The 2017 UN Climate Change Conference – specifically the 23rd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – will take place from 6 to 17 November at the World Conference Centre in Bonn, Germany, the seat of the Climate Change Secretariat. The Conference will be convened under the Presidency of Fiji.
A view of the atrium in the World Conference Centre Bonn (WCCB) in Germany, venue of COP23
The Conference will comprise sessions of:
the Conference of the Parties (COP23);
the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP13);
the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA1.2);
the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI47);
the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA47);
the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA).
The UNFCCC secretariat, as host of the Conference, says it is working very closely with the Government of Germany, the State of North-Rhine Westphalia and the City of Bonn to make all the necessary arrangements.
Information on the venue, the rental of office space for delegations and space for events, registration for the conference and other services provided will be made available in due course, the UN body adds.
Information on hotel reservations in Bonn and the region will be posted in the coming days once final contact details are established, UNFCCC states further.
For initial information on the conference venue, the City of Bonn and the region, as well as general accommodation options available in and around Bonn, World Conference Centre Bonn and City of Bonn are vital links.
Sara Thomas, Manager, Online Advocacy, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), lists the conservation group’s achievements in 2016, which she tags “a year of action”
In April 2016, the US government announced robust regulations around captive tigers, making it more difficult for captive-bred tigers to filter into and stimulate the illegal wildlife trade that threatens wild tigers. Photo shows the Tiger (Panthera tigris) in the Kanha National Park, India
Powered by our partners’ dedication to conservation and continuous commitment to be the voice for wildlife and wild places, we’ve achieved some big wins. Here’s a look back at some of the incredible things they helped us accomplish this year.
WWF Advocacy by the Numbers
In 2016, our US activist base grew to 4.5 million supporters driven by WWF’s mission to conserve nature and the diversity of life on Earth.
WWF activists spoke up and took action over 2.5 million times this year to help protect wildlife, communities, and spaces they call home.
These conservation wins and the tremendous growth we’ve seen this past year would not be possible without our partners’ dedication. There’s still much more work to be done but, with their support, I know that we can achieve even more results in 2017.
Permanent Protection for America’s Arctic
Thanks in part to over 300,000 WWF supporters who spoke out to oppose drilling, critical parts of America’s Arctic will be permanently protected from offshore oil and gas drilling. With temperatures in the Arctic warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world, activists raised their concerns about the tremendous risk to indigenous communities, wildlife, and the environment.
Improved Regulations around Captive Tigers
In April, the US government announced robust regulations around captive tigers, making it more difficult for captive-bred tigers to filter into and stimulate the illegal wildlife trade that threatens wild tigers. More than 451,000 activists stood up to protect tigers and help make this happen.
Victories in the Fight against Wildlife Crime
This summer, the US finalised new regulations to help shut down commercial elephant ivory trade within its borders and stop wildlife crime overseas. This comes on the heels of an historic WWF petition signed by 1,000,000 supporters last year calling for a shift in US elephant ivory policy and stronger protection for elephants in the wild.
And this October, President Obama signed into law the first comprehensive wildlife crime legislation – the END Wildlife Trafficking Act – after it unanimously passed both houses of Congress. The legislation includes critical pieces of the Wildlife Trafficking Enforcement Act, which WWF supporters helped us advocate for in the Senate.
Belize Suspends Oil Exploration
In October, a day after the Belizean government began seismic surveying for oil exploration near the Belize Barrier Reef, officials suspended these operations after an outcry from citizens, national civil society groups, and international conservation organisations – including WWF – and their supporters. As part of a larger action, over 193,000 US WWF supporters asked Prime Minister Barrow to protect the reef – a World Heritage site – from harmful industrial activities.
Executive Director the United Nations Office on Drugs (UNODC), Yury Fedotov, has welcomed a resolution passed at the UN Security Council on Tuesday. “The resolution offers a powerful recognition by the international community that persons desperately fleeing armed conflict are especially vulnerable to trafficking in persons and to other forms of exploitation,” said the UNODC Chief.
Yury Fedotov, Executive Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Mr. Fedotov was speaking at a high-level Council debate on trafficking in persons in conflict situations held under the Spanish Presidency. Other speakers at the debate included the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon; the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura; UNODC’s Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking, Nadia Murad; and Ameena Saeed Hasan, an active civil society member.
