National Climate Change Legislation - the key to high international ambition

GLOBE International and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) have published a paper examining the linkage between domestic legislation on climate change and countries' positions at the international negotiations in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. One of its main findings being that national legislation does not merely underpin international agreements but can, in fact, work as their main enabler, the paper advances specific recommendations for governments to increase the level of ambition of international negotiations.

German Council for Sustainable Development Reappointed

On 26 June 2013 the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) was reappointed by the German government, seeing the selection of several new members and the reappointment of a number of existing members.

The Council was first appointed in 2001 and last reappointed in 2010. It advises the German government in matters of implementing and further developing its National Sustainability Strategy. The Council can also make suggestions and put its own topics on the agenda. It carries the issue of "sustainability" into society and the public sphere.

High Level Panel report emphasises the need to unify global goals with national plans for sustainable development

The UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on Post-2015 has recently launched its report entitled ‘A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development’. The report states that a universal post-2015 agenda should be driven by several transformative shifts, including ‘putting sustainable development at the core’, and provides an example of how new goals and measurable targets could be framed in the wake of these transformative shifts.

Global Network engagement with NCSDs both within and outside Europe

Stakeholder Forum, as the administrators of the Global Network of National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSDs), will be in attendance at the European Environmental and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC) Working Group on Sustainable Development meeting in Berlin, Germany on the 23-24 May. Stakeholder Forum President Derek Osborn and Project Officer Jack Cornforth will be presenting on the Global Network to the numerous NCSD representatives from across Europe in attendance, with a view to engaging them in the activities planned to further develop the Global Network, including the potential engagement of Councils with the UN process on sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Belgian Federal Council for Sustainable Development publishes Rio+20 and EU 2020 Update

The latest issue of the Belgian Federal Council for Sustainable Development (FRDO-CFDD) newsletter on the follow-up of Rio+20 and EU 2020 has been published. The issue focuses on the following topics:

Where are we now? (a stocktake of the post-Rio+20 processes)
International Labour Organisation and Post-2015
No ‘business as usual’ for companies
The EU and the crisis
The EU and social protection systems in the South
Towards a new model of sustainable development
The Belgian Senate and Post-2015

To access the newsletter click here.

German NCSD calls for European framework on ESG reporting

The German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) has endorsed a recent EU Commission proposal on non-financial disclosure. The European Commission has proposed an amendment to existing accounting legislation in order to improve the transparency of companies with more than 500 employees on social and environmental matters. They will need to disclose information on policies, risks and results as regards environmental matters, social and employee-related aspects, respect for human rights, anti-corruption and bribery issues, and diversity on the boards of directors.

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