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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on March 11th, 2010 State of the Planet, March 25, 2010.
From The Earth Institute, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Thursday, March 25, 2010 - 8:30am-5:30pm EDT Beijing, London, Nairobi, New Delhi, New York, via live links/webcast New York site: Lerner Hall, Columbia University, 115 St/Broadway —————–
Webcast/event site: http://www.stateoftheplanet.org/ —————
The State of the Planet conference, held every two years, brings together insights on critical issues from the world’s most influential thinkers and leaders. This year, the Earth Institute, The Economist and Ericsson join forces to bring the conversation to the global community. With broadband access enabled by Ericsson, live events in five cities will be brought together in real time, moderated by Economist journalists. Viewers at home can participate via interactive online tools and discussion boards. Four major topics are on the table: the science and politics of climate change; healing the world economy in an environmentally sustainable way; the ongoing challenge of ending extreme poverty; and how we can build and strengthen international systems able to deal with continuing crises that span borders. Speakers include: UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon; President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa of Mexico; Prince Albert II of Monaco; Sanjeev Chadha, CEO of Pepsico India; Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Programme; Xu Jintao, head of the environmental economics program, Peking University; and many others. Moderator: Al Jazeera journalist Riz Khan. Hosts of the event are: Earth Institute director Jeffrey D. Sachs; Ericsson president and CEO Hans Vestberg; and Matthew Bishop, American business editor and New York bureau chief of The Economist.
New York press registration/info: Kevin Krajick kkrajick@ei.columbia.edu 212-854-9729 Beijing: brookings@tsinghua.edu.cn Nairobi: Nick Nuttall nick.nuttall@unep.org New Delhi: Abhijit Sinha Abhijit.sinha@teri.res.in
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DRAFT AGENDA – New York, NY March 25, 2010 8:30 a.m. EDT Video Introduction Welcome and Introduction by Event Hosts:
Introduction of Global Sites: Riz Khan, Al Jazeera English (Master of Ceremonies). 8:55 a.m. EDT SESSION I: CLIMATE CHANGE – What Would It Take to Complete the Climate Deal? In recent months, the world saw failed negotiations in Copenhagen, attacks on the validity of reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and calls from politicians to open criminal investigations into climate science. In this context, discussion is likely to go beyond “completion” of a climate deal to delve into the true state of our knowledge; how the world perceives it; and whether, and how, the world can move forward toward real action on climate change. New York Event Site Host: The Earth Institute, Columbia University Moderator: Matthew Bishop, American Business Editor and New York Bureau Chief, The Economist
Beijing Event Site Host: Brookings Institution, Tshingua University Moderator: James Miles, China Correspondent, The Economist Panelists:
Monaco – HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco New Delhi – Event Site Host: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Moderator: Simon Cox, Correspondent, The Economist Panelist:
10:30 a.m. EDT Break ——————- 10:45 a.m. EDT SESSION II: POVERTY – How Do We Achieve the Millennium Development Goals? Only five years remain until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, the world’s agreed-upon targets to end extreme poverty and fight hunger and disease. This year is pivotal. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on world leaders to attend a summit in New York September 20-22, to boost progress toward the MDGs and agree on a plan of action to achieve them. The prospect of falling short of the goals due to lack of commitment is real, but achieving the MDGs remains feasible with adequate commitment, policies, resources and effort. New York Event Site Host: The Earth Institute, Columbia University Moderator: Matthew Bishop, American Business Editor and New York Bureau Chief, The Economist Panelists:
Nairobi (Special Focus: Is Green Growth the Answer for Africa?) Event Site Host: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Moderator: Jonathan Ledgard, Correspondent, The Economist Panelists:
—————— 12:15 p.m. EDT Lunch 1:30 p.m. EDT Keynote Address President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, Mexico (speaking from Mexico City) —————- 1:58 p.m. EDT SESSION III: ECONOMIC RECOVERY – What Does a Green Recovery Look Like? This session will deal with two colliding questions. First: How do we haul the world out of the current economic recession? Second: Given that economic activity helps drive environmental degradation, how do we make a recovery environmentally sustainable? Discussion may start with shorter-term questions of money and finance, but will quickly move on to longer-term ones on how the world economy fits in with the usage or conservation of natural resources; systems of energy generation, old and new; and the survival or fall of natural ecosystems. New York Event Site Host: The Earth Institute, Columbia University Moderator: Riz Khan, Host of the Riz Khan Show, Al Jazeera English
London Event Site Host: The Economist Moderator: John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief, The Economist, London —————- 3:55 p.m. EDT SESSION IV: How Can an International System Be Built To Deal with Transnational Issues?
