MY NEW BOOK

Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage 

Available Now.

 
   

Governance for Sustainable Development Volume 6: Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Addressing Key Climate and Environmental Issues

Governance for Sustainable Development Volume 6: Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Addressing Key Climate and Environmental Issues 

This is the sixth book that the Friends of Governance for Sustainable Development has published, and its chapters are based on some of the presentations made at the three workshops hosted by the Friends group in 2021. In 2021, during the second year of the pandemic, the Friends group convened UN officials, experts, and representatives from governments worldwide at three participatory workshops on relevant governance issues. The workshops were organized in partnership with the UN-DESA Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development and focused on providing open space for Member States to discuss issues they would be addressing in 2021 and 2022. Having the opportunity to hear what experts think is useful for governments dealing with these pressing issues. We hope this publication will serve as useful input for the ongoing discussions about the institutional architecture for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Authors include Zak Bleicher, Albert Butare, Ph.D., Damaris Carnal, Felix Dodds, Tim Grabiel, Oli Henman, Sara Hamouda, Jessica Lobo, Asio Priscilla Margery, Ana Paula Fava de Moraes, Ambassador Franz Xaver Perrez, Sami Pirkkala, and Lea Ranalder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage

Witten and edited by Felix Dodds and Chris Spence - Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy 

 

Today more than ever, when the world is beset by environmental, social, healthcare and economic challenges, we need courage in our politics, both nationally and globally. This book tells the stories, some for the first time, of twelve individuals who made heroic contributions to protecting our planet through ground-breaking international treaties.

Can individuals change the world? Today, when impersonal forces and new technologies seem to be directing our lives and even our entire planet in ways we cannot control, this question feels more relevant than ever before. This book argues that we can all make a difference. It tells inspiring stories of individuals who have had a global impact that is beyond dispute, as well as others who have brought about change that is understated or hard to measure, where the scale of the impact will only become clear in years to come. While some are scientists, others are politicians, diplomats, activists, and even businesspeople. However, they all share the qualities of perseverance, patience, a willingness to innovate or try new approaches, and the endurance to continue over years, even decades, to pursue their goal. Drawing on interviews and the inside stories of those involved, each chapter follows one or more of these heroic individuals, a list which includes Luc Hoffmann, Mostafa Tolba, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Raul Oyuela Estrada, Barack Obama and Paula Caballero.

"Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy is a fascinating read. While many books focus just on the issues, this one provides valuable insights into the people who made things happen. As someone who has been involved in the UN and intergovernmental negotiations for many years, I can attest to the importance of unique individuals in helping secure success. As we enter a critical decade for humanity in our struggle with both climate change and biodiversity, this book shows we can succeed in crafting a path to a more sustainable future and illustrates the role individual heroes can play."

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the UN Environment Programme’s Convention on Biological Diversity

"Tina Turner couldn’t have been more wrong when she sang ‘We don’t need another hero’. As this book shows, humanity has always needed heroes to prevent short-termist, populist and destructive forces holding sway and leading the charge towards environmental ruin. Who will step forward and be the heroes of this decade? Heaven knows they’re sorely needed – and this book shows with both depth and colour what heroism entails and what it brings."

Richard Black, Honorary Research Fellow, Grantham Institute, Imperial College, former BBC Environment Correspondent

"Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy" opens with this simple question "What makes a hero?" The answers are found woven in the inspiring stories of the courageous, ordinary people profiled in this treasure of a storybook. Readers will enjoy an intimate look at the struggles, perseverance, hope, and stamina that inspired the people highlighted in the book to work tirelessly to turn aspirations into realities. This treasure of a book will greatly expand the knowledge base of the foreign policy community, but equally important it will inspire a whole new generation of justice-seekers to keep on talking, writing, debating, compromising - and ultimately creating the future agreements needed to secure the brighter future these ordinary heroes have gifted us the opportunity to pursue."  

Mark Ritchie, Global Minnesota 

"Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy makes a profound contribution to the literature on global governance innovation by detailing the practical, creative, and often-times courageous ways diplomats have navigated complex and politically fraught multilateral environmental negotiations. With original insights on circumventing spoilers and mobilizing multi-actor coalitions for progressive environmental change, the book will serve as an important playbook for policy researchers, practitioners, and advocates concerned with updating global institutions, legal instruments, and other arrangements to address current and emerging global challenges."

Dr. Richard PonzioSenior Fellow and Director, Global Governance, Justice & Security Prram, Stimson Center

"In Greek mythology, the hero was half a God. The etymology remains but the meaning has evolved and become more varied. A hero has become a sort of superwoman/superman and protector, a brave and courageous person, in brief, a winner. In French a héros can be the main protagonist of a narrative. Their trait of character is to be embodied in an ideal system of values, to show self-sacrifice in front of critics and perseverance in a world that is often disheartening. Their feats and achievements must be reported to be models of excellence. This is all the merit of the present publication. During my career, I had the privilege to meet several of the heroes described within, who deserve to be mentioned. The French author Malraux wrote: "There is no hero, without an audience". I would say that they have mostly been convincing leaders. Indeed, they were seasoned negotiators and brilliant spokespersons, supported, however, by dedicated assistants conducting specific discussions. Corridor diplomacy is essential in the multilateral arena. Therefore, the whole cast are heroes!"

