Sunday, June 13, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
WWF: New partnership to curb forest loss crucial to stop climate change, benefit people and environment
WWF: New partnership to curb forest loss crucial to stop climate change, benefit people and environment: "
More than fifty governments have vowed to stem tropical forest loss in efforts to fight climate change by forming a major new partnership.
Government leaders meeting for the Oslo Forest and Climate Conference on Thursday agreed to increase efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), pledging initially over USD 4 billion for these activities.
They established a partnership to move REDD+ activities forward in this year and beyond, creating crucial momentum for climate change mitigation efforts focused on halting deforestation ahead of the climate talks in Cancun in December.
REDD+ offers a unique opportunity to address both the adverse consequences of climate change and the underlying causes of ongoing forest loss and forest degradation around the world and in doing so, contributes to efforts to avoid dangerous levels of warming.
“Governments made a major step forward in efforts to fight climate change this week. This collaborative partnership is a very constructive start,” said Paul Chatterton, of WWF’s Forest Carbon Initiative, “but the challenge now is to turn these commitments into action and secure money to support these efforts in the long-run.”
To date, the clearest example of this kind of long-term financial support came from the climate change bill that passed the US House of Representatives last year. Unfortunately, the Kerry-Lieberman bill introduced in the US Senate this month eliminated that financing. If REDD+ is to succeed, the United States and other key countries need to step with long term financing that builds on these successful fast start actions.
Looking ahead, countries must follow through on their commitments today by upholding the elements of this partnership agreement, which will mean improving coordination, increasing transparency, and ensuring that funds and actions are in line with principles and safeguards outlined in the partnership, WWF said.
WWF, CARE, and Greenpeace proposed a set of guiding principles ahead of this week’s meeting to ensure that the agreement acknowledged that the climate, biodiversity and people’s wellbeing are fundamental to any REDD+ efforts.
Meanwhile, WWF welcomed the announcement of Norway’s decision ahead of the conference to provide USD 1 billion to support Indonesia’s efforts to reduce emissions caused by deforestation in that country.
The two governments agreed on Wednesday to enter into a collaboration to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) in Indonesia’s forests and peat lands.
"
More than fifty governments have vowed to stem tropical forest loss in efforts to fight climate change by forming a major new partnership.Government leaders meeting for the Oslo Forest and Climate Conference on Thursday agreed to increase efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), pledging initially over USD 4 billion for these activities.
They established a partnership to move REDD+ activities forward in this year and beyond, creating crucial momentum for climate change mitigation efforts focused on halting deforestation ahead of the climate talks in Cancun in December.
REDD+ offers a unique opportunity to address both the adverse consequences of climate change and the underlying causes of ongoing forest loss and forest degradation around the world and in doing so, contributes to efforts to avoid dangerous levels of warming.
“Governments made a major step forward in efforts to fight climate change this week. This collaborative partnership is a very constructive start,” said Paul Chatterton, of WWF’s Forest Carbon Initiative, “but the challenge now is to turn these commitments into action and secure money to support these efforts in the long-run.”
To date, the clearest example of this kind of long-term financial support came from the climate change bill that passed the US House of Representatives last year. Unfortunately, the Kerry-Lieberman bill introduced in the US Senate this month eliminated that financing. If REDD+ is to succeed, the United States and other key countries need to step with long term financing that builds on these successful fast start actions.
Looking ahead, countries must follow through on their commitments today by upholding the elements of this partnership agreement, which will mean improving coordination, increasing transparency, and ensuring that funds and actions are in line with principles and safeguards outlined in the partnership, WWF said.
WWF, CARE, and Greenpeace proposed a set of guiding principles ahead of this week’s meeting to ensure that the agreement acknowledged that the climate, biodiversity and people’s wellbeing are fundamental to any REDD+ efforts.
Meanwhile, WWF welcomed the announcement of Norway’s decision ahead of the conference to provide USD 1 billion to support Indonesia’s efforts to reduce emissions caused by deforestation in that country.
The two governments agreed on Wednesday to enter into a collaboration to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) in Indonesia’s forests and peat lands.
"
France gives major boost to international water treaty
France gives major boost to international water treaty: "
Palais du Pharo, Marseille, France - France is set to become the 20th country to sign up to a key international convention governing the use and protection of rivers and lakes crossing or forming international boundaries.
The announcement, made this morning by French Secretary of State for Ecology Chantal Jouanno at the kick off meeting of the 6th World Water Forum to be held in Marseille in 2012, is a major boost for the 13 years old UN Watercourses Convention, which requires 35 contracting parties to come into effect.
