The Assembly endorsed the recommendations of the Committee of Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) on the streamlined single negotiation structure at ministerial and expert levels, with a view to ensuring effective coordination on climate change towards the 16th and 17th sessions of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC, to be held in Cancun, Mexico, in late 2010, and in South Africa in 2011, respectively. In addition, the Assembly endorsed the continued role of South Africa on the CAHOSCC in the run-up to COP17. African Governments expressed their intention to seek predictable and reliable financing to fight development challenges posed by climate change.

During the opening ceremony of the Assembly, on 25 July, Mexican President Felipe Calderón expressed hope that “in Cancún, all countries will be able to make a key contribution to the fight against climate change.” He stressed the need for African countries’ support and pragmatic approach to ensure that the Cancún Climate Change Conference will be “the start of a new era of agreements on climate change and the environment.”

On 27 July, Malawi President Bingu Wa Mutharika, Chairperson of the AU, delivered a speech on the African Food Basket as a new focused approach to agriculture and food security as the springboard for growth supported by strategic transport infrastructure, energy development, information communication technology, and climate change mitigation. He also stressed the need for African countries to strengthen national institutions responsible for monitoring natural disasters and environmental changes. During the closing ceremony of the Assembly, he appealed to all AU member States to champion the African Common Position on Climate Change in various fora and play a role in mitigating climate change effects. [South Africa press release] [Calderón’s speech] [Mutharika’s speech on the African Food Basket] [Mutharika’s speech at the Summit closing]

date: 8 September 2010  
venue: Palais des Nations  
location: Geneva (Geneve), Switzerland  
contact: Michalis Adamantiadis or Regina Asariotis  
e-mail: regina.asariotis@unctad.org; michalis.adamantiadis@unece.org  
www: http://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp5/wp5_workshop4.html  

The grant will be used to support local authorities in creating the policy, regulatory, institutional, financial and monitoring mechanisms for the “eco-city,” which is expected to be home to 350,000 people by 2020. The project will help promote “green transport,” such as public transport, walking tracks and bicycle pathways. It will also support the construction of “green buildings” through the introduction of energy efficient building standards that are higher than the national standard.

Tianjin, China’s third largest city with a population of 11.76 million, is developing the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City in collaboration with the Singapore Government. A Framework Agreement was signed between the two Governments in November 2007. [World Bank Press Release]

The paper shows that growth in carbon emissions in transport have so far outpaced the carbon dioxide emission reduction achieved by vehicle efficiency and fuel performance improvements. The study also found that the level of urban transport-related carbon dioxide emissions varies significantly not only among cities of different levels of per capita income, but also among cities of similar income level. This implies that in addition to the motorization level that is generally associated with per capita income, other policy factors such as priority to public transport and restriction on private cars are also significant determinants of carbon dioxide emissions. [The Working Paper]

At the meeting, participants noted progress made by the IMO towards setting up a comprehensive regulatory regime aimed at limiting or reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships, through the work of its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). Industry representatives confirmed they would continue supporting IMO in its work on climate change through various actions, including those aiming at promoting the Organization’s work on technical, operational and market-based measures, as well as at the 61st meeting of the MEPC, to be held from 27 September-1 October 2010, in London, UK, with a view to achieving proportionate, balanced and workable measures.

They further pledged to support the outcome of MEPC 61, when presented to the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 16), scheduled to meet in Cancún, Mexico, from 29 November-10 December 2010. [IMO Press Release]

The package, backed by a 80% loan guarantee from the UK Government, forms part of Ford’s GBP 1.5 billion engine and vehicle development programme to be implemented over the next five years, which will safeguard around 2,800 skilled jobs. The EIB will provide funding under the European Clean Transport Facility, a dedicated EUR 4 billion annual package approved by European Union Finance Ministers in December 2008 that supports investments in research, development and innovation for emissions reduction and energy efficiency in the European transport industry. [EIB Press Release]

The methodology, which was adopted by the European Commission in June 2010 to be incorporated into the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED), complies with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines for national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories. It aims to give industry, governments and NGOs a tool to work with in establishing certification schemes for biofuels, which are required for compliance with the RED. [EU Press Release] [JRC Sustainability of Bioenergy Site]

The brochure lays out the four goals adopted by ministers at the third high-level meeting on Transport, Health and Environment held in January 2009, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and to be achieved by 2014. It also describes the links among urban problems stemming from unsustainable transport, including: air pollution; noise emissions; climate change and energy use. The brochure sets out THE PEP approach of tackling issues of sustainable urban transport through communication and collaboration among the three sectors of transport, health and environment. It is available in English, French and Russian.

