Nordic Climate Solutions – Scandinavia´s annual marketplace for low carbon economy leaders – takes place on November 25th and 26th, 2008, in Copenhagen. The event is jointly organized with the Nordic Council of Ministers and a series of industry leaders from the Nordic Region.

Nordic Climate Solutions takes form as a combined conference and trade show. While the conference identifies current challenges and opportunities, the tradeshow presents state of the art solutions for achieving a low carbon economy.

Towards and beyond the Copenhagen UN Summit, NCS gathers a significant number of business and industry leaders. In 2007 the event gathered more than 600 decision makers. This year more than 1000 delegates are projected for the event in November.

As we would like to offer our delegates key insight from experts WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR SPEAKERS for the following sessions:

- Building the Future – Energy Efficiency:

What energy and carbon savings could be realized if older commercial buildings had the energy consumption of the newer commercial building stock? How can we improve the incorporation of different energy efficiencies into different types of domestic and non-domestic buildings? And what will it take to achieve mass deployment of carbon neutral buildings?

- Adaptation in the Third World – Markets Beyond China and India:

As a global problem, climate change demands global solutions – yet the majority of the technology and financing for these solutions are not accessible to emerging economies and developing nations. India and China are naturally the center of attention when it comes to CDM projects or other climate action projects and policies, but how can we ensure that countries in Africa, Asia and South and Central America also have the capacity and the technology to develop in a sustainable and climate friendly manner?

- The Future of CDM – The Post 2012 Scene:

At the moment, there are more than 3,000 CDM projects in progress. What is the potential of the CDM on the post 2012 scenario and what concrete measures will be presented a the COP15 to improve this mechanism and ensure that it is contributing to global emission reductions and to technology transfer to all developing nations

Climate Solutions for China:

China is on its way to become the largest energy market in the world, with the greatest environmental challenges. This creates an enormous potential for the Nordic companies. The current five-year plan of China contains 250 billion dollar for investments in energy savings and environmental considerations and a range of ambitious goals.

Thinking Outside the Barrel:

President George W. Bush has stated that: “America is addicted to oil.” At times when the price approaches $150 per barrel – it is an expensive addiction to have. Fortunately, several alternatives exist.

The Finance of Climate Change – A Guide for Governments and Corporations:

The financial markets hold an increasingly important role in government and corporate initiatives designed to fight climate change and make the transition to the low carbon economy.

Less is More – Energy Efficiency (End Use):

Improved energy efficiency is often the most economic and readily available means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, there exists a difference between the actual level of investment in energy efficiency and the higher level that would be economically beneficial from the consumer’s point of view.

The Local Market of the Nordic: Russia:

Recently the Russian economy has been developing at a very high pace and significant investments are being made in the energy and environmental sector, as well as in restructuring.

Adaptation - Urban Climate Solutions:

Even with substantial reductions in emissions today, the delay in the climate system means that emissions we have already released into the atmosphere will continue to affect the climate for years to come. The impact on cities and the people living there will be significant.

De-linking Economic Growth from Emissions – Bypassing the Western Route to Low Carbon Economy:

The interrelations between economic growth, energy and CO2 have a tremendous influence on the possibilities of a global ambitious treaty being drafted at the COP15.

EU – Framework Conditions:

This year a new EU energy market package has been submitted. The ambition is to create framework conditions for efficient and functioning sustainable energy markets. How can the EU balance energy policies between the aims of security of supply, competitiveness and sustainable energy?

Renewable Energy Production;

With a raising stream of billions of dollars into the sector, the investments in renewable energy production reach new records each year.The Nordic Region has great experience in renewable energy production from a wide spectrum of sources. How may this experience and knowledge be utilized in the global market and what are the barriers to expanding the renewable portfolio standard?
If you are an expert who could speak on any of these issues or know someone who is, we would greatly appreciate any recommendations you could pass on.

Please reply to  mwi at mm.dk

Thank you for any guidance/recommendations you can provide.

Meik Wiking
Project Manager
Nordic Climate Solutions

Monday Morning
Huset Mandag Morgen A/S
Valkendorfsgade 13
P.O. Box 1127
DK-1009 København K

T: +45 33 93 93 23
F: +45 33 14 13 94
E:  mwi at mm.dk
W: www.mm.dk

NORDIC CLIMATE SOLUTIONS - NOVEMBER 25TH AND 26TH - 2008. WWW.NORDICCLIMATESOLUTIONS.COM

From the launch of the ‘Breaking the Climate Deadlock’ report in Tokyo last month:  www.breakingtheclimatedeadlock.org), Tony Blair and The Climate Group, announced the upcoming launch of a series of detailed briefing papers on core issues relevant to the Deadlock initiative and the international climate debate.

