Newsletter september october 2014 web by Idoia

UNEP in Latin America and the Caribbean NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2014

The region prepares for the COP20 in Lima.

UNEP Activities in the region

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Journalists of the region prepare for COP in Lima ................... p.2

America and the Caribbean ............................................................ p.6

Workshops on REDD+ on the road to COP 20 ........................... p.2

Workshop on standards in refrigeration and air conditioning ... .................................................................................................................... p.6

Regional Seminar of the EUROCLIMA Programme ................ p.3 Two months ahead of the Lima COP, the region analyses its climate change legislation .............................................................. p.3 Meeting of climate change negotiators of Latin America and the Caribbean ...................................................................................... p.3 Traditional knowledge for climate change adaptation in Peru .................................................................................................................... p.4 UNEP strengthens its capacity to collaborate with the countries of the regiรณn .................................................................... p.4

The World Resources Forum, for the first time in Latin America and the Caribbean .............................................................................. p.7 Sustainable Public Procurement and Ecolabelling in Ecuador and Peru .................................................................................................. p.7 Sustainable Consumption and Production in Chile ................ p.7 UNEP takes part in awarding of Hydro-Sustainable Hotel Emblem .................................................................................................. p.8 Workshop to evaluate renewable energy projects ................. p.8

Microfinance for climate change adaptation in Colombia ... p.4

New UNEP Brazil building under construction ........................ p.8

Environmental education from the communities ................... p.5

UNEP promotes dialogue with regulatory agencies on sustainable public procurement .................................................... p.9

Caribbean Biological Corridor: New photovoltaic panels for a rural community in the Dominican Republic .......................... p.5

Green Passport launches eco-efficiency guide for tourism .. p.9

Global Waste Management Outlook initiative presented in Brazil ....................................................................................................... p.6

South-American workshop on implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury .............................................. p.9

Regional modeling of short-lived climate pollutants in Latin

Brazil seeks a national sustainable construction policy ........ p.9

On the calendar

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ACTIVITIES IN THE REGION

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Journalists of the region prepare for COP in Lima The eyes of the world will soon be on Lima. In December, the Peruvian capital will host the Twentieth Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Tenth Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP20/CM10). The meeting will be essential for reaching a consensus on a draft that, one year later, at the Paris COP, could become a global agreement on effectively and decisively addressing climate change and its effects. Through the REGATTA project (financed by the Governments of Spain and Norway), the EUROCLIMA programme (financed by the European Union), and with the Government of Peru, UNEP organised a “Regional workshop for journalists in preparation for COP 20,”

Regional Seminar of the EUROCLIMA Programme

in order to promote an understanding of the main topics being discussed as well as to help increase awareness of this important global challenge. Also taking part in the initiative were the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Information Centre in Peru, the United Nations Development Programme, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Belgian Embassy in Peru. The workshop took place in Lima on 16 and 17 October, with more than 50 journalists from Peru and other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, and two bloggers from Tunza, the youth network of UNEP. The main presentation was given by Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), who shared the most recent scientific data on climate change. Peru’s Minister of the Environment, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Chair of COP 20, spoke to the gathering at several points to explain the main topics to be addressed and the expectations for and challenges facing the COP.

The fourth regional seminar of the EUROCLIMA programme, financed by the European Union in coordination with the Ibero-American Network of Climate Change Offices (RIOCC), was held from 1 to 3 October in Lima, Peru. The national focal points and partners met to discuss the outlooks for the different components of the EUROCLIMA programme, in particular countries’ appropriation and implementation of the results of the programme, the crosscutting nature of climate change and its integration into policies, mitigation and adaptation measures with additional

benefits and the strengthening of capacities and exchange of knowledge. Two months ahead of the Lima COP, the event also allowed participants to become familiar with the support actions of the European Union and the EUROCLIMA programme, as well as with preparations being taken by Peru’s Environment Ministry. UNEP is participating as a EUROCLIMA partner for the 2014-2015 period in the areas of policy dialogue, climate legislation and increasing public participation in the climate agenda.

of the UNFCCC, addressed the participants through a video message. The participation of UNEP was led by its Deputy Regional Director, Mara Murillo. Juan Diego Ruiz Cumplido, representative of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), and Mauro Mariani, MinisterCounsellor and Head of the Political and Information Section of the European Union in Peru, also spoke at the opening of the workshop.

Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary © MINAM Perú

Workshops on REDD+ on the road to COP 20 In September and October two workshops were held ahead of the COP 20 in Lima, on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). The events were financed by the USAID Regional Program on Climate Change, the Inter-American Development Bank, the UN-REDD Programme and the USAID Programme on Forest Carbon, Markets and Communities.

Two months ahead of the Lima COP, the region analyses its climate change legislation From 21 to 23 October, Panama City was the setting of the Regional Workshop on Climate Change Legislation in Latin America, organised by UNEP and attended by 17 countries of Latin America. The gathering offered participants information on progress on climate legislation and the challenges to implementing it, with an emphasis on regulatory developments in Latin American countries, thus promoting sharing and dialogue among legal

Through the European Union’s EUROCLIMA programme, UNEP is helping strengthen the legislative agenda in the region, by systematising tools, experiences and good practices in Latin America and supporting the development or updating of national regulations to face the challenge of climate change. Further information. © Margarida Pons

The Latin American and Caribbean region prepares for COP20 on climate change

Options for financing REDD+ On 17 and 18 September, a workshop titled Constructing REDD+ strategies for multiple financing sources that link subprogrammes to REDD+ national strategies was held in Guatemala. The workshop was intended to guide the development of a REDD+ financing plan for implementing national strategies. Possible REDD+-related sources of financing were also reviewed, as were financial instruments and the markets that need to be evaluated.

Representatives of 19 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean came together on 9 and 10 October for the third “Meeting of Chief Climate Change Negotiators of Latin America and the Caribbean” at ECLAC headquarters in Chile, to address current challenges and move forward in constructing a new climate agreement for the international community starting in 2015. The bases of the agreement will be discussed at the next Conference of the Parties (COP) in Lima, Peru.

Financial decisions under the UNFCCC

On 21 and 22 October, a workshop on a Regional approach to promote an enhanced understanding of financial decisions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Panama. The workshop identified the key aspects of financing, as well as the negotiation documents and materials, to facilitate the informed participation of governments in the COP. It also provided an opportunity for South-South cooperation among governments on the key aspects of the negotiations of the UNFCCC.

experts from the region.

This initiative of the Foreign Affairs ministries of Brazil and Chile, financed by the European Union through the EUROCLIMA Programme and the French Cooperation, was supported by ECLAC and UNEP. Margarita Astrálaga, Regional Director and Representative of UNEP, emphasised that Latin America and the Caribbean has a key responsibility and needs an ambitious agreement with fair bases to deal with the challenges of climate change.

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Traditional UNEP strengthens its capacity to knowledge for collaborate with the countries of climate change the region 26 September, the team of UNEP actors involved and their functions. adaptation in On officials received training on the United The UNEP team strengthened its Nations Development Assistance ability to have influence over and give Framework (UNDAF) and the Delivering support to the UNDAF and Delivering Peru as One initiative, given by the regional as One processes in the countries of the

region. This participation allows UNEP to strive to promote the integration of environmental sustainability in United Nations cooperation at the national level.

On 28 and 29 October, UNEP held a Workshop on Adaptation to Climate Change Based on Ecosystems and Traditional Knowledge in Latin America and the Caribbean, in Lima, Peru. The event deepened the relationship between EbA and traditional knowledge, and identified possible practical actions and key stakeholders capable of strengthening the interrelationship between the two areas.

At the Congress, which was convened by Peru’s Ministries of the Environment and of Education, approximately 1000 persons were in attendance. In addition, and for the first time at a congress of this type, virtual real-time attendance was enabled, allowing another 5000 persons to take part. This broadened the event’s educational and social impact, both in Peru and throughout the region.