Marcel A. Boisard, PhD, Former UN Assistant Secretary General and Executive Director of UNITAR

"History is not the result of anonymous or mechanic forces, but of human action. And human action, while shaped by environmental and social factors, essentially means that human leadership is important to shape history’s course. This has sometimes been overlooked, and that is especially true for environmental history, since here the natural focus is exactly on environmental factors and social activities as aggregates more than individual action. But also environmental protection has a deeply human side and it is good that the new book edited by Felix Dodds and Chris Spence, Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage, brings to the forefront those who have fought on the international stage for rules making the world more a fair, equitable and sustainable for all of us to live in together. It is interesting to see a common thread for the chapters, namely that not only professionalism and success, but also the human side and compassion of the actors is important for their career. Regardless of their focus, more technical ones like the ‘Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal’ or more conservation-driven once, environmental conventions, treaties and events like the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the International Whaling Commission or the Rio Earth summit, show that environmental heroes need professionalism and compassion. This book is a welcome addition to the existing, more technical literature on environmental history well suited for students, academics and people working in the field of international environmental cooperation."

Dr. Bernhard Seliger, Resident Representative Hanns Seidel Foundation - Korea Office

 

"I have read this book with pleasure. The book concept is refreshing and gives in a fascinating personalized insight into how important steps on global environmental progress have been achieved. The authors manage to write the various stories in a way which is highly readable and give great background about serious issues and at times amusing characterizations of people who have been global environmental heroes. Definitely recommended reading for those interested in environment and the way of international negotiations proceed".

Rob Visserformer Acting Director of the Environment Directorate, OECD

 

"Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy vividly illustrates how leadership arises from necessity and how individuals with vision and stubborn optimism make diplomacy and multilateralism work and bring lasting results for human development. This is a very accessible book for anyone interested to learn about how some of the most important struggles in multilateral environmental history have been won, and the inspiring individuals at the center of those achievements."

Tom Rivett-Carnac, Founder, Global Optimism

Presenting an uplifting and gripping narrative, this book is an invaluable resource for students, scholars, activists and professionals who are seeking to understand how consensus is reached in these global meetings and how individuals can have a genuine impact on preserving our planet and reinforcing the positive message that global cooperation can actually work.

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Tomorrows People and New Technology

As we witness a series of social, political, cultural, and economic changes/disruptions this book examines the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the way emerging technologies are impacting our lives and changing society.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterised by the emergence of new technologies that are blurring the boundaries between the physical, the digital, and the biological worlds. This book allows readers to explore how these technologies will impact peoples’ lives by 2030. It helps readers to not only better understand the use and implications of emerging technologies, but also to imagine how their individual life will be shaped by them. The book provides an opportunity to see the great potential but also the threats and challenges presented by the emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, posing questions for the reader to think about what future they want. Emerging technologies, such as robotics, artificial intelligence, big data and analytics, cloud computing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, the Internet of Things, fifth-generation wireless technologies (5G), and fully autonomous vehicles, among others, will have a significant impact on every aspect of our lives, as such this book looks at their potential impact in the entire spectrum of daily life, including home life, travel, education and work, health, entertainment and social life.

Providing an indication of what the world might look like in 2030, this book is essential reading for students, scholars, professionals, and policymakers interested in the nexus between emerging technologies and sustainable development, politics and society, and global governance.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Meesha Brown

Introduction
Felix Dodds, Carolina Duque Chopitea and Ranger Sere Ruffins

  1. The History of Industrial Revolutions
  2. The World we Live in
  3. Home Life
  4. Traveling Around
  5. Education, Working life and Health
  6. Entertainment
  7. Social Life
  8. Living around the globe
  9. Beyond 2030

Annex 1: Sustainable Development Goals
Annex 2: Key aspects of the Paris Agreement

Author(s)

Biography

Felix Dodds is Adjunct Professor at the Water Institute at the University of North Carolina, US and Associate Fellow at the Tellus Institute Boston, US. He is the author/editor of over 20 books, including Stakeholder Democracy (Routledge, 2019), Negotiating the Sustainable Development Goals (Routledge, 2016 with Ambassador David Donoghue, Jimena Leiva Roesch) and The Water, Food, Energy and Climate Nexus (Routledge, 2016 with Jamie Bartram). In 2019 he was a candidate to head the United Nations Environment Programme.

Carolina Duque Chopitea is the Co-founder and Head of Analytics at Brandformers.io, a digital marketing agency headquartered in Panama. She holds a Master's Degree in Business Analytics from Hult International Business School (San Francisco) and a degree in Political Science and Environmental Studies from the University of Victoria, Canada. With her multidisciplinary background working in the public and private sectors, Carolina works with brands and organistions to help them realise their full potential by blending data with creativity.

Ranger Ruffins is a Master’s student at the University of North Carolina, US at Chapel Hill (UNC), pursuing a degree in City and Regional Planning. Her area of focus is land use and environmental planning, with a specific interest in resilience in the face of natural hazard disasters and the ability for cities to adapt to the effects of a changing climate. She earned her BA from the UNC in Environmental Studies in 2016. After graduating, Ranger worked in New York City as the Environment Program Assistant at The Overbrook Foundation, working on grant development for the foundation’s environment portfolio.

Reviews

"I simply love Tomorrow's People and New Technology. Teasingly playful, inquisitive rather than just another turgid tome trying to be politically correct and accurate with each forecast, the authors' bandwidth is wonderfully broad, the insights incisive, and the writing welcoming. This book is a speculative triumph. It invites us into an imaginative world of endless fascination and ingenuity, at once allying suspicions that the future belongs only to the smart machines we have created and are in the process of letting loose."
Richard David HamesExecutive Director, Centre for the Future

"Many have dubbed the years between 2020 and 2030 the 'decade of action and ambition' where vast transformations need to be achieved if we are to meet both SDG and Paris climate goals. That can seem daunting and challenging to individuals who feel they don't have agency or the capability to make a difference, but Tomorrow's People and New Technology provides an engaging and accessible blueprint for how technology can play a crucial role in helping individuals to change their lives to make a big difference. Funny and thought-provoking, it is a great read!"
Kirsty Schneeberger, MBE, Chair UK Environmental Law Association

