Learn about the International Seabed Authority (ISA)'s recent work negotiating deep-sea mining and its environmental impact in waters outside of national jurisdiction here.
This is an ongoing series published by the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) reporting on UN environment and development negotiations.
July 2023 confirmed as hottest month on record - Report by the World Meteorological Organization
See the latest data on global temperatures.
Facing a Future of Drought, Spain Turns to Medieval Solutions and ‘Ancient Wisdom’ by Constant Méheut
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Follow the IISD's report on the 38th United Nations Water Meeting taking place now by clicking here.
Pollinator Week. June 19th-25th. Celebrate your favorite flying friends by joining one of the many events occurring around the Americas!
UN Session to develop a treaty on marine biology. June 19th-20th. Watch international government negotiations in process! The UN is convening a working group on finalizing aspects of what is expected to become an adopted treaty on marine biology () Keep up to date with developments by reading reports from the IISD's Earth Negotiations Bulletin or directly from the UN.
1% For The Planet Community Ecochallenge. July 10th - August 11th. Are you a member of 1% For The Planet? If so, join their pledge drive to increase your impact and share your story with your fellow members.
Seed Savers Exchange Virtual Conference: July 21st-22nd. Join this online-only virtual conference on community building through the saving and sharing of seeds. Includes how-to guides to growing and saving seed.
IPNC: July 28th-30th in McMinnville, OR. Attend some or all of this public celebration of Pinot Noir. Tickets still available.
Have an event to announce? Email Suzanne at deeprootscoalitionorg at gmail.com
At the end of last year, the World Resources Institute (WRI) released an explainer defining "loss and damage" within the context of climate change. This article explores how the UN defines (or really doesn't) the terms for use during climate negotiations. This is an easy-to-read guide to understanding UN climate reports more deeply, especially on what's often an overly-politicized topic. This article goes into depth on economic and non-economic losses and the difficulty in quantifying the latter. Lengthy, but well worth the read to deepen your understanding of international policy negotiations. Read the explainer here.
WRI (World Research Institute) is an international water and development research organization.
The World Resources Institute published a critical review of the UN’s Water Conference results, looking specifically at the Water Action Agenda, the over 700 pledges by governments and organizations large and small to address freshwater preservation and climate change. Read their conclusions here on the potential impact of these promises and their call for further action to “tackle global water challenges.”
The World Resources Institute (WRI) is an international water and development research organization founded in the 1980s with funding by the MacArthur Foundation. It is funded by donation.
Looking for more information on the 2023 UN Water Conference and the over 700 Water Action Agenda commitments? Check out The Hill’s recent opinion piece by Robert G. Varady, Gemma E. Smith and Andrea K. Gerlak here! It explores the US’s commitments, contains a critical analysis of past steps, and recommends a path forward with better integration of science with policy. Curious how far we’ve come? Read Andrea K. Gerlak’s opinion piece at The Hill published in 2016 on American water infrastructure here.
The United Nations just wrapped up their first high-level conference on freshwater since 1977, the UN 2023 Water Conference. The conference was held at the UN in NYC on March 22 - March 24th, and included multiple break out events hosted by participating non-profits, corporations, and collaborative organizations.
Daily reports of the activities are available from Earth Negotiations Bulletin, a branch of the International Institute for Sustainable Development that reports on UN environment and development negotiations. Reports can be found here. The focus on the conference was to highlight the dire need for action on water as the world faces multiple threats from climate change and decades of mismanagement of freshwater systems at all levels of government. The conference’s drive was to register commitments from member states and stakeholders to improve freshwater availability, sustainability, and sanitation for the entire globe. 708 commitments were received, including 112 involving stakeholders in the US.
These commitments are referred to as the Water Action Agenda and include commitments from businesses, local governments, and non-profits. The overarching goal is to improve water management and resiliency and to invest in water and sanitation systems. The program was launched with an Open Call for Water Action by the UN to act on clean water and water conservation. One responding organization included a Business Leaders’ Open Call to Accelerate Water Action launched by 50 large corporations operating in over 130 countries and employing over 2 million people. In the beverage industry, this includes AB InBev, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Heineken, and Starbucks. The Action will reportedly positively impact 100 water-stressed basin. You can read the call here.
Want an overview of the Water Conference’s history and mission? Read The Udall Center’s briefing here.
For additional information, read the UN’s “Five Things You Should Know About the UN 2023 Water Conference” here.
Read about the freshwater crisis in the US here.
Watch a UN panel on water for climate resiliency here.
Watch the UN interactive dialogue on water and sustainable development here.
Read about and explore the work of the CEO Water Mandate, an organization working to generate similar commitments to water sustainability here.
