The UNFCCC Secretariat has released a series of documents that will be discussed by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and technical Advice (SBSTA) at its 38th session, taking place in Bonn, Germany. The documents relate to methodological issues related to the Kyoto Protocol, the new market-based mechanism, emissions from international transport, the UNFCCC reporting guidelines, high-carbon reservoirs, and a framework for various approaches.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) released its “Annual Management Plan 2013” outlining the EEA work programme which will address a broad range of issues including: air quality and noise; air pollutant emissions; climate change mitigation; climate change adaptation; energy; and transport.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published a report detailing how the Nordic region can become carbon-neutral by 2050. The report, titled “Nordic Energy Technology Perspectives: Pathways to a Carbon Neutral Energy Future,” is IEA’s first regional edition of its flagship publication series “Energy Technology Perspectives.”
The ADB project is supporting the expansion of “green” bus services in the People’s Republic of China, an initiative that will benefit low-income commuters, improve air quality and reduce GHG emissions. The initiative is in line with the $175 billion commitment made at the June 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) by multilateral development banks to improve transport in developing countries between 2012 and 2022.
The “World EV Cities and Ecosystems” web portal provides information on electric vehicle (EV) policies and best practices from 16 cities worldwide, and aims to increase cooperation and information exchange between policy makers and practitioners.
A new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) allocates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the energy sector, both direct and indirect, to energy users in order to understand demand-side trends driving energy-sector GHG emissions. The report found that 90% of the net increase in GHG emissions in the EU in 2010 was driven by energy production and consumption.
The Organization for American States (OAS) has announced the 14 recipients from ten Central American and Caribbean countries of US$50,000 grants from the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) to non-governmental organizations, community associations and academic institutions for community-based projects in clean energy, disaster resilience, sustainable transport and waste management.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has released a report, titled “CO2 emissions performance of car manufacturers in 2011,” which shows that most cars manufactured in Europe have achieved 2012 emission reduction standards, with around 3.3% greater efficiency than new cars registered the previous year. the efficiency gains are largely due to a growing proportion of diesel vehicles, and a decrease in average engine and vehicle size, rather than through the use of alternative fuels.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is supporting a five-year project to replace 100,000 gasoline-burning tricycles with energy efficient electric tricycles, or E-Trikes, in Metro Manilla and urban centers in the Philippines. The E-Trike project will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 260,0000 tons annually and contribute to improved air quality. The project will also avoid US$100 million in fuel import costs, which will reduce dependency on foreign oil imports and increase driver income.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has launched the Green Meetings Calculator to help UN organizations reduce carbon emissions associated with air travel to meetings. The application identifies an optimal meeting location based on calculated carbon emissions, as well as other parameters, and identifies all possible city venues accessible by a direct or one-stop connecting flight.