"Humanity has understood the necessity to change the course of development. Nations have made their pledges in the form of SDGs and climate goals. The word progress has been reevaluated. To what extend we can succeed in this fundamental transformation in such a relatively short time, the jury is still out, but the clock is ticking. It is a remarkable book bringing closer to our daily lives what is at stake and how technological shift can and will influence our journey. Excellent reading far all who plan to spend the rest of their lives in the changing future."
Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi, director of the Office of the President of Hungary, former co-chair of the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals

"No one has written more or provided a larger lens through which we can view the subject of sustainable development than has Felix Dodds, whether alone or in collaboration with very interesting co-authors. Tomorrow’s People and New Technology issues an invitation to consider the future through the 2030 development agenda and the life it might engender. It poses the pertinent questions – How will technology be the primary driver of society, economy and way of life? Will it help us to realize the great value of our humanity? Will we see the technology as our partner in achieving sustainable development? Will its use be equitable in improving quality of life globally so that no-one is left behind? What sort of world do we want and how will technology help bring it into being? These questions are not academic. COVID-19 has accelerated the use of technology and we must answer these questions -now. Agree or disagree with the authors but read their answers."
Ambassador Liz Thompson, Permanent Mission of Barbados to the United Nations

"In 2015 governments agreed to both the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement, creating a pathway to securing a viable future on this planet. Even with renewed political will, however, delivering on the transformations called for will call for innovation at many levels. This book therefore offers key insights by looking to 2030 and exploring the impact of a number of new technologies on our lives and on delivering on these two multilateral agreements. Tomorrows People and New Technology recognizes both that the changes that we all will experience over the next ten years will be enormous, and that massive shifts are required to turn our economies and societies around. It tries to help people understand how these technologies might impact positively on their lives and by doing so makes those changes seem less threatening. The book also recognizes the challenges will be different in different parts of the world and explores how these could potentially increase inequality. Finally it highlights for the reader some of policy challenges these new technologies would bring. Required reading at the intersection of climate, SDGs, innovation, and disruption."
Paula Caballero, (Mother of the SDGs) former Director for Economic, Social and Environmental Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia

"Though many books describe tech and AI’s impact on our future, few paint an intimate and detailed picture of how our lives – at home, work, and with friends – will be completely reshaped by the innovations that are just beginning to take root today. Tomorrow’s People and New Technology is a fascinating forecast at life by 2030 and the ways in which we must change to harness technology’s promise in every facet of our daily lives."
Maria Figueroa Kupcu, Partner and Head of New York Office, Brunswick Group; Chair, Institute for Global Leadership, Tufts University

"In 2021, the last thing people needed was another doomsday book. Tomorrow’s People and New Technology is written in an accessible and fun style illustrates how frontier or 4IR technologies can improve our daily life and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris climate change Agreement, allows people that are usually not concerned about these international issues far from their daily life, to not only be aware but reflect on them. It brings it home! Potential negative impacts are brought only at the end allowing for a more educated societal debate about these issues including the monetization of our attention through these ever-omnipresent platforms. Kudos for this putting this book out there and getting the debate going on needed national and international policies needed to make sure these frontier technologies help us achieve the SDGs not further increase inequalities and polarization."
Chantal Line Carpentier, Chief, New York Office of UNCTAD

"More often than not, we see technology as something that is happening to us--that is, ordinary people are impacted in both positive and malign ways without agency or voice. In addition to helping us understand the scope of emerging technologies, Tomorrow's People and New Technology calls on the reader and individual to be proactive and help shape trends in ways that support the sustainable development agenda and our immediate social lives."
Gavin Power, former Executive Deputy Director, UN Global Compact

"The world has committed to the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, which civil society and multilateral stakeholders had strongly advocated for. This is the decade of action, which will decide whether we can secure a sustainable future for humankind and our planet.

In Bonn, we have known Felix Dodds as a long-term ally in the engagement for sustainable development and also a great visionary. With Tomorrow’s People and New Technology, he and his co-authors have created a very inspiring and simply good read about our potential future world in 2030 – a world with blurring digital, physical and biological boundaries. The positive vision of emerging new technologies is a valuable instrument that can help us recognize and embrace opportunities and potentials to achieve a sustainable development for our societies while leaving no one behind.

I hope that this book, which is also an invitation to take a pro-active approach, will attract a large number of readers. Given our commitment to a fair and liveable planet in 2030, it is great motivation to have this vivid and captivating image at hand – and in the back of our minds."
Katja Dörner, Mayor of Bonn, Germany’s United Nations City

 

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Governance for Sustainable Development Volume 5: Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Governance Challenges

This is the fifth book that the Group of Friends of the Governance for Sustainable Development: Volume 5 of Friends of Governance for Sustainable Development – Implementing the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development: Governance Challenges was produced to share widely the papers that were presented at the workshops for member States to discuss. The Group recognize that there is
an inextricable link between good governance and sustainable development and that, as the 2030 Agenda is implemented, governance challenges will need discussion and action at all levels and by all institutions. In 2020, during the pandemic the Group of Friends convened UN officials, experts, and representatives from government at four participatory workshops on relevant governance issues.
The workshops were organized in partnership with UN-DESA Office of Intergovernmental
Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development focusing on advancing the 2030 Agenda
into the HLPF’s Second Cycle, and lessons learnt from the first cycle.
The Group of Friends in 2021 will continue to be a place for discussions of the institutional
architecture for the delivery of the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Climate Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.

The four workshops cover a multitude of issues such as climate change, climate finance, Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review, North-South and South-South cooperation, Impact of COVID-19: perspective from Voluntary National Reviews, COVID-19 Transparency Gap, the Challenges for Glasgow COP, Disasters due to Climate Change for Sustainable Development, The UN General Assembly Special Session on Corruption: Opportunities and Challenges, Financial Accountability, Transparency, and Integrity for Sustainable Development, Time to negotiate a UN convention to address tax havens and international tax dodging.

