The Global Adaptation Institute

Innovation Contributing to Global Energy Shift

ND-GAIN Advisory Board Member and NGP Chief Executive Officer of NGP Energy Capital Management co-authored, with Eurasia Group President, Ian Bremmer, a May 22, 2013 NY Times op-ed titled “When America Stops Importing Energy.” 

Technological innovations have spurred new discoveries of and the capability to extract domestic energy resources in the United States. U.S. oil production is no longer in decline and a boom in natural gas exploration and production has led to a significant price drop in recent years.

The axiom of “resource scarcity” has been one of the dominant forces shaping global geopolitics and economics since the end of World War II. Now, thanks to the U.S. oil and gas industry’s technological and entrepreneurial savvy, we have ushered in an era in which “resource abundance” will be the norm. The technology will be used to turn the U.S. into an energy exporter and also unlock hidden reserves in other countries. The resulting surge in supply means that the global energy sector will begin to behave like a more “normal” market, one in which demand and supply are in better balance and less power is concentrated in the hands of select producers.

For more of the article, click here. 

Building Business Resilience in Mexico

Entrepreneurs and Tecnológico de Monterrey business and public policy students discuss how Small-and-Medium-Sized Enterprises can use adaptation data. 

Are small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) aware of the climatic risks they face? How are global forces such as urbanization and demographic shifts affecting business operations and supply chains? How can SMEs understand and act upon global risks data?

These were central questions explored during the Forum for Entrepreneurial Resilience: Challenges and Opportunities for SMEs, held April 30 in Monterrey, Mexico. With funding from The John Templeton Foundation, ND-GAIN and the Tecnológico de Monterrey hosted this forum to highlight the ongoing and future work they are conducting on this issue, which has included a national survey of SMEs and online guidelines on business risk.

 

Featured panelists (pictured above) included Luis Eduardo Pérez-Ortiz Cancino, Director of Research and Risk Management at the National Center for Prevention of Disasters; Dr. Vidal Garza, Director of the FEMSA Foundation; and Dr. Teresita Romero Torres, Director of Public Policy Research and Analysis at Mexico’s National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change. Dr. Norma Hernández, Director of Finance and Economics at the EGADE Business School moderated. 

Dr. María de Lourdes Dieck Assad, Director General, Graduate Schools of Business and Government, ITESM - Tenológico de Monterrey and Dr. Juan José Daboub, Founding CEO, ND-GAIN, opened the day with remarks on the progress both organizations have made in bringing greater awareness to the topic of adaptation.

Providing context of the work leading up to the forum, Dr. Elvira Naranjo, lead researcher on the SME Resilience Project, showed participants results of the first national survey of SME knowledge of and engagement with adaptation issues. The survey measured SMEs’ perception of vulnerabilities — water, energy, natural disasters and other risks — as well as their “readiness” — perceptions of levels of regional investment freedom, corruption and regulatory fairness — to take action. 

Dr. Bruno Sanchez Andrade Nuño (pictured above), Director of Science and Technology at ND-GAIN, overviews the Beta version of the SME Adaptation Guidelines. These guidelines are designed to help SMEs navigate their adaptation risks and opportunities. The project team is refining the guidelines based on feedback from the forum and further review with experts in the field.

Jorge Escalera, Director of Risk Mexico, also presented his ongoing work in business continuity, helping the private sector build resilience in the wake of both natural and economic disasters and challenges. 

Major media outlets in Mexico are picking up on this important issue, including national newspaper Milenio’s coverage (in Spanish) of the forum. 

Come back to ND-GAIN for further updates on the project and opportunities to provide your feedback. 

ND-GAIN Featured in Physics Today

Physics Today featured ND-GAIN in a special article on international organizations addressing adaptation. The article asks what world actors are doing to “bridge the gap between science, policy, and x-factors in adapting to climate change.” 

The article notes that “with limited resources, quantifying the most relevant places to provide aid becomes vital” and highlights the GAIN Index — now the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index (ND-GAIN) — as a tool to address this problem. 

The work of the International Red Cross and World Bank in the adaptation field are highlighted in the article as well. 

Physics Today is the membership magazine of the American Institute of Physics. For more on the article, see Adapting to climate change: International organizations.

 

 

GAIN Index makes new home at Notre Dame

Notre Dame will be the new home of The GAIN Index, now becoming ND-GAIN. The formal announcement was made April 18 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Global Adaptation Institute (GAIN) and Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative (ND-ECI) leadership participated in the event.  

Dr. Juan José Daboub, GAIN Founding CEO, stated that “in a fast changing world, where urbanization, economic growth, population shifts and the effects of climate change are creating additional challenges for people, Notre Dame is positioning itself in the global state as a major playing in saving lives and improving livelihoods.” 

“I will be responsible for bringing student and faculty research to bear on the ND-GAIN Index—to help build and improve it—and for bringing the Index to bear on activities at Notre Dame,” said Notre Dame Professor Jessica Hellmann. “I hope to use ND-GAIN to increase the profile and social relevance of our University’s world-class research on climate change.” Hellmann is a leading climate expert and director of the Climate Adaption Program at Notre Dame. 

 

 

Dr. Daboub Participates in “Un Millón de Jóvenes Por México” Book Launch

Founding GAIN CEO, Dr. Juan José Daboub participated in the launch of the book, “Un Millón de Jóvenes Por México” (Million Youth for Mexico), at Georgetown University on April 2. Invited by the Georgetown Latin American Student Association, Dr. Daboub discussed the progress made and reforms needed in Mexico based on his years in government in El Salvador, experience in the private sector across Latin America and as Managing Director of the World Bank. 

Dr. Daboub spoke alongside the book’s author, Armando Regil. The book, and organization by the same name, promotes ideas of freedom and responsibility. It proposes major strategic changes that the country of Mexico should undertake such as democratic security, enhanced education and sustainable economic development to create a more prosperous society.