On behalf of The Climate Group, I am pleased to inform you that these papers have now been released and can be found on the Breaking the Climate Deadlock website:

 http://www.theclimategroup.org/special_p…

The purpose of the papers is both to inform the ongoing initiative itself, as well as generate debate and discussion amongst key stakeholders and opinion-formers. The papers have been written by international experts and provide the latest information and analysis on their particular topics. We believe they will serve as an important and accessible resource for political and business leaders, policy makers, and anyone wanting to understand more fully, the key issues shaping the international climate change debate over the coming 18 months and beyond.

In order to ensure thorough dissemination and discussion of the papers, The Climate Group will be hosting a series of international webinars throughout September 2008 on the key themes covered by the papers. These will be open to all TCG stakeholders and will involve individual presentations from all authors followed by Q&A sessions. Further details will be provided on the TCG website and by email in late August.

The papers are intended to be stimulating and thought provoking read, and look forward to participation in the upcoming webinars.

from - Mark Kenber, Policy Director
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A conference on climate change and security taking place 3 September in London.

Climate Change: Preparing for the New Security Environment.
 http://rusi.org/events/ref:E48481B8ED91E…

At present, responses to the security implications of climate change are embryonic and disjointed. Current understandings of the nature and timing of climate change impacts remain speculative, yet the magnitude of the potential consequences demands an urgent response. This dichotomy presents a pressing challenge for policy makers, the climate science community and security actors alike.

The RUSI climate change and security conference will provide a forum to discuss the current state of research on the linkages between climate change and security, with a special focus on responses and solutions for planners and policymakers.

Key issues:

·       How will climate change reshape future approaches to defence and security?

·       What policy initiatives are needed in order to deal comprehensively with climate-driven insecurity, and what steps need to be taken to make these changes?

·       How should security planning proceed within an environment of incomplete information – regarding the timing and severity of climatic changes, and the linkages between climate change and instability?

·       How can the international community mitigate tensions around strategic assets, territorial claims and access to resources in the Arctic?

·       What are the latest assessments from the climate science community, and how can climate modelling be integrated into social science to deliver sound projections of future vulnerabilities?

·       How will climate change affect international relations, security policy, economic relationships and tensions within and between countries?

Confirmed Speakers:

·       Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

·       Sir Ian Andrews, 2nd Permanent Undersecretary, UK Ministry of Defence

·       Major General Richard Engel (Ret), Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Science and Technology, U.S. National Intelligence Council

·       Nick Mabey, Director, E3G and author of RUSI’s ‘Delivering Climate Security’

·       Professor Paul Berkman, Head, Arctic Ocean Geopolitics Programme, University of Cambridge

·       Rob Varley, Government Services Director, UK Met Office

·       Professor Neil Adger, Head, Adaptation Programme, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia

·       Major Shannon Beebe, Senior Africa analyst, US Department of Defence

Registration information and further programme details are available at:

 http://rusi.org/events/ref:E48481B8ED91E…

Shiloh Fetzek
Researcher, Climate Change & Security Programme
Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI)
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2ET

Tel: +44 (0)207 747 2629
Mobile: +44 (0)7894 348 185
Email:  shilohf at rusi.org
Web: http://www.rusi.org/climate

RUSI Climate Change conference:
Perparing for the New Security Environment
3 September 2008

 http://rusi.org/events/ref:E48481B8ED91E…

The 10-member ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. They are joined by Japan, China and South Korea in the ASEAN Plus Three talks. This is the 13 member Asian cover.

The East Asia Summit involves these 13 plus Australia, New Zealand and India.

Then comes the ARF - Asean Regional Forum -  that includes these 16 and Canada, North Korea, Russia, the U.S., the EU and others - so here we get the whole Eurasian world with the addition of the US and Canada, and with the exclusion of Africa, Latin America and the Small Island States.

The ASEAN Regional Forum will meet in Singapore on this Thursday - on Thursday - July 24, 2008.

The series of meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is held annually in the summer to prepare for the leaders’ Summit later in the year that will focus mainly on food and security, disaster management, economic conditions and climate change issues, Japanese Foreign Ministry officials said in Tokyo.

