Addressing participants at the ongoing Alliance of Religions and Conservation conference in Nairobi, Mr Goumandakoye said “the responsibility taken by the faith groups and their long-term commitments for a living planet will help shape the beliefs, behavior and actions for a greener and better Africa and the world”.

He said this commitment by the faith groups in environment conservation for human well-being are among the driving forces for positive change as humanity is grappling with challenges of colossal consequences.

Mr Goumandakoye disclosed that many scientists now agree that the world has entered a new geologic time, the anthropocene era that is characterized by human deep alteration of earth, by massive impact on the planet.

“What science is telling us is that collectively, we have crossed several of the most prominent bio-physical tripping points at the planetary level,” he said.

He added that resources exploitation already exceeds the earth biological capacity by 25 per cent and that humanity increased its global ecological footprint from 0.5 earth planet in 1950 to 1.25 now. “If the trends continue, very soon we will need two planet earths to satisfy our needs,” he added.

For example, he said, the challenge of climate change alone continues to grow with an increase of carbon dioxide of about 40 per cent above pre-industrial levels.

At a recent African Ministers of Environment meeting in Arusha, Tanzania noted with concern that developed countries continue to increase their emissions.

The ministers expressed concern that the current inadequate mitigation pledges by developed countries are likely to lead to an increase of the global average temperature of greater than 2 degrees celsius and possibly 5. This, said Mr Goumandakoye will have a global impact and more so Africa due to its high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and low adaptive capacity.

Kenya’s Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, Mr Ali Mohamed said in a speech read on his behalf by Richard Mwendandu that environmental conservation is usually about moral values.

He said understanding the inter-dependence of the planetary systems, inter-dependence between living organisms and between living and no-living organisms are essential in maintaining the natural balances.

Mr Mohamed however said that this balance has over the years been affected through human action with the resultant effects manifesting in diverse ways that are yet to be fully understood.

“While governments around the world continue to respond to these challenges through policy, law and regulatory measures, the size and the complexity of the challenges continue to grow,” he noted.

He cited the destabilizing climatic systems, the loss of biological diversity, depletion of oceanic stocks and pollution of water systems as challenges that continue to baffle the global community.

“The problem, says Martin Palmer, Secretary General, Alliance for Religion Conservation, the UN and global governments’ approach to these problems is way out of touch. He adds that despite the many Conferences of Parties by the UN and many resolutions by governments, “no agreement is on sight”.

“Yet the religious groups have the answer,” he said adding that the religious groups have practical steps that can be emulated across many villages, regions and countries with action-oriented grassroots projects and programmes whose impacts are seen. “They are also more trusted by their local communities in ways that governments are not,” he added.

“With 90 per cent of Africa’s population being either Christian or Muslim, the way to the heart of Africa is through faith. And faith is at the heart of these plans,” said Mr Palmer.

He said faith groups all around Africa are rediscovering how the mandate to protect the richness of God’s Creation is clearly set out in their holy texts and this is leading to profound practical action – everything from restoring habitats and planting trees to reducing energy use and training young people in environmental care and protection.

He said many COPs are attended by people who do not believe in the processes they are involved in. “many of those delegations are either attending these COPs to help save their governments from paying money or make sure that their governments do nothing about climate change and conservation.

AUTHOR: Henry Neondo
URL: http:// www.africasciencenews.org
E-MAIL: neondohenry [at] yahoo.com

The report launched few days to the Rio+20 Summit points out that efforts to eliminate the production and use of substances that deplete the ozone layer, removal of lead from fuel, increasing access to improved water supplies and boosting research to reduce pollution of the marine environment happen to be the only goals of possible 90 to record progress.

According to the report, although many sub-national, national and international instruments now in place are contributing to environmental improvements, there is evidence, however, of continuing deterioration in many places and for most of the global environmental issues reported on in GEO-5.

Amina Mohamed, deputy director, UNEP said in Nairobi that from the national perspectives, the economic and social pillars the world over overshadows the environmental agencies and ministries and the outlook report would not have shown anything less.