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Governance for Sustainable Development Volume 4: Challenges and Opportunities for Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Governance for Sustainable Development Volume 4: Challenges and Opportunities for Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Paperback

by Felix DoddsVerena Klinger-DeringMeriem El HilaliHyemi KimSamuel Victor MakweCristina PopescuDavid BanisarQuinn McKew 

The 2030 Agenda represents one of the most important sets of Global Goals that the international community has committed to. It is an unprecedented effort that embodies universal aspirations for achieving a more just, equitable, peaceful and sustainable future. It is an excellent example of successful multilateralism. This ambitious and unique exercise represents a paradigm shift in policy-making for sustainable development. It gives a roadmap by which we all, the UN, governments and stakeholders can work together to address the most pressing global challenges. In this context, the rule of law, as well as effective, robust, participatory and accountable institutions are of the utmost importance to achieve the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their 169 targets. This is the fourth book that the Friends of Governance for Sustainable Development has produced in an effort to share widely the papers that have been presented at the workshops for member States to discuss. The Group of Friends recognises that there is an inextricable link between good governance and sustainable development and that, as the 2030 Agenda is implemented, governance challenges will need discussion and action at all levels and by all institutions. Mindful of these challenges, the governments of Germany, Morocco, Nigeria, Romania and the Republic of Korea, with the technical support of the Tellus Institute and the secretariat being provided by ARTICLE 19, have tried to create an informal space for Member States to discuss governance-related issues. This book was written and co-edited by David Banisar, Jamie Bartram, Marianne Beisheim, Steven Bernstein, Claire Blanchard, Elizabeth Dirth, Felix Dodds, Michael K. Dorsey, Jorge Fernandez-Quintela, Elizabeth Hege, Meriem El Hilali, Anne Kahl, Hyemi Kim, Verena Klinge-Dering, Gary Lawrence, Samuel Victor Makwe, Quinn McKew, Felipe Morgado, Ingeborg Niestroy, Gastón Ocampo, Cristina Popescu, Felipe Victoria, and Ruben Zondervan.

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Governance for Sustainable Development Volume 4: Challenges and Opportunities for Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Governance for Sustainable Development Volume 4: Challenges and Opportunities for Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Paperback

by Felix DoddsVerena Klinger-DeringMeriem El HilaliHyemi KimSamuel Victor MakweCristina PopescuDavid BanisarQuinn McKew 

The 2030 Agenda represents one of the most important sets of Global Goals that the international community has committed to. It is an unprecedented effort that embodies universal aspirations for achieving a more just, equitable, peaceful and sustainable future. It is an excellent example of successful multilateralism. This ambitious and unique exercise represents a paradigm shift in policy-making for sustainable development. It gives a roadmap by which we all, the UN, governments and stakeholders can work together to address the most pressing global challenges. In this context, the rule of law, as well as effective, robust, participatory and accountable institutions are of the utmost importance to achieve the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their 169 targets. This is the fourth book that the Friends of Governance for Sustainable Development has produced in an effort to share widely the papers that have been presented at the workshops for member States to discuss. The Group of Friends recognises that there is an inextricable link between good governance and sustainable development and that, as the 2030 Agenda is implemented, governance challenges will need discussion and action at all levels and by all institutions. Mindful of these challenges, the governments of Germany, Morocco, Nigeria, Romania and the Republic of Korea, with the technical support of the Tellus Institute and the secretariat being provided by ARTICLE 19, have tried to create an informal space for Member States to discuss governance-related issues. This book was written and co-edited by David Banisar, Jamie Bartram, Marianne Beisheim, Steven Bernstein, Claire Blanchard, Elizabeth Dirth, Felix Dodds, Michael K. Dorsey, Jorge Fernandez-Quintela, Elizabeth Hege, Meriem El Hilali, Anne Kahl, Hyemi Kim, Verena Klinge-Dering, Gary Lawrence, Samuel Victor Makwe, Quinn McKew, Felipe Morgado, Ingeborg Niestroy, Gastón Ocampo, Cristina Popescu, Felipe Victoria, and Ruben Zondervan.

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Stakeholder Democracy - Represented Democracy in a Time of Fear

My new book Stakeholder Democracy: Represented Democracy in A Time of Fear (Routledge) is on advance order on amazon - out July 9th.  

I would also like to thank my co-authors Jan-Gustav Strandenaes, Carolina Duque Chopitea, Minu Hemmati, Susanne Salz, Bernd Lakemeier, Laura Schmitz, and Jana Borkenhagen for their chapters - which are awesome!! While underscoring that my co-authors do not necessarily agree with the chapters written by other people.

The book will be out in July for the High-Level Political Forum where we will be launching the book. Let me share with you the introduction for the book...and a few reviews out already.

“A revolution is coming — a revolution which will be peaceful if we are wise enough; compassionate if we care enough; successful if we are fortunate enough — But a revolution which is coming whether we will it or not. We can affect its character; we cannot alter its inevitability.” (Kennedy, 1966) - continued in my blog here.

"As this book documents, not all stakeholder engagement in multilateral processes has been impactful. It shares valuable lessons about what has worked and what hasn’t." - Rt Hon Helen Clark, taken from the Foreword

"To mobilize action globally in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will require buy-in and commitments not just from governments, but from all segments of society. This book addresses a major component of that challenge – involving stakeholders in every part of the process to deliver on the promise of the SDGs. Many of the contributors have long led efforts to build an inclusive and democratic framework for delivering on sustainable development. Their experience, insights and analysis of what works and what doesn’t not only make the case for the benefits of multi-stakeholderism, but allows them to develop crucial practical and detailed guidance on making multi-stakeholder policy dialogues and partnerships legitimate, effective, and accountable." - Steven Bernstein, Professor of Political Science and Co-director of the Environmental Governance Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto, Canada.

