Announcing the launch of a Global Survey on e-Waste

ITU-T Newslog.November,29,2011.ITU. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)/ Secretariat of the Basel Convention and the United Nations University (UNU), in collaboration with the Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP) Initiative and the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), have launched a joint survey on e-waste.

This survey aims to collect detailed data on e-waste management, policies and standards; constructing a comprehensive overview of the current e-waste landscape and identifying future challenges in this realm. Such a mapping of the e-waste issue will establish a base upon which the exchange of e-waste information and best practices can occur, and will form a valuable tool in communicating the gravity of the problem and promoting collaborative work in the future development of policy and management of e-waste.

The widespread use of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has raised public awareness of its positive effects such as the reduction of the digital divide, but also of the negative environmental and health effects associated with the inefficient waste management of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE or e-waste).

There have been alarming reports of e-waste mismanagement in many countries, particularly in less developed nations and countries with economies in transition. E-waste is a significant contributor to the ICT industry’s impact on the environment, and urgent global action to address this issue is essential if the industry is to fulfill its commitment to a sustainable future.

Invitation Letter

Fill in the Survey (Available until 31 January 2012)

More information about E-Waste:

ITU’s reference site provides links to external resources: background papers, additional information, statistics, and examples on e-waste. [ more… ]

• ITU-T Activities on ICT and Climate Change
• UNEP/Basel Convention
• UNU-ISP
• StEP
• CEDARE

Contact: Cristina Bueti (ITU); Matthias Kern (UNEP/SBC); Ruediger Kuehr (UNU): ewastesurvey@itu.int

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World Wildlife Hubs for Migratory Species at Risk

UNEP News Center. Bergen, Norway, 21 November 2011- The world is covered by billions of invisible migratory pathways. On land, in the water and in the air, animals on the move depend on the availability of critical sites along their annual journeys. These world wildlife hubs are vital for the animals to refuel and reproduce, one missing link can jeopardize an entire population.

Much like modern transport systems with airports, railways and roads, migratory species have similar networks spanning the globe. Many of these hubs are under intense pressure from human development and the exploitation of natural resources.

Scientists predict the global "Mean Species Abundance", a measure to project both the diversity of species and their numbers, will decrease from 0.70 in 2000, to about 0.63 by 2050.

This projected loss of abundance and species of wildlife is equivalent to eradicating all fauna and flora in an area of 9.1 million km2 , roughly the size of the United States of America or China , in less than 40 years.

Today, representatives from near 100 governments come together for a UN conference in Bergen, Norway, convened by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to help safeguard migratory wildlife.

World wildlife hubs are threatened across the planet. In the Canadian High Arctic white Beluga whales migrating in open narrow corridors in the ice may see their migration stopped by shipping traffic from a large proposed iron mine. Whales and dolphins are exposed to increasing noise pollution from sonar and vessels, which might lead to changes and drops of up to 58 per cent in the communication of the marine mammals.

In the Yellow Sea in East Asia land reclamation is destroying critical "airports" for waterbirds, while the open plains of Central Asia, Africa and South America are being bisected by roads, railways and new mining projects.

Poaching is causing dramatic declines in rhinos, elephants, tigers and antelopes worldwide, with few resources for enforcement.

These are some of the threatened sites identified in the report entitled Living Planet: Connected Planet. Preventing the End of the World's Wildlife Migrations through Ecological Networks. It was launched today in Bergen by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS).

"For all the frequent travellers of the animal world, ecological networks are essential for their migration and survival. International cooperation is crucial to manage these large transboundary networks. The commitment of all countries is needed, so that future generations can still marvel at and benefit from these nomads connecting our planet," CMS Executive Secretary, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema said.

The report highlights how international collaboration has resulted in unique success stories in protecting migratory species as examples to follow.

Birdlife travelling along the East Atlantic Flyway from Africa to the Arctic needs to land and refuel. The Dutch-German-Danish trilateral cooperation has helped safeguard a key "airport" hub in the Wadden Sea for species travelling globally.

In the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau, sharks that have roamed the oceans for over 400 million years were becoming endangered due to the demand for their fins for soup.

"Two years ago, Palau became the first country to declare its coastal waters a shark sanctuary-scientists now estimate that shark diving tours are generating around eight per cent of the country's GDP and that a single shark generates revenues from ecotourism amounting to 1.9 million over its lifetime", said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director.

The globally threatened Lesser White-fronted Goose breeds in the forest tundra from Scandinavia to easternmost Russia has declined dramatically since the 1950s, but the framework of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement has brought together governments of the 22 key countries along the birds' migration routes to help save the species from extinction.

The endangered Mountain Gorillas in the Virungas on the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda numbered only 250 in 1981, but successful transboundary enforcement measures led to its recovery in the midst of one of world's most severe conflicts. By 2010, the ape's population had reached 480.

A ten-year programme to restore and conserve seven million hectares of wetlands in China, Iran, Kazakhstan and Russia has not only boosted the prospects for the critically endangered Siberian crane but also improved drinking water supplies, inland fisheries and carbon storage.

The report calls for international collaboration to safeguard the ecological networks binding the many wildlife hubs and corridors together.

However, while great success has been made through the Convention and international collaboration, a few of the largest countries in the world, accounting for near 36 per cent of the global land area, are still not parties to the Convention, posing challenges for protecting migratory species worldwide in spite of the 150 countries collaborating.

