At first glance, creating livelihoods and strengthening food security while preventing deforestation and fostering sustainable land use may seem irreconcilable goals. Yet Brazilian institute Ecoengenho has managed to do both through its Aroeira project, which empowers smallholding farmers in northeastern Brazil to actively engage in the value chain of their products from harvest to retail. Their product of choice? Pink pepper.

The Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN) and REEEP announced today at an EE Global Intensive Learning Session in Washington, D.C. the launch of a new collaboration aiming to encourage the construction of 1 billion m2 of positive energy and affordable social housing by 2023. The session is designed to gain stakeholder feedback on the initiative.

REEEP and the Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN) have signed an MoU committing the two organisations to co-operating on promoting energy efficiency in buildings.

A newly released roadmap document outlines a strategy for integrating renewable energy technologies into buildings in China’s Changjiang River (CJR) basin.  The region covers an area of 1.8 million km² with a population of over 500 million. It includes China's major industrial centres and generates 40% of the country's GDP. The region is also growing quickly, with 500 million m2 of new construction added each year.