Bibliothèque

This analytical report aims to contribute to the success of Rio+20 through demonstrating the key role that Ecosystem Management has in underpinning the Green Economy and illustrating the advantages of this approach. The authors review the evolution of Ecosystem Management in the past 40 years, and project its increasing role in improving the natural foundation for a Green Economy development in the next 60 years after Rio+20 towards 2070. Taken together, the endeavour is ‘a journey of a century’. The document focuses on what to do in the transition period of the next 20 years after Rio+20.

This information brief stresses that, to meet the challenges of climate change and the increasing global demand for food, agriculture must become ‘climate-smart’. Climate-smart agriculture actions must take gender issues into account. It also notices that little research has been undertaken to understand how men and women are adapting to a changing climate, mitigating emissions and maintaining food security and proposes new research approaches.

This technical document assesses the strengths and identified the gaps in the capacity building services being provided in a sample of Asia-Pacific countries against their REDD+ readiness needs. Recommendations are then given on how to improve the REDD+ capacity building process in the region.

This technical document attempts to synthesize previous work on freshwater resources and climate change impacts and adaptation strategies and to identify ways forward. It aims to raise the level of understanding among parties with regard to the links between climate change and freshwater resources, in a manner that would ultimately support informed decisions on practical adaptation action and measures on water resources. It especially explores links between climate change and hydrology, including impacts of climate change on: ecosystems and biodiversity, agriculture and food security, urbanization, land use and forestry, water supply and sanitation, health, infrastructure, and energy security which, in addition to climate, are strongly influenced by human interventions and actions.

The brief notes that drivers of deforestation and forest degradation often come from outside the forestry sector, and that many are closely tied to agriculture. To succeed in implementing policies for REDD+, it calls for an integrated landscape approach that takes into account all land uses in a holistic way and works to lessen the competition for natural resources among different sectors. The brief promotes climate-smart agriculture, where: agricultural development is directed along pathways that lead to sustainable increases in agricultural productivity; social and ecological resilience are increased in order to contribute to climate change adaptation; and agriculture is used to support the achievement of national food security and development goals.

This publication includes a collection of capacity building success stories. It aims to illustrate that important local climate change activities are possible and are happening. The publication highlights efforts including: boosting the uptake of clean technologies; creating market-readiness for clean energy investment; creating climate-resilient societies; implementing REDD+ ; and supporting countries in the UNFCCC process.

This technical document outlines how far the current commitments and pledges of developed and developing nations can take the world in terms of achieving the 2°C limit or less, and the gap that remains between ambition and reality. It first reviews and summarizes the latest scientific studies of the gap. It then tackles the  question – How can the gap be bridged? – by examining the question from different vantage points: from that of global integrated assessment models, from bottom-up studies of individual economic sectors, and from published work on the mitigation potential in international aviation and shipping emissions.

The publication aims to inspire further actions to protect the ozone layer and climate system, as well as contribute to promoting green energy initiatives. It includes articles from expert practitioners, policy makers and project staff on climate friendly HCFC phase-out. It addresses, inter alia: HCFC phase-out and energy efficiency; the contributions of the Montreal Protocol to reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); illegal HCFC trade, refrigeration equipments; HCFC phase-out in Australia; and prior informed consent.

This analytical report stresses that where and how REDD+ is implemented, its actions may generate other benefits in addition to maintaining and enhancing carbon stocks. These co-benefits can include ecosystem and social benefits such as biodiversity conservation, maintenance of ecosystem services and improvement of local people’s livelihoods. Planning for co-benefits provides an opportunity for countries to achieve more than GHG savings when implementing REDD+. This report presents the result of spatial analyses to support this planning process in Ecuador.

This policy document stresses that cities are pivotal to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change. However, it notices that cities are not receiving sufficient access to mitigation finance. Therefore urgent interventions are required to provide them with better access to mitigation resources. A series of recommendations are advanced at the end of the document to promote additional actions.

This policy document stresses that two points are becoming clear regarding the challenge of adapting to climate change: the total bill is going to be enormous, and much of the investment required will have to occur in urban areas. However, it notes that to date adaptation finance has largely overlooked urban areas. Therefore it includes a series of recommendations to address this challenge.

