The representative of the Committee for Development Policy explained that the report of its 12th session (document E/2010/33) found, inter alia, that the level of funding for mitigation and adaptation of climate-resilient development paths was “vastly insufficient.” He said the report argued that the financial architecture for climate change should be governed by the UNFCCC, and recommended that action be prioritized with regard to funding allocation. He also underscored inadequate levels of external support to least developed countries (LDCs).

On 20 July, a panel discussion titled “Opportunities for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)” took place. The Council’s discussions of sustainable development aimed to provide an opportunity to explore potential opportunities for SIDS with a view towards building resilience as they confront climate change and the fall-out of the economic and financial crisis. In particular, participants addressed the following opportunities related to: the agricultural sector, for example, the emergence of new crops; the energy sector, for example, tapping new energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal energy; and the services sector, for example new types of tourism packages, as well as finance. On agriculture, participants focused on the opportunities in research and development related to the emergence of new crops due to the changes to the ecosystem, including those caused by climate change. They also explored initiatives in developing extreme weather-resistant crops and livestock.

On energy, participants discussed opportunities for developing technology to reduce harmful emissions as well as to improve energy efficiency and energy security.The panel discussions will feed into the two-day high-level review to assess progress made in addressing the vulnerabilities of SIDS through the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS, which is organized by the UN General Assembly, on 24-25 September 2010. [ECOSOC Press Release] [SIDS Panel Discussion Website]

The US students, who will be assisted by three Swiss students and three American landscape architecture professors, will develop a sustainable landscape design that will be implemented over a five-year period. The US Mission building in Geneva is described as the ‘Flagship Post for Energy and Sustainability’ by the US State Department. Some of its features include the largest solar energy installation ever undertaken by the US Department of State abroad, and a unique magnetic levitation (MaglevTM) chiller air conditioning system that runs a virtually friction-free compressor. In 2009, the US Mission in Geneva was the first State Department facility to earn a certificate from the US National Wildlife Federation for Wildlife Habitat as a result of their conservation efforts.[Information on the Landscape Project] [Greening the Blue Press Release]

He underlined that climate change, desertification and land disputes can be drivers of conflict. He concluded by noting that Security Council efforts to address the additional challenges will be “the best way of bringing about real protection for civilians.” [The Statement]

The review of the IPCC’s Regional Chapters in the Working Group II (WG II) portion of the AR4 was conducted by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (Plan Bureau voor de Leefomgeving – PBL) at the request of the Dutch Environment Minister. The objective of the review was to investigate if there were errors in these eight regional chapters of the WG II contribution to the AR4. Authors of the IPCC report provided information and inputs as requested by PBL but played no role in the preparation of this review.

Martin Parry, Co-Chair of AR4 WG II, stated that the review had found that “the key conclusions of the IPCC AR4 are accurate, correct and supported entirely by the leading science in the field.” The reviewers looked at 32 statements on regional impacts of climate change. Their summary is that all statements are “well founded and none were found to contain any significant errors.” The review also states that “the WG II contribution to the AR4 shows ample observational evidence of regional climate-change impacts, which have been projected to pose substantial risks to most parts of the world, under increasing temperatures.”

The IPCC will pay close attention to the PBL’s recommendations for strengthening future reports and will consider these findings in the context of the full set of inputs it receives, especially the findings of the ongoing review by the InterAcademy Council, which was jointly requested by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the IPCC. [IPCC Press Release] [PBL Report] [InterAcademy Council's Website on the Review of the IPCC]

The segment included a dialogue with UN Regional Commissions, which was moderated by Ján Kubiš, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). In his presentations, Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)underscored that African Governments had paid little attention to the interface between gender and climate change in their policy design and implementation.  He called for, inter alia, rigorous accountability on gender concerns through the collection of sex-disaggregated data, and the promotion of research on the impact of climate change on all sectors, with an emphasis on food security.

During the annual ministerial review, several speakers emphasized that women disproportionately felt the negative impacts of the global food, climate and finance crises. The week’s events also included the two-day Development Cooperation Forum, which was structured around a series of round-table discussions and policy dialogues. [ECOSOC Press Release, 1 July 2010] [ECOSOC Press Release, 2 July 2010] [Climate-L.org Story on the ECOSOC Development Cooperation Forum]

Hamidon Ali ( Malaysia), President of the ECOSOC, opened the second Development Cooperation Forum by noting that it was taking place at a time when a confluence of crises still threatened to derail the development process. He called for mutually supportive national policies on trade, debt, investment, technology, climate change, food security, migration and systematic issues. Ali added that the second Forum provided an opportunity to enhance the effectiveness and coherence of development cooperation as a major signpost for those regions and groups most in need of help.

