YOUNG PEOPLE GATHER TO DEMAND ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE – UN

The largest ever youth gathering on climate change has kicked off today in the Republic of Korea (ROK) to demand that nations 'seal the deal' on a new pact to slash greenhouse gas emissions at a United Nations conference this December in Denmark.

More than 800 young people from over 100 countries have gathered in the city of Daejeon for a week-long meeting to stake their claim on a low-carbon, resource-efficient and environmentally-sustainable future.

Nations are expected to wrap up negotiations in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, in just over 100 days on a treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol, whose first commitment period ends in 2012.

Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), characterized the week-long Tunza International Children and Youth Conference under way in Daejeon as "a gathering of the generation that will inherit the outcome of the decisions taken in December and beyond."

The world's three billion children and young people, he said, will see the Himalayan glaciers either persist or melt, sea levels stabilize or rise, and the Amazon either endure or dry out in their lifetimes.

A global town hall meeting using state-of-the-art technology will allow hundreds of other youth to link to the Daejeon meeting to agree on a message to send to world leaders, while a social networking platform for youth on climate change will also be launched.

Participants at the conference were selected from thousands of applicants based on their outstanding 'green' achievements in their respective countries, illustrating strides made by the next generation to address the serious threat of global warming.

The projects included a drive to distribute hundreds of low-energy light bulbs in Nepal, a carpooling scheme in Samoa, a recycling drive in Sierra Leone and efforts to clean up rivers in Russia.

The latest round of negotiations towards a pact in Copenhagen wrapped up last Friday, with only "limited progress" having been made, according to a senior United Nations official.

With only two more conferences, totaling 15 days, scheduled before the December meeting, "negotiations will need to considerably pick up speed for the world to achieve a successful result at Copenhagen," said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Some strides were made regarding the negotiating text at the week-long meeting in Bonn, Germany, with countries also discussing how to translate mid-term reduction pledges (for the year 2020) by wealthier nations into legally-binding targets as part of the deal to be clinched in Copenhagen.
"Industrialized countries need to show a greater level of ambition in agreeing to meaningful mid-term emission reduction targets," Mr. de Boer said. "The present level of ambition can be raised domestically and by making use of international cooperation."
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‘LIMITED PROGRESS’ MADE AT LATEST ROUND CLIMATE TALKS, SAYS TOP UN OFFICIAL

Only "limited progress" has been made at the most recent United Nations climate change talks – which are expected to culminate later this year in Copenhagen with a new pact on slashing greenhouse gas emissions – a senior United Nations official said today.

With only two more conferences, totalling 15 days, scheduled before the start of the critical event in the Danish capital, "negotiations will need to considerably pick up speed for the world to achieve a successful result at Copenhagen," said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The new treaty set to be agreed on in Denmark in December will replace the Kyoto Protocol, whose first commitment period ends in 2012.

Some strides were made regarding the negotiating text at the week-long meeting in Bonn, Germany, that wrapped up today, with countries also discussing how to translate mid-term reduction pledges (for the year 2020) by wealthier nations into legally-binding targets as part of the deal to be clinched in Copenhagen.

"Industrialized countries need to show a greater level of ambition in agreeing to meaningful mid-term emission reduction targets," Mr. de Boer said. "The present level of ambition can be raised domestically and by making use of international cooperation."

He also called for a "clear indication" from these nations on the levels of financing and technology they will provide to help their developing counterparts 'green' their growth and adapt to the impacts of global warming.

The next session of negotiations will start in Bangkok, Thailand, on 28 September, followed by another round in Barcelona, Spain, in November.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has long made climate change a top priority, will convene what is expected to be the largest-ever gathering of heads of State and government on climate change in New York on 22 September. That gathering seeks to build momentum ahead of the Copenhagen talks.
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NEW GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PACT SHOULD CONSIDER HUMANITARIAN SUFFERING – UN

NEW GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PACT SHOULD CONSIDER HUMANITARIAN SUFFERING – UN
New York, Jun 8 2009 6:01PM
A group of 18 of key United Nations and partner aid agencies attending climate change talks in Bonn today called for the humanitarian impacts of global warming to be addressed in a new greenhouse gas emissions agreement to be negotiated later this year.

