Transcript The international cooperation of IGOs in environment

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AGENDA
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Importance of the environment and problems we are facing
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The European Union
OECD
Partnership for Climate Finance and Development
UNEP
World Meteorological Organization
The Arctic Council
Global Environmental Facility
Baltic Marine Environment Protection Comission
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„The fragile balance of plants and animals that share the Earth took millions of years to
develop. Some life-forms have persisted in nearly their original state, surviving episodes of
mass extinction. Some, like ourselves, are relative newcomers. The ones that have perished will
not return. Neither will the thousands of species that are disappearing each year due in large
part to such human influences as habitat destruction, introduction of invasive species, and
overharvesting. If we continue reducing Earth’s biodiversity at this rate, the consequences will
be profound. The web of life connects the smallest bacterium to the giant redwood and the
whale. When we put that web in peril, we become agents of calamity.”
-National Geographic Society, "Millennium in Maps: Biodiversity.”
The easiest explanation about why the environment matters is that, as humans, the
environment is our home. We live, breathe, eat, raise our children, etc here. The wellbeing of all of the species living on earth influences our lives. This is referred to as the
biosphere, a term created by Vladimir Vernadsky, a Russian scientist in the 1920s.The
biosphere means one global ecological system in which all living things are mutually
dependent.
Environmental issues are destructive aspects of human activity on the
biophysical environment. Recently, the most severe problems are caused by:
Global warming - apparent and continuing rise in the average temperature,
changes in rainfall patterns, and changes in the frequency of extreme weather
phenomenons
Global dimming - decrease in the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth
which has devastating effects on the earth’s environment and living creatures.
Causes of global dimming also lead to acid rain, smog and respiratory diseases.
Fossil fuels - Combustion of fossil fuels generates sulfuric, carbonic, and nitric
acids, which fall to the ground as acid rain, influencing both natural areas and
the built environment. They also contain radioactive materials, mainly
uranium and thorium, which are released into the atmosphere
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Coal industry – causes issues such as waste management, and water, air pollution
(caused by the coal mining), processing and the use of its products. In addition to
air pollution, coal burning produces a lot of solid waste products annually,
including fly ash, bottom ash, and flue-gas desulfurization sludge, that contain
mercury, uranium, thorium, arsenic, and other heavy metals.
Deforestation – eradication of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter
converted to a non-forest use. It is a contributor to global warming and is often
cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect, it also
reduces soil cohesion, so that erosion, flooding and landslides ensue.
Exploitation of natural resources – which can cause deforestation, desertification,
extinction of species, forced migration, soil erosion, oil depletion, ozone depletion,
increase of greenhouse gas, water pollution.
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» International environmental cooperation is growing in scope and
importance. As a result of the realisation that many environmental issues
can only be resolved through cooperation between countries,
environmental policy has become increasingly international. Addressing the
global environmental problems that pose hazard to our planet requires
national efforts as well as international collaboration on both bilateral and
multilateral level and the active participation of all members of the
international community.
» Some of the organizations actively partaking in environmental protection
are United Nations, European Union, Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Artic Council, Global Environmental
Facility and Helsinki Commission .
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The UNFCCC entered into force on 21 March 1994. Today,
it has near-universal membership with 195 countries that
have ratified the Convention (Parties to the Convention).
The UNFCCC is a “Rio Convention”, one of three adopted at the “Rio Earth Summit” in
1992. Its sister are the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention to
Combat Desertification. Those three are intrinsically linked thus it is in this context that
the Joint Liaison Group was set up to boost cooperation among the three Conventions,
with the ultimate aim of developing synergies in their activities on issues of mutual
concern. It now also incorporates the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Preventing “risky” human interference with the climate system is the ultimate aim of the
UNFCCC
Parties to the UNFCCC
Annex I: 43 parties to the UNFCCC, including the European Union. These Parties are
classified as industrialized (developed) countries and "economies in transition„.
Annex II: 24 parties to the UNFCCC, including the European Union. These Parties are made
up of members of the OECD. Annex II Parties are required to provide financial and
technical support to the EITs and developing countries to assist them in reducing their
greenhouse gas emissions (climate change mitigation) and manage the impacts of climate
change (climate change adaptation).
Annex B: Parties listed in Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol are Annex I Parties with first- or
second-round Kyoto greenhouse gas emissions targets. The first-round targets apply over
the years 2008–2012. As part of the 2012 Doha climate change talks, an amendment to
Annex B was agreed upon containing with a list of Annex I Parties who have second-round
Kyoto targets, which apply from 2013–2020.The amendments have not entered into force.
