UNEP 2010 Annual Report (English)
UNEP 2010 Annual Report (English)
UNEP 2010 Annual Report (English)
INTRODUCTION
04 Message from the UN Secretary-General
06 Introduction by the Executive Director
5 64
65
66
ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT
Results targeted
A snapshot of 2010 results
09 Performance highlights 68 Highlights in 2010
1 10
16
18
GREENING ECONOMIES
Milestones in 2010
What makes a Green Economy?
6 76
77
HARMFUL SUBSTANCES
AND HAZARDOUS WASTE
Results targeted
21 Examples of the Green Economy 78 A snapshot of 2010 results
in practice 80 Highlights in 2010
2 26
27
28
CLIMATE CHANGE
Results targeted
A snapshot of 2010 results
7 88
89
90
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
Results targeted
A snapshot of 2010 results
30 Highlights in 2010 93 Highlights in 2010
0 4 1 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 80 100
3 40
41
DISASTERS AND CONFLICTS
Results targeted
8 98 THE GREEN MESSAGE
106 A snapshot of publications 2010
4 52
53
54
ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE
Results targeted
A snapshot of 2010 results
10 114 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
AND FINANCE
116 UNEP funding in 2010
56 Highlights in 2010 120 A snapshot of UNEP
122 UNEP senior staff 2010
• UN Secretary-General, BAN Ki-Moon ©UN
Message from
4
United Nations Secretary-General
unep annual report 2010 : message from UN Secretary-General
Throughout the year, UNEP worked to expand understanding of how environmental sustainability
and green growth are mutually supporting elements for achieving the Millennium Development
Goals and speeding recovery from the global economic crisis. Tackling climate change, water
scarcity, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, and addressing shifting demographic
and consumption patterns, will require bold new approaches. Green economics can weave
together these multiple strands and will be an important focus for my High-level Panel on Global
Sustainability, whose work will feed into preparations for the Rio+20 United Nations Conference
on Sustainable Development in 2012 and other international deliberations.
UNEP is also central to promoting environmental sustainability throughout the United Nations
system, so we can truly claim to practise what we preach. That effort encompasses coordinating
emission-reduction planning for UN entities and spearheading the UN-wide Greening the Blue
campaign that highlights how we can all do more, from sustainable procurement to more
resource-efficient peacekeeping. Green principles also underpin the ongoing renovations of the
UN Headquarters complex in New York.
Better managing our finite natural resources is a job for all — from governments to individuals. 5
UNEP’s scientific assessments and reports showed, global on a sobering note when the Global Biodiversity Outlook
indicators demonstrate that the world is still heading in the 3 Report indicated that not a single country had met the
wrong direction for sustainable development. target to substantially reverse the rate of biodiversity loss,
it ended on a far higher one.
However, UNEP documented through its work including
on the ‘transition towards a green economy’ a remarkable In October, in Nagoya, Japan, governments re-engaged on
momentum at local and national levels to ‘change course’. the biodiversity and ecosystem challenge, setting new and
in some cases, more ambitious targets by 2020.
Global environmental action and governance have come
under increasing scrutiny. Perhaps it is time to consider Importantly, they also agreed — and after almost two
the implications of these developments and remind decades of stalemate — an international regime on the
ourselves that multilateralism must combine a top-down access and benefit sharing of genetic resources (ABS).
with a bottom-up approach to succeed. Nowhere has this
become more visible than in the fields of climate change Through ‘The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity’
and biodiversity. study (TEEB), a global and pioneering partnership, hosted
by UNEP and bringing together economists and researchers, UNEP, working with climate modelling centres worldwide,
the economic valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem provided a key reference document for countries in Cancun
services broke new ground. and beyond through its Emissions Gap Report. Even the
most optimistic scenario shows an emission gap of some five
Such efforts were further strengthened by the UNEP Gigatonnes between what countries have pledged so far and
coordinated process to establish an Intergovernmental where they need to be in 2020 to have a running chance of
Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) — an keeping a global 21st century temperature rise under 2° C.
‘IPCC for nature’ if you will, which the General Assembly
endorsed in December 2010. Yet, what was also clear in 2010 was that despite the
struggles of the formal negotiations, many countries, regional
In May, in New York, during the opening of the Commission and national governments, companies and civil society, are
of Sustainable Development (CSD) UNEP’s work on already moving towards a low carbon path.
Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) was
spotlighted. The 10-Year Framework of programmes on 2010 has not been an easy year for many Member States as
SCP, which we hope to be agreed at this year’s CSD, and the on-going financial and economic crisis, which emerged
the Green Economy will be key themes for the Rio+20 in 2008, continues to challenge national budgets and
conference in 2012. development options in the North and South.
UNEP emphasised that a Green Economy echoes to the Despite a financially challenging year, UNEP embarked upon
challenges and opportunities of all economies — be the implementation of its new results-based Medium Term
they more state-led or more market oriented in their Strategy and Programme of Work for 2010-2011.
policy outlook.
Its Programme Performance Report for 2010 indicates that
In a world of nearly seven billion, rising to nine billion progress has been good and that the reform process has put
people by 2050, it is in the interests of all nations to forge UNEP on a new trajectory towards a more results-focused
a development path that decouples growth from the and effective organization.
unsustainable use of natural resources.
7
In this respect, I wish to acknowledge the important
The core objective of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is to serve as an authoritative advocate
for the global environment, to help governments set the global environmental agenda, and to promote the coherent
implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system.
2010 marked the beginning of a period of new, strategic and transformational direction for UNEP as it began
implementing its Medium Term Strategy (MTS) for 2010-2013 across six areas: Climate change; Disasters and
conflicts; Ecosystem management; Environmental governance; Harmful substances and hazardous waste;
Resource efficiency, Sustainable consumption and production.
A key feature of UNEP’s transition was making the organization’s work more strategic and coherent, while
addressing country needs more effectively and demonstrating results.
To promote the coherent through strategic partnerships and demonstrations Harmful substances and
implementation of hazardous waste
the environmental To foster transboundary collaboration for the
dimension of sustainable management of shared resources Resource efficiency,
development within the sustainable consumption
United Nations system To bring about coherence in actions in the and production
United Nations on common environmental priorities
Improved coherence in the environmental dimension of Completion of the UNEP reform process
United Nations work • UNEP’s new Science Strategy was approved by the Senior
• The UN system moved to become climate neutral: Management Team.
targeting 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum. • Revamped programme and project review processes are
9
• Countries' readiness for Reducing Emissions from achieving more synergy in UNEP’s operations.
