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KEY PUBLICATIONS AND ONLINE
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INTERGOVERNMENTAL
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This page was updated
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UNEP CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY
(UN Environment Programme, 2008)
This publication lays out the UNEP strategy for its programme of work
for 2010-2011. The priorities detailed in the strategy include: adapting
by building resilience; facilitating a transition towards low carbon
societies; improving understanding of climate change science; and
communication and raising public awareness. The
strategy.
UNEP AND
PARTNERS UNITED TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE
(UN Environment Programme, 2008)
This publication details the ways in which UNEP has and plans to work
with governments, civil society and the private sector to combat climate
change. The
publication.
TUNZA
(UNEP, 2008)
The latest issue of UNEP's magazine for youth is devoted to the issue of
food and the environment.
Tunza Vol. 6 No. 2: Food and the Environment.
OUR PLANET
(UNEP, 2008)
The latest issue of UNEP's magazine for sustainable development, marking
the climate meeting in Poznan, Poland, is devoted to the nexus of
employment, energy generation and development.
Our Planet: Renewable Energy - Generating power, jobs and development
Public
Finance Mechanisms to Mobilise Investment in Climate Change Mitigation
(UNEP, 2008)
UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, under its
Sustainable Energy Finance Initiative, commissioned this report, which
assesses how public monies can leverage commercial financing. The
report.
Carbon and Biodiversity Demonstration Atlas
(UNEP, 2008)
This atlas highlights areas where high carbon content and high
biodiversity overlap, demonstrating that reducing emissions from
deforestation can combat climate change and biodiversity loss. The
atlas.
The Kyoto
Protocol, The Clean Development Mechanism, and the Building and
Construction Sector
(UNEP, 2008)
This report suggests that the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM), which governs the main international carbon market,
should be revised to tap into the power of the building and construction
industry. The
report.
Atmospheric Brown Clouds:
REGIONAL ASSESSMENT REPORT WITH FOCUS ON ASIA
(UN Environment Programme, 2008)
This report shows that, in addition to affecting agriculture and human
health, Atmospheric Brown Clouds (ABCs) – a layer of soot and manmade
particles – can both aggravate, via the absorption of sunlight, and
counteract, via the reflection of sunlight and effects on cloud
formation, climate change due to greenhouse gases. The
report.
THE STATE OF
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2008 – BIOFUELS
(FAO, October 2008)
The 2008 edition of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization State of
the World's Food and Agriculture Report focuses on the prospects, risks
and opportunities for biofuels. The report addresses key questions
relating to the benefits and impacts of biofuel production and use,
including impacts on food security, land and water resources, as well as
contributions to greenhouse gas reduction and agricultural development.
The report assumes that biofuel demand will affect food prices for the
coming decade or longer. While higher food prices threaten the food
security of poor households in developing countries, they could offer an
opportunity for agricultural development if they are accompanied by
increased investments in research, institutions and infrastructure as
well as sound policies. It also points to the need to harmonize
approaches towards assessing greenhouse gas balances and other impacts,
and calls for investments in research and development of second
generation biofuels. The report stresses that blending mandates and
subsidies have resulted in a rush on biofuels in advance of actual
knowledge about their effects and impacts, and calls for their revision
and additional policy action to ensure they are produced in an
environmentally and socially sustainable manner.
FAO Press Release.
State of the World's Food and Agriculture Report.
ANNUAL
REPORT ON PROTECTED AREAS: A REVIEW OF GLOBAL CONSERVATION PROGRESS IN
2007
(UNEP-WCMC, 2008)
The Annual Report on Protected Areas highlights achievements made in
protected areas around the world during the past year. The report
addresses both the current status of global and national protected area
coverage for terrestrial and marine environments, with additional
insights on forest biodiversity and the high seas. Topics such as the
management effectiveness of protected areas, livelihood impacts and
climate change are highlighted to demonstrate the breadth of
conservation issues related to protected areas. The report concludes
with a look at the 2008 International Year of the Reef. It indicates
that while progress towards achieving the 10% protected area target has
been better on land, marine areas remain especially poorly protected.
While 12.2% of the planet's land area is under legal protection, only
5.9% of the world's territorial seas and less than 1% of the high seas
are protected. The
report.
