The IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi, held from 9 to 15 October, marked a milestone for global conservation, bringing together over 10,000 participants from 189 countries across more than 1,000 events. The Congress provided a platform for sharing innovative ideas, forging partnerships, and committing to bold conservation initiatives that will influence environmental… [Read More]
Business
Climate Risks as Financial Risks: Lessons from Mongolia’s Experience
Climate change has emerged as a pressing economic and financial threat, no longer confined to environmental concerns. In Asia and the Pacific, nearly 85 per cent of people are projected to face multiple climate hazards even under the targeted 1.5°C warming scenario. Mongolia exemplifies these vulnerabilities, ranking 19th out of 171 countries on the Global… [Read More]
US$9 Million Funding to Strengthen Women-Led Businesses in Tonga
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$9 million grant to support Tongan women in business ventures. The initiative aims to promote the growth of women-owned and women-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, providing them with the resources and guidance needed to expand their operations. According to Aaron Batten, regional director of ADB’s Pacific… [Read More]
Comau Receives €50 Million from Italy for Industrial Robotics and Advanced Automation Innovation
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €50 million financing agreement with Comau to support the company’s research, development, and innovation activities in robotics, advanced automation, machine tools, and digital technologies for multiple industrial sectors, including automotive, aerospace, construction, renewable energy, and logistics. The funding, concentrated at Comau’s facilities in Turin and Bari, aims… [Read More]
Djibouti Advances Sustainable Energy Through Solar Self-Consumption Initiatives
Djibouti’s abundant sunshine has long stood in contrast to its high electricity costs and limited energy access, with families and businesses facing some of the highest power prices in Africa due to complex and expensive generation systems. This situation has constrained economic opportunity, strained household budgets and limited reliable access to electricity, particularly in rural… [Read More]
ILO and Business Organizations Join Forces to Advance Global Environmental, Social and Governance Standards
The International Labour Organization has reported a significant rise in environmental, social and governance engagement among Employer and Business Membership Organisations, driven by growing demand from their members worldwide. Findings from a new ILO ACT/EMP survey show that ESG has evolved from a voluntary good practice into a core element of business competitiveness and resilience… [Read More]
Empowering Rural Women Farmers Through Gender-Responsive Funding
The International Centre for Environmental Health and Development (ICEHD) convened a high-level Climate Finance Workshop in Lagos to address the barriers rural women farmers in Nigeria face in accessing financial instruments and climate adaptation funding. The workshop, themed “Exploring Financial Resourcing for Women Farmers in Nigeria,” brought together 52 participants from civil society organizations, NGOs,… [Read More]
Driving Innovation: Kosovo Invests €1 Million in Promising Startups and SMEs
The Luxembourg Development Cooperation has announced a new call for proposals under the LuxAid Demonstration Fund (LDF), building on the success of its first edition in 2025. The initiative aims to accelerate the growth and impact of innovative digital and green solutions by well-established businesses in Kosovo, offering selected projects co-financing of up to EUR… [Read More]
Employment Rights Act 2025: Seven Practical Steps to Prepare for Upcoming Changes
The new Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA 2025), which became law at the end of December, represents a significant reform in UK employment law, modernising workplace protections and strengthening employee rights. Key changes include enhanced protections against unfair dismissal and harassment, updated rules on ‘fire and rehire’, guaranteed hours, and new provisions on family rights,… [Read More]
Serbia Introduces Innovative Green Financing Model to Boost Sustainable Development
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with Serbia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and the European Investment Bank’s EIB Global arm, has launched a new green financing model under the EU for Green Agenda in Serbia initiative. This model combines donor grants with favorable bank loans that offer lower interest rates and longer repayment… [Read More]
€700 Million Investment Support in Italy: EIB and Intesa Sanpaolo Facilitate Access to Finance for Companies
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Intesa Sanpaolo have finalized two major financial operations totalling €700 million to enhance access to finance and support investments by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-cap companies in Italy. These agreements are expected to mobilize approximately €1.9 billion in real economy investments, including €450 million allocated to green… [Read More]
Bosnia and Herzegovina Welcomes EU’s Inaugural Youth Advisory Board