She pointed out that at micro level, the environmental ministries the weakest of all ministries. “They are often underfunded and command least attention of any government the world over,” she said.

She added that at the global level, UNEP pales in the shadow of such organizations as WHO and UNDP.

She hopes that the upcoming Rio +20 will bring attention on this issue and help raise the environmental pillar to be at par with the other pillars.

The global inertia on effective environmental policies are played out in Africa, a continent with the youngest and fasted growing population.

According to the report, weak governance means that the complex web of interwoven issues are not being dealt with.

For example, the number of drought disasters rose by 38% between 1980s and the 2000s leading to crises in the Sahel and East African regions.

Equally, says the report, Africa’s risk of flooding has more than doubled since 1980 and its coastal region is at greatest risk from projected sea-level rises.

The coastal cities of Accra, Ghana, Doula, Cameroon, Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria and Luanda, Angola for example are all adversely affected by industrial pollutants.

Oil spillage and discharge from amrine transport present major management and regulatory challenges, especially for oil-producing countries such as Libya and Nigeria.

The report says that while other regions have met the goal to reverse deforestation, over the last ten years, Africa has lost more than three million hectares of forest annually.

Also, according to thereport, the particulate matter, the air pollutant with greatest impact on human health is highest in Africa where there is little access to cleaner stoves and fuel causes significant health impacts.

“If the current trends continue, if the current patterns of production and consumption of natural resources prevail and cannot be reversed and decoupled, then governments will precide over unprecedented levels of damage and degradation,” said Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director who was represented by Amina.

Africa has a clear position on how the global environment needs to be restructured, said Dr Desta Mebratu deputy director, UNEP Africa Regional Office.

AUTHOR: Henry Neondo
URL: http:// www.africasciencenews.org
E-MAIL: neondohenry [at] yahoo.com

• To catalyze the speed and the scale of action on short lived climate pollutants
• Enhance existing and develop new national actions to address mitigation gaps
• Encourage existing and new regional actions
• Reinforce and track existing efforts to reduce these pollutants, promoting opportunities for greater international coordination and developing and improving inventories
• Identify barriers to action and seeking to surmount them
• Promote best practices or available technologies and showcase successful efforts to address short lived climate forcers
• Improve understanding of and review scientific progress on short lived climate pollutants, their impacts and benefits of mitigation and dissemination of knowledge; and
• Mobilize targeted support for those developing countries that require resources to develop their capacity and to implement actions consistent with national strategies to support sustainable development

“The Coalition may be the single most important development for climate protection in the past ten years. It focuses on fast-action climate mitigation that can be done today with existing technologies by willing partners.  It has the potential not only to reduce a major part of climate pollution, but to build the momentum and confidence we need to successfully manage carbon dioxide from energy production, which is essential for keeping the Planet’s long term temperature increase to an acceptable level.”

“To win the climate war, we need to cut both the short-lived climate pollutants and long-lived carbon dioxide, the most damaging gas. Fortunately, we’re gaining allies quickly in the second front of the fight against black carbon, methane, and HFCs. A victory on this front will build the confidence we need to win the war.” 

AUTHOR: Richard Matthews
URL: http://thegreenmarket.blogspot.com/
E-MAIL: smallbusinessconsultants [at] gmail.com

Under negotiation is the lengthy compilation text containing textual amendments and new proposals by Member States that have been included in the “zero draft” document titled ‘The Future We Want’ submitted in early January 2012 by the Co-Chairs of the process, Dr. John Ashe (Antigua and Barbuda) and Mr. Kim Sook (Republic of Korea). An initial discussion of the zero draft of the outcome document took place on 25-27 January, also in New York.

The compilation text is comprised of five chapters viz. (1) preamble/stage setting; (2) renewing political commitment (3) green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication (4) institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD) (5) framework for action and follow-up including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and means of implementation (finance, access to and transfer of technology, capacity building).

The session also saw Member States engaged in a second reading of Chapters 1 and 2 of the compilation text on the final day (27 March). Given the lack of time to complete the second reading of all the paragraphs in Chapter 2, Member States were requested to submit their views in writing to the Secretariat by the end of 28 March.

