News Updates

Costa Rica's Carlos Manuel Rodriguez takes over as head of the Global Environment Facility

WASHINGTON, DC, September 1, 2020 - Costa Rican conservationist Carlos Manuel Rodriguez today took up his new role as CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility, aiming to scale up action on forestry, food and land use, and biodiversity loss, and to support ambitious results from upcoming international climate and nature negotiations.

Rodriguez, an environmental lawyer and internationally recognized expert on financing for nature conservation, was selected for the post in June by the GEF Council, the multilateral trust fund’s governing body representing 184 countries.

“I am humbled and honored to embark on this journey, and am very optimistic about what the Global... Read More
International Resource Panel and STAP Member Documentary on Materiality of COVID Adaptation

The rapid adaptation to "work from home" during the COVID crisis has had a variety of environmental implications. While many commentators have noted the reduction in urban air pollution due to reduced commutes and transport emissions, the adaptation has a hidden supply chain of materials and energy. In order to work from home, we have relied on a vast network of materials needed for internet cables, computer servers and memory storage devices.

Professor Saleem H. Ali, STAP panel member teamed with Hollywood director Alex Tyson to produce a short documentary feature which has been launched on the UNEP Youtube Channel. Alex Tyson has previously worked on the Emmy-award winning and Oscar nominated documentary Gasland. The documentary is particularly well-suited for viewing by students and its 5 minute duration also makes... Read More
STAP Chair joins others at Morgan Stanley's Sustainable Investing Summit

Rosina Bierbaum, STAP Chair, joined Mary Schapiro, Vice Chair of the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board and Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), for a dicsussion at Morgan Stanley's Sustainable Investing Summit.

You can read more details of the discussions here.

 

 
GEF Live interview of Rosina Bierbaum, STAP Chair, at the 57th GEF Council Meeting

 

The GEF Live interview of Rosina Bierbaum, STAP Chair, recently recorded at the 57th GEF Council Meeting, can be viewed by clicking here.

 

 

 
STAP Chair is elected as a member to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences

Rosina M. Bierbaum, STAP Chair, is among the new members to be elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences – one of the highest honors in the scientific field.

"Election to the National Academy of Sciences has me stunned, humbled, and elated, all at the same time. This institution is the premier voice of science and technology in the Nation and needed now more than ever in this era of ‘alt-facts,” Dr. Bierbaum said. 

"As a first-generation college graduate hailing from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, I know I would not be here without “Star Trek”, a lot of science fairs, and many, many patient mentors along the way,"

"Their strongest advice to me was that doing research was not enough, but one should strive to be a ‘civic scientist’ and communicate the value of science to the public.”

“My unusual career has... Read More

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