|
KEY PUBLICATIONS AND ONLINE
RESOURCES
CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERE
This page was updated
on: 01/12/10
COMMUNITY BASED ADAPTATION: A VITAL APPROACH TO THE THREAT CLIMATE
CHANGE POSES TO THE POOR
(IIED, December 2007)
This briefing, written by Saleemul Huq and Hannah Reid, focuses on how
community-based adaptation (CBA) can help millions of poor, who are at
the greatest risk from climate change, to adapt. The authors outline the
concepts behind CBA, share lessons learned, and call for greater
networking, information sharing and support for CBA activities. The
briefing.
MIGRATION AND ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
(IIED, December 2007)
This briefing, written by Cecilia Tacoli, is part of the Sustainable
Development Opinion series published by IIED. The author focuses on how
climate change impacts human systems and behaviors, particularly
mobility. The author details how migration is increasingly becoming an
adaptive response to changes influenced by climate change. The author
notes direct changes such as growing environmental stress and indirect
changes such as socio-economic, political and cultural factors that are
also vulnerable to climate change. The
briefing.
FAST FACTS: UNDP AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(UNDP, November 2007)
This fact sheet summarizes the four main areas of UNDP's work on climate
change, lists the recommendations of the Human Development Report, and
briefly describes UNDP's role in the context of the Bali conference. The
fact sheet.
ASSESSMENTS OF IMPACTS AND ADAPTATIONS TO
CLIMATE CHANGE
(UNEP/GEF, December 2007)
This report, jointly issued by the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF),
provides examples of how vulnerable communities and countries may
"climate proof" economies, livelihoods and infrastructure, underlining
that factoring climate into development strategies is feasible, but that
hard choices may have to be made. The report's case studies encompass,
among others: food security in the Sahel; artisanal fishing communities
in South America; coastal townships of small islands in the Pacific;
pastoralists in Mongolia; and rice farmers in the lower Mekong basin.
The
report.
WORLD IN TRANSITION – CLIMATE CHANGE AS A SECURITY RISK
(German
Advisory Council on Global Change, December 2007)
The key message
of this report is that without resolute global action, climate change
will overstretch many societies' adaptive capacities within the coming
decades, which could result in destabilization and violence,
jeopardizing national and international security. The report lists
potential hotspots, including northern and southern Africa alongside
countries in the Sahel region, the Mediterranean and Central Asia. The
report.
REN21 RENEWABLES GLOBAL STATUS REPORT 2007
(REN21,
December 2007)
This
pre-publication summary for the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change COP 13, issued by the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the
21st Century (REN21), argues that renewable energy has evolved from an
"alternative" source of energy to a mainstream energy option. Noting
that renewable energy (without large hydro) now provides about 240
gigawatts of clean power, avoiding some 5 gigatonnes of carbon emissions
per year, the report also highlights that wind energy has the largest
share of renewable energy investment and continues to grow at 25-30% per
year. The
report.
REDUCING
U.S. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS: HOW MUCH AT WHAT COST?
(McKinsey & Company, 2007)
This report by the consulting firm McKinsey & Company is based on its
work with leading companies, industry experts, academics, and
environmental NGOs to develop a "detailed, consistent fact base
estimating costs and potentials of different options" for reducing or
preventing greenhouse gas emissions within the United States. The team
analyzed more than 250 options, encompassing efficiency gains, shifts to
lower-carbon energy sources, and expanded carbon sinks, and finds that
the US could reduce its emissions in 2030 by 3.0 to 4.5 gigatons using
tested approaches and high-potential emerging technologies. The
study.
COMPLIANCE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITMENTS: THE
G8 RECORD, 1975-2007
(G8 Research Group, 2007)
This research, by John Kirton and Jenilee Guebert of the G8 Research
Group, assesses the G8 members' compliance with their climate change
commitments. It covers the period 1987-2007, and assigns a "B" to
overall G8 compliance. The
assessment.
THE AMAZON'S VICIOUS CYCLES: DROUGHT AND FIRE IN THE GREENHOUSE
(WWF, December 2007)
Written by Daniel Nepstad, this report points to a vicious cycle of
climate change and deforestation that could wipe out or severely damage
nearly 60% of the Amazon forest by 2030. Nepstad states that ongoing
deforestation caused by agriculture and livestock expansion, fire,
drought and logging releases carbon into the atmosphere and destabilizes
the global climate, which in turn could cause rainfall in the region to
decline and result in further forest damage due to drought. The
report.
