Managing natural resources

The contestation over gold – and its connection to transnational networks – is becoming a major driver of Ethiopia’s complex conflicts.

In this episode, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition in key sectors, including non-energy uses of fossil fuels.

France’s proposed bill to slow down fast fashion and set higher standards for environmental supply chain transparency is an important first step in addressing the hidden water crisis in global trade.

In this episode, guests discuss gold’s connection to the current war and transnational dynamics.

£1000 grants are available for innovative and engaging ideas to deliver a fair and sustainable future.

Chile, Argentina and Bolivia have vast lithium reserves but must entice international investors to do more than dig mines, writes Jewellord Nem Singh.

With a COP28 deal to transition away from fossil fuels, speeding up the energy transition and economic diversification will help Gulf countries protect the needs of future generations and avoid costly consequences of delayed action.

Framing the need for supply security through narrowly-defined vantage points ignores key issues.

In ‘Climate Capitalism’, Akshat Rathi’s enthusiasm for environmental private enterprise is infectious, but he’s unclear on who’s footing the bill, writes Ann Pettifor.

The first bioenergy fuel based transatlantic flight has taken off. But significant deployment limitations to decarbonize the sector means those who fly the most must fly less.

An ambitious agreement to tackle the threat of plastics pollution requires a solid understanding of its scientific complexities.

In this episode, we explore how headway has been made on recognizing the role that indigenous communities have always played for safeguarding the climate and environment.

Guests from governments, business and regional organizations gathered to discuss how to make the best of the green commodity boom.

This episode takes us on a journey of discovery through the Ghanaian gold mining industry, and the illegal artisanal gold mining.

The historian tells Mike Higgins about the corporation’s contentious role in apartheid’s last years and how its outreach work empowers women and attracts criticism.

Nancy Karigithu, Kenyan candidate for secretary general of the IMO, outlines how regional collaboration can enhance maritime security, infrastructure and connectivity.

As dust storms in the Middle East become increasingly frequent and intense, adversaries must cooperate to address the causes.

The Ukrainian historian tells Mike Higgins about how the war is giving rise to a new Ukraine and why China’s role – not nuclear weapons – is ‘the big unknown’.

Where does deforestation occur, why is it happening, and what can be done to prevent it?

Maintaining a balance of international partnerships is critical as foreign powers support domestic infrastructure, mining investment, health, and education.

The UK and EU are beginning to secure supply of critical raw materials necessary for the twin transitions to a digital and net-zero economy.

The supply chain of a seemingly innocuous cash crop – sesame – has intersected with transnational conflict dynamics, exacerbating tensions between Ethiopia and Sudan.

Explaining the human activities that threaten biodiversity, and why a loss of biodiversity threatens the future of humanity.

Disrupting supply chains of critical minerals to those supporting Ukraine could give China a key advantage in its wider international trade competition.

Urgent action is needed to evolve efforts to address climate change and the degradation of nature.

Animation showcasing how a collaborative approach between policy institutes in the Global South and Global North can improve forestry policy decisions.

The international community needs to redouble its efforts to avert new security risks as a result of climate change.

Unpacking the feverish debate behind the EU agreement for a $60 price cap on oil deliveries from Russia, and the geopolitical implications of the deal.

A UN conference in December is hoping to set targets to mitigate humanity’s impact on wildlife and habitats. Here we assess the damage so far and why it matters.

Chatham House environment experts give their initial reaction to the end of COP27, examining how much progress was achieved, and the key issues still to be worked on.

Sustainable bioeconomies can play a significant role in the climate transition and in protecting nature, but this will only be possible with more strategic coordination on innovation, investment and international policy.

Amid concern about lack of progress on the SDGs, an opportunity is emerging to put the ‘circular economy’ at the heart of international action on everything from tackling climate change to reducing poverty.

As climate change and the trade of water-intensive goods exacerbate global water scarcity, how can importers of commodity products improve the sustainable use of water at sites of production?

Competing demands for land will increasingly complicate resource security and climate action, threatening international and environmental stability. This report explores the pressures, and sets out how the risks can be mitigated.

Cutting aviation carbon emissions is vital for achieving net zero, but near-term, scalable decarbonization options are limited. This paper explores the possibility of reducing demand for flights to help keep the sector on track for net zero.

The war is making the challenges of climate change harder to overcome, both in Ukraine and worldwide.

By putting in place climate change adaptation measures, NATO has an opportunity to both strengthen operational resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Public facilities are key to managing human displacement crises. With strained resources, sustainable upgrades to buildings can enable states to meet multiple welfare objectives.

Integrating nature-based solutions into the forest bioeconomy can help address the funding gap for these activities by tapping into existing flows of sustainable finance.

Zambia’s recent approach to international relations has boosted the country’s prominence, but further domestic focus is needed to make this a sustainable policy shift.

While current food systems hinder efforts towards climate and biodiversity goals, a transformation in the way food is produced could enable progress on these crises this decade.

From the international through to the local level, inclusive approaches are needed to ensure effective governance of forests and promote the sustainable use of land.

What might a transformed, healthy and sustainable global food system look like? Two contrasting models of sustainability show the options for targeting policy and investment.

While the war in Ukraine is having significant global impacts for energy, food and fertilizer markets, it may also aggravate wider economic and social upheaval.

This paper examines the collection and disbursement of forest sector revenues in three African countries following efforts to improve transparency and accountability.

Venezuela’s recovery from economic collapse and the future prosperity of its citizens depend on the reconstruction of its crisis-ridden electricity system.

Mozambique’s government has an opportunity to redress human rights failings and help establish durable security relationships in the vital extractives sector.

Analysing a crucial opportunity for enhancing ambitions on climate finance, adaptation, and ‘loss and damage’, and the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The international community must partner effectively with Brazilian stakeholders to conserve the Amazonian forest and foster sustainable economic development.

In the near term, climate change adaptation efforts must prioritize tackling socio-economic vulnerabilities in the most at-risk regions. Failure to act will worsen climate impacts across the world.

The use of forest biomass for energy is growing rapidly, but existing EU and UK policies ignore its contribution to increased carbon emissions.

An ambitious outcome at COP26 is critical to avoiding the most extreme impacts of climate change.

With climate action increasingly reliant on unproven carbon removal options, such as BECCS, there is a clear risk of policies developing without a robust scientific basis.

This paper examines broad legal and institutional reform proposals for Venezuela’s oil and gas sector, and five countries it competes with in global markets.

In a critical year for climate change and environmental diplomacy, 2021 has the potential to be the start of a global green recovery.

Global food production is the key driver of accelerating biodiversity loss. This paper introduces three levers for reducing pressures on land and creating a more sustainable food system.

This paper explores the resilience of emerging oil and gas producers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent fluctuations in oil prices.

The paper proposes a definition of sustainable procurement so goods, services, works and utilities achieve value for money on a life-cycle basis.

This paper explores the impacts of large-scale mining on forests, within this wider context of transition.

Over the past 20 years, initiatives to strengthen governance in the forest sector have improved transparency and participation in tropical forest countries.