8 February 2013: The February 2013 edition of the newsletter of the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) highlights the launch of the REN21 Renewables Global Futures Report (GFR) and the Executive Summary of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Status Report, while also reporting on activities from REN21 partner organizations.
The integrated event of Seventh Regional EST Forum in Asia and Global Consultation on Sustainable Transport in the post-2015 Development Agenda will be held on 23‐25 April 2013 in Bali, Indonesia. The Regional EST Forum, under the theme of “Next Generation Transport System We Want for 21st Century~ Looking Beyond Rio+20”, will discuss and share the progress and achievements made by the countries towards achieving the goals under the Bangkok 2020 Declarations and will address EST in the context of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) outcome ‐ "The Future We Want". The Seventh EST Forum is expected to address, inter alia: EST in the Context of Rio+20 outcome and the post-2015 development agenda; Non‐Motorized Transport (NMT), road safety and social equity; promotion of Public Bicycle Schemes; full Integration of Public Transport Modes; Intelligent Transport System: A Vision of 21st Century Cities; regional connectivity (intra‐region, rural‐urban linkage, etc.) for sustainable development; building resilient transport infrastructure and services through EST Measures; financing Needs of Next Generation Sustainable Transport Systems for the 21st Century; Institutional Arrangements in Realizing Next Generation Sustainable Transport Systems for the 21st Century; Contribution of Railways towards realizing EST and sustainable development in post Rio+20 development; the contribution towards realizing EST in Asia by the Rio+20 $175 billion voluntary commitment for more sustainable transport by eight multilateral development banks as well as other voluntary commitments on sustainable transport; greenways initiative for converting road space into leaner parks and high quality pedestrian areas; and discussion on a Regional Agreement on Green freight in Asia.
Convened by the Network of Women Ministers and Leaders for Environment, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), this meeting will immediately precede the 27th Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministers Environment Forum (GC/GMEF 27). The one-day meeting will include panel discussions on: environment and gender in post-2015 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); climate change and gender; and the impact of harmful substances on health.
6 February 2013: The 2013 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum was held on the theme “resilient dynamism” and focused on three pillars: leading through adversity; strengthening societal resilience; and restoring economic dynamism.
31 January 2013: In a lecture titled “Empowered Lives; Resilient Nations: Why Health Matters to Human Development,” UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark called for broad, innovative partnerships between development and health practitioners to achieve global health goals.
December 2012: The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) has released a report, titled “The Impact of Climate Change on Urban Settlements in Colombia,” which finds that the poor face greater exposure to climate change. It stresses that urban adaptation policy has been neglected in Colombia, which has not mainstreamed adaptation in its national policies.
1 February 13: The Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners have launched the report "The Economics of Ecosystem and Biodiversity (TEEB) for Water and Wetlands." The report urges a major shift in attitudes towards wetlands, to recognize their value in delivering water, raw materials and food, as well as their role in maintaining people's livelihoods and the sustainability of the world's economies.
24 January 2013: The 6th EU-Brazil Summit discussed a range of issues for cooperation between the EU and Brazil, including the outcomes of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) and the Doha Climate Change Conference, as well as renewal of the EU-Brazil strategic partnership.
The 36th Session of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will focus on the theme "The power of partnerships in advancing smallholder agriculture in developing countries". Partnerships serve smallholder farmers in many ways from expanding their operations cost-effectively to providing access to knowledge, research and technology.
28 January 2013: The 20th session of the African Union (AU) Summit met from 21-28 January 2013, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the theme of “Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance.” Heads of State from 37 countries discussed a range of issues, including peace and security, maternal health, poverty, malaria, climate change, and the post-2015 development agenda.
| Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) |
|
| Conference Reporting Services (CRS) |