February, 2010
UNEP Green Economy advisory services
Ministers at the Global Ministerial Environment Forum in Bali consist of policy advice that is provided to
adopted the Nusa Dua Declaration in which the Green Economy governments in support of their national
was noted as a concept to operationalise sustainable development
and regional initiatives on Green Economy.
and eradicate poverty
MAy, 2010
Launch of the Green Economy Report Preview at the UN Conference We have partnered with the
on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) Prepcom1 in New York United Nations Environment
South Africa's Green Economy Summit in Johannesburg Programme (UNEP) to
June, 2010
promote a transition to a
Green Economy, building
African Ministers of Environment agree to take advantage of
opportunities provided by a growth and development trajectory on Barbados' existing
that embraces the Green Economy model as cited in the initiatives in the area
Bamako Declaration
of resource efficiency
September, 2010 and the promotion of
Green Economy – A Brief for Policymakers launched at the MDG sustainable consumption
Summit in New York
and production. We believe
The 64th General Assembly decided that ‘Green Economy’ in the that our experience in
context of poverty eradication and sustainable development’ would
be one of two themes at the Rio+20 conference transitioning to a Green
Economy will serve as a
October, 2010
useful model for other Small
The 7th African Development Forum called for the Island Developing States
operationalisation of a regional initiative on the Green Economy
in Africa. The EU provides funding for Green Economy advisory (SIDS) and small economies
services in Africa.
and we intend to share our
The World Bank, in partnership with organizations including unique perspective with the
UNEP, starts assisting an initial 10 developing countries to develop
national green accounts international community in
the preparatory process for
November, 2010
the Rio+20 summit in 2012.
UNEP co-hosts a Governors' Global Climate Summit with a focus on
Senator Maxine McClean,
the Green Economy Minister Of Foreign Affairs And Foreign
Trade of Barbados at the General
G20 Leaders agreed to support Green Growth in the closing Debate Of The 65th Session Of The UN
declaration of the G20 in Seoul, Republic of Korea, confirming their General Assembly at United Nations
commitment to carry out a ‘framework for strong, sustainable and Headquarters in New York.
balanced growth’
ECONOMIES
GREENING ECONOMIES
TO ACHIEVE
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
“We see the
Green Economy as an
opportunity to respond to the
notion that there is a trade-off
to be made between faster
economic growth and sustainable
greening
development, and the preservation
of our environment.”
President Jacob Zuma, South Africa,
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A survey by the UN Conference on Trade and Development and UNEP of small-scale farmers in Africa who have
switched from intensive to organic or near-organic agriculture, indicates that yields have climbed by 100 per cent
— in part because of longer growing periods linked with more fertile soils and improvements in water availability.
Uganda, a country where 85 per cent of the working population is employed in agriculture, has turned to
organic production to boost exports and incomes. Prices for organic vanilla, ginger and pineapples are higher
than conventional produce. Since 2004, the number of certified organic farmers has grown from 45,000 to over
200,000 and the area of land under organic cultivation from 185,000 hectares to close to 300,000 hectares.
Investing all or part of these subsidies in renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind, could trigger new
kinds of employment, faster access to electricity and greater social equity — a better overall standard of living.
There would be benefits for the environment including improvements in air pollution alongside an estimated six
per cent cut in annual greenhouse gas emissions.
Clean energy used to fuel development
Creative and forward-looking urban planning, allied to sustainable transport policies, have allowed
the Brazilian city of Curitiba to grow more than six fold, while simultaneously improving mobility and
quality of life. The average area of green space per person has risen from one square metre to around
50 square metres; 45 per cent of journeys are made by public transport; excessive fuel use due to
congestion is 13 times less per person than in Saõ Paulõ and the lower levels of air pollution result in
health benefits for local citizens.
Some 26 per cent of Costa Rica’s land area is now covered in legally protected forests. There has been
a boom in eco-tourism creating employment and over $5 million worth of park fees from visitors.
Poverty and unemployment have fallen and wages have risen among those living in or near the
country’s national parks.
Fisheries management
improved to increase
stability in income
However, the global fishing industry is suffering from a ‘failure of management’ that is likely to lead
to the collapse of several fisheries unless unsustainable subsidies are scaled down or phased out,
according to UNEP’s Green Economy work.
An $8 billion annual investment in rebuilding and greening the world’s fisheries could have a positive
and lasting impact on the fishing industry worldwide. The funding would come from scaling down or
phasing out the nearly $30 billion worth of subsidies currently in place worldwide. Researchers say
this investment has the potential to both increase fish catches and generate $1.7 trillion in long-term
economic returns over the next four decades.
Some possible methods for greening fisheries highlighted in the report include providing job training
in alternative industries, reducing the size of fishing fleets to limit excess harvesting capacity, and
providing additional funding for fishery management to expand marine protected areas.
140 Annual value added and gross revenue of marine fisheries today
versus in a Green Economy scenario ($bn)
120 Source: UNEP, Green Economy Report, due in February 2011
20
unep annual report 2010 : greening economies
80
Prospective total annual value
added of fisheries in a Green
60 Economy scenario
GREEN GOLD IN
COLOMBIA
Jordan is facing the consequences of climate change, for adhering to environmental standards and turn
increased pressure on natural resources, widening Jordan into a regional centre for green services
income disparities and a burgeoning population. and industries’.
Scarcity of freshwater is the most serious challenge
— both in quantity and quality—followed by A Green Economy is characterised by
desertification, soil degradation and deforestation. substantially increased investment in
With about 10 per cent of total land under green sectors, supported by enabling
cultivation, but only 6 per cent of GDP generated policy reforms. These investments,
from agricultural production, there is an urgent need both public and private, provide the
to redesign agricultural practices and investment.
mechanism for the reconfiguration
of businesses, infrastructure and
Jordan is also reliant on fossil fuel imports, but could
gain energy independence through the deployment institutions, and the adoption
of large and small-scale renewable energy of sustainable consumption and
technologies and improved energy efficiency in production processes. Therefore, the
buildings and industrial processes. signing of the Green Economy Strategy
22
MOU with UNEP early this year came
unep annual report 2010 : greening economies
The two critical issues identified by Jordan as needing at a very important time.
a ‘Green Economy lens’ are land-use management
Mr. Raouf Dabbas, Senior Advisor, Ministry of
and sustainable urbanisation. Green investment Environment, Jordan.
and reforms will lead to the creation of green jobs,
ensuring economic growth whilst preventing further
resource depletion and environmental degradation. The Green Economy assistance by UNEP for Jordan
will be delivered as a ‘One UN’ initiative and
In its 2010 Executive Programme, Jordan stated processed through inter-ministerial cooperation
there was a need to ‘launch a programme for green while partnering with national stakeholders, namely
services and industries to meet the requirements NGOs and business entities.
THE POWER OF A
CUP OF TEA
The tea estates’ location in the hills — in areas with high annual rainfall and all-season river flows — make
them ideal sites for hydropower projects. With the support of the Greening the Tea Industry project supported
with Global Environment Facility (GEF) financing, feasibility studies for eight sites have been completed, and
up to six small hydropower stations will be built as demonstration projects. Any surplus hydropower will be
used to provide electricity for nearby villages that have no grid connection.