This technical document stresses the importance of addressing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). According to the publication, HFCs could be responsible for emissions equivalent to 3.5 to 8.8 gigatons (Gt) of carbon dioxide (Gt CO2eq) by 2050, an amount comparable to total current annual emissions from transport, estimated at around 6-7 Gt annually. The report suggests several options for reducing the impacts of HFCs including: alternative methods and processes; the use of non-HFC substances, such as ammonia or dimethyl ether for use in foams, refrigeration and fire protection systems; and climate-friendly HFCs with shorter atmospheric life-times, such as HFC 1234ze in foams and HFC-1234yf for mobile air-conditioners.

This technical document provides an overview of global aquaculture status and development trends as a synthesis of such status and trends in six regions of the world: Asia–Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East and North Africa, North America and Sub-Saharan Africa. The document recommends that as the sector further expands, intensifies and diversifies, it should recognize the relevant environmental and social concerns and make conscious efforts to address them in a transparent manner. The impacts of climate change on global aquaculture, yet fully known, include: rising seasurface temperatures; sea-level rise; increasing ocean acidification; higher incidence of extreme weather events; increasing risks of transboundary pests and diseases; and altered rainfall patterns and river flows.

This document includes a collection of articles that seeks to communicate the diverse insights and visions of leading actors in the emerging global carbon market to better inform the decisions of professionals and policy makers. The publication explores how carbon markets at national, regional and global levels can be developed and up-scaled to sustain the involvement of the private sector in leveraging finance and innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ten authors with a background as negotiators representing developing countries, business and researchers cover three inter-related issues; 1) policy perspectives globally, from EU, China, US and Canada and the role of UN, 2) existing instruments including CDM and voluntary markets and 3) new instruments such as sector approaches and new market mechanisms.

This technical document includes the summary report of the study “Rwanda : From Post-Conflict to Environmentally Sustainable Development”. This publication includes a comprehensive, national-scale post-conflict environmental assessment in Rwanda. It covers 11 themes and provides a critical analysis of the most pressing environmental issues facing Rwanda.

This technical document includes a comprehensive, national-scale post-conflict environmental assessment in Rwanda. It covers 11 themes and provides a critical analysis of the most pressing environmental issues facing Rwanda. The most significant environmental impacts stem from massive population displacement and resettlement, including considerable reductions in the surface area of national parks, forests and wetlands. The loss of environmental data and monitoring capacity are among the conflict’s enduring impacts. The priority areas for intervention identified in the report include: ecosystem conservation and rehabilitation to combat poverty; capacity-building to strengthen environmental governance; and enhance and promote regional environmental cooperation. 

This policy document provides UNESCO’s vision for Rio+20 and gives concrete examples demonstrating the Organization’s work to promote sustainable development. It also provides a roadmap for future action on how to build equitable, inclusive, green societies through education, the sciences, culture and communication and information. The report includes sections on education and culture, sustainable development, biodiversity, climate change, disaster preparedness.

This technical document provides comprehensive statistical data illustrating environmental changes to the planet since the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Earth Summit), and ahead of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). The report includes a section on climate change. It notes that: 80% of carbon dioxide emissions come from only 19 countries; the amount of carbon dioxide per US$1 GDP has dropped by 23% since 1992, indicating some decoupling of economic growth from resource use; nearly all mountain glaciers around the world are retreating and getting thinner; and sea levels have been rising at an average rate of about 2.5 mm per year since 1992.

This technical document aims to assist senior officials in government administrations and the representatives of other stakeholders, including civil society organizations and the private sector, prepare the forest sector for the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change. It seeks to provide a practical approach to the process of integrating climate change into national forest programmes. It is the outcome of a thorough consultative process with active engagement of countries and experts.

This analytical report presents the Brazilian component of a multi-country research project  identifying skills for green jobs. It aims to characterize the demand for green occupations and skills in the current transition phase of the Brazilian economy as well as signal what are the necessary conditions to supply green skills.