UNEP

UNEP: Created in 1972, UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, is the highest environmental authority in the United Nations system. The Programme is an “advocate, educator, catalyst and facilitator”, promoting environmental development throughout the world. Thus, the UNEP has various partnerships with other United Nations or international organisations, national governments, NGOs, the private sector as well as civil society. The UNEP is composed of six regional Offices, owns a database on world resources (the Global Resource Information Database, GRID) and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).

Contact : www.unep.org

Summary / Synopsis
Governments need to urgently identify how ambition can be raised on climate
[UNEP, 21/11/2012]
 
UNEP: Created in 1972, UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, is the highest environmental authority in the United Nations system. The Programme is an “advocate, educator, catalyst and... Suite
Greening the European Investment Bank
[Manana Kochladze, 23/12/2011]
Greening the European Investment Bank Manana Kochladze is a campaigner at CEE Bankwatch Network, an NGO that monitors international financial institutions active in Central and Eastern Europe. She is the winner of the 2004 Goldman... Suite
Fossil fuel or modern slavery ?
[Jean François Mouhot, 06/12/2011]
Fossil fuel or modern slavery ? Jean François Mouhot is historian. He has a long-standing interest for environmental and energy issues, in particular for climate change. He published one book about Past Connections and Present... Suite
Action to Curb 'Soot' and 'Smog' Pollution Could Help Limit Global Temperature Rise
[UNEP, 14/06/2011]
 
UNEP: Created in 1972, UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, is the highest environmental authority in the United Nations system. The Programme is an “advocate, educator, catalyst and... Suite
Climate change measures must be made corruption proof
[Transparency International, 30/04/2011]
Climate change measures must be made corruption proof Fondée en 1993 et présente dans 80 pays, Transparency International est une ONG qui lutte contre la corruption. Suite
Did Cancun Prove the UN Irrelevant in Tackling Climate?
[Fred Pearce, 16/12/2010]
Did Cancun Prove the UN Irrelevant in Tackling Climate? Fred Pearce is journalist specialized in the environment and development. He was born in the United Kingdom and studied geography in the University of Cambridge. His latest book is When the Rivers... Suite
Seeing REDD on Climate Change
[George Soros, 12/12/2010]
Seeing REDD on Climate Change George Soros is Chairman of Soros Fund Management and of the Open Society Institute. Photo : © AFP PHOTO / ERIC PIERMONT Suite
What to expect from the Cancun climate change conference
[Denis Loyer, 24/11/2010]
What to expect from the Cancun climate change conference Denis Loyer is a climate adviser at the Agence française de développement, AFD. AFD is France’s development bank. Suite
Europe needs to reduce emissions by 30%
[Jean-Louis Borloo, 15/07/2010]
Europe needs to reduce emissions by 30% Jean-Louis Borloo est le ministre français de l'Écologie, de l'Énergie, du Développement durable et de la Mer, en charge des Technologies Vertes et des Négociations sur le Climat depuis 2007. Il... Suite
World Cup: environmental red card?
[Nathalie Durand, 28/06/2010]
World Cup: environmental red card? A l’origine maître d’armes, Nathalie Durand enseigne l’escrime pour les valides et les handisports. Diplômée en management international du sport, elle mène depuis 1996 des études et des actions... Suite
A Hard Look at the Perils and Potential of Geoengineering
[Jeff Goodell, 01/04/2010]
A Hard Look at the Perils and Potential of Geoengineering Jeff Goodell is an author and contributing editor at Rolling Stone. His book on geoengineering, How to Cool the Planet: Geoengineering and the Audacious Quest to Fix Earth's Climate, will be released... Suite
Climate change’s secret weapon
[Khadija Sharife is a South African journalist. She is also an activist and a scholar at the Centre for Civil Society (CCS) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and a contributing author to the Tax Justice Network., 27/02/2010]
Climate change’s secret weapon Khadija Sharife is a South African journalist. She is also an activist and a scholar at the Centre for Civil Society (CCS) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and a contributing author... Suite
Why scientists must be the new climate sceptics
[New Scientist, 04/03/2010]
Why scientists must be the new climate sceptics New Scientist was founded in 1956, this internationally-focused weekly British magazine aims at giving readers exhaustive information on recent worldwide developments in science from a scientific,... Suite
The UN to the Rescue on Climate Change
[Michel Rocard, 20/12/2010]
The UN to the Rescue on Climate Change Michel Rocard, former Prime Minister of France and a former leader of the Socialist Party, is a member of the European Parliament. Suite
Copenhagen - Historic failure that will live in infamy
[Joss Garman, 20/12/2009]
Copenhagen - Historic failure that will live in infamy Joss Garman est un militant écologique britannique. il est chargé de campagne à Greenpeace et a aussi participé à la fondation du mouvement Plane Stupid qui s'oppose à l'extension du trafic aérien.... Suite
Copenhagen is not the end of a noble idea
[Olivier Milhomme, 21/12/2009]
Copenhagen is not the end of a noble idea a été conseiller éditorial de la fondation GoodPlanet. Suite
Copenhagen: Seattle Grows Up
[Naomi Klein, 13/11/2009]
Copenhagen: Seattle Grows Up Figure du militantisme altermondialiste et surtout anticapitaliste depuis la sortie de No Logo en 2000, Naomi Klein est une journaliste engagée. Elle concentre son travail sur les dérives du... Suite
Provocative New Study Warns of Crossing Planetary Boundaries
[Carl Zimmer, 23/09/2009]
Provocative New Study Warns of Crossing Planetary Boundaries Carl Zimmer travaille comme journaliste spécialiste des questions scientifiques et environnementales. Il a rédigé 6 livres et s’intéresse à des domaines aussi variés que la recherche dans les... Suite
Why Cutting Carbon Emissions is not Enough
[Achim Steiner, 01/09/2009]
Why Cutting Carbon Emissions is not Enough Achim Steiner est le directeur exécutif du Programme des Nations Unies pour l'Environnement (PNUE). Auparavant, il a exercé de hautes fonctions à la Commission mondiale des barrages puis à l'Union... Suite
Coral Reef Emergency and Copenhagen
[Pavan Sukhdev, 01/09/2009]
Coral Reef Emergency and Copenhagen Pavan Sukhdev est un économiste et banquier indien qui a notamment travaillé pour la banque centrale allemande en Inde. Il a été chargé par la commission européenne de diriger une étude mondiale sur... Suite
From Carbon Insolvency to Climate Dividends
[Claus Leggewie, 20/08/2009]
From Carbon Insolvency to Climate Dividends Claus Leggewie is director of the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities in Essen (KWI) and a member of the Global Change Council of Germany (WBGU). Photo : Stefan/wikipedia under Creative... Suite
Methane controls before risky geoengineering, please
[New Scientist, 25/06/2009]
Methane controls before risky geoengineering, please New Scientist was founded in 1956, this internationally-focused weekly British magazine aims at giving readers exhaustive information on recent worldwide developments in science from a scientific,... Suite
The Failed State of US Climate Change Policy
[George Monbiot, The guardian, 26/06/2009]
The Failed State of US Climate Change Policy George Monbiot is a well-known investigation reporter and columnist for the British newspaper “The Guardian” as well as a member of the BBC Wildlife magazine’s advisory board. He is also the author... Suite
Focus on deforestation in the climate-energy negociations
[Olivier BOUYER, 31/12/2008]
Focus on deforestation in the climate-energy negociations Olivier BOUYER est Ingénieur du Génie Rural, des Eaux et Forêts. Il a participé à la conférence de Poznan (en 2008) avec la délégation française comme chargé de mission “effet de serre et forêt””... Suite
The Other Carbon Economy
[Vandana Shiva, Resurgence, 01/05/2008]
The Other Carbon Economy Vandana Shiva (India): Physicist, epistemologist, ecologist, and Indian feminist with a PhD in the philosophy of science. She founded “Navdanya,” an association which works to protect biodiversity... Suite
Carbon offsets deliver where it matters
[Martin Wright, BBC, 23/07/2007]
Carbon offsets deliver where it matters Martin Wright is the editor of Green Future Magazine, and occasional judge for the Ashden Awards for sustainable energy. Suite
Look, no carbon footprint!
[Fred Pearce, New Scientist, 09/03/2007]
Look, no carbon footprint! Fred Pearce is journalist specialized in the environment and development. He was born in the United Kingdom and studied geography in the University of Cambridge. His latest book is When the Rivers... Suite
If you go down to the woods today…
[Adam Ma’anit, 30/07/2006]
If you go down to the woods today… Adam Ma’anit is co-editor of the New Internationalist. He is the committed author of numerous publications on economic, social and environmental policies in Europe and Great-Britain. He has worked... Suite
GM crops may reduce greenhouse gases
[New Scientist, 29/01/2007]
GM crops may reduce greenhouse gases New Scientist was founded in 1956, this internationally-focused weekly British magazine aims at giving readers exhaustive information on recent worldwide developments in science from a scientific,... Suite