The European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina has established its first Youth Advisory Board (YAB), bringing together 15 young leaders from across the country. This new body provides young people with a structured and institutionalized channel to collaborate with the EU, allowing them to express their views, ideas, and proposals on issues vital to the… [Read More]
Hurricane Melissa Relief: Cash Support Programme Rolled Out for 50,000 Jamaicans
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), has launched a cash assistance programme to support Jamaicans severely affected by category 5 Hurricane Melissa in October. The initiative will reach approximately 50,000 people and forms part of WFP’s phased response, which initially… [Read More]
Republic of Moldova Unveils Plan to Strengthen Table Grape Sector and Rural Economies
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have successfully completed the design phase of a national strategy aimed at transforming the Republic of Moldova’s table grape sector into a competitive, climate-resilient, and inclusive industry. The strategy, validated during a workshop in Chișinău, includes a… [Read More]
IFC and Tonga Development Bank Partner to Drive MSME Growth and Job Creation in Tonga
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, has partnered with Tonga Development Bank (TDB) to support the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and create jobs in Tonga. The partnership comes as Tonga continues to recover from major economic shocks, including the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and the… [Read More]
Türkiye’s Beko Receives IFC Investment to Accelerate Sustainable Growth
IFC has signed a €100 million sustainability-linked loan with Beko, marking the company’s first-ever sustainability-linked financing. The loan will support Beko in expanding its renewable energy capacity, enhancing earthquake resilience, and driving research and development (R&D) for eco-efficient appliances. In addition to environmental goals, the financing includes sustainability-linked targets such as increasing women’s representation in… [Read More]
Additional £8 Million Fishing Quota Secured by UK for 2026
The UK has secured bilateral fisheries agreements with Norway and the Faroe Islands for 2026, valued at approximately £8 million based on historic landing prices. These agreements maintain the same access to Arctic stocks in Norwegian waters and key stocks, including haddock and saithe, in Faroese waters as in 2025, ensuring continuity for the UK… [Read More]
UK Imposes Sanctions on Perpetrators of Violence Against Civilians in Syria
The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on individuals and organisations involved in violence against civilians in Syria, targeting both recent coastal violence and historic atrocities committed during the Syrian Civil War. Announced by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, the measures form part of the UK’s ongoing commitment to hold perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable and… [Read More]
Government of Canada Helps Alberta Businesses Adapt to New Trade Realities and Grow
The Government of Canada has announced a federal investment of $1 million to support Core Design Ltd., an Alberta-based manufacturer, in adapting to shifting global trade conditions and expanding into new markets. The investment, delivered through Prairies Economic Development Canada under the Regional Tariff Response Initiative, is intended to help strengthen business resilience, reduce reliance… [Read More]
Government of Canada Begins Engagement to Strengthen Industrial Carbon Pricing and Secure Clean Energy Investments
Environment and Climate Change Canada has launched a national engagement process on proposed changes to the minimum national stringency standards for industrial carbon pricing, known as the federal benchmark criteria. Input gathered through this engagement will inform updates to the benchmark in 2026, with the aim of ensuring that industrial carbon pricing systems across Canada… [Read More]
World Bank Supports Climate-Resilient Rural Development and Job Creation for Family Farmers in Paraíba
The World Bank has approved the Paraíba Sustainable Rural Development Project – Phase II to promote more inclusive and climate-resilient growth in rural areas of Paraíba, in Brazil’s Northeast. The project aims to help family farmers increase their incomes, strengthen their resilience to climate shocks, and gain improved access to infrastructure and essential rural services,… [Read More]
Energy Project in Larimaat Spurs Social, Economic, and Environmental Transformation
In the remote community of Larimaat, Eastern Central Pentecost, women have emerged as central agents of resilience and empowerment, demonstrating how access to electricity can transform lives beyond infrastructure. After a failed pilot electrification project years ago, a new initiative—funded by the Government of Japan under UNDP’s Pacific Green Transformation Project and Vanuatu Green Transformation… [Read More]
Fossil Fuel Ban in Costa Rica at Risk: What’s Next for the Country’s Green Policy
For over twenty years, Costa Rica has maintained a ban on oil and gas exploration and production, set to run until 2050. However, this moratorium is based on a presidential decree, making it legally fragile, as any president can revoke it without parliamentary approval. Recognizing this vulnerability, the former government pledged in 2020 to codify… [Read More]
