Biblioteca

This technical document considers the intertwined challenges of food security and climate change, potential impacts of climate change on agriculture, and the impact of agriculture on climate. It further develops and illustrates with concrete examples the concepts of increasing resource efficiency and building resilience as guiding principles to address these challenges. It shows how changing practices in the field can drive sustainable economic development. This background paper was prepared for the “Second Global Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change”, organized in Hanoi, Vietnam, 3-7 September 2012.

This document stresses that smallholder farmers can contribute significantly to climate change mitigation but need incentives to adapt their practices. Incentives from selling carbon credits are limited by low returns to farmers, while improved food security, economic benefits and adaptation to climate change are more fundamental incentives that should accompany mitigation. The document concludes that designing agricultural investment and policy to provide up-front finance and longer term rewards for mitigation practices will help reach larger numbers of farmers than specialized mitigation interventions.

This manual gives leaders a practical snapshot of urban planning that can help to improve their communication with planners and address key challenges, including resilience to climate change. Although its contents are relevant for large cities, the guide primarily targets leaders of rapidly growing intermediate cities (those with a population of between 20,000 and 2,000,000) in developing and emerging countries. The first section of the guide discusses why local leaders should think of urban planning as a way to achieve their goals. The second section is built around ten “how to” topics that answer questions which leaders are frequently faced with and features a number of sample approaches of what leaders could do.

This activity report includes the proceedings of a workshop on the implementation of Article 6 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the least developed countries, held in Bonn, Germany, from 19 to 21 June 2012. It includes good practices, lessons learned and experiences in undertaking activities related to climate change education, training, public awareness, public participation and access to information shared by participants. The status of the implementation of the amended New Delhi work programme on Article 6 of the Convention in the least developed countries was also assessed and emerging needs and priorities, which could be included as possible elements of a successor work programme, identified.

This activity report presents the activities of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for fiscal year 2012 – from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012 – in the area of climate change. The GEF, as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the UNFCCC, has provided financing to country-driven projects. The report is presented in response to COP Decision 12/CP.2 that adopted and brought into force a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the COP and the GEF Council that provides, inter alia, that annual reports of the GEF will be made available to the COP through the Secretariat.

This analytical report aims to provide an analysis of the current level of integration of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) in the Pacific region, with an emphasis on the policy and institutional environment. The analysis includes seven Pacific island countries: Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu. The study shows that despite the fact that there is typically a low level of integration at the operational level, countries are making efforts to develop Joint National Action Plans (JNAPs) for DRM and CCA, as well as move towards integrating their institutional platforms for DRR and CCA.

This technical document identifies the implications of decisions 2/CMP.7 to 5/CMP.7 on the previous decisions on methodological issues related to the Kyoto Protocol, including those relating to Articles 5, 7 and 8 of the Kyoto Protocol. In addition, it indicates which technical issues are relevant to the implementation of these decisions in the second commitment period in view of the experience gained in the first commitment period. The document further outlines areas where further guidance is needed from Parties.

This document has been prepared to support the in-depth discussion on capacity building at the first meeting of the Durban Forum on Capacity-building, held at the thirty-sixth session of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), and for further consideration by the SBI at its thirty-seventh session. It compiles and synthesizes information on capacity-building work undertaken by relevant bodies established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), namely the Consultative Group of Experts on National Communications from Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention, the Least Developed Countries Expert Group and the Technology Executive Committee.

This manual is designed to assist participating countries to carry out Technology Needs Assessments (TNA) in the building sector. Based on the TNA, a Technology Action Plan (TAP) can be developed to identify barriers to the acquisition, deployment and diffusion of priority technologies. Practical actions can then be determined to overcome these barriers, in order to realise the building sector’s mitigation potential. The guidebook’s primary audience group consists of national TNA teams, which comprise a broad range of stakeholders from government institutions, NGOs and the private sector, including professionals from the building industry. It is intended to be a source of information and technical knowledge on climate change mitigation in the building sector for these stakeholders, especially those in countries and regions, where accessibility of such information is limited.

