Retour sur Terre, Presses Universitaires de France

'Return to Earth' review: a convincing read of how to build a new civilisation in the next 10 years. In a new book written during the lockdown, a group of researchers, among which Dominique Bourg and Sophie Swaton from the University of Lausanne, set out 35 policy measures to tackle the ecological crisis and social inequalities.

IFRC climate summit sets direction to address the climate crisis. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) first-ever virtual climate summit, Climate: Red, took place on 9 and 10 September, bringing together members, staff, youth activists, government officials, experts, and indigenous leaders from around the world to discuss how to tackle the climate emergency.

Sophie Swaton: 'Let's humbly return back to earth and protect it while there is still time.' A philosopher, economist, and lecturer-researcher at the University of Lausanne, Sophie Swaton talks to Geneva Solutions about her latest book, Return to Earth, which she co-authored, which sets out proposals for averting an ecological crisis, and why our priority should be focusing on protecting life Earth, not Mars.

Blue skies ahead? Why cooperation between science and policy is the key to reducing air pollution. Blue skies over Delhi and clear waters in the Venice canal: Covid-19's silver lining was to provide a small glimpse of the changes possible if drastic action is taken to reduce global emissions. Anna Engleryd, chair of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Air Convention executive body speaks to Geneva Solutions about her hopes for the future.

Photos of the famous Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California spread like wildfire on social media, as the forest fires in the Western part of the United States continue to cover the region in a ghastly orange glow. On Twitter, Sunrise Movement (@sunrisemvmt) retweeted the photographs taken by Zneha (@mithrilmaker) of the city on 9 September, with a quote on climate change from @MaryHeglar. This was then taken as inspiration for Earthrise Studio (@earthrise.studio) on Instagram to post a series of photos on this crisis event, urging users to act on climate now.

15 September | Online: AI for Good Microsoft’s contribution to a green recovery. In this event organized by AI for Good, Microsoft’s Chief Environmental Officer Lucas Joppa will talk about the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions and the opportunities for a greener recovery. The company itself states its goals are to become carbon negative by 2030 and by 2050 to remove the company’s historical emissions since 1975.

15-17 September | Online: The 8th World Sustainability Forum. September 2020 marks the fifth anniversary of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Focusing on food security, agriculture, mobility, and transport, the forum this year will all be held online. Registration, though free, is required.

23 September | Online: GrowToZero – How carbon offsetting reduces global emissions and creates value for business and society. To avoid a climate disaster, scientific evidence shows that the private sector needs to act urgently to decarbonise. As part of the New York Climate Week 2020, this event organised by the Geneva-based NGO, Gold Standard, will focus on the best ways for businesses to take responsibility for their full climate impact by investing in emission reductions beyond their boundaries.

16 September | International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. This year, we celebrate 35 years of global ozone layer protection. From the Vienna Convention to the Montreal Protocol to the Kigali Amendment, World Ozone Day celebrates the collective decisions and actions, which, guided by science, are the only way to solve major global crises.