On April 25- 27, 2007,the Department of Environmental Resources Law and Service Center, the Chinese Politics and Law University hosted the 'Chinese Civil Society and Environmental Protection Administration Forum on how NGOs can use laws to push forward Environmental Protection.' A group of GVB representatives participated in this meeting, along with representatives from the British Royal International Affairs Research Institute, the British International Development Department, the NGO Managemen more...

After years of isolation, Turkmenistan has been host to hundreds of official delegations from the world’s great powers, as Europe, Russia, China, and India pursue energy security with an eye toward the country's gas deposits. President Berdymukhamedov has forsaken at least some of his predecessor’s inward focus, in favor of a “multi-vector” natural resource strategy. The strategy relies on multiple hydrocarbon export routes, and the various gas importers each have a route in mind. Key pi more...

Local governments join the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) campaign by passing a resolution pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their local government operations and throughout their communities. To help cities achieve their goals, ICLEI then assists the cities undertake the CCP's five milestones. The five milestones of the CCP and the methodology behind provide a simple, standardized means of calculating greenhouse gas emissions, of establishing targets to lower emissions, of r more...

Africa enters the 21st century not only faced with the challenge of an unprecedented rapid rate of urbanisation, but also with an intensification of poverty among the urban population. Within the next two-and-a-half decades, Africa’s urban centres will become the dominant habitat of its population. While this unavoidable demographic shift has a historic potential of transforming cities into crucibles of development and engines of national growth, the prevalence of abject poverty impedes the ha more...

Year and Location: March - April 2007, Thailand.Client: Nuffic & Thai National Housing Authority. At the end of 2006, the National Housing Authority (NHA) was commissioned by the Thai government to take the initiative for the development of a National Housing Strategy. As part of this ‘National Housing Strategy’ programme, Urban Solutions was asked to develop and conduct a training programme with the objective to set out the framework for the first Thai national long-term and over-all housin more...

Year and Location: Aug-Oct 2004, Thailand. Client: Thai National Housing Authority. At the request of the Thai National Housing Authority, Urban Solutions provided a comparative study on instruments to speed up housing production and stimulate housing demand from selected Asian and European countries. The comparative study was accompanied by strategic advice document that was used in the design of the Authority’s Baan Eua Athorn Project. Urban Solutions was responsible for all aspects of this more...

Qinhuangdao has implemented serious standards for improving its air quality by the Olympic Games. In order to ensure excellent air in August, various industrial and transportation sectors of the city will be held to the highest environmental standards. Qinhuangdao had launched its measures to guarantee good air quality during the Olympics. 20 key treatment projects were arranged to control air pollution before and during the Olympics. In 2008, five provinces and municipalities launched a special more...

Tianjin is an industrial city with 10 million people and is located 100 kilometres southeast of Beijing. The city will be hosting part of the Olympic football tournament. In 2001, Tianjin launched the 'Blue Sky Project' to curb its air pollution and be at par with the national standards. Recently, the Tianjin Government approved suggestions for the implementation of the Blue Sky Project in 2008. The suggestions emphasized on striving to guarantee air quality which is above level 2 during the Oly more...

On July 20, half of private cars in Beijing went off the road in a sweeping attempt to improve air quality in advance of the Olympic games. Commercial and governmental vehicles, taxis and buses are all running as usual, but traffic is moving noticeably faster. I’ve been watching the plates, and drivers really are obeying the regulations. Furthermore, the Chinese have suspended tourism and visas for anyone not attending the Olympics, which is improving traffic even more. But Beijing’s air more...

While there are risks for the forest products industry, it largely stands to gain from efforts to address global warming due to new opportunities for sustainable forestry, according to a report released here today by the World Resources Institute. As U.S. policy regarding climate change continues to build momentum, industries from across the economy are investigating the potential impacts to their businesses. The forest products industry is somewhat divided on how to address climate policy, main more...