Least-developed countries (LDCs): 49 Parties are LDCs, and are given special status under
the treaty in view of their limited capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change.
Non-Annex I: Parties to the UNFCCC not listed in Annex I of the Convention are mostly low-8
income developing countries. Developing countries may volunteer to become Annex I
countries when they are sufficiently developed.
Earth Summit
Also known as The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED), the Rio Summit, Rio Conference, was a major United Nations conference
held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992. 172 governments participated, with
116 sending their heads of state or government. 2,400 representatives of nongovernmental organizations attended, with 17,000 people at the parallel NGO
"Global Forum" who had Consultative Status. The issues addressed included
the production of toxic components, such as lead in gasoline, or poisonous waste
including radioactive chemicals, alternative sources of energy to replace the use of
fossil fuels, new reliance on public transportation systems in order to reduce
vehicle emissions, congestion in cities and the health problems caused by polluted
air and smoke and the growing scarcity of water.
An important accomplishment was an agreement on the Climate Change Convention
which in turn led to the Kyoto Protocol. Another alliance was to "not carry out any
activities on the lands of indigenous peoples that would cause environmental
degradation or that would be culturally inappropriate".
The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature at the Rio Summit, and
made a start towards redefinition of measures that did not properly encourage
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destruction of natural ecoregions and so-called uneconomic growth.
1992 — The INC adopts UNFCCC text. At the Earth Summit in Rio, the UNFCCC is opened for
signature along with its sister Rio Conventions, UNCBD and UNCCD. More about the two other Rio
Conventions: UNCBD and UNCCD.
1994 — UNFCCC enters into force. An introduction to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change.
1995 — The first Conference of the Parties (COP 1) takes place in Berlin.
1996 — The UNFCCC Secretariat is set up to support action under the Convention.
1997 — Kyoto Protocol formally adopted in December at COP3. More about the Kyoto Protocol.
2001 — Release of IPCC's Third Assessment Report. Bonn Agreements adopted, based on the
Buenos Aires Plan of Action of 1998. Marrakesh Accords adopted at COP7, detailing rules for
implementation of Kyoto Protocol, setting up new funding and planning instruments for adaptation,
and establishing a technology transfer framework.
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2005 — Entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol. The first Meeting of the Parties to the
Kyoto Protocol (MOP 1) takes place in Montreal. In accordance with Kyoto Protocol
requirements, Parties launched negotiations on the next phase of the KP under the Ad
Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto
Protocol (AWG-KP).
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2007 — IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report released. Climate science entered into popular
consciousness. At COP13, Parties agreed on the Bali Road Map, which charted the way
towards a post-2012 outcome in two work streams: the AWG-KP, and another under the
Convention, known as the Ad-Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action
Under the Convention.
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2009 — Copenhagen Accord drafted at COP15 in Copenhagen. This was taken note of by
the COP. Countries later submitted emissions reductions pledges or mitigation action
pledges, all non-binding.
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2010 — Cancun Agreements drafted and largely accepted by the COP, at COP16.
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2011 — The Durban Platform for Enhanced Action drafted and accepted by the COP, at
COP17
The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are conferences held in the framework of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) every year. They serve as the
formal meeting of the UNFCCC Parties (Conferences of the Parties) to estimate progress in dealing
with climate change, and beginning in the mid-1990s, to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol to establish
legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. From
2005 the Conferences have also served as the "Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of
Parties to the Kyoto Protocol" (CMP).
Full list of conferences:
1 1995: COP 1, The Berlin Mandate
2 1996: COP 2, Geneva, Switzerland
3 1997: COP 3, The Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change
4 1998: COP 4, Buenos Aires, Argentina
5 1999: COP 5, Bonn, Germany
6 2000: COP 6, The Hague, Netherlands
7 2001: COP 6, Bonn, Germany
8 2001: COP 7, Marrakech, Morocco
9 2002: COP 8, New Delhi, India
10 2003: COP 9, Milan, Italy
11 2004: COP 10, Buenos Aires, Argentina
12 2005: COP 11/CMP 1, Montreal, Canada
13 2006: COP 12/CMP 2, Nairobi, Kenya
14 2007: COP 13/CMP 3, Bali, Indonesia
15 2008: COP 14/CMP 4, Poznań, Poland
16 2009: COP 15/CMP 5, Copenhagen, Denmark
17 2010: COP 16/CMP 6, Cancún, Mexico
18 2011: COP 17/CMP 7, Durban, South Africa
19 2012: COP 18/CMP 8, Doha, Qatar
20 2013: COP 19/CMP 9, Warsaw, Poland
21 2014: COP 20/CMP 10, Lima, Peru
22 2015: COP 21/CMP 11, Paris, France
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1997: COP 3, The Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change
Took place in December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan. After thorough negotiations, it adopted the
Kyoto Protocol, which outlined the greenhouse gas emissions reduction obligation for Annex I
countries, along with what came to be known as Kyoto mechanisms such as emissions
trading, clean development mechanism and joint implementation. Most industrialized
countries and some central European economies in transition (all defined as Annex B
countries) agreed to legally binding reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of an average of
6 to 8% below 1990 levels between the years 2008–2012, defined as the first emissions
budget period.
Recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for the current soaring
levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than 150 years of industrial
activity, the Protocol places on them a heavier burden under the principle of "common but
differentiated responsibilities."
The Kyoto Protocol entered into force on 16 February 2005.
The detailed rules for the implementation of the Protocol
were adopted at COP 7 in Marrakesh, Morocco, in 2001,
and are referred to as the "Marrakesh Accords.„
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The Kyoto mechanisms
Under the Protocol, countries must meet their targets primarily through national
measures. However, the Protocol also offers them an additional means to meet
their goals by way of three market-based mechanisms.
» International Emissions Trading - allows countries that have emission units to
spare - emissions permitted them but not "used" - to sell this excess capacity to
countries that are over their targets.
» Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) - allows a country with an emissionreduction or emission-limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to
implement an emission-reduction project in developing countries. Such projects
can earn saleable certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to
one tone of CO2, which can be counted towards meeting Kyoto targets.
» Joint implementation (JI) - allows a country with an emission reduction or
limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to earn emission reduction units
(ERUs) from an emission-reduction or emission removal project in another Annex
B Party, each equivalent to one tone of CO2, which can be counted towards
meeting its Kyoto target.
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COP-4 ‘Buenos Aires Plan of Action’
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COP4 took place in November 1998 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The parties
adopted a 2-year "Plan of Action" to advance efforts and to devise mechanisms for
implementing the Kyoto Protocol, to be completed by 2000. During the
conference, Argentina and Kazakhstan expressed their commitment to take on the
greenhouse gas emissions reduction obligation, the first two non-Annex countries
to do so.
The Buenos Aires Plan of Action includes deadlines on a number of important
issues:
Financial mechanisms - which will assist the developing world to respond to the
challenges related to climate change.
Further work on policies and measures - an issue introduced by the EU at a late
stage in the Conference.
Development and transfer of technologies.
Rules governing the Kyoto Mechanisms with priority given to the Clean
Development Mechanism.
An undertaking to discuss supplementarity, ceilings, long term convergence and
equity.
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Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol
In Doha, Qatar, on 8 December 2012, the "Doha Amendment to the Kyoto
Protocol" was adopted. The amendment includes:
» New commitments for Annex I Parties to the Kyoto Protocol who agreed to take on
commitments in a second commitment period from 1 January 2013 to 31
December 2020;
» A revised list of greenhouse gases (GHG) to be reported on by Parties in the
second commitment period; and
» Amendments to few articles of the Kyoto Protocol which specifically referenced
issues pertaining to the first commitment period and which needed to be updated
for the second commitment period.
During the first commitment period, 37 industrialized countries and the European
Community committed to reduce GHG emissions to an average of 5 percent
against 1990 levels. During the second commitment period, Parties committed to
reduce GHG emissions by at least 18 percent below 1990 levels in the eight-year
period from 2013 to 2020; however, the composition of Parties in the second
commitment period is different from the first.
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The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP20 or CMP10 will be held in
Lima, Peru, from December 1-12, 2014. This will be the 20th yearly session of the
Conference of the Parties (COP 20) to the 1992 United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The conference delegates will continue
the negotiations towards a global climate agreement. Leadership of the
negotiations is yet to be determined. The overarching goal of the conference is to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) to limit the global temperature increase
to 2 degrees Celsius above current levels
The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP21 or CMP11 will be held in
Paris, France in 2015, from 30 November to 11 December. The conference
objective is to, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, achieve a
legally binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the
world. Leadership of the negotiations is not determined yet.
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The Environment Council is responsible for EU environment policy, including
environmental protection, prudent use of resources and the protection of human
health. It also deals with international environmental issues, especially in the area of
climate change.
The Environment Council is made up of ministers responsible for matters specifically
relating to the environment. The European
Commission is represented in meetings by
both the Commissioner for the environment
and the Commissioner for climate action.
There are about 4 Environment Council
meetings a year.
