2012
US/Canada Citizens' Summit for Sustainable Development
The US/Canada Citizens' Summit for Sustainable Development is an innovative
and collaborative event that seeks to generate new knowledge, policy, and
action for sustainability in the United States and Canada, and foster
coherent, effective advocacy around the 2012 United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development (UNCSD) or Rio +20. It will bring together 180
diverse stakeholders on March 24th and 25th, at the Yale School of Forestry
& Environmental Studies, in New Haven, Connecticut. Experts, emerging
leaders, advocates, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers from across the
United States and Canada will come together to participate in two days of
discussions, brainstorming, planning, action and input into the Citizens’
Summit before, during and in a continuation for collaboration thereafter.
Three sessions of the Citizens' Summit will be live streamed at
http://www.livestream.com/yale The panels streamed will be:
Saturday, March 24th, 2012, 9:00-10:30, Opening Panel: Twenty Years after
Rio, Why are We Not There Yet?
Saturday, March 24th, 2012, 3:30-5:00, Innovation in Sustainability: A
Conversation about the Report of the U.N. Secretary-Generals High-Level
Panel on Global Sustainability Sunday, March 25th, 2012, 3:30-4:30, Closing
Panel: An Intergenerational Dialogue about the Future We Need
You can also join the dialogue on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/CitizensSummitforSD)
and Twitter @citizens_summit to submit comments and questions. Visit the
blog (http://sagemagazine.org/?p=2455)
to share inspiring comments, express frustrations or ask any questions
here. Contact Lindsay Buchanan
lindsay.buchanan@yale.edu and
angel.herslet@yale.edu to submit a blog post.
Input into these sessions will be reflected the declaration coming out of
the Citizens’ Summit, as one of the main outcomes. This declaration will be
submitted to US and Canadian Member State delegations, and any consensus on
text suggestions will be submitted to the Rio +20 Zero draft of the outcome
document. Thus, helping to ensure that the Rio +20 Conference generates
lasting, transformative outcomes for our future, the future we want. In
this way, the Citizens’ Summit will encourage a shared understanding of
common challenges and opportunities across a diverse range of stakeholders
and disciplines throughout the region.
Exploring the Role of Cities and Buildings in the Green Economy
Rio +20", will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 20 to 22 June 2012.
The conference will be preceded by the third Preparatory Committee
meeting of the Conference, from 13 to 15 June 2012. In accordance with
General Assembly resolution A/C.2/66/L.53, the pre-registration for
participation in the preparatory meeting and in the Conference by relevant
NGOs and other major groups is now open.
Please consult the following link for more information
http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?menu=90
In June 2012, Rio de Janeiro will host the United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development (UNCSD), an event widely known as “Rio +20” as it
marks the 20th anniversary of the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in
1992. For citizens, businesses, and governments around the world, the
Rio +20 Conference
represents an opportunity to assess 20 years of progress on the environment
and to generate renewed will for, and concrete actions towards, a
sustainable future.
2011
U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL
Exploring The Role of Cities and Buildings in the Green Economy.
A Chicago event on the Road to Rio +20
Hear from local business leaders and government officials, discuss regional
examples of success and challenges, and be part of the global dialogue on
how green building policies, programs, and technologies are fueling a
sustainable future and green economy.
Date: January 24, 2012
Time: 3:00-5:00 pm
Place: The Hyatt Center, Main Café Dining Room
71 South Wacker Drive (please enter on the Franklin side)
RSVP for the Forum or email
rsvpevents@usgbc.org
Please note, you will need to present a government issued photo ID upon
entering the building. We are proud to host this event at the Hyatt Center,
one of the largest buildings in the world to obtain LEED-EB Platinum
Certification.
More on:
U.S. GREEN BUILDING
COUNCIL
International Year of Forests
In an exclusive video, Gisele Bündchen invites the world to act
for the forests.
To mark the World Amazon Day and the International Year of Forests, the
Goodwill Ambassador of UNEP shot an exclusive video about the importance of
these systems that support life on Earth.
September 1, 2011 - The supermodel Gisele Bündchen, in a
recent visit to the Amazon, took the time to register her concern to call the
attention of the world about the vital role that forests play in our lives.
Along with the United Nations Programme for the Environment, the model shot
an exclusive video warning that we need to take urgent action to protect our
lives and the health of the Planet.