Action to Curb 'Soot' and 'Smog' Pollution Could Help Limit Global Temperature Rise

22/06/2011 3:00 pm

Multiple Benefits Include Improved Air Quality and Human Health, Higher Crop Yields, Reduced Rate of Climate Change in the Near-Term and a Chance to Slow Serious Melting of the ArcticNew UNEP-WMO Assessment Complements Urgent Action Needed to Cut CO2 Emissions Under UN Climate Treaty.

Fast action on pollutants such as black carbon, ground level ozone and methane may help limit near term global temperature rise and significantly increase the chances of keeping temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius, and perhaps even 1.5 degrees, a new assessment says.

Protecting the near-term climate is central to significantly cutting the risk of "amplified global climate change" linked with rapid and extensive loss of Arctic ice on both the land and at sea.

Fast action might also reduce losses of mountain glaciers linked in part with black carbon deposits while reducing projected warming in the Arctic over the coming decades by two thirds.

The scientists behind the assessment, coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), also point to numerous public health and food security opportunities above and beyond those linked with tackling climate change.

Big cuts in emissions of black carbon will improve respiratory health; reduce hospital admissions and days lost at work due to sickness, says the assessment whose Secretariat is provided by the Stockholm Environment Institute. Indeed close to 2.5 million premature deaths from outdoor air pollution could on average be avoided annually world-wide by 2030 with many of those lives saved being in Asia, it is estimated.

Big cuts in ground level ozone could also contribute to reduced crop damage equal to between one to four per cent of the annual global maize, rice, soybean and wheat production.

Cutting these so-called 'short-lived climate forcers' can have immediate climate, health and agricultural benefits, the report concludes. This is because, unlike carbon dioxide (CO2) which can remain in the atmosphere for centuries black carbon for example only persists for days or weeks.

The researchers however also underline the fact that while fast action on black carbon and ground level ozone could play a key role in limiting near-term climate, immediate and sustained action to cut back CO2 is crucial if temperature rises are to be limited over the long-term.