REDUCED
EMISSIONS FROM AVOIDED DEFORESTATION AND DEGRADATION (REDD) AND FOREST
GOVERNANCE
(Chatham House and ProForest, December 2007)
Written by Jade Saunders and Ruth Nussbaum, this briefing paper outlines
governance challenges facing the inclusion of REDD in a post-Kyoto
mechanism, suggesting lessons from Forest Law Enforcement and Governance
and Related Trade processes. The
paper.
CARBON MONITORING FOR ACTION (CARMA)
(Center for Global Development, November 2007)
This website, launched in November 2007, contains a database with
information on the carbon emissions of more than 50,000 power plants and
4000 power companies around the globe. The website was produced by the
"Confronting Climate Change Initiative" at the Center for Global
Development, a non-partisan think tank based in Washington, DC, US.
Power generation accounts for about one quarter of carbon emissions
worldwide. The
website.
ADAPTING
TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN URBAN AREAS: THE POSSIBILITIES AND CONSTRAINTS IN
LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME NATIONS
(IIED, 2007)
This paper, authored by David Satterthwaite, Saleemul Huq, Hannah Reid,
Mark Pelling and Patricia Romero Lankao, was developed from a report
commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation as a background paper for a
discussion on Climate Change and Cities at the Foundation's Global Urban
Summit, Innovations for an Urban World, in Bellagio in July 2007. The
resource.
THE
TROUBLE WITH TRAVEL AND TREES
(IIED, 2007)
The aviation industry is a small - although fast-growing - contributor
to greenhouse gas emissions, but per kilometre its impact outstrips that
of any other form of transport. This paper examines whether carbon
offsetting a viable green solution to the problem. The
paper.
ON THE ROAD TO
BALI: OPERATIONALISING THE KYOTO PROTOCOL AND ADAPTATION FUND
(IIED, 2007)
The Adaptation Fund is unique in how it is financed and the potential
scale of money generated. This paper asks whether it be best served with
a 'stand-alone' operating entity and a decision-making format that
guarantees the authority of the Protocol's Meeting of Parties over the
Fund. The
paper.
A CLIMATE OF CONFLICT
(International Alert, November 2007)
Taking as its starting point the broad scientific consensus expressed by
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that the effects of
climate change have started to unfold, this report looks at the social
and human consequences that are likely to arise, particularly the risks
of conflict and instability. It identifies 46 countries at risk of
violent conflict and 56 countries facing a high risk of instability as a
consequence of climate change. The
report.
CLIMATE CHANGE, AGRICULTURAL POLICY AND
POVERTY REDUCTION – HOW MUCH DO WE KNOW?
(Overseas Development Institute, 2007)
This paper seeks to trace the likely impacts of climate change on
agriculture through changes in the quality of the physical asset base,
access to assets, and impacts on grain production and on agricultural
growth more generally. Its conclusions include suggestions to focus on getting
an enabling environment in place and markets working, putting social
protection in place, and strengthening R&D. It also suggests a need for
improved coordination between climate change modelers, agricultural
economists and agricultural policy-makers, and incorporating
agricultural practices into mitigation policies and programmes such as
the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The
paper.
MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENT NEGOTIATOR'S HANDBOOK
(University of Joensuu, 2007)
Environment Canada, the UN Environment Programme and Joensuu University
(Finland) produced the second edition of this Handbook. Is contains key
technical information and common sense advice for negotiators. The
Handbook.
TIME TO
DITCH KYOTO
(Nature 449, 25 October 2007)
In this article, Gwyn Prins of the London School of Economics and Steve
Rayner from the University of Oxford argue that the Kyoto Protocol has
failed as an instrument for achieving emissions reductions. The authors
urge participants at the upcoming UN climate change conference in Bali
in December 2007 to "radically rethink climate policy," arguing that
Kyoto provides a "single shot" solution in the form of a top-down global
carbon market – that is not sufficient to address such a multifaceted
problem. It proposes a large-scale increase in research and spending on
clean energy. The
article.
THE BIG QUESTION: IS THE KYOTO TREATY AN OUTDATED
FAILURE BASED ON THE WRONG PREMISES?
(The Independent, 26 October 2007)
In this response to the "Time To Ditch
Kyoto" article published in Nature, Paul Vallely argues that the
call to "ditch" the treaty is "not so much new science as old political
ideology." Vallely suggests that the Kyoto Protocol is nowhere near as
flawed as the Nature article suggests, and that the treaty was
always intended as the first of several phases that would be needed to
reduce global emissions. He seeks to present a more balanced perspective
that notes some "failures" with the Kyoto Protocol while also
identifying important successes. Finally, he suggests that the problem
is not the Protocol, but the absence of political will to implement it.
The
article.
