This document provides a summary of key sustainability issues and events to watch in 2014, covering topics like the growth of cities, forest landscape restoration opportunities, shifts toward sustainable palm oil, China's efforts to clear its air pollution, new power regulations in the US, the UN climate summit, and major elections that will involve over a billion voters worldwide. Graphics and brief updates are provided on each topic to outline both challenges and opportunities for advancing sustainability goals in the coming year.
4. EMERGING ECONOMIES SLOWING BUT ROBUST
16%
14%
GDP GROWTH
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
2007
-2%
Source: IMF, 2013
BRAZIL
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
5. GLOBAL GDP – GETTING BACK ON TRACK
Real GDP
(2005 dollars)
$100tr
2030
$50tr
$30tr
$15 trillion
1990
1970
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service
2010
6. EXPLOSION OF THE GLOBAL MIDDLE CLASS
5 Billion
2 Billion
1 Billion
1990
Source: Reuters, OECD 2010
2010
2030
7. PRESSURE ON PLANET GROWING
2.5 billion
Number of
Vehicles
1.5 billion
750 million
1990
Image: Wikipedia, Source: Sperling and Gordon 2009
2010
2030
8. THE BIG QUESTION
Can we have economic growth
and tackle sustainability at the
same time?
9. THE YEAR OF
CITIES: HOW
WILL THEY
GROW?
1 THE YEAR OF
CITIES: HOW WILL
THEY GROW?
Image: istockphoto
11. CITIES ARE ECONOMIC DRIVERS
65%
global GDP
growth in
major cities
Image: istockphoto; Source: McKinsey and Company
12. BUT, CITIES BRING CHALLENGES
• 70% of GHG emissions
come from cities
• 10% GDP lost to congestion
• 1.3 million people die
prematurely due to urban
air pollution
Image: Flickr/PauloFehlauer; Sources: UN-Habitat, UNFCCC, WHO
17. ALL EYES ON BRAZIL
$6.5bn
spent on the World Cup
Image: Wikipedia; Source: EMBARQ
18. FIFA 2014 WORLD CUP
3m
more visitors
in 2014
Source: Fifa.com
19. ALL EYES ON BRAZIL
85%
of Brazilians
live in cities
Image: istockphoto; Source: World Bank
20. TAKING IT TO THE STREETS
1m+
people on the
streets June 2013
Image: Flickr/Semilla Luz; Source: The Guardian
21. CREATING BETTER CITIES: URBAN MOBILITY LAW
3,000
Image: Flickr/EMBARQ; Source: EMBARQ
cities to create
plans by 2015
22. BETTER CITIES: BUS RAPID TRANSIT
12m
passengers per day
Image: Flickr/Guilherme Mendes Thomaz; Source: BRTdata.org
23. WHAT TO WATCH
1. What signals does
Brazil send on the
future of its cities?
2. Which way will
cities grow?
Image: Flickr/DylanPassmore
24. THE YEAR OF
CITIES: HOW
WILL THEY
GROW?
RESTORATION:
A 2 BILLION
HECTARE
OPPORTUNITY?
2
1 RESTORATION:
A 2 BILLION
HECTARE
OPPORTUNITY?
Image: Flickr/USAID Kenya
30. BONN CHALLENGE: BENEFITS
150m RESTORED HECTARES
• $84 billion in benefits annually
• 47 gigatons of CO2e captured
• 17% reduction in emissions gap
Image: Flickr/CIFOR; ource: IUCN
31. A GROWING MOVEMENT
BRAZIL - PACTO COSTA RICA EL SALVADOR
(1m ha)
(1m ha)
(1m ha)
Source: WRI
RWANDA
(2m ha)
USA
(15m ha)
32. WHAT TO WATCH
1. Will more countries
make commitments
when they meet in
June 2014?
2. Will a new global
movement for
restoration emerge?
Image:
33. THE YEAR OF
CITIES: HOW
WILL THEY
GROW?
RESTORATION:
A 2 BILLION
HECTARE
OPPORTUNITY?
SUSTAINABLE
PALM OIL: A
NEW ERA?
3
1 SUSTAINABLE PALM
OIL: A NEW ERA?
Image: istockphoto
34. PALM OIL: A MAJOR CROP
400%
increase in palm oil
production in 20 years
Image: Flickr/carsten_tb; Source: FAO
35. PALM OIL: A MAJOR CROP
50%
of grocery store
products contain
palm oil
Source: National Geographic 2013
40. A NEW APPROACH
“There is a strong and rapidly
growing demand for traceable,
deforestation-free palm oil, and we
intend to meet it as a core element
of our growth strategy.”
–Kuok Khoon Hong, CEO of Wilmar
Source: Wilmar Press Release 2013
42. A NEW APPROACH
16
Percentage of Total Area
14
12
Roundtable on
Sustainable Palm Oil
Certified Production Area
10
8
6
4
2
0
2008
2009
Image: Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, FAO
2010
2011
2012
2013
51. WHAT TO WATCH
1. Will better information
expedite the shift to
sustainable palm oil?