4:00 p.m. EDT Keynote Address Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General The challenges of sustainable development—whether heading off climate change, fighting extreme poverty, stabilizing populations, or ensuring adequate water supplies for human use and crops—must all harness actions from a wide array of institutions. Gaining cooperation among the many stakeholders involved is the toughest challenge of all. In the countdown to achieving the MDGs by 2015, and in the midst of a global economic crisis, the need to strengthen global cooperation has become an emergency rather than simply a matter of urgency. Strengthening global partnerships in the areas of aid, trade, debt relief, and access to affordable medicines and new technologies is critical to prevent a decline in development. New York Event Site Host: The Earth Institute, Columbia University Moderator: Riz Khan, Host of the Riz Khan Show, Al Jazeera English Panelists:
——————- 5:17 p.m. EDT Wrap-Up: Jeffrey D. Sachs, Hans Vestberg and Matthew Bishop ———————————————————————————————————————————————– MORE INFORMATION:
Kevin Krajick, The Earth Institute Dayna De Simone, The Economist Ericsson Corporate Public & Media Relations Phone: +46 10 719 69 92 The Earth Institute, Columbia University mobilizes the sciences, education and public policy to achieve a sustainable earth. Through interdisciplinary research among more than 500 scientists in diverse fields, the Institute is adding to the knowledge necessary for addressing the challenges of the 21st century and beyond. With over two dozen associated degree curricula and a vibrant fellowship program, the Earth Institute is educating new leaders to become professionals and scholars in the growing field of sustainable development. We work alongside governments, businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals to devise innovative strategies to protect the future of our planet.
The Economist, edited in London since 1843, is a weekly international news and business publication offering clear reporting, commentary and analysis on world politics, business, finance, science, technology, culture, society, media and the arts. The Economist has a North American circulation of 813,000, a global circulation of more than 1.4 million and 4 million monthly unique visitors at The Economist online. Because of its international editorial perspective, it is read by more of the world’s political and business leaders than any other magazine. Ericsson is a world-leading provider of telecommunications equipment and related services to mobile and fixed network operators globally. Over 1,000 networks in more than 175 countries utilize its network equipment, and 40 percent of all mobile calls are made through its systems. It is one of the few companies worldwide that can offer end-to-end solutions for all major mobile communication standards. Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the “prime driver in an all-communicating world” through innovation, technology and sustainable business solutions. More than 80,000 employees around the world generated revenue of SEK 206.5 billion (USD 27.1 billion) in 2009. Founded in 1876, with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX NASDAQ, Stockholm and NASD Permalink |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on May 6th, 2009 Maldives Join the Climate Neutral Network with a Pledge to Become World’s First Carbon Neutral Nation This follows the announcement by Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed earlier this year to make the Indian Ocean island nation the world’s first carbon neutral country in just 10 years’ time, by 2019. This ambitious objective will be achieved by fully switching to renewable sources of energy such as solar panels and wind turbines, investments in other new technologies, and sharing of best practices. President Nasheed declared that “the Maldives will no longer be a net contributor to greenhouse gas emissions”. “Climate change isn’t a vague and abstract danger but a real threat to our survival. But climate change not only threatens the Maldives, it threatens us all”, he added. No part of the Maldives’ 1,200 tropical coral islets rises more than six feet (1.8 meters) above sea level, leaving the 400,000 inhabitants at great risk of rising sea levels and storm surges. As part of coping with the effects of climate change, the Maldives Government focuses on coastal zone protection, land use management and protection of critical infrastructure. The Maldives has become the seventh country to join the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), a