Over a period of 20 years, this project is expected to invest in 82 MW of small hydropower plants, as well as
benefit more than a million tea farmers, their households, communities and associated enterprises.
23
UNEP also supported preparation of feed-in tariff (a policy mechanism designed to encourage the adoption
of renewable energy sources) policies for renewable energies
Is 2010 and the Green Economy a
in Kenya and Tanzania. Under these policies, national grid turning point for future practices that
utilities are obliged to buy renewable energy from all eligible couple the pursuit of economic growth
and the generation of green jobs
participants, and to promote investment in hydropower. with the benefits of energy efficiency,
renewable energy investment and the
efficient use of natural resources?
FINANCING A Green Economy
FROM
LITTLE ACORNS,
MIGHTY OAKS GROW
The environment for entrepreneurship, particularly Corporation set up the first of a number of
in the clean energy sector, is poor in many new clean energy ‘incubators’ that will provide
developing countries. entrepreneurs with business development,
technology commercialisation support and seed
For new business ventures there is often a lack financing. In India, work is underway with Yes Bank
of enterprise development support services to create a syndicate of financial institutions that
and financing is hard to secure, with most will invest seed and follow-on capital in socially
investors reluctant to engage too early in new and environmentally oriented small and medium-
business ventures. This can mean that even the sized enterprises. In Africa, SCAF is engaged with
most promising new technologies are deployed the Evolution One Fund to provide seed financing
relatively slowly. to wind farm developments along South Africa’s
Eastern Cape.
The two largest challenges that investors have in
financing early stage projects are the transaction Funds engaged so far are intended to realize over
costs and insufficient returns offered by these $2 billion dollars of clean energy infrastructure in
24 small, less mature and more risky ventures. the developing world, of which $55 million will be
Working with the Asian Development Bank and the invested at the seed funding stage.
unep annual report 2010 : greening economies
CLIMATE
CH
AN
GE
RESULTS TARGETED
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Enhancing Knowledge and Communication
Degradation (REDD) 12 participating countries in the FIFA World
Maps and assessments on forest carbon overlaps with Cup 2010 engaged in a carbon offset initiative
important centres of biodiversity, ecosystem services to make the trips of their national teams to
and livelihoods undertaken to inform investments in South Africa climate neutral.
Bolivia, China, Ecuador, Honduras and Nigeria. Similar
work was carried out in Cambodia and Tanzania.
Adapting to Climate Change
Comprehensive assessments initiated to map climate
change hotspots in the Nile River Basin, including
Burundi, Central African Republic, the Democratic KEY FACTS
Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
. The globally averaged mixing ratios of
carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and
Enhancing Knowledge
and Communication
nitrous oxide (N2O) reached new heights
Action-oriented recommendations in 2009. These values are greater than
for enhancing climate change
those in pre-industrial times (before
communication and awareness
result from Science Policy 1750) by 38 per cent, 158 per cent and
Dialogues in Bangladesh, Bhutan 19 per cent, respectively.
and Nepal. Similar results observed
in Burundi, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda,
Senegal and Tanzania.
THE CANCUN
ACCORD
The combustor 'Twence' in The Netherlands is able to process 550, 000 tonnes of waste and 150,000
tonnes of biomass annually. The majority of waste is being burned in the industrial waste incineration
plant AVI in order to generate electricty. Through turbines, the heath is converted into electricity and used
for public energy needs of almost 150,000 households © the biggerpicture
The latest round of climate negotiations in Cancun has put the world back on track to renew
international efforts to combat climate change. The decisions taken in Cancun will help the world
achieve gains in a range of important areas including forestry (REDD), adaptation, technology as
well as a new Green Fund to assist developing nations and the anchoring of the emission reduction
pledges made last year in Copenhagen.
However, as UNEP and climate modellers made clear in the run-up to Cancun, a significant
emissions gap exists between what is being promised by countries and what is needed to keep a
global temperature rise below 2° C, and that gap remains firmly in place post-Cancun.
At the same time, Cancun also showcased how many countries and companies are forging ahead
toward climate resilient and low emission development, signaling a determination to move to a
Green Economy.
Likely avoided temperature increase of integrated assessment models (IAM) scenarios.
Bar superimposed in 2020 shows expected emissions from the pledges.
30
100
unep annual report 2010 : climate change
Legend:
global total emissions [GtCO₂ eq/year]
T < 2°C
0
range of pledge cases
The force of a tropical rainstorm on cities can be devastating. Houses and schools are washed
away, enormous gullies appear on slopes, and roads sometimes simply disappear. This shattering
impact is worsened by increased run-off caused by deforestation and consequently soil
erosion inland. For coastal cities such as Xai Xai in Mozambique, which sits on the banks of the
Limpopo as it meets the Indian Ocean, facing the grim aftermath of storms may become a more
frequent event.
UNEP and UNDP implemented a programme to demonstrate concrete adaptation action at the
32 community level. In the case of Xai Xai, this meant partnering with the city council, the Centre for
the Sustainable Development of Coastal Zones, and with city communities to provide technical
unep annual report 2010 : climate change
assistance. The establishment of communal committees to mitigate and prevent erosion and soil
degradation was also supported.
At a cost of less than $50,000, there has been a transformation in community and local authority
understanding of the relationship between the chronic erosion problems that plague the city
and climate change. The Xai Xai project has also provided socio-economic data that will help
model the impacts of climate change on coastal cities elsewhere in Mozambique and across the
developing world.
CLEAN
TECHNOLOGY
Tools to help countries adopt
clean energy technologies
UNEP’s approach has been to support Solar loans for rural homes in India © UNEP
Bioenergy
Bioenergy is renewable energy made available from materials derived from biological sources.
In 2010, UNEP issued a series of Issue Papers flagging emerging issues on water and bioenergy,
invasive species and stakeholder engagement. With the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), under the framework of UN Energy, UNEP issued a ‘decision making’ support tool providing
guidance to developing countries on bioenergy policy development, as well as bioenergy
project appraisal.
UNEP continued to advance the development of sustainability indicators and criteria under
34 the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB).
UNEP, through its Bioenergy Policy Support Facility, and in cooperation with local partners and
unep annual report 2010 : climate change
collaborating centres, supported mapping processes in three countries — Kenya, Uganda and
Senegal — indicating areas that are suitable and available for sustainable bioenergy development.
Mapping has been identified as a prime tool to help reduce the risk of environmental and social
consequences related to land use change.
Scientific assessments are also being developed with GEF funding on issues relating to bioenergy
and sustainable approaches to bioenergy production and use.
OZONE
After achieving universal ratification in 2009, the Montreal Protocol continued its successful
implementation record in 2010. Between 1986 and 2010, global consumption of ozone depleting
substances was reduced by 98 per cent.