This public service message was captured in the wilderness of the Amazon, the
magical region in Latin America that serves as the habitat for a wide variety
of interconnected and interdependent species, including human beings that
depend directly on the forests’ resources for subsistence.
The video will be released on
Gisele’s Youtube channel, on September 5th, World Amazon Day.
Forests Challenge
To spread the cause throughout the internet, the model will launch the
FORESTS CHALLENGE: a goal to make Gisele’s message reach as
many people as possible through social networks. Internet users will be
encouraged to watch and spread the video via Twitter and Facebook.
On September 5th, Gisele will use her
Official
Account on Twitter and her
Official fanpage on
Facebook to launch the special content. Those who re-tweet the Tweet and
click “like” on the post referring to the video will be part of the contest
drawing to receive a copy of the Vogue Brazil Jul/2011 issues autographed by
Gisele – a historical edition that raised awareness about the concern for the
environment. Two magazines will be awarded to those who participate via
Twitter and another two for those who participate via Facebook by clicking
“Like” on the post.
Gisele: Goodwill Ambassador of UNEP
Gisele, who always had the environment as one of her passions, saw the need
to take action in order to protect our planet after she had visited an Indian
tribe in the Xingu River basin in Brazil and witnessed the problems faced by
the local population due to water pollution and deforestation. Since then,
her activism hasn’t stopped. For years she’s been supporting environmental
causes and using her image positively to spread the word on the importance of
taking action to preserve the planet.
In 2009, her efforts were recognized by the United Nations as they named her
a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Programme for the Environment
(UNEP).
2011: International Year of Forests
The UN declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests in order to raise
awareness about the need of sustainable management, conservation, and
development of all types of forests.
Forests comprise the ecosystems with the largest biodiversity on earth, being
home to more than half of animals and plants. In addition to playing an
important role in combating climate change, forests also provide shelter and
safety for the populations who depend directly on them.
Every human being needs forests to survive. The problem is that, even with
all the ecological, economic and social benefits forests provide, we are
destroying them at an alarming rate. We need to take urgent action to protect
them. Visit
www.un.org/forests and
www.unep.org/forests
to learn more about it.
Fifth International Marine Debris Conference: New International
Co-operation to Tackle Marine Debris
March 20-25, 2011, Honolulu, Hawaii
Scientists, marine debris experts, governments, research bodies,
corporations, and trade associations from 35 countries gathered in Hawaii for
the Fifth International Marine Debris Conference from March 20-25 to
recommend actions to tackle the issue of marine debris. The conference, the
first of its kind in more than ten years, was a joint effort by the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the US National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A central outcome of the conference was
the
Honolulu Commitment, which aims at a cross-sector approach to reduce the
amount of trash that ends up in our oceans and cause extensive damage to
marine habitats, the global economy, biodiversity, as well as risks human
health.
More:
Photos, UNEP's Marine Litter Publications, Event Website
2010
Governors' Global Climate Summit 3: Building the Green Economy
November 15-16, 2010, University of California, Davis
On 15 and 16 November 2010, the United Nations Environment Programme's Regional Office for North America (UNEP RONA) participated in the Third Governors' Global Climate Summit (GGCS3) at the University of California, Davis.
The Summit brought together world leaders at the local, national, regional and international level, as well leaders from academia, business and the non-profit sector to discuss how policies and strategies can stimulate economic growth, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, create new jobs, promote clean energy solutions and reduce greenhouse gas pollution. It also served as a forum to share ideas and collaborate on projects, and demonstrated how actions at the sub-national level can drive national and international climate negotiations.
Amy Fraenkel, Director of UNEP RONA, represented UNEP at various events, including on the Americas Panel of the R20: Race to Green Action, and at the signing ceremony of the R20 Charter. On 14 November, in the lead up to the Summit, Ms. Fraenkel was a panelist at a discussion on California, China and Clean Tech: Is there room at the table for everyone?.
In an effort to raise awareness of UNEP at the Summit and in the region, UNEP RONA manned an information booth in the Global Pavillion.
