Editor’s choice
SEI’s biggest successes in 2011 were achieved through our partnerships. This report shows that we are most effective when we work collaboratively, mobilize our networks and cooperate with stakeholders, as well as draw on our own international staff and diverse expertise.
In May, SEI and four other organizations arranged the 3rd Nobel Laureate Symposium on Global Sustainability, gathering 50 of the world’s most renowned thinkers and experts in the field. In the autumn, SEI mustered 12 leading research and policy bodies to provide the knowledge base for the Bonn2011 Nexus Conference, which helped define the emerging field of research on the nexus between water, energy and food. We also coordinated the work of more than 80 scientists from government and academia to produce two reports for the United Nations Environment Programme on how cutting air pollution can benefit the climate, human health and food security – work which has led to the creation of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. And our Africa office has worked closely with academics and public officials in Tanzania to make water resources for smallholders a priority for the Tanzanian government.
Our bases in Africa, Europe, North America and Asia enable us to work more closely with regional stakeholders and policymakers. On pages six and seven, staff members from each centre give insights into how they work and what motivates them. Pages eight and nine show a world map of a few of our projects that were under way in 2011, from mapping the urban metabolism of Bangalore, India, to low-carbon development in the U.S. These pages also introduce key examples of our work in 2011, organized under our four research themes. 2011 also saw reform of SEI’s management and governance structure. Finally, none of our work would have been possible without the support of more than 100 key donors and partners.
Event on 17 September – 15 October / SEI launches a global event series with IPBES and IPCC Chairs, driving integrated nature and climate action for resilient societies across four continents.
Project / AgroMixNorth offers springboards for resilient cropping systems that provide nutritious food and income to farmers while increasing below-ground carbon storage.
Journal article / This perspective article examines the opportunities and risks of combined AI-EO technologies, focusing on their application in forestry.
Design and development by Soapbox.