The EU is the only international organisation that has the power to adopt
extensive environmental regulations that are binding on its member countries.
Within the EU, the European Commission looks after the EU's common interests
and proposes new laws. The Council of the European Union represents the
individual Member States and consists of ministers of the 28 EU member
countries. The European Parliament represents EU citizens and is elected directly
in general elections every 5 years.
The Council and the European Parliament jointly decide on the legislative
proposals presented by the European Commission. The EU's 28 Member States
leads in turns the work of the Council for a period of six months each. In the area
of environment, this work is led by the EU's 28 environment ministers (the
Environment Council). The work is conducted on three levels: by officials in
working parties, by ambassadors in Coreper and by the environment ministers of
the Member States. The Council takes part in international negotiations and also
enters into international agreements on behalf of the EU, such as the Kyoto
Protocol.
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EU institutions and bodies that deal with environment
European Parliament
Committee on environment, public health and food safety
Council of the European Union
Environment
European Commission
Environment
Climate action
European Economic and Social Committee
Agriculture, rural development and environment section
Committee of the Regions
Commission for environment, climate change and energy (ENVE)
European Investment Bank
European Investment Bank and environment
EU agencies
European Environment Agency
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EU and environmental policy
When Member States sign up to the Treaty on European Union, one of their
obligations is to work towards ‘a high level of protection and improvement of the
quality of the environment’ (Article 3(3)).
Before implementing a new policy, there must be a sound evidence that provides
an understanding of the causes and impact of environmental change so that
appropriate responses and strategies can be devised. Much of this data comes
from national sources and is analysed by the European Environment Agency, which
provides input into the EU’s environmental policy.
Since the 1970s, the EU has agreed over 200 pieces of legislation to protect the
environment. But legislation alone counts for little if it is not properly applied and
enforced. So, the challenge now is to implement effectively what has been agreed.
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Implementation of new policies
Implementing new policies is a complex task since it relies on diverse
groups ranging from national inspectors and courts to NGOs and citizens
exercising their participatory rights. Failure to implement legislation has
many consequences. It can undermine fundamental environmental
objectives, harm human health and present industry with regulatory
uncertainty as agreed standards are applied unevenly across the Union.
Meanwhile, proper implementation might prove financially beneficial. If
EU waste legislation is fully applied it would generate 400 000 jobs and
reduce annual net costs by EUR 72 billion.
The European Commission attaches greater importance to aiding Member
States with effective implementation .Capacity-building and financial
support are available, alongside better understanding of the state of the
environment as well as information on the way Member States deliver on
their EU commitments in practice.
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What the EU does
Resource efficiency
Resource efficiency aims to decouple economic growth from resource use. It
pushes the economy to create more with less, delivering greater value with less
input, using resources in a sustainable way and minimising their impact on the
environment. In late 2011, EU governments endorsed the roadmap to a resourceefficient Europe. This highlights the need for a sea change in political, economic
and personal behaviour. It contains milestones across different policy areas to
arrive at a European economy within 40 years that provides a high standard of
living with a reduced influence on the environment.
Awareness raising
The European Commission advocates awareness of the environment in many
ways. An annual highlight is Green Week in Brussels when thousands of
participants debate a key environmental matters, such as biodiversity or water.
Competitions are another popular incentive. The EU’s Green Capital Award
showcases the environmental care and imagination that cities across Europe are
displaying. Winners: Stockholm (2010), Hamburg(2011), Vitoria-Gasteiz(2012),
Nantes (2013), Copenhagen (2014)
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Biodiversity
The EU first adopted a biodiversity action plan in 2006. Then, just a few months
after the world agreed an ambitious global agenda in Nagoya, Japan, it finalised an
updated strategy in early 2011. This has as a headline aim to halt the loss of
biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020,
restoring them as far as feasible, and to increase Europe’s contribution towards
averting biodiversity decrease globally.
The Natura 2000 programme nurtures healthy ecosystems which provide valuable
services such as fresh water, carbon storage and protection against floods and
coastal erosion.
Working with future EU Member States
Every country that applies to join the Union has to harmonise its environmental
norms with those of the EU. In this way, Union enlargement is aiding raising
environmental standards across the continent.
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» OECD - The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
» The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a
cooperation body currently made up of 34 member countries. The OECD's
Environmental Policy Committee (EPOC) and the OECD Environment
Directorate work to provide the countries with an analytical base to
develop an effective environment policy.