France’s accession, which follows that of Guinea-Bissau in May and Spain and Tunisia in 2009, still requires the French Senate to give the green light to a bill authorizing the ratification of the convention. France’s National Assembly passed this measure last month.
The Secretary of State for Ecology went on to say that France will actively promote ratification of the Convention.
France’s move has been welcomed by Green Cross International (GCI), the International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO) and WWF International, three major organisations that have long campaigned for the convention as the basis for peaceful resolution of disputes over water sharing in international rivers, lakes and aquifers.
“More than 100 nations voted for the UN Watercourses Convention in 1997,” said Flavia Loures, leader of the campaign for the widespread endorsement of the convention within WWF's Global Freshwater Programme. “They voted for it because they recognised then that you can have agreement or you can have conflict over water.
“While additional agreements over specific transboundary waters have been adopted between countries since, many such agreements fail to deal with key water management issues. The world still very much needs the fair and overall blueprint supplied by the UN Watercourses Convention.”
“As we increasingly wake up to a world of water shortages linked to climate change, economic growth and urbanisation, we are seeing more and more interest in discussions on transboundary water issues, and more and more interest in the convention.”
“Acceding to the Convention will not create new obligations for French rivers as they are already subject to more stringent European Union rules. The announcement made by France, as the host country of the next World Water Forum, sends a strong message to the international community on
the importance of improving transboundary water management” said Marie-Laure Vercambre, the Water Programme Leader of Green Cross International.
“France has been anxious to promote an international legal regime for water, the principles of integrated water resources management included in the Convention and a framework for peace within the geopolitics of water.”
Currently the only legal instrument dealing with global management of transboundary waters, the UN Watercourses Convention potentially sets standards and rules for cooperation between states sharing some 276 international watercourses - including many of the world’s major river systems such as the Amazon, Rio Grande, Indus, Ganges, Mekong, Amur, Nile, Congo, Rhine and Danube.
The convention establishes the principles of equitable and reasonable use of and participation in the sound management of international watercourses, codifies the rights and duties of riparian states, promotes dialogue and data sharing, and facilitates negotiations on the adoption of regional and watercourse treaties.
“France has been at the forefront of national river basin management and transboundary issues since the Water Act of 1964 creating the Basin Committees and Water Agencies,' said Jean-François Donzier, Permanent Technical Secretary of INBO. “The rules that the UN Watercourses Convention establishes reflect this French model of river basin management that has now been adopted by some sixty countries around the world.
“This model also inspired the European Union Water Framework Directive, which itself created obligations for the coordinated management of transboundary rivers and mandatory participation of all stakeholders, including civil society, in the water management process.
“France encourages the implementation of these principles of governance within the framework of its international cooperation, in particular by supporting the International Network of Basin Organizations.”
The Convention will soon count 20 contracting states, including France – that is, 15 short of the number required for entry into force.
Further information:
Steal for it, shoot for it or sign for it: Stark choices facing a world running short on water at
http://assets.panda.org/downloads/media_backgrounder_steal_for_it_forum_final_nov2009.pdf
Flavia Loures, Senior Program Officer, WWF Global Freshwater Programme, flavia.loures@wwfus.org +1 202 640 9055
Marie-Laure Vercambre, Water Programme Leader of Green Cross International, marie-laure.vercambre@gci.ch +33 6 8004-0481
Christiane Runel, EURO – RIOB, presse-riob@wanadoo.fr ou service-de-presse@oieau.fr
About Green Cross International
Green Cross International (GCI) is a leading environmental organization. Founded by President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1993, this non-profit and non-governmental organisation promotes a combination of high level advocacy with key international stakeholders, runs campaigns and manages local projects to address the inter-connected global challenges of security, poverty eradication and environmental degradation. GCI is present in over 30 countries and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. More information about GCI is available at www.gci.ch www.gci.ch and on twitter@GreenCrossInt
About Europe-INBO
The Europe-INBO group of European basin organizations was created in 2004 to implement the Water Framework Directive by the concerned members of the International Network of Basin Organizations for exchanging field experiences and reporting to the EU Commission about the implementation difficulties.
Europe-INBO also presented at the November 2008 EU Water Directors meeting a mid-term report on the transboundary cooperation organized among the riparian States of European shared watercourses. More information on www.inbo-news.org
About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with more than 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. www.panda.org
"
Palais du Pharo, Marseille, France - France is set to become the 20th country to sign up to a key international convention governing the use and protection of rivers and lakes crossing or forming international boundaries.The announcement, made this morning by French Secretary of State for Ecology Chantal Jouanno at the kick off meeting of the 6th World Water Forum to be held in Marseille in 2012, is a major boost for the 13 years old UN Watercourses Convention, which requires 35 contracting parties to come into effect.
