BASIC and Climate Change

Ministers from Brazil, China, India and South Africa (BASIC) concluded their 11th Meeting on Climate Change with the adoption of a joint statement. Therein, leaders reiterate their commitment to a successful outcome of UNFCCC/COP-18, reaffirm the UNCSD (Rio+20) outcome document, as well as the outcome from UNFCCC/COP-17. Furthermore, the statement expresses concerns over the inclusion of international aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), and the planned unilateral inclusion of other sectors, noting that this apporach "undermines confidence and weakens efforts to tackle climate change on a multilateral basis."
 
BASIC Joint Statement

Declaration: Global Framework on Climate Services

The African Union Commission (AUC), African regional economic communities and Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) have declared their support for the Global Framework on Climate Services (GFCS), a UN initiative spearheaded by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) which aims to strengthen and expand the provision of climate services.

The Addis Ababa Declaration of Support for the Global Framework on Climate (GFCS) recognizes that the GFCS will, among other things:
- enable better management of the risks of climate variability and change;
- help African institutions gain better access to knowledge and technologies for climate monitoring, prediction and projection; and
- facilitate synergies and harmonization between existing and upcoming climate-related projects in Africa.

World Water Forum Declaration

The 6th World Water Forum concluded with adoption of the Marseille Ministerial Declaration. Among reiterating commitment to the UN/MDGs and recognizing the need to build resilience to climate change and variability through integrated land and water resources management, the Declaration calls for the following priorities to be addressed, in particular at UNCSD,(Rio+20): - accelerating the implementation of "human right obligations" relating to access to safe drinking water and sanitation;
- interlinking water, energy, and food security to ensure policy coherence to avoid adverse consequences; and
- incorporating water in all its economic, social and environmental dimensions in a framework of governance, financing and cooperation.

Global Forest Loss

FAO and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation have published a report titled "Mountain Forests in a Changing World" bringing attention to the threats to mountain forests including increasing temperatures and wildfires, population growth and food and fuel insecurity. It also calls on national policymakers to take the protection of mountain forests into account and integrate these concerns into climate change mitigation and adaptation policies.

UNFCCC/COP-17

After extended weekend negotiations, COP-17 concluded with the adoption of the "Durban Platform," a set of decisions that lay the ground for adopting a legal agreement on climate change as soon as possible, and no later than 2015.

All decisions

FAO: Climate Change and Wildlife

Focusing on tropical terrestrial wildlife and habitats, this report notes that the biodiversity crisis is likely to be made worse by climate change and explores issues related to:
- ecosystem change;
- species interactions;
- human-wildlife conflicts;
- wildland fires; and
- health and diseases.

As potential mitigating factors, it highlights goals related to:
- maintaining current ecosystems;
- adaptive management;
- restoring ecosystems; and
- landscape approaches.

The paper also calls for developing and communicating information on the value of species and ecosystems to humanity, describes the role of protected areas, and discusses mainstreaming biodiversity needs.

Publication: Wildlife in a Changing Climate

CMS/COP-10 Outcomes

Delegates to COP-10 adopted 27 resolutions, including on: synergies and partnerships; the future shape of the CMS; budget; enhanced engagement with the Global Environment Facility (GEF); and climate change and migratory species.

UNCTAD: Climate Change and Ports

The Ad Hoc Expert Meeting on "Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation: A Challenge for Global Ports Building" has published its main outcomes and summary of discussions. The event builds on related activities carried out by the UNCTAD secretariat, including the first session of the Multi-year Expert Meeting on Transport and Trade Facilitation in 2009 with a focus on "Maritime Transport and the Climate Change Challenge", and a Joint UNECE-UNCTAD Workshop on "Climate Change Impacts on International Transport Networks" in 2010.

Agrobiodiversity and Law: Regulating Genetic Resources, Food Security and Cultural Diversity

This new book analyzes the impact of the legal system on agrobiodiversity and the emergence of the concept and its relationship with food security, nutrition, health, environmental sustainability and climate change. It assesses the impacts of key legal instruments, discussing the interface between the free software movement, the 'commons' movement and seeds, and the role of protected areas.

Food Security and Climate Change

The Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change, an independent commission of scientists, has released a summary for policy makers, including a set of seven recommendations calling, inter alia, for significantly raising global investments in sustainable agriculture, intensifying agricultural production on existing land base while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and reducing losses and waste in the food system.

UN and ASEAN: Joint Declaration

On occassion of the 4th ASEAN-UN Summit, the organizations concluded a Joint Declaration on a Comprehensive Partnership including sections on: food and energy security; climate change; disaster risk reduction; and economy and development.

