Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint - Business Plan

Our first World Ocean Review (WOR) was published more than a year ago. This status report took a comprehensive look at the seas and encapsulated the current state of ocean science. It was read by almost 70,000 people, who either obtained a hard copy in German or English from non-profit organization maribus, or downloaded it as a PDF file from our homepage at www.worldoceanreview.com. Its readers included teachers, students, scientists and interested laypeople. Moreover, the WOR received intense media attention, with TV (e.g. “Tagesschau”, the German evening news), online (e.g. “Spiegel Online” ), radio and print coverage. It was also presented personally to members of parliament in Brussels, and to Federal Chancellor Merkel in Berlin. The feedback we received was all positive, with many people commending its mix of scientific excellence and readability. The original WOR was a world first in that it was comprehensible to all, but also provided a sound basis for media debate, policy developments and lectures. It is maribus’ aim to publish a World Ocean Review each year. The first edition focused on the broad picture, while subsequent WORs will take a more in-depth look at individual aspects of the oceans. Interrelationships which are frequently presented in an abbreviated and simplified form will be thoroughly investigated and presented in all their complexity. Nonetheless the close cooperation between world-leading research scientists and “mare” magazine journalists guarantees that the articles will be straightforward and easily understood by all. They will provide a knowledge base for policy-makers and journalists wishing to hone their awareness of the problems involved. This new report (WOR 2) focuses on fish and their exploitation. Fish have always been a vital source of life for mankind – not only as a food. Fish are still an essential element of the daily diet in most regions of the world. At the same time fisheries provide a livelihood to entire coastal regions and still have great economic clout. All this, however, is in jeopardy and is coming under close scrutiny. Fish stocks are declining worldwide, entire marine regions are considered overfished, and some species are on the Red List of Threatened Species. It is not our intention with this World Ocean Review 2 to press the panic button. But by pointing out the true facts surrounding fish stocks and fisheries we seek to come to grips with an extremely complex situation. Only sound knowledge – not alarmism, nor appeasement – will save these vitally important inhabitants of the world’s oceans.

Atmospheric brown clouds (ABCs) are widespread layers of regional scale plumes of air pollution consisting of a mixture of anthropogenic sulfate, nitrate, organics, black carbon, dust, and fly ash particles. Recent scientific findings suggest that the impacts of ABCs, which include short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) such as black carbon and tropospheric ozone, have reached a critical point that raises the need for urgent action. An Atmospheric Brown Clouds (ABC) study published in 2010 (Ramanathan and Xu, 2010) showed that mitigation of all four SLCPs (black carbon, methane, ozone precursors, and HFCs) using maximum available technologies will reduce global warming by 0.6 degree C by 2050. Prompted by this finding and other scientific studies, UNEP commissioned a global assessment of black carbon and tropospheric ozone. The UNEP report was published in 2011. It confirmed the ABC study and suggested that widespread and swift implementation of a small number of already available mitigation measures targeting black carbon and methane emissions will decrease global warming by 0.5 degree C. The report also showed that measures to control SLCPs can prevent crops losses of 30 to 140 million tons and some 0.7 to 4.6 million premature deaths globally. Those regions that cut down significant levels of emissions will benefit most.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an important advance in global environmental stewardship. This multilateral agreement addresses the devastating effects of mercury through practical actions that will reduce global levels while promoting sustainable development. This booklet is published for information only. It does not substitute the original authentic texts of the Minamata Convention on Mercury as deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations acting as the Depositary of the Convention.

Framework and achievements of the current activities of the Waste Management Partnership Area (Chairperson)

This report serves as a national input for Nauru for the 2014 SIDS Conference, the Pacific regional preparatory meeting and the Interregional preparatory meeting. The assessment includes a review of progress and gaps in the implementation of the BPoA and MSI, new and emerging challenges and national policy concerns. This report also includes a brief discussion on linking with global initiatives such as the post-2015 development agenda. This assessment included a national consultative meeting held on 16-18 April 2010 to discuss NSDS progress and new and emerging challenges. The consultative meeting involved stakeholders from government, communities, private entities, non-governmental organizations and others. The inputs from the consultative meeting have been supplemented with information from previous NSDS assessments, the MSI+5 assessment of Nauru, the UNDAF framework for Nauru, the 2012 Nauru MDG report, the Nauru census analysis and interviews with key stakeholders. Progress and gaps in the implementation of the BPoA and MSI were primarily assessed based on the 19 priority themes and means of implementation in the MSI. However, as this assessment is based on national priorities there is not a complete overlap between the MSI themes and the current report. The report highlights a few key achievements and gaps for each sector||it is not an exhaustive list of achievements or gaps.

A drone is generally thought of as a military weapon or surveillance tool. Commonly referred to as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), unmanned aerial system (UAS) or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), a drone can also provide a low-cost and low-impact solution to environmental managers working in a variety of ecosystems. Drones used for these purposes are referred to as eco-drones or conservation drones. Their agility and quality imaging abilities make them advantageous as a mapping tool for environmental monitoring, but there are still several challenges and concerns to be surmounted.