2. Will other industries
follow?
Image: istockphoto
52. THE YEAR OF
CITIES: HOW
WILL THEY
GROW?
RESTORATION:
A 2 BILLION
HECTARE
OPPORTUNITY?
SUSTAINABLE
PALM OIL: A
NEW ERA?
CHINA:
CLEARING THE
AIR?
4 CHINA: CLEARING
THE AIR?
Image: istockphoto
53. 2013: A YEAR OF POLLUTION
189
days of high pollution
in Beijing in 2013
Image: Flickr/Leniners
58. CLIMATE CHANGE: A “SERIOUS THREAT”
“Climate change is already a
serious threat to food, water,
ecological and energy security, and
to people’s lives and property.”
–National Development and
Reform Commission, Dec. 9, 2013
60. TAKING ACTION: CUTTING COAL
Ban on New Coal Plants
in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou
Image: Flickr/Jonathan Kos-Read; source: ChinaFAQs
61. TAKING ACTION: ENFORCEMENT
8 cities
in China fined by
provincial government
for air pollution
Image: Flickr/Bert Van Djik; Source: Xinhua
62. TAKING ACTION: MORE RENEWABLES
50%
of all new power
capacity added
in Jan-Oct
Image: Flickr/Yuek Hahn ; Source: National Energy Administration (China)
63. HOW WILL PILOTS PERFORM?
7
emissions trading
systems running
in 2014
Source: ChinaFAQs
64. WHAT TO WATCH
1. A tipping point on air
pollution?
2. More progress to rein
in coal?
3. Will new renewables
outpace fossil fuels?
Image: WRI
65. THE YEAR OF
CITIES: HOW
WILL THEY
GROW?
RESTORATION:
A 2 BILLION
HECTARE
OPPORTUNITY?
SUSTAINABLE
PALM OIL: A
NEW ERA?
5
1 U.S. POWER:
SETTING A NEW
STANDARD?
Image: WRI
CHINA:
CLEARING THE
AIR?
U.S. POWER:
SETTING A NEW
STANDARD?
69. WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN NEW RULE
31%
reduction in GHG
emissions below
2011 by 2020
Image: Flickr/Alex Lang; Source: WRI
74%
reduction in GHG
emissions below
2011 by 2035
72. 2014: IS CCS FINALLY HERE?
Kemper Project
Image: Wikipedia
73. WHAT TO WATCH
1. Will EPA rules
be ambitious?
2. Will a US medium-term
strategy emerge?
Image: Flickr/wigwam
74. THE YEAR OF
CITIES: HOW
WILL THEY
GROW?
RESTORATION:
A 2 BILLION
HECTARE
OPPORTUNITY?
SUSTAINABLE
PALM OIL: A
NEW ERA?
6
1 UN SUMMIT:
MOMENTUM
ON CLIMATE?
Image: Wikimedia
CHINA:
CLEARING THE
AIR?
U.S. POWER:
SETTING A NEW
STANDARD?
UN SUMMIT:
MOMENTUM ON
CLIMATE?
84. WHAT TO WATCH
1. Will growing evidence
spur public pressure?
2. How will heads
of state respond?
Image: Flickr/Philip Roeland
85. THE YEAR OF
CITIES: HOW
WILL THEY
GROW?
RESTORATION:
A 2 BILLION
HECTARE
OPPORTUNITY?
SUSTAINABLE
PALM OIL: A
NEW ERA?
CHINA:
CLEARING THE
AIR?
U.S. POWER:
SETTING A NEW
STANDARD?
1
7 A BILLION VOTERS:
WHICH DIRECTION
WILL THEY CHOOSE?
Image: istockphoto
UN SUMMIT:
MOMENTUM ON
CLIMATE?
A BILLION
VOTERS: WHICH
DIRECTION WILL
THEY CHOOSE?
86. A MOMENT OF OPPORTUNITY
• 3 of the 4 largest democracies
to elect heads of government
• 25% of world’s population
• 40% of the global poor
Image: istockphoto
93. WHAT TO WATCH
1. Which way will these
elections go?
2. What will the results
tell us about
economic
development and
sustainability?
Image: Flickr/Al_Jazeera_English
94. 1
THE YEAR OF CITIES:
HOW WILL THEY GROW?
2
RESTORATION: A 2 BILLION
HECTARE OPPORTUNITY?
3
SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL:
A NEW ERA?
4
CHINA: CLEARING
THE AIR?
5
U.S. POWER: SETTING A
NEW STANDARD?
6
UN SUMMIT: MOMENTUM
ON CLIMATE?
7
A BILLION VOTERS: WHICH
DIRECTION WILL THEY CHOOSE?