for one of the region’s largest exchanges on biodiversity finance. Organized by UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) and the Government of Viet Nam, the Eurasia-Pacific Regional Dialogue brought together over 40 countries to explore investment-ready solutions… [Read More]
FAO Advances Anticipatory Action to Prevent and Mitigate Crises Globally
On the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) unveiled its updated blueprint for the Financing for Shock-Driven Food Crisis Facility (FSFC), an innovative mechanism designed to prevent food crises before they escalate. By promoting anticipatory action, the FSFC aims to save lives and reduce the long-term costs of… [Read More]
Apple Launches Ambitious Project to Protect and Restore California’s Redwood Forests
Apple has announced a major investment in the restoration and sustainable management of a working redwood forest in California, in partnership with The Conservation Fund. This initiative is part of Apple’s broader Restore Fund program, which now supports two dozen conservation and regenerative agriculture projects across six continents. The Restore Fund, launched in 2021 with… [Read More]
SDG Progress Alert: No Peace, Justice, or Inclusion Target on Track as 2030 Approaches
Ten years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, a new UN report reveals that none of the 23 targets under Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) are on track, with 15 percent of them regressing. The Global Progress Report on SDG 16, released by UNDP, UNODC, and OHCHR, highlights the critical role of peaceful,… [Read More]
Elephant Crisis Fund Honored with 20th BBVA Foundation Worldwide Award for Biodiversity
The Elephant Crisis Fund (ECF) has been awarded the 20th BBVA Foundation Worldwide Award for Biodiversity Conservation, earning international recognition for its impactful and sustained efforts to protect African elephants. The fund, launched in 2013 as a joint initiative between Save the Elephants and the Wildlife Conservation Network, supports a wide range of conservation organisations… [Read More]
J-PAL South Asia and The/Nudge Institute Launch Graduation Approach to Reduce Poverty in Indian States
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia at IFMR and The/Nudge Institute have partnered to accelerate the nationwide scale-up of the Graduation Approach, a proven model that helps families lift themselves out of extreme poverty. This collaboration focuses on government partnerships, capacity building, resource mobilization, and fostering coordination among governments, NGOs, donors,… [Read More]
World Bank: Pakistan’s Poverty Rate Rises to 25.3% After Years of Decline
Pakistan’s long-term progress in reducing poverty has reversed in recent years, with the national poverty rate rising to 25.3 percent in 2023-24 after steadily declining for nearly two decades. According to the World Bank’s latest assessment, Reclaiming Momentum Towards Prosperity: Pakistan’s Poverty, Equity and Resilience Assessment, this marks a significant setback after poverty had fallen… [Read More]
Canada Ends Immigration Detention in Provincial Jails: A Landmark Human Rights Victory
On September 14, 2025, Ontario became the last Canadian province to end the practice of using provincial jails to detain migrants and asylum seekers on administrative grounds. As of September 15, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed that no individuals remain detained in provincial correctional facilities. Ontario had historically held the largest number of… [Read More]
Italy: EIB Backs Tecnocap with €25 Million for Sustainable and Low-Carbon Investments
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €25 million to support Tecnocap, a global leader in metal packaging, in implementing green investments aimed at improving energy efficiency and developing renewable energy self-generation at its industrial plants, primarily in Italy and, to a lesser extent, in the Czech Republic. This funding will help accelerate Tecnocap’s transition… [Read More]
PAHO and UNITE Partner to Enhance Health Legislation Across the Americas
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and UNITE – Parliamentarians Network for Global Health have signed a Framework Agreement to strengthen legislative action on health across the Americas. Announced during the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, the partnership aims to support lawmakers in shaping public health policy through evidence-based decision-making, informed debate,… [Read More]
New European Partnership Funds €253 Million for AMR Research and Innovation
The European Union has officially launched the Partnership on One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (OHAMR), a 10-year initiative co-funded by Horizon Europe with €75 million, aimed at addressing the urgent global health threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The programme underscores Europe’s commitment to innovation and leadership in combating AMR, a growing challenge that threatens modern… [Read More]
Cyprus SMEs and Start-ups to Benefit from €62.5 Million Financing from EIB Group and Eurobank
The European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group) has announced the first InvestEU Guarantee transaction in Cyprus, marking a significant step in providing EU-backed financing to local businesses. The agreement, signed between the European Investment Fund (EIF) and Eurobank, will mobilize up to €62.5 million in new loans for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups… [Read More]
Italy: EIB Invests €25 Million to Boost Tecnocap’s Sustainable Growth
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €25 million to Tecnocap, a global leader in metal packaging, to support green investments aimed at improving energy efficiency and developing renewable energy self-generation at its industrial plants in Italy, with a smaller portion of the initiatives planned for its facilities in the Czech Republic. The financing will… [Read More]
Kerala–EU Blue Economy Conclave Ends with Pledge for Future Sustainable Partnerships
The inaugural Kerala–European Union (EU) Blue Economy Conclave concluded in Thiruvananthapuram on 19 September 2025, marking a significant step toward deeper EU–India collaboration in sustainable ocean investments, maritime activities, climate action, skills, and innovation. Co-hosted by the Government of Kerala, the EU, and the Government of India, the conclave brought together a “Team Europe” delegation… [Read More]
