Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
UNEP Releases Green Economy and MDGs Brief
UNEP Releases Green Economy and MDGs Brief
20 September 2010: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released "A Brief for Policymakers on the Green Economy and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," which concludes that investment in clean energy, sustainable transport, forests and environmentally-friendly agriculture is essential to meet the MDGs.The report was launched at the UN Summit on the MDGs, convening at UN Headquarters in New York, US, from 20-22 September 2010. The report cites several cases where green strategies have paid multiple dividends in respect to achieving the eight MDGs. Case studies include: China’s energy policy, which has fuelled a rise in renewable energy manufacturing and installation; and Nepal’s reversal of 1990s deforestation rates through community-based policies, including setting harvesting rules, product prices and the sharing of profits.
The report also concludes that investing and re-investing in forests would assist in meeting the aforementioned MDGs, and also in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked with deforestation. According to the report providing clean energy underpins the success of many of the Goals, directly in terms of sustainable development, and indirectly if climate change is left unaddressed. The report also recommends subsidies be redirected from fossil fuels to renewable energy technologies, suggesting this would trigger new kinds of employment, faster access to electricity and greater social equity. [UNEP Press Release] [UNEP Brief for Policymakers]
Friday, September 17, 2010
OECD - New Released Papers
OECD has released three papers exploring new issues in carbon markets, including linking emission trading systems and voluntary markets:
Towards Global Carbon Pricing: Direct and Indirect Linking to Carbon Markets (July 2010)
By R.B. Dellink, S. Jamet, J. Chateau and R. Duval
Emissions trading systems (ETS) can play a major role in a cost-effective climate policy framework. Both direct linking of ETSs and indirect linking through a common crediting mechanism can reduce costs of action. This paper analyses the impact of linking emission trading schemes directly and through the use of offsets. Using a global recursive-dynamic computable general equilibrium model, the effects of direct and indirect linking of ETS systems across world regions are assessed. The analysis in this paper shows, however, that the potential gains to be reaped are so large, that substantial efforts in this domain are warranted.
Voluntary Carbon Markets: How can they serve climate policies?
By Pierre Guigon, BlueNext
This paper aims to examine how voluntary carbon markets can provide a valuable contribution to strengthening domestic and international climate policies. The research shows that the several carbon project certification schemes that have emerged in the voluntary carbon market have developed potential innovative solutions to deal with some of the issues faced by compliance markets.
Buying and Cancelling Allowances as an Alternative to Offsets for the Voluntary Market: A Preliminary Review of Issues and Options
By Anja Kollmuss and Michael Lazarus, Stockholm Environment Institute
In recent years, businesses, local governments and individuals have set goals for reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases. In addition to directly reducing their own emissions, many of these entities have purchased carbon offsets to help achieve their mitigation goals. Yet establishing offset quality can be difficult, due to issues such as additionality, measurement, leakage, permanence, and verification. This paper explores scenarios under which, as an alternative to offsets, voluntary buyers could instead buy and cancel allowances from compliance markets.
Indonesia- Climate Change Studies
The Indonesian National Climate Change Council (DNPI) has released several studies which show how Indonesia can continue to grow the economy and achieve its greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions targets.
The DNPI studies have been developed over the last 18 months and involved more than 150 government, private-sector and NGO participants in sectoral workshops and meetings. It shows the range of emission reduction actions that are possible for Indonesia with
technologies that either are available today or are highly likely to be available in the future.
In parallel with the development of the Green House Gas mitigation study, the DNPI is also collaborating with selected Indonesian provincial and district governments to develop green growth strategies. Three provinces, Jambi, Central Kalimantan and East Kalimantan, were keen to work with the DNPI to identify green growth opportunities to boost their economic development while cutting carbon emissions. In addition, 10 more provinces have requested DNPI's assistance to conduct similar studies.
