UNEP Frontiers 2016 Report: Emerging Issues of Environmental Concern
UNEP
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Abstract: Over the past 10 years, UNEP has endeavoured to identify and highlight emerging issues of global concern through the UNEP Year Book series. This new UNEP Frontiers report advances this work, signalling environmental issues and solutions for effective and timely responses. Some issues may emerge as a result of new scientific findings and understanding of interactions between environmental, social and economic systems; others may be persistent issues for which new approaches and technologies have emerged to equip decision-makers and managers with more practical solutions and tools. Some issues may be local, relatively small-scale issues today, with a potential to become an issue of regional or global concern if not addressed early. The UNEP Frontiers 2016 edition presents six emerging issues. It highlights, for example, that the global significance of the financial sector should not confine itself only to enhancing global economic growth, but also to advancing environmental sustainability. The financial sector has a crucial role to play in investing in new low-carbon, resource efficient and environmentally sound assets, and shifting capital away from traditional assets that have high impacts on the environment. The report presents a number of emerging financial initiatives led by the financial sector as innovative solutions to sustainability challenges