The resolution is the culmination of a series of presidential statements, as well as reports of the Secretary-General and outlines recommendations stressing the importance of the Palermo Convention and its protocols on human trafficking and migrant smuggling, analysis of human trafficking financial flows that fund terrorists, victim identification mechanisms and access to victim protection.
Nadia Murad, in her remarks to the Security Council, asked the international community to “support the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children which provides critical assistance to the victims.” Mr. Fedotov’s speech underlined the need to deploy “the full arsenal of tools that we have to disrupt organised crime networks and terrorist groups, to fight money laundering and counter terrorist financing”.
On Wednesday, 21 December, UNODC launched its 2016 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons analysing the impact of human trafficking. According to the report, 63,251 victims were detected between 2012 and 2014. The report examines the connections between conflict, migration and trafficking and shows that an increasing number of trafficking victims from conflict-affected countries such as Syria, Iraq and Somalia have been detected in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Due to the work of UNODC and its many partners, 158 countries have criminalised most forms of human trafficking in their domestic laws under the Palermo Convention and its human trafficking protocol.
Confronting human trafficking was given added momentum in September 2015 when it was included as a specific target in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development where it appears in Goals 5, 8, and 16.
From all indications, it is crystal clear that the world is earnestly yearning for best practice in climate governance, thus unfolding global developments have led to a trend of rethinking climate governance with a view to improving or advancing the performance on climate actions to actualise the goals of Paris Agreement and by extension, that of the other related instruments such as 70th United Nations General Assembly resolution tagged “Transforming our world; the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, in particular its goal 13; the adoption of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development and the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
One of the activities at the GG16 was the Social Media Photo Campaign in which every participant sent in his or her photo with respective definition of climate governance
By climate governance it is defined by Prof. Katrien Termeer of the Wageningen University as “the (inter)actions between public and/or private entities ultimately aiming at the realization of collective goals”. This was one of the focus areas of the 2016 Global Gathering on Climate Action (GG16) 5-7 December 2016, which the World Resources Institute (WRI) convened back-to-back with the 2016 Open Government Partnership (OGP16) Summit 7-9 December, both in Paris, France.
A cursory look into Paris Agreement and Marrakesh Partnership for Global Climate Action, including the Marrakesh Action Proclamation for our Climate and Sustainable Development – will reveal not only a generic commitment to an all-inclusive; all-hands-on-deck climate governance but also that which is supported and benefited by all stakeholders (Parties and Non-Parties). This no doubt contributed to setting the trend for rethinking, redefining and reshaping climate governance. Today, there is global wave of rethinking climate governance in order to reshape its meaning to reflect both its democratic and responsive context. The breeding ground for it was Paris through the recently concluded #GG16 and the #OGP16, mentioned above.
One of the factors that further triggered the momentum for rethinking climate governance is the inclusion of climate and sustainable development into the OGP agenda, which has brought about the need to make climate governance not only inclusive and participatory but also open, transparent and accountable in order to eliminate the vicious “anti-development virus” known as corruption and increase the momentum of climate actions vis-à-vis accruable benefits to all stakeholders. This is a new dimension in climate change development that actually gave birth to the term “Rethinking Climate Governance” by WRI, and has actually aroused the thoughts of many climate actors, including mine. The inclusion marked a paradigm shift that has brought about a new dimension of defining climate governance and a new era of related best practices.
In defining climate governance along the rethinking paradigm, the GG16 organised by the WRI and other global partners such as The Access Initiative (TAI), Transparency International (TI), and Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) to mention a few, provided the platform for rethinking aloud the redefinition of climate governance. One of the activities at the GG16 was the Social Media Photo Campaign in which every participant sent in his or her photo with respective definition of climate governance. In my aroused thought, I defined it as “An open, transparent, accountable and inclusive climate action driven by all stakeholders, for all stakeholders”. This means an inclusive partnership over an action or decision that will save the climate and be in the interest of all partners.
The practice of this new definition of climate governance is displayed by OGP governance structure, where there is a 22-member Steering Committee that comprises of equal balance of governments and civil society representatives, with two government (France and Georgia) and two civil society(WRI and ODAC) representatives constituting the Co-Chairs. This is a classic example of Party and Non-Party partnership/governance framework that should be replicated at the national level of all OGP-member countries, especially in their project implementation process. Another best practice in climate governance was displayed at this year’s Marrakech Climate Change Summit, in which the Moroccan Government’s partnership with the civil society in Africa and across the world stands out as an exemplary feat of commendation that is worth emulating.
