Posted on 05 August
2011
Kathmandu, Nepal:
Experts from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and
Nepal gathered in Kathmandu in late July
for discussions on long-term energy security
in the Himalayas, concluding a series of
planning sessions that aim to put an ambitious10-year
regional climate change adaptation plan
in motion.
The energy meet saw
participating nations develop five key strategies
for regional cooperation in climate change
and energy security, including the diversification
in supply and use of cleaner energy resources,
enhancing access to clean energy and improving
efficiency.
“The Himalayas are one
of the biologically richest areas on Earth.
But they are also among the most vulnerable
to climate change,” said Tariq Aziz, leader
of WWF’s Living Himalayas Initiative. “Creating
conditions that make the uptake of clean
energy technologies feasible is an important
part of ensuring the needs of local communities
are met without negative impacts on the
environment,” he said.
Held in advance of the
November 2011 Climate Summit for a Living
Himalayas, the series of meetings examined
how the 4 nations can ensure water, food
and energy security while maintaining biodiversity
and ecosystem services throughout the region.
Water, food, biodiversity
and energy
The Himalayas feed seven of Asia’s largest
rivers and contain the largest store of
freshwater outside the polar ice caps, resources
on which the livelihoods of more than 1.3
billion people depend.
But climate change is
causing many Himalayan glaciers to retreat
at a rapid pace, which could contribute
to water shortages and have a major impact
on freshwater flows. These changes would
have a devastating impact on regional food
security, the availability of energy resources
and biodiversity.
Known as the "roof
of the world", the Himalayas face numerous
challenges in addition to climate change.
As mountain glaciers melt, wildlife poachers
are running rampant, and forests are being
cut down for timber or agriculture expansion.?
As many communities depend on the region's
natural resources to maintain their livelihoods
and traditions, conservation is an important
part of their lives.?
Thorthormi Tsho
In 2009, climate change pushed the Thorthormi
Tsho glacial lake to the verge of a potentially
catastrophic breach in the remote Lunana
area of northern Bhutan. Its growing instability
required a team of 300 volunteers to artificially
lower its water levels before an outburst
flood devastated crops, caused massive livestock
losses, destroyed vital bridges and roads,
and damaged hydropower facilities.
Although Thorthormi
Tsho was the largest and most dangerous
glacial lake in Bhutan at the time, an additional
82 glacial lakes were also identified as
growing risks. The potential for these increasingly
unstable lakes to breach and flood the area’s
fragile landscape illustrate some of the
many devastating impacts of climate change
in the Himalayas.
Recognizing the urgent
need for Himalayan nations to build resilience
to the impacts of climate change and promote
sustainable development, the governments
of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal have
agreed to convene the Climate Summit for
a Living Himalayas with WWF’s support.
“It is encouraging to
see four neighboring Eastern Himalayan countries
come together to create regional action
to adapt to the impacts of climate change
on water and biodiversity – two key providers
of environmental services in the region”,
said WWF’s Tariq Aziz.
+ More
Business meet to push
for ambitious action on climate change
Posted on 04 August
2011
London – Ahead of a key United Nations meeting
later this year, hundreds of business, government
and civil society leaders will come together
next month for the Business for the Environment
(B4E) Climate Summit in London to call for
more action to fight climate change.
Held on 12-13 Sept. under the banner Reaching
for Zero, Innovation, Growth and the Clean
Industrial Revolution, the summit will produce
a joint statement and call for action on
climate change aimed at policymakers taking
part in the next United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting
to be held in December in Durban, South
Africa.
The summit will bring
together more than 400 leaders from business,
government, academia and civil society from
more than 20 countries. Their statement
will be published in a book together with
examples of transformative climate solutions
and promoted through a global communications
campaign.
'Strong action from business will be vital
if we are to heed the clear warnings from
climate science and get global emissions
on a steep downward path,” David Nussbaum,
Chief Executive, WWF-UK.
“ Forward-looking businesses hold many of
the solutions, and can also help to unlock
political will to take action. One recent
example is the coalition of more than 70
companies who have called on European leaders
to increase the ambition of Europe's 2020
emissions target to deliver cuts of 30%.
WWF hopes that the B4E Climate Summit in
London will also send a strong voice from
the business community towards the international
climate talks, making clear that strong
policy frameworks are needed to promote
the green economy.”
Seven sector-focused
working groups will have delegates summarise
their industry commitments on climate change,
and propose the support and policy action
required, both national and global, to scale
these actions up.
Participants will include
the United Nations Development Programme,
Hitachi, Unilever, Google, Procter &
Gamble, Tata Consulting Services, Coca-Cola,
Deloitte, Johnson Controls, Land Lease,
AECOM, AP Moeller Maersk, Deutsche Post
DHL, First Solar, BP Alternative Energy,
Rio Tinto and the UK Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills, amongst others.
An overview of the programme
and participating speakers is available
on the B4E website at www.b4esummit.com.
The summit will be hosted in partnership
with WWF, CNN International, McKinsey &
Company, the Aldersgate Group, Imperial
College London and Global Initiatives.
Key renowned figures
speaking include Andrew Steer, Special Envoy
for Climate Change, The World Bank; Bjorn
Stigson, President, World Business Council
for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); Mark
Kenber, CEO, The Climate Group; John Elkington,
Founding Partner & Executive Chairman,
Volans; Janine Benyus, President, The Biomimicry
Institute and Paul Dickinson, Executive
Chairman, The Carbon Disclosure Project.
They will be joined by industry leaders
Sir Stephen Gomersall, Chairman, Hitachi
Europe; Jerry Stokes, President, Suntech
Europe; Richard Evans, President, PepsiCo
UK & Ireland; Lord Browne, Partner and
Managing Director, Riverstone LLC; Ben Goldsmith,
Founding Partner, WHEB Partners and others.
“The B4E Summit will call for a higher level
of collaborative action on climate change;
business, government and NGOs will discuss
the massive investment, innovation and policy
shift required to accelerate transformative
change” said Tony Gourlay, CEO of Global
Initiatives.