More: Pictures of the event
The Three Chemicals and Waste Treaties of the United Nations Environment Programme
Thursday, September 23, 1 pm – 2 pm, Washington, D.C., Senate Visitor Center, Room 202
On 23 September 2010, the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for North America organized a Congressional briefing entitled “The Three Chemicals & Waste Treaties of the United Nations Environment Programme.” Over forty people attended this briefing, which discussed the following three treaties:
- The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal;
- The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade; and
- The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
More: More details
2010 Tunza Youth Network Conference
23–25 July 2010 at the University of California at Berkeley
Seventeen (17) young environmental leaders from around the U.S. and Canada converged at the University of California at Berkeley from July 23-25 to participate in the second-ever Tunza North America (Tunzana) Youth Network Conference. The Tunzana Network, established in 2008 by the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for North America (UNEP RONA), provides an opportunity for North American youth to showcase their environmental work on a regional and international platform, while also connecting them to UNEP and its global Tunza Network. In support of UNEP’s mandate, these youth raise awareness and take action, both at school and in their communities.
More: Conference agenda, Conference photos, Tunzana website
World Oceans Day
Our oceans: opportunities and challenges
8 June 2010, World Oceans Day
Billions of dollars and thousands of lives can be saved if we address the loss of marine and coastal biodiversity and ecosystem services through improved governance. This is a key theme of World Oceans Day, celebrated on 8 June 2010 for the second year running. In his message for World Oceans Day, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: "If we are to safeguard the capacity of the oceans to service society's many and varied needs, we need to do much more. On this second annual commemoration of World Oceans Day, I urge Governments and citizens everywhere to acknowledge the enormous value of the world's oceans - and do their part in ensuring their health and vitality." Read more here.
2010 Rachel Carson Legacy Award and Symposium on Biodiversity with E. O. Wilson
27 May 2010 at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
As part of the United Nations World Environment Day celebration in North America, the Rachel Carson Legacy symposium will focus on the human impact on biodiversity. Featuring E.O. Wilson as keynote speaker and including a panel of experts, including Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, Deputy Director of the United Nations Environment Programme North America, and Dr. Richard Benedick, former Ambassador and Special Advisor to the U.N. on International Population Policy, we can begin with an initial visioning for a New American Dream that is environmentally sustainable, developed by participants in this event - a roadmap that will address the effect people have on the environment, and the critical inter-relationships between human habitat and the quality of life for generations to come.
E. O. Wilson, two-time Pulitzer prize winner, world-renowned entomologist and one of the scientists who provided research data to Rachel Carson while she was writing Silent Spring, will receive the Rachel Carson Legacy Award at a ceremony following our World Environment Day Biodiversty symposium at the Carnegie Natural History Museum on May 27, 2010.
The Rachel Carson Legacy Award was established in 2007 as part of the celebration of the centennial of Rachel Carson’s birth. It was created to recognize and honor people who have made significant impact on the application of Rachel Carson’s principles to modern public policy issues that interface the environment. The biannual award targets recognition for people who are both scientists and authors, in the model of Rachel Carson’s work.
Largely responsible for the study of biodiversity, sociobiology, evolutionary psychology, and chemical psychology, Wilson is Pellegrino University Professor Emeritus and Honorary Curator in Entomology at Harvard. He has also founded the E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation whose mission is to preserve biological diversity in the living environment by inventing and implementing business and educational strategies in the service of conservation. In addition to the more than 100 awards Wilson has received from around the world, in 2000 he was named as one of the century’s 100 leading environmentalists by both Time and Audubon Magazine.
The following item is available for download:
Good Jobs Green Jobs Conference
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is convening a panel session at the Good Jobs Green Jobs Conference, on May 5, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. To register, please visit http://www.greenjobsconference.org/
A Win-Win Proposition: How Green Buildings Create Jobs, Reduce Environmental Impacts and Save Operating Costs
Wednesday, May 5, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Concentration: Efficiency and Renewables
Topic: Legislative policies and incentives are driving green construction and real estate and, in particular, residential energy efficient construction and retrofits. Hear how these levers are creating a new array of opportunities for products and services. Green buildings are a win-win-win proposition; increasing energy security, reducing environmental impacts, saving operating costs, and initiating hundreds of thousands of quality jobs using readily available technologies. This session provides a unique platform for a dialogue on the role of government policy in creating business opportunities that benefit the environment and create jobs – supporting a global green economy.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Donna McIntire, Program Manager, Buildings & Climate Change, is convening this panel session, creating a platform for a dialogue on the role of government policy in creating business opportunities that benefit the environment and create jobs - spurring a global green economy.
