The 2014 World Day to Combat Desertification global observance event focused on the theme of ecosystem-based adaptation, with a rallying call “Land Belongs to the Future – Let’s Climate Proof It.” Approximately 400 representatives from government, intergovernmental and civil society organizations (CSOs) registered for the event, which took place on Tuesday, 17 June 2014, at World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC, US. The event was also webcast, and speakers responded to questions from a global audience. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) organized the event, which was hosted by the World Bank in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), TerrAfrica and Connect4Climate.

On the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the UNCCD, speakers at the global observance event considered the requirements for ecosystem-based adaptation to address issues related to desertification, land degradation and drought as well as shared successful cases of combating desertification in drylands. Keynote speakers discussed national efforts, and panelists presented research and lessons learned to address land degradation and foster adaptation and resilience. Two short films were screened, demonstrating additional projects and lessons learned. The Land for Life award winners were also announced. This briefing note summarizes the event’s proceedings.

Climate Week NYC continues in New York and Rachel Kyte, World Bank's Vice President of Sustainable Development, just posted a blog outlining the main themes surrounding all the action in the Big Apple. With so many high level dignitaries decending on one city to discuss the world's sustainable future, it is not hard to guess that there are complex array of themes to address:

Tuesday, hosted by Bloomberg L.P., I was in conversation with Commissioner Connie Hedegaard and Cristiana Figueres. The discussion covered the role of the UNFCCC past, present and future in what has happened and needs to happen to arrest climate change. From the need to change the narrative, accounting systems, risk appetites and ambition, to whether the convention is an umbrella for action, or should encourage actions outside its framework, to where will the funding come from for adaptation and resilience as climate change bears its teeth, it was a great conversation showing sensible hope.

Maximizing the agility of the private sector as key partners in the fight against climate change seemed to be an underlying theme of the conference. The marriage of policy, public funding and private sector "smart" investments could prove to be a game-changing climate strategy. We are also thrilled to see London-based Climate Group, a Connect4Climate partner, get a mention for their campaign efforts.

Unlocking private sector investment is key.

Smart companies, many of them in the room at Climate Week, are not waiting for an international agreement. We can see market leaders in almost all sectors storming ahead in the way in which they think about operating in a world where we need more mitigation action, but also increasingly thinking through the risks of adaptation to their business models in every sector of the economy

Going forward, it’s important that we find the best examples of regulation and legislation that really support risk taking and innovation in the private sector, celebrate it, and reward it, in real time, here and now, with access to long term affordable capital.

This is where I believe the ideas and alliances formed by the Climate Group’s Clean Revolution campaign can really help.

The whole blog post is worth a read. Check it out here on the World Bank Blog.

The call is on the youths. What's being done to limit the impact of human activities upon the earth? Is there going to be left a habitable place for posterity and generations to come? Will they have a better quality of life or do our activities threaten this idea?

Turn Down the Heat, a report by the World Bank examined some of these issues. It emphasized how human activities and the resultant global warming and climate change could impact adversely on nations. Beaming its spotlight on sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and South East Asia, the bank examined varying scenarios of what could become of these regions should world temperatures increase by 2 – 4 degrees. A synopsis; extreme flood, heat, and drought. These have enormous ripple effects such as population displacement and increased conflicts to name a few.

According to IEA, carbon emissions globally hit record highs in 2012, rising by 1.4 percent to 31.6 billion tons. In addition, developing countries are said to account for 60 percent of global emissions from energy as against 45 percent in the year 2000.

Is history going to repeat the same heated cycle? What is being done to stem the tide of a warming planet? There have been calls for an end to the use of fossil fuels, excessive deforestation, un-checked industrialization and much more.

The time has come for us to heed the call of knowledgeable diplomats and world leaders; United States President Barack Obama has called for reevaluations of current operating standards in order to safe guard the future from climate change.

The youths are a part of this conversation. As the leaders of tomorrow and the voters of today, they can catalyze positive action in their homes, schools and communities on habits that result in warming climates. Armed with appropriate facts on this issue, they can help make a world of difference. The World Bank President Jim Yong Kim stated that, "To deliver bold solutions on climate change, we need to listen to and engage broader and more diverse audiences. We need to hear the voices of young people."