UNECE has also published on THE PEP website the report of the June 2010 workshop on sustainable and healthy urban transport policies, which recommended, inter alia, that international, national, regional and local actors work collaboratively to: establish a supportive national policy framework fully integrating air quality, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, noise and other health and environment targets into transport and land-use policy; and adopt technical standards for vehicles and fuels, and rigorously monitor their implementation in public and private vehicle fleets. THE PEP is serviced by the joint secretariat of the UNECE and the World Health Organization ( WHO)/Europe. [The Brochure] [THE PEP Website] [Workshop Report]

The cap on the number of emission allowances for the year 2013 has been determined at 1.927 billion. It has been calculated on the basis of a formula applying a 1.74% annual reduction in allowances below the average yearly total allocated through member States’ national allocation plans in the 2008-2012 trading period. The application of this reduction each year to 2020 and beyond is expected to result in a 21% fall in emissions from the 2005 level by 2020.
 The cap is not considered definitive, as an adjusted cap taking into account the inclusion in the EU ETS from 2013 of new sectors and gases is to be published in September 2010, and the 2013 cap for the aviation sector, which will join the EU ETS in 2012, will be determined by a separate decision.

The cap just determined by the Commission could be revised if a decision is taken to increase the emission reduction target to 30%, as the EU has committed to do if other major economies agree to take on their fair share of a global emissions reduction effort. EU Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard stressed that an EU-wide cap that decreases annually provides market operators with a long-term perspective and the necessary predictability on which they can base decisions to invest in emission reductions and in green technologies.

In addition, the Commission adopted a regulation approving the use of a tool to estimate fuel consumption by small aircraft operators as part of their compliance with the EU ETS. The tool enables small-emitter aircraft operators with a limited number of flights per annum or small amount of annual carbon dioxide emissions to use simplified monitoring procedures. It models the fuel consumption of their flights rather than measuring consumption of each flight. The tool is also expected to be used by other aircraft operators to determine estimates of fuel consumption for specific flights where actual fuel consumption data is missing. [EU Press Release on the Cap] [FAQs on the Cap] [EU Press Release on the Tool] [The Tool]

The session aimed to provide a platform for environment ministers to deliberate on substantive issues of importance to Africa, including ongoing negotiations on climate change and biodiversity. A ministerial dialogue reviewed progress towards: Africa’s development of a common negotiating position on a comprehensive international climate change regime beyond 2012; the development of a comprehensive framework of African climate change programmes; and Africa’s preparations for developing a common negotiating position on the international regime on access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources (ABS).

The Ministerial segment on climate change discussed: the outcomes of the meetings of the Conference of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 11 May 2010, and in Bamako, Mali, on 23 June 2010; and the salient aspects of the comprehensive framework of African climate change programmes, including opportunities presented by climate change responses, in addition to the institutional arrangements in Africa for managing and using climate funding provided by the international community. The ministerial dialogue on desertification focused on the links between desertification, land degradation and climate change, particularly on efforts needed to combat climate change in Africa taking into account measures for sustainable land and water management.

At the opening of the session, Buyelwa Sonjica, South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, stressed that the AMCEN 13 theme presents a useful approach to expanding the strategic focus of AMCEN to include “other important environmental issues facing the continent – in addition and in relation to the challenges posed by climate change.”

Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission (AUC), stressed that climate change is a developmental emergency for Africa and urged contextualizing the next round of global climate change negotiations into the development agenda. She underscored that the AUC, in partnership with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency and the EU, is currently engaged in discussions to ensure that agriculture is taken forward in the climate change negotiations. She stressed that Africa does not need to compromise its economic growth due to mitigation efforts, but rather should push for access to affordable technology for a green economy. She reported that the 23rd June CAHOSCC meeting deliberated on how best to organize the coordinating structure of CAHOSCC at ministers and experts levels, and that their recommendations will be considered by the Heads of State and Government during the July Summit in Kampala, Uganda. She also noted an initiative by the UN Secretary-General to set up a High-level Panel on Global Sustainability, to ensure the interconnectivity between food security, climate change, access to water and energy among others, in which Africa will be represented.

AMCEN 13 was preceded by the third meeting of African high-level expert panel on climate change, held on 20 June 2010, which discussed: a draft AMCEN climate change communication strategy; a draft comprehensive framework of African climate change programmes; climate change, clean technology and green growth opportunities; air pollution abatement in relation to other environmentally-friendly initiatives: the case of sustainable transport in Africa; carbon market, innovation and Arabic gum; and the status of the international climate change negotiations.

The UN Environment Progarmme (UNEP) Regional Office for Africa serves as the Secretariat to AMCEN. [AMCEN 13 Website] [Sonjica’s Speech] [Tumusiime's Speech]