There is yet another outstanding best practice in climate governance, which places priority on climate action that is supported and benefited by the citizens and general public (all stakeholders). It is the French Government’s climate action of declaring all public transport operated by Government free for all citizens and non-citizens in France for one week (5-9 December 2016, the week of the OGP Summit) in order to reduce the observed soot/carbon emissions from vehicles that polluted French the atmosphere. The benefits include; improved air quality, safer streets, and poverty alleviation. According to global statistics, transport records 22% of all greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) worldwide. Thus, I paused here to imagine; if all the countries of the World could take such low-carbon transport measure for one week, indeed, a huge emissions reduction will not only be recorded but also an outburst of multiple environmental, economic and social development benefits to all stakeholders in way that will erupt a global mass action to win the fight against climate change and makes Donald Trump’s apathy towards it pale into insignificance.
Meanwhile, it may be interesting to note that the global wave of OGP initiative is resonating and trickling down to the grassroots. A global gathering of “OGP for Cities” is coming up in Madrid, Spain early 2017, where open, transparent and accountable governance in the area of fiscal openness and open data will be the focus. The URAIA Platform of the UN-Habitat in partnership with the Spanish Federation of Municipalities (FEMP), will be holding an international workshop on “Transparent and accountable cities: innovative solutions for municipal management and finance”, from 8-10 February 2017. This is another global demonstration of top-down development trajectory that will further set the pace for rethinking urban/local government governance, including its climate governance agenda.
In conclusion, the basic elements in the climate governance is in the phrase that I underlined below in the first statement of the Marrakesh Partnership for Global Climate Action of COP22, which states as follows: “The Marrakech call is loud and clear: nothing can stop global climate action. The momentum for the adoption of the Paris Agreement was enabled by Parties and non-Parties stakeholders taking action to address climate change and undertaking to progressively enhance the ambition of this action”. This should be the guiding principle that ought to be reflected in all our climate solution actions at all levels.
Finally, it is worth noting that the unfolding best practices enumerated above are indications of good and sustainable progress which, in reality, re-enforces an audacity of hope in the global pursuit of giving climate change a supine fall in the near future. I crave for governments of all national, sub-national and local levels to emulate it, especially the African nations. The Heads of State/Government of both developed and developing countries should endeavor to incorporate climate governance practice into the implementation process of their respective (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) obligations and voluntary Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through promoting climate transparency and integrity in line with the OGP framework.
By Surveyor Efik (National Coordinator of Climate Change Network Nigeria)
Twelve civil society organisations (CSOs) have commenced the implementation of community projects in forest dependent communities in Cross River State. The development is coming under the Community Based REDD+ (CBR+) initiative, meant as a catalyst to trigger grassroots capacity and effective engagement in the Nigerian REDD+ process.
Community forest: It became pertinent for Nigeria REDD+ Programme to take steps to create synergies between REDD+ and CBR+. Photo credit: UNDP Cambodia/Chansok Lay/Oddar Meanchey
REDD+ implies reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries).
Cross River is benefitting as a pilot State in the Nigeria REDD+ readiness phase (that comes to a close by December 2016) with support from three agencies of the United Nations – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
As part of the process, local community-level activities recently commenced under the auspices of the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP), which provided grants to the implementing CSOs, some of which are listed to include: Centre for Healthworks, Development and Research (CHEDRES), Green Planet Initiative International, Development Concern (DEVCON), Ekuri Initiative, Waneledon, Conservation Association of Mbe Mountais (CAMM), and African Research Association (managing Development in Nigeria) (ARADIN).
The CHEDRES, for instance, is working at the Esierebum community in Calabar South to increase the area of mangrove forest under sustainable management through raising nurseries and planting of indigenous mangrove seedlings in degraded mangrove sites.
The project also aims to improve the livelihoods of community beneficiaries through fish farming, a traditional livelihoods practice threatened by loss of mangroves, a natural breeding ground for fish. A combination of improved fisheries value chain and community forest management plan are expected to contribute to sustaining the outcomes of the project.
The Green Planet Initiative International’s target communities are Esuk Okon, Edik Idem and Akwa Obutong at Bakasi Local Government Area, where the CSO is working in the mangrove forest area to increase both income and carbon stock through planting of bush mango, while building target beneficiaries’ capacity in entrepreneurship and creating opportunities for income/livelihoods diversification through animal rearing, bee farming and other skills acquisition.