The Connect4Climate global coalition, led by Lucia Grenna, threw its weight behind this idea, building global awareness and conversations on climate change. C4C took numerous steps to focus on encouraging youths to make their message heard. The youths have been a large part of coalition efforts, illuminating how climate change impacts their future in the recently concluded iChange competition.

In the United States, a poll conducted for the League of Conservation Voters revealed that young voters want there to be more action in slowing climate change. According to Tree Hugger.com, "young voters will not tolerate denying science or opposing action to slow climate change."

In addition, AllAfrica.com presents how the youths currently focus on grassroots action in a bid to help their communities adapt to climate change. They believe that there's an urgency to develop resilience measures and coping strategies since adaptation funds were not trickling down to those in desperate need.

What more needs to be said? Let these steps taken so far be transformed into leaps and bounds of progress, through positive and profound actions and policies that will reverse the heat.
The World Bank in its fight to end poverty attempts to balance varying activities that alleviate poverty with those that protect the environment. According to Reuters, the World Bank in is endeavoring to limit the financing of coal-fired power plants.

Other countries and cities around the world are snapping on to the efforts of limiting climate change. For instance, London has put together a city adaptation plan that includes surface water flood management, increasing vegetation about the city, and improving water and energy efficiency in homes. In Quito, Ecuador, official policies support mitigation and adaptation strategies that focus on five areas: ecosystems and biodiversity, drinking water supplies, public health, infrastructure and power production, and climate risk management.

New York City has developed a 19.5 billion dollar plan that will help the city adapt to climate change. A sort of reinforcement after the extensive damage wrought on the city by superstorm Sandy.
In Jamaica, collaboration by the University of West Indies, the Global Environment Facility, and United Nations Environment Program will see the construction of zero – energy buildings in the region in the next two to three years. These zero-energy / energy – plus buildings (ZEB / EB) work by combining energy-efficient designs with efficient sources of energy so that they produce their own energy, and then some.

Nigeria collaborates with ECOWAS member states to develop a West African Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (WACCAS), in addition to afforestation initiatives, the Green Wall Sahara Initiative, the construction of solar farms, and public awareness campaigns.

In Durban, South Africa climate adaptation strategies started as early as 2004 and have been rolling out in stages. The program began by assessing local impacts of climate change as presented by hotter temperatures, rainfall intensity and coastal erosion. Specific adaptation plans were developed with hopes of harnessing these effects.

Rwanda is planting trees, preserving forests, and reforming agricultural practices to make them more environmentally friendly.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimates that 20 percent of cities around the globe have developed adaptation strategies. We all need to adopt activities that will help harness climate change and decrease escalating global temperatures.

A lot more needs to be done to decelerate the warming of the earth. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki Moon added his voice to the call on the youths' increased involvement.

As President Obama said in his recent remarks on climate change, when "our children and our children's children …look us in the eye and ask us, did we do all that we could when we had the chance to deal with this problem and leave them a cleaner, safer, more stable world?" Let us be able to respond, "Yes, we did!"

Regular food shortages in Sub-Saharan Africa….shifting rain patterns in South Asia leaving some parts under water and others without enough water for power generation, irrigation, or drinking….degradation and loss of reefs in South East Asia resulting in reduced fish stocks and coastal communities and cities more vulnerable to increasingly violent storms….these are but a few of the likely impacts of a possible global temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius[1] in the next few decades that threatens to trap millions of people in poverty, according to a new scientific report released today by the World Bank Group.

Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts, and the Case for Resilience builds on a World Bank report released late last year, which concluded the world would warm by 4 degrees Celsius[2] (4°C or 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century if we did not take concerted action now. This new report looks at the likely impacts of present day, 2°C and 4°C warming on agricultural production, water resources, coastal ecosystems and cities across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and South East Asia.

"This new report outlines an alarming scenario for the days and years ahead – what we could face in our lifetime," said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. "The scientists tell us that if the world warms by 2°C -- warming which may be reached in 20 to 30 years -- that will cause widespread food shortages, unprecedented heat-waves, and more intense cyclones. In the near-term, climate change, which is already unfolding, could batter the slums even more and greatly harm the lives and the hopes of individuals and families who have had little hand in raising the Earth's temperature."