Virtually all developing countries met a major compliance obligation by phasing out CFCs by the
1 January 2010 deadline. In addition, from 1990 to 2010, the Protocol’s control measures reduced
GHG emissions by the equivalent of 135 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent to 4 to 5 times the reductions
targeted in the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
Montreal Protocol Parties are now examining ways to use the treaty’s vigorous compliance regime
to promote even greater climate change benefits through the phase out of HCFCs, widely used
in air conditioning, refrigeration and foams. Through hands on support, an information clearing
house and 10 Regional Networks, OzonAction is assisting 147 developing countries to meet this
dual ozone-climate protection challenge. For example, OzonAction is assisting the Republic of 35
Sometimes the best rate of interest is also in the best interest of the planet:
clean technology
Despite solar powered water heaters being an obvious energy saving solution in hot and sunny
countries, the cost of buying them is frequently prohibitive for many people. Banks are often
unfamiliar with the costs and benefits of clean energy, so loans are often not widely available.
Yet, solar hot water systems can earn the initial investment in as little as four years, offering years
of ‘free’ hot water after that.
An average four-person household with an electric water heater is responsible for about eight
tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, almost double that generated by a typical modern car.
Enter Prosol — a joint initiative between UNEP, the Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and
Sea and the National Agency for Energy Conservation — which has helped 105,000 Tunisian
families get their hot water from the sun based on loans of over $60 million — a substantial
36 leverage on Prosol’s initial $2.5 million initial cost. The solar water heater market in Tunisia
showed a dramatic increase when low-interest loans were made available to householders, with
unep annual report 2010 : climate change
This reduced the risk for local banks while simultaneously showing borrowers the impact of solar
heating on their electricity bills. Its success has led the Tunisian government to set an ambitious
target of 750,000m2 of solar water heaters for 2010-2014, making the country comparable to
Spain or Italy with populations several times higher. Jobs have been created, creating a ‘green
jobs’ workforce of over 1,000 installers. The tourism and industry sectors are also now involved,
with 47 hotels engaged by late 2009, and there are plans to encourage industry to make greater
use of the sun’s energy.
FORESTS FOR
THE FUTURE
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Using spatial analysis for REDD+ benefits beyond carbon © UNEP
In turn, parallel measures are needed to spur private The climate change debate continued unabated
enterprise, encourage thriving carbon markets, local throughout 2010 on a variety of issues regarding
community and entrepreneurial solutions, investment the nature, causes and consequences of climate
in the carbon capture of ecosystems and ways to deal change. UNEP supported an independent review of
with non-C02 gases. the IPCC by the Inter Academy Council to strengthen
its processes. UNEP will continue to support the IPCC
The knowledge gap to institute transparent and stringent quality control
procedures in the issuance of future climate change
To assist the research community, UNEP in partnership assessment reports. This review followed guidance
with World Meteorological Organization (WMO), provided by the UNEP Governing Council/GMEF in
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural February 2010.
FROM FOOTBALL
TO THE FTSE
South Africa World Cup © thebiggerpicture
• In perhaps the most televised event of 2010, UNEP supported FIFA to reduce the carbon
footprint of the 2010 World Cup with GEF funds. Twelve participating countries were
engaged in a carbon offset initiative to make the trips of national teams to South Africa
climate neutral.
• The Climate Neutral Network (CN Net) is a UNEP web-based initiative to showcase
strategies and initiatives to promote the global transition to low-carbon economies
and societies. CN Net participants have set some of the most ambitious climate neutral
strategies in the world. Membership grew during the year, from 190 in December 2009
to 240 by October 2010, including 10 countries, six regions, 18 cities, 150 companies and
51 organizations or institutions.
39
• UNEP’s ‘30 Ways in 30 Days’ communications initiative in the run up to the Cancun
www.unep.org/unite/30ways
© Corbis
A
FLIC
CON ND
TS
DIS
AST
ERS
Minimizing the threats and impacts
of crises
Emergency Response
Through its Joint Environment Unit with
OCHA, UNEP coordinated and mobilised
environmental expertise to identify and
mitigate acute environmental risks in
five emergency situations in Albania,
Haiti, Nigeria (Zamfara State), Pakistan
and Ukraine.
.
KEY FACTS
An environment-based approach to
disaster risk reduction offers multiple
benefits to help prevent catastrophic
situations contributing to sustainable
livelihoods development, poverty
reduction and climate change adaptation.
Highlights in 2010
RISK REDUCTION
2010 was a year of ‘firsts’ for UNEP’s programme of environmental support to UN peacekeeping
missions around the world. UNEP assisted the UN Departments of Peacekeeping Operations
(DPKO) and Field Support (DFS) to conduct the first-ever environmental impact assessments and
baseline studies for new base camps in Mogadishu, Somalia, and Mombasa, Kenya. The pilot
study, which examined issues such as where camps are sited and resource efficiency in relation to
energy, water and waste, will be used as a model for replication by other UN field missions.
UNEP also joined with the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the International
Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to develop and launch the first-ever capacity-building
programme for peacekeepers on natural resource management in post-conflict countries.
UNEP’s work with UN field missions ultimately aims at helping them implement the DPKO/
DFS Environmental Policy, improving health and safety conditions for UN personnel and local
communities, promoting more sustainable practices by UN field mission staff and their partners,
and ensuring more autonomous, secure and cost-effective camps.
Host countries of UN peacekeeping operations will also benefit from sustainable practices,
technology transfer and support for the development of their ‘Green Economy’ markets.
RISK REDUCTION
In 2010, UNEP successfully developed and pilot-tested a new methodology for taking environmental
factors — specifically ecosystems and climate change — into account in the analysis of disaster
risk and vulnerability. The initiative aimed to support national and local government decision-
makers in evaluating their development and growth options more effectively.
The methodology specifically targets Small Island Development States (SIDS) and other coastal
areas that are at the frontline of experiencing the decline of ecosystems, extreme weather events,
and climate change impacts such as accelerated sea-level rise.
Jamaica was selected as a pilot country on the basis of its high level of vulnerability to climate 45
change and natural hazards, as well as the importance of nature-based tourism, agriculture and
For the first time, we have a tool that enables government agencies
to make more informed decisions about land use and development
that accounts for the role of ecosystems, such as sea grasses, in
reducing risk.
Dr Ronald Robinson, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica.
BEFORE AFTER
RISK REDUCTION
Reshaping of the dam front and installation of a water drainage system to avoid
destabilization of the dam structure © UNEP
Mining and mineral processing have played a vital part in the history and economy of the Western
Balkans. Richly endowed with mineral resources such as copper, chromite, lead and zinc, the region
boasts some of the largest deposits in Europe. Capitalising on such mineral assets is important for
local economies, as well as to attract foreign investment.