GREEN JOBS: TOWARDS DECENT WORK IN A SUSTAINABLE,
LOW-CARBON WORLD
(ILO, UNEP, ITUC and International Organisation of Employers, September
2008)
This report suggests that efforts to address climate change could create
millions of new jobs, and finds that changing patterns of employment and
investment resulting from efforts to reduce climate change and its
effects are already generating new jobs in many sectors and economies,
in developed and developing countries. Focusing on "green jobs" in
agriculture, industry, services and administration, the report also
highlights the risks inherent in climate change for the working poor and
the vulnerable. The
report.
INTERACTIVE AQUASTAT MAPS
(FAO,
2008)
AQUASTAT is the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization's (FAO) global information system on water and
agriculture developed by the Land and Water Division. It collects,
analyzes and disseminates data and information by country and by region.
It aims to provide users interested in global, regional and national
analyses with comprehensive information related to water resources and
agricultural water management across the world, with emphasis on
countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. The FAO has
released interactive maps as part of the AQUASTAT website,
with population and water
indicators.
AQUASTAT website.
TEACHER'S MANUAL:
INTERNATIONAL
WATERCOURSES/RIVER BASINS INCLUDING LAW, NEGOTIATION, CONFLICT
RESOLUTION AND SIMULATION TRAINING EXERCISES
(FAO, 2008)
This new UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) Water Teachers Manual features exercises and
activities that can help participants to explore their behaviors in the
study of international water law and conflict resolution. The manual
addresses issue like trust, encourages learning, and seeks to contribute
to improved performance and interaction between group members.
The
manual.
REFORMING ENERGY SUBSIDIES: OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CLIMATE
CHANGE AGENDA
(UNEP-DTIE, 2008)
The UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) Division of Technology, Industry
and Economics (DTIE) produced this booklet to raise awareness of
energy subsidies and their impact. The publication highlights the
negative results that have been linked to energy subsidies, including
increased consumption and waste, burdened governments, and reduced
investments in renewable energy, and calls for action to facilitate
energy subsidy reform. The
booklet.
GLOBAL TRENDS
IN SUSTAINABLE ENERGY INVESTMENT 2008
(UNEP, July 2008)
This analysis by the UN Environment Programme shows a surge in renewable
energy investments in 2007, driven by oil prices and concerns about both
climate change and energy security. The report also highlights the
increasing proportion of investment in China, India and Brazil. The
report
(requires free registration).
ACHIEVING THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN
AFRICA
(UN and the African Union, June 2008)
This report summarizes the recommendations of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDG) Africa Steering Group. It calls for a "Green Revolution,"
aid predictability, and an effort to "climate proof" efforts to meet the
MDGs. The
report.
PROMOTION OF
WIND ENERGY: LESSONS LEARNED FROM INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND UNDP-GEF
PROJECTS
(UNDP, 2008)
This report provides a review of the active UNDP-GEF wind energy
portfolio. It looks at the design, costs and efficiency of existing
projects, drawing on the experience of 14 wind energy projects that have
been financed through UNDP to help national governments implement wind
energy public policies. It includes a detailed analysis and
recommendations for future projects on prioritizing countries, choosing
types of policies and designing mechanisms. The Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM), for example, emerges as a possible way of increasing
revenues of wind energy projects. The
report.
BIODIVERSITY: DELIVERING RESULTS
(UNDP-GEF, May 2008)
This publication features the UN Development Programme's (UNDP's)
biodiversity work around the world, including the achievements and
results from projects undertaken by UNDP's network of 132 country
offices and its specialized environment team. It highlights projects
funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to mainstream
biodiversity issues, build institutional capacity, and support the
implementation of the Programme of Work on Protected Areas under the
Convention on Biological Diversity. The
publication.
GUIDELINES IN
SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND USE
OF PESTICIDES
(FAO, May 2008)
FAO has made available new guidelines in support of the implementation
of the International Code of Conduct for the Distribution and Use of
Pesticides: the Guidelines on the Management Options for Empty
Containers. The Guidelines on monitoring and observance of the revised
version of the Code of Conduct are also now available in French, and the
Guidelines on Efficacy evaluation of the registration of plant
protection products are now available in Arabic. The
resource.
ENVIRONMENT & POVERTY TIMES
(UNEP GRID Arendal, May 2008)
This edition of Environment & Poverty Times, released during the Fourth
Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV),
focuses on the links between environment and poverty reduction. Articles
focus on, among other themes, the wealth buried in natural capital,
rural communities as environmental stewards and the politics of natural
resource use. The
newsletter.