» The Environment Directorate also conducts reviews of national
environmental policies, and collects data and research results. Based on
forecasts of future developments, it provides recommendations on
effective environmental policy instruments. A particular strength of OECD
environmental efforts is the work it does to link various policy areas, such
as environment-trade, environment-economy and environmentdevelopment policy. The Ministry of the Environment takes part in the
work of the OECD Environment Directorate via the Swedish Environmental
Protection Agency
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» The OECD provides a forum in which governments
can work together to share experiences and seek
solutions to common problems. We work with
governments to understand what drives
economic, social and environmental change.
» The OECD is looking for ways to foster and
support new sources of growth through
innovation, environmentally friendly ‘green
growth’ strategies and the development of
emerging economies.
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» International climate finance is set to increase substantially throughout
this decade, making its effective access, management and use critical, not
only for the impact of targeted mitigation and adaptation measures, but
also for poverty reduction and broader development outcomes.
» The Partnership for Climate Finance and Development is a voluntary
initiative promoting the deployment of climate finance at country-level
through coherence and collaboration among climate change, finance and
development co-operation communities at the country, regional and
global levels. The Partnership stems from the Busan Partnership for
Effective Development Co-operation (South Korea, December 2011)
» The OECD, in collaboration with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI),
updated in December 2013 an overview of initiatives implemented to
assist developing countries in the management of climate
change: Understanding climate change finance flows and effectiveness mapping of recent initiatives
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» Governments in partner countries work together to
develop in-country capacity to effectively manage and
deliver climate finance, with the collective support
from climate finance and development co-operation
providers as well as from civil society stakeholders.
These in-country approaches and experiences are
shared with countries at the regional and global levels,
and supported by the Partnership.
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» The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is an agency of the
United Nations that coordinates its environmental activities, assisting
developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and
practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on
the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its headquarters in the
Gigiri neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP also has six regional offices
and various country offices
» Its activities cover a wide range of issues regarding the atmosphere,
marine and terrestrial ecosystems, environmental governance and green
economy. It has played a significant role in developing international
environmental conventions, promoting environmental science and
information and illustrating the way those can be implemented in
conjunction with policy, working on the development and implementation
of policy with national governments, regional institutions in conjunction
with environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs). UNEP has
also been active in funding and implementing environment related
development projects
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» UNEP has aided in the formulation of guidelines and treaties
on issues such as the international trade in potentially
harmful chemicals, transboundary air pollution, and
contamination of international waterways.
» The World Meteorological Organization and UNEP
established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) in 1988. UNEP is also one of several
Implementing Agencies for the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) and the Multilateral Fund for the
Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, and it is also a
member of the United Nations Development Group.The
International Cyanide Management Code, a program of best
practice for the chemical’s use at gold mining operations,
was developed under UNEP’s aegis.
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» The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an
intergovernmental organization with a membership of 191
Member States and Territories. It originated from the
International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was
founded in 1873. Established in 1950, WMO became the
specialised agency of the United Nations for meteorology
(weather and climate), operational hydrology and related
geophysical sciences. It has its headquarters in Geneva,
Switzerland, and is a member of the United Nations
Development Group. The current Secretary-General is Michel
Jarraud. The current president is David Grimes.
» WMO provides a framework for international cooperation in
the development of meteorology and operational hydrology
and their practical application
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» The WMO and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) jointly
created the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It is
also directly responsible for the creation of the Global Atmosphere
Watch (GAW). The IPCC has received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007
"for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge
about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the
measures that are needed to counteract such change
» WMO promotes cooperation in the establishment of networks for
making meteorological, climatological, hydrological and geophysical
observations, as well as the exchange, processing and standardization
of related data, and assists technology transfer, training and research.
It also fosters collaboration between the National Meteorological and
Hydrological Services of its Members and furthers the application of
meteorology to public weather services, agriculture, aviation,
shipping, the environment, water issues and the mitigation of the
impacts of natural disasters
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The Arctic Council is a high-level intergovernmental forum that addresses primarily
environmental protection and sustainable development issues in the Arctic region.
The eight founding nations (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia,
Sweden and the United States) of the 1991 Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy
comprise the Member States of established by Ottawa Declaration in 1996 Arctic
Council. Observer status is open to non-Arctic states approved by the Council at the
Ministerial Meetings that occur once every two years. Permanent observers have no
voting rights in the Council. As of May 2013, twelve non-Arctic states have
Permanent Observer status: China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea,
Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Spain and United Kingdom.
The Council meets twice a years at the Ministerial level to coordinate Council
activities and oversee the work of the six working groups. Observer states receive
invitations for most Council meetings. Senior Arctic Officials from each member state
meet more frequently to oversee Council operations between Ministerial meetings.
