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This activity report presents the results of the Cities and Climate Change Initiative for the first half of the program. It presents the goal and rationale behing the program as well as its strenghts and weaknesses as seen throughout the years. It then proposes ways to make the program better.

This analytical report aims at providing a variety of actions that can be implemented by a country to make their transportation systems more sustainable. Actions for various sectors are providing with accompanying indicators.

This discussion paper is prepared to provide guidance in discussions for adaptation to climate change through integrated water resources management and green growth to achieve green economy and sustainable development. As such, the target audience of these guidelines includes not only political leaders, decision makers, and thought leaders but also the general public. The intention is to highlight that both green growth and building climate resilience are not only necessities, but are a natural process for sustainable development.

The document can be accessed at the following adress: http://www.unescap.org/esd/publications/water/2012/cma/Climate-Change-Adaptation.pdf

This manual outlines the vulnerability of small island developping states (SIDS) in the Pacific and the Caribbean to natural hazards and climate risks, and explains how gender roles and responsibilities result in differential exposure and impact of disasters. Putting on a “gender lens” means analyzing what men and women do in their daily lives, looking at how they interact and what specific needs arise out of this. It is intended to provide national disaster management personnel working in the SIDS with a tool to strengthen their practice; it is not intended to be exhaustive and should be considered as an aid to complement pre-existing knowledge. The document aims to help practitioners identify and integrate gender into their decision-making and actions on the ground in every phase of disaster risk management.

The analytical report aims to provide a number of key findings to be considered by world leaders as they are setting out to chart new pathways to sustainable development.It explores the drivers of change and transmission channels for the shift to a green economy, and considers their implications for economic activity, employment growth and social outcomes, notably as regards to the key economic sectors. It also identifies successful policies and good practices, to ensure that the green economy is characterized by gains in job quality, reductions in poverty and improvements in social inclusion.

This analytical report presents the results of an analysis of case studies from Sudan, India, Rwanda, Mali and Swaziland to find out whether participatory mapping – used in combination with other participatory methods – has had measurable effects for the development of local adaptive capacity. It presents general principles and orientation for practitioners and policymakers involved in adaptation programmes.

The technical document encompasses background information on the relevant processing and “value chains” in the petrochemical industry within Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the current greenhouse gas (GHG) emission control technologies available, and recommendations and relevant steps for the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB), including the criteria to help evaluate the potential GHG emissions from the petrochemical sector and the criteria to help determine the minimal acceptable potential GHG emissions from petrochemical projects.

This activity report presents the results of the The Hybrid and Electric Bus Test Program. Findings reveal that that hybrid and electric technologies can perform as well or better than comparable diesel-powered buses and within a reasonable payback period. In Latin America, where the transport sector is already the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, several cities have been working to improve their transport systems to achieve improved air quality, better road safety, and greater social inclusion.

This analytical report is intended to assist planners understanding how to assess the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction benefits of sustainable transport projects, policies, and strategies. The document should aid planners accessing climate finance to support sustainable transport initiatives, as well as to assist evaluators in understanding and measuring GHG benefits of proposed investments. While the focus of the document is on measuring GHG benefits, many of the methods discussed are broadly useful for understanding other important social benefits including air pollution and traffic congestion reduction, fuel savings, increased traffic safety, and access to opportunities across the income spectrum.

This slide presentation provides an argument for the evaluation of adaptation plans. It discusses the challenges, context, approach, key areas and building blocks of the Global Environmental Facility’s (GEF) approach.

This analytical report aims to catalyse thinking about the ways in which agriculture – which has a vital role in global food security, development and natural resources use – can and must be fully integrated into national strategies and a consensus-based multilateral framework to address the challenges of climate change. The report brings forth questions that will occupy the world community over the next decade or more regarding the role of agriculture in climate change adaptation and mitigation. The report offers some answers and concrete proposals – while recognizing that much more needs to be learned, more questions formulated, and more experience gained, to build an effective strategy to support global agricultural adaptation while harnessing its significant potential contribution to climate change mitigation and taking into consideration development objectives and food security concerns.

This analytical report addresses the central issue of biofuel sustainability using a global assessment of major commodities and feedstocks currently employed for bioethanol and biodiesel production. The approach taken was guided by two overriding considerations. First, the need to understand the basic dimensions of sustainability for biofuels (economic, environmental and social), their linkages and how they relate to the central challenges they address, namely land-use change, food security and climate change.

This yearbook presents a visual synthesis of the major trends and factors shaping the global food and agricultural landscape and their interplay with broader environmental, social and economic dimensions. It aims to be a unique reference point on the state of world food and agriculture for policy-makers, donor agencies, researchers and analysts, as well as the general public. For the first time in 2013, the Yearbook includes statistics for greenhouse gas emissions.

The book can be found at the following address: http://www.fao.org/economic/ess/ess-publications/ess-yearbook/en

This analytical report presents the second analysis of the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use Mitigation Project Database. This study, which follows up on an earlier 2010 report, includes 575 projects from 12 different registries. This paper summarizes the insights that have been gained from the analysis of the updated database. It specifically comments on the emerging gaps in the climate change agenda as regards AFOLU projects in developing countries.

This analytical report provides an overview of agreements under the UNFCCC on GHG mitigation in developing countries. It distinguishes between low-emission development strategies (LEDS), which aim to guide a transition to a low-emission development pathway, and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), which are mitigation policies and measures undertaken in line with national development strategies.

This technical document presents a unique and exhaustive review of current knowledge on mitigation practices for greenhouse gas emissions in the livestock sector. It focuses specifically on non-CO2 emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management. It is part of a stream of activities being carried out to identify low greenhouse gas emission pathways for the livestock sector. The report references over 900 publications on the mitigation of direct nitrous oxide and methane emissions and highlights the most promising options, given their demonstrated effectiveness and feasibility for adoption.

This analytical report presents the findings of a study commissioned to review the status of development and implementation of disaster risk management (DRM) plans for the agriculture sector throughout the Caribbean.

This analytical report provides a progress update on implementation of the United Nations (UN) Climate Neutral Strategy. This strategy was approved by the UN Chief Executives Board (CEB) in October 2007 and committed all UN agencies, funds and programmes to move towards climate neutrality within the wider context of greening the UN. The report notes that while many individual UN entities have adopted assessment policies and practices, the United Nations System acting together can do even more, including by developing a common sustainability framework and relevant indicators.

This brochure describes; (i) the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) joint programme “Building resilience to disasters in the Western Balkans and Turkey”; (ii) its objectives, in line with the priorities set by the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 – Building resilience of nations and communities to disasters; and (iii) the project activities, which focus on disaster risk reduction capacity building, knowledge management as well as disaster risk transfer and community based disaster management for UNISDR, and on risk assessment, meteorological and hydrological forecast, enabling climate risk management in decision-making, and designing a region-wide harmonized early warning system for WMO.

This analytical report provides a snapshot of resilience building activities at the local level and identifies trends in the perceptions and approaches of local governments toward disaster risk reduction. It examines factors that enable urban disaster risk reduction activities, including how the global campaign Making Cities Resilient – “My City is Getting Ready!” has helped improve local knowledge of disaster risk and support capacity building.