"This book is extremely timely. The ability for government institutions to deal with challenges to our society and planet is seemly getting worse day by the day. Government institutions need to be re imagined and this book offers a vision that can help institutions to be more inclusive to society and respectful to nature by their design. The basic idea is to formally involve stakeholders in government decision making and therefore have society at large committed to implementation of policies, delivered through a sense of ownership and partnership. This vision can empower representative democracy in a time of fear of conflict and economic collapse to deal with social inequality and environmentally degradation" - Professor Patrick Paul Walsh, Director of the UCD Centre for Sustainable Development Studies, Senior Advisor UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network

"For those of us wondering "what exactly does stakeholders mean?" this book provides a comprehensive and useful answer. Beyond that, it outlines the concept of stakeholder democracy both in historical overview and in contemporary political context, as the inevitable next step in democratic progress. Stakeholder Democracy: Represented Democracy in a Time of Fear distills decades of knowledge into an engaging, enlightening read, democratically disseminating the wisdom usually only gleaned through a coffee with one of its authors. In UN advocacy, precedent is everything. Outlining the best examples of stakeholder engagement, this book is a guiding light for the next generation of non-government actors seeking to influence global policy." - Kathryn Tobin, Advocacy Coordinator, WaterAid

"Multi-stakeholder engagement is fundamental for a coherent and integrated implementation of the SDGs. Stakeholders contribute to mobilising resources, informing policy, identifying innovative solutions, supporting transformations and voicing the needs of underrepresented communities. A strong partnership means engaging stakeholders effectively by granting them equal and fair opportunities to be informed and consulted in decision-making. The book "Stakeholder Democracy: Represented Democracy in a Time of Fear" depicts well how partnerships must be aligned with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. With this aspiration, the OECD created the PCSD Partnership that brings together governments, international organisations, civil society, think tanks, the private sector and other stakeholders from all regions of the world, committed and working to enhance policy coherence for sustainable development (SDG 17.14)." - Ebba Dohlman, OECD's head of unit on policy coherence for sustainable development

"It’s democracy, period! This book is a must-read for all who want to understand how to work the 21th century politics. Having worked long years as eminent advisors, actors, and advocates the authors offer deep insider knowledge. Stakeholder are more than just the opposite to economic shareholder. Stakeholder democracy is part of the mainstream institutional and parliamentary governance. Even more so, engagement of people helps keeping democracies lively, effective and resourceful. This book carefully sketches out how stakeholder democracy came to be the prime important ingredient to our common future. When it comes to ensuring a decent life for all within the planetary boundaries being transparent, reliable, constructively positive are the virtues of cooperation - as opposed to being absorbed in elitist turf battles and selfish positioning in the global awareness economy. For public and stakeholder politics there what can be learned from the rich narrative of this book might simply start a new Stakeholder Social Responsibility." - Günther Bachmann, General Secretary to the German Council for Sustainable Development and activist in a series of stakeholder setups

"There is no doubt about the power of the collective to change the world, even more now, when we are increasingly interconnected. In order for the collective effort to be effective, numbers matter, but strategy is key. This book, which emphasizes multi-stakeholder democracy, makes a truly important contribution to how the whole of society can, and should, come together to solve the world's most pressing problems. This compelling work calls for reflection and action, two sides of the coin of transformative change." - Claudia Mansfield LaRue, Former G77+China negotiator of the United Nations "Towards Global Partnerships Resolution" International Recruitment and Partnerships Specialist, Montclair State University, USA

"Just as the fundamentals of the international architecture are being challenged and on the brink of a period of renewal, there could be no better time to revisit the power and presence of stakeholder democracy as a force for positive change. This book shows how stakeholder democracy can enable us to make the transition to a sustainable future in a way that addresses the political upheaval of our times, and the necessary shift from authoritarian-populism to a people-lead social and political renaissance." - Andrew Higham, Chief Executive of Mission 2020

"There is a vast body of scholarly literature on non-state actors in governance of sustainable development, amongst other in partnerships. There is an even larger body of academic publications on democracy – a crucial principle underpinning meaningful engagement of stakeholders in policy-making and implementation. This book, by a great team of experienced advocates of and specialists in stakeholder engagement, brings these topics together and in a historic context – not from an ivory tower perspective, but from constructive critical "Vienna Cafe" perspective. And this makes the book a must-read for all the diplomats, bureaucrats, lobbyist, scientists, and civil society representatives who crowd this coffee corner in the basement of the UN Headquarters." - Ruben Zondervan, Executive Director, Stakeholder Forum

 

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Governance for Sustainable Development Volume 3: Preparing for the Heads of State Review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The Friends of Governance for Sustainable Development have continued to host workshops on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2018. 

Governance for Sustainable Development Volume 3: Preparing for the Heads of State Review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Paperback  was edited by Felix Dodds (Author, Editor), Akinremi Bolaji (Editor), Yeongmoo Cho (Editor), Verena Klinger-Dering (Editor), Cristina Popescu (Editor), David Banisar (Editor), Quinn McKew (Editor).


The 2030 Agenda represents one of the most important sets of Global Goals that the international community has committed to. It is an unprecedented effort that embodies universal aspirations for achieving a more just, equitable, peaceful and sustainable future. It is an excellent example of successful multilateralism. 

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Governance for Sustainable Development Volume 2: Ideas for the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development

Governance for Sustainable Development: Implementing the 2030 Agenda Volume 2 (April 2018) edited by Felix Dodds David BanisarAkinremi BolajiYeongmoo ChoReinhard Krapp and  Quinn McKew. Available from here. 