The first of two rounds of “informal informal consultations” started on 19 March and were scheduled to end on 23 March but continued through 26 to 27 March during the third informal intersessional meeting of the Conference’s Preparatory Committee.

The second round of the “informal-informal consultations” will be held from 23 April to 4 May in New York. The Rio+20 Conference will be on 20-22 June.

On the next steps from the first round of negotiations, Co-chair John Ashe said that the Bureau of the Preparatory Committee of the Conference had met and agreed that the Co-chairs will attempt to streamline the text of the outcome document by inserting possible suggestions into the compilation text.

He explained that what Member States will see is the same compilation text containing the proposals of the Member States with the addition of the suggestions by the Co-chairs for the consideration of Member States.

Ashe said that as soon as the various chapters are done, they will be circulated to Member States via the members of the Bureau, with Chapters 1 and 2 being ready by 2 April. He also said that the Co-chairs were willing to meet with anyone and welcomed feedback. With the feedback, there will be streamlining of the Co-chairs suggestions, he added.

The United States, in welcoming Ashe’s proposal, suggested that the Co-chairs provide a document with just the Co-chairs’ suggestions, in addition to another document with the suggestions integrated into the compilation document.

At this stage of the meeting, Member States were informed that the G77 and China were having consultations among members of the Group on how to proceed with the negotiations and asked for a suspension of the meeting pending the conclusion of those consultations.

The meeting was suspended following this request and upon resumption of the session, Ambassador Mourad Benmehidi, the Permanent Representative of Algeria to the UN and Chairman of the G77 said that following deliberations on the proposal made by Ashe, the Group raised several points.

The G77 and China requested the Co-chairs to make the negotiating document available as it stood as of 27 March, at 7 pm. Since the Chair had allowed for further inputs to be made online (by 28 March in relation to the second reading of Chapter 2 that could not be concluded on 27 March), the G77 was willing to look at those additional inputs and these inputs should be dated.

When the informal negotiations resume on 23 April, the G77 Chair said that it will be on the basis of the compilation document as it stood on 27 March and 28 March with the additions and this status be preserved as the document produced by Member States.

The G77 was also in favour of making the best use of the time between the negotiating sessions and said that between 27 March and 23 April, its door was open to the Co-chairs to make their views known on how best the process can go forward, including their ideas on streamlining and organising the existing text.

Ashe said that the Co-chairs will meet Member States on the ideas for streamlining the text and hoped for an intense phase of negotiations.

Secretary-General of the Rio+20 conference, Mr. Sha Zukang, in his concluding statement said that Member States had completed the first reading of the (draft) outcome document and many have underscored the need for changing course as regards unsustainable production systems and consumption patterns. He said that some Member States were worried about the pace of the negotiations and the introduction of additional issues but this was necessary for consensus building.

He added that the broad range of discussions demonstrated the magnitude of the challenge but this had laid the foundation for consensus. The text of the negotiations was long while time was short, said Sha.

He said that the General Assembly resolution (mandating the Conference) had called for a focused political document and that discussions have shown that members were committed to a high-level of ambition anchored on actions. Many have stressed that Rio+20 should not repeat Agenda 21 or other agreed treaties and outcomes, but should build upon and focus on actions and concrete steps to address the implementation gaps and give shape and form to the future we want.

There were repeated calls for bold action and ambition and the need to blaze a new path, said Sha. There was need for the accomplishment of deliverables for poverty eradication, food, water and energy and to deal with the emerging challenges of urbanisation, oceans and disasters.

As regards the green economy in the context of sustainable development, Sha said there were calls for action, a roadmap and SDGs. There was need to build the right institutional framework, including the setting up of a Sustainable Development Council and a strengthened United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Referring to the expected presence of 127 Heads of State in Rio de Janeiro in June for the Conference, Sha said that Member States should produce something which they would feel proud to sign on to.