Chairmanship
Chairmanship of the Council rotates every two years. Canada (1996–1998) served
as first Chair, followed by the United States (1998–2000), Finland (2000–2002),
Iceland (2002–2004), Russia (2004–2006), Norway (2006–2009), Denmark (20092011) and Sweden (2011-2013). Canada will Chair the Council from 2013 to 2015.
The United States will Chair follow afterwards.
Permanent Participants
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Out of a total of 4 million inhabitants of the Arctic, approximately 500,000 belong
to indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples’ organizations have been granted
Permanent Participants status in the Arctic Council. The Permanent Participants
have full consultation rights in connection with the Council’s negotiations and
decisions. The Permanent Participants represent a unique feature of the Arctic
Council, and they make valuable contributions to its activities in all areas.
The following organizations are Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council:
Arctic Athabaskan Council (AAC)
Aleut International Association (AIA)
Gwich'in Council International (GCI)
Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC)
Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON)
Saami Council (SC)
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Working Groups
The Arctic Council has six working groups composed of representatives at the
expert level from various ministries, government agencies, and research
institutions in each of the eight Arctic States. These groups cover a broad field of
subjects, from climate change impacts to economic development to emergency
response. Each Working Group has a specific mandate under which it operates,
has a Chair, Management Board or Steering Committee, and is supported by a
Secretariat.
Arctic Contaminants Action Program (ACAP): ACAP works to raise awareness in the
Arctic states about the sources and effects of pollutants in the Arctic environment
and assists with capacity building in Arctic indigenous communities and in Russia.
The U.S. representative for this working group is Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA).
Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP): AMAP assesses the health and
ecological risks associated with contamination from radioactive waste, heavy
metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and other contaminants. It also
recommends targeted monitoring of regional environmental developments
including the effects of climate change. The U.S. representative for this working
group is Global change Research Program (WH/GCRP).
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Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF): CAFF focuses on the conservation of
biodiversity in the Arctic through regional monitoring, assessments, and other
conservation-related activities. The U.S. representative for this working group is
Department of Interior/Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI/FWS).
Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (EPPR): EPPR develops projects on
responding to environmental emergencies in the Arctic such as from oil spills,
accidental discharges of pollution, and radiation releases. The U.S. representative for
this working group is Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration
(DOE/NNSA).
Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME): PAME concentrates on the Arctic
Ocean ecosystem and undertakes activities such as developing guidelines for regional
offshore oil and gas development and Arctic shipping. It developed a regional action
plan for the control of land-based sources of Arctic marine pollution. The U.S.
representative for this working group is Department of Commerce/National Oceanic
Atmospheric Administration (DOC/NOAA).
Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG): Through SDWG, the Arctic Council
undertakes projects in socio-economic areas such as human health, energy utilization,
information and communications technologies, indigenous concerns and the Arctic
regional economy. The U.S. representative for this Working Group is Department of
State (DOS).
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Task Forces
Task Forces are appointed by the Ministers to work on specific issues for a limited
time. Task Forces are short-term bodies that are only active until they produce
their desired results, at which point they disband. Experts from the working groups
and representatives from the Member States and Arctic Council Permanent
Participants take part in the Task Forces. There are currently four active Task Forces
in the Arctic Council.
Task Force on Arctic Marine Oil Pollution Prevention (TFOPP) The main tasks are to
identify how best the Arctic Council can contribute to marine oil pollution
prevention in the Arctic, to recommend a concrete plan of action, and, as
appropriate, to develop cooperative arrangements to implement the Action Plan.
TFOPP held its first two meetings in Oslo, Norway and Reykjavik, Iceland in 2014. It
will deliver its recommendations to the Ministerial Meeting in 2015, although a
renewal of its mandate is possible. Norway and Russia are co-chairing the Task
Force.
Task Force on Black Carbon and Methane (TFBCM) The mandate of the TFBCM is to
develop arrangements on actions to achieve enhanced black carbon and methane
emission reductions in the Arctic. The Task Force had its first meeting in
September 2013 and will report to the Ministerial Meeting in 2015. Canada and
Sweden are the chairs of TFBCM.
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Scientific Cooperation Task Force (SCTF) will work towards an
arrangement on improved scientific research cooperation
among the eight Arctic States. It had its first meeting in
December 2013 and will report to Ministerial Meeting in
2015. The Task Force is co-chaired by Russia, Sweden and the
United States.