"These changes forecast for the tropics illustrate the level of hardships that will be inflicted on all regions eventually, it we fail to keep warming under control," Kim said. "Urgent action is needed to not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also to help countries prepare for a world of dramatic climate and weather extremes."

The report, prepared for the World Bank by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics, reveals how rising global temperatures are increasingly threatening the health and livelihoods of the most vulnerable populations, crucially magnifying problems each region is struggling with today.

Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts, and the Case for Resilience is an analysis of the latest climate science, as a means to better understand the risks of climate change to development. Key findings include:

In Sub-Saharan Africa, by the 2030s droughts and heat will leave 40 percent of the land now growing maize unable to support that crop, while rising temperatures could cause major loss of savanna grasslands threatening pastoral livelihoods. By the 2050s, depending on the sub-region, the proportion of the population undernourished is projected to increase by 25-90 percent compared to the present.

In South Asia, the potential change in the regularity and impact of the all-important monsoon could precipitate a major crisis in the region. Events like the devastating Pakistan floods of 2010, which affected more than 20 million people, could become common place. More extreme droughts in large parts of India could lead to widespread food shortages and hardship.

Across South East Asia, rural livelihoods are faced with mounting pressures as sea levels rise, tropical cyclones increase in intensity, and important marine ecosystem services are lost as warming approaches 4°C.

And across all the regions, the likely movement of impacted communities into urban areas could lead to ever higher numbers of people in informal settlements being exposed to heat waves, flooding, and diseases.

The report says impacts across its study regions are potentially devastating. And, if warming goes from 2ºC to 4°C, multiple threats of increasing extreme heat waves, sea–level rise, more severe storms, droughts and floods would have severe negative implications for the poorest and most vulnerable. It notes, however, that many of the worst consequences could still be avoided by holding warming below 2ºC.

"I do not believe the poor are condemned to the future scientists envision in this report. In fact, I am convinced we can reduce poverty even in a world severely challenged by climate change," President Kim continued. "We can help cities grow clean and climate resilient, develop climate smart agriculture practices, and find innovative ways to improve both energy efficiency and the performance of renewable energies. We can work with countries to roll back harmful fossil fuel subsidies and help put the policies in place that will eventually lead to a stable price on carbon."

See the full infographic from the World Bank.

"We are determined to work with countries to find solutions," Kim said. "But, the science is clear. There can be no substitute for aggressive national mitigation targets, and the burden of emissions reductions lies with a few large economies."

The report says sea level rise has been occurring more rapidly than previously projected and a rise of as much as 50 cm by the 2050s may already be unavoidable as a result of past emissions. In some cases, impacts could be felt much earlier. For example, without adaptation measures, sea level rise of 15 cm, coupled with more intense cyclones, threatens to inundate much of Bangkok by the 2030s.

The burgeoning cities of the developing world are identified as some of the places on the planet most at risk from climate change. Describing urban areas as "new clusters of vulnerability," the report says urban dwellers, particularly the urban poor, face significant vulnerability to climate change.

Informal settlements in places like Metro Manila in the Philippines and Kolkata in India concentrate large populations and often lack basic services, such as electricity, sanitation, health, infastructure, and durable housing. In such areas, people are highly exposed to extremen weather events, such as storms and flooding. Extreme heat is also felt more acutely in cities.

Partly in response to the findings of the two Turn Down the Heat reports, the World Bank Group is stepping up its mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk management work, and will increasingly look at all its business through a "climate lens."

Today, the Bank is helping 130 countries take action on climate change. Last year, it doubled its financial lending that contributes to adaptation. Increasingly, the Bank is supporting action on the ground to finance the kind of projects that help the poor grow their way out of poverty, increase their resilience to climate change, and achieve emission reductions.

[1] 2 degrees Celsius = 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit

[2] 4 degrees Celsius = 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit

You can download the full report here.

The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report firmly centered on the reality of human-driven climate change. If we don’t take immediate and tangible steps to reduce the consequences of these actions, we will face an environmental crisis that will have a major impact on mankind’s existence. Here in Tokyo, we are extremely concerned about this danger, as it poses a huge threat to our goal of becoming a sustainable and environmentally-friendly city.