INTERLINKAGES AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL
AGREEMENTS
(United Nations
University, April 2008)
This book seeks to fill the existing gaps in knowledge and policy-making
with regard to the need for greater coordination and synergies among
environmental institutions, policies and legal instruments, particularly
focusing on international law. It also
provides a framework for measuring the effectiveness of multilateral
environmental agreements (MEAs) and shows how the effectiveness of MEAs
can be improved by interlinkages. The
report.
Mechanisms for the Protection of Water Resources in Arab Countries
(UNEP/GPA, 2008)
As one a contribution to the International Year of Sanitation, the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP)/Global
Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from
Land-Based Activities (GPA)
Coordination Office, jointly with the Arab Water Council, the Egyptian
Ministry for Water Resources and Irrigation, and Delft-Environment,
coordinated the delivery of a regional training course on wastewater
management for decision-makers from Arab Countries, held 3 -5 January
2008 in Cairo, Egypt. This is the final report of this course, which was
subtitled "Improving Municipal Wastewater Management." The
report.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND FORCED MIGRATION
(UNHCR, 2008)
This research paper, authored by Etienne Piguet and issued by the UN
High Commissioner on Refuges (UNHCR), explores what impact climate
change is likely to have on migration and provides suggestions on how
the international system of protection should respond to these
challenges, including by increased international cooperation for
collective burden sharing, and by the opening of emigration channels
with the recognition of environmental push factors in subsidiary
international instruments of protection. The
research paper.
BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES –
BLOOM OR BUST?
(UNEP FI, March 2008)
This report, developed by the UN Environment Programme's (UNEP FI)
Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services Work stream, argues that the business
case for biodiversity and ecosystem services is not just about
conserving endangered species, but rather that the benefits provided by
biodiversity are valued and accounted for within traditional business
risk frameworks. The report also provides direction for financial
institutions that wish to manage biodiversity and ecosystem service
risks more effectively. The
report.
CLEARINGHOUSE FOR NATIONAL SCP PROGRAMMES
(UNEP, February 2008)
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has developed an online
clearinghouse for national sustainable consumption and production (SCP)
programmes, through a UK Government funded project to develop guidelines
for national programmes on SCP. The database contributes to the UN
Marrakech Process on SCP, and offers users the opportunity to search
programme criteria including priority areas, status, type of programme,
region and country name. Query results are displayed as country lists
that link to individual national programme summaries. Relevant national
SCP documents are also available for download in several languages. The
clearinghouse.
IEA ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY DATABASES
(IEA, 2008)
The International Energy Agency (IEA) collaborates with governments to
collect and classify national policies on climate change mitigation,
renewable energy and energy efficiency, and makes available online
databases of these policies. The IEA has recently updated its Energy
Efficiency Database and the Renewable Energy Database. The
Energy Efficiency Database. The
Renewable Energy Database.
GREEN PASSPORT WEBSITE
(UNEP, March 2008)
The Green Passport Website, launched by UNEP, provides tips for
environmentally responsible tourism. The site aims to raise tourists'
awareness of their potential to contribute to sustainable development by
making responsible travel choices.
The
website.
UNEP YEAR BOOK 2008
(UNEP, February 2008)
The UNEP Year Book 2008: An Overview
of Our Changing Environment, was launched at the tenth special
session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum
(20-22 February 2008, Monaco). The latest UNEP Year Book
– which in previous years was
known as the GEO Year Book –
highlights the increasing
complexity of and interlinkages between climate change, ecosystem
integrity, human wellbeing, and economic development. The Year Book also
examines the emergence and influence of economic mechanisms and
market-driven approaches for addressing environmental degradation,
arguing that the emerging "green" economy is driving invention and
innovation to an extent not witnessed since the industrial revolution.
The Year Book is the fifth annual report on the changing environment
produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with
many international environmental experts. When presenting this year's
publication in Monaco, UNEP's Executive Director Achim Steiner noted
that investment in environmentally-friendly projects is growing rapidly,
highlighting that combating climate change is increasingly being
perceived as an opportunity rather than a burden. The
Year Book.
UNEP 2007
ANNUAL REPORT
(UNEP, 2008)
This report summarizes the activities carried out by the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP) in 2007 and, among other things, provides an overview
of UNEP's contribution to combating climate change. The
report.
PLANT FOR
THE PLANET – THE BILLION TREE CAMPAIGN
(UNEP, 2008)
This booklet introduces some of the stories behind the success of UNEP's
Billion Tree Campaign, conveying the range of partners that has been
engaged in the campaign, from children to giant corporations, from
women's groups to technocrats, dancers to diplomats, farmers to national
governments. The
booklet.
