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This daily publication produced by the IISD Reporting Services (IISD RS) presents reports on selected side events that took place during the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Fifth Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP 15 and COP/MOP 5).

This daily publication produced by the IISD Reporting Services (IISD RS) presents reports on selected side events that took place during the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Fifth Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP 15 and COP/MOP 5).

This document presents a summary of the report: “Bringing Smale-Scall Finance to the Poor for Modern Energy Services: What is the Role of Government? Experiences from Burkina Faso, Kenya, Nepal and Tanzania”. It looks at the current gap that exists between access to modern energy and small-scale finance.

This activity report collects the main outcomes of the regional E-discussion organised as part of preparation activities to the 15th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (December 2009, Copenhagen). The objectives of the regional E-discussion on climate change and poverty are: to collect and summarize the expert opinions on climate change and poverty issues in Central Asian countries; to exchange information about the state policies and strategies; to find new approaches to adaptation and prevention, collect best practices and proposals; to disseminate the information on the upcoming meeting in Copenhagen; to build capacity for forming a common position of Central Asian countries in the run-up to the meeting in Copenhagen.

This policy document tries to fill the knowledge gap connecting energy with decentralization processes. Based on the review of more than 600 documents and sources available online, this study endeavors to improve the present understanding of whether and how energy is taken into consideration within national decentralization policies and programmes in Least Developed Countries and in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This policy document outlines a strategy for increasing access to energy services to meet the Millennium Development Goals in East Africa. The strategy focuses on rapid implementation at country level of high-impact, low-cost, scaleable (HILCS) energy interventions demonstrated to alleviate poverty. It is a first step towards ensuring that energy is integrated into the national development planning and poverty reduction strategies, with Energy Ministers working with their sectoral counterparts to ensure adequate energy input in planning, agriculture, health and education.

This policy document observes that cross-border energy trade implies economic, social and environmental impacts which differ between exporting and importing countries. For both, adverse consequences can arise from volatile energy prices and the social and environmental impacts of energy/industrial activities. This study provides policy recommendations to governments and to development partners on how to minimize the negative impacts of energy trade on the poor, and increase its benefits in order to meet the MDGs.

This analytical report draws attention to the global energy access situation and highlights that three billion people still rely on traditional biomass and coal; with a striking two million deaths per year associated with indoor burning of solid fuels in unventilated kitchens. The review focuses on the Least Developed Countries and Sub-Saharan Africa.

This analytical report highlights the contribution of mechanical power to energy access in developing countries. It recommends that mechanical power as an energy service should be given the same consideration as other modern energy services by policy makers/practitioners responsible for improving energy access to poor communities worldwide.

This analytical report looks at the current gap that exists between access to modern energy and small-scale finance. It focuses on the role of governments in bridging that gap, and recommends priority actions to be taken by governments. The report covers experiences for Burkina Faso, Kenya, Nepal and Tanzania.

This analytical report looks at how the network of UNDP professionals in 166 countries makes a difference on a daily basis by working with governments, NGOs, CBOs, and local communities within six priority areas: strategies for sustainable development, water governance, sustainable energy, land management, biodiversity and chemicals.

This training manual is a practical tool to increase the capacity of policy and decision makers to develop gender-responsive climate change policies and strategies. The publication presents key conceptual and methodological advances in gender relations in the context of climate change. The topics covered in the manual relate to the topics covered in the Bali Action Plan.

This video shows Veerle Vandeweerd, UNDP Director of Environment and Energy, speaking as Co-Chair of the 4th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands (7-11 April, 2008, Hanoi, Vietnam).

This technical document updates and expands on the previous Reid-Goldemberg analysis calling upon the expertise of country experts to document the emissions impacts of various macro-economic, structural and sector policies in Argentina, Brazil, China, India and Mexico, as well as throughout Africa. A case study of the United Kingdom provides a good point of comparison. These five large developing countries account for approximately 23% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide, and approximately two-thirds of emissions from non-Annex I countries, and the UK is one of the  few Annex I countries that has kept its emissions from increasing above the 1990 levels.

This technical document uses a combination of climate and hydrological models to assess the possible consequences of future global warming on water resources in the Pungwe catchment up until 2050. By generating information on future trends in water resource availability in the basin, the project seeks to identify possible adaptation needs over the coming years.

This document discusses the issue of financing for sustainable development and introduces the UNDP’s MDG Carbon Facility. This is an innovative financing mechanism designed to direct increased financial flows from the growing international market in carbon emission offsets toward projects that contribute directly to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the least developed countries.

This activity report describes a project aimed to strengthen and develop Chinese climate change policies in the post-Kyoto era. In particular, this project will provide assistance to Chinese experts and officials in organizing national processes to identify and consolidate information about domestic policies and measures consistent with the objective of the FCCC. Activities will include: review of existing information and preparation of other relevant policy research, promotion of additional policies which promote the objectives of the climate change convention, domestic meetings, information exchange and partnership building.

This activity report describes a project that engaged the private sector and provided other stakeholder groups with a private sector perspective relative to the CDM. The project aimed at stimulating and delivering “learning by doing” projects (CDM pilot projects) involving the private sector with the view to examine on a practical and pragmatic level the key issues associated with a viable CDM.

This policy document sets out how FAO, UNDP and UNEP intend to work together to support countries’ efforts to reduce emission from deforestation and forest degradation. It aims to establish a collaborative framework for coordinated interventions, both among the participating UN Organizations and with other partners, particularly the World Bank, GEF-supported programmes and other members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. The focus is on national action delivered through Joint Programmes, reinforced by supporting measures at regional and global levels.

This activity report stresses that climate change and diseases encouraged by climatic instability are harming humans, damaging Earth’s natural systems and threaten to disrupt the global economy. A properly financed transition to a non-fossil fuel based economy offers the best opportunity to strengthen public health, fortify resilience, stimulate economic growth and stabilize the climate.