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What will it take for the world to get serious about water?
What will it take for the world to get serious about water? | Sustainability | GZERO Live

What will it take for the world to get serious about water?

Why did it take over twenty years for the UN's marquee climate conference to start talking about water? "It's undervalued and therefore, it's not getting the attention it deserves because people don't see the actual value addition of engaging with it," says James Dalton of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

"Roundabout 90% of global water policy is out of date," says James Dalton of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. "We're effectively 40 years behind where we need to be on the policy calendar when it comes to being able to better manage our water resources."

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The world is way behind on water policy | James Dalton
The world is way behind on water policy | James Dalton | Sustainability | GZERO Live

The world is way behind on water policy | James Dalton

When's the last time you remember a politician bringing up water policy on the campaign trail? It's far from the sexiest subject, but it absolutely merits discussion as climate change and overuse of water resources pose serious threats to the world's water systems.

"Roundabout 90% of global water policy is out of date," says James Dalton of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. "We're effectively 40 years behind where we need to be on the policy calendar when it comes to being able to better manage our water resources."

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Why businesses are leapfrogging governments on water issues
Why businesses are leapfrogging governments on water issues | Sustainability | GZERO Live

Why businesses are leapfrogging governments on water issues

Water is an incredibly personal topic, integral to the lives and traditions of communities everywhere. That means companies must be very careful about how they use water resources, even those to which they are legally entitled, says Shari Friedman, Eurasia Group's Managing Director for Climate and Sustainability.

"If they're taking it away or they're polluting a source, it's something that's incredibly visible, as people use it," she said. "And it's something the press can pick up on pretty quickly, and it affects a company's license to operate."

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Water scarcity can sink a city, says expert Tanvi Nagpal
Water scarcity can sink a city, says expert Tanvi Nagpal | Sustainability Leaders Council

Water scarcity can sink a city, says expert Tanvi Nagpal

Who ends up paying for all the waste and losses from old, leaky water systems? Ordinary families. For the most part, they have no choice but to foot higher and higher bills just to keep access to the water they need to live.

However, failure to invest in water systems and keep costs low for consumers can lead to huge consequences, according to Tanvi Nagpal, water policy expert and consultant for Tetra Tech. For example, Jakarta's failure to keep its water system up with its population growth led people to dig wells to provide themselves with the needed water. The result? One of the largest cities in the world and an economic engine of southeast Asia is physically sinking into the ground.

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Saving the planet is big business | Minoj Jain
Saving the planet is big business | Minoj Jain | Sustainability Leaders Council

Saving the planet is big business | Minoj Jain

Can saving the planet's freshwater be profitable? Most certainly, says Manoj Jain, investment director at Unison Capital.

"The material recovery conversion of waste and plastic into fuel, desulfurizing the air, the flue-gases, all this is very profitable business," he said at a GZERO Live event organized by the Sustainability Leaders Council, a partnership between Eurasia Group, GZERO Media, and Suntory.

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Water scarcity: How Suntory is optimizing for beverage production
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Water scarcity: How Suntory is optimizing for beverage production

You won't be surprised to hear that companies that make drinks need a lot of water. Suntory, one of the leading beverage producers in the world, is no exception. However, they have come up with an exceptional response to the issue, according to Shigeaki Kazama , Executive Officer and Division Deputy COO of the Sustainability Management Division at Suntory Holdings..

To offset the water Suntory draws from Japan's underground aquifers, they manage a vast system of forest preserves. They help recharge the resource by maintaining a cool, wet environment that allows groundwater to seep back into the earth rather than run off or evaporate.

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COP28: Why farmers need to be front and center in climate talks
COP28: Why famers need to be front and center in climate talks | Sustainability Leaders Council

COP28: Why farmers need to be front and center in climate talks

Agriculture is the foundation of human civilization, the economic activity that makes every other endeavor possible. But historically, says International Fertilizer Association Director General Alzbeta Klein, the subject hasn't received attention in climate talks.

"It took us 23 climate conferences to start thinking about agriculture," she said during a GZERO Live event organized by the Sustainability Leaders Council, a partnership between Eurasia Group, GZERO Media, and Suntory. "The problem is that we don't know how to feed ourselves without a huge impact on the environment."

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COP28 climate talks complicated by UAE oil deals
COP28: Oil-rich UAE and the dilemma of hosting a global climate summit | World In: 60 | GZERO Media

COP28 climate talks complicated by UAE oil deals

Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.

Will the UAE’s pursuit of oil deals during COP28 undermine the summit's climate goals?

Well, it certainly doesn't make it any easier. I mean, this is the time when the world comes together and tries to reduce the level of carbon in the atmosphere, and the fact that it's being hosted by one of the world's largest oil producers and by the chairman, the CEO of one of the world's largest oil companies, who also is driving his country's sustainability goals. Well, I mean, I guess you can say he's hedged. You can definitely say that but you can also say it's challenging and problematic. Look, there was a chance that COP was going to fall apart completely and you were just going to have fragmented bilateral deals. The Chinese, for example, get much more influence giving out money directly in return for things with countries than being a part of a multilateral group. Having said that, US and China recently have come together on climate in advance, specifically of COP28, and there is more movement on methane emissions from the two largest emitters in the world. There's more movement on carbon capture and storage than we've seen before. Look, I'm glad the meetings happened. It is happening. It's going to be more successful than it not showing up. But there are big challenges and you're going to hear those frustrations loudly from the developing world who are taking climate on the chin.

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