IN DEAD WATER: MERGING OF CLIMATE CHANGE WITH
POLLUTION,
OVER-HARVEST, AND INFESTATIONS IN THE WORLD'S FISHING GROUNDS
(UNEP,
February 2008)
This report,
which was compiled by researchers including many from various UN
Environment Programme (UNEP) offices, suggests that at least
three-quarters of the world's key fishing grounds may become seriously
impacted by changes in circulation as a result of the ocean's natural
pumping systems fading and falling. The report draws on a range of new
and emerging science, including the latest assessment report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the World Meteorological
Organization. The
report.
World Water Day website
(UN-WATER,
2008)
UN-WATER
officially launched its website for World Water Day 2008, which will be
celebrated by the UN on 20 March. In 2008, the day will highlight issues
on sanitation in accordance with the International Year of Sanitation
2008. The Website features factsheets, videos and news on the upcoming
World Water Day celebrations in Geneva. The
website.
ADAPTING TO CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE: A
GUIDANCE MANUAL FOR DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
(USAID Climate Change Program,
2007)
This guidance manual looks at how to
incorporate climate change adaptation when planning and designing
development projects, and it outlines a six-step approach for assessing
vulnerability and implementing adaptation, including to: screen for
vulnerability; identify adaptation options; conduct analysis; select a
course of action; implement adaptations; and evaluate adaptations. The
manual also gives examples of USAID projects applying this approach in
different countries. The
manual.
WATER AND
ENERGY FUTURES IN AN URBANISED ASIA: SUSTAINING THE TIGER
(Center for Strategic and International Studies,
2007)
This paper addresses the problems of water shortages in Asia, noting
that, in spite of Asia's bleak environment picture, there are
opportunities for actualizing sustainable development in the region,
especially in the fields of technology and governance. The paper also
proposes new approaches to environmental governance that can be
implemented in China and neighboring developing countries. The
paper.
BETTER
MANAGEMENT OF MUNICIPAL WASTE WILL REDUCE GREEN HOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
(EEA, January 2008)
This briefing paper, issued by the European Environment Agency (EEA),
analyzes how better management of municipal waste can contribute to
reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While predicting a significant
decrease in net GHG emissions from municipal waste by 2020, mainly due
to increased recycling and waste recovery, in addition to incineration
combined with energy production and diverting waste away from landfills,
the paper also warns that unsustainable consumption and production
patterns may overshadow the improvements taking place in the waste
management sector. The
briefing paper.
INFORMATION ECONOMY REPORT 2007-2008
(UNCTAD, February 2008)
The Information
Economy Report 2007-2008, published by UNCTAD, analyses
the role of information technology in knowledge creation and diffusion
and focuses on the effect of ICT on trade, economic performance and
development, and how these relate to developing countries' e-strategies.
The
report.
STRENGTHENING EFFORTS TO ERADICATE POVERTY AND HUNGER:
DIALOGUES AT THE ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL COUNCIL
(OESC/DESA, 2007)
This book presents an overview of the key debates that took place during
the Economic and Social Council meetings at the 2007 High-level Segment,
at which the Annual Ministerial Review and Development Cooperation Forum
were launched. The
book.
G8 IMPACT ON
INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE NEGOTIATIONS - GOOD OR BAD?
(Ecologic, 2007)
This paper, authored by Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf and Henrike Peichert,
analyzes the recent Group of Eight (G8) Summit outcomes and their
practical impacts on international climate change negotiations under the
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The paper maintains
that G8 Summit outcomes appear to yield overall positive influence on
the UNFCCC processes, although more ambitious action needs to be taken
and implemented. The
paper.
A CHALLENGING
CLIMATE – WHAT INTERNATIONAL BANKS SHOULD DO TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE
(BankTrack,
2007)
This report, published by BankTrack - a
network of civil society organizations tracking the operations of the
private financial sector,
contends that commercial banks are of crucial importance
in the transition to a low-carbon economy based on energy efficiency and
renewable energies, underlining their importance in mobilizing and
allocating the necessary financial resources for long run investment.
The
report.
ACCESS TO
WATER - THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON SMALL MUNICIPALITIES
(Energy
Research Centre, University of Cape Town, 2007)
This case study emphasizes that, despite uncertainties around
quantitative assessments of climate change impact and water resource
management, climate change will have an effect on water resources.