Caribbean Biological Corridor: New photovoltaic panels for a rural community in the Dominican Republic © Alejandro Laguna

Microfinance for climate change adaptation in Colombia Coffee, cocoa, pineapple, citrics and avocados are some of the crops grown on farms in Santander, Colombia, that are part of the Microfinance for Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change (MEbA) project. In September the MEbA team visited these farms to validate the adaptation measures being implemented with loans from Crezcamos, one of the five microfinance institutions associated with the project. During the visit to Bucaramanga, the team also gave a

Since September the municipality of Pedro Santana has had photovoltaic panel in the Primary Healthcare Centre and the primary school of the “Las Palmas” rural community. The installation was coordinated by the country’s Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources with support

from the Tri-National Office of the Caribbean Biological Corridor Project, which is financed by the European Union and facilitated by UNEP. The new system is expected to give 500 persons permanent access to electricity, in a community where the electricity supply is frequently cut off. The

equipment, installed in public places, will benefit population groups that reside in the rural areas in the Biological Corridor’s connectivity zones. It will also provide electricity for adult education classes given each night at the primary school.

training session on basic concepts of climate change, the principal goals of the project, as well as on how to incorporate them into their daily activities. Most of the farms are applying good production practices such as crop diversification, the use of organic fertilisers and efficient irrigation systems. One of the priority needs that were detected was for growers to have more knowledge on management of soil and nutrients, both chemical and organic.

Indeed, this relationship between traditional practices and knowledge and climate change adaptation, particularly ecosystem-based adaptation (Eba), is being analysed through the Mountain Ecosystem-based Adaptation Programme.

expert of UNDAF from the United Nations Development Group, Jan Nemecek. The workshop gave UNEP officials an in-depth look at the United Nations’ programming processes in the countries as well as their stages, the

The focal points of the Environmental Training Network for Latin America and the Caribbean, coordinated by the UNEP Regional Office, played an active role, together with the Environmental Education and Training Unit of UNEP, in the 7th Ibero-American Congress on Environmental Education, held in Lima from 10 to 12 September. Their contributions focused on such topics as stakeholders of community environmental education, artistic expressions, vocational training, training of environmental promoters and educators, management of territories and basins and access to information. They also helped draft the Declaration of Lima.

Their knowledge and the manner in which they interact with nature make the inhabitants of Peruvian mountain ecosystems key actors in reducing vulnerability to climate change.

Environmental education from the communities

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(ISWA) World Congress 2014, held in Sao Paolo, Brazil, from 8 to11 September. The report, which UNEP is developing in partnership with ISWA, will provide an outlook on challenges, trends and policies in waste prevention, minimization and management at the global level. The outlook is expected to be released in June 2015. During the event, UNEP also informed of the preparation of a regional outlook on waste management in Latin America and the Caribbean, to be initiated in early 2015.

Workshop on standards in refrigeration and air conditioning UNEP organised a workshop entitled “Enabling national conditions for the adoption of standards in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning sector” in Panama City, Panama, from 14 to 16 October, with the participation of 30 representatives from the Caribbean National Ozone Units (NOUs), the refrigeration sector and the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality. The workshop contributed to building capacities of refrigeration experts and NOUs in the standardization process, and to enhancing cooperation between

experts from the refrigeration and air conditioning sector, the NOUs and the standards bodies. It also focused on enabling conditions for the adoption of standards at the national and regional levels, as a means to reduce barriers for the introduction of alternative technologies, while assisting NOUs in the effective implementation of their national strategies for the phasing-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), ozone-depleting gases that are mainly used in the refrigeration and air conditioning servicing sector.

The World Resources Forum was held in Arequipa, Peru, from 19 to 22 October, with 800 participants from 40 countries. UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner took part by video conference in the opening session, at which Mara Murillo, Deputy Regional Director of UNEP, facilitated a “Dialogue on Decoupling Strategies for Sustainable Development: How to Make It Happen?”, with experts and members of the International

Resource Panel. Policy options for decoupling economic development from resource use were presented and discussed. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and UNEP facilitated a session on resource efficiency and climate change, presenting the work of Cleaner Production Centres in the region, and on the importance

of SMEs in light of environmental challenges. Adriana Zacarías, Regional Coordinator of Resource Efficiency for UNEP, participated in the plenary session on “Consumption, Lifestyles and Education”, together with the Deputy Minister of Environment of Peru, Mariano Castro, and other international experts.

