This report is part of a project carried out by Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) for the Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) which will focus on the effective use of public finance to scale up geothermal deployment in developing countries.

A report from the UN and the CGIAR consortium reveals that land degradation due to salt build-up is causing damages in some 75 countries, estimated at more than US$27 billion per year.

The promise that genetically modified crops can “feed the world” is largely used by the biotechnology industry to encourage widespread acceptance of this controversial technology, but it is disconnected from the complex reality of world hunger and the limitations of GM crops themselves.

This paper covers three policy-relevant aspects of the carbon content of electricity that are well established among integrated assessment models but under-discussed in the policy debate. First, climate stabilization at any level from 2 to 3°C requires electricity to be almost carbon-free by the end of the century.

Two years ago, USAID convened a forum and published an associated volume of essays, all under the banner of an effort called Frontiers in Development. It was designed to encourage forward-looking, provocative discussion and debate that could advance development policy and practice across the full range of relevant actors.

The 2014 Energy and Climate Outlook provides an integrated assessment of how human activities, given current development path, are interacting with complex Earth systems and ultimately affecting the natural resources on which depend.

The latest Greendex survey by the National Geographic Society and the research consulting firm GlobeScan measured consumption habits and attitudes in 18 countries. Each was scored on the relative size of its environmental footprint. This year's report, the fifth since 2008, focused on food.

Concentrating solar plants (CSP) generate solar thermal electricity (STE) while producing no greenhouse gas emissions, so it could be a key technology for mitigating climate change. In addition, the flexibility of CSP plants enhances energy security.

Solar energy is widely available throughout the world and can contribute to reduced dependence on energy imports. As it entails no fuel price risk or constraints, it also improves security of supply.