UNEP initiative launched in February 2008 to promote global transition to low-carbon economies and societies which also includes cities, regions, companies and organizations. The other six nations that have pledged to move towards climate neutrality and joined the CN Net are Costa Rica, Iceland, Monaco, New Zealand, Niue and Norway. Welcoming the Republic of Maldives on board the CN Net, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner stated that: “Climate neutrality is not just a developed nations’ concern, nor is it their prerogative. Developing nations such as Maldives can indeed leapfrog by embracing the low-carbon development model, which will assist in greening their economies and weathering both climatic and economic storms.” “When the most climate change vulnerable nations display leadership in addressing the cause of the problem which they had very little to contribute to, there is no excuse for others not to act. The global community of nations can and must express its commitment to protecting the planet and powering green growth by sealing an ambitious climate deal at this year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen”, he concluded. For more information, contact: At the Government of the Republic of Maldives: Ahmed Saleem, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Transport and Environment, Tel: 3331695, Fax: 3331694, or e-mail: saleem at meew.gov.mv, internet: http://www.environment.gov.mv/ At UNEP: Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson and Head of Media, on Tel: +254-20-762-3084, Mobile: +254-733-632755, or when traveling: +41-79-596-5737, or e-mail: nick.nuttall at unep.org Or: Xenya Cherny Scanlon, Information Officer, Climate Neutral Network, on Tel: +254- 20-762-4387, Mobile: +254-721-847-563, or e-mail: xenya.scanlon at unep.org; internet: http://www.unep.org/climateneutral *********************************** ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on February 21st, 2008 From the own UN_NEWS Wire: SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES MINISTERS TO USHER IN NEW ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed to environment ministers from around the world to usher in a “new generation” of solutions to climate change. “You can help us meet the crucial challenge of mobilizing finance to meet the climate challenge,” he said in a video message to more than 100 ministers in Monaco at the start of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum sponsored by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Today, Mr. Ban called on the participants at the three-day Monaco conference – also includes business leaders, economists, scientists and local government officials, among others – to press ahead with forging a post-Kyoto agreement. The negotiations process is scheduled to wrap up next year at a major summit in Copenhagen, Denmark. “Achieving a deal there is my priority, and that of the entire UN family,” said the Secretary-General, who has made tackling climate change a top priority. “We must sustain the momentum, including through practical actions now.” CLIMATE CHANGE RESULTING IN SHIFT TO ‘GREEN’ ECONOMIES, SAYS UNEP AGENCY. More and more companies are embracing environmentally-friendly policies and investors are pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into cleaner and renewable energies, according to a new publication released today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). While the impacts of climate change range from the melting of permafrost and glaciers to extreme weather events, UNEP’s Year Book 2008 shows that it is also causing a shift in the mind-sets, policies and actions of leaders of governments, companies and the UN itself. “Increasingly, combating climate change is being perceived as an opportunity rather than a burden and a path to a new kind of prosperity as opposed to a brake on profits and employment,” according to the new report. The emerging ‘green’ economy is also credited with driving invention and innovation on a scale not seen since perhaps the industrial revolution. UNEP’s Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum, which is focusing on the theme “Mobilizing Finance for the Climate Challenge,” brings together ministers as well as representatives of business, organized labour, science and civil society. He added that “designing an attractive, creative and equitable investment landscape which rewards those willing to invest in tomorrow’s economy today is the challenge before ministers here in Monaco and the challenge for the international community over the next two years.”