Focusing on the economic consequences of water resource scarcity on poor
and small municipalities, the study aims to assist municipal planners to
develop appropriate strategies to ensure the sustainability and
affordability of long term water supplies. The
case study.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND ACCESS TO CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES IN
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: AN ANALYSIS OF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC, BIO FUEL AND
WIND TECHNOLOGIES
(ICTSD, 2007)
This paper, issued by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable
Development (ICTSD), explores whether developing countries will face
barriers accessing technologies in reducing their emissions of
greenhouse gases due to intellectual property rights (IP). Focusing on
the structure of the solar photovoltaic, bio-mass and wind energy
sectors, the paper concludes that developing nations have good access to
the current generation of bio fuel technology, and that the wind sector
is competitive enough for developing nations to build wind farms without
enormous IP costs. The
paper.
BIODIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION: A QUALIFIED ANALYSIS AND
UNQUALIFIED SUGGESTIONS
(ANPED, 2008)
This report compares the place biodiversity and consumption hold in the
overall sustainable development discourse, and focuses on the known
reasons for biodiversity loss and how they could be influenced by
sustainable consumption. The report concludes that the discussion about
biodiversity policy must no longer be restricted to the levels of nature
protection efforts, but should address the drivers behind the pressures
leading to biodiversity loss. The
report.
STRENGTHENING THE CAPACITY OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO PREPARE FOR AND
PARTICIPATE IN NEGOTIATIONS ON FUTURE ACTIONS UNDER THE UNFCCC AND ITS
KYOTO PROTOCOL
(Institute of Development Studies, 2007)
This report, authored by Farhana Yamin, summarises the activities
undertaken by the BASIC Project (Building and Strengthening
Institutional Capacities on Climate Change in Brazil, India, China and
South Africa), which has focused on supporting the institutional
capacity of key developing countries to determine what kind of national
and international climate change actions best fit their social,
political and economic circumstances. The
report.
GREATER
MEKONG ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK
(UNEP, December 2007)
According to this report, a joint publication of the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP) and Thailand Environment Institute,
economic growth together with growing population pressures has led to
widespread pollution, land degradation and depletion of natural
resources in the Greater Mekong region. The report calls for a strong
mechanism for an integrated approach to address environmental challenges
in the region. The
report.
LIVEABLE
CITIES: THE BENEFITS OF URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
(UNEP et al., December 2007)
This report, published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Cities
Alliance and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, explores
various options for sustainable urban development, emphasizing that
environmental management can prove a strong marketing tool for
attracting investors, in addition to helping address climate change and
contributing to public health and poverty eradication. The
report.
THE TROUBLE WITH
TRAVEL AND TREES: THE AVIATION INDUSTRY AND CARBON OFFSETTING
(International
Institute for Environment and Development, 2007)
This briefing paper
maintains that offsetting schemes based on tree planting or forest
conservation may trigger a number of other problems, including that:
communities may be evicted from land allocated for tree planting or
denied access to forest resources; forest-based offsetting schemes are
subject to uncertainty as forests can be chopped down or burnt, which
releases stored carbon back into the atmosphere; some schemes fail to
prevent "leakage," in which planting trees in one place just shifts
deforestation to another. The paper suggests that for real progress to
be made on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, action needs to go beyond
tree-planting and offsetting. The
briefing paper.
TROUBLE
IN PARADISE: TOURISM AND INDIGENOUS LAND RIGHTS - TOGETHER TOWARDS
ETHICAL SOLUTIONS: THE IMPACT OF ECOTOURISM ON INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
(Minority Rights Group
International, 2007)
This briefing paper argues that many indigenous
communities who traditionally occupied current ecotourism destinations
have been evicted in order to create these spaces, thus limiting their
access to ancestral land and undermining their traditional livelihoods.
The paper concludes that ecotourism stakeholders must strive to ensure
that global standards are established, monitored and met, to ensure that
those affected by ecotourism may benefit. The
briefing paper.
CARBON CRUNCH – COUNTING THE COST
(UNEP FI, December 2007)
This briefing paper, published by the UNEP Finance Initiative's (UNEP FI)
Climate Change Working Group, highlights the role of the finance sector
in climate change mitigation and adaptation, owing to its influence in
directing investment and financial flows,
and reviews
what leading financial institutions are doing to address climate change. The paper also underlines the importance of the
policy making community in setting up the regulatory frameworks that
will provide long-term investment horizons. The
briefing paper.
If you
would like to submit details of
recently published documents and online resources,
send a message to
Diego Noguera, IISD
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