AUTHOR: Henry Neondo
URL: http:// www.africasciencenews.org
E-MAIL: neondohenry [at] yahoo.com

In the month leading up to International Human Rights Day, UN agencies tackled the ongoing issues by reported gaps in funding and readdressing focus in the for global equality.  The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) published its annual Human Development Index last month; the report gave a heartening outlook for millions of people in some of the world’s poorest nations.  The top scorers in the UNDP’s 2011 ranking were Norway, Australia and the Netherlands. The United States ranked fourth, while Burundi, Niger and Congo make up the bottom three countries on the list.

According to a summary of the report by the UNDP:

“Many disadvantaged people carry a double burden of deprivation. They are more vulnerable to the wider effects of environmental degradation, because of more severe stresses and fewer coping tools. They must also deal with threats to their immediate environment from indoor air pollution, dirty water and unimproved sanitation. Forecasts suggest that continuing failure to reduce the grave environmental risks and deepening social inequalities threatens to slow decades of sustained progress by the world’s poor majority—and even to reverse the global convergence in human development.”

Much of this unequal burden has been swept under the rug; however, programs to address some of these imbalances are beginning to take foot, such as cook stove initiatives (“pinpointed as a low cost or cost-saving measure, which would represent close to 25 percent of the total climate benefit. A switch to more efficient cook-stoves would save households and communities the time and money, usually spent over the collection and purchase of firewood and other sources of fuel.” United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)) and family planning.

This year the report’s Gender Inequality Index (GII) was updated to include 145 countries, which highlighted “how reproductive health constraints contribute to gender inequality.” The theme was heavily argued at the International Family Planing Conference (IFPC), as I wrote in the post Leaders Meet to Put Family Planning on the Global Agenda. The 2011 Human Development Index noted that there was a direct connection to family planing and the environment, which both continue to strain the lives of families in developing nations.  The Index stated that:

“In countries where effective control of reproduction is universal, women have fewer children, with attendant gains for maternal and child health and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.  For instance, in Cuba, Mauritius, Thailand and Tunisia, where reproductive healthcare and contraceptives are readily available, fertility rates are below two births per woman. But substantial unmet need persists worldwide, and evidence suggests that if all women could exercise reproductive choice, population growth would slow enough to bring greenhouse gas emissions below current levels.”

According to the Index, meeting the needs set for family planning by 2050 would lower the world’s carbon emissions by an estimated 17 percent.

As we prepare for a new year, it is clear the the priorities that should take precedent on the 2012 agenda must include family planning and local environmental changes.

AUTHOR: Cassandra Clifford
URL: www.bridgetofreedomfoundation.org and http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: Cassandra [at] btff.org

Why is the developed world, that is obsessed with the idea of `greed economy’, thrusting its new capitalist variant – green economy – on the growing economies? Is it a calculated move to pin down the growing differences between the north and the south with a green business model?

Henk Manschot, a Professor of Ethics and Sustainable Development at the Kosmopolis Institute in the Netherlands, shocked a global gathering at a conference in the Hague late last year when he revealed how `global footprint’ increases as people move up the human development index. As people consume resources to go up on the index, their ecological footprint stretches on additional hectares of land on the planet. `If the resource poor billion plus were to gain improved access to basic services such as health, education and portable water, the planet will run out of its hectares,’ warned Manschot.

The warning is imminent although there is no international consensus on how to reach out to the deprived billions. While global food security has yet to be achieved, the outlook for freshwater scarcity and improved sanitation looks bleak. Collectively, these crises are severely impacting the possibility of sustaining prosperity to achieve the Millennium Development Goals for reducing extreme poverty. Top it with growing fossil fuel and energy demand and the cup of woes will spill over like a never-before tsunami of unprecedented nature. The signs are ominous!

Forty years since Stockholm and twenty years following the Rio Summit, the world has slipped backwards on its race to alleviate poverty and on its efforts to reverse the ecological decline. Conversely, obsession with capitalist model of development has acerbated social instability, economic insecurity and job losses. While some of the biggest western-style economies are dragging the global economy with their sovereign debt dramas, the developing world’s obsession with economic growth is leading to deepening of the ecological crises.