In the year 2030, it is estimated that the number of people living in urban areas will exceed 60 percent of the world’s population, and measures at the city level are now crucial. The effects of climate change are already becoming apparent in a range of forms, and Tokyo is no exception. Tokyo has undertaken several measures to mitigate these effects, including launching the world’s first urban cap-and-trade program. In addition, Tokyo is implementing a number of pioneering initiatives, such as measures to counteract storm surges and floods, as well as major earthquakes, and advancing urban planning to realize a more resilient city.

The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report firmly centered on the reality of human-driven climate change. If we don’t take immediate and tangible steps to reduce the consequences of these actions, we will face an environmental crisis that will have a major impact on mankind’s existence. Here in Tokyo, we are extremely concerned about this danger, as it poses a huge threat to our goal of becoming a sustainable and environmentally-friendly city.

In the year 2030, it is estimated that the number of people living in urban areas will exceed 60 percent of the world’s population, and measures at the city level are now crucial. The effects of climate change are already becoming apparent in a range of forms, and Tokyo is no exception. Tokyo has undertaken several measures to mitigate these effects, including launching the world’s first urban cap-and-trade program. In addition, Tokyo is implementing a number of pioneering initiatives, such as measures to counteract storm surges and floods, as well as major earthquakes, and advancing urban planning to realize a more resilient city.

At the same time, Tokyo is working with cities all over the world and engaging in a variety of international activities. In this way, Tokyo’s achievements have been introduced to the world, and we are proud to have gained high recognition in reports issued by the World Bank. Of these initiatives, Tokyo’s cap-and-trade program has received especially high praise internationally. In the program’s first year, FY2010, a 13 percent reduction in total CO2 emissions from base-year figures was achieved.

Further reductions were achieved in FY2011 and FY2012, with a 22 percent reduction from base-year figures recorded for both periods. Achievements to date have far surpassed the mandatory 6 or 8 percent reduction rate, producing a significant effect. Tokyo Cap-and-Trade has introduced retrofitting projects backed by vast amounts of investment for energy-saving technologies. Practical examples of which include the installation of LED lights, more efficient heating equipment, and improved day-to-day operational efforts.

[video:https://vimeo.com/95527812]

We believe Tokyo’s success is highly reliant on a positive response from various stakeholders, including building owners, developers, tenants and related businesses following our initiatives. A lot of credit needs to go to the facilities under Tokyo Cap-and-Trade, including facility owners and related businesses that responded very positively to the program, resulting in its continued success.

As the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games approach, Tokyo will continue to promote effective energy conservation and CO2 reduction measures in order to resolve climate change related issues and further strengthen energy policies, including greatly expanding the use of renewable energy, with a view to the global environment.

The World Bank’s “Putting a Price on Carbon” statement is very meaningful, as it will become a driving force behind the promotion of effective measures for climate change mitigation. If all of the world’s cities and nations cooperate to implement a variety of well-thought-out programs, promotion of measures for climate change issues will lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions, and even help avoid an eventual global environmental crisis.

As the Governor of Tokyo, a major city advancing innovative climate change mitigation measures, I endorse the World Bank’s “Putting a Price on Carbon” statement and express my full support. Firmly believing that this World Bank initiative will contribute to the sustainable development of the earth’s environment, Tokyo will call for other cities, nations, and companies that share in the same objectives to come together by endorsing this statement.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is releasing its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) on Friday.

The report is the culmination of more than 800 scientist authors working with more than 9,000 scientific publications on climate change and more than 20,000 comments from 'expert reviewers,' making it the most comprehensive collection of climate change knowledge to-date.

You can watch the livestream of the report's release on September 27th at 8.30am EDT and learn more about climate science, the IPCC, and the AR5 at The Climate Group.

Every year, 24 billion tons of fertile soils are lost to us from erosion while 12 million hectares of land are degraded through drought and the steady encroachment of desert. With every hectare of land we lose to drought or the desert, we also lose tons of potential grain which makes life even more of an ordeal for the 1.5 billion people worldwide who make their living off degraded land.

But as we celebrate World Desertification Day this year, there is also new hope as two billion hectares of degraded land have the potential to be restored. In the Maradi and Zinger regions of Niger, sustainable practices led to the spontaneous regeneration of 200 million trees that now secure the livelihoods of 4.5 million people. Regenerated trees such as Faidherbia albida, apple-ring acacia, used for food, fodder and nitrogen fixing have been protected and managed by farmers with no tree nurseries, no planting and nearly no cost – just dedication. On Mali’s Seno Plains, farmers have protected and managed trees on 450,000 hectares of their land.