In his keynote address, the representative for China shared some observations on the country’s experience in development assistance, underlining that his country was facing “serious development challenges.” He added that in the years ahead, China would need to address multiple energy, environment and climate change challenges, making further development cooperation indispensable.

During the Annual Ministerial Review, established in 2005 to assess progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), among other internationally agreed development targets, the representative of the US underscored the instrumental role of women and girls in the national response to climate change, highlighting the announcement by the US in Copenhagen to help mobilize US$100 billion annually by 2020 to address the climate needs of developing countries as long as its demands for a climate change pledge are met.

In the afternoon of 30 June, the Council held its fourth policy dialogue on the topic “Impact of multiple crises: allocating resources among competing needs,” moderated by Nitin Desai, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for Internet Governance and former Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. The representative of Luxembourg described her country’s ODA activities, highlighting the setting up of a special fund through which to channel initiatives addressing climate change. The representative of Bangladesh called for specific international help to cope with the effects of climate change and natural disasters. Desai wrapped up the discussion by saying he had been stuck by the near-universal failure to anticipate the crises. He expressed the hope that the recent months had taught everyone that the present volatile times “are the new normal,” warning that climate change would continue to spark devastating floods and droughts, especially now that people lived closer to the margins of environmental resources. [UN Press Release on the Opening of the Development Cooperation Forum] [UN Press Release on the Conclusion of the Development Cooperation Forum] [Climate-L.org Story on the High-level Segment of the ECOSOC]

The report warns that while some progress has been achieved, it is uneven. It highlights areas where accelerated efforts are needed to meet the MDGs by 2015. In his remarks at the press conference to launch the report, Ban called for focusing on the needs of the most vulnerable to lay the foundation for a more sustainable and prosperous future.

Under Goal 7 on environmental sustainability, the report indicates that, inter alia, the world lost 13 million hectares of forest each year over the last decade and population increases and economic growth have lead to a nearly 50% increase in global carbon dioxide emissions between 1991 and 2007, from 21.9 to 29.6 billion metric tons. Due to the economic downturn, the report notes that it is possible that total emissions may have decreased in 2009, but predicts that unless action is taken, emissions will rise again rapidly as the world economy recovers. The report also notes that even though the economic crisis negatively impacted job creation and incomes around the world, the world is still on track to achieve the MDG target of halving the rate of extreme poverty by 2015. [UN Press Release] [The Report]

In an opening speech, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underlined that “the financial, food and climate crises have set back efforts towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and threaten future progress.” He added, however, that “there is reason for optimism,” noting that the 2010 MDGs Report shows significant progress in some countries. Emphasizing that climate change remains a threat to sustainability, he warned that several Goals are likely to be missed, especially in least developed countries (LDCs), land-locked countries, and small island developing States (SIDS).

Ban stressed the need for the benefits of economic and social development to reach everyone and called on governments to “agree on a concrete action plan that provides a clear roadmap to meet our promise by 2015.” Addressing the issue of gender, he underscored the need to include women at all levels of political decision making, highlighting their essential role in improving food security, building resilience to climate change and eradicating poverty. The High-level Segment will conclude on 2 July. [ECOSOC High Level Segment Website] [Ban's Speech]

The proposal by the Government of Senegal through the Centre de Suivi Ecologique is the first to make use of the ground-breaking direct access modality of the Adaptation Fund. Under this arrangement, a national organization that has illustrated that it meets the fiduciary standards set by the Fund can submit proposals to, and receive funds from, the Adaptation Fund as a National Implementing Entity.

The other three proposals approved by the Board are from the Governments of Nicaragua, Pakistan and the Solomon Islands, with a total proposed value of US$21.8 million. These project concepts were submitted through the more conventional path also available in the Fund, where the UN Development Programme (UNDP) acts as a Multilateral Implementing Entity.

In addition, the Board approved a Results-Based Management and Evaluation Framework that will help enhance the effectiveness of the Adaptation Fund project portfolio. Also, the Adaptation Fund Board accredited four new Multilateral Implementing Entities that had been recommended by the Accreditation Panel. These entities include: the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the UN World Food Programme (WFP). [Adaptation Fund Press Release]

The Report is being prepared under the auspices of the IPCC Working Group III (WG III), which deals with mitigation of climate change. Experts and governments will comment on the accuracy and completeness of the scientific, technical and socio-economic content of the draft, as well as on its overall balance. They have an eight-week period to submit comments, which will then be discussed and incorporated during the fourth Lead Author Meeting to be held in Mexico, from 20-24 September 2010.

Following the Lead Author meeting in Mexico, the final draft report will be prepared and submitted for acceptance to the WG III session, scheduled to take place from 21-23 February 2011, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. [WG III Press Release]