Moderator:
Bryan Howard, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Legislative Director
Presenters:
Gil Sperling, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Senior Policy Advisor
Sam Rashkin, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Director, ENERGY STAR for Homes
Lee O’Neal, Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), Treasurer, and CGE Solutions, CEO
Michael Freedberg, Federal Housing Administration, Housing and Urban Development, Division Director of Affordable Housing Technology and Research
For more information, please contact Khairoon Abbas at tel: (202) 974-1316 or email: khairoon.abbas@unep.org
North American Scientific
Consultation on the Intergovernmental Panel on
Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Services
(IPBES)
The United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for North America
(UNEP RONA) held a regional scientific consultation on IPBES on Tuesday, 27
April 2010, in Washington, D.C.
Co-sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) U.S. National
Committee for DIVERSITAS and the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN), the consultation brought together leading biodiversity
scientists from the U.S. and Canadian governments, non-governmental
organizations, and academia to discuss some of the key questions regarding
how an IPBES mechanism might most effectively provide information to policy
makers and other users. Attended by 37 participants, this consultation was
in preparation for the third and final meeting on whether to establish an
IPBES, scheduled to take place in June 2010 in Busan, the Republic of Korea.
Opening remarks were provided by Amy
Fraenkel, Director, UNEP Regional Office for North America, Kerri-Ann Jones, U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific
Affairs and Dan Wicklum, Director General, Water, Science and Technology Directorate at Environment
Canada.
The meeting also included a panel comprised of the following experts.
- Ibrahim Thiaw,
Director, UNEP Division of Environmental Policy
Implementation
- Thomas Lovejoy, Biodiversity Chair, Heinz Center for Science, Economics and
the Environment
- Chris Field,
Director of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global
Ecology
- Robert Corell, Chair, The Climate Action Initiative, Principal, Global
Environment and Technology Foundation and its Center for
Energy and Climate Solutions, and Professor II at
University
of
Tromsø
and
Saami
University
College
(Norway)
- Charles Perrings, Professor of Environmental Economics at
Arizona
State
University
The following items are available for download:
Amy Fraenkel joins filmmakers to discuss water issues at the Environmental Film Festival
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Washington, D.C.
In commemoration of World Water Day and as part of the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting presented “Downstream: Our Water, Our Lives” – a screening of water-related film excerpts including Sun Come Up, Easy Like Water, Water Wars, and Poisoned Waters. Following the screening, which took place on March 23 at the Carnegie Institution of Science, Amy Fraenkel, Director of UNEP RONA, joined filmmakers Jennifer Redfearn, Steve Sapienza, Glenn Baker, and Hedrick Smith, along with David Douglas, president of Water Advocates, to discuss water issues and the role of films in increasing issue awareness and citizen engagement.
At the right, UNEP RONA Director, Amy Fraenkel, and Hedrick Smith, Emmy Award-winning producer/correspondent.
UNEP Receives Special Award from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Washington, DC
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was honored to receive a special award from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) at CIEL’s 20-year anniversary gala held at the US Botanic Gardens on 2 March. UNEP received the special CIEL International Law Award for distinguished and longstanding contributions to the development of international environmental law, and in recognition of its Law program’s extraordinary accomplishments and contributions to the development and implementation of domestic and international environmental law. This the first time this special award is granted to an institution.
“The law program has been one of UNEP's shining achievements. To take one example, the Montevideo Programme for the Development of Environmental Law has fostered the creation and implementation of multilateral environmental agreements, such as the Montreal Protocol of Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, and provided capacity building and other expertise with respect to domestic environmental law,” said Daniel Magraw, president of CIEL.
Accepting the award on behalf of UNEP was Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox of UNEP’s Regional Office for North America. "CIEL has been a longstanding partner in our efforts to foster the development of environmental law and governance, and CIEL’s contribution to UNEP’s work, especially in the chemicals field, has been invaluable,” said Guilbaud-Cox.
Photo
UNEP RONA holds North American Civil Society Consultation
Friday, January 8, 2010, 9:00 am – 5:30 pm
Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, Virginia
The United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for North America will hold its annual Civil Society Consultation in Arlington, Virginia, on 8 January 2010. The meeting is an opportunity for civil society representatives from the region to provide input and exchange views on topics, which will be addressed at the 11th Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum on 24-26 February 2010 in Bali, Indonesia. The Consultation will focus on the areas of Biodiversity, International Environmental Governance, Green Economy and Chemicals.
