06/06/2011
Against the backdrop of new warnings about
the rise in greenhouse gas emissions in
the atmosphere, the top United Nations climate
change official today (June 6) called on
governments to make progress in the fight
against global warming, building on commitments
made last year.
Christiana Figueres
reminded delegates at the UN Climate Change
Conference in Bonn, Germany, of the commitments
made at last year's climate talks in Cancún,
Mexico, which concluded with a package of
decisions to help countries advance towards
a low-emissions future.
Dubbed the "Cancún
Agreements", the decisions included
formalizing climate change mitigation pledges
and ensuring increased accountability for
them, as well as taking concrete action
to protect the world's forests.
"Governments lit
a beacon in Cancún towards a low-emission
world which is resilient to climate change.
They committed themselves to a maximum global
average temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius,
with further consideration of a 1.5-degree
maximum", said Ms. Figueres, the Executive
Secretary of the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
"Now, more than
ever, it is critical that all efforts are
mobilized towards living up to this commitment",
she told the opening session of the two-week
conference.
Last week, the Paris-based
International Energy Agency estimated that
2010 emissions from global energy generation
returned to record highs, representing an
unexpectedly sharp rebound from the effects
of the financial crisis.
In addition, the United
States Government's Hawaii-based Mauna Loa
laboratory - a key scientific monitor for
global climate change - reported last week
that carbon dioxide concentrations peaked
yet again in May.
Negotiators at the Bonn
meeting are working hard "to provide
clarity on the architecture of the future
international climate regime to reduce global
emissions fast enough to avoid the worst
climate change", according to a news
release issued by the UNFCCC.
They are also working
on the design of the finance, technology
and adaptation institutions agreed in Cancún
that will allow developing countries to
build their own sustainable futures.
Ms. Figueres highlighted
the global climate action which governments
need to capitalize on, including new policies
that promote low-carbon growth and an increase
in low-carbon investment by the private
sector, as well as greater use of clean
technology.
"The clean and
renewable energy revolution has already
begun - the challenge is to complete it
in time", she stated.
More than 3,000 participants
from 183 countries are attending the Bonn
talks in preparation for the UN climate
conference to be held in Durban, South Africa,
starting on 28 November.
Source: UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
+ More
Brazil celebrates World
Environment Day
03/06/2011
The Ministry of the Environment has prepared
a series of events to commemorate the World
Environment Day, celebrated on June 5. The
programme includes lectures, workshops,
exhibitions, seminars and musical performances.
The events are being held in Brasília.
The opening ceremony
held yesterday was attended by the MMA Executive
Secretary, Francisco Gaetani, and the Ministry's
Secretary of Institutional Coordination
and Environmental Citizenship, Samyra Crespo.
Today, the programme includes a lecture
on Sustainable Consumption and Citizenship,
at 4 p.m.
On Sunday (June 5),
fairs, sporting championships and concerts
are scheduled to happen throughout the day.
On Monday (June 6), at the headquarters
of IBAMA, Minister Izabella Teixeira gives
a lecture on "Environment, growth and
sustainability".
On Friday (June 10),
an exhibition called Waste Image ("Imagem
do Lixo" in Portuguese), with works
by Vik Muniz, will be opened at the Museum
of the Republic.
For further information, please contact
55 61 2028-1221.
