Three reports released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) evaluate and summarize options for low carbon city planning, non-motorised transport (NMT) and infrastructure risks due to climate variability in India. The reports were published as part of the project on ‘Promoting Low Carbon Transport in India.’
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 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.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UNEP Risø Centre (URC) December’s newsletter includes stories on the Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) project and electrification in Africa, including efforts within the Sustainable Energy For All Initiative (SE4ALL). The newsletter also features several stories on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), including capacity building projects in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) region.
Switzerland and Peru are collaborating under the World Meteorological Organization’s Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) on a project to improve climate services for the Peruvian Andes. The project will also incorporate generated data into environmental decision-making in the agriculture, energy, tourism, transport, health and education sectors.
The workshop examined approaches to ensure that smallholders are not marginalized by increasing biofuel production for aviation. IFAD highlighted a $12 million initiative on research and development of alternative crops for smallholder biofuel production. They also underscored recent research grants that will help to produce biofuels sustainably.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council agreed to form a High-level Group regarding the feasibility of a global market-based measure for international aviation and to develop a policy Framework to guide its application. In response, the EU will “stop the clock” on enforcement of the inclusion of aviation in the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) on flights to and from Europe until autumn 2013.
Participants in a recent meeting of the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV) initiated a new programme to reduce sulphur levels in fuel and tackle diesel emissions, and agreed to complete a lead phase-out campaign.
Although air transport currently represents only 2% of global carbon dioxide emissions, traffic is expected to increase at an annual average rate of 4.5% over the next 20 years, which will put tremendous pressure on the sector to find ways to maintain and ultimately reduce its impact on climate change.