The ARF now will place specific emphasis on security issues, particularly disaster relief, counterterrorism, maritime security, and nonproliferation and disarmament, according to the officials.

The whole onion reminds us of what went on under the cover of the runnup to the Hokkaido G8 meetings earlier this month. This time, the Summit will include only the 13 States that amount to the 11 Asian States including India and the auxiliaries from Australia - New Zealand. This Summit will leave out the TransAtlantic party goers.

From:  conference at brazilcham.com
Subject: Venue Change! Breakfast with Central Bank President Henriques Meirelles, August 18
Date: July 18, 2008

Central Bank of Brazil in New York.
“Today, Latin America’s largest economy has the lowest inflation of any emerging market, and it is one of the only countries worldwide where price rises haven’t surpassed official targets. The credit belongs largely to Henrique Meirelles… ‘The country has reduced sovereign debt in terms of its shares of gross domestic product, and the Central Bank has built up $200 billion in international reserves. Brazil is also showing it can grow, but with stable inflation,’ [Meirelles said].”
Newsweek, July 21, 2008 Issue

The Banking and Capital Markets Committee invites you to attend a special breakfast briefing with H.E. Henrique Meirelles
President of the Central Bank of Brazil

Monday, August 18, 2008

8:00 – 8:30 AM Registration, Breakfast and Networking
8:30 – 9:45 AM Panel discussion, Question & Answer

The Westin New York at Times Square
Broadway Ballroom
270 West 43rd Street
New York City

—————-

Recent Articles:

Brazil Stocks Upgraded at Morgan Stanley on Growth. http://www.brazilcham.com/default.asp?id… By Kevin Crowley and Alexis Xydias, Bloomberg  www.bloomberg.com)
July 18, 2008

OECD Report Confirms Overall Benefits of Brazilian Sugarcane Ethanol. http://www.brazilcham.com/default.asp?id… MarketWatch  wwww.marketwatch.com)
July 17, 2008

Toyota May Invest $700 Million to Build Brazil Plant. http://www.brazilcham.com/default.asp?id… By Andre Soliani and Paulo Winterstein, Bloomberg  www.bloomberg.com)
July 16, 2008

In the Spotlight:
With a record 6.5 million international arrivals in the year of 2007, and predicted continued growth for 2008, the potential for tremendous success within the tourism sector seems within Brazil’s grasp. In the World Economic Forum’s recently released ‘Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report” for 2008, Brazil earned the highest overall rank of all Mercosur countries. Yet there is still room for significant progress.

A new Americas Society and Council of the Americas (AS/COA) white paper details corporate commitment to supporting the integration of Hispanic immigrants. Drawing from original research and site visits in Atlanta, GA, and New Orleans, LA, the paper highlights the challenges to the integration of recent immigrants, the contributions of Hispanic immigrants to the U.S. economy, and innovative efforts by business to smooth the integration of Hispanic communities and workers into the social and economic fabric of the U.S.

About the White Paper: The new AS/COA white paper, U.S. Business and Hispanic Integration: Expanding the Economic Contributions of Immigrants, demonstrates a collective commitment by private sector leaders to integrating immigrant communities and offers best practices for encouraging Hispanic workforce development and community integration. It features case studies of business′ efforts to facilitate and promote integration and highlights Hispanic contributions to the U.S. economy. Funded by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, the AS/COA Hispanic Integration Initiative is engaging private-sector leaders in support of initiatives that promote Hispanic integration, through meetings held in New York, NY, Atlanta, GA, and New Orleans, LA.

There will be a press conference in Wahington DC on Wednesday, July 23rd, and a main meeting on Capitol Hill on Thursday, July 24th.

on Wednesday the confirmed speakers are: Myles Gladstone, Vice President, Miller & Long Co, Inc.;
Susan Minushkin, Deputy Director, Pew Hispanic Center;
Christopher Sabatini, Senior Director of Policy, Americas Society and Council of the Americas;
and Susan Segal, President & CEO, Americas Society and Council of the Americas.

on Thursday the main event title is: “U.S. Business and Hispanic Integration” and will be held at:

2359 Rayburn House Office Building (Capitol Hill)
Washington, DC - Thursday, July 24, 2008.

Registration: 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Program: 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

with confirmed participants: Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY)
Rep. Charles A. González (TX)
Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (TX)
Rep. Michael M. Honda (CA)
Remarks also to be provided by members of the AS/COA Hispanic Integration National Business Council and Advisory Board along with AS/COA:

Lourdes Diaz - Senior Director of Diversity Relations, Sodexo, Inc.