Poaching

Poaching is once again on the rise, especially in the grasslands and savannahs of Africa and Central Asia. "Organized poaching on animals such as rhinos, elephants and antelopes is increasing rapidly in Asia and Africa and support is desperately needed to address this at a wider international scale", says Christian Nellemann, of UNEP's GRID-Arendal centre in Norway.

The numbers of Wildebeest, Rhinos, Saiga and Chiru antelopes, Goitered and Tibetan Gazelles, Guanacos and Vicuñas, have fallen in many areas by 35-90 per cent over the past decades.

Overhunting for illegal trade in horn led to a dramatic decline of the Saiga antelope populations by 95 per cent from one million to only 50,000 animals. Under the CMS, the Saiga Antelope Memorandum of Understanding, monitoring, identification of protected areas for calving and rutting herds, transboundary patrolling and the participation of local communities have built the core pillars of an efficient conservation strategy.

The protection of huge reserves in China and Central Asia, along with greater focus on anti-poaching, has also helped save the Chiru, or Tibetan antelope, from possible extinction, as their numbers dropped from over one million to less than 75,000 in one to two decades.

Chiru's were hunted for their wool, Shahtoosh, which could bring up to US$5,000 for one shawl on the black market, but Chinese anti-poaching efforts combined with the establishment of some of the largest reserves in the world by the People's Republic of China, have turned the fate of these migratory animals. But challenges of poaching continue.

Barriers to migration

Chiru Antelopes still crossing the Qinghai-Tibetan railway and the Golmud-Lhasa highway to reach and return from their calving grounds spend 20-40 days looking for passages and waiting.

Road construction across the Serengeti, the most diverse grazing ecosystem on Earth, may cause major losses in the 1.5 million migrating Wildebeest, ranging from 300,000 to close to one million, with severe consequences for the entire ecosystem network, including for other animals and plants. Recent promises by the Tanzanian government to protect the Serengeti against the proposed roads, has helped the largest remaining intact wild ungulate grazing system remaining on the planet in the last 250,000 years, and is being applauded by the international community.

In Kenya's Masai Mara a decline of 81 per cent between the late 1970s and 1990s in the migratory Wildebeest population was reported in response to the fencing obstructing the annual migration and poaching.

Examples:

For migratory birds and bats, wetlands and resting sites have declined by over 50 per cent in the last century, many of which are critical to these long distance travelers.

Coastal development is increasing rapidly and is projected to have an impact on 91 per cent of all temperate and tropical coasts by 2050 and will contribute to more than 80 per cent of all marine pollution with severe impacts on migratory birds.

Guanacos and Vicuñas have lost 40-75 per cent of their ranges in South America, and probably dropped at least by 90 per cent in their numbers over the last centuries due to habitat loss from expanding ranching and poaching.

Humpback Whales in Oceania are threatened by bycatch, habitat degradation, pollution, disease, noise, ship strikes, depletion of prey and climate change.

The tiny Nathusius' pipistrelle is a bat species weighing only 6 to 10 grams which travels almost 2,000 kilometers annually and is threatened by habitat loss and of collisions with the rapidly increasing number of wind power farms. The CMS EUROBATS-project has worked towards protecting habitats and flyways.

Loss of grassland ecosystems and agricultural activities at breeding grounds and along migration routes in southern South America threatens the Buff-breasted Sandpiper and other grassland birds. CMS is working with countries in the region to identify new protected areas and zones located outside to create a network of habitats.

Bycatch is the top threat to the majority of marine mammals with an annual loss of more than 600,000 animals.

The sub-population of the Humpback Whale migrating between Oceania and the Southern Ocean has plummeted by 70 per cent since 1942 to between 3,000 and 5,000 animals only.

Recommendations to secure ecological networks for migratory species include:

Assessing national infrastructure development projects including roads, railways, pipelines, power lines, wind parks and dams impeding migration of transboundary ungulates helps identify ways of mitigating impacts and evaluate them in relation to possible violation of the CMS.

Combating environmental crime, such as poaching, requires a more concerted international effort to counteract illegal trade in wildlife products globally. A substantial increase in the funding and collaboration between INTERPOL, the World Bank, CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), WCO (World Customs Organization) and UNODC (UN Office on Drugs and Crime) to help further combat wildlife crime are prerequisites for success.

Increased anti-poaching training and enforcement, including training of trackers and improved crime scene management to secure evidence for prosecution, are strongly needed.

A substantial increase in the number and size of marine protected areas is urgently needed. Important swimways of whales and dolphins, especially within the 200-kilometer coastal zone, should, where possible, be included in marine protected areas and certain stretches should be designated as limited sail zones for freight vessels and naval activity.

Restoration of wetlands, tidal flats and the coastal zones must be enhanced along the major bird flyways on all continents and countries, to ensure the survival of migratory birds.

The Tenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CMS, which is being held from 20 to 25 November 2011 in Bergen, Norway, is putting particular focus on the importance of ecological networks as an efficient instrument to protect a wide range of migratory animals.

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species

To downlaod the report Living Planet: Connected Planet

High resolution graphics for free public use

CMS COP10 Norway

Notes to Editors:

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS) works for the conservation of a wide array of endangered migratory animals worldwide through the negotiation and implementation of agreements and action plans. CMS is a growing convention with special importance due to its expertise in the field of migratory species. At present, 116 countries are Parties to the Convention. www.cms.int

For More Information, Please Contact:

Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson and Head of Media, +41 795965737 or +254733632755, or nick.nuttall@unep.org

Veronika Lenarz, CMS Secretariat, Public Information,

T. +49 228 815-2409 and during the Conference +47 46 86 15 44, vlenarz@cms.int

UNEP and China launch joint initiative to promote ecosystem management

UNEP NEWS CENTRE. 11/18/2011. Beijing.The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) today co-organized a High-level International Forum on Ecosystem Management and Green Economy. The forum aimed to contribute to the success of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, popularly known as Eio+20, by highlighting the pivotal role of ecosystem management in the development of a Green Economy in China and other developing countries. For this, the Forum has come out with a communiqué which recognizes this role and recommends actions to be taken at Rio+20.

