Looking
Back and Looking Forward:
The Year of Environmental Challenge Makes
Way for a Year of Opportunity
The Year of Living Dangerously
Financial damage and
loss of life caused by climate-related natural
disasters made 2008 one of the most devastating
years on record.
Cyclone Nargis last
June claimed 78,000 lives in Myanmar. The
Atlantic hurricane season caused devastation
in the Caribbean, Central America and the
United States.
Costs associated with
weather-related catastrophes are estimated
by Munich Re - the world's biggest reinsurer
and UNEP Finance Initiative partner - at
about $200bn in 2008, double the losses
incurred in 2007. Insured losses of $45bn
were 50 per cent more than in the previous
year. Hurricane Ike cost insurers $15bn
in the United States.
Climate extremes, including
devastating floods, severe droughts, snow
storms, heat waves and cold waves marked
the year. Ice volume in the Arctic dropped
to its second-lowest level.
Earlier in the year,
Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director said,
"The extreme weather events we are
witnessing underline the increasing vulnerability
of humankind to natural disasters ? vulnerability
that scientists predict will rise if climate
change is left unchecked."
A Climate for Change
The UN climate convention meeting, due to
convene in Copenhagen in December 2009,
is an opportunity to respond to the climate
challenge with decisive, legally-binding
commitments.
The world will need
to take action towards reducing greenhouse
emissions and to provide funding mechanisms
to climate-proof vulnerable economies and
communities.
The Kyoto Protocol's
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) allows
developed countries to offset some of their
emissions by funding projects in developing
countries. The Mechanism is emerging as
a key instrument for combating climate change
and a creative stimulus package to developing
country economies.
Thousands of projects
joined the CDM in 2008. It is estimated
the number of CDM projects will rise from
4,200 to 8,000 by 2012, generating financial
flows from North to South of well over $30
billion.
It is widely agreed
the mechanism needs to be made more robust
in order for it to perform on the scale
needed.
Seeing REDD
Up to 20 percent of
greenhouse gas emissions result from deforestation.
But forests have, so far, made an insignificant
contribution to CDM projects with only 0.7%
registered for afforestation and reforestation.
To unleash the enormous
economic, environmental and social potential
of forests, the UN launched, in September
2008, the UN Reduced Emissions from Deforestation
and Forest Degradation (REDD) programme,
which aims at tipping the economic balance
in favour of the sustainable management
of forests.
If REDD gets the green
light in a post-2012 UN climate agreement
it may eventually lead to developed countries
being able to pay developing ones for the
emissions saved from improved management
of in particular tropical forests. Such
an arrangement could be crucial in the global
effort to avoid catastrophic climate change,
but it must come in concert with the will
to make deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
The project is implemented
by the Food and Agricultural Organization
(FAO); the UN Development Programme (UNDP)
and UNEP, in the spirit of the UN 'Delivering
as One'.
A report by UNEP's Finance
Initiative indicates that public-private
insurance solutions may well be needed to
kick start the forest carbon market and
the potential of reduced emissions.
Business Un-usual
Global markets are still
trying to cope with the aftermath of the
credit crunch, the single catastrophe for
which 2008 will be remembered for generations
to come.
To face up to the challenges
of economic meltdown and global warming,
the UN called in 2008 for a Global Green
New Deal: a UN-led initiative that seeks
to mobilize and refocus the global economy
towards investment in clean technologies,
renewable energy and natural infrastructure
to combat climate change and trigger a green
employment boom.
The Green New Deal and
the Green Economy Initiative signal a new
chapter in UNEP's efforts to strengthen
work on the interface between environment
and economy. They may also provide sustainable
solutions to benefit both the economy and
the environment in the 21st century and
beyond.
Energizing Renewables
Innovation and greening
of the global economy are emerging on several
fronts, including a multi-billion dollar
boom in renewable energy development and
the growing carbon markets.
Over $148 billion in
new funding entered the sustainable energy
sector globally last year, up 60 percent
from 2006, even as a credit crunch began
to roil financial markets.
Geothermal electricity
potential in Africa is estimated at 7,000
Mega Watts, much of it in the part of the
Rift Valley that runs from Kenya to Djibouti.
With funding from the Global Environment
Facility (GEF), UNEP and the World Bank
launched the African Rift Geothermal Facility
(ARGeo). The $18 million project is underwriting
the risks of drilling for steam and in doing
so building the confidence of the private
sector to build geothermal power stations.
Estimates indicate that
globally, geothermal capacity rose from
1,300MW in 1975 to close to 8,000MW in 2000
and stood at almost 10,000MW in 2007. By
2010, geothermal capacity could reach 13,500MW.
