Biodiversity and the Bottom Line

The Natural Value Initiative, a collaboration between Fauna & Flora International and the UNEP Finance Initiative recently launched a new report titled: Tread Lightly exploring the risk and opportunity management of the extractive sector in regards to biodiversity and ecosystem services.

UNEP: Ogoniland Oil Assessment

UNEP has released the findings of its 14-month environmental assessment of Ogoniland (Nigeria), which reports serious threats to human health due to soil and groundwater contamination by oil and issues recommendations for restoring the environment. It is estimated that countering and cleaning up the pollution and catalyzing a sustainable recovery of Ogoniland could take 25-30 years. Accordingly, sources of ongoing contamination must be addressed prior to the clean-up of the creeks, sediments and mangroves. It is recommended to establish three new institutions in Nigeria to support the environmental restoration exercise, including: an Ogoniland Environmental Restoration Authority, to implement the study's recommendations; an Integrated Contaminated Soil Management Centre, to treat contaminated soil; and a Centre of Excellence in Environmental Restoration, to promote learning and offer benefits to other communities impacted by oil contamination.

USA: Oils Spills and Criminal vs. Civil Violations

In the wake of a number of recent onshore oil spills in the United States and the fact that the number of crude and refined oil pipelines continues to expand in the US, an article titled: If polluting was a criminal offense, would it happen as much? recently appeared in High Country News. Citing US Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood's current proposal for the "Pipeline Safety Action Plan" and the Environmental Crimes Enforcement Act of 2011 (S. 350) pending before Congress; the author concludes that there is need for guidance and further legislation to be developed to determine when it is appropriate to use criminal enforcement to deter offenders.

Auditors and Sustainable Development

Sha Zukang, UN Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, speaking at the 21st session of the UN International Organziation of Supreme Audit Insitutions (SAIs), pointed out that these institutions, which promote sound financial management and overall accountability, are part of the solution to global problems. He highlighted the global problems of ocean damage, water scarcity, and food and oil prices and said, “without good governance, sustainable development will not be sustained,”

See the MEA Bulletin Guest Article, "Improving MEA Compliance: the Role of National Audit Offices," by Vivien Lo for further reading.

Virunga National Park: DRC abandons plans for oil extraction

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has announced that the Government will abandon all plans for oil exploitation within this Virunga National Park. The decision was announced following the commitments made in the Kinshasa Declaration, which was signed on 14 January. [UNESCO Press Release] [World Heritage Webpage for the Park]