Edmund Rice International

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) will take place in Paris from Nov 30th until Dec 11th. The conference objective is to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world. It is almost universally accepted that cooperative climate action is essential for the international community to […]

In less than eight months, humanity has used up nature’s budget for the entire year, according to data from Global Footprint Network. Global Footprint Network tracks humanity’s demand on the planet (Ecological Footprint) against nature’s ability to provide for this demand (biocapacity). Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s annual demand on nature exceeds […]

In 2012–13, ERI challenged the Edmund Rice Network (ERN) worldwide, to publish or begin projects that would reduce the ecological footprint of a group in their local area. Twelve people volunteered for this, and thus was launched ….“A Year of Living Sustainably’    

  Disappointment has been expressed that a small group of rich countries blocked a plan for international tax rule-making to be removed from the clutches of the world’s rich countries, with developing countries being given more of a say. At the Third Financing for Development Conference (FfD3)hat concluded recently in Addis Ababa the push for […]

The recognised need for responsible management of chemicals in e-waste has brought together Governments, civil society, the private sector and the chemical industry. Hence, parties to three major chemical Conventions met recently in Geneva to consider the problem of electronic waste in the context of the global environment agenda. The issue raises two critical issues, […]

  From commencement of his Pontificate, Pope Francis stressed protection of the environment as against man’s greedy exploitation of it to the detriment of others.[1] At the UN Climate Summit, Cardinal Parolin reiterated the moral imperative to act to protect and value creation for the good of present and future generations.[2] Climate change, His Eminence […]

The specific contributions that faith traditions bring to the international climate debate was highlighted at the recent Interfaith Summit on Climate Change in New York, held in conjunction with the UN Climate Summit convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Thirty religious leaders from diverse religious traditions participated in the summit and signed a statement expressing […]

Hundreds of thousands of people recently took to the streets in over 2000 cities around the world to participate in a People’s Climate March to demand action from world leaders to address climate change. The World Day of Climate Action was to coincide with the summit of world leaders convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki […]

In June, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared the decade 2014‑2024 as the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL). The initiative, seeks to make universal access to renewable energy a global priority, at a time when 1.3 billion people lack electricity and 2.6 billion in developing countries use biomass in cooking and heating […]

“The air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil that grows our food are part of a delicate ecosystem that is increasingly under pressure,” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the closing session of the inaugural UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) which concluded its five-day deliberations in Nairobi recently “We need to act […]