Leaves 15(4) April 2013

 

Website: iefworld.org
Article submission: newsletter@iefworld.org Deadline next issue 13 May 2013
Secretariat Email: ief@iefworld.org General Secretary Emily Firth
Postal address: 12B Chemin de Maisonneuve, CH-1219 Chatelaine, Geneva, Switzerland
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From the Editor, Request for information for upcoming newsletters

This newsletter is an opportunity for IEF members to share their experiences, activities, and initiatives that are taking place at the community level on climate change action. All members are welcome to contribute information about related activities, upcoming conferences, news from like-minded organizations, recommended websites, book reviews, etc. Please send information to newsletter@ief.org.

Please share the Leaves newsletter and IEF membership information with family, friends and associates, and encourage interested persons to consider becoming a member of the IEF.

IEF 17th Annual Conference, Barcelona, Spain, 3-6 October 2013

The 17th Annual Conference of the International Environment Forum will be held in Barcelona, Spain, on 3-6 October 2013, as a joint conference with ebbf, the European Baha'i Business Forum. The conference, at a beautiful hotel near the Barcelona airport, will explore positive solutions for transforming the economy and building a more sustainable society by empowering individuals, communities and corporations and other institutions. Reserve the dates now. Further details on the programme and registration will be available in May.

Earth Charter Education Programme, Costa Rica, May 13-17 2013

The course entitled “Education and Values for Sustainable Development." will be held in the Earth Charter’s Educational Center for Education for Sustainable Development. This course will be facilitated by Professor Sam Crowell, emeritus of education at California State University and will introduce the concept of sustainable development and its implications for education, learning, and change. Using a holistic and integrative approach, this course explores practical methods for introducing the values of sustainability, as articulated in the Earth Charter, to schools and classrooms. Find the syllabus and overview of the course at the link above. Questions: please write to apply@earthcharter.org or check www.earthcharter.org.

UNESCO’s New online climate change training kit for teachers!

http://www.unesco.org/new/?id=54439

The first online learning course on Climate Change for Secondary Teachers is now available. This innovative training kit, entitled UNESCO Course for Secondary Teachers on Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development (CCESD) is designed to give teachers confidence, through a series of six-day programmes, to help young people understand the causes and consequences of climate change today.

The course aims to bring climate change education outside the science classroom into all subject areas liable to be affected by climate change. These include ethics, social studies, economics and political science, among many others.

Using a holistic approach, pedagogical approaches and techniques in their own school environment, teachers can develop the capacities to facilitate climate change mitigation, adaptation and disaster risk reduction learning. Teacher education institutions can also use the course to update CCESD content in their pre-service and in-service training programmes through pedagogical frameworks, exercises, regional resources and guidelines.

Users can access the learning materials through Flash-based software. The Flipbook format provides an onscreen textbook experience along with the functionality of web links to quickly access other pages or complementary information (e.g. PowerPoint slides).

“There are many exciting grassroots initiatives on education for sustainable development underway across the world,” says UNESCO’s Director-General, Irina Bokova. “Behind each one are engaged young people and teachers, inspired by the spirit of solidarity. Education is a pillar of the future we want to build.” UNESCO’s Programme on Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development is engaged in building that pillar. In addition, the programme explicitly includes disaster risk reduction in its activities and tools. You can start the course at http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international… education-for-sustainable-development/climate-change-education/cce-clearinghouse/publications/

Vision and Scenarios for Sustainable Lifestyles

SPREAD, an EU Framework 7 Research project which focused on the Vision and Scenarios for Sustainable Lifestyles in Europe in 2050, held a successful conference in Brussels, Nov. 26-27, 2012 and launched an EU Sustainable Lifestyles Roadmap & Action Plan. All publications and videos are now available on the SPREAD website: http://www.sustainable-lifestyles.eu/publications/publications.html and http://www.sustainable-lifestyles.eu/publications/videos.html.

(From the PERL newsletter)

UNEP 10-Year Framework of Programmes on
Sustainable Consumption and Production

http://www.start.scpclearinghouse.org

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), acting as the Secretariat of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP), is developing the Global SCP Clearinghouse, the one-stop hub bringing together and expanding the SCP community worldwide through a harmonized and dynamic information and knowledge sharing platform that will trigger more innovation and cooperation towards SCP implementation.

This dynamic SCP Clearinghouse aims at collecting, disseminating and sharing initiatives, policies, tools and best practices worldwide, as well as the latest news and events on SCP. You are one click away from SCP!

