Perspectives

Taking action: why national ownership of the Sustainable Development Goals is vital to success

Perspective / Unless the SDGs can be turned into nationally relevant targets that mesh with existing priorities and processes, they risk becoming another remote UN agenda.

Why the menstruation and sanitation revolutions need to talk

Perspective / Careful planning and more research are needed to make sure the menstrual hygiene and sustainable sanitation agendas are mutually supportive.

Will ‘bottom-up’ climate action live up to its promise?

Perspective / As Paris climate agreement pledges fall short of 2°C-level ambition, hopes have built that innovations across sectors will fill the gap. Can they deliver?

Citizen science: what’s it all about?

Perspective / Volunteers and scientists are increasingly working together to monitor ecosystems and answer scientific questions.

The Trouble With China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ Strategy

Perspective / Is using infrastructure investments to create demand for Chinese goods in developing countries a panacea for overproduction or distraction from deeper reforms?

Challenges of measuring the environmental footprint of Sweden’s food consumption

Perspective / The PRINCE project is exploring indicators for the food and agricultural footprints of Swedish consumption.

Accountability must be at the heart of the Paris climate pact

Perspective / Pledges for the 2015 UN climate change agreement have started to trickle in. Countries must provide for a robust assessment and review process.

Tackling energy subsidies: what role for international institutions?

Perspective / A workshop brought together perspectives on the issue of tacking energy subsidies from international relations and international law.

Falling battery prices boost outlook for electric vehicles

Perspective / The cost of batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs) has been falling fast and is almost certainly well below the estimates made by many analysts.