Environmental and Social Safeguards

Human activities are the major reason for the rise in greenhouse gas emissions and changes in the global climate system, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). There is also evidence from all continents and oceans  that regional climate change is affecting many natural systems. The IPCC stresses the fact that small islands and coastal nations are … [Read more...] about Climate risk studies: a shield of resilience for development projects

Is it possible to achieve a no net loss, or even a net gain of biodiversity while maintaining economic growth? Biodiversity offsets can help achieve such a pressing goal. This emerging conservation strategy consists of actions that compensate for significant residual impacts arising from project development after prevention, minimization, and mitigation measures have been … [Read more...] about The boom of biodiversity offsets: innovative mechanisms for maintaining healthy ecosystems

The term “white glove” can be commonly associated with providing meticulous and delicate attention to a service provided, and to “handle with care”. On this World Environment Day, we’d like to share a new approach that takes this concept and applies it to our natural world. After all, we only have one Earth and its natural habitat should be treated with care to ensure there is … [Read more...] about A “handle with care” approach for protecting the environment

When I was young I wanted to be a movie scriptwriter. I ended up being just a sociologist, but I still remember something I read back then about how a good script sequence should look like. For example, in the classic “boy meets girl” plot, first the central characters are presented, then they meet; then something happens to them –they may fight and later reconcile, or … [Read more...] about An essential script for environmental and social impact assessments