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Good morning, it's Kasmira here, and today we're looking at climate finance resolutions and other key sustainable finance themes for 2021, as well investor action against governments over their pandemic plans.

Plus, as the saga continues to unfold in the US over last week's riot, Kofi Annan Foundation's head of elections and democracy Sébastien Brack, explores what it will take to restore the shine of the City on the Hill.

photo journaliste

Kasmira Jefford

11.01.2021


Today’s reason for hope


Photo article

Indian laborer works at an electronic-waste dumping area in Calcutta, India, 2016 (EPA/Piya Adhikary)

💻 How a start-up in India is pioneering a way to tackle the global e-waste problem. India is one of the largest electronic markets in the world and also one of its biggest generators of e-waste, with consumers discarding around 3.2 million metric tons of old smartphones, laptops, and monitors each year. Local start-up Karo Sambhav is trying to tackle problem by connecting recyclers and manufacturers via its platform, with technology provided by Microsoft.

WEF (EN)

Sustainable Business & Finance news


📊 Global climate action needs trusted finance data. Over a decade ago, developed countries committed to mobilise $100bn per year by 2020 to support poorer countries to tackle climate change. However, arguments over funding data are fuelling mistrust ahead of the next UN climate conference (COP26).

Nature (EN)

⚖️ The multinationals suing governments over their pandemic response. Law firms have been drawing investors’ attention to how they can retrieve their pandemic-related losses from governments. This comes even as experts and NGOs have been calling for a moratorium on investor-state disputes while governments deal with the pandemic.

The New Statesman (EN)

🌱 Biodiversity, Supply Chain Rank Among Biggest ESG Themes in 2021. The “S” in ESG has moved to the forefront as investors press on diversity and racial equality. Investors also list biodiversity and clean energy jobs among the main ESG topics to focus on in 2021.

Bloomberg (EN)

Number of the day


Photo article

The climate finance milestone. With COP26 now months away, reaching the $100bn goal set out under the Paris Agreement to help developing countries combat climate change will be a crucial focus this year. The OECD's latest estimates published in November said the amount pledged rose to $78.9bn in 2018. But even these estimates are hotly disputed, with other studies saying the real figure is much lower. A report by independent researchers commissioned by the UN published last month examines whether this target can be met.

UN (EN)

Opinion


Photo article

Pro-Trump protesters occupy the grounds of the West Front of the US Capitol on 6 January. (EPA/Michael Reynolds)

Restoring the shine of the City on the Hill, an urgent global priority. The US Capitol riot was a blow to the USA’s standing in the world, and to the image of democracy as a whole. Yet the widespread consternation over the electoral crisis also offers a unique opportunity to build a broad coalition to defend democracy, both in the USA and around the world, writes Sébastien Brack, head of elections and democracy programme at the Kofi Annan Foundation.

Geneva Solutions (EN)

Here's what else is happening


Next on the agenda


11 January | COP26 virtual roundtable on clean power transition. The UN secretary-general, national leaders and investors will explore how to speed up the shift to clean power. Talks will cover green jobs and financing, among other issues. Watch live at 16:45 CET.

UN TV (EN)

12 January | ‘The start of a new era for sustainable development at the WTO?’ Chad Blackman, Ambassador of Barbados to the WTO and Chair of the WTO’s Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) is among the speakers at this roundtable event.

Global Trade & Customs Journal (EN)

25-29 January | The Davos Agenda. The ski resort will be strangely quiet this year without its annual gathering of the business elite, which has been moved to Singapore, in May. However, a virtual event will still take place in preparation for the Spring meeting.

WEF (EN)

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