At Edondon community in Obubra Local Government Area, DEVCON’s project is designed to increase the area of tropical rainforest under sustainable management through regeneration and community forest management planning, contribute to poverty reduction by improving cassava value chain and encouraging agro-forestry practices that integrate the cultivation of non-timber forest products with other existing economic trees while ensuring sustainable land and forest management.
At Ekuri in Akamkpa Local Government Area, the Ekuri Initiative is reviewing existing forest management plan to support and strengthen community enforcement mechanisms to protect the largest community forest in Nigeria. It will also garner support to diversify the livelihoods of the rural community.
However, Waneledon’s project site is Ohumoruktet, at the Obubra Local Government Area in Ekuri/Iko REDD+ Pilot Site. The CSO aims to increase the area of community forest under sustainable management through land use planning and tree planting, while improving the livelihoods of target community groups, particularly women and youth.
Both CAMM and ARADIN are working at nine Mbe communities at Boki Local Government Area in Afi/Mbe REDD+ Pilot Site. The communities include: Bamba, Bokalum, Wula 1, Wula 2, Kanyang 1, Kanyang 2, Abo Ogbagante, Abo Obisu, and Abo Mkpang.
According to officials of CAMM, their section of the project supports community-based forest management among the nine communities of Mbe Mountains. They added that CAMM, a community-based organisation (CBO) collectively owned and managed by the nine communities, designed the project to address forest loss, improve the living conditions of community members through environmentally sustainable farming practices and value addition, and improve the protection of the critically endangered Cross River Gorillas. The project will also seek to enhance the value of the Mbe Mountains through ecotourism, they stated.
The ARADIN project, it was gathered, works in two of Mbe’s nine communities – Bamba and Bokalum. ARADIN is said to have designed the project to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable use and management of natural resources.
“The project intends to build communities’ capcity in land use planning and rule enforcement, and create more opportunities for sustainable livelihoods practices with particular focus on sustainable cocoa farming,” an official disclosed.
Anthony Atah, the Nigeria REDD+ Stakeholder Engagement Specialist, stated that, following an inception meeting with the CSOs and interaction with a few communities, it became pertinent for REDD+ to take steps to create synergies between REDD+ and CBR+ that were otherwise lacking at the early stage and could undermine the investments in these communities.
He said: “Already, clear signs of poor communication, mistrust, and difficult expectations were beginning to emerge between some benefitting communities and CSOs implementing the CBR+ project. The time lapse between project design and implementation also required realigning the projects to current reality, without which success will be minimal.
“These, and the need to appraise and support capacity of CSOs to deliver local REDD+ actions on the ground, while strengthening communities’ participation, required urgent and proactive steps to engage both communities and CSOs in the project locations in in reviewing the CBR+ projects and aligning them in the broader REDD+ context.”
Against the backdrop of the appointment of Mrs Amina Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, as UN Deputy Secretary General, the Abuja-based “Follow The Money”, a civil society organisation (CSO), while congratulating her, lists – in an open letter – a number of concerns that it would wish to be addressed before as well as during her tenure.
Amina Mohammed (left) with Hamzat Lawal of Follow The Money
The letter reads:
Dear Honourable Minister,
I wish to use this medium to congratulate you on your appointment as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. It is an honour well-deserved. It is also an elevation that naturally stirs mixed feelings in some of us who are very much aware of what Nigeria stands to miss in your absence.
So far, you have distinguished yourself as not only a dynamic Minister of the Federal Republic, but a hard-working development worker for the people. At a time the nation yearned for deep understanding of its environmental challenges, you brought the insight and hands-on feminine balance that enabled this great country get back on its ecological track in order to retain its pride in the comity of nations.
As an adviser to the Federal Government on Nigeria’s implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the precursor to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), you drove the programme efficiently and attained high points in critical set targets. This of course prepared you for your esteemed role in negotiating the seventeen SDGs under the outgoing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and effectively stood you out as an asset to the development world.
Likewise, the passion and patriotism you have displayed in your duties as a minister, have now engraved your name in the annals of history. This is because the commitment you brought to the job is based on your inherent capabilities and ingrained capacity acquired over the years in your service to society.