Please visit www.dnpi.go.id and click NEWS to see all the studies in English and Bahasa Indonesia.
http://www.dnpi.go.id/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=4&Itemid=4
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Ranking of Green Building in Japan
The Ranking of Japan's Green Building 2010
Following is the list of the ranking of Japanese Green Business Building in Tokyo (calculation based on greenhouse gases emission per m2)
1st Mitsui Sumimoto Insurance Building 中央区新川
2nd Toyota Motors Building 文京区後楽
3rd Mitsui Sumimoto Insurance Building 千代田区神田駿河台
Following is the list of the ranking of Japanese Green Business Building in Tokyo (calculation based on greenhouse gases emission per m2)
1st Mitsui Sumimoto Insurance Building 中央区新川
2nd Toyota Motors Building 文京区後楽
3rd Mitsui Sumimoto Insurance Building 千代田区神田駿河台
温室効果ガス排出量が少ない実質ランキング上位（1m2当たりの年間）
1位 47.5kg 三井住友海上新川ビル（中央区新川、1988年）
2位 50.3kg トヨタ自動車東京本社（文京区後楽、1982年）
3位 53.5kg 三井住友海上駿河台ビル（千代田区神田駿河台、1984年）
4位 54.7kg 住友不動産芝公園タワー（港区芝公園、2001年）
5位 55.7kg 日本生命日比谷ビル（千代田区有楽町、1963年）
2位 50.3kg トヨタ自動車東京本社（文京区後楽、1982年）
3位 53.5kg 三井住友海上駿河台ビル（千代田区神田駿河台、1984年）
4位 54.7kg 住友不動産芝公園タワー（港区芝公園、2001年）
5位 55.7kg 日本生命日比谷ビル（千代田区有楽町、1963年）
New online Manual of European Environmental Policy
Earthscan launches online Manual of European Environmental Policy
www.europeanenvironmentalpolicy.eu
Earthscan has launched the online Manual of European Environmental Policy - the essential tool for all who need to keep pace with EU environmental legislation.
Previously published as a loose-leaf binder, the Manual has been restructured to reflect the changes in EU environmental policy-making. The new online format will be the quickest and most efficient way to access analysis of more than 500 Directives, Decisions and Regulations. Special interactive features of the new Manual include a 'magic search', which will search any double-clicked word; share tools and a personalised 'My Manual' account.
Jonathan Sinclair Wilson, Managing Director at Earthscan said:
"Environmental policy has been at the core of the EU project and the single market, determining policies for the 27 member governments and regulations for the world's largest trading bloc. The new online, pan-European Manual of European Environmental Policy will enable all those – whether governments, advisors, researchers, business or trading partners – to keep up to date with the most cogent and reliable analysis of policy developments and their implications."
The Manual is the result of work, over more than three decades, by policy experts and the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) - a leading centre for the analysis and development of environmental and related policies in Europe.
www.europeanenvironmentalpolicy.eu
Sharing practices on biodiversity and livelihood impacts of climate change
Natureandpoverty.net invites people active in the conservation and development community to share resources & collaborate online at its interactive platform. Please take a few minutes to visit our website: http://www.natureandpoverty.net.
One of our current focus themes is biodiversity and livelihood impacts of climate change: we invite you to become involved and share your experiences.
Natureandpoverty.net provides a platform for practitioners working on ecosystem management and poverty alleviation. Practitioners can connect with people and organizations, share experiences and find tools and resources, gain easy and timely access to experts and benefit from field-based knowledge and insights.
Ownership, engagement and direct interaction among users are key parameters of the Natureandpoverty.net platform. From that perspective the platform has opted for an open and bottom-up approach aimed at establishing an interactive community of practitioners. As of today already more than 675 practitioners are taking part in this network! Be invited to join this network and share your practices via this link
One of our current focus themes is biodiversity and livelihood impacts of climate change: we invite you to become involved and share your experiences.
Natureandpoverty.net provides a platform for practitioners working on ecosystem management and poverty alleviation. Practitioners can connect with people and organizations, share experiences and find tools and resources, gain easy and timely access to experts and benefit from field-based knowledge and insights.
Ownership, engagement and direct interaction among users are key parameters of the Natureandpoverty.net platform. From that perspective the platform has opted for an open and bottom-up approach aimed at establishing an interactive community of practitioners. As of today already more than 675 practitioners are taking part in this network! Be invited to join this network and share your practices via this link
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
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