UN/S-G Adresses REDD+

Speaking at a news conference in Indonesia, Ban Ki-Moon stated that, while REDD+ is a win-win-win situation for local communities, Indonesia and the world, it is no substitute for deep greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in developed countries.
Full Statement

UNESCO: Biosphere Reserves and Climate Change

The proceedings of the high-level international conference titled "For life, for the future - Biosphere reserves and climate change," are now available. In the outcome document, the "Dresden Declaration," participants call for closer links among climate change mitigation and adaptation, poverty alleviation and the conservation of biological diversity. The Declaration was endorsed in November 2011 by the UNESCO General Conference.

Mountain Partnership Holds Regional Meetings

Experts from Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Mongolia and Tajikistan recently convened at a meeting on "Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation and Development in Mountain Regions" exploring how best to address evidence of climate change impacts on mountain regions in international discussions. Participants highlighted impacts on agriculture, stressing that the climate change negotiations do not adequately consider mountain ecosystems and populations and identified priority challenges and strategic actions related to:
- branding and better communicating the global importance of Central Asian mountains;
- advocating for mountain states to act as one;
- consideration of a variety of renewable energy sources including the advantages and disadvantages of hydropower;
- sustainable use and management of water resources;
- collection of monitoring data and strengthening networks;
- efforts to combat forest degradation;
- identifying appropriate financial mechanisms for climate adaptation;
- improvement of grazing areas; and
- risk prevention of natural disasters.

The meeting is part of a series of three regional meetings on adaptation and development in mountain regions hosted by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat. The meeting for the Latin American region was held in Chile in October 2011, and the meeting for the African region will be held in Mbale (Uganda) from 16-18 November 2011.

Mountain Partnership Meeting Website

41st GEF Council

Meeting from 8-10 November, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council approved its work programme for the next year and initiated the search for a new CEO. The work programme includes 40 project concepts and nine programmatic approaches amounting to US$516.40 million, including 11 for the biodiversity focal area, eight on climate change, two on international waters, 23 on land degradation, and five on persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
Among administrative decisions, the Council evaluated administrative fees, expenses and project management costs and decided to establish a group of donors and recipients to prepare a proposal to reduce the total cost of the fee structure of GEF projects for the next Council meeting. The Council also approved minimum standards on environmental and social safeguards for GEF Agencies.

Members also discussed strengthening relationships with other conventions and adopted a decision asking the Secretariat to organize a meeting of biodiversity-related conventions with the Secretariat of CBD to facilitate the coordination of their priorities for inclusion in the GEF-6 programming strategy.

Chair's Summary
41st GEF Council Meeting Website

Forest Sector and Climate Change

FAO and the National Forest Programme Facility have released a publication titled, "Climate Change for Policy-Makers: An approach for integrating climate change in forest programmes in support of sustainable forest management." The aim is to assist senior officials in government administrations and representatives of other stakeholders in preparing the forest sector for the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change. 

Tropical Fisheries and Climate Change

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) has released a publication titled “Vulnerability of Tropical Pacific Fisheries and Aquaculture to Climate Change," with contributions from 88 international scientists and fisheries specialists and a final chapter setting out possible adaptation strategies.

2011 Human Development Report

Titled "Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All,” the new report from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) highlights that equity and sustainability are inextricably linked and that if bold actions are not taken, environmental damage, including climate change effects, can slow or reverse development progress made in recent years. Among the findings, it also forecasts that inaction to curb environmental degradation could impact food prices and reverse development efforts, whil noting that half of all malnutrition in the word is due to environmental factors, such as water pollution.

UN/GA: 2nd Committee on Sustainable Development

The 2nd Committee concluded its general discussion on sustainable development (Agenda item 19), which covered sub-items including:- Implementation of Agenda 21 and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD);
- follow-up to and implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation (MSI) of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS;
- International Strategy for Disaster Reduction;
- protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankind;
- implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD);
- the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD);
- the report of the Governing Council of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on its 11th special session;
- Harmony with Nature;
- sustainable mountain development; and
- promotion of new and renewable sources of energy (sub-items (a)-(j)).

The Committee will meet on 10 November 2011 to begin consideration of draft texts on these issues.

UN Press Release on Introductory Session, 31 October
UN Summary, 31 October
UN Summary, 1 November
UN Summary, 3 November
Draft Texts under Consideration

UN/GA Second Committee: General Discussions

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the UN General Assembly (UN/GA) has concluded its general discussion on sustainable development (Agenda item 19) covering ten sub-items, including on small island developing States (SIDS), climate change, disaster reduction, desertification, biodiversity, renewable energy, and implementation of Agenda 21. The Committee will meet on 10 November 2011 to begin consideration of draft texts on these issues.

Statement of UNGA President
Statement of Sha Zukang, Introducing UN Secretary-General's Reports
UN Summary, 31 October
UN Summary, 1 November
UN Summary, 3 November
Draft Texts under Consideration