The Global Urban Competitiveness Project publishes periodic studies ranks 500 cities on their ability to attract and use resources to generate wealth. The cities are assessed on nine measures, including income, economic growth, innovation, jobs, prices and the presence of multinational firms.

Images of the Beijing sky-line, seemingly bathed in a soup of smog and haze have been never far from the world's TV screens over recent days and weeks. International reporters with hand-held air pollution detectors have been popping up on street corners checking the levels of soot and dust. Everyone seems keen to prove that the city's air will be a decisive and debilitating factor for one of the world's most high profile sporting events.

Without doubt Beijing is facing a huge challenge. There more...

Beijing, 12 August 2008 - Beijing's air quality significantly improved over the last two days, with the sky clearly visible today after rains on 10 and 11 August washed away the pollution across the city. In what could be a sign that the measures taken by the Beijing authorities are working, official data measured an Air Pollution Index (API) of 32 on 12 August. This is far below the benchmark set by the Chinese authorities, whereby an Air Pollution Index of 50 and below is considered excellent. more...

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...

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is an international non-governmental non-profit organization, founded in 1894. It is the foundation of the Olympic Movement. The main responsibility of the Committee is to supervise the organization of the summer and winter Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee is UNEP's first, and perhaps the most influential partner on sport and the environment

UNEP and the IOC have been working together since 1994 when they signed an Agreement of Coope more...

UNEP has been working with the Beijing Olympic Committee for three years to help make the Summer Games environmentally - friendly, and the Chinese government has spent US$17 billion on a large-scale green drive ahead of the Games, including a series of long-term environmental improvements for the city. UNEP's Executive Director also attended the opening ceremony on 8 August as part of UNEP's continuing support for the Greening of the Games.

Top Olympic athlete Yao Ming is the UN Environment Programme's first-ever Environmental Champion, UNEP announced on August 09. Basketball megastar Yao Ming, who plays for the National Basketball Association (NBA) and for China's Olympic team, is one of the most famous athletes in the world today. He is a national icon in China and carried the Olympic Flame into Tiananmen Square on 6 August, as well as being his country's flag-bearer at the Opening Ceremony.

'I am delighted and greatly honored more...

As the World Bank prepared to launch two new climate investment funds at the G8 summit, and position itself as the 'climate bank,' new statistics developed by the Bank Information Center show that the World Bank's private sector arm, the International Financial Corporation (IFC), increased its lending for fossil fuel projects by a staggering 165% in FY2008. Taken as a whole, the World Bank Group increased its fossil-fuel lending by 60% in the same period.
New statistics developed by the Bank In more...

For many years, the World Bank Group has implemented policies for economic development in African countries. The policies are geared towards creating good governance and improving investment climates. The Bank attempted to co-ordinate foreign direct investment from mainly Europe and United States. The body was structured to work through government ministries at inception. For example, the Ministry of Agriculture would be responsible for implementing investment agenda in agriculture. Similarly, more...

Whatever else one may say about the World Bank, its mantra is certainly uncomplicated: privatise, privatise, privatise. In a world of cynicism and shattered faith, it is almost reassuring to have such a powerful institution that maintains the same line for decades. But this should come as no surprise. If the World Bank was truly about poverty reduction, it might have to accept the fact that its formula has failed in country after country. If it is instead about serving large multinational corpor more...