France’s accession, which follows that of Guinea-Bissau in May and Spain and Tunisia in 2009, still requires the French Senate to give the green light to a bill authorizing the ratification of the convention. France’s National Assembly passed this measure last month.
The Secretary of State for Ecology went on to say that France will actively promote ratification of the Convention.
France’s move has been welcomed by Green Cross International (GCI), the International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO) and WWF International, three major organisations that have long campaigned for the convention as the basis for peaceful resolution of disputes over water sharing in international rivers, lakes and aquifers.
“More than 100 nations voted for the UN Watercourses Convention in 1997,” said Flavia Loures, leader of the campaign for the widespread endorsement of the convention within WWF's Global Freshwater Programme. “They voted for it because they recognised then that you can have agreement or you can have conflict over water.
“While additional agreements over specific transboundary waters have been adopted between countries since, many such agreements fail to deal with key water management issues. The world still very much needs the fair and overall blueprint supplied by the UN Watercourses Convention.”
“As we increasingly wake up to a world of water shortages linked to climate change, economic growth and urbanisation, we are seeing more and more interest in discussions on transboundary water issues, and more and more interest in the convention.”
“Acceding to the Convention will not create new obligations for French rivers as they are already subject to more stringent European Union rules. The announcement made by France, as the host country of the next World Water Forum, sends a strong message to the international community on
the importance of improving transboundary water management” said Marie-Laure Vercambre, the Water Programme Leader of Green Cross International.
“France has been anxious to promote an international legal regime for water, the principles of integrated water resources management included in the Convention and a framework for peace within the geopolitics of water.”
Currently the only legal instrument dealing with global management of transboundary waters, the UN Watercourses Convention potentially sets standards and rules for cooperation between states sharing some 276 international watercourses - including many of the world’s major river systems such as the Amazon, Rio Grande, Indus, Ganges, Mekong, Amur, Nile, Congo, Rhine and Danube.
The convention establishes the principles of equitable and reasonable use of and participation in the sound management of international watercourses, codifies the rights and duties of riparian states, promotes dialogue and data sharing, and facilitates negotiations on the adoption of regional and watercourse treaties.
“France has been at the forefront of national river basin management and transboundary issues since the Water Act of 1964 creating the Basin Committees and Water Agencies,' said Jean-François Donzier, Permanent Technical Secretary of INBO. “The rules that the UN Watercourses Convention establishes reflect this French model of river basin management that has now been adopted by some sixty countries around the world.
“This model also inspired the European Union Water Framework Directive, which itself created obligations for the coordinated management of transboundary rivers and mandatory participation of all stakeholders, including civil society, in the water management process.
“France encourages the implementation of these principles of governance within the framework of its international cooperation, in particular by supporting the International Network of Basin Organizations.”
The Convention will soon count 20 contracting states, including France – that is, 15 short of the number required for entry into force.
Further information:
Steal for it, shoot for it or sign for it: Stark choices facing a world running short on water at
http://assets.panda.org/downloads/media_backgrounder_steal_for_it_forum_final_nov2009.pdf
Flavia Loures, Senior Program Officer, WWF Global Freshwater Programme, flavia.loures@wwfus.org +1 202 640 9055
Marie-Laure Vercambre, Water Programme Leader of Green Cross International, marie-laure.vercambre@gci.ch +33 6 8004-0481
Christiane Runel, EURO – RIOB, presse-riob@wanadoo.fr ou service-de-presse@oieau.fr
About Green Cross International
Green Cross International (GCI) is a leading environmental organization. Founded by President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1993, this non-profit and non-governmental organisation promotes a combination of high level advocacy with key international stakeholders, runs campaigns and manages local projects to address the inter-connected global challenges of security, poverty eradication and environmental degradation. GCI is present in over 30 countries and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. More information about GCI is available at www.gci.ch www.gci.ch and on twitter@GreenCrossInt
About Europe-INBO
The Europe-INBO group of European basin organizations was created in 2004 to implement the Water Framework Directive by the concerned members of the International Network of Basin Organizations for exchanging field experiences and reporting to the EU Commission about the implementation difficulties.
Europe-INBO also presented at the November 2008 EU Water Directors meeting a mid-term report on the transboundary cooperation organized among the riparian States of European shared watercourses. More information on www.inbo-news.org
About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with more than 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. www.panda.org
"
Is Europe swimming away from commitments on bluefin tuna?