Your stewardship is now evident. Nigeria has launched the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The Ministry of Environment has also successfully launched the historic Sovereign Green Bonds – first of its kind; flagged off the Ogoni Clean-up Programme; and streamlined the Great Green Wall programme for a focused and sustainable implementation.
Dear Minister, in spite of the pleasure we find in celebrating your value and landmark achievements, we are still perturbed by the nagging fear that your efforts may yet be in vain if the solid foundation you are laying in the sector is not capped with a seamless transition to sustainable pillars of continued progress, as you move on to your new international office.
This is why we also use this opportunity to draw your attention to some real issues that, when properly addressed, would spell the survival lines to this all-important sector, and to the country in general.
Firstly, we are conscious of the fact that your tenure as the Minister of Environment brought a lease of life to the energy efficiency sub-sector, and effectively cleared the foul and dark aura already engendered by the Clean Cookstoves saga. Presently, you have set a fresh course that promises to reignite hope in the achievement of the goals that inspired the project in the first place.
Therefore, we call on you to set a lasting template that would sustain the momentum of the clean cookstoves project, even in your absence. We hope your efforts would help ensure that government delivers on the statutory 15% from the Ecological Fund, while also inspiring the ambition and bureaucratic urgency needed to deliver on the project.
Secondly, we can never forget that your motherly intervention and tireless activism impacted positively on the success of the ongoing Shikira lead poisoning remediation project. However, having assessed the progress of the cleanup, we are convinced that the project has to go beyond just remediation, but also a sustainable structure for ecological management. This is in order to ensure that there is no future outbreak of lead poisoning in Shikira and in other communities involved in artisanal mining.
Thirdly, we are worried that if the proper systemic adjustments are not made in the ministry of environment, we may lose some of the critical milestones achieved under your watch. This is why we call on you to effectively utilise the remaining few months you have to work in Nigeria in strengthening the structures that would ensure that in the absence of a good driver like you that the vehicle does not crash into the bushes. We sincerely pray that things will never deteriorate to “business as usual!”
We wish to see that the ball you have set rolling maintains the momentum, because we are convinced that the environmental sector is the fulcrum of the development sector especially in a developing economy like ours.
For instance, Nigeria’s NDC is an ambitious document, which needs imaginative inter-sectoral engagements for its effective implementation. With the vast opportunities that lie within the NDC and the potential complications that could entangle our bureaucratic infrastructure, we are concerned that, in fact, not just any hands can take over the helms at the ministry of environment. How we wish, you could groom your own successor!
Fourthly, we also cannot forget the fact that two critical regions in Nigeria are directly affected by your present and future offices: the South South and the North East. The Ogoni Clean-up project which you successfully initiated needs a proper and sustained project implementation.
The social dislocation that has erupted as a result of the humanitarian emergency in the North East also waits for your intervention. We humbly call on you to use your esteemed position as the UN Deputy Secretary-General to redirect the eyes of the world to the region. This would not only entail getting the required international support for humanitarian aid, but most importantly in ensuring that transparency and accountability are mainstreamed in their disbursements.
Finally, conscious of the importance of your UN appointment not only to Nigeria but to Africa as a region, we are hopeful that you will utilise the platform to inspire a revived spirit of transparent democratic governance, which we believe is the only effective way to address the region’s development challenges. And, we are glad that your experience in the development of the SDGs will also give you the fillip to inspire a proper mainstreaming of its implementation process in Africa.
Then, ultimately, we hope that you spearhead Nigeria’s bid to becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council. We are convinced that you have a date with history, and would have stamped your name in gold in the annals of history if you could work with your new boss to reorganise the UN and make it more democratic by increasing the Permanent membership of the Security Council. History will remember you if Nigeria fills Africa’s slot in the new arrangement, in order to reward our great country’s half-a-century old contributions to the UN.
A month following the end of the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the civil society pole, led by Driss El Yazami, President of the National Human Rights Council of Morocco, conducted its assessment.
The civil society area is located in the Green Zone of the Bab Ighli site in Marrakech that hosted COP22 from November 7 to 18, 2016
By mobilising national and international civil society actors ahead of COP22, the civil society pole ensured a significant commitment by stakeholders in the fight against climate change. A diverse programme of meetings, debates, activities, conferences and side events demonstrated the commitment of civil society organisations and non-state actors for efficient and urgent climate action.