Informal gold mining in Colombia: baseline 2012

Chair's Summary

This report has been prepared by the Trade, Policy and Planning Unit of the United Nations Environment Programme. It is a key component of the Green Economy and Trade Opportunities Project. It aims to: Identify a range of international trade opportunities in various key economic sectors associated with the transition to a green economy||Identify policies and measures that may act as facilitators and overcome hindrances to seizing trade opportunities arising from the transition to a green economy||and Assist governments, the private sector and other stakeholders to build capacity to take advantage of sustainable trade opportunities at the national, regional or international level.

This publication presents the latest available data on the extent of unregistered children and assesses progress to date in increasing birth registration rates worldwide. Download (English) Download (French)

This publication outlines a possible process and poses questions that countries may wish to consider as they develop integrated national waste management strategies. It outlines the reasons for a national waste management strategy and explores the challenges and opportunities waste management presents to governments and communities. It also deals with concepts and principles related to waste management and takes account of major considerations influencing policy choices involved in the process of strategy development, monitoring, and implementation. Finally, this document defines the actions a country can take in order to develop a strategy, then to implement, review and update it.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is a term that first appeared at the 1992 United NationsConference on Environment and Development (UNCED) to focus the attention of the internationalcommunity on the unique characteristics and challenges of the small, ecologically fragile, andeconomically vulnerable island states.This note was prepared as a background document for the upcoming Third International Conferenceon SIDS, scheduled to take place in Samoa in September 2014. It aims to provide a quick overview ofthe main components of sustainable development financing in SIDS, based on numerical indicatorand the latest available data. The note covers the following dimensions: heterogeneity of SIDS;domestic sources of financing||and external sources of financing. It does not provide policyrecommendations.

This report focuses on the role of natural resources in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programmes and illustrates how the management of natural resources can be used to promote more effective and sustainable reintegration. Part 1 of the report explores the relationship between natural resources, conflict economies and armed groups. Part 2 introduces the linkages between various natural resource sectors and DDR programmes, covering both potential risks as well as opportunities. Part 3 elaborates on the key entry points for DDR programmes to engage different natural resources sectors, particularly for reinsertion and reintegration activities. The recommendations put forward in Part 4 help policy makers and practitioners to effectively integrate the opportunities and mitigate the risks from natural resources to ensure more sustainable and effective DDR programmes.

From Evidence to Opportunity” is Northern Ireland’s second State of the Environment report. The first report “Our environment, our heritage, our future” was published in 2008 and presented baseline indicators across six themes to provide an evidence-based assessment of the state of the environment. This second assessment provides a five year update and commentary on forty four indicators across eight themes. These indicators are drawn from the annual Northern Ireland Environmental Statistics Reports from 2009 on and information from a range of sources including the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and other public bodies. This report draws together in one place an overall picture of our environment, identifies cross-cutting issues and provides a commentary on key challenges and emerging trends. As a result we are now better able to assess the effectiveness of our environmental policies over the longer term and to base decisions on how we manage and protect our environment on appropriate evidence.

Increasingly, and through satellite images, we see stark evidence of the impact human activities are having on the planet. Viewing the Earth from this remarkable range and scale allows us to better comprehend the environmental changes taking place on land, in the water, and in the air. This Arab Region Atlas of Our Changing Environment uses evocative imagery and informative descriptions to tell a story of prominent environmental change across 22 Arab countries over the last 50 years. While this atlas documents the commonalities shared by these nations, it also highlights the unique challenges each country faces in the 21st century. Using current and historical satellite images, maps and photographs, a range of sites have been examined to survey specific environmental changes. In a region already confronted by extreme climate, limited natural resources, economic conditions and conflict, the environmental challenges depicted are striking. The progress that each country is making towards achieving environmental sustainability as part of the Millennium Development Goals, is also described and visually portrayed. The Arab Region Atlas of Our Changing Environment is the latest addition in a series of UNEP atlases that have inspired leaders to action through the visual power of images.

This report is a Mid-term evaluation of a UNEP GEF project implemented between 2011 and 2016. The objective of the project was to transform production and business practices in cocoa producing countries and cocoa and chocolate companies such that they conserve biodiversity in cocoa production landscapes, provide greater long-term stability to the cocoa and chocolate industry and increase income for smallholders. The evolution was undertaken to analyse whether the project was on track, what problems or challenges the project was encountering, and what corrective actions were required.

Logistics Information

One of the principal outcomes of Rio+20 was the call to develop a set of universally applicable sustainable development goals (SDGs) that carefully balance the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development. This Paper provides advice and guidance on how environmental sustainability can be incorporated in the SDGs. It is intended to stimulate a dialogue on environmental sustainability and the SDGs rather than be the last word on the subject.

Mercury Storage and Disposal Project in Two Selected Countries in Central America Storage and Disposal of Mercury in Mexico