Word Day to Combat Desertification Global Observance Event: “Land Belongs to the Future – Let’s Climate Proof It.”

To keep that hope alive, hundreds of thousands of people across the world recently celebrated World Day to Combat Desertification, along with many at the World Bank, to raise public awareness about desertification, and promote a global collective response, especially in Africa. 

The global observance organized by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and hosted by the World Bank in partnership with the Global Environment Facility, TerrAfrica and Connect4Climate, focused on the theme of ecosystem-based adaptation, with a rallying call“Land Belongs to the Future   – Let’s Climate Proof It.”

“Africa is already feeling the harsh bite of climate change, especially in the countries of The Sahel and others affected by prolonged drought and desertification. We are working closely with communities to build up their resilience to adverse weather conditions and invest in climate-smart agriculture,” said AFRVP Makhtar Diop in a special video address to the special Bank-sponsored event. “Our natural allies in this work are collaborative agencies such as TerrAfrica, and UNCCD, which champion existing local innovations that safeguard the environment and create ecosystems that keep the world’s lands alive and productive.”

Climate change is pushing our ecosystems to breaking point and the failure to act may result in food, water, income and security threats. The price to fix degraded land on a large scale and minimize these outcomes is only a fraction of the cost paid through social and political unrest, conflict, forced migration or internal displacement. Restoring a hectare of degraded and fragile soils, in The Sahel, costs as little as US$ 25 to 65.

“The international community must find ways to secure the long-term resilience not only for ecosystems, but also for people and for the poor who are the most affected by desertification,” said Mahmoud Mohieldin, Corporate Secretary and the President’s Special Envoy for the MDGs, in his opening remarks.  “To address the unique issues faced by the most vulnerable, we must invest in applicable solutions that are transformative, and can be scaled up.”

Panel discussion at World Day to Combat Desertification "A Conversation on Drylands: Perspectives from Africa, LAC and the Middle East"

Desertification-fighting champions include Ethiopia whose success was featured through the Bank-produced documentary Greening Ethiopia’s Highlands: A New Hope for Africa. The movie highlights how a landscape approach was used to manage land, water and forest resources to meet the goals of food security and inclusive green growth.

Niger’s effort in the restoration of degraded land and reforestation was also highlighted in the keynote address by its Prime Minister, Brigi Rafini. “Niger is one of hardest hit by desertification with the drying up of Lake Chad,” he said. “But, we have achieved incredible results on the sustainable management of ecosystems through local solutions and the Great Green Wall Initiative. The fight against desertification and climate change is within our reach.”

However, as Magda Lovei, ENRM Sector Manager, remarked, commitments from the top, mobilization at the grassroots and strong policies are necessary to find and deliver solutions. “If all these ingredients for success can be put in place and people do the right thing, nature can heal itself,” she said.
Juergen Voegele, Senior Director for the Agriculture Global Practice, reiterated the need for an approach that lets nature do the job. “Landscapes don’t need to be managed,” he said. “It is the people that need to be managed.”

This point was emphasized with the screening of the Why Poverty? documentary Solar Mamas, which depicts the encouraging training of illiterate mothers and grandmothers to become solar engineers through the Barefoot College in India. The film (embedded below) was screened following a presentation by Raffaelo Cervigni, World Bank Lead Environmental Economist, on the flagship drylands report to stimulate the panel discussion A Conversation on Drylands: Perspectives from Africa, LAC and the Middle East.

Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary, UNCCD

In her closing remarks, Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary, UNCCD, reiterated that insufficient attention is paid to land in climate change adaptation. She emphasized that it is not a matter of inventing solutions - many proven and effective measures exist and should be brought to scale. She pointed out that, while climate change negotiations tend to center around the largest greenhouse gas emitters, when climate change is put in terms of land, the negotiation dynamics can change as 169 countries claimed to be affected by desertification.

There is hope that, as the global community is debating the post-2015 development agenda and the future of climate action, the path chosen would lead towards land-based resilience.

Original post can be accessed on the World Bank website.