The forum was attended by over 200 participants, including heads of UN and other international organizations, leaders and ministers from the Chinese Government, renowned scientists, business leaders and representatives of the civil society.

Addressing the forum, Mr. Zukang Sha, UN Under Secretary General in charge of the UNDepartment of Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary General of Rio+20, pointed out that the Forum's outputs would form a key input to Rio+20, in the context of the urgent need to protect and restore the world's ecosystems.

Mr. Sha recognized that ecosystems are the foundations of human life and livelihoods, but for too long, humanity has ignored this fundamental truth at its own peril, and the Earth ecosystems have been altered more rapidly and extensively than ever before. He stressed that the sustainable management of ecosystems will play a critical role in advancing green economies worldwide.

This week the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) launched its flagship report in Beijing entitled, Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication. The Report demonstrates that governments and businesses alike are taking steps to accelerate a global shift towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive green future.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Achim Steiner, UN Under Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, pointed out that the Green Economy is an opportunity for developing countries, including China, to create economic and job opportunities.

Mr. Steiner highlighted the critical role that ecosystem management plays in the development of a Green Economy, quoting examples from, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), a broad partnership hosted by UNEP, which has supported the analysis of UNEP's Green Economy Report and which is a major international initiative to draw attention to the global economic benefits of biodiversity as well as to highlight the multi-trillion dollar costs of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.

Mr. Steiner stressed the timeliness of this Forum, in the context of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Durban and Rio+20 in Brazil in June, and hoped that the Forum would offer an opportunity to produce value-added recommendations, including the need for renewed political commitment at Rio+20 which would give ecosystem management the political weight and significance it deserves.

Vice President Ding from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) pointed out that in Chinese culture harmony between humans and nature was of utmost importance and that this has been reflected in the Chinese Government's policies in recent years where the focus has been the development and advancement of the ecological civilization.

Mr. Ding lauded UNEP's efforts in developing concepts such as Ecosystem Based Adaptation (EBA), Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) and the Green Economy, all of which play critical roles in the development of an eco-civilization.

China's Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, Mr. Ganjie Li, told participants that China is keen on contributing to the development of a global eco-civilization. He pointed out China's policies, including those of eco-zoning and eco-compensations, demonstrate this commitment.

In his address, Professor Honglie Sun, Academician of CAS and Director of the Advisory Committee of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN), outlined the history of ecological study in China. He emphasized on the need for ecological networks, such as CERN, which support policy making and suggested CERN as an important infrastructure in assisting other developing countries in establishing similar networks.

The day-long forum brought together a wide range of experts from across the world, including Sir Crispin Tickell from the United Kingdom, Julia Marton-Lefevre, Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Professor Richard Odingo from Kenya, Dr. Arthur Hanson, International Chief Advisor of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), Björn Roland Stigson, President of World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Lars-Erik Liljelund, Executive Director of The Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research and Franz Tattenbach, President of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

Through intensive discussions, participants of the Forum reached the following conclusions:

The Earth's ecosystems are the natural foundation of human civilization. A robust, healthy and sustainable ecosystem is a prerequisite to secure the development of a Green Economy.

Ecosystems have been profoundly degraded over the last 50 years and pressure on them continues unabated. Some of the key ecological processes have exceeded their thresholds, which may lead to the collapse of some vulnerable ecosystems. This poses threats to lives, livelihoods and economic development and demands urgent action.

Concrete evidences show that ecosystem management can halt and reverse this increasing degradation of ecosystems. It can also provide economic and job opportunities, particularly for developing countries.

There is clear evidence that many key issues of the Green Economy development are critical for addressing ecosystem management.

There are already ecological networks, mechanisms, methods and tools in place to promote the role of ecosystem management for development of the Green Economy.

Based on the key findings reflected through an issues paper, the Forum has proposed the following recommendations to be acted on at the Rio+20 summit:

1. Political commitment at the highest level is urgently needed if ecosystem management is to have the adequate weight it deserves in the Rio+20 arrangement;

2. Political support and appropriate governance structures are needed for improved synergies between ecosystem management and the Green Economy in developing Rio+20 policy frameworks;

3. Adequate financial, technological and knowledge resources must be allocated, including in national policy-setting, awareness-raising, capacity-building and planning and practices, particularly in developing countries;

4. Building capacity and ecological infrastructure in developing countries, such as Africa, is a prerequisite for enhancing ecosystem management and promoting the Green Economy.

For More Information, Please Contact:
Dhanush Dinesh, International Ecosystem Management Partnership-UNEP,
Tel/Fax: +86 10 64857067, Email: Dhanush.Dinesh@unep-iemp.org
Guoqin Wang, International Ecosystem Management Partnership-UNEP,
Tel/Fax: +86 10 64889031, Email: guoqin.wang@unep-iemp.org
Jiang Nanqing, UNEP China Office, Tel. +86-10-85320922, Fax: +86-10-85320907
Email: nanqing.jiang@public.un.org.cn

Notes to the Editors

1.What is Ecosystem Management?