However, mining sites can have significant negative environmental impacts and represent a
heightened risk for industrial accidents, as evidenced by UNEP’s assessment of some 150 mining
sites across the region.
In 2010, UNEP — together with its partners in the Environment and Security Initiative — organized
and supported the remediation of two mining sites in Albania, which suffered from problems
linked to instability, leakage and failure. Construction work also improved the structural integrity
of the sites to avoid catastrophic failures caused by extreme weather events or continuous erosion
of waste material.
46
In addition to the intervention in Albania, over 40 experts from all six countries in the Western
unep annual report 2010 : disasters and conflicts
Balkans were trained on environmental risk reduction measures, thereby strengthening regional
capacity and cooperation.
BEFORE AFTER
UNEP had been operating on the ground in Haiti for nearly two years, working towards long-
term, large-scale environmental restoration in the country, when the earthquake struck on
12 January, 2010. The UNEP office in Port-au-Prince was destroyed in the disaster, but our six-
person team was fortunate to suffer only minor injuries. They regrouped and were back in action
within days, focusing on assessing immediate environmental risks and assisting humanitarian
relief operations.
Already prior to the devastating earthquake, Haiti was known as the poorest, least stable and most
environmentally degraded country in the Western Hemisphere. Severe poverty, food insecurity
and disaster vulnerability — which are strongly interlinked with environmental issues such as
deforestation and soil erosion — have had profound impacts on the population’s well-being for
decades. Compounding these challenges, the earthquake led to an explosion of waste, severe
water and sanitation issues, and a wide range of environmental problems related to camps for
the displaced.
47
Some 15 per cent of the �4.6 billion government recovery plan for Haiti should be allocated
to investments in environmental improvements such as reforestation, improved sanitation,
sustainable agriculture and urban planning.
Disasters leading to losses of more than $10 billion,
January 1975 — June 2008 (Highlighting denotes
Year Countries Hazards Total loss
disasters within the five-year period, 2003-2008.) ($billion)
Source: EMDAT; Analysis by ISDR, 2008 (data as of September 2008) United States of
2004 America Hurricane Rita 16
2004 Japan Chuetsu 28 1996 China P Rep Yellow River flood 12.6
earthquake Nigataken Chuetsu-
1992 United States Hurricane Andrew 26.5 2007 Japan oki earthquake 12.5
1980 Italy Irpinia earthquake 20 1993 United States Great Midwest 12
United States of flood
2004 America Hurricane Ivan 18 2002 Germany River Elbe floods 11.7
1997 Indonesia Wild Fires 17 2004 United States of Hurricane Frances 11
Northridge America
1994 United States earthquake 16.5 1991 Japan Typhoon Mireille 10
2005 United States of Hurricane Charley 16 1995 United States of Major west coast 10
America America wind storm
20°W 0° 20°E 40°E 60°E 80°E 100°E 120°E 140°E 160°E 180° 160°W 140°W Weather-related hazards
80°N 80°N
N Droughts index
(frequency and intensity)
Very high
High
60°N 60°N
Moderate high
Moderate low
Low
48
40°N 40°N Tropical Cyclones
unep annual report 2010 : disasters and conflicts
10 000 to 30 000
20°N 20°N
3 000 to 10 000
Floods
(average annual frequency)
0° 0° 50 and more
0 500 1 000 2 000
20 to 50 years
Kilometres
Less than 20 years
40°E 60°E 80°E 100°E 120°E 140°E 160°E
Data sources: Lakes and oceans
Tropical cyclones: UNEP/GRID-Europe
Floods: UNEP/GRID-Europe + observed from Dartmouth Flood Observatory and frequency from Flood PREVIEW UNEP/GRID-Europe Regional extent
Droughts: International Research Institute for Climate and Society of Columbia University.
Cartography: P.Peduzzi, UNEP, UN/ISDR, 2009 Other regions
POST CRISIS
ENVIRONMENTAL
RECOVERY
UNEP has been working in Afghanistan since 2002, and has surprised many observers by its record of
success and lasting commitment in the most difficult of circumstances. With project offices in Kabul
and Bamiyan, UNEP aims to create a lasting foundation for sustainable development in the country,
through a comprehensive programme of support addressing institutional, legal and capacity needs.
The year 2010 was marked by the establishment of community-based natural resource management
as the de facto development strategy for rural Afghanistan. Having introduced the concept to the
country, UNEP now has 26 community-based projects across three provinces. These small-scale
economic development initiatives at village level aim to demonstrate to communities the benefits
50
they can garner from improved natural resource management. UNEP’s aim is to develop the capacity,
unep annual report 2010 : disasters and conflicts
commitment, capital and coordination that will catalyse environmentally sustainable development
in the post-conflict context. In addition, GEF funding was secured to assist communities to build
resilience against climate change.
UNEP was also instrumental in the development of a national system for parks and conservation
of nature and biodiversity in key reserves and conservation areas, and became directly
involved in the management of three protected areas projects: Band-e Amir National Park,
the Kole-Hashmat Khan wetlands, and the Shah Foladi Protected Area. UNEP plans to expand this
to 30 other proposed areas in 2011.
Linda Norgrove © UNEP
Tribute to Linda Norgrove
The tragic death in October of Linda Norgrove shocked and deeply saddened her former
colleagues at UNEP, and brought home the unpredictable dangers faced by aid and development
actors on the ground.
Between 2005 and 2008, Ms Norgrove was a valued member of UNEP’s Afghanistan programme
team. She left to serve in Lao PDR as Head of the Environment Unit, a joint UNEP and UN
Development Programme post, before returning to Afghanistan in January 2010 to work for a
non-governmental organization, ‘Development Alternatives.’
Ms Norgrove, 36, died in Afghanistan’s Kunar province during a rescue attempt, following her
kidnapping some two weeks earlier.
51
Linda will be remembered for making a pivotal contribution to laying the foundations for
Linda’s premature death is also a tragedy and loss to the people of Afghanistan and Lao PDR,
whom she served with selflessness and dedication.
© Corbis
GOVERNANCE
ENVIRONMENTAL
Strengthening governance
UNEP supports coherent international
decision-making processes for
environmental governance.
International Cooperation
Policy dialogue through Regional
Ministerial forums held in Africa,
Asia, Latin America and the
Caribbean and The Pacific.