[video:https://vimeo.com/96813617]

"Cycling is one of the most popular sports in the world, but its also a mode of transportation for millions, helping to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and keep people healthy. UCI wants to contribute to a future where everyone, regardless of age, gender, or disability gets the opportunity to ride and bike, whether as an athlete, for recreation, or for transport. In ten months time, the Paris climate talks will provide the final opportunity to plan for a sustainable future: cycling - a truly zero-carbon form of transport - must be part of the solution".

- Brian Cookson, UCI President 

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres recognized the potential of the bicycle as a low carbon alternative when they took a spin on Ghanaian bamboo bikes as a side event at the COP 19 in Warsaw, Poland. The Ghana Bamboo Bike Initiative showcased the bicycles, which use locally grown bamboo. The strong, but lightweight bamboo bikes can be used for multiple purposes and in a variety of terrains. They were introduced as a non-polluting, affordable form of transportation as well as a way to create employment opportunities for rural women. Young women with little or no education are trained in Ghana to manufacture and assemble these bikes. The beneficiaries are also instructed on how to use bamboo waste materials to manufacture charcoal briquettes that also help to address energy needs.

Another opportunity for bike lovers will come up during the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC COP 21 in Paris in December, 2015. France is second to China with the highest number of bikeshare stations, and its capital, Paris has a computerized system Vlib that includes 1,230 stations and a fleet of 18,000 bicycles. Wouldnt it be a great if delegates from all over the world were to receive a free pass to the bikeshare bicycles in their welcome packet? It would give them a chance to not only talk the talk about climate, but also to ride the ride for positive climate care during the final Climate Summit. 

The bike sharing system of Paris, also known as Vélib', is all over the city, and is best way to discover the Paris of Parisian. Photo Credit: Velib'

In this effort to reenergize a global focus on bicycles and bicycling, I am very fortunate to be surrounded by a new generation of bike lovers from the UCI, World Bicycle Relief, and my own colleagues from Connect4Climate of the Sport4Climate initiative. These new and young advocates are proving to me that there is an enthusiastic ray of hope for cycling and the use of bicycles to create change. Their contagious passion for bicycles rekindles my own love for cycling as well.

Brian Cookson on racing track. Courtesy of UCI

As for us at Connect4Climate there will be plenty of biking around the world with our global communication initiative Sport4Climate that showcases how community of sport can get involved in tackling one of Earths most formidable foes: climate change. Sport has a universal appeal, and cycling is one of the most important pillars of the Olympic Movement. On our touring calendar, the stages will include the UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, COP 21, and obviously the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where we want to be an active part of the Olympic relay carrying the flame and enlightening the Olympic Cauldron during the opening ceremony. We will also, make sure that the mascots Vinicius and Tom will wear the Connect4Climate bracelets.

Even the French Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the Modern Olympic Movement, was an avid bike rider, and affectionately called his bike Nini. He immensely enjoyed bicycle riding among other sports activities in his lifetime. Wouldnt it be great if the global cycling community could follow de Coubertins lead and once again realize the joy and benefits of cycling? Just recently the initiator of Connect4Climate, Lucia Grenna, nostalgically revealed her trustworthy Bianchi as her top choice for transport OR mobility medium. It is obvious that things are looking up for Cycling4Climate!

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at COP 19 in Warsaw with the Ghana Bamboo Bike. Credit: Momentum for Change

The popularity and practicality of the bicycle are without question vital links to help lessen worsening morbidity trends attributed to pollution. This is especially true in areas where rapid urbanization and motorization are taking their toll. China is a prime example of such trends as the bicycle and rickshaw have been a traditional mode of mobility for decades, but not anymore. In 2004 there were just 10 million private cars in circulation in China; today there are more than 150 million. While we in the West are beginning to return to the bicycle, millions of others are forsaking their bikes for cars. Reversing this trend could be of huge benefit to our future climate and the health of our cities - but only if we act now.

There are those who see the bike as just a form of recreation or kids play. However, its a major form of transportation for hundreds of millions, and could be for billions. A third of US carbon dioxide emissions are from transport, yet half of all car trips are just 5 km or less. Such a distance takes only 15 minutes to ride on a bike. Of course cycling may not be practical for every trip by everyone, but if people are mindful of the option and if there are better facilities and a supportive culture, cycling could offer a zero-carbon alternative to the car and save billions of tons of CO2 in the coming decades.

