October 2, 1951 – July 13, 2023 Douglas Varchol, an American filmmaker whose documentary works educated and urged action by government and civil society leaders to support social and environmental justice, died 13 July 2023 in Los Angeles.
Dr. Yunho Hwang was awarded the 2023 Gustav Lorentzen Medal by the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) for outstanding and original achievements in academic or industrial research, innovation, and development of climate-friendly cooling technology.
On 31 October 2022, at the 34th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Montreal, the United Nations Environment Program Ozone Secretariat and the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD) launched the celebratory Montreal Protocol 35th Anniversary Book Protecting the Ozone Layer. The electronic version (Kindle Edition) of the book has now become available for purchase on Amazon.
Climate emissions are accelerating and the 1.5°C guardrail for keeping the climate relatively safe could be crossed within a decade or less. At COP27 governments must commit to speed and scale up climate action to avoid the most warming in the shortest period of time and to protect the most vulnerable people and ecosystems. Their action this November will decide the fate of billions of people, for years to come. IGSD experts are available to comment.
In celebration of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, the United Nations Environment Program Ozone Secretariat announced the release of a new book celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol. The book highlights the Montreal Protocol’s successes and innovation during its first 35 years and inspires new ambition to strengthen the protection of stratospheric ozone as well as the climate before Earth passes dangerous tipping points that could cause irreversible and abrupt climate change.
8 June 2022 – In his latest book, career lawyer, diplomat, and negotiator Donald Kaniaru released a collection of published and unpublished papers from his career spanning works from the 1970s to the 2020s. The book, Environmental Law and Diplomacy, offers unique insights into the world’s collective struggle to slow environmental destruction while also pursuing equitable and sustainable development for all.
IGSD President Durwood Zaelke and IGSD media strategist Paul Bledsoe were recognized among Washington DC’s 500 most influential people shaping policy. Durwood and Paul were recognized for their efforts in climate and environment alongside 14 others.
The success of the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer has hinged on a combination of factors, among them the purposeful and effective collaboration within the Ozone community, recognized in a new book out today, Partnering: Forge the Deep Connections That Make Great Things Happen by Jean Oelwang.
Burning trees and other forest biomass for energy is contrary to climate mitigation, biodiversity protection, and environmental justice goals. Governments must stop promoting climate-damaging forest bioenergy and instead invest in strategies to decrease energy demand, deploy low-emissions energy like solar and wind, and protect forests. These are the conclusions of a new article published in the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law.
The Max Planck Encyclopedias of International Law’s updated Ozone Layer, International Protection (2021) entry, by IGSD’s Dr. Stephen O. Andersen, Durwood Zaelke, Kristen N Taddonio, Richard Ferris, and Dr. Nancy J. Sherman, details the ins and outs of what is widely considered the world’s most successful environmental treaty, the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The entry provides detailed analysis of the Protocol’s objectives, chemicals covered, adjustments and amendments, assessment panels, and many other aspects. The entry is available for open access.
