Kilaparti Ramakrishna, UNEP, noted cross-sectoral work undertaken by UNEP, including with UNDP and WHO, and the need to further involve major groups and civil society.

Werner Obermeyer, UNEP, gave an overview of the General Assembly’s informal consultations on the institutional framework for the UN’s environment work, and the UN High Level Panel on System Wide Coherence, noting that the latter may be able to come up with more far reaching recommendations than what might have come from an intergovernmental process. He noted likely recommendations, including that the environmental component of sustainable development needs to be strengthened and that UN policy needs de-fragmentation.

Saradha Iyer, Third World Network, noted that this process has much to learn from UNEP in terms of civil society engagement. She said that while NGOs welcome the attention to environmental concerns, they are skeptical whether this will address the “green gap” of implementation, adding that a rushed debate is likely to do more harm than good. She urged that sustainable development should be the overarching framework, and to ensure that this does not become merely a cost-cutting exercise.

Andrew Deutz, IUCN, noted that in theory, the two reform processes should be mutually reinforcing. He noted the risk that the environment may remain marginalized or be pitted against development, but said that the opportunity exists to integrate and mainstream environmental issues across many UN agencies, along with gender and human rights. For long term reforms, he encouraged improvement of the relationship between multilateral environmental agreements, and to streamline reporting requirements.

Esther Neuhouse, Brazilian Forum of NGOs and Social Movements for the Environment and Development, noted that the UN’s legacy to date has been to step back from previous environmental commitments, and that the implementation gap is increasing. She urged further technology transfer, capacity building, and civil society engagement, and that UNDP remain in Nairobi, Kenya. She cautioned that the role of the UN risks being marginalized, and urged greater engagement of grassroots organizations, adequate funding from OECD countries, and regional cooperation.

Gordon Shepherd, WWF, expressed alarm that environmental agreements are increasingly shying away from using precautionary language, producing institutions that react to, instead of prevent problems. He lamented the collapse of environmental funding, citing the US cuts to the GEF, adding that the environment is in the worst condition it has ever been, and that human consumption is rising rapidly. He cautioned against consolidating environment and development programmes, noting that environment would get lost in this debate.

Brian Williams, UN-HABITAT, introduced the session, highlighting it as the only side event that specifically addressed the urban poor. He provided an overview of UN-HABITAT’s work in this area, highlighting its infrastructure branch, and said it aims to, amongst other things, increase the efficiency of existing transport operations through the improved planning and management of all modes of transport.

José Goldemberg, Secretary of State, São Paulo, described how in 1982, the energy company in São Paulo electrified 100,000 people living in the slums over four years, which decreased criminality and population growth. Goldemburg emphasized this was accomplished without a high cost, and used subsidies that tapered off.

Walter Hook, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, discussed improving mobility for the urban poor while saving energy. He highlighted Bogota, Colombia’s TransMilenio, their bus rapid transport system built in the late 1990’s that moves one million people per day, incorporates bicycle and pedestrian-only streets, and revitalized the city center. He emphasized that the system links low income neighborhoods to rapid transport.

Gregory Woodsworth, UNDP, discussed regional energy access to modern energy services in the East Africa Community, highlighting their target of providing access to reliable modern energy services for all urban and peri-urban poor by 2015. He said that providing energy that is high impact, low cost and scaleable will require hooking into the grid where it currently exists.

Vijay Modi, Columbia University, said that providing electricity to people in urban and peri-urban areas in Senegal who have access to the electricity grid would cost $4 per person, saying that this is feasible. In terms of cooking fuel, he noted the need to solve the problem of targeting the urban poor for subsidies, and ensuring that the resources are sustainably produced, highlighting the noteworthy example of charcoal production in Chad.

Vincent Kitio, UN-HABITAT, presented the Best Practices Programme, which uses renewable energy to promote urban agriculture and ensure food security. Kitio provided renewable energy best practices examples including a waterwheel for irrigation in Medinet El Faiyum, Egypt, and traditional wind pumps in Crete, Greece.

John Spears, International Center for Sustainable Development, Inc., described the construction of Earth Homes in Grenada, built after hurricane Ivan, saying they use local materials to meet all the life support needs of the occupants, without the need for central power, water or sewers and can survive most natural disasters and costs less than the combined mortgage and utility payments of a conventional home.