A WORLD OF
SCIENCE: RETROSPECTIVE ON CLIMATE CHANGE
(UNESCO, October 2007)
This fifth
anniversary issue of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization's (UNESCO) journal A World of Science offers a
retrospective on UNESCO and climate, drawing on previous articles
covering UNESCO's programs in water, glaciers, arid lands, renewable
energy, global observations, ocean acidification and carbon
sequestration, and climate impacts on cultural heritage. The
retrospective seeks to illustrate the role UNESCO has played in helping
countries to monitor, mitigate and adapt to climate change.
The
journal.
THE US
ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE COSTS OF INACTION
(University of Maryland, 2007)
This study presents an overview of climate impacts on various economic
sectors in the US, organized by region, and suggests that the federal
government should undertake region-and sector-specific studies to help
guide climate policy and investment. The
report.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND TOURISM:
RESPONDING TO GLOBAL CHALLENGES
(UNWTO, 2007)
This Advance Summary of the report, commissioned by the
UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the UN Environment Programme and
the UN World Meteorological Organization, attempts to quantify the links
between tourism and climate change, listing as key conclusions that
carbon dioxide emissions from the tourism sector are estimated to
account for 4-6 % of total emissions, and changing climate patterns
might alter major tourism flows where climate is of paramount
importance, such as Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the
Caribbean, leaving coastal and mountain-based destinations in least
developed countries and small island developing states particularly
affected. The
report.
THE UN
CHRONICLE SPECIAL ISSUE ON CLIMATE CHANGE: GREEN OUR WORLD!
(UN DPI, No. 2, June 2007)
This journal, produced by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI),
includes articles authored by, among others, Ban Ki-moon, Achim Steiner,
Kemal Dervis and Helen Clark, and offers an overview of where the
international community stands with regard to climate change. The
journal.
NATURE REPORTS: CLIMATE CHANGE
(Nature, 2007)
The publication Nature has launched a free-access website on climate
change, to present "the news behind the science, the science behind the
news." The website, launched in September 2007, contains news,
information and research and analysis on climate change. The
website.
BIOFUELS: IS THE CURE WORSE THAN
THE DISEASE?
(OECD, September 2007)
This paper, prepared by Richard Doornbosch
and Ronald Steenblik for the Round Table on Sustainable Development
organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) from 11-12 September 2007, cites problems such as a potential
conflict between biofuels and food crops, and threats to biodiversity.
The report also addresses biofuel subsidies in the North, as well as
sustainability certification. The paper at the
Financial Times website
or at the
Friends of the Earth Europe website.
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR THE OZONE LAYER: LESSONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
(Earthscan, September 2007)
This book, written by Stephen O. Andersen, K. Madhava Sarma and Kristen
N. Taddonio, looks at one thousand technology transfer projects in the
ozone arena. The authors then suggest the lessons learned, and how to
apply this experience to other environmental issues, including climate
change.
Abstract of the book.
UNDP PROTECTING THE
OZONE LAYER - MONTREAL PROTOCOL ON SUBSTANCES THAT DEPLETE THE OZONE
LAYER – 20 YEARS OF SUCCESS
(UNDP, September 2007)
2007 marks the 20th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances
that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the international treaty that aims to
protect the ozone layer by phasing out consumption and production of
ozone depleting substances (ODS). This report focuses on UNDP's
contribution to the success of the Montreal Protocol and highlights
ongoing activities that remain to be done to protect the ozone layer.
The
report.
UNWTO RELEASES NEW
WEB-BASED CLIMATE CHANGE RESOURCE
Given the complex relationships between tourism and climate change, the
UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has created the "Climate and
Tourism Information Exchange Service," an information
gathering web resource that displays data, studies, policy papers and
videos. The new resource is intended to foster knowledge and facilitate
information exchange in relation to climate change. The
web resource.
GLOBAL
CLIMATE CHANGE: A CHALLENGE TO POLICY
(The Economists' Voice: Vol. 4: No. 3, Article 2, 2007)
In this article, Kenneth J. Arrow argues that the
fundamental
conclusion of the UK's Stern report is justified, we are much better off
to act to reduce CO2 emissions substantially than to suffer and risk the
consequences of failing to meet this challenge, and he suggests that
this conclusion holds true even if, unlike Stern, one heavily discounts
the future. The
article.
CLIMATE CHANGE: THE UNCERTAINTIES, THE CERTAINTIES AND WHAT THEY IMPLY
ABOUT ACTION
(The Economists' Voice: Vol. 4: No. 3, Article 3, 2007)
This article by Thomas C. Schelling argues that, although the
uncertainties regarding climate change are many, the certainties create
certain urgencies to take action. He emphasizes technological advance
and governmental sponsorship. The
article.
