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April 2006, Volume 2, Number 4

Amazon rainforest maps

March 20 -- Nearly 56 percent of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest is under pressure from human activities, according to a report released by WRI and Imazon. "These maps paint a stark and compelling picture," says former President of Brazil President Fernando Henrique Cardoso in the report foreword.
Key findings include:

  • Human pressure is increasing: In 2002, about 47 percent of the Brazilian Amazon was under some type of human pressure. New data from 2005 show that human pressure has increased by 7 percent.
  • There are forests left to protect: In 2002 there remained enough forest area without evidence of human pressure to fulfill the government's goal to expand the protected areas system.
  • The environmental impacts of roads must be minimized: About 80 percent of the total deforested area was found to be within 20 km of a legally permitted road. More accurate assessments of the potential environmental impacts of roads are needed for better planning.
To understand which human activities are putting pressure on Brazil's forests and make your own map of human pressure, please visit the Global Forest Watch website.

April 4 - WRI's Director of Climate, Energy and Pollution Program Jonathan Pershing addressed the United States Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during the committee's Conference on Climate Change, led by Senator Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico. The conference considered how Congress might go about creating a mandatory trading program to control U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. (written submission)(audio of remarks)
METROBUS celebrates 50 million passengers

March 13 - Nine months after its inauguration, METROBUS served its 50 millionth passenger. The development of METROBUS is one of three projects that EMBARQ - The WRI Center for Transport and the Environment has supervised through the Center for Sustainable Transport for Mexico City. Photo Credit: Reforma

April 5 - WRI Chairman of the Board Jim Harmon testified before the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Financial Services regarding reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Harmon also submitted the Executive Summary of the WRI Report, Diverging Paths: What Future for ECAs in Development Finance?A former head of Ex-Im, Harmon's recommendations included creating a target for renewable energy products and services. (written remarks)

Luiz Ros

March 24 - WRI's New Ventures project collaborated with the Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development (FBDS) in organizing a side event at the recent Convention of the Parties (see related article below) of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The event, held March 23 and 24, focused on the role of the private sector in the conservation of biological diversity. Luiz Ros, WRI's Global Manager, Markets and Enterprise, opened the seminar with a call for increased efforts to create the markets and opportunities that allow the private sector to contribute to biodiversity conservation at a larger scale. A number of speakers from the New Ventures network of sustainable businesses and investors presented initiatives that contribute to biodiversity conservation. (more on New Ventures) (more on the event)

WRI highlighted at Global Biodiversity meeting

March 31 - The recent Conference of Parties to the Convention for Biological Diversity held in Curitiba, Brazil, showcased a variety of WRI's initiatives:
The Accidental President of Brazil

March 13 - WRI Board Member Fernando Henrique Cardoso, the first president ever to be elected twice in Brazil, has published a book entitled The Accidental President of Brazil: A Memoir. (review in the Financial Times)

The BBC credits the World Resources Report 2005 as having influenced the Bond Development and Environment Group in their call for more serious consideration of environmental issues by the UK Government when it releases a planned White Paper on that nation's international development policy.

WRI Board Member C.K. Prahalad and Director of Institutions and Governance Program Frances Seymour have been selected to act as two of the seven jurors in "the first international private sector development research paper competition" sponsored by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Financial Times. (more here) In related news, WRI's Global Manager, Markets and Enterprise Luiz Ros has been chosen to act as juror for an IFC competition for "new specialized environmental and social information services geared to sustainable and responsible investment in publicly listed emerging market firms." IFC's Capturing Value Program invites research houses, rating firms, index providers, and similar organizations to compete for grants of up to $500,000. (more here)

2006 Webby Awards Nominee

April 11 - WRI business-for-development blog NextBillion.net has been been nominated for Best Business Blog of 2006 in the 10th Annual Webby Awards. Hailed as the "Online Oscars" by Time Magazine, the Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence in Web design, creativity, usability and functionality. As a nominee for a Webby Award, NextBillion.net is also eligible to win a People's Voice Award. Voting is open to the public until May 5th.(more here)

April 22: Earth Day
April 24, Washington, DC: WRI/World Bank Briefing: Clean Energy & Development - Towards an Investment Framework
April 25-27, Bangkok, Thailand: The Access Initiative Global Meeting
May 23-25, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States: 2nd National Water Quality Trading Conference


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