Click here to download the agenda
Click here to read about UNEP RONA’s Civil Society Involvement
UNEP Sasakawa Prize
The UNEP Sasakawa Prize is awarded every year to individuals with an established track record of achievement and the potential to make outstanding contributions to the protection and management of the environment consistent with UNEP’s policies and objectives.For more than 20 years, the UNEP Sasakawa Prize has been a mark of excellence in the environmental field. Recognizing that good ideas deserve a helping hand, the $200,000 cash prize offers the financial support laureates need to build on their achievements.The UNEP Sasakawa Prize acts as an incentive for environmental efforts that are sustainable and replicable in the long-term. It recognizes innovation, groundbreaking research and ideas, and extraordinary grassroots initiatives from around the world. Each candidate’s scope of activities will be associated with the environmental theme selected for the year as indicated on the nomination form. In 2010, the theme is Green Solutions to Combat Climate Change.
Clean Up the World
Clean Up the World is a global campaign that inspires communities to clean up, fix up and conserve the environment. Held in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme, it mobilizes an estimated 35 million people across 120 countries – who conduct a range of activities ranging from waste removal and tree planting to water and energy conservation projects. Launched with the support of Google, the website lets you join the Clean Up the World campaign and put your group and its environmental activities on the global map. To get involved visit http://activities.cleanuptheworld.org or email info@cleanuptheworld.org.
2009
Pittsburgh Selected North American Host City for World Environment Day 2010
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has named Pittsburgh the host city for World Environment Day (WED) 2010 in North America. The theme is “Biodiversity: Connecting with Nature.” Local government officials, businesses, organizations and individuals will work with UNEP’s Regional Office for North America (RONA) to schedule a series of events during the six weeks that “bridge the gap” between the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22 and World Environment Day on June 5, 2010.
Click here for press release
On the Road to Copenhagen: Carbon Finance is Key to Saving Rainforests and Gorillas
Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, D.C.
Join the United Nations Ambassador for the Year of the Gorilla, Ian Redmond, to discuss the significance of including gorillas and elephants, as important components in African rainforests, in the upcoming climate negotiations in Copenhagen.
Click here for press release
Gov. Schwarzenegger and United Nations Announce Co-Hosts of Governors' Global Climate Summit 2
Wednesday, September 30 – Friday, October 2, 2009
Los Angeles, California
Urging leaders from across the globe to further their commitment to collective action in our fight against climate change, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced the U.S. governors who will be joining him as co-hosts of the Governors’ Global Climate Summit 2 on September 30 through October 2 in Los Angeles. Representatives from UNEP’s Regional Office in North America will participate in the Governors’ Global Climate Summit 2.
Click here for press release
Panel Discussion: Towards Copenhagen - Greening the Global Economy
Friday, September 25, 2009, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, The Kenney Auditorium
1740 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.
Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), will give a keynote address and lead a panel discussion on greening the global economy in Washington D.C. on September 25, 2009, just three months before world leaders meet in Copenhagen, Denmark for the United Nations Climate Conference. This panel discussion, which deals with the importance of reaching a climate deal in Copenhagen, is in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), the International Reporting Project and the Pew Environment Group.
Panelists include: Mr. Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEP; Mr. William Hohenstein, Director, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Global Change Program Office; Mr. David Foster, Executive Director, Blue Green Alliance; Mr. Kaj den Daas, Chairman and CEO, Philips Lighting North America; Mr. Rick Leaman, CEO, OSRAM Sylvania;
Ms. Debbie Bleviss, Acting Director, Energy, Resources and Environment Program at SAIS (moderator)
Click here for media advisory
Launch of the Global Market Transformation for Efficient Lighting Project
Friday, September 25, 2009, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, The Kenney Auditorium
1740 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.
The aim of the Global Market Transformation for Efficient Lighting Project is to transform the market of efficient lighting in developing countries by (i) promoting the use of high performance, energy efficient lighting technologies; (ii) phasing out inefficient, incandescent lights; and (iii) substituting traditional fuel-based lighting with modern, efficient alternatives with consideration for mercury-free alternatives. The project will serve as a platform to build synergy among global stakeholders, share knowledge and information, create policy and regulatory frameworks, address technical and quality issues, assist public and private entities with the establishment of efficient partnerships, and support country programs that promote the use of energy efficient lighting. GEF has made $5 million available for financing of the Project while OSRAM and Philips will each contribute $6 million in-kind.
