May 17, 2012
- The FAO soil survey project for Tanzania was presented at the UNFCCC Climate Talks in Bonn, Germany. FAO noted that while soil carbon models are available for Europe, the US, Canada and Japan, the assessment will allow the testing and calibration of soil carbon models for applicability in East Africa.
- The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has released the first Africa Human Development Report, which examines why hunger continues to be so prevalent in the region and puts forward a series of policy recommendations across the development agenda.
- The UNFCCC Secretariat has released the submissions from Australia, Gambia on behalf of the least developed countries (LDCs), Nauru on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), New Zealand, Norway and a joint submission from Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Peru, containing their views on a workplan for the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action.
May 15, 2012
- The Energy Sector Management Assistance Program's (ESMAP) annual report highlights key achievements in 2011, including: informing World Bank lending to facilitate scaling up concentrated solar power in the Middle East and North Africa; production of low carbon growth studies for South Africa, India and Poland; and delivery of country-specific ‘market transformation’ strategies to help plan for large-scale integration of renewable energy for India, Mexico, and Peru.
May 14, 2012
- UN-HABITAT has released the 2012 State of Arab Cities on the theme “Challenges of Urban Transition.” The report notes that climate change adaptation will require better water conservation, better allocation of water use rights, reduction of fossil fuel use, and investments in renewable energy. It identifies Comoros, Somalia and Yemen as some of the most vulnerable countries in the world.
May 10, 2012
- The 14th Regular Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-14) will provide a platform for African Ministers to debate the key outcomes of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), and address other emerging issues related to sustainable development and the environment in Africa. The meeting will also provide an opportunity to the Ministers to refine their strategies on a common approach to engaging with the international community in the...
- Ahead of the May 2012 Bonn climate change negotiations, the FAO has released a note titled "Roadmap to Agriculture at the UNFCCC Climate Talks," which provides an overview of the current state of negotiations relevant to agriculture. It underlines that agriculture will be most directly discussed under the SBSTA’s issues relating to agriculture with the aim of recommending a decision for the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 18).
- An Informal Ministerial Roundtable on Climate Change brought together representatives from 30 countries, including from LDCs and AOSIS. The Roundtable was convened by Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, who called on countries to keep up the momentum created in Durban on climate change and to make progress at Rio+20.
- The UNFCCC Secretariat has released two joint submissions from Parties contain their views on: robust and transparent national forest monitoring systems as referred to in paragraph 71c of decision 1/CP.16 as requested by the SBSTA at its 35th session; and on how to address drivers of deforestation and forest degradation as referred to in paragraph 71c of decision 1/CP.16 as requested by the SBSTA at its 35th session.
- UNDP hosted a regional dialogue on climate change finance in Africa that aimed to, inter alia, identify joint next steps at the national, regional and inter-regional levels, with a view to engage in global processes such as the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) and the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the UNFCCC, scheduled to take place at the end of 2012, in Doha, Qatar.