Task Force to Facilitate the Circumpolar Business Forum
(TFCBF) its mandate is to facilitate the creation of a
Circumpolar Business Forum (CBF) which would provide a
mechanism to allow business and industry to engage with
the Arctic States and Permanent Participants. TFCBF had its
first meeting in September 2013 and provided a report to
SAOs at the meeting of Senior Arctic Officials in Yellowknife,
Canada in March of 2014. Canada is chairing the TFCBF in
cooperation with Finland, Iceland and Russia.
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» The Global Environment Facility was established in October 1991 as a $1
billion pilot program in the World Bank to assist in the protection of the
global environment and to promote environmental sustainable
development. The GEF would provide new and additional grants and
concessional funding to cover the "incremental" or additional costs
associated with transforming a project with national benefits into one with
global environmental benefits.
» The Global Environment Facility is a partnership for international
cooperation where 183 countries work together with international
institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector, to address
global environmental issues.
» Since 1991, the GEF has provided $12.5 billion in grants and leveraged $58
billion in co-financing for 3,690 projects in 165 developing countries. For
23 years, developed and developing countries alike have provided these
funds to support activities related to biodiversity, climate change,
international waters, land degradation, and chemicals and waste in the
context of development projects and programs.
» Through its Small Grants Programme (SGP) the GEF has made more than
20,000 grants to civil society and community based organizations for a
total of $1 billion.
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» Among the major results of investments, the GEF has set
up protected areas around the world equal roughly to the area of
Brazil; reduced carbon emissions by 2.3 billion tonnes; eliminated
the use of ozone depleting substances in Central and Eastern
Europe and Central Asia; transformed the management of 33
major river basins and one-third of the world's large marine
ecosystems; slowed the advance of desertification in Africa by
improving agricultural practices—and all this while contributing to
better the livelihood and food security of millions of people.
» The GEF administers the LDCF and SCCF which were established by
the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC. The GEF also
administers the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund (NPIF) that
was established the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). In
addition, the GEF Secretariat hosts the Adaptation Fund Board
Secretariat.
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The GEF work focuses on the following main areas:
»
»
Biodiversity - Biodiversity is under heavy threat. Reducing and preventing further
biodiversity loss are considered among the most critical challenges to humankind. Of all
the problems the world faces in managing “global goods,” only the loss of biodiversity is
irreversible. The GEF supports projects that address the key drivers of biodiversity loss
which focus on the highest leveraging opportunities to achieve sustainable biodiversity
conservation.
Climate Change - Climate change from human-induced emissions of heat-trapping
greenhouse gases (GHGs) is a critical global issue, requiring substantial action. These
actions include investment to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, and adaptation to
climate changes including variability. The early impacts of climate change have already
appeared, and scientists believe that further impacts are inevitable. Many of the most
serious and negative impacts of climate change will be disproportionately borne by the
poorest people in developing countries. The GEF supports projects in
˃ Climate change mitigation: Reducing or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions in the
areas of renewable energy; energy efficiency; sustainable transport; and
management of land use, land-use change, and forestry.
˃ Climate change adaptation: Aiming at developing countries to become climateresilient by promoting immediate and longer-term adaptation measures in
development policies, plans, programs, projects, and actions.
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»
»
Chemicals: Persistent organic pollutants are pesticides, industrial chemicals, or unwanted
by-products of industrial processes that have been used for decades but have more
recently been found to share a number of disturbing characteristics, including:
˃ Persistence — they resist degradation in air, water, and sediments;
˃ Bio-accumulation — they accumulate in living tissues at concentrations higher than
those in the surrounding environment;
˃ Long-range transport — they can travel great distances from the source of release
through air, water, and migratory animals, often contaminating areas thousands of
kilometers away from any known source.
The GEF supports projects in eliminating the production and use of specific POPs, taking
measures to ensure that POPs wastes are managed and disposed of in an
environmentally sound manner, identifying the sources and reducing releases of POPs
byproducts.
International Waters: Diversions of water for irrigation, bulk supply, and potable use,
together with the pollution of common water bodies are creating cross-border tensions.
These tensions also persist across the oceans, with three-quarters of fish stocks being
overfished, fished at their maximum, or in a depleted state. The GEF supports projects in
helping countries work together to overcome these tensions in large water systems and to
collectively manage their transboundary surface water basins, groundwater basins, and
coastal and marine systems in order to share the benefits from them
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» Land Degradation: Land degradation is a major threat to biodiversity,
ecosystem stability, and society’s ability to function. Because of the
interconnectivity between ecosystems across scales, land degradation triggers
destructive processes that can have cascading effects across the entire
biosphere. Loss of biomass through vegetation clearance and increased soil
erosion produces greenhouse gases that contribute global warming and climate
change. The GEF supports projects in reversing and preventing
desertification/land degradation and in mitigating the effects of drought in
affected areas in order to support poverty reduction and environmental
sustainability.