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) said that the successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol, with nations expected to wrap up negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December, must take a practical approach to help alleviate the suffering of vulnerable populations caused by extreme weather and environmental degradation.

"The scale of the potential humanitarian challenge presented by climate change in the future is huge," said John Holmes, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), one of the UN bodies involved in the IASC.

"This is a defining moment to ensure that the challenge is not insurmountable and human suffering is minimised," added Mr. Holmes, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.

More than 20 million people have been displaced by climate-related sudden-onset natural disasters in 2008 alone, according to a new study by OCHA and the Norwegian Refugee Council's (NRC) Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.

The total number of people affected by natural disasters has risen sharply over the past 10 years, with an average of 211 million people directly affected each year, nearly five times the number impacted by conflict in the same period.

Extreme and slow-onset climate events – such as floods, storms, droughts, rising sea levels and desertification – are impacting more and more people each year, with the most vulnerable including women and children, those already struggling with poverty, insecurity, hunger, poor health and environmental decline.

Climate change is also expected to dramatically affect patterns of migration and population movement, with many millions to be displaced by prolonged droughts, repeated floods or storms, according to an IASC news release.

The Committee noted that the Copenhagen agreement has potential to avert or reduce many of the humanitarian consequences of climate change over the next decade, but adapting to these climatic shocks will mean focusing on prevention and preparation by strengthening national and local r

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esources to cope with future disasters.

The UN talks under way in Bonn entered their second week today, with countries set to start making more detailed proposals on an initial round of comments on a proposed draft for the climate change deal.

"We are getting down to the nitty gritty of the negotiations," said Yvo de Boer, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
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DISCUSSIONS ON NEGOTIATING TEXTS ON PACT TO COMBAT GLOBAL WARMING KICK OFF – UN

DISCUSSIONS ON NEGOTIATING TEXTS ON PACT TO COMBAT GLOBAL WARMING KICK OFF – UN
New York, Jun 1 2009 11:00AM
Delegates from 182 nations are gathering in Bonn, Germany, today to initiate discussions on negotiating texts which could form the basis of an ambitious United Nations-backed climate change deal, to slash greenhouse gas emissions, expected to be clinched in December.

The two-week Bonn talks, the second round of UN climate change talks this year, are expected to draw over 4,000 participants, including representatives from Governments, the private sector, environmental organizations and research institutions.

The new pact, to be concluded in Copenhagen, Denmark, is intended to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, whose first commitment period ends in 2012.

"The political moment is right to reach an agreement," <"http://unfccc.int/files/press/news_room/press_releases_and_advisories/application/pdf/20090106_opening_pr_sbs_2009.pdf">said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (<"http://unfccc.int/2860.php">UNFCCC). "There is no doubt in my mind that the Copenhagen climate conference in December is going to lead to a result."

The current financial crisis has reinforced the need for a global response to global issues, he added.

The negotiating texts serve as a "starting point" for talks among nations, according to Michael Zammit Cutajar, who chairs the working group for long-term cooperation under the UNFCCC.

Also expected to be discussed in Bonn are how to improve emissions trading and coverage of emissions credits, among other topics.

In recent weeks, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been exhorting nations to "seal the deal" on a new climate change pact, warning that cost of inaction will be far greater than the cost of taking decisive action now.

"We live in an interconnected world," he <"http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=500">told business leaders last month. "An effective agreement in Copenhagen would be a powerful vote of confidence in multilateralism. By the same token, failure would be bad news for everyone."
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TOP UN OFFICIALS EXHORT COUNTRIES TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

TOP UN OFFICIALS EXHORT COUNTRIES TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
New York, May 14 2009 7:00PM
Warning that the clock is ticking towards a major United Nations conference in Copenhagen this December where nations are expected to reach agreement on a new greenhouse gas emissions pact, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the world body's top climate change official today urged the international community to pick up the pace of negotiations.

<"http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2009/090514_Climate_Change.doc.htm">Addressing reporters in New York, Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (<"http://unfccc.int/2860.php">UNFCCC), noted that the Denmark gathering is only 200 days away.

