December 2008: The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) presented a submission, titled Use of biochar (charcoal) to replenish soil carbon pools, restore soil fertility and sequester carbon dioxide, to the fourth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA4), which convened in Poznań, Poland, from 1-10 December 2008.
15 December 2008: Joel Boutroe, UN Humanitarian Coordinator/Resident Coordinator for Haiti, delivered a statement on behalf of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a seminar on Climate Change and the Environment, which convened in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on 13 December 2008. In the statement, Ban noted the urgent need “to come together as a global community” to find common solutions to common problems such as climate change.
15 December: The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has announced that the 2009 Global Forum on Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency will be hosted by the Government of Mexico in the last quarter of 2009.
15 December 2008: The Adaptation Fund Board (AFB) is holding its fourth meeting from 15-17 December 2008, at the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany. The Adaptation Fund was established by the parties to the Kyoto Protocol of the UNFCCC to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries that are parties to the Kyoto Protocol. The Fund will be financed with 2% of the Certified Emission Reductions issued for projects of the Clean Development Mechanism and with funds from other sources.
15 December 2008: Speaking at a meeting of the UN General Assembly on the “follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit: specific meeting focused on development,” taking place in New York, US, on 15 December 2008, UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro warned that the food, fuel and financial crises threaten to undo poverty reduction efforts.
15 December 2008: During a meeting of the Global Compact Board, which took place in New York, US on 15 December 2008, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the importance for the private sector to take a leading role in addressing the financial crisis.
15 December 2008: Speaking at the conference on “Water for Agriculture and Energy in Africa: The Challenges of Climate Change,” taking place in Sirte, Libya, from 15-17 December 2008, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf stressed the importance of water management for food security. During the event, ministers from 53 African countries will consider a “Blue Revolution” programme designed to harness Africa's largely untapped water resources.
13 December 2008: The UN Climate Change Conference concluded early in the morning on 13 December 2008, in Poznań, Poland, with a clear commitment from governments to shift into full negotiating mode next year in order to shape an international response to climate change.
11 December 2008: The European Council met in Brussels, Belgium, from 11-12 December 2008, and reached agreement on an energy and climate change package. It is anticipated that the package will be finalized with the European Parliament by the end of 2008.
10 December 2008: The 14th Senior Officials Meeting of the Environment Management Group (EMG) convened on 10 December 2008, in Poznań, Poland. Participants discussed: implementation of the 2007 commitment by the Chief Executives Board on moving towards a climate-neutral UN, including the development of a Climate Neutral Knowledge Management website that will document individual agency's greenhouse gas emissions and reductions; the cost implications and budgetary modalities of purchasing carbon offsets; and future EMG work, including a possible strategic process and the strategy for implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the 2010 biodiversity targets.
| Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) |
|
| Conference Reporting Services (CRS) |