Ecosystem Management is "an integrated process to conserve and improve ecosystem health that sustains ecosystem services for human well-being". It places particular emphasis on integrating human needs with conservation practices, and recognizes the inter-connectivity between ecological, socio-cultural, economic and institutional structures in developing solutions. It fosters community ownership of problem resolution efforts to maintain ecosystem services. It uses many different tools and media (such as governance structures and stakeholder engagement, policies and protocols, strategies and practices), guided by principles that help define the management framework that are targeted to achieve multiple benefits of ecosystem restoration, livelihood improvement and job creation. It is based on cross-cutting and apolitical principles that can be applied across a wide range of scales. The approach is increasingly being used by many developing countries and has been written into international agreements.

2. Success of Ecosystem Management in China

China has a long history ecosystem management which can be traced back to 2070-1600 B.C. during the Xia Dynasty. This spirit of nature conservation as such has been part of Chinese culture, however, in modern times there have been phases of unwise management of ecosystems, and restoration and advancement thought lessons are learnt over time. As the world's second largest economy and the most populous country, there are great pressures on ecosystems in China and ecosystem management plays a crucial role in sustaining the well-being of the Chinese people.

China has excellent lessons in ecosystem management which maybe shared with other developing countries with twin issues of conservation and development. There is the case of Grain for Green Programme in the Loess Plateau of China which illustrates this. The Loess Plateau is located in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, encompassing 287 counties in seven provinces. It is the largest area of loess in the world, covering more than 600,000 km2, accounting for 6.6% of China's land area, with 8.5% of the Chinese population. The fragility of the loess ecosystem is characterized by its arid climate, with only 64.1mm of average annual precipitation, which is compounded by high population density of 168 person/km2 and intensive cultivation on the slope land. This intensive cultivation has led to severe soil erosion, with an average erosion rate 5,000-10,000 t/km2/year. As a result, the Yellow River receives a high content of sand entrained in the water leading to siltation of the river channels and reservoirs, which, moreover, raises river beds and increases the risk of flooding. For this reason, controlling soil erosion of the Loess Plateau has been a national priority since the turn of last century.

Starting from 1999, the Chinese Government launched a national "Grain for Green Program" for restoring cropland to forest (or grassland). The Loess Plateau was a priority area for the programme, which includes transforming sloping farmlands into terraces, vegetation rehabilitation, enclosing hills and banning grazing, building dams to trap silt, enhancing basic and high quality farmlands, planting commercial forests and fruit trees, as well as growing fodder and fostering related industries. The programme has achieved remarkable ecological and economic benefits: regional evapo-transpiration has decreased by 6.2% and surface water runoff by 13.6% ; over 153 million tons per year of soil has been retained; and there has been a positive impact on carbon sequestration, with 69.21 TgC in soil, and 23.76 TgC in rehabilitated vegetation (Table 1). Food production rose 18% between 2000 and 2008, achieved through the increase of per-unit food production against a decline of total cropland area. Meanwhile, the Loess Plateau's economic situation has greatly improved. Per capita income in rural areas increased from RMB1000/year in 1998 to more than RMB 3000/year in 2007. As the programme advances, the rural economy has improved with the growing secondary and tertiary industries, which has not only created new jobs for rural labour force, but also diversified sources of household income.

3. Green Economy

UNEP defines a Green Economy as one that results in 'improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities'. It is a new development path that is based on sustainability and ecological economics. Compared with previous development paths, the uniqueness of a Green Economy is that it can directly turn the natural capital into economic value whilst preserving it, and conduct total cost accounting. This way, the natural capital can be included into the social system, requiring the users of ecosystem services to pay for the benefits gained and damage caused. Ecosystem Management, "an integrated process to conserve and improve ecosystem health that sustains ecosystem services for human well-being," is recommended as the critical approach to restore the natural foundation to sustain a Green Economy.

4. The Pivotal Role of Ecosystem Management for a Green Economy

Ecological networks, mechanisms, methods and tools are to be in place for the development of the Green Economy

Monitoring the state of the Earth's ecosystems, understanding the ecological processes and predicting ecosystem functions are essential approaches for decisions and actions of ecosystem management. This requires integrated ecological networks such as the Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN). Considering the global importance of ecosystem management, there is also the need for establishing an intergovernmental body to improve science-policy interface such as the Inter-Governmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Developing countries share common challenges of ecosystem management as a result of a shortage of capacity, knowledge and information. Therefore there is a need for them to learn from each other.

Valuation of Ecosystem Services improves decision-making

Once the underlying biophysical characteristics of an ecosystem are understood, translating this scientific understanding into values can improve the decision-making of governments, businesses and consumers. One of the failures of our prevailing political and economic systems is that the value of biodiversity and ecosystems is often either entirely ignored or poorly understood.

The TEEB studies recommend a pragmatic, tiered approach to valuation in analyzing problems and developing policy responses. In some cases, it may be sufficient to simply recognize the value of ecosystems and biodiversity to ensure their sustainability. In other cases, it may be necessary to demonstrate the value of ecosystems and biodiversity in economic terms to ensure balanced and informed decision-making. This is particularly true when policymakers and businesses make decisions impacting ecosystems based on a cost and benefit calculation.

Capturing the value through policy and markets

Traditional indicators such as GDP and the HDI have basic limitations as measures of social progress. Neither GDP/capita nor HDI reflect the state of the natural environment and both focus on the short term, with no indication of whether current well-being can be sustained. These are reflected in annual reports of UNDP, IMF and the World Bank. The green economy initiative provides a unique opportunity to guide a new development paradigm that addresses not only economic efficiency but also social equity.