Mobilisation ahead of COP22 continues beyond COP22
In order to prepare civil society actors for COP22, the civil society pole supported the organisation of the MedCOP on Climate and six regional meetings in Morocco. This regional dimension will be pursued with meetings to be organised in other regions throughout the Kingdom.
The COP22 Moroccan Presidency established the mobilisation of civil society as one of its priorities. Thus, for the first time in COP history a meeting will take place in early 2017 between the Moroccan Presidency and civil society. The nine constituent groups will come together to take stock on COP22 and examine the different avenues of collaboration with Morocco during its presidency.
“COP22 showed remarkable mobilisation among Moroccan, African and international civil society that needs to be continued. We have to capitalise on its success and move forward. COP22 represented a turning point in civil society mobilisation,” declared El Yazami.
Mobilisation of civil society in numbers
Located in the Green Zone of the Bab Ighli site that hosted COP22 from November 7 to 18, 2016, the civil society area equaling 10,000m2, welcomed the participation of more than 300 exhibitors among 152 spaces, 680 activities, debates and conferences were organised. In total, 60 nationalities were represented. Interested by civil society initiatives and actions, 24,000 people on average per day, with a high point of 27,000 on November 15, visited the space.
Aware of the importance of civil society climate action and considering that the Paris Agreement goals will not be reached without strengthening the collaboration between state and non-state actors, high-level personalities such as Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa of Morocco, COP22 President Salaheddine Mezouar, the President of France, Francois Hollande, the President of the Comoros Azali Assoumani, the Mayors of Paris and Brussels, Anne Hidalgo and Yvan Mayeur, among others, visited the Green Zone.
The presence of civil society actors was also observed outside of the Bab Ighli site, particularly during the climate action march organised in the city of Marrakech that saw the participation of more than 7,500 people on December 13.
Ten highlights from civil society during COP22
Mobilisation of Moroccanuniversities with a meeting of 160 university presidents from around the world and 30 academic chancellors from Africa that adopted a common declaration.
COY12: more than 2,000 participantsfrom more than 30 countries.
Acultural COP with 12 exhibits (arts, photo, two concerts, two film competitions organised by youth in partnership with UNCEF and the French Embassy in Morocco).
A large trade-union meeting involving 40 trade unions from Africa and the Secretary General of the International Trade Union Confederation.
The 2nd edition of the Summit of Local and Regional Leaders for the Climate brought together more than 1,100 participants from 114 countries represented by more than 780 local and regional elected officials. The African continent was honoured with elected officials from 50 countries and 11 island states; including a climate finance roadmap for territories.
Meeting of Mediterranean regions presidents in preparation for the 3rd MedCop on Climate that will take place in Sicily in July 2017.
Meeting of 37 national human rights institutions from around the world on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and sustainable development goals.
International seminar of parliamentarians organised by the Moroccan Parliament and Inter-parliamentarian Union.
Presence of all UN agencies in both zones of the COP22 village.
More than 500 self-organised activities at the Cadi Ayyad University of Marrakech by the Moroccan Coalition for Climate Justice (CMJC) and international coalitions.
Countries in the Pacific Islands have taken stock of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted from the region. At two meetings held recently in Fiji, participants likewise assessed the status of as well as plan for implementation of NDCs, as well as exchange of country experiences.
Participants at the Regional Dialogue in Fiji
The meetings also touched upon some of the technical and institutional issues that the countries in the region are facing in implementing their NDCs.
The Government of Fiji, the incoming Presidency for COP23 that will hold next November in Bonn, Germany, had played host two remarkable climate change meeting from 6 – 9 December 2016: Regional Dialogue on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), for the Pacific Islands from 6 to 7 December 2016, followed by a Capacity-building Workshop on the MRV/Transparency Framework for the Pacific Islands from 8 to 9 December 2016.
The Regional Dialogue on NDCs brought together government representatives from the Pacific region, developed country representatives and international organisations/experts involved in the NDC process.
The dialogue, organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UNFCCC secretariat, and the UNDP/UNEP Global Support Programme (GSP) for National Communications and Biennial Update Reports, was attended by almost 60 participants, including representatives from 14 Pacific Island countries, as well as other countries and organisations.
This was the third in a series of joint UNDP/UNFCCC regional dialogues funded by a number of donors. The first was held in Costa Rica in June for the LAC region, and the second in Tunis in August for the Africa region. The Asia dialogue will take place in Turkey in February 2017.
