Paris, 18 January 2007 - From Paris, France, the United
Nations Environment Programme launches a second appeal to
the international community to join its first global tree
planting project Plant for the Planet: the Billion Tree
Campaign.
Several partners in France (Planète Urgence, ADEME
- Botanic - Comité 21 - Groupe Yves Rocher - Forestavenir
- Fédération des Forestiers Privés
de France - France Nature Environnement - Ministère
de l'Agriculture et de la Pêche - Ministère
de l'Ecologie et du Développement durable - Muséum
national d'Histoire naturelle - Nature & Découvertes
- Office National des Forêts - IUCN - UNESCO-MAB)
offer their support to the initiative, which will help mitigate
climate change and catalyze environmental action around
the world.
Governments, civil society organizations, farmers, local
authorities, children and youth, the corporate sector and
the public at large are encouraged to enter tree planting
pledges on the website www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign,with
the objective of planting and caring for a total of one
billion trees worldwide during 2007.
This people-centred campaign is raising awareness of the
interdependence between humankind and the planet’s ecosystems,
as well as the linkages between tree planting and climate
change mitigation, the restoration of biodiversity, air
and soil quality, and food security.
To date, over 157 million tree planting pledges have been
recorded, including 5.5 million in France.
UNEP’s call to action will help regenerate the environment,
and will also instil social responsibility in the public’s
mind, while creating associations between tree planting
and positive actions to save the Planet.
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UNEP and Israel sign Memorandum of Co-operation
Nairobi, 18 January 2007 - The Executive Director of UNEP
Mr. Achim Steiner and H.E. Ambassador Emanuel Seri signed
today a memorandum of co-operation (MOC) between UNEP and
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel represented
by its Center for International Development Cooperation
MASHAV. The MOC establishes a formal cooperation in implementing
the UNEP Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and
Capacity Building. The objective of the Memorandum is to
coordinate the professional as well as the operational resources
of UNEP and MASHAV to support governments of developing
countries and countries with economies in transition, at
all levels, to realize their environmental goals through
human and institutional capacity. Both parties look forward
to a fruitful co-operation.
UNEP reaffirms support to "Green" Olympics in
Beijing
Nairobi, 11 January 2007 - The United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) reaffirmed today the environment as a major priority
for Olympic Games.
Support to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Organizing Committee
was among the main subjects discussed by the President of
the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge and the
head of UNEP, Achim Steiner when they met in Nairobi.
Mr. Rogge also welcomed UNEP’s offer to conduct an environmental
audit of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. He and Mr. Steiner
also agreed that the IOC will liaise with BOCOG and UNEP
on a coordinated campaign to promote the environmental aspects
of the Beijing 2008 Games.
UNEP which has worked with the IOC since 1994 believes
that sport and mass spectator events can act as an important
vehicle for galvanizing global interest and action for sustainable
development. This view is shared by the IOC and the two
executive heads reaffirmed their interest in working together
in ensuring that the environment is mainstreamed in the
Olympic Games.
The two also reflected on how best to assist Vancouver
to implement its environmental programme and welcomed upcoming
discussions between UNEP and the Vancouver 2010 Organizing
Committee on the environmental aspects of the 2010 Games
The environment is the third dimension of the Olympic Movement.
It has become one of the main criteria for the evaluation
and selection of cities to host the Olympic Games and is
also a major priority for the preparation and staging of
the Games.
For more information about UNEP cooperation with the IOC
please visit on web site: http://www.unep.org/sport_env/Olympic_Games/index.asp
