Highlights and images for 9 March 2019

Kenya

Summary

Highlights for Saturday, 9 March 2019

HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands with Forum participants

UN-SPBF The official opening of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment took place on Saturday, 9 March 2019. The opening ceremony included welcome statements by: Joyce Msuya, UNEP Deputy Executive Director; Xie Zhenhua, Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs, China; Siim Kiisler, UNEA-4 President; and Keriako Tobiko, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Forestry, Kenya.HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands discussed the launch of a new initiative by the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology (SEE) to voluntarily ban the use of rhino-based products across the Society's members.During high-level panel discussions, speakers highlighted diverse issues touching on the themes of: innovation for a low-carbon future and the role of non-state actors; accelerating clean energy for all; innovative finance for a green planet; artificial intelligence for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and green technology startups leading the “fourth industrial revolution”.Throughout the day, more than 20 sessions convened, organized around four parallel thematic streams. Amongst other topics, the sessions explored:

  • transforming development with planetary data and artificial intelligence;
  • messages from the Sixth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) on the environmental and health impacts of energy, waste and food systems;
  • making trade a positive force in the world;
  • the contribution of new policies and technologies in combating lead;
  • putting the world on a safe path to meet the challenge of limiting global warming to 1.5°C";
  • earth observations and the role of citizen science;
  • the role of South-South Cooperation in attaining clean and affordable energy in Africa;
  • innovation in the energy sector and the future of sustainability;
  • the climate challenge and non-state actors; and
  • advancing environmental rights in business.
  • In the evening, HRH Princess Laurentien and the SEE hosted a reception to mark the launch of the SEE initiative.

    IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary report from the 2nd Global Session of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment. The summary report is now available in HTML and PDF.

    Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon

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    Opening of the Forum
    View of the opening plenary
    Xie Zhenhua, Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs, China
    Joyce Msuya, Deputy Executive Director, UNEP
    UNEA-4 President Siim Kiisler, Minister of Environment of Estonia
    Keriako Tobiko, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Forestry, Kenya
    HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
    Rhian-Mari Thomas, Global Head of Green Banking and Chair, Barclays Green Banking Council
    Wayne Balta, IBM
    Jian Liu, Chief Scientist, UNEP
    Energy Systems: Environmental and Health Impacts
    View of the session on GEO findings
    Paolo Soprano, Co-Chair, High-Level Group (HLG)
    Huang Yi, Co-Chair, HLG
    Joyeeta Gupta, Co-Chair of the GEO assessment
    Paul Ekins, Co-Chair of the GEO assessment
    Cristina Guerreiro, Norwegian Institute for Air Research
    Martin Brocklehurst, Citizen Science Global Partnership
    Nijavalli Ravindranath, Indian Institute of Science
    Fast Tracking the SDGs Using Frontier Technologies
    Jehiel Oliver, Hello Tractor
    Bruno da Costa, IBM
    Hendrick Hamann, IBM
    Ajay Deshpande, IBM
    The Climate Challenge and Non-State Actors
    Anne Bowser, President, Citizen Science Alliance
    L-R: Gayle Schueller, 3M; Rhian-Mari Thomas, Barclays Green Banking Council; and Jian Liu, Chief Scientist, UNEP
    Towards Global Green Energy Transition: Empowering Policies and Innovative Finance
    Harry Verhaar, Head of Global Public and Government Affairs, Signify
    Marta Juarez Ruiz, Permanent Representative to UNEP and UN-Habitat, Costa Rica
    Big Data, New Frontier
    Pascal Peduzzi, Global Resource Information Database
    Neil Burgess, Chief Scientist, UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC)
    Maurice Borgeaud, European Space Agency (ESA)
    Adam Smith, Descartes Labs
    L-R: Andrew Zolli, Planet.com; Cécile Thomas-Courcoux, France; and Jean Dusart, European Commission
    Advancing the African Science Enterprise
    L-R: Erica Key, Belmont Forum; Phethiwe Matutu, National Research Foundation, South Africa; Makyba Charles-Ayind, American Academy for the Advancement of Science; and Nelson Torto, African Academy of Sciences
    Makyba Charles-Ayind, American Academy for the Advancement of Science
    Phethiwe Matutu, NRF South Africa
    Making Trade a Positive Force in the World
    L-R: Tim Christophersen, UNEP; Izabella Monica Vieira Teixiera, International Resource Panel (IRP); Sileshi Getahun Hailu, INBAR Trustee Ethiopia; Hermine Kleymann, WWF International; and Helen Crowley, Kering
    Tim Christophersen, UNEP
    Izabella Monica Vieira Teixiera, IRP
    Innovation in the Energy Sector and the Future of Sustainability
    L-R: Harry Verhaar, Phillips Lighting/Signify; UNEA-4 President Siim Kiisler, Minister of Environment of Estonia; Paul De Larminat, Johnson Controls; Kristina Klimovich, PACE Nation Fellow; and Jonathan Everhart, Global ReEnergy Holdings
    The Power of Integrated Action on Air Poluttion: Stories from China and Africa - South-South Cooperation
    L-R: Jianhua Yu, China; Gyimah Mohammed, Ghana; Bala Abubakar Bappa, CCAC; Ruth Sego, ClimateWorks Foundation; Steven Kukoda, International Copper Association; and Naysán Sahba, UNEP
    Accelerating Africa's Shift to Electric Mobility
    Dais during the session on electric mobility
    Putting the World on a Safe Path to meet the 1.5 °C Challenge
    L-R: Naysán Sahba, UNEP, Pavel Kabat, Chief Scientist, World Meteorological Organisation; Helena Molin Valdes, Head, Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat (CCAC); Rodolfo Lacy, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); and Johan Kuylenstierna, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
    Combating Lead: From Paint to Batteries
    L-R: Tadesse Amera Sahilu, Co-Chair, International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN); Jacqueline Alvarez, UNEP; and Brian Wilson, International Lead Association
    Attaining Clean Affordable Energy in Africa: Role of South-South Cooperation
    L-R: Kitio Vincent, UN-Habitat, and Huang Han, Global Energy Interconnection
    Food Systems: Environment and Health Impacts
    Dais during the session on food systems

    Participants