UNEP participated in a panel discussion on the Global Waste Management Outlook (GWMO) during the International Solid Waste Association

The World Resources Forum, for the first time in Latin America and the Caribbean

Regional modeling of shortlived climate pollutants in Latin America and the Caribbean Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) include black carbon, tropospheric ozone, methane and some hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)— substances that contribute to global warming but are also air pollutants with serious impacts on human health, ecosystems and agriculture, and ozone layer depletion in the case of HFCs. A regional assessment of SLCPs includes a modeling exercise, which aims to identify sectors and policy options where the impact of SLCP reduction is likely to be greatest. A Modeling Workshop held in Natal, Brazil, in September, helped tailor this modeling work to the LAC region, based on factors such as SLCP emissions and clean technology and policy alternatives in different sectors. The assessment is chaired by Paulo Artaxo (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Graciela Raga (Autonomous National University of Mexico), and supported by UNEP and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).

Sustainable Public Procurement and Ecolabelling in Ecuador and Peru As part of the Sustainable Public Procurement and Ecolabelling Project implemented by UNEP, the kick-off workshops and a first training session on Sustainable Public Procurement and Ecolabelling were held in Ecuador and Peru in September. At the two workshops, attended by government delegates and private sector and NGO representatives, the national coordinating organisation of the project was officially named and the Inter-agency Steering Committee on Sustainable Public Procurement in each country was formed.

Global Waste Management Outlook initiative presented in Brazil

The events in both countries had a strong turnout. The participants recognised the strategic importance of supporting the combined implementation of sustainable public procurement and ecolabelling in order to stimulate the supply and demand of goods and services produced sustainably and achieve synergies with other sustainable-development initiatives or programmes identified as priorities in each country.

Sustainable Consumption and Production in Chile From 13 to 16 October, two important meetings were held on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), jointly organised by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Environment of the Government of Chile and UNEP, which, in addition, acted as the technical secretariat. At the First meeting of the Steering Committee of the Regional Council of SCP Government Experts, a draft of the new regional strategy on sustainable consumption and production was reviewed. The meeting was attended by representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Jamaica, Peru, Saint Lucia, as well as two civil society representatives. At the Third Meeting of the Board of the

10-Year Framework of Programmes on SCP (10YFP), the progress of the 10-Year Framework and the contribution of SCP to the Sustainable Development Goals and to the Post-2015 Development Agenda were reviewed. The meeting was attended by representatives from Chile, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Romania, Russia, South Africa and Tanzania.

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UNEP promotes dialogue with regulatory agencies on sustainable public procurement

On 7 October, UNEP took part in the awarding of the Hydro-Sustainable Hotel Emblem, given by the Alliance for Water Sustainability in Tourism, which is headed by the Helvex Foundation. This award aims to encourage and recognise environmental best practices by hotels with regard to using and conserving water. It also makes it easier for hotel owners to implement a management system that takes environmental conservation into account. This is the first award of this type in Mexico, and it paves the way for owners of small, medium and large businesses to apply for international certifications, thus encouraging competitiveness in the tourism industry. UNEP has actively participated in this initiative since 2011.

Workshop to evaluate renewable energy projects As part of the project named Accelerating investments in renewable energies in Mexico, UNEP held a Renewable energy project evaluation workshop, on 25 and 26 September, in Mexico City. The event was attended by the partners in the project: the Ministry of Energy (SENER), the Embassy of the United Kingdom,

the Ministry of the Treasury and Public Credit (SHCP), the Latin American Regional Climate Initiative (LARCI), the Association of Mexican Banks (ABM) and the Institute for Electricity Research (IIE). The main objective of the workshop, in which 200 persons took part, was to strengthen technical and financial skills for designing renewable energy projects. The opening session was attended by important figures in the energy sector, including Senator David Penchyna, Chairman of the Senate’s Energy Committee and an important player in the recently passed energy reform, as well as the Deputy Minister of Energy Planning and Transition at SENER, Leonardo Beltrán, the Deputy Minister of Electricity at SENER, César Emiliano Hernández, and the head of the International Affairs Unit of the SHCP, Ángeles González.

The Sustainable Public Procurement and Ecollabing (SPPEL) initiative in Brazil, hosted by UNEP and the Ministries of Environment and Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, organised a workshop in Brasilia for regulatory agencies at the federal, state and local levels. The event focused on the use of certifications, labels and environmental criteria on public procurement, and included discussions on specific barriers and opportunities.