Achieving sustainable development requires an enabling environment. Governance plays a crucial role in creating those conditions, notably, for our purposes in the implementation of the 2030 sustainable development agenda process. From creating new platforms to reforming old ones, the process must live up to this standard and its mechanisms should be geared towards fostering this type of new international environment and cooperation for sustainable development. This is the second volume produced by the Friends Group. The first volume presented the period from late 2014 to the end of 2015. The Group also has a website which it places the papers that are being discussed at the Friends Group’s meetings, which can be found here. The chapters of this book are a reflection of the rich contributions made by governments, intergovernmental bodies and stakeholders in the three workshops that the Friends Group hosted in 2017.

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Power to the People

By Felix Dodds - Power to the People: Confessions of a Young Liberal Activist 1975-1988 

This book explores the role that the Young Liberal Green Guard had on UK politics in the 1980s. It aims to inspire future young politicians of whatever political views the truth of Margaret Meads statement that: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Felix Dodds was Chair of the National League of Young Liberals (1985-1987). He was also a member of the Liberal Party Council (1983-86). His has written or edited fifteen books the first of which was ‘Into the Twenty-First Century: An Agenda for Political Realignment. (1988)’. He was an Advisory Editor for New Democrat International (1988-1992). He is the President of Amber Valley Liberal Democrats.

"The 1980s is a fascinating period in British politics and Felix Dodds played a fascinating role in that period and which he writes extremely well about. The group of people who were close to him then have stuck together and have mostly used their political and campaigning skills to great effect ever since. It took courage for Young Liberals to support a Labour candidate because he was openly gay and the SDP's sitting MP appeared to be homophobic, but I think that they were right even though it caused ructions internally. They pushed the Liberal Party and then the Liberal Democrats to adopt the green agenda well in advance of other parties. I did not agree with all the activities and statements made by this group (for example the one suggesting that the Alliance Manifesto of 1983 was 'not worth voting for'). But they were inspired and inspirational and Felix's account deserves to be read widely." Lord Chris Rennard

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Sustainable Development Goals: A transformational agenda for an insecure world

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal set of seventeen goals and 169 targets, with accompanying indicators, which were agreed by UN member states to frame their policy agendas for the fifteen-year period from 2015 to 2030. Written by three authors who have been engaged in the development of the SDGs from the beginning, this book offers an insider view of the process and a unique entry into what will be seen as one of the most significant negotiations and global policy agendas of the twenty-first century. 

The book reviews how the SDGs were developed, what happened in key meetings and how this transformational agenda, which took more than three years to negotiate, came together in September 2015. It dissects and analyzes the meetings, organizations and individuals that played key roles in their development. It provides fascinating insights into the subtleties and challenges of high-level negotiation processes of governments and stakeholders, and into how the SDGs were debated, formulated and agreed. It is essential reading for all interested in the UN, sustainable development and the future of the planet and humankind.

"Learning from the process that engaged so many stakeholders at national and international level is important for future multilateral negotiations. This contribution from three actors intimately involved in the process offers rare insights into a long, challenging and ultimately fruitful process. I hope many readers will enjoy the insights presented in this book and be inspired to realise that the impossible is possible through compromise, partnership and leadership."

– from the foreword by Mary Robinson, President of the Mary Robinson Foundation: Climate Justice, Former President of Ireland (1990–1997) and Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997–2002)

"This is an important book that charts the journey we went on and the challenges faced in agreeing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. I hope it will help people understand what was achieved and help those now, and in the future, engaged in the implementation of this agenda."

– from the foreword by Ambassador Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations in New York, USA, co-chair of the negotiations for the Sustainable Development Goals (2012–2014) and co-facilitator of Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2014–2015)

"Having participated in various negotiations on sustainable development since 1992, this overview of the process leading to the ambitious and important Sustainable Development Goals allows us to see the big picture and helps make the journey ahead possible."

– Julia Marton-Lefevre, former Director General of IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

"As the most prolific writer on issues of sustainable development and the multilateral system, Felix Dodds has done it again; on this occasion, working with Ambassador David Donoghue and Jimena Lieva Roesch. These three authors have brought their individual and collective knowledge and expertise to review the 2030 development agenda, consolidated in a recently articulated set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Offered by people who were immersed in the process, theirs is a necessary and timely analysis of how the multilateral system works, the consultations and negotiations out of which the SDGs evolved and their intended objectives.

Given their backgrounds and proximity to what took place, the authors have brought to their subject the quality of information and analysis likely to be useful to those who will be engaged in fulfilling this agenda within the multilateral system and its myriad stakeholders. When compared with the MDGs, the very large number of sustainable development goals and targets suggest very high ambition and an enormous undertaking at both the national and international levels. For students of development and international relations this will be an essential book. It will become a useful tool for peer review of the attainment of the SDGs. Coming so soon after consensus on the SDGs and the new development agenda were reached, the authors engage in an important discussion on which future books on this area will draw and be assessed.

All three authors are to be congratulated for this important piece of work."

– Liz Thompson, former UN Assistant Secretary General for Rio+20 and Barbados Minister of Energy and Environment

"Experienced journalists covering UN negotiating meetings on sustainable development issues tend to make a bee-line for Felix Dodds to discover what is going on. Now he, and his equally well-informed co-authors – Ambassador David Donoghue and Jimena Leiva Roesch – are doing everyone a service by extending the privilege through this book, which traces the often tortuous process that led to the agreement last September of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Though AS OF YET little-known outside the international environment and development community, the Goals are – as the authors write – ‘a blueprint for the development of humanity and the planet in the 21st century’. Their adoption marks the moment when a decades-old argument was finally won.