CLIMATIC
AND ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACTS ON THE VARIABILITY OF WATER RESOURCES
(UNESCO-IHP, Technical Documents in Hydrology No. 80. 2007)
This publication comprises the proceedings of the international seminar
on "Climatic and anthropogenic impacts on the variability of water
resources" held on 22-24 November 2005, in Montpellier, France. The
seminar was organized in the framework of the UNESCO-IHP FRIEND (Flow
Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data) programme. The
FRIEND programme is an international collaborative study intended to
develop, through the mutual exchange of data, knowledge and techniques
at a regional level, a better understanding of hydrological variability
and similarity across time and space. The
publication.
MARKET MECHANISMS FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT: HOW DO THEY FIT IN THE VARIOUS POST-2012 CLIMATE EFFORTS?
(IISD, July 2007)
This report from Aaron Cosbey, Deborah Murphy and John Drexhage of the
International Institute for Sustainable Development examines how a
future market mechanism that supports sustainable development could fit
in the various scenarios being considered for the post-2012 period (when
the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period expires). The report
considers a wide range of options and approaches to post-2012, arguing
that a successful future regime will need to balance the demands and
expectations of both developed and developing countries. The report also
suggests that any future regime that supports sustainable development
will need targets, although both intensity targets and sectoral targets
could be an option, as well as absolute targets. The
report.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRACE GASES
(Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 18 May 2007) This
article by James Hansen et al suggests that the Earth's climate
is remarkably sensitive to global forcings that have in the past allowed
"the entire planet to be whipsawed between climate states." The articles
suggests that recent greenhouse gas emissions place the Earth
"perilously close to dramatic climate change that could run out of our
control, with great dangers for humans and other creatures." The authors
suggest that only intense efforts to slow carbon dioxide emissions and
non-carbon dioxide forcings can keep the climate close to the range it
has been in during the past million years. The article highlights the
need to address not only carbon dioxide emissions, but also those of
methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases. The
article.
FUTURE INVESTMENT – A SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT PLAN
FOR THE POWER SECTOR TO SAVE THE CLIMATE
(Greenpeace and the European Renewable Energy Council, 6 July 2007)
This report argues that "investing in a renewable energy future will
save 10 times the fuel costs of a 'business as usual' fossil-fueled
scenario." The report suggests shifting global investments towards
solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and bio energy and away from coal and
nuclear power, which it labels as "dangerous." The report stresses the
need for urgent action, given that many existing power plants will soon
need replacing and that emerging economies such as China, India and
Brazil are rapidly building new energy infrastructure. The
report.
ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE: HOW WE ARE SET TO COPE WITH THE IMPACTS
(IIED, 2007)
This briefing paper defines
climate change adaptation and shows why it matters, who needs to adapt
most, and what shape adaptation must take across a range of scales and
sectors. In particular remote or marginalized communities are so
burdened they will struggle to meet the coming challenges. Adaptation -
learning to cope with rising temperature and other effects of climate
change - is a difficult but essential task for these vulnerable
millions. The
briefing paper.
"EATING THE DRY SEASON" – LABOUR MOBILITY AS A
COPING STRATEGY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
(IISD, June 2007)
This short article by Oli Brown of the International Institute for
Sustainable Development (IISD) notes the increasing impact of climate
change in the coming decades. Citing the recent attention on adaptation
as well as mitigation, Brown notes that the current approach to
adaptation is based on "the idea of adapting in situ," with
migration being seen as a "failure of adaptation." He urges further
consideration to be given to labor mobility as a possible coping
strategy for populations exposed to climate stress, noting that some
analysts are now arguing that immigration is both "a necessary element
of global redistributive justice and an important response to climate
change." The
article.
CLIMATE AND THE UN: A NEW BID FOR CONTROL?
(BBC online, May 2007)
In this BBC news online opinion piece, Felix Dodds and Richard Sherman
of Stakeholder Forum consider the recent Security Council debate on
climate change in April 2007, considering developing countries'
questions over whether this was an appropriate forum for this
discussion. The authors suggest that the question is "not whether
climate change is a threat to international peace and security, but more
about how and where the world should have a discussion on addressing
these issues creatively." The
opinion piece.
A CHANGE IN THE CLIMATE: IS BUSINESS GOING GREEN?
(Economist Intelligence Unit, 2007)
This report investigates how the corporate sector is preparing for the
coming carbon controlled world, and its key findings illustrate that
little has been done to establish corporate responses to carbon
emissions, that companies are reacting to reputational risk and not
exploiting business opportunities, and that governments have crucial
roles in regulating how companies address carbon-related issues. The
report.