To pull the planet from the current mess, world leaders will get back to the drawing board yet again. Knowing well that none of their previous commitments to sustainable development have worked, the congregation at Rio in June 2012 will carve out a new global agenda for survival of mankind. Though global climate negotiations have already hit a road block, the leaders are taking a detour to charter a `green economy’ pathway aimed at getting the planet back on track. While `green’ as a color seems promisingly soothing, its contents are fuzzy and somewhat contentious.

In its simplest expression, a green economy is low carbon, resource efficient, and socially inclusive. In a green economy, growth in income and employment should be driven by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The crucial question remains:

isn’t `green economy’ pathway more appropriate for the debt-ridden western economies that have the onus of generating more jobs for their disgruntled youth?

Why is the developed world, that is obsessed with the idea of `greed economy’, thrusting its new capitalist variant – green economy – on the growing economies? Is it a calculated move to pin down the growing differences between the north and the south with a green business model? If fine print on two major studies, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) and Green Economy Report (GEC), commissioned by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is anything to go by, it is a new way of measuring and valuing natural resources.

Reportedly drafted by an investment banker on sabbatical from Deustsche Bank, these reports have defined the contours of a green economy.

Providing precise measuring and valuing techniques, the reports attach a price tag to all ecosystem services from agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors such that these can be traded in the emerging green markets. On offer on other shelves would be eco-efficient’ technologies that the developed world will barter in exchange for carbon credits that will accrue from such transactions.

It has been estimated that transition to green prescription will cost the global economy an average annual investment of no less than US$ 1.3 trillion. How will such an investment ever get made? One would doubt if the proposed green prescriptions will deliver a greenwash on the old `greed economy’ by innovative market mechanisms that will trade emissions for carbon credits and green technologies. Developing countries are already being lured into such a system, as the Rio+20 summit prepares itself to firm up new institutional mechanisms for a green deal.

Back home, government’s intentions on switch to a green economy is an eyewash. Whereas it has been acknowledged that nearly a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions is attributed to land use changes (agriculture and deforestation), the National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Bill 2011 is hinged on the inevitability of urbanization a’la land use change. Cities not only account for 75 per cent of energy consumption but 75 per cent of carbon missions as well, and for the first time in history more than half of the world population lives in urban areas.

Bolivia, perhaps the only country that is vocal on the ambiguities of a green economy, has charged green capitalism as a distraction from the real issues that the world needs to address to realize sustainable development. It has warned that the new forms of mercantilism and speculation being proposed could further despoil nature while entrenching existing injustices. Can the same bankers, who have not been able to manage the largest financial crises, be believed to manage the planet? Your guess is as good as mine!

First published at Climate Himalaya.

AUTHOR: Dr. Sudhirendar Sharma
URL: http://chimalaya.org
E-MAIL: sudhirendarsharma [at] gmail.com

Through WED, the UN Environment Programme is able to personalize environmental issues and enable everyone to realize not only their responsibility, but also their power to become agents for change in support of sustainable and equitable development.

WED is also a day for people from all walks of life to come together to ensure a cleaner, greener and brighter outlook for themselves and future generations.

People are organizing neighborhood clean-ups, planting trees and starting a recycling drive. See suggestions here. People are asked to report their activities here and they are being posted on the Wide World of WED map.

Host Country

This year the Republic of India will be the host for World Environment. India is the second most populous nation in the world with around 1.2 billion people. It has the seventh largest land mass on the planet, 3.28 million square kilometers. The country faces serious environmental challenges related to population increase and uncontrolled urbanization, industrialization, and the massive intensification of agriculture. The problems include deforestation, pollution, loss of water resources and wildlife trade. As the economy continues to grow, however, India is seeking solutions to tackle these issues.

Releasing a major report on the assessment of the impact of climate change last year, the Minister for Environment and Forests, Mr. Jairam Ramesh, noted that, “There is no country in the world that is as vulnerable, on so many dimensions, to climate change as India is. This makes it imperative for us to have sound evidence-based assessments on the impact of climate change… We must continue this focus on rigorous climate change science.”