In a Green Economy, the revised and adjusted net national product (NNP) will make economic decision-makers, particularly in developing countries aware of environmental costs. For example, the conventional measure provides the contribution of fisheries and forestry sectors for Brazil, Indonesia and India as 6.1, 14.1 and 16.5 percentage, respectively, but if the ecosystem services are accounted it becomes 17.4, 14.5 and 19.6, respectively.

There also exists market-based approaches to capture the values of ecosystem services into decision making, prominent among these are Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) models, which uses compensatory means to resolve conflicts between natural resources and resource-users.

5. Rio+20 - an opportunity to promote ecosystem management in green economy development
The Earth Summit on sustainable development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 adopted the Climate Convention, the Convention on Biodiversity, and the Agenda 21. As 2012 nears, all eyes are set towards the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), popularly known as "Rio+20" whose main objectives are to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development; assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development and address new and emerging challenges. UN General Assembly has selected the Green Economy as one of the two themes of Rio+20, which will provide an alternative development path towards global sustainability by addressing social, economic and environmental issues in a more integrated and pragmatic way.

Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication

UNEP Co-Hosts Beijing Forum on Ecosystem Management and the Green Economy

On 18 November 2011, UNEP, together with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), will host the High-level International Forum on Ecosystem Management and the Green Economy in Beijing -an international gathering of experts, scientists and government officials from around the world - to look at ecosystems and their management and the need for a transition to a Green Economy.

These are current and critical topics. The Earth's ecosystems are the natural foundation of human civilization. However, ecosystems have been profoundly degraded over the last 50 years and pressure on them continues unabated.

In a recently released report, Keeping Track of Our Changing Environment, UNEP has shown through peer-reviewed indicators how natural resources, from species extinction to biodiversity loss are being depleted or degraded at rates that are breaking historic records. But concrete evidence also shows that ecosystem management and a Green Economy can halt and reverse this trend. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), a broad partnership involving UNEP, is a major international initiative to draw attention to the global economic benefits of biodiversity as well as to highlight the multi-trillion dollar costs of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.

The Forum will produce a communiqué on ecosystem management which will be taken as a recommendation for the upcoming summit on sustainable development, popularly known as Rio+20, in Brazil next June.

The meeting will also mark the launch of the International Ecosystem Management Partnership (IEMP), a joint initiative of UNEP and CAS. IEMP will be a China-based international programme promoting ecosystem management in all developing countries, particularly in Africa.

Media, including photo/video, attending the forum must register in advance. Lunch will be included.

When: 09:00-18:30, 18 November 2011 (Friday)

Where: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.11A Datun Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing

Who:

• Mr. Zukang Sha, Under Secretary General, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
• Mr. Achim Steiner, UN Under Secretary General, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),
• Mme. Julia Marton-Lefevre, Director General of the World Conservation Union (IUCN),
• Mr. Bjorn Roland Stigson, President, The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD),
• Sir Crispin Tickell (Director, Policy Foresight Programme, James Martin Institute for Science and Civilization, Oxford University),
• Mr. Art Hanson, International Chief Advisor, China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED),
• Officials from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Science Foundation of China will also attend and speak at the Forum.

For More Information and to Register, Please Contact:
Jiang Nanqing, UNEP China Office, Tel. +861085320922, Fax: +861085320907
Email: nanqing.jiang@public.un.org.cn
Guoqin Wang, International Ecosystem Management Partnership-UNEP,
Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR),
Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 11A Datun Road. Beijing 100101
Tel/Fax: +86 10 64889031, Email: guoqin.wang@unep-iemp.org

Rwanda: From Post-Conflict to Environmentally Sustainable Development

The report, Rwanda: From Post-Conflict to Environmentally Sustainable Development, was unveiled in Kigali by the Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. Mr Stanislas Kamanzi, at the start of a regional meeting with East African senior policy makers exploring how to leverage support for a shift towards an environmentally sustainable, climate resilient, low-carbon, resource-efficient future.

Following a consultative process with the Government of Rwanda, the 380-page UNEP report provides a critical analysis of the most pressing environmental issues facing the country and proposes an integrated package of almost 90 projects and interventions, totaling US$147 million, that would help the country accelerate its sustainable development agenda.

Key findings include that Rwanda has lost 60 percent of its natural forest area since independence, driven mainly by the needs of a fast-growing population for land, timber and firewood. However, recent reforestation efforts have helped raise forest cover to around 20 percent of the country's surface area.

In particular, the report recommends the Rwandan government reinforces its policies and investments in areas such as large-scale ecosystem rehabilitation, renewable energies, sustainable agriculture and agroforestry, environmental management capacity building and regional environmental cooperation, including participation in natural resource trade initiatives.

With over 10 million people in an area of 26,000 square kilometers, Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries striving to unlock a downward-cycle of natural resource over-exploitation. However, it has made remarkable progress following the aftermath of the 1994 genocide and is now considered an inspiration for African development.

UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, Mr Achim Steiner, said the shared lessons from implementing the report's recommendations would help reverse declining environmental trends and showcase a real-life pathway to a green economy.

"Rwanda provides an exceptional case of a country's willpower to overcome a traumatic conflict legacy, restore degraded ecosystems and lift people out of poverty and there is growing interest from development partners and other countries in Rwanda's pioneering model," said Mr Steiner.