CLIMATE
CHANGE, COMPETITIVENESS AND TRADE
(Chatham House, May 2007)
This new publication by Chatham House's Richard Tarasofsky and Aaron
Cosbey of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
focuses on the nature of concerns over competitiveness, and considers
the relationship between the Kyoto Protocol and the World Trade
Organization. The authors consider "what trade law might be applicable
to each of the various possible instruments states might use to address
climate change and competitiveness concerns." The
report.
CHATHAM
HOUSE BRIEFING PAPERS ON CLIMATE CHANGE
(Chatham House, June 2007)
Five new papers published by Chatham House argue for a "substantive
behavioral shift or a 'step-change' in order to seriously tackle the
problem of climate change." To contribute to the debate, Chatham House's
Energy, Environment and Development Programme has published five papers
that examine the links between climate change, foreign and security
policy, energy policy, trade and investment.
More information.
A MEANINGFUL
SECOND COMMITMENT PERIOD FOR THE KYOTO PROTOCOL
(bepress, 2007)
In this article from the Berkeley Electronic Press (bepress),
Robert Stavins and Sheila Olmstead propose ways to modify
the Kyoto Protocol for its second commitment period (2012-2016). They
emphasize the need
to ensure that key nations are
involved, an extended time path of action, and the inclusion of
firm-level market-based policy instruments.
Access the article.
GLOBAL TRENDS IN SUSTAINABLE ENERGY INVESTMENT 2007
(UNEP, June 2007)
Climate change worries together with high oil prices and increasing
government support fuel soaring investment rates in the
renewable energy and energy efficiency industries, according
to this study issued by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Noting that renewable energy sectors such as wind, solar and
biofuels attract the highest investment levels, the study also stresses
that renewable energies are no longer subject to the whims of
fluctuating oil prices, but are becoming generating systems of choice
for many power companies and countries. The
study.
MDG CARBON
FACILITY: LEVERAGING CARBON FINANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(UNDP, June 2007)
This booklet outlines the main features of the UN Development
Programme's (UNDP) MDG Carbon Facility, noting that the Facility has
been established to help leverage the potentially significant benefits
of carbon finance for the developing world, and its main objectives are:
broadening access to carbon finance by enabling a wider range of
developing countries to participate, and promoting emission reduction
projects that contribute to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The
booklet.
OUR SEAS: WHY
CLIMATE CHANGE MATTERS
(WWF, June 2007)
This brief note presents the top issues in relation to climate change
and marine ecosystems. Climate change is affecting nearly every aspect
of the marine ecosystems, from the very water itself to every type of
biodiversity; this impact will continue and magnify over the coming
decades and centuries. The note also stresses that marine wildlife is
degraded by fishing, bycatch, habitat destruction, pollution and
invasive species. The
note.
WORLD IN TRANSITION: CLIMATE CHANGE AS A SECURITY
RISK
(WBGU, 2007)
In their Summary for Policy-Makers, the German Advisory Council on
Global Change (WBGU) suggests
that, without resolute counteraction, climate change will overstretch
many societies' adaptive capacities within the coming decades. However,
WBGU suggests that climate change could also unite the international
community, provided that it recognizes climate change as a threat to
humankind and soon sets the course for the avoidance of dangerous
anthropogenic climate change by adopting a dynamic and globally
coordinated climate policy. The
summary for policy-makers.
WHALES IN HOT WATER – THE IMPACT
OF A CHANGING CLIMATE ON WHALES, DOLPHINS AND PORPOISES
(WWF and Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, May 2007)
This report highlights the growing impacts of climate change on
cetaceans, currently greatest in the Arctic and the Antarctic. Climate
change impacts range from changes in sea temperature and the freshening
of the seawater because of melting ice and increased rainfalls, to sea
level rise, loss of icy polar habitats and the decline of krill
populations – the main source of food for many of the great whales - in
key areas. According to the report, cetaceans that rely on polar, icy
waters for their habitat and food resources, such as belugas, narwhals
and bowhead whales, are likely to be dramatically affected by the
reduction of sea ice cover. The
report.