The Royal Bengal Tiger is a well known rare species under threat in India but the less well known Golden Langur monkey is the most endangered primate in the country. The Golden Langur monkey has declined by 30 percent in the last 30 years. A major threat to these monkeys is the loss of habitat due to the destruction of forests.

Theme for 2011

This year’s World Environment Day theme – Forests: Nature at Your Service – underscores the need for both conservation and sustainable use of forests. India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests is supportive of this initiative and to date has 39 protected areas for tigers and earmarked 5 more for the near future.

World Environment Day this year will help to raise awareness on the serious impacts of deforestation and forest degradation. Through engaging governments in action and your spreading the word on the importance of forests, this collective effort will preserve ecosystems and encourage sustainable use of forests.

Forests cover one third of the earth’s land mass, performing vital functions and services around the world which make our planet alive with possibilities. In fact, 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. They play a key role in our battle against climate change, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while storing carbon dioxide.

Forests feed our rivers and are essential to supplying the water for nearly 50% of our largest cities. They create and maintain soil fertility; they help to regulate the often devastating impact of storms, floods and fires.

Splendid and inspiring, forests are the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land, and are home to more than half of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects.

Forests also provide shelter, jobs, security and cultural relevance for forest-dependent populations. They are the green lungs of the earth, vital to the survival of people everywhere — all seven billion of us.

Global deforestation continues at an alarming rate — every year, 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed. That’s equal to the size of Portugal.

As a result of the growing global pollution levels forests have often come to be referred to as the ‘lungs of the earth’. This is particularly because deforestation and forest degradation account for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which forests would absorb if carefully managed.

Broadly, there are three main sources of forest degradation: commercial logging, fires, and gathering wood for fuel. Insects and pests also cause considerable forest degradation.

Benefits of Forests

Forests help sustain the quality and availability of freshwater supplies. More than three quarters of the world’s accessible freshwater comes from forested catchments. Water quality declines with decreases in forest condition and cover, and natural hazards such as floods, landslides, and soil erosion have larger impacts.

It’s well known that forests play a key role in our battle against climate change; storing carbon and sucking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locking it into their biomass. But what’s less well known is that the products and services they provide are essential to every aspect of life.

By regulating water for many of the world’s rivers, they help secure water quality, and supply nearly half of the world’s largest cities from Caracas to New York. They also help decrease the impacts of storms and floods, whilst helping control erosion. As the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land, forests are home to more than half of terrestrial species, from the great apes to the smallest of creatures.

In many developing countries more than 80% of total energy consumed by people and industry derives from forests. Such as fuel wood and charcoal. Trade in timber and other forest products, is estimated at almost 330 billion US Dollars /year. Its value multiplies as its processed into a myriad of products used globally every day. Use of the genetic diversity within forests enables the development of new medicines; progress in healthcare and science.

Forests cover 31% of total land area while at the same time supporting 80% of terrestrial biodiversity that live in them. Many of the world’s most threatened and endangered animals live in these forests, making them crucial to sustaining ecosystems. Not only animals live in the forests, as they also World Environment Day and forests

Rather shockingly, 36 million acres of natural forest are lost each year. World Environment Day (WED) chose this year’s theme, ‘Forests: Nature at Your Service’, to encourage forest conservation and sustainable consumption for green growth, and in support of the UN International Year of Forests initiative. Preserving forests throughout the world has to be in our collective consciousness so as to change our lifestyles.

UN Action to Preserve Forests

In September 2008, United Nations launched a collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countries. The UN-REDD Programme assists developing countries prepare and implement national REDD+ strategies, and builds on the convening power and expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The Programme currently has 29 partner countries spanning Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. REDD+ is seen as one of the most cost-effective ways of stabilizing the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to avoid a temperature rise of two degrees Celsius.

AUTHOR: Richard Matthews
URL: http://thegreenmarket.blogspot.com/
E-MAIL: smallbusinessconsultants [at] gmail.com