"The ongoing metamorphosis of Rwanda's economy offers a unique opportunity to catalyse green investments, to enhance sustainability, create green jobs and promote environmentally efficient technologies," he added.

Speaking at the launch event, Minister Kamanzi welcomed the scientific assessment which he said underlines the intrinsic relationship between ecosystem services and the achievement of national development goals as outlined in Rwanda's Vision 2020.

"We see the environment as the heart of our economy and need to ensure that it can sustain the economic growth achieved in recent years," Mr Kamanzi said.

"The damage to the Congo-Nile and Byumba highland ecosystems is highlighted not only as a threat to biodiversity but to livelihoods and Rwanda's economic future because it must sustain hydropower, agriculture and drinking water supplies, as well as providing climate regulation and carbon sequestration services.

"For Rwanda and other countries in the region, the time has come to capitalize on green economy thinking and translate our policy targets into on-the-ground action to create jobs, combat poverty and accelerate sustainable development across the region," the Minister said.

More than 40 legal and technical experts from Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, as well as Rwanda, are attending the workshop which is aiming to enhance capacity in East African countries to use the green economy as a driver for sustainable development and poverty reduction, and to identify actions, opportunities and challenges for integrating green economy in policies and legislations at national and regional levels.

One of the enabling frameworks needed for the green economy is having effective laws and related governance structures to support it. Strengthening the regulatory and governance frameworks will complement measures already being taken by governments and the private sector.

To further support Rwanda in its efforts to accelerate a sustainable growth path, UNEP used the workshop to release another new report, Mainstreaming Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production in Policies and Strategies of Rwanda.

This report was prepared by UNEP in collaboration with Rwanda's Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA).

The report reviews existing policy and strategy frameworks of resource efficient and cleaner production (RECP) and identifies areas for mainstreaming RECP into the country's national policies and strategies.

In particular, the report identifies strategic entry points for mainstreaming in four main areas: institutional and policy integration, economic and fiscal incentives, capacity building and support to small and medium-sized enterprises and information and public education.

The two-day workshop, organized by UNEP and REMA, is expected to take these findings on board as they examine how regulatory instruments can contribute to reducing poverty and promoting the transition to a green economy in East Africa.

Earlier this year at the UN Forest Forum, Rwanda launched a landmark Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative aimed to reverse by 2035 the degradation of the entire country's soil, water, land and forest resources. Next week, an intensification of Rwanda's tree planting programme is due to begin with the target of planting 68 million trees over the next 12 months to reach the government's goal of raising forest cover to at least 30 percent of its land area by 2020.

As part of the One UN presence, UNEP stands ready to assist the Government of Rwanda in mobilizing resources to implement the post-conflict assessment's recommendations and with broader ongoing environmental initiatives.

Main report	Summary report

UNEP’s assessment was conducted with funding from the Government of Sweden.

Further Resource

• Download Report - Rwanda: From Post-conflict to Environmentally Sustainable Development
• UNEP Green Economy Initiative
• UNEP Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch
• Rwanda Environment Management Authority
• UNEP in Rwanda

For more information please contact:

Angele Luh, UNEP Regional Information Officer, +254 20 762 4292 or angele.luh@unep.org

Julie Marks, UNEP Disasters and Conflicts programme, +41 22 917 8478 or julie.marks@unep.org

Government of Rwanda:

Laetitia Kameya Umuhoza, REMA Media Expert, +250785323688 or laekameya2000@yahoo.fr

Rwanda: From Post-Conflict to Environmentally Sustainable Development

Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication

Unep.org/NewsCentreBeijing, 16 November 2011-A new UN report demonstrates that governments and businesses alike are taking steps to accelerate a global shift towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive green future. From China to Barbados, Brazil to South Africa, countries are developing Green Economy strategies and activities to spur greater economic growth and jobs, environmental protection and equality.

In a statement issued on the release of UNEP's flagship report, Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: "With the world looking ahead to the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012, the UNEP Green Economy report challenges the myth that there is a trade-off between the economy and the environment. With smart public policies, governments can grow their economies, generate decent employment and accelerate social progress in a way that keeps humanity's ecological footprint within the planet's carrying capacity."

Key Messages

The report, a result of a three-year global research effort involving hundreds of experts, underwent a three-month public review before being unveiled today. It confirms that an investment of two percent of global GDP across 10 key sectors is what is required to kick-start a shift from the current brown, polluting and inefficient economy to a green one.

The report estimates that such a transition would grow the global economy at around the same rate, if not higher, than those forecast, under current economic models.

But without rising risks, shocks, scarcities and crises increasingly inherent in the existing, resource-depleting, high carbon 'brown' economy, says the study.

In addition to higher growth, an overall transition to a Green Economy would realize per capita incomes higher than under current economic models, while reducing the ecological footprint by nearly 50 per cent in 2050, as compared to business-as-usual.

The Green Economy Report acknowledges that in the short-term, job losses in some sectors - fisheries for example - are inevitable if they are to transition towards sustainability.

However, it adds that over time the number of "new and decent jobs created" in sectors - ranging from renewable energies to more sustainable agriculture - will, however, offset those lost from the former "brown economy".

As a result, a growing number of countries are undertaking activities to accelerate this transition.

At the China Council meeting this week, for example, the government's international advisory group is expected to put forward its own study for moving towards a Green Economy.

China is the world's lead investor in renewable energy, overtaking Spain in 2009 and spending US$49 billion in 2010. Overall, China is committed to spending US$468 billion over the next five years, more than double the previous five years, on key industries, including renewable energy, clean technologies and waste management.

