Getting the facts
Every debate should offer well-researched and documented facts, enabling people to form enlightened opinions on particular issues. This is especially important for matters pertaining to sustainable development, as most of the debate focuses on complex social, environmental and economic changes that are often difficult to quantify, assess and understand fully.
We rely on objective and transparent research to be able to work together more efficiently toward sustainable development. Scientific facts give us a better grasp and opportunity for action against crippling global disasters such as climate change and the risks associated with human induced greenhouse gas emissions, the spread of the AIDS virus in Africa threatening to wipe out an entire generation of young people, and extreme water scarcity in developing countries if we do not find ways to distribute that resource more evenly in the near future.
The following initiatives help to advance the sustainable development debate by aiming to offer unbiased information on global issues.
Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA)
In 2001, CSA and the NBII joined in partnership on a government/private industry project to develop a Biocomplexity database comprised of deliverables such as the Biocomplexity Collection Database, a Biocomplexity Thesaurus, and a Towards Best Practices eForum. Biocomplexity examines the countless interactions of all living entities, especially humans, with the Earth and its environment.
GreenFacts
GreenFacts.org publishes unbiased studies, peer reviewed by independent experts, providing objectively verified scientific facts on environment and health matters.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The IPCC was established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and UNEP to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
IISD aims to advance policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change, measurement and indicators, and natural resource management to make development sustainable. By using Internet communications, it covers and reports on international negotiations and brokers knowledge gained through collaborative projects with global partners.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. It uses a set of criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies. These criteria are relevant to all species and all regions of the world. With its strong scientific base, the IUCN Red List is recognized as the most authoritative guide to the status of biological diversity. The overall aim of the Red List is to convey the urgency and scale of conservation problems to the public and policy makers, and to motivate the global community to try to reduce species extinctions.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is an international work program designed to meet the needs of decision makers and the public for scientific information concerning the consequences of ecosystem change for human well being and options for responding to those changes.
National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII)
The NBII provides increased access to data and information on the United States’ biological resources. The NBII links diverse biological databases, information products, and analytical tools maintained by NBII partners and other contributors in government agencies, academic institutions, non-government organizations, and private industry.
NBII also hosts the Towards Best Practices (TBP) eForum, a Web-based resource designed for those involved in studying and managing the complex interactions between life forms - including human populations - and the environment.
Science and Development Network (SciDevNet)
The overall aim of the Science and Development Network (SciDev.Net) is to enhance the provision of reliable and authoritative information on science- and technology-related issues that impact on the economic and social development of developing countries.
World Resources Institute (WRI)
WRI is an environmental research and policy organization that creates solutions to protect the Earth and improve people's lives.
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