The first expert meeting was held in in Brasilia, Brazil, from 14-15 July 2010. Participants discussed the development of a voluntary REDD+ database to track global activities on financing, actions, results and preliminary gap analysis. Discussions on the Partnership workplan and working modalities will continue at the August Bonn Climate Change Talks.

The Newsletter highlights several other recent meetings, including: a UN-REDD, Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, and the Forest Investment Program meeting to work on a joint paper on enhancing cooperation and coherence among REDD+ institutions; a workshop with indigenous people from Asia and the Pacific on applying the principles of free, prior and informed consent to REDD+ activities; and a meeting in Georgetown, Guyana to evaluate the Readiness Preparation Proposals (R-PPs) of Argentina, Costa Rica, Kenya, Nepal and the Republic of Congo

Commentaries in the Newsletter address REDD+ in Zambia and current issues with measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of REDD+ implementation. [UN-REDD July Newsletter]

Through the SEED Awards, UNEP aims to identify inspiring examples of partnership-based enterprises that can help meet sustainable development challenges. SEED Awards winners receive expert advice on developing their business plans, take part in tailor-made workshops and benefit from high-level profiling of their initiatives through link-ups with SEED’s international network. Entrepreneurs from developing and emerging economies can apply for a SEED award. This year, as part of UNEP’s Green Economy project, particular emphasis will be placed on seven target countries in Africa: Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa. A total of 35 start-up initiatives will be awarded in 2010. [UNEP Press Release]

An updated draft protocol for the review, written by Gill Petrokofsky, FAO/UN-REDD Programme and external experts, has been posted for review on the website of the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence, until 10 August 2010. According to the draft protocol, this evidence-based review will principally address the question: How do current methodologies compare in their ability to measure and assess terrestrial carbon stocks and changes in carbon stocks with accuracy, precision and repeatability? It will aim to address the accuracy, precision and repeatability of methodologies used for conversion of in situ measurements into carbon stock estimates at the site level, and used for generating carbon stock estimates for larger geographical areas from site-level data, as well as the accuracy of direct remote sensing methodologies for estimating carbon stocks. A team of experts will be put together for the full review. [UN-REDD Press Release] [Draft Protocol]

The Global Outlook that UNEP is in the process of compiling is designed to provide credible, science-based information in an unbiased format for use by the public and decision makers. The project website, which is designed to inform experts and policy makers, contains details on the project, topical news, an events calendar and a multimedia gallery. A website for the public is also being constructed. [Project Website]

The UNEP report focuses on global trends in sustainable energy investment, covering the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors. The REN21 report provides a broad look at the status of renewable energy worldwide, covering power regeneration, heating and cooling and transport fuels. It describes the landscape of policies and targets introduced around the world to promote renewable energy.

According to the reports, in 2009 renewable sources represented 25% of global electricity capacity and 18% of global power production. The reports find that the US and Europe have added more capacity to their electricity supplies from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, for the second consecutive year. In 2009, renewables accounted for 60% of newly-installed capacity in Europe and more than 50% in the US. The reports also predict that the world should reach at least 50% newly-installed power capacity from renewable sources during in 2010 or 2011. The reports further show that countries with policies encouraging renewable energy have approximately doubled from 55, in 2005, to more than 100 today, with half of them in the developing world. [UNEP Press Release] [IEA Press Release] [Reports Website]

According to the Altas, studies estimate that mangroves generate between US$2000-9000 per hectare annually, considerably more than alternative uses such as aquaculture, agriculture or insensitive tourism. It also underscores the link between these coastal forests and economically-important services from flood defences and fish nurseries to carbon storage to combat climate change.

The assessment highlighted various uses and ecological niches of mangroves related to climate change including: the importance of mangroves as greenbelts and carbon sinks that protect coastal areas from natural disasters such as tsunamis, cyclones and erosion resulting from sea-level rise, especially in small island countries; and the storage of organic carbon in mangrove soils, thereby mitigating climate change. According to the Altas, preliminary estimates indicate that the total above-ground biomass for the world’s mangrove forests may be over 3700Tg of carbon, and that carbon sequestration directly into mangrove sediments is likely to be in the range of 14-17Tg of carbon per year.

UNEP-WCMC partners in the assessment include: the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO); the International Society of Mangrove Ecosystems; the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)-Man and Biosphere; the UN University (UNU) Institute for Water Environment and Health; and The Nature Conservancy. [UNEP Press Release]

The TEEB Report for Business highlights the business case for biodiversity and ecosystems services (BES) by illustrating the importance and immense value of natural services provided to, and affected by, a wide range of industries. The report identifies the direct drivers of biodiversity loss, including habitat loss and degradation, climate change, pollution, over-exploitation and the spread of invasive species. It adds that projections of the impacts of climate change, in particular, show continuing changes in the distribution and abundance of species and habitats, resulting in increasing species extinction. It further provides that biodiversity loss cannot be seen in isolation from other trends, such as climate change, increasing scarcity of natural resources and/or declining quality of ecosystem services.

TEEB Report for Business illustrates business models that benefit BES, as well as frameworks to enable their widespread realization. In this regard, the report underlines that biodiversity and ecosystem service markets are emerging, alongside markets for carbon. It also identifies reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of carbon stocks (REDD+) initiatives as a likely first major market opportunity.

The report contains chapters on, inter alia: business impacts and dependence on BES; measuring and reporting impacts and dependence on BES; scaling down BES risks to business; and increasing biodiversity business opportunities. TEEB is based at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). [Report Website] [Symposium Website]

The report recommends urgent action to assist pastoralists cope with the rising impacts of climate change, including strategies by governments to facilitate safe passage across borders in the Horn and East Africa region. Key findings include that the effects of climate change and its impact on pastoral communities are now more conspicuous than ever, with evidence pointing to increasing levels of migration and conflict over often scarce resources. According to the report, vulnerability, a lack of preparedness, and appropriate, timely and relevant responses to natural disasters have left millions in need of humanitarian assistance.

The Security Mobility Initiative is an inter-agency partnership among the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Institute for Security Studies. [IISD RS Sources] [UN Press Release] [Link to Synthesis of the Report]