0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
At the 11th special session of the UNEP Governing Council Alongside the development of options for reforming
/ Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF), the the International Environmental Governance
world's environment ministers adopted the Nusa Dua architecture, synergies among the chemical related
Declaration recognizing that the international environ- MEAs also reached a significant milestone. For the
mental architecture has become complex and fragmented first time, the Conferences of the Parties to the
and consequently not as efficient or as effective as it Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions held
could be. simultaneous extraordinary meetings in February
2010. The Parties agreed on the arrangements for
In the Declaration, Environment Ministers recognized joint activities, joint management, including the
the opportunity presented by the 2012 Conference establishment of the position of Joint Executive
on Sustainable Development to make headway in Secretary and joint administrative services.
addressing the shortcomings of the current environmental
governance system. In this regard, the Global Environment Acknowledging the advances made in improving
Ministers Forum established a consultative group of coherence in the governance of the international
ministers or high-level representatives to develop options chemicals agenda, the Nusa Dua Declaration called
56
for the reform of the current architecture and called for upon the Conferences of the Parties to the biodiversity-
unep annual report 2010 : environmental governance
increased synergy among the Multilateral Environmental related MEAs to strengthen their efforts in achieving
Agreements (MEAs). synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions.
2010, being the International Year of Biodiversity, the
Since its establishment, the Consultative Group held two 65th session of the General Assembly held a high-level
meetings in Nairobi and Helsinki and developed nine meeting on biodiversity, which noted the substantial
options for strengthening a broad range of governance benefits to be gained from the coherent implementa-
issues from enhancing the interface between environmental tion of the biodiversity-related conventions.
science and policy, to the development of financial and
technical assistance architecture to support the national The inclusion of civil society in the global environmental
implementation of MEAs. The Consultative Group has also governance discourse was strengthened through the
developed options for the institutional framework that will establishment of a Civil Society Advisory Group in
be required to implement the proposed reforms. October 2010.
STRENGTHENING
LAW
Young Nepali schoolgirl drinking from city fountain on Durbar Square, Nepal © iStockphoto
UNEP’s Greening Water Law report warned that in the face of declining fresh
water resources, governments and law-makers urgently need to integrate
environmental concerns into water-use legislation. Without action to improve
freshwater supplies for drinking, sanitation, and hygiene purposes, as many as 57
135 million preventable deaths could occur by 2020.
The Poverty-Environment Initiative (PEI) is a joint effort led by UNDP and UNEP to assist countries to improve the
livelihoods of the poor dependent on natural resources and reduce their vulnerability to climate change by integrating
pro-poor environment and climate change concerns into national and sub-national economic decision making and
planning processes.
MALAWI — PEI supported the government
The PEI consists of 21 country programmes and also provides to produce a study on the contribution of
targeted technical support to another five countries in Africa, Asia- natural resources to poverty reduction and
Pacific, Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and economic growth. It is influencing the next
Latin America and the Caribbean. Malawi Growth and Development Strategy.
ASIA PACIFIC — PEI Asia AFRICA — PEI capacity building MALI — Support from PEI was key to a
Pacific in partnership with GTZ on environmental fiscal reform decision by the Government of Mali to green
introduced the Environmental in collaboration with German its upcoming Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.
Fiscal Reform measures to the Technical Cooperation (GTZ)
Ministries of Finance, Planning in Mali, Burkina Faso and NEPAL — PEI supported the Ministry of
and Agriculture and Forestry Mauritania increased their ability Local Development to produce economic
of Bhutan, Lao PDR, Nepal to integrate sustainability into evidence for promoting pro-poor
and Thailand and identified development planning processes. environment friendly rural infrastructure
the potential for possible development and for sustainable natural
Environmental Fiscal Reform resource use and extraction practices by
LAO PDR — Results from
measures in these countries. local governments.
PEI national and provincial
consultations, an economic
BURKINA FASO — A PEI valuation of ecosystem services SOUTH EAST AND EAST ASIA — UNEP and
supported study on the role and baseline assessments the World Health Organization facilitated
of the environment within of social and environmental the establishment of a Regional Forum on
the economy helped integrate impacts of private investment Environment and Health in South East and
58
poverty-environment in the new are feeding into National and East Asian Countries.
unep annual report 2010 : environmental governance
Thailand’s Ministry of Interior and local government plays a key role in managing public and private
investments that directly affect how rural people live. In the northern, mountainous province of Nan
in Thailand, 87 per cent of the total land (11,472 square kilometres) is heavily forested. Nan is of
national importance in part because the Nan River forms the catchment for over 40 per cent of the
Chao Praya River which runs down to Bangkok.
National and local policies and investments have had a dramatic impact on this landscape
— with the rapid spread of maize farming replacing much of the dense forest. In the past four
years, due to strong market incentives together with the government’s price guarantee scheme,
maize farming has been responsible for clearing about 400,000 rai (about 153,846 acres) of
60
forestland. Farmers are attracted to growing maize as it is an annual crop, and provides flexibility
in terms of how and where to use land.
unep annual report 2010 : environmental governance
At a local level, PEI is supporting communities to engage with the planning and budgeting process
through ecosystem assessments within Nan Province. This ecosystem assessment is being used as
evidence to support the government to create a watershed management fund for conservation
farming investments and reduce perverse incentives that promote maize growing.
These lessons from Nan in linking local people into the planning and investment decisions that
affect their lives will be shared with other provinces.
In addition, the Thai National Environmental Health Strategic Plan has been integrated into the
Tenth National Economic and Social Development Plan 2007-2011.
MAINSTREAMING
ENVIRONMENT IN
DEVELOPMENT
During 2010, UNEP increased its engagement
in the UN common country programming
Local traders in Sudan © UNEP
processes. UNEP has worked to mainstream
environmental sustainability and climate
change in ‘One UN’ programmes.
• UNEP has supported the UN Country Teams
2010 also saw increased capacity in Regional Offices (UNCTs) in mainstreaming environmental
to improve UNEP’s ability to deliver at the regional sustainability in 43 UN common country
and country level. The United Nations Development programming processes. Through the support
Assistance Framework (UNDAF) is the strategic UNEP has responded to national capacity gaps to
programme framework that describes the collective achieve MDG 7 (Environmental Sustainability).
response of the UN system to national development • UNEP is also participating in 14 joint programmes
priorities. out of 17 under the environment and climate
change aspect of the Millennium Development
It addresses the national capacity gaps in achieving Goals Achievement Fund (MDG-F).
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other
• In partnership with UNDP and the International
internationally agreed development goals and treaty
Strategy for Disaster Reduction, UNEP delivered
obligations, including the multilateral environmental
training on mainstreaming Climate Change and
agreements.
Disaster Risk Reduction to 15 African UNCTs.
Results 2010 • Mongolia established a Coordinating Committee 61
on Toxic Chemicals and Hazardous Substances and
• Preparation of national environmental summaries to
© Corbis
The role of UNEP to broker knowledge and provide a platform for scientists and policymakers
to review the science of emerging global environmental threats and solutions was further
strengthened in 2010.
The evolution of UNEP’s scientific assessments, and their role in keeping the global environment
under review, is perhaps best captured in the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) and Year Book
Series, both of which inform environmental governance and responsible decision-making.
The GEO-5 assessment process began in earnest in April and has been re-tooled with two advisory
bodies (a High-Level Intergovernmental Advisory Panel and a Science and Policy Advisory Board).