The second event, a Capacity-building Workshop on the MRV/Transparency Framework for the Pacific Islands, was co-organised by the UNDP/UNEP Global Support Programme (funded by the Global Environment Facility – GEF) and by the Governments of Australia and Singapore with technical support from the UNFCCC secretariat. The workshop, attended by the same group of participants, was aimed at engaging the technical capacity of countries from the Pacific region to enhance their ability to participate effectively in the existing MRV arrangements and to prepare them for the implementation of the transparency framework under the Paris Agreement.
The EnviroNews Team wishes you a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year
Year 2016 marked a remarkable turnaround as the world took vital initial steps towards implementing the landmark Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We would like to express our appreciation for your continued support, encouragement and commitment to our cause in ensuring a healthy and pollution-free environment via effective information dissemination.
We wish you a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
The World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development or “IBRD”) has teamed up with BNP Paribas to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through an investment solution being developed for institutional and retail investors around the world.
Dr. David Nabarro, Special Advisor on the 2030 agenda, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations.
The aim of the initiative is to launch a programme of equity index-linked World Bank bonds to allow investors to support and benefit from the global ambition set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals. The performance of the bonds will be linked to the performance of the Solactive Sustainable Development Goals World Index, which consists of eligible companies, based on Vigeo Eiris’ Equitics research, which maps the SDGs against the included companies’ products, services and behaviors.
The SDGs are a set of 17 interlinked goals established to guide international cooperation to achieve sustainable development, end poverty, build peace and tackle climate change. They were adopted by United Nations member countries in September 2015 and require active participation from governments, corporations and investors in all countries. The global goals promote clean water and sanitation, health, sustainable industry and infrastructure, affordable and clean energy, education, gender equality and much more. They are designed to help every individual and every community harness the benefits of development through peace, partnership, prosperity, people and planet.
“The United Nations Secretary-General recently launched a Financial Innovation Platform (FIP) to facilitate private sector engagement with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This new partnership by the World Bank and BNP Paribas is exactly the kind of initiative that the platform seeks to encourage,” said David Nabarro, Special Advisor on the 2030 agenda, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations.
“Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will require increased collaboration from public sector, private sector, and individuals. The World Bank’s twin goals – eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity – are aligned with the SDGs. By buying World Bank bonds, investors have the opportunity to support companies in a way that supports sustainable development,” said Arunma Oteh, Vice President and Treasurer, World Bank.
The new product will allow investors to contribute to the financing of sustainable development projects through the use of proceeds of the World Bank bonds and to benefit from the performance of the companies in the SDG index. The initiative will also raise awareness among the financial community of the various roles the private sector can play in supporting the achievement of the SDGs nationally and internationally. For example, investors can align their investment strategies to the SDG framework, banks can design innovative products supporting corporates aligned with the SDGs, and index providers can filter companies based on their contribution to the goals.
The initiative also highlights the World Bank’s overall sustainable development mandate and focus on working with its member countries to achieve a positive development impact for all projects. To achieve its twin goals to eliminate poverty and boost prosperity the World Bank is positioned to use financing, robust data and innovative products to help countries grow, invest and insure for the future.
“We are proud to be part of this initiative with the World Bank in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. This effort is in direct response to the UN Secretary-General’s launch of a Financial Innovation Platform (FIP) that calls for innovations and new financial models in support of the SDGs. Through this innovative program, we can help our clients meet their increasing need to align financial objectives with global sustainability objectives. Sustainable finance is one of the key pillars of our business and this partnership around the global goals is an important new development for us in this space,” said Olivier Osty, Executive Head of Global Markets, BNP Paribas.
“Solactive has been very active in the development of indices that meet the needs of an increasing number of ESG-conscious investors. With the Sustainable Development Goals Index series, Solactive is providing the basis for investment products that mirror the UN’s SDGs. As such, our contribution to the World Bank-BNP Paribas equity-linked bonds represents an important milestone for Solactive,” said Steffen Scheuble, CEO of Solactive AG.
“We are extremely pleased to be part of this initiative promoting investments in support of projects driving sustainable growth. This equity linked World Bank bonds program is a smart and secured solution for investors and a milestone on the road to supporting the SDGs,” said Nicole Notat, CEO at Vigeo Eiris.