UNEP and the GEF's Solar
and Wind Resource Assessment have 'found'
10 million MW of solar and wind energy in
26 developing countries available for private
sector development.
With $20 million in
GEF and UN Foundation support, UNEP is also
working with the Asian and African Development
Banks to leverage private sector financial
flows towards clean energy entrepreneurs.
Over 50 entrepreneurial businesses specializing
in clean energy technologies and services
have been financed to date in Africa, Brazil
and China.
The sustainability of
biofuels has assumed global significance
given, on the one hand, the potential of
biofuels to contribute to GHG emission reduction
and climate change mitigation, and on the
other, the concerns raised in 2008 about
biofuel production's impact on the global
food crisis.
UNEP is leading the
effort to develop standards on the development
of the biofuel economy. The Roundtable on
Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) has produced
draft principles and criteria, currently
open to a 6-month public comment period.
A Global Renewable Energy
Insurance Facility, expected to be launched
by UNEP and partners in 2009, will bring
a wide range of innovative insurance and
risk management products to assist the growth
of renewables and clean energy in developing
economies.
Investment in sustainable
energy between now and 2030 is expected
to reach $450 billion a year by 2012, rising
to more than $600 billion a year from 2020.
Meanwhile, it is interesting
to note that fossil fuels remain the most
heavily subsidized worldwide. Total energy
subsidies amount to around USD 300.000 billion
per year, or around 0.7 per cent of GDP.
In a report entitled "Reforming Energy
Subsidies - Opportunities to Contribute
to the Climate Change Agenda", UNEP
maintained that subsidies can be beneficial
if used for enhancing access to sustainable
energy and promoting clean energy technologies.
The report argued against subsidies that
lead to unhealthy patterns of energy production
and use,
Towards Climate Neutrality
Climate neutrality is
catching on around the world.
Climate neutrality means
living in a way which produces no net greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions, achievable by reducing
GHG emissions, and using carbon offsets
to neutralize the remaining emissions. UNEP's
Climate Neutral Network (CN Net) is a consortium
of entities committed to this concept. The
network is growing into a platform for networking
and the sharing of best practice, catalyzing
progress towards a low carbon society.
CN Net participants
have set the most ambitious greenhouse gas
reduction targets in the world. For example,
Costa Rica aims to be climate neutral by
2021 when it celebrates 200 years of independence,
and Iceland has the world's highest rate
of renewable energy use. CN Net cities include
Växjö, Sweden, which has decided
to become a "Fossil Fuel Free"
City, while in Rizhao, China, close to 100
per cent of urban housing has solar heaters.
CN Net corporate participants are the largest
category, including Toyota Motors Europe,
Skanska Norway, Tesco Lotus, Thailand's
largest supermarket chain which aims to
at least halve its carbon emissions by 2020,
and NatureAir ? based in Costa Rica ? is
the world's first carbon neutral airline.
Seeds of Change ? The
Billion Tree Campaign
Voluntary action is
a major driver in the fight to meet the
climate change challenge. UNEP's Billion
Tree Campaign is moving from strength to
strength. More than 4,319,593,340 trees
have already been pledged and 2,599,045,202
planted. To date, 165 countries have participated,
with planting having taken place in 161
countries.
Seven billion trees
- to be planted by the end of 2009 ? is
the new target set by the campaign in the
lead up to Copenhagen. The worldwide campaign
encourages people, communities, business
and industry, civil society organizations
and governments to enter tree planting pledges
online in a call to further individual and
collective action.
The Campaign won one
of the 2008 UN 21 Awards in recognition
of its "exceptional contribution towards
improving efficiency in the United Nations".
Focus on Africa
Launched in June in
South Africa, "Africa: Atlas of our
Changing Environment" has triggered
policy reflection and action on the continent
and among development partners. The Atlas
underlines the impact of development choices;
population growth, climate change and conflict
on the continent's natural assets.
The Atlas features more
than 300 satellite images taken in over
100 locations. The 'before' and 'after'
photographs, some of which span a 35-year
period, offer striking snapshots of local
environmental transformation across the
continent.
In addition to well-publicized
changes, such as Mount Kilimanjaro's shrinking
glaciers, the drying up of Lake Chad and
falling water levels in Lake Victoria, the
Atlas presents, for the first time, satellite
images of new or lesser known environmental
changes and challenges including the disappearing
of glaciers and the widening corridors of
deforestation.