» Ozone Layer Depletion: Increased UV-B radiation reaching the Earth would pose
risks to human health and the environment. In response, countries negotiated
and adopted the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer in
1985, and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in
1987. The GEF supports projects in developing countries and countries with
economies in transition (CEITs) that are not eligible for funding under the
Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol, to implement activities to phase out
ozone depleting substances (ODS) in a manner consistent with these countries’
obligations under the Montreal Protocol.
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»
Sustainable forest management: Forests cover almost one-third of the world’s land
area. They have a unique potential to produce multiple global environmental
benefits such as biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, and protection
against desertification. Sustainably managed forests can enhance the provision of
wood and non-timber forest products for about 1.6 billion people depending on
forests for their livelihoods. Forest ecosystems are also expected to play a key role
in helping people in developing countries to adapt to the effects of climate change.
The GEF supports projects in forest conservation (primarily protected areas and
buffer zones), sustainable use of forests (forest production landscapes, sustainable
forest management), and addressing forests and trees in the wider landscape.
Beside the seven focal areas, the GEF also works on several cross-cutting issue and
programs:
˃ Results and learning
˃ Earth fund and public-private partnerships
˃ Capacity development
˃ Small grants programme
˃ Country support programme
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» HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission Helsinki Commission) is the governing body of the Convention on
the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area,
known as the Helsinki Convention. The Contracting Parties are
Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden.
» HELCOM was established about four decades ago to protect the
marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution
through intergovernmental cooperation.
» HELCOM's vision for the future is a healthy Baltic Sea environment
with diverse biological components functioning in balance,
resulting in a good ecological status and supporting a wide range of
sustainable economic and social activities.
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» HELCOM is
˃ an environmental policy maker for the Baltic Sea area by developing common
environmental objectives and actions
˃ an environmental focal point providing information about the state of and
trends in the marine environment, the efficiency of measures to protect it and
common initiatives and positions, which can form the basis for decision-making
in other international fora
˃ a body for developing, according to the specific needs of the Baltic Sea,
recommendations of its own and recommendations supplementary to
measures imposed by other international organisations
˃ a supervisory body dedicated to ensuring that HELCOM environmental
standards are fully implemented by all parties throughout the Baltic Sea and its
catchment area
˃ a coordinating body, ascertaining multilateral response in case of major
maritime incidents.
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»
Agriculture is a major source of nutrient inputs to the Baltic Sea, contributing to over 6070% of diffuse and over half of total waterborne inputs to the sea. Most of reactive nitrogen
(ammonia) in airborne nitrogen deposition to Baltic Sea also originates from agriculture.
Since the enlargement of the EU in the Baltic region, agricultural production and fertilizer
use in the catchment have increased.
»
Milder winters, which have predominated in recent years, also contribute to increased
nutrient input, as fields which have previously been frozen for numerous months a year now
have increased runoff. Climate change scenarios for the future predict increased winter
rains in the northern parts of Baltic Sea basin, thus further exacerbating the problem.
»
Reducing nutrient loads from agriculture is more complicated than cutting loads from point
sources. Although the implementation of agri-environmental measures is expected to
promote reductions in nutrient loads from agriculture, there is evidently a considerable time
lag between the implementation of agricultural water protection measures and any visible
effects in water bodies, partly due to retention of nutrients in the catchment area. HELCOM
has stressed the need to accelerate the process of integration of environmental and
sustainable development aspects in agriculture, for instance through reforming the EU
Common Agricultural Policy.
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» Intensified development of industrial production of cattle, pigs and
poultry in the Baltic Sea catchment area has led to the creation of a
new segment of pollution point sources, adding significantly to nutrient
loads. These installations are already partly addressed through relevant
European legislation (e.g. Industrial Emission Directive) in the same
manner as industrial point sources, as well as by establishment of
specific requirements for large cattle, poultry and pig farms in the
Helsinki Convention
» In order to reach the overall eutrophication goal for the Baltic Sea,
nutrient loads should not exceed the BSAP defined maximum allowable
inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus to the Baltic Sea sub-basins. The
reduction potential for nutrient inputs from agricultural fields
encourages further measures to cut losses in this sector, also in the
light of improvements in the municipal wastewater treatment sector.
However, tackling loads from agriculture is challenging and requires
tailor-made solutions, to be devised together with competent experts
from agricultural field.
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