Sport has the potential to be an influential if not the most influential element in the environmental movement. It has the potential to be more influential than politics, and more influential than business. Sport has the capacity to transform the way people view the planet and to encourage them to be advocates for environmental change.

I believe that the cycling community can and should be a strong leading voice from the global sports industry about how we doing something so simple can benefit our health and the health of our planet. This is especially important as we travel the Road to Paris: COP 21.

Environmental governance is about political environmental policy related to defining, developing and implementing the elements needed to achieve sustainability. It is about the design and execution of policy. All human activities; political, social and economic, should be understood and managed as subsets of the environment and ecosystems. Governance includes not only government, but also business and civil society, and emphasizes a holistic system management. Environmental Governance in Africa has not been as successful as in Europe or North America because of lack of effective coordination. Environmental experts have identified the absence of coordination among governmental agencies as a major challenge confronting environmental governance in Africa. Also sovereignty, existing divergent values, different levels of development, corruption and insincerity of purpose are challenges militating against a healthy environment in Africa.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been the forerunner in involving governments in developing and implementing Environmental Law or Governance. However, since its establishment in 1972, the number of Governmental institutions and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) dealing with environmental matters and related issues in the African continent have increased. In 2000 for example, statistics show that there were respectively 49 to 59 NGOs per million people in North and Sub-Saharan Africa. The role of Environmental NGOs’ include but are not limited to promoting activities such as environmental education and advocacy, participation in environmental policy-making and implementation, and business-NGO partnerships. It is unfortunate that with all NGO-governmental efforts, the economic significance derived from environmental governance is yet to be fully understood or acted upon hence the myriad of environmental challenges currently present in the African continent.

A recent report by the Institute for Security Studies in Africa (ISS) suggests that Africa’s challenges are linked to environmental insecurity and the development catastrophe, which includes poverty, water scarcity, degradation and inequitable distribution of natural resources, loss of arable land, food insecurity, coastal degradation and wetlands intrusion. These have posed (and continue to pose) great institutional challenges in Africa. Furthermore, many African countries are severely strained by these problems which are intricately intertwined and compounded by rapid population growth and migration causing unanticipated pressure on the resource base.  As a result the international community has placed immense demands on these countries, yet these African countries lack the capacity to cope with these changes and where they make an effort, it is negligible.  Therefore, many environmental institutions in Africa require an overhaul in guiding principles, policies and laws. For effective environmental governance in Africa; national governments require a lot of assistance if at all they are to contribute to sustainable development. It is also notable that national implementation of the Agenda 21 and Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in Africa has barely progressed and results remain to be seen. This is owed to diverse institutional and policy challenges, most common being ineffective governance structures, lack of adequate expertise, inadequate finances, lack of tools and equipment to implement and enforce current laws and international conventions, conflicting sectoral strategies towards human and natural development, unsustainable trade policies and corporate unaccountability. To address these challenges it is important to effectively address the synergies created between different MEAs. Governments should prioritize on expanded capacity-building programs and develop stronger commitment and discipline toward environmental policy.

Full Implementation of the Agenda 21 and MEAs can be achieved through advanced communication by MEA secretariats - a role played by United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). However, communication is faced with challenges that include false reporting and inadequate sharing of environmental databases among institutions. Rwanda, for example, is working toward enhancing the Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA) which consolidates and coordinates the country’s information technology resources. Since RITA ensures information flow among sectors, this is great initiative for other African countries to borrow from. In summary, African countries will achieve effective environmental governance, if all of its countries demonstrate their capacity to conquer environmental challenges.

In conclusion, Global Environmental Governance (GEG) has not ignored Africa’s challenges; one of the two themes for discussion at Rio+20—the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, to take place in June, 2012—is “Institutional Frameworks for Sustainable Development,” within which GEG reform is a key area for discussion. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), funded by the Danish government, and working closely with UNEP and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), has embarked upon a project that seeks to make an intellectual contribution on GEG reform to the African preparatory process for Rio+20. Through two high-level African consultations, the project seeks to identify key issues for Africa in GEG reform and to draw out options that are not currently part of Africa’s official preparatory process.