UNEP was a force in setting up the first worldwide umbrella organization for climate impact and
adaptation research and it strengthened its reporting of emerging issues by launching a Global
Environmental Alert Service.
© Corbis, iStockphoto
ecosystem
management
Maintaining ecosystem services
for development
Highlights in 2010
Ecosystems were in the spotlight in 2010; the UN declared International Year of Biodiversity.
68
From UNEP assessments, detailing the intrinsic and economic value of the natural world, to new
unep annual report 2010 : ecosystem management
science underscoring the current and emerging threats to the environment, there was a wealth of
disturbing and compelling evidence demanding urgent global action.
Simultaneously, there were also significant achievements and successes: a growing shift towards
valuing the services provided by nature to support countries’ development priorities and human
well-being, as well as international consensus defining global policy which will potentially change
the way we use and value biodiversity and ecosystem services.
UNEP also worked with different partners and governments to help them understand how their
countries’ ecosystems can help achieve development goals and enable countries’ transition to
greener economies.
IPBES
This protocol sets basic ground rules on how The meeting also agreed on a strategy for resource
nations cooperate in obtaining genetic resources mobilization to assist developing countries to
from animals to plants and fungi. It also outlines meet the new targets in the plan based on a
how the benefits, arising for example when a methodology that relates support given to needs
plant’s genetics are turned into a commercial and gaps. Other decisions included taking a
product such as a pharmaceutical, are shared ‘precautionary approach’ to issues such as geo-
with the countries and communities who have engineering in order to combat climate change and
conserved and managed that resource. on the development of synthetic biofuels.
T f Bi
h E o
o
e c d
&
E os iv
Indonesia
India
Brazil
c y e
o s rs
n t i
Ecosystem
Services
o e t
m m y
ic s
s
11%
17% 6%
Share
of
agriculture,
forestry,
and
fisheries
in
classical
GDP
11%
25%
47%
Ecosystem
services
as
a
percentage
of
‘GDP
of
the
Poor.’
75%
53%
ECOSYSTEMS
89%
99
million
352
million
20
million
Rural
poor
population
AND DEVELOPMENT
considered
in
'GDP
of
the
Poor'
Ecosystem
services
GDP of the Poor: estimates for ecosystem service dependence
Source: TEEB for National Policy, Chapter 3
Using ecosystems to achieve development TEEB for Business makes the business case and
highlights new business models that deliver benefits
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity from ecosystem services and biodiversity, providing
(TEEB) initiative hosted by UNEP released a number an agenda for action.
of studies throughout 2010 calling on policy-
makers, business, national and local governments The publication of the UNEP-hosted TEEB study
to accelerate, scale-up and embed investments in has resulted in Brazil, India, Germany and the
the management and restoration of ecosystems. European Commission committing to undertake
national and regional ecosystem and biodiversity
Businesses and policy-makers need to recognize valuation studies.
the tremendous economic value of ecosystems
such as forests, watersheds, soils and coral reefs, The TEEB approach of incorporating the value of
as well as the social and economic costs of losing nature in policy and business decision-making has
the services these ecosystems provide such as food, been supported and recognized in a number of
energy, water, flood attenuation, water purification, government statements and decisions, including
70 groundwater recharge. the G20 Leaders Statement from the Seoul
Summit, the G8 Carta di Siracusa (a political
unep annual report 2010 : ecosystem management
It has been estimated that ecosystem services and document agreed at the G8 Environmental Ministers
other non-marketed natural goods account for 47 Meeting, held in Sicily in 2009) and a series of CBD
to 89 per cent of the so-called ‘Gross Domestic COP 10 decisions.
Product of the Poor.’
As next steps, TEEB will be implementing a series
In October, the World Bank launched a new, of outreach events in Africa, Asia and Latin
global partnership to assess the economic value America until March 2011 to engage directly with
of ecosystems. India and Colombia are the first stakeholders and build capacity for implementation
countries to participate. of TEEB recommendations.
Access to sanitation facilities
Commonwealth of
Access to sanitation facilities Independent States
East Asia
West Asia
Pacific
North Africa Ocean
AND
Shared Unimproved Indian
Improved Open Atlantic Ocean
Latin America Sub-
defecation Ocean
and Caribbeans
DEVELOPMENT
Saharan Oceania
Africa
Improved: facilities that ensure hygienic separation of Shared: Sanitation facilities of an otherwise Unimproved: Facilities that do not Open defecation: in fields, forests, bushes,
human excreta from human contact. Includes connection acceptable type shared between two or more ensure hygienic separation of human bodies of water or other open spaces, or
to a piped sewer system, septic tank, or pit latrines. households. excreta from human contact disposal of human faeces with solid waste.
THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S FISHERIES AND WATER and policy briefs highlighted the need for clean drinking
water, helping UN Water establish a Priority Area on
Ignored fisheries Water Quality.
An assessment of the often ignored value of inland waters Balancing agricultural needs and fisheries
in terms of fish catches and the role of fish in the health
of river and lake ecosystems was launched by UNEP in Since growing populations, expanding economies and
partnership with the WorldFish Center in November. changing patterns of production and consumption
The Blue Harvest report, focused on Africa and Asia and will require increased food production, fertilizer
to some extent, Latin America and the Caribbean. It is consumption is projected to increase 40 per cent
estimated the unofficial global inland catch is close to between now and 2030. The majority of this increase will
30 million tonnes, comparable to official marine catches, occur in developing countries.
and employs 60 million people — 13 million more than in
equivalent marine fisheries. However, the improper use of agrochemicals coupled
with other key problems such as untreated sewage
The report succeeded in raising the profile of fresh- has led to a rapidly growing environmental crisis in
water fisheries and awareness of their contribution to freshwater and marine systems worldwide.
livelihoods alongside the pressures they are facing. The
UNEP website recorded 4,221 downloads of the report More than 90 per cent of the world’s fisheries depend 71
within eight days of its launch. in one way or another on estuarine and near-shore
Restoring and managing ecosystems and May 2010, UNEP convened donors and they pledged
biodiversity: Restoring Kenya’s water towers $10 million in support of the Kenyan government’s
efforts to save the vital Mau Forest complex.
The Mau Forest Complex is one of the most important
‘water towers’ of Kenya and East Africa’s largest Indigenous communities like the Ogiek are important
closed-canopy high altitude montane forest. Its forest partners in the government’s revitalization of the
provides critical ecological services to Kenya and the Mau. These groups have traditionally relied on the
global community in terms of water storage, carbon forest for food, medicine and shelter and their cultural
storage, river flow, flood mitigation, recharge of knowledge is invaluable in the ongoing effort to
groundwater, reduced soil erosion, water purification, restore the Mau to its former glory.
biodiversity value and micro-climate regulation.