Launching the initiative will be: Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP; Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of GEF; Wolfgang Gregor, Senior Vice President, Customer Relationship, OSRAM; Kaj den Daas, CEO of Philips Lighting North America.
Click here for press release
UNEP RONA Celebrates LEED Gold Certification
Thursday, September 24, 2009, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (by invitation only)
900 17th Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington D.C.
Please join UNEP’s Executive Director, Achim Steiner, as we celebrate our new LEED Gold certified office. This achievement is the result of unprecedented collaboration among a team of partners including landlords, architects, contractors, real estate agents and building management companies.
Click here to read about our LEED Gold Office
Launch of the Climate Change Science Compendium 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
The National Press Club, Zenger Room, 13th Floor, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Science has been the key to engaging the world's governments on the urgency of addressing climate change. The 2007 assessment by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), founded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), ended any question as to whether climate change is happening, and outlined the likely and sobering impacts of inaction.
As governments prepare to meet in Copenhagen for the crucial UN climate convention meeting in December, UNEP presents the latest, peer-reviewed, climate science that has emerged since the IPCC's 2007 report. The overall conclusion is that climate change is accelerating and that the world is pushing, if not pushing past, key tipping points and thresholds. The findings will be presented by: Mr. Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP; Dr. Michael MacCracken, IPCC Reviewer, Chief Scientist for Climate Change Programs, The Climate Institute; Dr. Robert W. Corell, Chair, The Climate Action Initiative (CAI) on Leave from The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment.
Click here for press release
Click here to download the report
Ottawans Invited to Sign Banners in Support of Global Climate Change Campaign
Wednesday, September 9, 2009, 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
Eaton Court at the Rideau Centre, 50 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Canada
Ottawa residents are invited to gather in the Eaton Court at the Rideau Centre on Wednesday, September 9th between 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to sign a banner calling on governments to find an effective solution to the issue of climate change at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change conference, to be held in Copenhagen from December 7 to 18, 2009.
To explain the importance of sealing the deal, a news conference featuring Amy Fraenkel, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for North America (UNEP RONA), Dr. Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut and environmentalist, and Stuart Hickox, Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization One Change, will also be held in the Eaton Court between 12:20-12:40 pm. The banner signing is part of the United Nations’ global campaign, called “Seal the Deal!” which aims to encourage governments to achieve a fair, balanced and effective climate agreement when they meet in Copenhagen.
Click here for press release
San Francisco Launches Global Sustainable Tourism Initiative in U.S.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
San Francisco, California
San Francisco, the birthplace of the United Nations, will be the lead US city to partner with the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria Partnership, a coalition of more than 40 international conservation, development, and travel industry organizations to implement sustainable tourism principles. The City will work with the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau to encourage and promote local businesses that protect cultural heritage and the environment.
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Launch of “Marine Litter: A Global Challenge” on the Occasion of World Oceans Day Report Brings to the Surface the Growing Global Problem of Marine Litter
Monday, June 8, 2009, 9:00 am – 10:30 am
National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW – 13th floor – Lisagor Room, Washington, D.C.
The report “Marine Litter: A Global Challenge” is the first-ever attempt to take stock of the marine litter situation in the 12 major regional seas around the world. It is a result of the collaboration between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Ocean Conservancy (TOC). Key findings include a compilation of the Top Ten Marine Debris items for the period between 1989 and 2007, with cigarette products, paper and plastic bags heading the hit list.
On hand to present some of the report’s highlights will be Amy Fraenkel, Director of UNEP’s Regional Office for North America, and Vikki Spruill, CEO and President of TOC.
Click here for press release
Click here to download the report
One Change Catalyst Awards
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Great Hall, National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Drive Ottawa, Canada
Hundreds will gather on Wednesday, April 15, with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) North America Director Amy Fraenkel and Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen to celebrate a local bright idea that has grown to an international NGO that empowers people to make smart choices that protect the environment. The event, called the One Change Catalyst Awards, will be held to announce a new UNEP partnership with the award-winning Ottawa-based NGO and to recognize people and organizations that were critical to One Change’s exponential growth since its founding in 2005.
Click here for press release
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