Legal experts from key international organisations, including the Commonwealth Secretariat, met for two days last week to develop a climate change legal toolkit to help countries carry out the Paris Agreement. The two-day consultation held last Thursday and Friday (between 1 and 2 December, 2016) at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s headquarters in London. Academics, think tanks and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) exchanged knowledge and pooled ...

UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has said that, in a modern world where the population is growing, cities are expanding, the climate is changing and more food is needed, mankind urgently needs healthy soils to ensure the essential services they provide. He made the disclosure in an official message to mark the World Soil Day, which was observed on Monday, ...

Germany has announced that it will make climate action a key focus of the G20 during its Presidency of the group, which runs until 30 November of next year. The highlight of the G20 Presidency will be a leaders’ summit on 7 – 8 July 2017 in Hamburg. Outlining the priorities of the summit in a policy document, the government wrote: ...

In the aftermath of the forced eviction of over 30,000 persons from Otodo Gbame community in Lagos on 9-10 November 2016, evictees have suffered a series of violent attacks by hoodlums reportedly working for those who are intent on grabbing their land. The first such attack reportedly took place on 22-23 November 2016 shortly after a visit to the community ...

Ministers from around the world have committed to working together to save biodiversity and take urgent action to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and backed this with a host of specific commitments. In the “Cancun Declaration,” agreed on Saturday, 3 December 2016 as part of the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD/COP13) ongoing in Mexico, ministers dealing with environment, agriculture, forestry, fisheries ...

In line with the two-track approach in executing its REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Programme, state and national Framework Strategies for REDD+ in Nigeria were last week endorsed, even as the nation rounded up the Readiness Phase of the climate change mitigation initiative. At a three-day meeting in Calabar (Cross River State) and Abuja (Federal Capital Territory), ...

As the Readiness Phase of Nigeria’s REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Programme draws to a close, project promoters met last week for a total of three days in Calabar (Cross River State) and Abuja (Federal Capital Territory) to, among other issues, put finishing touches to the draft National Framework Strategy for REDD+. The Readiness Phase is being ...

The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Union of Railways (UIC) have officially launched the new edition of the IEA-UIC Railway Handbook on Energy Consumption & CO2 Emissions. The 2016 publication marks the fifth year of cooperation between the two organisations and provides a wealth of practical information on the rail sector. This year, it takes a special look at ...

Underscoring the importance of environmental protection and management in the work of peacekeeping missions, the United Nations Department of Field Support (DFS) has launched a new strategy to maximise its peace operations’ efficiency in the use of natural resources, and to minimise their risk to people, societies and ecosystems. “Environmental performance is crucial to ensure that we do no harm ...

The leaders of four major global cities say they will stop the use of all diesel-powered cars and trucks by the middle of the next decade. The mayors of Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens say they are implementing the ban to improve air quality. They say they will give incentives for alternative vehicle use and promote walking and cycling. ...