WHAT YOU CAN DO IN THE GLOBAL SCP CLEARINGHOUSE

• Find out all that is happening on SCP around the world with SCP Initiatives interactive map, SCP News, and SCP Event calendar:
• Find partners and build more cooperation: Cooperation opportunities, SCP working groups
• Develop and strengthen capacities, Directory of experts and resource persons, SCP E-Library
• Take part and follow your activities with MySCP.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED?

The Global SCP Clearinghouse has been designed to become the unique "one stop shop" on SCP and to offer an interactive hub on SCP thanks to a diverse set of tools. You can become a member to not only access all available information and resources, but also to provide information, share your knowledge, initiatives and expertise with others, and expand your networks and partnerships.

1. Sign up as a member to join the SCP world and have access to all you wanted to know about SCP but never asked;
2. Be proactive and share your initiatives, knowledge, and tools, thus contributing to the thematic or regional communities of your interest;
3. Announce your cooperation proposals and find partners and networks with whom to take action;
4. Post your news and events related to SCP and let the Clearinghouse broadcast them worldwide;
5. Select the newsletters of your choice to always be informed;
6. Become an expert in the SCP Clearinghouse directory to help others advance SCP initiatives.

WHAT IS THE 10YFP?

http://www.unep.org/10YFP

The 10YFP is a global framework of action to enhance international cooperation to accelerate the shift towards SCP in both developed and developing countries. The framework will support capacity building, and provide technical and financial assistance to developing countries for this shift. The 10YFP will develop, replicate and scale up SCP and resource efficiency initiatives, at national and regional levels, decoupling environmental degradation and resource use from economic growth, and thus increase the net contribution of economic activities to poverty eradication and social development. The framework will encourage innovation and cooperation among all stakeholders.

UNEP has been requested to act as the 10YFP Secretariat and to establish and administer a Trust Fund to support SCP implementation in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The 10YFP includes thematic programmes to support SCP implementation at all levels (global, regional and national). An initial list of programmes includes: a) Consumer information; b) Sustainable lifestyles and education; c) Sustainable public procurement; d) Sustainable buildings and construction; and e) Sustainable tourism, including ecotourism.

The Global SCP Clearinghouse will respond the 10YFP functions by enabling information and knowledge sharing among all the stakeholders worldwide on initiatives, activities, events and news related to SCP and in particular to the 10YFP. It has been designed as well to serve as the main information tool for each of the 10YFP programmes, enabling their members to share information and coordinate action and showcase their work (e.g. working groups, identification of partners, newsletter, etc). All stakeholders of the 10YFP will become part of the Global SCP Clearinghouse, and will receive the 10YFP newsletter with information on the latest developments and news and its activities at the global, regional and national levels.

Global Consultation on Environmental Sustainability
in the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Help ensure the post-2015 agenda supports an environmentally sustainable future--Add your voice to the next round of Global Discussions April 15 - 28th

UNDP, UNEP, the Government of France and the Government of Costa Rica invite you to join this global conversation on environmental sustainability in the post-2015 agenda.

About the Global Consultation on Environmental Sustainability

UNDP and UNEP are pleased to welcome you to the Post-2015 environmental sustainability global consultation.

The objective of the consultation is to facilitate an open dialogue that brings together a multitude of voices to stimulate creative thinking and begin to generate consensus around how best to reflect environmental sustainability in the post-2015 agenda.

It is also an opportunity for taking stock of the progress and shortcomings of MDG 7 on Environmental Sustainability and gauging the opportunities of alternative development paths.

All are welcome to join this open, transparent process in which we bring together civil society stakeholders, academia, media, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, governments, the UN system, etc.

The consultation will be divided into two phases as outlined in the concept note . In order to engage stakeholders early in the process of framing the dialogue, Phase 1 (which is now underway) includes an open call for discussion notes on topics that stakeholders think should be a priority for the dialogue on environmental sustainability in the post-2015 agenda. Participants are encouraged to propose topics that build on MDG7 experiences, in particular in the areas with knowledge gaps, and lessons and/or bring forward new and emerging thinking and experiences related to integrated approaches that link economic, social and environmental sustainability. The culmination of this phase will be a Leadership Meeting that will convene leading thinkers to develop a framework that defines the issues, the questions, and the organizational structure for the broader online consultation of Phase 2. In the second phase, selected participants from the Leadership Meeting will act as facilitators to engage the broadest possible relevant stakeholders on the questions and themes identified in the Leadership Meeting.