"China considers the Green Economy to be a strategic choice in an increasingly resource constrained world, and we have made that choice in our development plans," said Mr. He Bingguang, Director General of the Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection in China's National Development and Reform Commission.

"We appreciate UNEP's contribution in promoting a global Green Economy transformation, which holds the potential for all countries to benefit," he added.

Some countries, such as Barbados, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea and South Africa, already have national Green Economy plans that reflect the report's recommendations.

Others such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Kenya, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Senegal and Ukraine are focusing on greening priority sectors, such as agriculture, renewable energy, tourism and clean technologies.

Today in Rwanda, East African countries are meeting to explore how laws and regulatory frameworks can help drive a Green Economy at the national and regional level. Participants from Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, as well as Rwanda, will examine case studies and continent-wide initiatives, the latter being led by the African Union.

On the business side, UNEP has teamed up with 285 of the world's leading investors, representing US$20 trillion in assets, who called on governments to mobilize action on climate change, including investments in emerging industries - like renewables and green buildings. Similar calls have been echoed by the International Chamber of Commerce, which represents hundreds of thousands of businesses in more than 130 countries.

"The elements of a transition to a Green Economy are clearly emerging across developing and developed countries alike. There are now some nations going further and faster than others which is in many ways generating a 'pull factor' that, if maintained, may bring others along over the coming months and years," said Achim Steiner, UN Under Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

The recent drive in clean investment is not only benefitting emerging economies, but also other developing countries. According to the latest Bloomberg figures, global investments in renewable energy jumped 32 per cent in 2010, to a record US$211 billion. After the emerging economies of Brazil, China and India, countries in Africa posted the highest percentage increase of all developing regions.

In Egypt, renewable energy investment rose by US$800 million to US$1.3 billion as a result of the solar thermal project in Kom Ombo and a 220 megawatt onshore wind farm in the Gulf of Zayt. In Kenya, investment climbed from virtually zero in 2009 to US$1.3 billion in 2010 across technologies such as wind, geothermal, small-scale hydro and biofuels.

In the California Mojave Desert, one of the world's largest solar-thermal power plants is under construction and others are also being built in Spain and other parts of the United States.

"The Durban climate convention meeting in a few week's time and Rio+20 next year are key opportunities to accelerate and scale-up the Green Economy. Central cooperative actions range from advancing Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), moving on green procurement to switch national efforts into the sustainability space up to a new indicator of wealth that goes beyond GDP and internalizes the costs of pollution and degradation while bringing the true value of the planet's nature-based assets into calculations of a successful and sustainable economic path," said Mr. Steiner.

A series of UN-backed regional consultations on the Green Economy have underscored the growing interest in the report. While issues of financing and trade need to be addressed further, there is an acknowledgement that the current economic model, based solely on GDP growth, has resulted in the gross misallocation of capital and inequitable distribution of wealth.

The Report shows that investing the equivalent of two per cent of global GDP into agriculture, energy, buildings, water, forestry, fisheries, manufacturing, waste, tourism and transport would not only shift the global economy onto a more sustainable growth trajectory, but it would actually maintain or increase growth over time compared to the current business-as-usual scenario.

Policy recommendations on each of the 10 key sectors, as well as on finance and enabling conditions, are outlined in the report.

On transport, for example, the report suggests that prices need to take account of the societal costs accumulated as a result of congestion, accidents and pollution, which in some cases amount to over 10 per cent of the national or regional GDP. In Beijing, a 2009 study estimated that the social costs induced by motorized transportation are equivalent to between 7.5 and 15 per cent of the city's GDP.

Globally, the transport sector's impact on natural resources is wide-ranging, from the manufacturing of vehicles, which uses metals and plastics, to its use of fossil fuels, which involves engine oil, rubber and other consumable materials. Between 2007 and 2030, the transport sector is expected to account for 97 per cent of the increase in the world's primary oil use.

With the number of vehicles in China expected to more than triple during this period, the government is promoting low-carbon, energy efficient cars and related infrastructure. In the city of Shenzhen, home of China's first electric car, plans are underway to build large recharging stations and replace traditional buses with more than 7,000 electric ones in five years time.

Generating Jobs

The Green Economy Report suggests that over time "new and decent jobs" will be catalyzed in these key sectors. A recent study by ILO and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), entitled, Low Carbon Development and Green Employment in China, confirms that this is the case.

It provides a list of likely winners and losers and the scale of direct and indirect impact involved to identify net gains. It concludes that while 800,000 workers in small coal power plants in China are likely to lose their jobs due to climate mitigation actions, some 2.5 million jobs could be created by 2020 in the wind energy sector alone.

Currently, Denmark is home to the world's top wind turbine manufacturer in terms of market volume, and China is in second place, followed by the United States and then another Chinese company. Germany ranks fifth. However, Germany has recently committed to scale up its renewable energy, following a decision to phase out nuclear power by 2022, and has thus set a target to source 35 per cent of its electricity from renewable energies by 2022, instead of the earlier target of 19 per cent.

In Africa, despite recent economic gains, there is increasing interest in creating green and decent employment. Representatives from 11 African countries met in June this year with ILO, UNDP and UNEP to look at case studies in the areas of recycling, sustainable construction and natural resource management. As a result, participants adopted action plans for creating green jobs in fisheries, agriculture and forestry, sectors which represent over 70 per cent of the employment in the region.

