6 October 2008: The Division for Sustainable Development (DSD), UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), and the

Government of China have announced the "Beijing High-Level Conference on Climate Change: Technology Development and Technology Transfer," which will take place on 7-8 November 2008. This invitation-only Conference will focus on four main areas: the current status and development potential of energy, and other climate-related technologies; the current status and trends in technology transfer; barriers to technology transfer; and policy options and possible new mechanisms to enhance international cooperation and technology transfer to developing countries under the UNFCCC.

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6 October 2008: Top UN officials marked World Habitat Day by

drawing attention to the need to raise awareness of the problems of rapid

urbanization, its impact on the environment and the challenges of rising urban

poverty. The UN has designated the first Monday in October each year as World

Habitat Day, to reflect on the state of towns and cities and the basic right to

adequate shelter for all. This year, Luanda, Angola, led the observance of the

celebration, which focused on the theme “Harmonious Cities.”

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3 October 2008: This UN Conference on Trade and Development publication reviews biofuel certification schemes that are already in place or are being developed, including: benefits and drawbacks of such schemes; implications for developing countries; and possible ramifications of certification in the context of the World Trade Organization.

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3 October 2008: The Marine Environment Protection Committee

of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is meeting in London, UK, for

its 58th session, from 6-10 October 2008. During the meeting, the Committee

will continue its work on developing a mandatory regime to control greenhouse

gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping.

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3 October 2008: The seventh European Conference on Applied

Climatology and the eighth Annual Meeting of the European Meteorological

Society were held jointly from 29 September–3 October 2008, in Amsterdam, the

Netherlands.

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October 2008: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFRPI) has published three essays addressing critical questions regarding policy responses to the current food crisis. The essays by Joachim von Braun, IFPRI Director General, Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and Namanga Ngongi, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), point to the dangers and pitfalls of misguided policies, but also to the potential opportunities for responding in a way that prevents future crises and ensures food security in the long term. In addition to the most pressing questions of delivering immediate relief to populations affected by hunger and the strategic issues of the long-term stabilization of food production and food markets, the essays also address impacts of current biofuel policies and climate change on agriculture.

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3 October 2008: During a meeting with UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner, at UNEP's headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, German Federal Minister for the Environment Sigmar Gabriel announced that his country will increase its funding for the organization's work on clean energy and climate proofing vulnerable economies.

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3 October 2008: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation

and Development (OECD) is co-organizing with the province and the city of

Milan, a Conference on Cities and Climate Change, which is scheduled to convene

from 9-10 October 2008, in Milan, Italy.

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3 October 2008: In accordance with Decision IX/1 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the

CBD Secretariat has invited parties, other governments and relevant

organizations to supply information on various aspects of agricultural

biodiversity conservation, including lessons learned about the conservation and

sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity, for consideration in climate

change adaptation and mitigation planning and cross-sectoral planning in

agricultural areas.

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2 October 2008: The World Bank has announced an 87% increase in funding for renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) projects and programmes in developing countries in the past fiscal year.

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