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We are on the cusp of a new growth era, one where growth is driven by the interaction between rapid technological innovation, sustainable infrastructure investment and increased resource productivity. Ambitious climate action across key economic systems-energy, cities, food and land use, water and industry-can lead to higher productivity, more resilient economies and greater social inclusion. It is the growth story of the 21st century.

Global carbon dioxide emissions were flat for the second consecutive year in 2015 due, in part, to renewables, according to the International Energy Agency. The report said that renewables accounted for about 90% new installed capacity last year, and wind represented at least half of that total. Meanwhile, the world's economy jumped about 3% last year, "offering further evidence that the link between economic growth and emissions growth is weakening," said the report.

The World Economic Forum's Global Risk Report 2013 placed water scarcity among the top four global risks, in terms of likelihood and greatest impact - ranking ahead of issues such as food shortages, terrorism and climate change! And water scarcity is already constraining the growth plans of many companies that desire to expand in emerging markets.

The New Climate Economy launched the Coalition for Urban Transitions, a global initiative to bolster the economic case for improvements in urban development. The Coalition will work with countries - including China and India - to ensure effective urban infrastructure investment is a central part of their growth strategies.

BHP Billiton, Royal Dutch Shell, Schneider Electric, and other supporting organizations have formed the Energy Transitions Commission, which aims to develop actionable insights that help energy companies maintain their economic growth during the transition to a low-carbon future.

The UN released a report finding that a transformational change in global aviation's efforts to promote economic growth and combat climate change could deliver industry savings up to $70 trillion by 2050. Nancy Young, vice president of Airlines for America, said biofuels can help reduce carbon emissions over time by the commercial airline industry.

Economic and population growth on top of climate change could lead to serious water shortages across a broad swath of Asia by the year 2050, a newly published study by MIT scientists has found.

Preliminary results of our "upside model" show that, within just 10 years, profits can grow 115 percent to $51 billion USD a year compared to today, if all fisheries worldwide were managed sustainably. Importantly, this economic growth doesn't come at the cost of other goals: both seafood production and fish biomass in the ocean would also increase.

But this success story has been underscored by a tense struggle over water, which Dow needs to keep production afloat, and which is in short supply in Texas amid the state's debilitating drought and its water users' increasing thirst. When Dow Chemical, one of the largest manufacturers of chemicals and plastics in the world, announced a multibillion-dollar expansion on Texas' Gulf Coast last summer, Gov. Rick Perry had yet another example to add to his list of explosive economic growth on Texas soil.

British Columbia's carbon tax has led the province to curb its emissions at a rate 3.5 times greater than that of the rest of Canada without hurting economic growth, writes Gina-Marie Cheeseman.

The deforestation consequences of ever-expanding agriculture is well understood. New research suggests that what is less well known is the impact from other industrial practices, including mining, particularly in the Amazon region. In a push for development and growth, governments have been scrambling to reap the economic benefits of extracting large amounts of metal ores, with the deforestation associated with such development in areas of ancient virgin forest more serious than previous thinking suggested, according to a new study.

London's Heathrow Airport has unveiled a new sustainability leadership strategy designed to make Heathrow a center of excellence in the aviation industry. The strategy announces ambitious goals to reduce the airport's and the industry's environmental impacts while maximizing economic opportunities throughout the UK. Plans include a new R&D incubator, an ambition for growth from a new runway to be carbon neutral and at least halving the number of late-running departures to reduce noise for local communities.

The story that should dominate every end of year round up from every media outlet on the planet came last month in the form of two reports released at the U.N. climate summit in Bonn. The first confirmed atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are at their highest levels in at least 800,000 years and possibly 3 million to 5 million years. As Emily Shuckburgh of the British Antarctic Survey said, the last time concentrations of greenhouse gas were as high as they are, sea levels were around 10 meters higher. Up to two meters of sea level rise this century is now entirely plausible. However, the second report was the real kicker. The Global Carbon Project predicted carbon emissions will rise this year after four years when flat emissions fuelled hopes global economic growth and carbon emissions had been decoupled

The building industry has become more analytical and data-driven as it has moved toward more sustainable forms of construction. Conventional construction is falling by the wayside in major markets because "people are just realizing that green building makes sense," said Nathan Taft, director of acquisitions for green builder Jonathan Rose Cos.

Falling coal use in China and the US and a worldwide shift towards renewable energy have kept greenhouse gas emissions level for a second year running, one of the world's leading energy analysts has said.

Chines courts are allowed to hand down the death penalty for serisous cases of pollution