GLOBAL AND REGIONAL DRIVERS OF
ACCELERATING CO2 EMISSIONS
(PNAS, 22 May 2007)
This report, published by Klepper, Field, et al. in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of
America (PNAS), finds that carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel
burning and industrial processes accelerated during 2000-2004 compared
with the previous decade, in spite of warnings from the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change about the risks of emissions
growth. The report notes that the increase in emissions was greater than
that assumed under even the most fossil-fuel intensive of the IPCC's
emissions scenarios developed in the late 1990s. The report suggests
that no region is decarbonizing its energy supply, and that the growth
rate in emissions has been strongest in rapidly developing countries,
particularly China. The report also finds that "the developing and
least-developed economies (forming 80% of the world's population)
accounted for 73% of global emissions growth in 2004 but only 41% of
global emissions and only 23% of global cumulative emissions since the
mid-18th century." These results, say the authors, have implications for
global equity. The
report.
GUIDEBOOK TO MARKETS AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF FORESTRY CDM PROJECTS
(CATIE, 2007)
This guidebook, published by the Tropical Agricultural Research and
Higher Education Center (CATIE), aims to provide information to project
developers on markets and commercialization of Certified Emission
Reductions (CERs) from forestry projects, by means of outlining the
development stages of a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) forestry
project, the specific characteristics of forestry CERs and the demand
for this type of credits. The
guidebook.
GLOBAL
OUTLOOK FOR ICE AND SNOW
(UNEP, June 2007)
This report, issued by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on
World Environment Day,
argues that the futures of hundreds of millions of people across the
world will be affected by declines in snow cover, sea ice, glaciers,
permafrost and lake ice, noting that that impacts are likely to include
significant changes in the availability of water supplies for drinking
and agriculture, rising sea levels affecting low lying coasts and
islands and an increase in hazards such as subsidence of currently
frozen land.
It also suggests that the reduction in snow and sea ice means more of
the sun's heat is being absorbed by the planet, which in turn may hasten
climate change.
The
report.
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER ISSUES IN ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS AND SERVICES: AN
ILLUSTRATIVE ANALYSIS OF SECTORS RELEVANT TO AIR-POLLUTION AND RENEWABLE
ENERGY
(United Nations University-Maastricht Economic and Social Research
and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology- UNU-MERIT, 2007)
This paper, authored by Lynn Mytelka, seeks to develop a broader
conceptualization of the technology transfer process and open the
discussion on the need for a multi-goal approach to Environment Goods
and Services (EGS) negotiations in the WTO. It argues that a broader
perspective must be adopted, with longer-term goals and processes and a
more integrated approach to EGS negotiations with the WTO. The paper
argues that such a conceptual reframing would reshape the dynamics of
North-South negotiations on EGS to include commitments, activities and
partnerships that strengthen the knowledge base, encourage learning and
innovation in the South, and address the global importance of
sustainable development. The
paper.
MELTING
GLACIERS
(UNEP/GRID Sioux Falls, 2007)
UNEP/GRID Sioux Falls released this set of PowerPoint presentations to
commemorate the World Environment Day on 5 June 2007, which is focused
on "Melting IceA Hot Topic? This collection of slides of melting ice
shows changes measured using satellite observations. The
collection.
EARTH PORTAL
(National Council for Science and the Environment, April 2007)
The Earth Portal offers science-based, expert-reviewed information about
the environment. It seeks to bring the global scientific community
together to produce "the first free, expert-driven, massively scaleable
information resource on the environment, and to engage civil society in
a public dialogue on the role of environmental issues in human affairs."
It includes features such as the Encyclopedia of Earth, Earth News,
Earth Forum and Environment in Focus. The
Portal.
LITTLE GREEN DATA BOOK 2007
(World Bank, May 2007)
The "Little Green Data Book 2007" is a pocket-sized quick reference book
on key environment and development data for over 200 countries, based on
the World Development Indicators 2007. Country, regional,
and income group profiles provide a baseline for comparison on the state
of the environment and its linkages with the economy and people. This
year's publication affirms that carbon dioxide emissions – the principal
man-made cause of global warming – continue to rise, with the world
producing today 16 percent more carbon dioxide than in 1990. The
book.
THE STATE AND TRENDS OF THE CARBON MARKET 2007
(World Bank, May 2007)
The seventh annual carbon market intelligence study released by the
World Bank shows that the global carbon market tripled, from US$ 10
billion in 2005 to US$ 30 billion in 2006. It notes during the past
year, the market was dominated by the sale and resale of European Union
Allowances (EUAs) at a value of nearly US$ 25 billion; and the size of
the project-based market in developing countries and in countries with
economies in transition doubled to US$ 5 billion in 2006. The
study.
