Reform of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in India has favored a decentralization process by delegating the responsibility over environmental clearance of certain activities to state-level authorities, but variations in the strength of environmental enforcement across states has resulted in an increase of births for polluting industries affected by the reform in states with lower level of enforcement, finds this working paper published by Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy.

This paper presents the findings of a study that IIED undertook in partnership with Plan International on urban children’s risk and agency in four large Asian cities: Dhaka (Bangladesh), Kathmandu (Nepal), Manila (the Philippines) and Jakarta (Indonesia).

The 2014 edition of World Energy Issues Monitor shows that high energy price volatility has become the number one critical uncertainty on the energy agenda, replacing the climate framework as the most extreme issue, for leaders and experts globally. Read the full text.

Industries in 2014 is a special report from the Economist Intelligence Unit. Last year Economist Intelligence Unit published Industries in 2013 and made a number of predictions about how 2013 would unfold in six key industries – Automotive, Consumer Goods and Retail, Energy, Financial Services, Healthcare and Telecommunications.

The purpose of the State of the Nation’s Waistline report is to audit the state of obesity in the UK, to identify what initiatives and policy exists, and to assess their effectiveness in tackling obesity and weight management issues.

This annual report released by the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) reviews progress on fuel economy policies worldwide, and assesses further work needed to reach GFEI target of a 50% reduction in new car fuel consumption (L/100km) compared to 2005 levels, particularly in non-OECD countries. Says that India, along with Australia and Russia now remain the three largest markets without an official fuel efficiency target.

This paper examines international, national and municipal mechanisms for financing adaptation, and reveals the systemic barriers that prevent money being channelled into the hands of low-income and highly vulnerable urban residents in low- and middle-income countries, and hinder effective urban adaptation.

Should the world go on a diet in 2014? There has been a dramatic increase in the numbers of overweight or obese people in the past 30 years. Previously considered a problem in richer countries, the biggest rises are in middle income countries and the developing world.

National monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems in Nepal have evolved rapidly over the past decade. The National Planning Commission has developed new guidelines and approaches to move the Government towards results-based management and the use of sectoral and national indicators.

Cities across the world have started recognising the need to address urban climate vulnerabilities. In Asia, the role of the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN), a nine-year initiative (2008-2017) supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, has been significant.