May 17, 2012
- 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.
May 14, 2012
- UNDP has released its regional human development report for the Asia-Pacific region, with a special focus on LDCs, including several SIDS, and their climate change-related challenges. The environmental vulnerability index, developed by the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and their partners, describes Kiribati, Maldives and Tuvalu as among the most vulnerable countries to extreme environmental shocks.
May 8, 2012
- The 30th Session of the Executive Body for the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) adopted amendments to the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone (Gothenburg Protocol), which aim to reduce particulate matters, including black carbon. Black carbon, as a short-lived climate forcer, has a strong warming effect than carbon dioxide.
May 7, 2012
- SBSTTA 16 adopted 16 recommendations, including: a package on marine and coastal biodiversity, covering criteria for EBSA identification and prioritization, environmental assessments in marine and coastal areas, marine spatial planning and human impacts; and a package on biodiversity and climate change, covering biodiversity safeguards for REDD+, biodiversity considerations into climate-related activities, and geo-engineering.
May 4, 2012
- The European Environment Agency (EEA) has released a series of maps that predict climate change impacts in Europe through 2100. Predicting both temperature and precipitation trends across Europe, the EEA highlights that the maps project trends that could result in increased heat waves, droughts and floods, impacting water supply, agriculture and human health.
May 2, 2012
- SBSTTA 16 discussions are expected to focus on issues relating to marine and coastal biodiversity and biodiversity and climate change, including biodiversity safeguards for REDD+, geo-engineering and impacts of biofuels on biodiversity. It will also address the in-depth review of the Programme of Work on Island Biodiversity (PoWIB).
- The three outcomes highlighted in the workshop summary note are: WHO and the CBD will jointly implement select activities, including writing and launching the discussion paper “Review of Health in the Rio Conventions;” workshop participants welcome efforts to continue collaboration and dialogue; and workshop participants generally support the establishment and/or strengthening of collaborative mechanisms on human health and biodiversity interlinkages.
April 30, 2012
- The International Polar Year (IPY) 2012 Conference convened around the theme “Knowledge to Action,” with plenary sessions addressing: poles and global linkages; adaptation to change; science and stewardship; and communities and health. Ronald Jean Jumeau, Ambassador for Climate Change, Seychelles, presented on "poles and global linkages."
April 26, 2012
- The Climate and Clean Air Coalition, which aims to take fast action to reduce short lived climate pollutants that have a direct impact on climate change, welcomed Colombia, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, the European Commission and the World Bank as new partners. They join the founding members of the Coalition, namely Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden, the US and UNEP.
- The ILO has launched a report titled “Promoting safety and health in a green economy,” which assesses the occupational risks in green jobs in various areas of economic activity, namely: renewable energy; waste management and recycling; shipbreaking; agriculture and forestry; mining and extractive technologies; the transition towards energy-efficient construction and sustainable refurbishment; and nuclear energy.