STRENGTHENING THE MONTREAL
PROTOCOL: INSURANCE AGAINST ABRUPT CLIMATE CHANGE
(Sustainable Development Law & Policy, Winter 2007)
This article, authored by Donald Kaniaru, Rajendra Shende, Scott Stone
and Durwood Zaelke, discusses the co-benefits of controlling
ozone-depleting substances (ODS) that are also greenhouse gases under
the Montreal Protocol and emphasizes that the Montreal Protocol will
have done more by the end of the decade to mitigate climate change than
the initial reduction targets of the Montreal Protocol. The authors say
this suggests that the greenhouse gas emissions reductions achieved
under the Montreal Protocol offer low-cost insurance against abrupt
climate change and provide space to agree on the post-2012 climate
regime. The article further discusses the actions that need to happen to
strengthen the ozone regime and maximize its ability to mitigate climate
change. The
article.
CLIMATE
SCIENCE 2006: MAJOR NEW DISCOVERIES
(WRI, April 2007)
In this World Resources Institute (WRI) Issue Brief, authors Kelly Levin
and Jonathan Pershing review the climate change research of 2006, which
they organize according to research on the
physical climate, hydrological cycle, ecosystems, and mitigation
technologies and economics. The
Issue Brief.
ANALYSING OUR ENERGY FUTURE: SOME POINTERS FOR
POLICY-MAKERS
(UNEP, 2007)
This report is the UN Environment
Programme's (UNEP) non-technical summary of the International Energy
Agency's latest World Energy Outlook. It focuses on its Alternative
Policy and Beyond the Alternative Policy Scenarios, and highlights that
early moves to shift towards a more sustainable energy system are more
effective and cheaper compared to delayed action. It outlines some
policy approaches that can bring about this shift and the time scales
involved in it, noting that a delay of 10 years in implementing the
Alternative Policy Scenario, for example, would push back the date of
being on a sustainable path by several decades. The
report.
NATIONAL
SECURITY AND THE THREAT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
(CNA Corporation, April 2007)
Eleven retired US admirals and generals participated in the advisory
board for this report from the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA)
Corporation, which finds that projected climate change poses a serious
threat to America's national security and will act as a "threat
multiplier" for instability in some of the world's most volatile
regions. The report recommends integrating the consequences of climate
change into national security and defense strategies, and suggests that
the US should take a stronger role in helping to stabilize climate
change. The
report.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN
SECURITY
(April 2007)
A team of scientists, headed by Ben Wisner, produced this memorandum on
the occasion of the UN Security Council's discussion of climate change
on 17 April 2007. The paper suggests adopting a new, systematic way of
thinking about the complex interconnections among climate change, human
security, and geo-strategic security. The
paper.
CASE STUDIES
ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND WORLD HERITAGE
(UNESCO, April 2007)
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has published a document intended to
raise awareness of climate change impacts on world heritage. The report
includes 26 case studies that illustrate the dangers faced by the 830
sites on the World Heritage List. The
report.
BUILDINGS AND
CLIMATE CHANGE: STATUS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
(UNEP, April, 2007)
This report argues that the right mix of government regulation, energy
saving technologies and behavioral change can significantly reduce
carbon dioxide emissions from the building sector, and thus stresses
that the building sector, which accounts for 30 to 40 percent of total
energy use, can play an important role in combating climate change. The
report.
CLIMATE
CHANGE AND FOREIGN POLICY: AN EXPLORATION OF OPTIONS FOR GREATER
INTEGRATION
(IISD, 2007)
This report was authored by John Drexhage, Deborah Murphy, Oli Brown,
Aaron Cosbey, Peter Dickey, Jo-Ellen Parry and John Van Ham of the
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Richard
Tarasofsky and Beverley Darkin of Chatham House. It presents a series of
recommendations on how foreign policy can foster international
cooperation on climate change action and suggests that an integrated
climate change–foreign policy approach has the potential to improve
prospects for more effective efforts to address climate change at the
national and international levels. The
report.
ENVIRONMENTALISTS CLASH OVER CARBON
OFFSETS
(Ecosystem Marketplace, 2007)
This article, authored by
Alice Kenny, surveys the issues
involved in the debate over voluntary carbon offsets. The
article.
POLICY DIRECTIONS TO 2050: A BUSINESS CONTRIBUTION
TO THE DIALOGUES ON COOPERATIVE ACTION
(WBCSD, 2007)
This publication by the World
Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD) emphasizes the role
of decisive, concerted and sustained actions between governments,
businesses and consumers to combat climate change. The
report.