He said he is encouraged by progress made in the past 100 days, including the "very clear commitment of the new United States administration to the issue of climate change, to re-engage in the international negotiations to come to an agreement in Copenhagen in December, but also to put an ambitious domestic policy package in place."

Further, Mr. de Boer said he is heartened to see that many countries – China and the Republic of Korea in particular – are seriously considering changing the direction of their economic growth as part of their recovery packages.

"Climate change as an issue has survived politically the financial crisis," he said.

Even if there is "strong commitment" to conclude negotiations in December, Mr. de Boer cautioned that the limited amount of time remaining could threaten the comprehensiveness of any agreement.

The international community is "on track" to clarifying four key issues, Mr. de Boer said. Firstly, developed countries must lay out how much they are willing to slash emissions by 2020, and secondly, major developing countries must in turn identify what actions they are willing to take to curb their own emissions.

Thirdly, the topic of financial support for adaptation and mitigation for poorer nations is crucial. "I do not believe that developing countries will be willing to address climate change in a much more vigorous way unless there is international support," he said. "They've made it clear that their overriding concern is economic growth and poverty eradication."

Lastly, he called for the establishment of an international governance structure to oversee a long-term climate change regime.

Speaking at the launch of a report by the Commission on Climate Change and Development, comprising 13 renowned individuals, Mr. Ban emphasized that "climate change is happening, now."

Stressing the necessity of leadership in reaching a deal in Copenhagen, he called attention to the need for adaptation for the world's poor to help them to deal with some of the worst consequences of global warming.
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LATEST ROUND OF UN TALKS ON PACT TO COMBAT GLOBAL WARMING WRAPS UP IN BONN

The latest round of United Nations talks aimed at reaching an ambitious new treaty on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions wrapped up today in Bonn, Germany, having achieved what the world body's top climate change official called "important" progress.

"Countries have narrowed gaps in many practical areas, for example on how to strengthen action for adapting to the impacts of climate change," said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

"This is important progress given the very limited time negotiators have to get to an agreed outcome in Copenhagen in December this year," Mr. de Boer added, referring to the climate change conference at which countries are expected to adopt an agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, whose first commitment period for reducing greenhouse gas emissions ends in 2012.

More than 2,000 delegates from government, business and industry, environmental organizations and research institutions, participated in the Bonn meeting, which began on 29 March and is the first of three sessions planned ahead of the Copenhagen conference.

Negotiations on greenhouse gas emissions reductions to be achieved by industrialized countries after 2012 centred on issues related to the scale of the reductions, improvements to emissions trading and the Kyoto Protocol's carbon offset mechanisms, as well as concerns relating to land-use change and forestry.

"There have been positive discussions on a range of issues, including on technology cooperation between industrialized and developing countries, as well as on the specificities of reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries," noted Michael Zammit Cutajar, Chair of the Ad hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA).

Mr. Cutajar added that countries have the opportunity to provide input to the draft for the negotiating text ahead of the next round of talks in June.

"I invite countries to forward their input to the climate change secretariat by 24 April 2009, so that their views on how to shape the text and what to include in the text can be incorporated," he said.

Some 192 States have signed on to the UNFCCC, the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which has 184 parties and legally binds 37 highly industrialized nations and countries transitioning to a market economy to limit and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

The objective of both treaties is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.
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MAJOR NEGOTIATIONS FOR NEW UN CLIMATE CHANGE PACT KICK OFF IN GERMANY

The first round of United Nations-backed negotiations designed to culminate in an ambitious new international climate change treaty in Copenhagen in December got underway today.

More than 2,000 delegates from government, business and industry, environmental organizations and research institutions, have gathered in Bonn, Germany, for the first of a series of three sessions aimed at producing a draft document to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, whose first commitment period to reducing greenhouse gas emissions ends in 2012.

"This first negotiating session this year is critical for moving the world closer to a political solution to climate change," said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

"The clock is ticking down and countries still have much work to cover," stressed Mr. de Boer at the start of the nine-day meeting.