Is Europe swimming away from commitments on bluefin tuna?: "
Rome, Italy : WWF applauds Canada, Japan, Korea and the United States for this week's statement reconfirming commitments to urgently establishing a science-based recovery and management plan for overexploited stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna.
But the global conservation organization is surprised at the absence of the European Union, whose fleets catch most of the fish, in backing the statement.
Released at an informal meeting this week of some members of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Barcelona, Spain - where countries met to “confirm their commitment to stock recovery and sustainable management” of the species - the statement reiterates commitments made in March in Doha at a meeting of the largest international wildlife trade convention, CITES.
“WWF congratulates Canada, Japan, Korea and the United States for this loud and clear statement but is alarmed to see that the EU is not among those endorsing the need for sustainable tuna management, especially after being a driving force behind the Doha commitments,' said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF.
"Now more than ever, at a time when EU fisheries policy as a whole is supposedly being entirely reformed towards greater sustainability, EU backing is crucial”
The statement underlines the need to push for “a comprehensive set of measures for recovery”, “accurate reporting”, restricted fishing capacity, eliminating illegal trade, punitive action in cases of non-compliance with rules, and “monitoring, control and enforcement measures” at the next annual meeting of all ICCAT parties in November in Paris, France.
Specifically, Canada, Japan, Korea and the United States stress the need for “sustainable harvest levels to ensure at least a 60% probability” of recovery no later than 2022 - and that in 2009 ICCAT members agreed “to establish a 3-year recovery plan for Eastern Atlantic Bluefin Tuna at (the) 2010 annual meeting, based on advice from the (ICCAT scientific committee), and suspend (bluefin tuna) fisheries for the eastern (Atlantic) stock in 2011 if a serious threat of fishery collapse is detected”.
“The message from Canada, Japan, Korea and the United States to the whole of ICCAT could not be clearer - the time for science-based recovery and management for Atlantic bluefin is now or never, and illegal fishing and trade will no longer be tolerated,” said Sergi Tudela of WWF.
“WWF appeals to the EU and all other ICCAT member countries to back this position. It is for the good of the tuna but also the good of fishermen and their families, for a consumption tradition, and for the marine ecosystem at large - if there’s no more fish, there’s no gain in this for anybody.”
More on bluefin tuna
"
Rome, Italy : WWF applauds Canada, Japan, Korea and the United States for this week's statement reconfirming commitments to urgently establishing a science-based recovery and management plan for overexploited stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna.But the global conservation organization is surprised at the absence of the European Union, whose fleets catch most of the fish, in backing the statement.
Released at an informal meeting this week of some members of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Barcelona, Spain - where countries met to “confirm their commitment to stock recovery and sustainable management” of the species - the statement reiterates commitments made in March in Doha at a meeting of the largest international wildlife trade convention, CITES.
“WWF congratulates Canada, Japan, Korea and the United States for this loud and clear statement but is alarmed to see that the EU is not among those endorsing the need for sustainable tuna management, especially after being a driving force behind the Doha commitments,' said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF.
"Now more than ever, at a time when EU fisheries policy as a whole is supposedly being entirely reformed towards greater sustainability, EU backing is crucial”
The statement underlines the need to push for “a comprehensive set of measures for recovery”, “accurate reporting”, restricted fishing capacity, eliminating illegal trade, punitive action in cases of non-compliance with rules, and “monitoring, control and enforcement measures” at the next annual meeting of all ICCAT parties in November in Paris, France.
Specifically, Canada, Japan, Korea and the United States stress the need for “sustainable harvest levels to ensure at least a 60% probability” of recovery no later than 2022 - and that in 2009 ICCAT members agreed “to establish a 3-year recovery plan for Eastern Atlantic Bluefin Tuna at (the) 2010 annual meeting, based on advice from the (ICCAT scientific committee), and suspend (bluefin tuna) fisheries for the eastern (Atlantic) stock in 2011 if a serious threat of fishery collapse is detected”.
“The message from Canada, Japan, Korea and the United States to the whole of ICCAT could not be clearer - the time for science-based recovery and management for Atlantic bluefin is now or never, and illegal fishing and trade will no longer be tolerated,” said Sergi Tudela of WWF.
“WWF appeals to the EU and all other ICCAT member countries to back this position. It is for the good of the tuna but also the good of fishermen and their families, for a consumption tradition, and for the marine ecosystem at large - if there’s no more fish, there’s no gain in this for anybody.”
More on bluefin tuna
"
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