This flyer notes that climate change impacts and risks are global in their nature, geographically diverse and are increasingly being felt across a range of systems and sectors essential for human livelihood and well‐being. It also highlights that the United Nations system collectively offers a range of tools, services and expertise to assist vulnerable countries and communities to enable effective adaptation in their efforts to achieve sustainable socioeconomic development, through knowledge sharing, strengthening of technical and institutional capacities, and the provision of financial and technological support.

This flyer stresses that achieving the 2°C climate target will require technological innovation and the rapid and widespread transfer of environmentally‐sound technologies for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and for adapting to the inevitable impacts of climate change. Aware of this, the objective of the UN system is to significantly increase the capacity of developing countries to innovate and to transfer, adapt and disseminate environmentally sound technologies and standards to support a transition to green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

This flyer stresses that the threats of climate change can have a negative effect on human health and welfare but at the same time can constitute an opportunity to leverage positive social transformations with a particular focus on the needs of the most vulnerable within a comprehensive sustainable development framework. Aware of this, the UN system supports Governments and partners to: advocate a multidimensional approach to climate change policies to take into account the potential social co‐benefits of effectively addressing climate change as well as opportunities to focus on the most vulnerable in order to enhance well‐being in society; and identify ways in which the UN system can more effectively support Member States in developing and implementing climate‐related policies and measures to provide better living conditions in their societies as a whole.

This technical document presents an overview of the quantified economy-wide emission reduction targets to be implemented by developed country Parties, as well as assumptions and conditions related to individual targets and associated assumptions and conditions related to the ambition of the pledges. It explores commonalities and differences of approaches to measure progress towards the achievement of economy-wide emission reduction targets and discusses the comparison of the emission reduction efforts. It is intended to facilitate understanding of these assumptions and conditions. The paper updates the information contained in documents FCCC/TP/2011/1 and FCCC/TP/2012/2, and is based on submissions from Parties and their contributions to dedicated workshops.

This flyer stresses that health protection is a critical dimension of climate change and mentions UN activities in this area, which is guided by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and by a 2008 World Health Assembly Resolution, in which countries requested support to assess and address the health consequences of climate change.

This flyer stresses that fiscal policy can play a critical in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and raising revenues for climate finance, fiscal consolidation, and other purposes. It highlights that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been working with other international partners on instruments for climate finance. In particular, its work focused on a variety of domestic and international fiscal instruments, emphasizing: carbon pricing instruments and charges on international aviation and maritime emissions.

This flyer discusses how the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) work to reduce the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international aviation and international maritime transport. In particular, it mentions activities, results and future developments.

This flyer presents the Global Framework for Climate Services. The goal of the Framework is to enable better management of the risks of climate variability and change and adaptation to climate change at all levels, through development and incorporation of science‐based climate information and prediction into planning, policy and practice. In particular, the Framework is intended to support and promote climate change adaptation measures, many of which will require climate services that are not currently available.

This flyer highlights that the effective participation of women is important for effective action on all aspects of climate change. Aware of this, UN agencies support Governments and partners to: enhance realization of women’s equal rights and empowerment, including in decision‐making processes, and increase effectiveness of interventions related to climate change through use of gender analysis, enhanced capacity, and holistic strategies.

This flyer argues that with informed population, a knowledgeable workforce, enlightened government officials and an environmentally aware youth, the world can be in a better position to deal with the causes and impacts of climate change. Furthermore, it presents various awareness‐raising initiatives developed by the United Nations system with the aim to enable citizens to critically engage in decision‐making and action‐taking for sustainable development.

This flyer highlights that reducing climate‐related disaster risks is a crucial part of climate change adaptation. It also stresses that the United Nations funds, programmes, and specialized agencies have taken action and helped reduce climate‐related risks at regional, national and even local levels and briefly mentions future action.