In Brazil, the ILO recently helped support the construction of 500,000 new homes with solar heating systems, resulting in 30,000 new jobs. In South Africa, a similar project on water ecosystem restoration created 25,000 green jobs for previously unemployed people, and at the same time, restored vital freshwater sources.

Generating Social Equity

Approximately two billion people live on smallholder farms, and despite making a significant contribution to food security, the majority of these farmers are malnourished and live in poverty. Low prices, unfair trade practice and a lack of transport contribute to their dilemma. The Green Economy Report argues that by moving to more sustainable agriculture practices, these farmers could increase their yields and profits.

Globally, an investment of US$100-300 billion per year in green agriculture, between now and 2050, could lead to better soil quality and better yields for major crops, representing a 10 per cent increase over the current business-as-usual strategies. As many of these farmers are also women, any benefits would most likely be shared with their families and communities.

The waste sector is another area that is expected to enhance social equity. Efforts to green the sector are often driven by cost savings, environmental awareness and resource scarcity.

However, the report notes that greening the sector not only requires improving the often sub-standard waste treatment and disposal facilities, it also entails training the workers, providing more equitable compensation and ensuring proper health care protection for them. Decentralizing large scale, capital-intensive waste management operations could also provide more employment opportunities in the community.

Electronic waste (or e-waste) is also a concern, particularly for developing countries. Current estimates suggest 20 to 50 million tonnes of e-waste are generated each year, while trade in waste becomes more prevalent, heightening threats to human health and the environment.

As sales in mobile phones and computers continue to grow in China, India, and across Africa and Latin America, the report finds that resource recovery and recycling offer the greatest potential in terms of contributing to a Green Economy.

Notes to the Editors:

Rio Earth Summit: In 1992 the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, popularly known as the Rio Earth Summit, was convened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to address the state of the environment and sustainable development. In June 2012, there will be the follow up meeting or Rio+20 in Brazil, where one of the main themes governments are expected to address is Green Economy "in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication".

Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication

For more information, please contact:

Nick Nuttall, UNEP Division of Communication and Public Information Acting Director and Spokesman, Tel. +41 795 965 737 or +254 733 632 755 or email nick.nuttall@unep.org

Ms. Jiang Nanqing, UNEP China Office, Tel. +86-10-85320922, Mobile: +86-13501051650, Email: nanqing.jiang@unep.org

Ms. Chen Hao, UNEP China Office, Tel: +86-10-85320921, Mobile: +86-15810425490, Email: hao.bath@gmail.com

Importance of Natural Resources for Peacebuilding Highlighted in New Book Series

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Washington DC / Nairobi, 15 November 2011- Using case studies from over 30 countries and analysis from 39 expert authors, a new study published by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners examines key challenges faced by post-conflict countries in peacefully and sustainably developing their natural resources, while avoiding major environmental degradation.

High-Value Natural Resources and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding is the first in a seven-volume series on post-conflict peacebuilding and natural resource management published by UNEP, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), the University of Tokyo and McGill University.

Covering over 55 conflict-affected countries, the series represents one of the most comprehensive studies to date of the link between managing natural resources, such as oil, diamonds, gold and timber and post-conflict peacebuilding.

"Certain countries are blessed with valuable natural resources that can contribute to grievances and conflict," says ELI President John Cruden. "However, in post-conflict situations, there lies a unique opportunity to thoughtfully manage high-value natural resources to support economic development, livelihoods, good governance, and ultimately peace and stability."

The book includes a foreword by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

Sirleaf states that peace brings high expectations, especially in a country with abundant natural resources. "We had to turn this natural resource 'curse' into a blessing," she notes, "But where to start?"

United Nations Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said the research effort answers an important call by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon for a greater focus on the links between natural resources, conflict, and peacebuilding.

"This project can make significant contributions towards improving post-conflict resource management through sharing lessons learned and best practices," said Mr. Steiner.

"As a result it can assist in the transition towards low-carbon, resource efficient Green Economies in post-conflict nations and thus contribute to stability, peace, recovery and sustainable development," he added.

The book gives insight to a variety of natural resource management strategies, addressing the different steps of the natural resource value-chain, from extraction to distribution and spending revenues.

It highlights four areas where international support can be particularly fruitful:

These include:

Assisting post-conflict countries to secure better contracts with companies extracting natural resources

Increasing the transparency of contracts, payments, and decision making

Supporting the monitoring of companies that are extracting natural resources

Encouraging strategic planning for and accountability in using the revenues from natural resources to provide immediate peace dividends to war-torn populations and invest in infrastructure, health, education, and economic diversification.

Providing insight on the management process, the book aims to benefit national and local governments, extractive industries, civil society organizations, and the international community. It also provides invaluable lessons for the UN's peace and security institutions, including the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the UN Peacebuilding Commission.

The four-year project will yield more than 150 peer-reviewed case studies and analyses by 230 scholars, practitioners, and decision makers from 50 countries.

These case studies and analyses are being assembled into a set of six edited books - to be published by Earthscan - addressing the following topics: high-value natural resources, land, water, resources for livelihoods, assessment and restoration of natural resources and governance.

The project is also producing an overarching book, published by Cambridge University Press (2012): Post-conflict peacebuilding and natural resources: The promise and the peril.

For more information, please contact:

Brett Kitchen, Environmental Law Institute at +1-202-939-3833 or pressrequest@eli.org

UNEP Newsdesk in Nairobi, Kenya, at +254 20 762 5022 or unepnewsdesk@unep.org