This book charts how that happened and suggests how the victory should be followed up with action. "

– Geoffrey Lean, award-winning environmental journalist

"Negotiating the Sustainable Development Goals is an important and timely contribution to global development policymaking that will further our understanding of how the SDGs became the new overarching framework for a comprehensive development agenda – and help inspire and guide their implementation."

– Mark Suzman, President of Global Policy and Advocacy and Chief Strategy Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

"Felix Dodds has been a welcome fixture of the sustainable development process since the 1992 Earth Summit and Agenda 21. No author I know has the capacity and talent for analyzing the agonizing negotiations over decades. His insight, contacts and ability to conceptualize made him the person to truthfully record the SDG history and intricate negotiations leading to the hopeful 2030s. In this latest coauthored book he transcends the stakeholders perspective and delves, as he always did, into the background of what governments decided, and why. I highly recommend this book for all those interested in following the process."

 

Andrey Vavilov, Ph.D., formerly with the IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin

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The Water, Food, Energy and Climate Nexus

 Out now my latest book

'The Water, Food, Energy and Climate Nexus: Challenges and an Agenda for Action'

edited by Felix Dodds and Jamie Bartram, 

With a foreword by HRH the Prince of Wales

If you wish to get a discount the code is DC361 from  here

This book is one of the first to provide a broad overview of both the science behind the nexus and the implications for policies and sustainable development.

It brings together contributions by leading intergovernmental and governmental officials, industry, scientists and other stakeholder thinkers who are working to develop the approaches to the Nexus of water-food-energy and climate.

It represents a major synthesis and state-of-the-art assessment of the Nexus by major players, in light of the adoption by the United Nations of the new Sustainable Development Goals and Targets in 2015."

Forewords by:

HRH the Prince of Wales

Albert Butare former Minister of State for Infrastructure in the Republic of Rwanda

Paula Caballero Gomez mother of the SDGs

Authors Introduction: Felix Dodds and Jamie Bartram

Part 1: Learning from the Past, Building a New Future: Nexus Scientific Research

1. History of the Nexus at the Intergovernmental Level: Felix Dodds and Jamie Bartram

2. Sustainable Development Goals and Policy Integration in the Nexus: David Leblanc

3. Nexus Scientific Research: Theory and Approach Serving Sustainable Development: Joachim von Braun and Alisher Mirzabaev

4. Global Risks and Opportunities in Food, Energy, Environment and Water to 2050: R. Quentin Grafton

5. Stewardship of Ecosystems: Tony Allan and Nathanial Matthews

Part 2: Urban Challenges of the Nexus: Local and Global Perspectives

6. The Contribution of Innovation in Urban Resilience and Sustainability to Realising the Urban Nexus: Nicholas You

7. Operationalizing the Urban NEXUS: Increasing the Productivity of Cities and Urbanized Nations: Kathrine Brekke and Jeb Brugmann

8. The Confederacy of Experts: The Crushing Nexus of Silos, Systems, Arrogance and Irrational Certainty: Gary Lawrence

Part 3: Natural Resource Security for People: Water, Food and Energy

9. Water-Food-Energy-Climate: Strengthening the Weak Links in the Nexus: Ania Grobicki

10. Natural Resource Security in an Uncertain World: Sylvia Lee

Part 4: Nexus Perspectives: Energy: Water and Climate

11. The Nexus in Small Island Developing States: Liz Thompson

12. Renewable Energy: Nexus-friendly Pathways for Growth: Frank Wouters and Divyam Nagpal

13. The Challenge of Climate Change in the Energy-Water Nexus: Diego Rodriguez, Anna Delgado Martin and Antonia Sohns

Part 5: Nexus Perspectives: Food, Water, and Climate

14. Smallholder Farmers are at the Nexus of Post-2015 Development Issues: Iain MacGillivray

15. Green Opportunities for Urban Sanitation Challenges through Energy, Water and Nutrient Recovery: Pay Drechsel and Munir A. Hanjra

Part 6: Nexus Corporate Stewardship: How Business is Improving Resource Use

16. Building Partnerships for Resilience: David Norman and Stuart Orr

17. Capital Markets at the Nexus of Sustainable Development: Steve Waygood

18. Principles for the Integration of the Nexus within Business: Felix Dodds and Cole Simons

"The Water-Food-Energy nexus has emerged as one of the most important management challenges facing the sustainability agenda. Water, food and energy are all basic resources underpinning development, not just in terms of poverty alleviation but also more sustained economic growth and social development. They are Sustainable Development Goals in their own right, but also associated with the realization of all 17 SDGs. While there are many trade-offs related to water us in terms of agriculture and energy, the nexus perspective is primarily about seeking opportunities and achieving multiple benefits through better and more efficient management of resources. This demands new approaches that takes us beyond the predominant, traditional silo (or sector) thinking and management approaches. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the water-food-energy nexus, and the many dimensions associated with this nexus. It offers not just a problem description but also innovative approaches to management of these key resources from a wider systems perspective. It can be read by anyone looking for an introduction to the challenges and opportunities related to the Nexus, as well as anyone interested in practical approaches and solutions." 

Johan Kuylenstierna, Executive Director, Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden.

"Water, food and energy – we have seen these three areas as separate sectors with seperate problems for way too long. The truth is that they are deeply interlinked and must be seen as such if we are to overcome the impacts climate change and growing populations will have on them. That is why the water, food, energy nexus is so important to investigate. This book is an important contribution by major thinkers on what those challenges will be and how to start addressing them in an interlinked manner." 

Ida Auken, former Environment Minister of Denmark.

"Never before has the world needed an integrated approach to sustainable development more. The principles and strategies explored in this book provide a roadmap for just that." 

Danny Sriskandarajah, Secretary General, CIVICUS.