Peter Johnson - Rockefeller Family and Associates

Bob Merchent - Vice President, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding

Fred Niehaus - Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, The Western Union Company

John Ozburn - Vice President of Human Resources, Tecta America Corp.

Christopher Sabatini - Senior Director of Policy, Americas Society and Council of the Americas

Susan Segal - President and CEO, Americas Society and Council of the Americas.
The new AS/COA white paper, U.S. Business and Hispanic Integration: Expanding the Economic Contributions of Immigrants, will demonstrate a collective commitment by private sector leaders to integrating immigrant communities and offer best practices for encouraging Hispanic workforce development and community integration. It features case studies of business’ efforts to facilitate and promote integration and highlights Hispanic contributions to the U.S. economy.

Funded by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, the AS/COA Hispanic Integration Initiative is engaging private-sector leaders in support of initiatives that promote Hispanic integration. Through meetings held in New York, NY, Atlanta, GA, and New Orleans, LA, we have brought nationally and locally-operating businesses together with public sector officials and community groups to exchange lessons learned and best practices. A National Business Council—companies at the forefront of integration efforts—anchors and provides guidance to the initiative. Findings document the many major U.S. corporations that already offer (or sponsor) programs that promote integration.
——————-

Further information: Please contact Jorge Merino at  jmerino at as-coa.org or (202) 659-8989. For media inquires: Caitlin Miner-Le Grand, 212-277-8384,  cminerlegrand at as-coa.org
Americas Society is the premier forum dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue in the Americas. Its mission is to foster an understanding of the contemporary political, social, and economic issues confronting Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada, and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage of the Americas and the importance of the inter-American relationship.

The Council of the Americas is the premier international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, open markets, the rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Council’s membership consists of leading international companies representing a broad spectrum of sectors, including banking and finance, consulting services, consumer products, energy and mining, manufacturing, media, technology, and transportation.

Ten Years On, Some Step Towards Justice.

By Irene de Vette

ROTTERDAM, Jul 15, 2008 (IPS) - Human rights organisations all over the world will celebrate the tenth anniversary Jul. 17 of the adoption of the Rome Statute establishing the ICC - the International Criminal Court . The ICC is the first and only permanent international criminal tribunal to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“Our hope is that, by punishing the guilty, the International Criminal Court will bring some comfort to the surviving victims and to the communities that have been targeted,” then Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan said on the historic day in 1998. “More important, we hope it will deter future war criminals, and bring nearer the day when no ruler, no state, no junta and no army anywhere will be able to abuse human rights with impunity.”

After the Berlin Wall had fallen in 1989, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago put the establishment of a permanent criminal tribunal, a wish that had long existed among the international community, back on the agenda. While ad-hoc tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda were established, a Statute was drafted in 1994 and then adopted in 1998 as the Statute of Rome. It went into effect Jul. 1, 2002, when the required 60 states had ratified it. To date, there are 106 ratifications. Some countries have not signed, among them the United States, China, India and Israel.

Early July of this year, former Congolese rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba was transferred from Belgium to the ICC in The Hague, the Netherlands, to face multiple counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Central African Republic. On Jul. 14, ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo requested the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in connection with the ongoing violence in the Darfur region.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) launched a 250-page report in The Hague last Friday, assessing the past five years of the court’s operations. The report titled ‘Courting History’ looks at the considerable progress the unprecedented judicial institution has made, and some of its shortcomings. Progress has been made in terms of investigations and criminal charges, but also in the establishment of field offices and witness protection measures, the report says.

“The ICC’s key to success relies for a great part on the relevance to affected communities,” added Géraldine Mattioli, Advocacy Director of the International Justice Programme of HRW.

HRW plans to bring the report to the attention of court officials and state parties. “We will use the report as a basis for further lobbying for continuing support of the ICC,” Mattioli told IPS.

The Coalition for the International Court (CICC), a global network of over 2,500 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) advocating a fair, effective and independent ICC, sees the report as a “great tool”, a CICC spokesperson at The Hague told IPS. The CICC has organised several events to mark the tenth anniversary of the Rome Statute.

One of these events took place at the Peace Palace in The Hague Jul. 3, 2008, attended by Princess Máxima. Maxime Verhagen, Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs, told a gathering of diplomats, members of international courts, those responsible for drafting the Rome Statute, academics and members of the court that the Netherlands was proud to host the ICC.

