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.
- The Government of Peru has formally requested the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to take on the role of coordinator of all projects and initiatives involved with the forestry sector in that country. Since 2011, FAO has worked closely with Peru's Environment and Agriculture Ministries, on a project called "National Inventory of Forests and Sustainable Forest Management of Peru in the Face of Climate Change."
May 16, 2012
- According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the proposed FTT could generate about US$48 billion across the Group of 20 (G20) countries at a lowest rate, and up to US$250 billion per year at a highest rate.
- During the 11th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), Olivier de Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, stressed that indigenous peoples’ food rights were under "serious threat" given the increased pressure on their lands through food production, carbon credit schemes and the search for fossil fuels.
May 15, 2012
- At its 67th meeting, the CDM Executive Board considered various regulatory matters and adopted a measure aimed at extending the simplified modalities for demonstration of additionality for small-scale CDM project activities, in order to make small-scale projects more attractive. The Board also addressed the sustainable development co-benefits of projects.
- The newsletter focuses on projects in Tonga, the development of the Global Atlas for Solar and Wind Energy, workshops on the CDM and Tonga's Energy Roadmap, and new UNDP and IEA reports.
- 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
- 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.
- 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 11, 2012
- UNDP has released its regional human development report for Asia Pacific, titled "One Planet to Share – Sustaining Human Progress in a Changing Climate." The report emphasizes that, to achieve a shift to a greener economy, countries in the region will need to change their production patterns, including in the energy, industrial and agricultural sectors.