Discussions on
greenhouse gas emissions reductions to be achieved by industrialized countries after 2012 will centre on issues relating to the scale of the reductions, improvements to emissions trading and the Kyoto Protocol''s carbon offset mechanisms, as well as concerns relating to land-use change and forestry.

"Industrialized countries are committed to lead the way, and the world is looking to them to agree on ambitious targets, in line with what science is telling us, in Copenhagen in December," said Harald Dovland, who chairs the working group leading the negotiations.

"We must lay the groundwork for this in Bonn at this session by shifting gears and moving into serious, in-depth negotiations," he added.

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ECONOMIC CRISIS POSES DIRE CONSEQUENCES FOR FORESTS, WARNS NEW UN REPORT

ECONOMIC CRISIS POSES DIRE CONSEQUENCES FOR FORESTS, WARNS NEW UN REPORT
New York, Mar 16 2009 12:00PM

The global economic turmoil has resulted in reduced demand for wood, shrinking investments in industries and forest management, according to this year's United Nations "State of the World's Forests" report.

The double challenges posed by the financial crisis and climate change are highlighting the need for bolstered forest management and stepped-up investments in science and technology, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) publication said, voicing concern that the economic downturn could lead governments to water down ambitious 'green' targets.

Countries in the early stages of development – which suffer from institutional weaknesses – struggle with forestry decisions, facing the difficult choice between short-term and long-term benefits.

In the coming decades, the report said, demand worldwide for wood products and environmental services will increase, with the use of wood as a source of energy on the rise, although this could be attributed to the recent economic downturn.

It also stated that there is a possibility that countries may focus their energies on reversing the economic downturn, diluting their green goals and putting off decisions on climate change mitigation and adaptation, including actions on slashing emissions from deforestation.

The report pointed to opportunities stemming from the financial turmoil, such as green development to spur tree-planting and increased investments in sustainable forest management.

In a related development, this year's first round of UN climate change negotiations is gearing up to kick off later this month in Bonn, Germany.

These negotiations are expected to wrap up in December in Copenhagen, Denmark, with countries agreeing on an effective successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gases whose first commitment period ends in 2012.

The two-week Bonn gathering is expected to draw over 2,000 participants, including representatives from governments, business, industry, environmental organizations and research facilities.

"The road to Copenhagen is under intensive construction and all its builders are seriously committed to its successful completion," said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNCFCC). "Real negotiating mode is just beginning and with only around six weeks of actual face-to-face talking time, the Copenhagen clock keeps steadily ticking down."
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UN OFFICIAL ‘ENCOURAGED’ BY NEW US STANCE ON REACHING CLIMATE CHANGE PACT

UN OFFICIAL 'ENCOURAGED' BY NEW US STANCE ON REACHING CLIMATE CHANGE PACT
New York, Mar 6 2009 3:00PM

There is "enthusiasm" in the current United States Government to pass laws to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a willingness to work towards a new global climate change pact, a top United Nations official said today.

Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was speaking to journalists in New York after returning from his recent trip to Washington, D.C., where he met with leaders in US President Barack Obama's administration, as well as members of Congress.

"I must say I come back from those meetings very much encouraged," Mr. de Boer stated.

"There is, I believe, a huge enthusiasm and energy in both the House and the Senate to put cap and trade climate change legislation in place in this country," he added.

Mr. de Boer also underscored the willingness in the current US administration "to work towards an agreement in Copenhagen, to come with an ambitious domestic policy [and] to engage with international partners" to come to an accord.

At the UN climate change conference slated for December in Copenhagen countries are expected to reach agreement on a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol, the legally binding regime for reducing greenhouse gas emissions whose first commitment period ends in 2012.

Mr. de Boer noted that the US administration realised that financial support for developing countries to help them adapt to becoming more environmentally friendly and mitigate their carbon emissions is going to be an essential part of the Copenhagen "puzzle."

"The new administration with the full backing of the House and the Senate is working towards and ambitious agreement in Copenhagen," said Mr. de Boer.

The climate change official also found encouragement in the US economic stimulus package, saying that "What I believe President Obama is trying to do is use the recovery money to create the clean economy of tomorrow instead of trying to prop up the economy of yesterday."
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