Climate Change: Meeting the Challenge to 2050

oecd.org -

Climate change is already with us. Scientific evidence shows that past emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) are already affecting the Earth’s climate. If current trends and policies continue, the result will be a rapidly warming world. Action is needed now to significantly reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the coming decades.

This Policy Brief highlights International efforts to deal with climate change and how much action to take to mitigate climate change, how fast, and how to ensure that the burden and rewards are shared equitably. Full report in PDF format; Pages: 8p

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Indonesia dan Jepang siap turunkan emisi CO2

Dari Departemen Kehutanan, Siaran pers nomor: S.657/PIK-1/2009

Presiden RI Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono menegaskan kesiapan Indonesia untuk menurunkan emisi CO2 sebesar 26% dari sektor kehutanan, energi dan limbah. Bahkan apabila ada dukungan teknologi dan keuangan internasional, target penurunan emisi diproyeksikan sampai 41%, hal ini disampaikan pada Pertemuan G-20 di Pittsburg baru-baru ini.

EU actions on environment and climate change in the world: press pack

preventionweb.net -

This document presents the EU’s fight against climate change hand-in-hand with an ambitious energy policy, covering the main environmental issues such as biodiversity loss, deforestation and forest governance, climate change adaptation and mitigation, energy efficiency and renewable energies, water, chemicals and heavy metal pollution etc. It is aiming at sparking a new industrial revolution that will deliver a sustainable, low-carbon economy whilst increasing Europe’s energy security by reducing reliance on energy imports.

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Al Gore speech in Copenhagen‏

http://bit.ly/AGcop15

http://repoweramerica.org/wall/#/view/44235

A Copenhagen Prognosis: towards a safe climate future

sei-international.org – This report presents a concise diagnosis of the state of the bioshpere and observed trends and offers a treatment plan that is consistent with a 2°C warming threshold, equity and economic development. Among it’s key conclusions are that: * Emerging scientific results suggest that greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions targets currently being tabled are not consistent with the expressed political will to protect humanity against high risks of devastating climate impacts and significant risks of self-amplifying global warming. * Based on the available carbon budget, and if we are to have a good (75 per cent) chance for warming to stay below 2°C, global GHG emissions would almost certainly need to decline extremely rapidly after 2015, and reach essentially zero by midcentury. * There is no evidence suggesting it is impossible to rise to this challenge. To the contrary, the growing body of analytical work examining such scenarios at the global and regional level suggest it is not only technically feasible but also economically affordable, even profitable.

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A Three-Year Journey for Sustainable Tourism

unep.fr -

Tourism is widely recognized as one of the biggest industries in the world and offers great poten-tial to both developed and developing countries in terms of income generation, foreign exchange earnings, and employment creation. This industry is very dependent on the quality of local environments and societies as tourists are often looking for esthetical and cultural attractive places to visit. Unfortu¬nately, if tourism is not managed properly, it can damage the very resources that ensure its success and sustainability. This delicate balance engenders the need to develop policies for sustainable tourism that maximize benefits while minimizing its negative economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts.

This report summarizes the various projects, tools, and achievements of the ITF-STD over the past three years and outlines its steps to transform into a UN Partnership for Sustainable Tourism. This trans¬formation will provide the necessary foundation to continue the initiative’s progress. Full report in PDF format (7.63 MB); Pages: 42p

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Green Passport-Holiday for a Living Planet

unep.fr -

We go on holidays for pleasure, to discover new horizons, to relax, to meet people and to learn about different cultures. Most of the time, we are not aware that the choices we make for our holiday can have an impact on our destination and on the people that live there. We are often equally unaware of the implications of our travel for global environmental issues, especially climate change.

The aim of this Green Passport site is to introduce you, the potential traveler, to some of the things you can do to help make tourism a sustainable activity, by which we mean an activity that is not only respectful of the environment but that is also good for the economic and social development of the communities that will be your hosts.

http://www.unep.fr/greenpassport/ <!–(Original link doesn't work? Use cached version)–>

The Copenhagen Diagnosis: Climate Science Updates

preventionweb.net -

The purpose of this report is to synthesize the most policy-relevant climate science published since the close-off of material for the last IPCC report. The rationale is two-fold. First, this report serves as an interim evaluation of the evolving science midway through an IPCC cycle – IPCC AR5 is not due for completion until 2013. Second, and most important, the report serves as a handbook of science updates that supplements the IPCC AR4 in time for Copenhagen in December 2009, and any national or international climate change policy negotiations that follow.

The report has been purposefully written with a target readership of policy-makers, stakeholders, the media and the broader public. Each section begins with a set of key points that summarizes the main findings. Full report in PDF format (3.34 MB); Number of pages: 60p

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A Practical Guide to Good Practice: Managing Environmental Impacts in the Marine Recreation Sector

unep.fr -

Major contractors of marine recreation services, including tour operators, hotels and cruise lines, are increasingly showing a preference for providers that adopt environmental good practices. Thus, for marine recreation providers – from dive operations to boat rentals to wildlife viewing tours – improving environmental performance can not only contribute to marine conservation and the economic development of coastal communities, it can also improve business, by increasing their attractiveness to companies seeking responsible suppliers.

This guide, which is based on an intensive consultation process with industry, local and national authorities, and conservation organizations, is designed for marine recreation providers seeking to understand and adopt environmental good practices. It can also be used as a tool by hoteliers, tour operators and cruise lines in selecting and managing suppliers based on sustainability criteria. Full paper in PDF format; Pages: 24p

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Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation, Mitigation and Indigenous Peoples – A Compendium of Case Studies

unutki.org -

This compendium presents a wide-ranging overview of more than 400 projects, case studies and research activities specifically related to climate change and Indigenous Peoples. It provides a sketch of the climate and environmental changes, local observations and impacts being felt by communities in different regions, and outlines various adaptation and mitigation strategies that are currently being implemented by Indigenous Peoples – the world’s “advance guard” of climate change – as they use their traditional knowledge and survival skills to trial adaptive responses to change. Local observations of direct effects of climate change by Indigenous Peoples corroborate scientific predictions, and include temperature and precipitation changes; coastal erosion; permafrost degradation; changes in wildlife, pest and vector-borne disease distribution; sea-level rise; increasing soil erosion, avalanches and landslides; more frequent extreme weather events, such as intense storms; changing weather patterns, including increasing aridity and drought, fire and flood patterns; and increased melting of sea-ice and ice-capped mountains.

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