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE EUROPEAN MARINE
AND COASTAL ENVIRONMENT
(European
Science Foundation, March 2007)
This report is
based on a two-year study led by marine ecologist Katja Philippart from
the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, who chairs the
European working group on Climate Change Impacts on the European Marine
and Coastal Environment. This position paper reveals that European
marine species are feeling the effects of global warming. The study
provides details about the impact of climate change at a European Seas
level – in the Arctic, the Barents Sea, the Nordic Seas, the Baltic, the
North Sea, the Northeast Atlantic, in the Celtic-Biscay Shelf, the
Iberia upwelling margin, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. It
finds that the decline in sea ice cover in the northern Arctic and
Barents Seas has triggered the most obvious temperature changes for
marine life. The open systems structure of these seas demonstrates how
climate changes are causing further northward movement of marine
organisms. The
position paper.
CONFRONTING CLIMATE CHANGE: AVOIDING THE
UNMANAGEABLE AND MANAGING THE UNAVOIDABLE
(UN Foundation-Sigma XI, February 2007)
This publication by the United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation)
and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society
was released during the UN Commission on Sustainable Development's
Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting in February. It proposes limiting
temperature increases to 2-2.5 °C above the 1750 pre-industrial level;
making the most of opportunities around the globe to reduce emissions
using existing technologies; adapting to the climate change that is
already unavoidable; and accelerating negotiations to "develop a
successor international framework for addressing climate change and
sustainable development." The
report.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL IN PROTECTING
CLIMATE
(Proceedings of the National
Academy of Science, 8 March 2007)
This analysis of the effects of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that
Deplete the Ozone Layer (the Montreal Protocol) finds that actions taken
in accordance with the Montreal Protocol have done more to slow global
warming than actions taken under the first commitment period under the
Kyoto Protocol. In addition, the authors find that significant climate
benefits could be achieved through further action possible under the
Montreal Protocol, including through an accelerated transition away from
hydrofluorocarbons (HCFCs) to refrigerants with lower
global-warming-potentials. The
study.
OUR PRECIOUS COASTS: MARINE POLLUTION, CLIMATE CHANGE
AND RESILIENCE OF COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS
(UNEP, 2007)
This report highlights links between sustainability of coastal
ecosystems and levels of pollution in a changing climate. The report
cites recent research in the Seychelles, where coral reefs that were
bleached in the late 1990s by high sea-surface temperatures have
generally recovered faster when facing lower levels of pollution,
dredging and other human-induced disturbance. The
report.
CLIMATE
RISK DISCLOSURE BY THE S&P 500
(Ceres and Calvert, 31 January 2007)
This analysis of climate disclosure practices among the 500 largest US
companies concludes that America's largest companies "still are not
taking climate change seriously enough," with less than half responding
to a global survey last year by the Carbon Disclosure Project requesting
information about their climate risks and strategies. Of those that
responded, only a quarter disclosed measurable emissions reductions
targets and specific time frames for reductions. In addition, very few
companies linked more extreme weather to climate change, or disclosed
strategies for addressing such physical impacts of climate change. The
report.
ASIAN
ASPIRATIONS FOR CLIMATE REGIME BEYOND 2012
(IGES, January 2007)
This publication from the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies,
in collaboration with several other organizations, reflects on
consultations held in 2006 in a number of different Asian countries and
sub-regions. The consultations, which followed an earlier round of
discussions in 2005focused on a future climate regime after 2012. The
report.
LINKING TRADE,
CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY
(ICTSD, November 2006)
This collection of issue briefs edited by Erwin Rose and Moustapha Kamal
Gueye addresses the points of contact between trade liberalization and
the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, and mutual
supportiveness between domestic and international measures to address
climate change and the international trade system. Issue briefs
summarize links between trade, climate change and energy; explain some
of the specific circumstances in Asia, especially China; and focus on
bioenergy, looking both at the global picture and at experiences in
Africa, Asia and Brazil. The
briefs.
UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE
CHANGE HANDBOOK
(UNFCCC Secretariat, December 2006)
This 220-page handbook is intended as a "reference document linking the
Convention and the decisions through which it has been implemented." It
aims to assist Parties, researchers and others interested in the
international climate change regime and negotiations. The
handbook.
2006 TOP NEWS ON THE ENVIRONMENT IN ASIA
(IGES, December 2006)
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies has published its
annual list of top environmental news stories of 2006. The list includes
stories on climate change, air quality, waste disposal, forest
conservation and other environmental issues. The
list.
FOREIGN
CARBON CREDIT PURCHASING OPTIONS OPEN TO JAPAN TO ACHIEVE THE KYOTO
TARGET
(IGES, December 2006)
This report from the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
considers Japan's options in securing carbon credits from overseas in
order to help domestic efforts to meet its targets under the Kyoto
Protocol. The
report.
If you
would like to submit details of
recently published documents and online resources,
send a message to
Diego Noguera, IISD
up to top
|