Global Stories

The International treaty of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was amended in 1997 by the Kyoto Protocol. The objective of the protocol was the “stabilisation” of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations (caused by emissions/usage of oil, gas, coal and nuclear material) in the atmosphere by setting a 5-year cap on emissions. However,...

By 2020, 65% Indians will be under the age of 35, making us the youngest country in the world. A large employable population is an advantage, for it can fulfil the demand for skilled workers across India and globally, as also drive consumption and economic growth. However, this demographic dividend can turn into a...

Asia and the Pacific, a region with an impressive development  track  record,  will  need  to step up its overall development reform  effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, according  to  a  new  report  launched  by the United Nations Economic and Social  Commission  for  Asia  and  the  Pacific (ESCAP), at the High-level...

An investment symposium on ‘The Opportunity of Green Finance in India’ was recently organised where the four banks signed a charter to champion green finance in India. YES Bank, FMO (the Development Bank of the Netherlands), along with DEG (the Development Bank of Germany) and Proparco (the Development Bank of France), signed the charter. Through...

This year, in March, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the deplorable condition of Indian football in his Mann-ki-Baat radio show. “Today our ranking in FIFA is low (163), I feel reluctant to even mention it.” It is May and India is nearing the start of FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2017, an...

The Taiwan government is drafting an amendment to the Company Act that would require businesses to "internalise" good governance and social responsibility, Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said on Wednesday. At an award ceremony for businesses that have shown excellent corporate social responsibility, Chen said that as enterprises pursue profits, they should also take responsibility...

The report underscores the importance of addressing poverty through pro-poor urbanisation, effective management of rural-urban transitions, and investment in sustainable infrastructure.

State-owned Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (GNFC) has won the prestigious Golden Globe Tigers Award for Excellence and Leadership in CSR in the category of ‘E-Payment Leadership’ for the implementation of digital transactions in its township at Bharuch, Gujarat. The award recognizes ‘Tigers’ in marketing, branding CSR & social innovation, education & academic...

Asia-Pacific countries have adopted a road map for regional cooperation on implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD 2017) that concluded in Bangkok recently. The road map lays out priority areas, implementation arrangements and a process for tracking progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), building on the agreements reached at the last two APFSD meetings. It will, with the support of the...

About 400 million or one in ten people in Asia and the Pacific are living under poverty due to widening income inequality, according to a report titled ‘Eradicating Poverty and Promoting Prosperity in a Changing Asia-Pacific’. More than one in four people in Asia and the Pacific’s developing countries experience poverty in multiple dimensions. This includes additional deprivations that impact...

The first bilateral forum to address sustainability issues at the trade and investment between India and Netherlands was launched in New Delhi on Wednesday. It aimed to help Indian businesses in a big way as growing demands and regulations of sustainable practices in international trade aligned with SDGs, are affecting many Indian businesses having...

Earlier in this month, the world celebrated the strength of women and promising to bridge the gap by aiding to create an equal place for them. At the 2017 Asia-Pacific commemoration of International Women’s Day a distinguished panel of experts underscored the need to close the gender pay gap, ensure comprehensive social protection for women...