One forest in Africa
due to receive due attention is Kenya's
Mau Complex. UNEP is providing technical
support to its host country in restoring
a unique ecosystem. The Mau Complex forms
the largest closed-canopy forest ecosystem
in Kenya and the single most important water
catchment in the Rift Valley and western
Kenya. Through the ecological services provided
by its forests, the Mau is a natural asset
of national importance that supports key
economic sectors, including energy, tourism,
and agriculture. The Mau Forest initiative
is designed to restore the forest ecosystem
after it has come under pressure from illegal
logging and settlement.
Green Beijing and Beyond
The Sport and Environment
initiative is spawning a new wave of environmental
action and awareness that promises to leave
real legacies after the 'games are over!'
In Beijing, solar power
was used to light the lawns, courtyards
and streets at the Olympic village; reclaimed
water was used for heating and cooling systems;
and 3000 cubic metres of rainwater was captured
and used. The organizers set a target of
achieving a 50 percent recycling of waste
including paper, metal, and plastics at
the venues.
UNEP has been asked
to play a similar role for Vancouver 2010,
Sochi 2014 and South Africa in preparations
for World Cup 2010.
Biodiversity Online
Scientists and environmentalists
will be able to monitor the world's national
parks and protected areas online, thanks
to a UNEP-IUCN database of protected areas.
The new product allows users to zoom in,
fly over and explore over 100,000 sites
via Google Earth. The product is part of
UNEP's efforts to bring information to the
heart of decisions made at the national,
regional and global level for conservation.
Year of the Gorilla
Gorilla populations
are at a threat of losing the battle for
survival. At least one million tons of 'bushmeat'
is extracted each year from the Congo Basin
forests. Gorilla parts are used in traditional
medicine and live infants are sold as pets.
Habitat loss, armed conflict and disease
are accelerating the Gorilla's plight.
Projects promoting super-efficient
'Rocket Stoves', encouraging alternative
livelihoods to reduce poaching and federating
successful eco-tourism programmes across
Africa are among a range of initiatives
to be promoted under the Year of the Gorilla
2009. The Year aims to boost conservation
of humankind's closest relatives and their
habitats by boosting the livelihoods and
incomes of local people.
UNite to Combat Climate
Change
UNEP is calling on UN
entities, governments, civil society, businesses
and industries to unite to combat climate
change by supporting the call for a post-2012
definitive agreement on climate change.
The campaign urges world leaders to reach
an inclusive, comprehensive and ratifiable
deal during the Copenhagen talks in December
2009. Countries around the world must agree
on ways to cut their emissions and work
together to fight climate change by boosting
renewable energy, promoting investments
in green technologies, conserving nature's
natural carbon sinks and setting clear emission
caps for industry and business.
The UNite campaign was
launched in New York in October 2008 and
will continue to be highlighted throughout
the year in the run-up to the Copenhagen
meeting.
+ More
Safe landing for Air
New Zealand’s jatropha-fuelled flight
The close of the year 2008 was marked by
the opening of a new chapter in the global
quest for low-carbon air travel with the
successful touchdown of a jatropha-fuelled
Air New Zealand jumbo jet.
The two-hour test flight,
which took the Boeing 747 over the Hauraki
Gulf near Auckland, was fuelled by a 50-50
mix of jet fuel and oil from jatropha plants
in one of its four engines. Air New Zealand
says the experience showed that the jatropha
biofuel was suitable for use in airplanes
without the need for any modifications of
the engines. It forms part of the airline's
plan to source 10% of its fuel from sustainable
sources by 2013.
Earlier this year, Virgin Atlantic successfully
tried a mixture of 80% jet fuel and 20%
biofuel - made from coconut oil and babassu
palm oil - in one engine of a Boeing 747
on a flight between London and Amsterdam,
and several other airlines have announced
plans to use biofuels alongside traditional
jet fuels.
Biofuels have been championed
by some as a major contribution for combating
climate change and by others increasingly
as potentially increasing CO2 emissions
and threatening biodiversity and food security.
Jatropha, which was
used on the Air New Zealand test flight,
is a plant that produces seeds that contain
inedible lipid oil and can be grown in difficult
conditions, including arid and otherwise
non-arable areas. It was sourced from India,
Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania but is grown
elsewhere as well .
UNEP contends that sane
and sensibly developed, with the appropriate
sustainability safeguards, biofuels have
some role to play in the overall fuel mix
and make a contribution to reducing C02
emissions as well as a role to play in diversifying
farmers incomes in both developed and developing
economies alike.
The airline industry
contributes an estimated 3% of global greenhouse
gas emissions – nearly as much as the entire
African continent.