Green Passport launches eco- South-American efficiency guide for tourism workshop on With the aim to boost the adoption Itaú Unibanco, the guide showcases implementation of eco-efficiency measures by strategies and techniques that can hotels, restaurants and tourist be adopted by the tourist sector to of the Minamata attractions, the Green Passport promote energy efficiency and the campaign launched the publication rational use of water, reduce food Improving Eco-Efficiency in the waste, manage waste efficiently and Convention on Tourism Trade. A UNEP initiative with support social responsibility. financial and technical support from Mercury

New UNEP Brazil building under construction

Brazil seeks a national sustainable construction policy

The construction of the new UN House in Brazil facility started in October. It will host the UNEP Brazil Office and the national offices of UNFPA, UN Women and UNAIDS. The new building, which is expected to be concluded by mid-2015, fits into the strategy of improved collaboration across UN agencies, cost reduction and optimization of the delivery of services.

UNEP and the Brazilian Council for Sustainable Construction (CBCS) signed an agreement in September under the Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in Brazil project, which will set the basis for a future national policy to promote sustainable construction. It will include a study on priority themes (water, energy and materials).

UNEP and the Ministry of Environment of Brazil promoted a sub-regional workshop in Brasilia, Brazil, to support the ratification and early implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Delegates from ten South American countries attended the event from 2 to 4 September, together with representatives of UN agencies, intergovernmental organisations, NGOs and the industrial sector. The opening remarks were delivered by the Deputy Minister of Environment of Brazil, Francisco Gaetani, followed by the UNEP Representative in Brazil, Denise Hamú, the Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Mercury, Ambassador Fernando Lugris, and the Coordinator of the Interim Secretariat of the Minamata Convention, Jacob Duer. The workshop aimed to further enhance the participants’ knowledge of the Convention, the processes for its ratification and early implementation, and the available sources of support. An important outcome was the presentation by participating countries of a draft national roadmap for the ratification and early implementation of the Convention.

UNEP takes part in awarding of Hydro-Sustainable Hotel Emblem

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NEWSLETTER SEPT.-OCT. 2014

UNEP IN LAC

On the

calendar

November Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, CMS COP11. Venue: Guayaquil, Ecuador. Date: 1-9 November 2014. 7th Symposium of the Brazilian Council for Sustainable Construction. Venue: São Paulo, Brazil. Date: 4 November 2014. Fourth Meeting of the Signatory Countries to the Principle 10 Declaration in Latin America and the Caribbean. Venue: Santiago, Chile. Date: 4- 6 November 2014. Social Pre-COP (prior to the Climate Change COP20). Venue: Caracas, Venezuela. Date: 4-7 November 2014. Fifth Technical and Ministerial Meeting of the Project for the Demarcation and Establishment of the Caribbean Biological Corridor. Venue: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Date: 11-14 November 2014. Eighth Regional Training Programme on Environmental Law. Venue: Panama City, Panama. Date: 18-27 November 2014. Launching event of the Brazilian Biodiversity Information System (SiBBr). Venue: Brasília, Brazil. Date: 24-25 November 2014. 2nd Rio 2016 Civil Society Dialogues. Venue: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Date: 25-26 November 2014. Launching of the Brazilian edition of the GEO-5 for Business, with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Brazil. Venue: São Paulo, Brazil. Date: 26 November 2014.

3rd Brazilian Tour Operator Association (Braztoa) Sustainability Award. Venue: Maceió, Brazil. Date: 28 November 2014.

December Launching of the Sustainable Procurement & Big Events Guide, with the Getulio Vargas Foundation. Venue: São Paulo, Brazil. Date: 1 December 2014. Regional Workshop on Green Economy Indicators organized by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Venue: Santiago, Chile. Date: 2-5 December 2014. Workshop on Sustainable Food for the City of Mexico. Venue: Mexico City, Mexico. Date: 10 December 2014. Sixteenth Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme (IGM16) and Thirteenth Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (COP13). Venue: Cartagena, Colombia. Date: 11-13 December. 20th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC COP 20. Venue: Lima, Peru. Date: 1-12 December 2014. Published by UNEP, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean Calendar of events: http://www.pnuma.org/eventos.php Design: Idoia Aurrekoetxea Contact: enlace@unep.org http://www.pnuma.org/