The process will culminate in a series of papers on each of the Phase 2 topics as well as a final report that summarizes global viewpoints and stakeholder concerns. This final paper will provide an input to the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (HLP), which is scheduled to present its final report on May 31, 2013. The HLP has been asked to further elaborate the possible content of the post- 2015 development agenda. Its report to the Secretary General will be an input for the inter-governmental debate on this topic during the 2013 UN General Assembly (GA) which will start with a high level summit to review progress on the MDGs.

In addition to this thematic consultation on environmental sustainability there are other opportunities to engage through various global, thematic and national consultation processes. Click on "Consultations" in the menu to link to other consultations.

Background

In late 2011, the Secretary-General (SG) established a UN System Task Team on the post-2015 development agenda, co-chaired by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and UNDP. The task team is comprised of senior staff from a wide variety of UN organizations and the Bretton Woods Institutions. The main output of the task team, delivered to the Secretary-General in June 2012, was a UN system report providing the contours for the post-2015 development agenda. This report will be a basis for the work of the SG’s High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the post-2015 Development Agenda, which held its first meeting in September 2012 and is scheduled to present its final report on May 31, 2013. The HLP is to further elaborate on the possible content of the post-2015 development agenda. Its report to the SG will be an input for the inter-governmental debate on this topic during the 2013 UN General Assembly (GA) which will start with a high level summit to review progress on the MDGs.

As a contribution to the processes outlined above, the UN Development Group (UNDG) is organizing a series of national consultations up to 100 developing countries, and eleven global thematic consultations to catalyze inclusive conversations and bottom-up feedback on the post-2015 development agenda. The aim of these consultations is to bring together a broad range of stakeholders to review progress on the MDGs and to discuss the options for a new framework. The global thematic consultations will be on the following topics:

• Inequalities;
• Population Dynamics;
• Health;
• Education;
• Growth & Employment;
• Conflict & Fragility;
• Governance;
• Environmental Sustainability;
• Water;
• Energy;
• Food Security and Nutrition.

Each topic has two or more co-lead UN Organizations to prepare and deliver the process, and a government sponsor. UNDP and UNEP have agreed to work together on the environmental sustainability consultation.

Environmental Sustainabilty & Poverty

Poor and marginalized people are more reliant on the environment for their livelihoods and therefore the impact of environmental degradation is more strongly felt (in terms of health, income, and more). Today the interconnections between human well-being and the environment are well understood thanks to studies such as the Millennium Assessment. Still, there is need to generate clear suggestions on how to reflect these connections in the post-2015 agenda. In the consultations so far, there was much talk of breaking the MDG silos but what are the inter-linkages between poverty reduction and environmental sustainability that could be articulated in the next agenda?

Join the Discussion http://www.worldwewant2015.org/sustainability2015/poverty

Environmental Sustainabilty & Equality

It has been repeated time and again that inequalities can hamper the achievement of environmental sustainability. Consultation participants see inequalities in environmental sustainability as an issue of different levels of access to: eco-services for livelihoods and health (e.g water, clean air, clean and renewable energy): between rich and poor countries, the rich and the poor within each country, rural and urban populations, women and men, current and future generations. Involvement into decision making processes of these different groups has also been underlined at several takes. Still, why does inequality undermine the attainment of environmental sustainability? Why should equality be at the center of our attention? Post-2015 goals are expected to be ambitious and universal. What does this mean in the context of inequality?

Join the Discussion: http://www.worldwewant2015.org/sustainability2015/equality

Environmental Sustainabilty, Human Rights, Peace and Security

There are obvious links between environmental sustainability as a human rights issue and many national constitutions recognizing the rights of its citizens. The human rights of environmental sustainability have been echoed throughout the consultation thus far and in the Leadership Meeting. Still, there are differing opinions and sensitivities. What are the key issues and themes which reflect the links between human rights and environmental sustainability? How can a rights-based approach support environmental sustainability? What accountability mechanisms need to be in place? What do we mean by ‘resilient societies’? Where the MDGs did not capture these fundamental aspects of sustainable development, how can environmental sustainability in a post-2015 agenda properly reflect these? What concrete recommendations can be made on how to ensure the post-2015 agenda recognizes the linkages between human rights, peace and security and environmental sustainability?

Join the Discussion: http://www.worldwewant2015.org/sustainability2015/humanrights

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