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on February 20th, 2008 From: sniffenj at un.org UNEP PRESS RELEASE
10th Special Session of UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum, Monaco, 20-22 February, 2008. Climate change, as documented in the Year Book, is increasingly changing But it is also beginning to change the mind-sets, policies and actions of Increasingly, combating climate change is being perceived as an opportunity The UNEP Year Book 2008 says the emerging “Green Economy” is also driving —————–
“Based on technology used in fish tank filters and developed by scientists Meanwhile, scientists in Iceland and elsewhere are looking at injecting CO2 Similar “sequestration rocks” exist in geological formations across much of ————– Elsewhere, scientists are helping to unravel both the uncertainties and the As a greenhouse gas methane is 25 times more potent than CO2 so the At the same time methane hydrates are potentially large stockpiles of ———— Despite a great deal of activity and action, formidable challenges remain Barriers include subsidies that favour fossil fuels over cleaner energies; The Year Book’s findings were presented today at the opening of the largest The Road Map is the climate negotiation agreement scheduled to be completed The Ministers, joined by senior figures from the worlds of business, Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, “Formidable hurdles remain as to whether these funds will ultimately seek “Designing an attractive, creative and equitable investment landscape which “However, I am optimistic that we can shift gears to a ‘Green Economy’. If Some Key Findings: Responsible Investing Takes Off:
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting including environmental * The Investor Network on Climate Change, launched in November 2003, now * The Principles for Responsible Investment, jointly facilitated by UNEP’s Many companies now perceive that “going green” also improves their bottom A survey of companies in six sectors—ranging from mining and energy to food Over 70 per cent out perform their peers in similar sectors, the Year Book Meanwhile, a survey of some 150 companies with CSR strategies in the United Cutting greenhouse gas emissions and boosting energy efficiency ranked Bottom of the list are “making shipping and transport more efficient and Industrial Emission Reductions Remain Mixed: Disclosure is seen as one powerful route towards companies taking The Project, aimed also at empowering shareholders to better understand the * Close to 80 per cent of the Financial Times 500 corporations are * Over three quarters of those who are disclosing such information are now Interestingly, the highest rate of achievement in terms of carbon A survey by Innovest, a research company whose findings are in the report, These include electric power companies in North America; international But other sectors appear to be either treading water or seeing emissions
Carbon Markets: These include International Emissions Trading; Joint Implementation and the The CDM allows industrialized countries to offset some of their domestic As of November 2007, over 850 projects had been registered in close to 50 A further $1.4 billion are in the pipeline and the CDM could, if fully A recent survey of the CDM, published in the Year Book, indicates that * Reductions in the nitrous oxide gas adipic acid, 10 per cent The Year Book also chronicles the rise of voluntary emission reduction The Chicago Exchange now has over 330 companies, cities, states and other Since 2003, the volume of carbon traded has risen from zero to around 20 For example, participants in the Chicago Exchange can invest in reducing The voluntary Over the Counter offsets market is also evolving after “Schemes are emerging to guarantee to purchasers that carbon offsets The Voluntary Carbon Standard was introduced in November 2007 and is The latest figures indicates that the total voluntary carbon market was, in This compares with close to $30 billion from the formal Kyoto markets and Payments for Ecosystem Services: Some countries and communities are already pursuing these multiple goals The Year Book cites the case of the Grupo Ecologico Sierra Gorda and the A similar sale is the final stages to the World Land Trust, a UK-based These developments are also underlined by a project funded by the The project has involved training people on hand-held Geographic Each village forest was found to be sequestering 1,300 tonnes of carbon per By bundling in the added value of water and biodiversity conservation, the The chance to realize such incomes is becoming a growing possibility. Late A further development emerged at the Bali Climate Convention meeting in Adapting Insurance to Vulnerability: Extreme weather events are on the rise and are likely to become more The Year Book cites a new study by Munich Re, one of the world’s leading “Of the 2.5 billion people world-wide who have less than $2 a day at their Some developments are underway however, including micro-insurance. In * For example, the UN’s World Food Programme has partnered with the * Swiss Re, a member of the UNEP Finance Initiative, has launched a Climate
Some of the measures that Governments might wish to consider include: Subsidies: Research and Development (R+D): * In order to achieve a C02 stabilization target of 550 parts per million, Energy Savings: * These should be supported by policies including stronger energy savings * Other measures include the promotion of utility pricing that favours Renewables: * Government agencies and donors need to develop and deploy new forms of * New approaches are needed to assist small- to medium-sized enterprises * Attention needs to be paid to new financial and regulatory solutions that * Harnessing the “green procurement” potential of local authorities through Adaptation: * Other actions for adaptation include regulations to limit the Notes to Editors: The theme is Globalization and the Environment–Mobilizing Finance to Meet The meeting was preceded on 19 February by the 9th Global Civil Society The Host Country Monaco’s web site is available at —————-
20 February-Findings from the UNEP Year Book 2008 and findings from “Green 21 February—Launch of a new Climate Neutrality Initiative involving 22 February—Launch of a new report on the “Threats Climate Change Pose to Side events—Nine news-worthy and informative side-events are scheduled Thursday, 21 February Friday 22 February ——————– Mr. François Chantrait, Directeur. Centre de Presse, 10 Quai Antoine 1er, *********************************** ### |