Unlike the ad-hoc tribunals, “the ICC is a permanent court — it is here to stay. And the world should be extremely grateful for that.” The Netherlands will continue to strive for universal adoption of the Statute, Verhagen said. Not only does the country provide technical support, such as housing the court and transportation of suspects, but also political support, such as assistance for countries in the process of signing or ratifying the statute, he said.

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Attach is a report from a High-Level EU-Indian Seminar on Climate Change and Sustainable Development organised by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research (PIK) and Action for a Global Climate Community (AGCC), 27th and 29th May 2008.

EU Commission President Barroso and his Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change met with members of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s high level advisory group on climate change.

Contributions from Professors Carlo Rubbia, John Schellnhuber and Rajendra Pachauri presented the overwhelming scientific evidence for the immense dangers of climate change and the limited time we have to avoid them.

Chris Layton set out a vision and practical steps for India and Europe to lead the world in sustainable development and climate change through a ‘community of the willing’ based on equity, drawing on the experience of the European Community in creating an international legal framework for resolving conflicts and sharing resources between rich and poor countries.

The seminar explored issues of equity, emissions trading, financing development and institutional arrangements under Chatham House rules, enabling a free-ranging discussion, summarised in reports on each session. Recurrent themes include:

·                     The need for economic development to help 700 million Indians living in poverty;

·                     The responsibility of Europe and other industrial countries to cut CO2 emissions and finance clean development in India and other developing countries;

·                     The importance of equity, justice and practical solutions as the basis for cooperation;

·                     The need for stories and accessible ways of involving people in tackling climate change.

The Seminar agreed to set up create a joint Indo-European working party to develop an equitable approach to climate change and development and develop specific proposals for the India-Europe summit in September and a further Euro India meeting in Delhi early in 2009.

For research papers, presentations and follow-up work, please visit the organisers’ websites:
Action for a Global Climate Community www.climatecommunity.org
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research www.pik-potsdam.de

Please send comments and contributions on EU-Indian cooperation on climate change to:   estellerouhaud at climatecommunity.org

Estelle Rouhaud
Research Assistant & Administrator
Action for a Global Climate Community
7 Graphite Square,
Vauxhall Walk,
London SE11 5EE
United Kingdom
tel  +44.207.582.1452
fax +44.207.735.2515
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Posted in UN Commission on Sustainable Development, Global Warming issues, Future Meetings, Reporting from UNFCCC Meetings, Green is Possible, European Union, Germany, India, Belgium

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From:  RickUlfik at WeTheWorld.org
Subject: Feasting an Peace July 20th - An NVC Picnic in Central Park - in NYC!

Dear Friends,

We, The World, along with other peace-making organizations, is excited to co-sponsor this first Feasting on Peace summer picnic of Brooklyn NVC at the Ross Pinetum area in Central Park! (see directions below)

Come meet with others who care about peace making and learn peace-making skills in a fun, sociable and relaxed environment—all while enjoying a beautiful, shaded area of the park. Please invite your friends and family–the Picnic is FREE and all ages welcome!

Feasting on Peace will feature:
• The NVC Empathy Labyrinth
• The Hungry March Band,
• Dances of Universal Peace
• An old fashioned “Cake Walk” with NVC materials with peace-making prizes and desserts
• Food, games, and more—to be announced!
(Beverages and dessert provided; please bring your own lunch and/or dish to share.)

Directions: Take the C or B train up to 86th Street and Central Park West. Walk one block down to 85th and enter the park. Follow the left lane for about 5 minutes. You will find a sign “Great Lawn”. Cross the street, keep a little left and follow the small path to your right. The Arthur Ross Pinetum is just north of the Great Lawn.

Event Co-Sponsors include: Brooklyn For Peace, New Yorkers for a Dept. of Peace, We, The World, Center for Alternative Health, LaGuardia Community College/CUNY, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows.

Please join us Sunday and let your family and friends know too!

For more info, and to find out about other exciting Brooklyn NVC events starting this weekend, see www.BrooklynNVC.org or contact  info at BrooklynNVC.org, 718.797.9525 or 917.838.0179

These and many other events coming up are listed on www.GlobalUnityCalendar.org .

If you or your friends are in NYC Sunday, I hope to see you there!

Rick Ulfik
Director
We, The World
www.WeTheWorld.org