"The fact that, in 2015, the world is still struggling with hunger, poverty, and exclusion, almost half a century after mankind managed to set foot on the moon, says a lot about the complexity tackling development challenges. In order to succeed, sustainable development must look at all underlying causes, and embrace their dynamic inter-relations. Hunger will not be solved without looking at factors behind poverty, equal access for men and women and sustainable use of limited natural resources, including water and energy, or the impacts of climate change; and this requires the participation of all stakeholders! Felix Dodds and Jamie Bartram's Nexus book illustrates well the need for an integrated approach to the Sustainable Development Goals in Agenda 2030. Only by breaking down silos, will we achieve sustainable development, in all three of its dimensions, in our generation’s lifetime!" 

Gerda Verburg, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations Food organisations in Rome, Chair of the World Economic Forum Council on Food and Nutrition Security, Former Chair of the UN Committee on World Food Security (UN CFS) (2013-2015), Chair of the seventeenth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-17).

"The Nexus book demonstrates the urgency required for integrated approaches to development in order to address poverty and achieve sustainable development. It provides valuable historical examples that demonstrate why development planning and practice need to be done differently, and with more urgency. It is a 'must-read' for development planners and practitioners globally who have a conscience for really improving the lives of the poor and bettering the world. It is a timely publication that will go a long way in contributing towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development” 

Hesphina Rukato, Executive Director, Centre for African Development Solutions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Governance for Sustainable Development

The Post-2015 Agenda is an unprecedented effort that embodies universal aspirations for achieving a better, more just, equitable, peaceful and sustainable future. Representatives from 193 governments and multiple stakeholders, from all sectors, have actively participated in its creation. This ambitious and unique exercise represents a paradigm shift in development policy. It materializes years of dialogue and candid ambitions of addressing the most pressing global challenges. In this context, the rule of law, as well as, effective, robust, participatory and accountable institutions is of utmost importance to achieve the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their 169 targets.

The inextricable link between good governance and sustainable development was acknowledged in the Rio+20 Declaration “The Future We Want”. Moreover, the Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda further elaborated on this issue and made a call for all countries to recognize the need for responsive, legitimate and democratic institutions, at all levels.

Mindful of these challenges, the governments of Mexico, Romania and the Republic of Korea, with the technical support of the Tellus Institute and the organization ARTICLE 19, reinvigorated the “Group of Friends of the Governance for Sustainable Development”, which was created in the preparation of the Rio+20 Conference, as a flexible and informal space to discuss issues related to good governance and foster cooperation between multiple actors in the context of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

The Group of Friends also aims to contribute to the discussions of the institutional architecture for the Agenda’s implementation, follow-up and review. Thus, the Group convened government representatives, UN officials, experts, and civil society in November 2014, January and May 2015 to three participatory workshops on governance and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Governance for Sustainable Development is edited by: Hoonmin Lim, Sara Luna and Oana Rebedea, David Banisar Felix Dodds and Quinn McKew

"We expect the present publication to be a useful input for the ongoing discussions about the institutional architecture for the Post-2015 Agenda. Our generation has now the opportunity to redefine the future and bring real, significant, transformative and universal change for and with the people, leaving no one behind. However, sustainable development will only become a reality if we have the enabling environment for it to happen. Thus, good governance will be pivotal for implementing, reviewing and improving the Post-2015 Development Agenda. We expect that this publication contributes to the colossal, but encouraging, challenges we will be facing during the next 15 years."  

Ambassador Choong-hee HAHN, Ambassador Simona-Mirela Miculescu and Ambassador Jorge Montaño

 

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Plain Language Guide to Rio+20

 Rio+20 saw a major rebirth of sustainable development as the major organizing principle for how we should live on this planet. It launched the work on Sustainable Development Goals which has become the main process for replacing the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. This book is a practical guide to those engaged in implementing the Rio+20 agreement and in developing the new development goals and agenda for 2015 and beyond. As a book it complements the Routledge book by the same authors “From Rio+20 to the New Development Agenda.” 

The book is written by three people who were practitioners in Rio+20 and the post 2012 process on the new Development Goals.

Felix Dodds is a Senior Fellow at the Global Research Institute at the University of North Carolina at the University of North Carolina and an Associate Fellow at the Tellus Institute in Boston

Jorge Laguna-Celis is the Senior Advisor on sustainable development of the UN General Assembly. Since 2006 he has been a member of the Mexican Foreign Service.

Liz Thompson was one of the two UN executive coordinators for the Rio+20 process and negotiations and is a former Minister of Energy and Environment of Barbados. In 2008 she was awarded the UNEP “Champion of the Earth” award.

“This book is a great service to those who anyone who wants to understand the history, present and intended future of the UN’s efforts toward a more sustainable future.  It is clear, concise and a great service to historians of sustainability and those who must operationalize an agenda to optimize conditions for human development through time.”

-Gary Lawrence, Chief Sustainability Officer at AECOM

The Plain language Guide to Rio+20: Preparing for the New Development Agenda is a reader-friendly gateway to Rio +20 resources and outcomes that can equally guide the 'new comer' while also serving as a memo to the already engaged 

-Maruxa Cardama, Communitas Executive Project Coordinator

“Unfortunately, our global aspirations remain limited by a few remarkably change-resistant barriers: insufficient funding of international institutions, mendacity on the part of national leaders and a too-many military flash points. 

Fortunately, in the face of such intransigence, we have the latest book from Felix Dodds, Jorge Laguna- Celis and Liz Thompson.  Of all his publications, The Plain Language Guide is Felix's most accessible and encouraging. Dodds continues to work with other sustainable development advocates from the UN, governments and stakeholders to produce the indispensable resources for the serious global actor. I cannot imagine where we'd be across the world without him. “

-Don Edwards, Chief Executive Officer, Justice and Sustainability Associates

 

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