We shall offer our traditional knowledge
The Mau Forest Complex supports key economic sectors
in the Rift Valley and Western Kenya, including energy, and conservation skills. We shall help
tourism, agriculture, industry and contributes to the in zoning where to plant exotic trees
River Nile Basin water resources. Assessments indicate and areas for indigenous trees. We shall
that the Mau may be worth up to $1.5 billion a year to
ensure that our wetland and water
the Kenyan economy in terms of river flows for hydro,
agriculture, tourism sites and drinking water alongside points are fully rehabilitated so that we
72
moisture for the tea industry and carbon sequestration. and the majority of Kenyans get water
unep annual report 2010 : ecosystem management
Along the Cavally River that divides South-western Côte d’Ivoire and South-eastern Liberia are
remaining fragments of one of the most important ecosystems within the upper Guinea Forest
Region (UGFR) of West Africa. These lowland tropical forests are home to many endangered
animals, provide habitat for more than a quarter of Africa’s mammals, including over 20 species of
primates, the dwindling West African Chimpanzee populations and rare endemic species such as
the pygmy hippopotamus and the forest elephant. By creating landscape corridors between the
Tai National Park, the Classified Forests of Goin-Debe, Cavally in Côte d’Ivoire, the Sapo National
Park and Grebo National Forest in Liberia, the high levels of biodiversity and the livelihoods of the
74 local communities that depend on these forest ecosystem services can be maintained.
unep annual report 2010 : ecosystem management
The initiative, led by UNEP’s Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP), aims to undertake
comprehensive field-level technical studies to stimulate on-going national debates and political
negotiations to address important questions concerning land title, legal harmonisation and
implementation, sustainable forest management and wildlife population levels. The establishment
of the landscape corridor based on currently available data would protect and consolidate over
13,000 square kilometres of remaining forest cover, while contributing to community development
and peace-building efforts within the two post-conflict states of Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia.
APPLYING
ECOSYSTEM
MANAGEMENT
TOOLS
More than fifteen protected areas totaling over 15 million hectares, including one that is home to monk
seals off Mauritania and another in Sumatra that is a haven for orangutans, tigers and elephants, are
receiving a $6.8 million conservation boost. At the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan, the Government of Spain and UNEP announced a new partnership
for protected areas, supporting mainly low income and developing countries.
In the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, some of the funds will support
improved health services for local people. In Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea-Conakry,
work is being initiated to create marine protected areas for sea turtles.
A follow up to the project, ‘Carbon Benefits Measurements’ is working with scientific institutions with
GEF financing to develop standard and cost effecive tools for measuring total terrestrial carbon above and
below ground.
WASTE
HARMFUL
SUBSTANCES
AND
HAZARDOUS
© Corbis, iStockphoto
Sound management of chemicals and
hazardous waste
Chemicals play an essential role in our daily lives. They are used in
every economic sector and in many of the common products we buy. MANAGEMENT
Many chemicals are critical to human well-being and sustainable OF CHEMICALS
development; yet they can also endanger health and the environment
if not manufactured, used and managed properly. There are over
100,000 different chemical substances in use today.
Strategic partnerships in chemicals management: avoiding the worst by encouraging the best–China
The Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at a Local Level (APELL) programme was launched by UNEP in
1986 against a background of major technological accidents, which took place around the world during the 1980s.
These included Bhopal in India, Sandoz in Switzerland, and San Juanico in Mexico.
UNEP has built an extensive network of APELL and safer production practitioners over the years. As part of this, a
joint project between UNEP’s China Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) and the Dow Chemical Company,
was developed over 2010 to promote safer operations and emergency preparedness of the chemical sector in
China.
The project presents a first-of-its-kind example of private sector engagement with UNEP to promote safer
production in partnership with government and local authorities in China.
80
unep annual report 2010 : harmful substances and hazardous waste
SCRAPPED CARS
Eastern
From Europe Europe
New
China
Waste Baja
California
Jersey
Campania
Mediterranean Sea
trafficking Senegal Nigeria
Red
Sea
India Hong Kong
Mexico Philippines
Somalia Asia
The 2004 tsunami
Singapore
Côte
d’Ivoire washed up quantities
OECD countries of toxic waste barrels CABLE WASTE
Abidjan on the Somalian shores. PLASTIC WASTE
(main hazardous waste
ELECTRONIC WASTE
producers) Africa
SCRAPPED CARS
CFC PRODUCTS
States or regions where REFRIGERATORS
Campania illegal waste dumping
has been proven
(not comprehensive)
Major current conflict zones
Regions where small arms (related) Major illegal waste shipment routes from Europe
traffic is particularly developed (as reported by IMPEL)
Source: compiled from multiple sources in Vital Waste Graphics Update. UNEP, Nairobi and Arendal (www.vitalgraphics.net/waste2/download/pdf/VWG2_p36and37.pdf).
In: Global Environment Outlook 4. Environment for Development, 2007
MANAGEMENT
OF CHEMICALS
Exchanging information
During 2010, seven more countries: Cambodia, the UNEP supports a number of government-led projects
Philippines, Vietnam, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay, and funded from the SAICM Quick Start Programme. The
Burundi were added to over 50 countries in Africa, Asia UNEP-UNDP partnership on mainstreaming sound
and Latin America already using CIEN. More than 1,600 chemicals management into national development
national officials have been trained. policies and programmes is gathering momentum.
More than 12 countries are now being assisted.
Catalysing chemical management through a
81
global plan of action on chemicals The new five-year development plan of Uganda, one of
As part of its hazardous waste management capacity-building programme in Côte d’Ivoire, UNEP
provided sixteen laboratory staff with 80 days of intensive training over two years © UNEP
In 2006, when thousands of Abidjan residents in Côte d’Ivoire reported health problems after large
quantities of toxic sludge was discharged from the vessel ‘Probo Koala’ and dumped on open landfills
and in local waterways, the world’s attention turned to the ability of many African countries to detect and
manage hazardous waste. Four years later, in a bid to prevent a repeat of the Côte d’Ivoire incident and
as part of a systematic strengthening of the country’s capacity to manage hazardous waste, a modern
laboratory was established in Abidjan with the help of UNEP and its Basel Convention Secretariat.
The laboratory is able to test for hazardous waste from ships entering the West African port as well as test
82 for potential contamination in soil and water samples. Sixteen laboratory staff also received intensive
training on sampling and analysis so that the laboratory can provide the analytical services necessary
unep annual report 2010 : harmful substances and hazardous waste
to advise the government and protect those communities whose livelihoods are dependent on healthy
waterways. The Côte d'Ivoire model is now to be introduced by the Basel Convention Secretariat in
Gabon, Morocco and Madagascar.
I am impressed not only by the quality of the equipment procured by UNEP, but
also by the quality of the staff that was trained by UNEP’s experts. My Ministry
can now count on an effective tool and well-trained staff to detect and analyse
any type of pollution, including of course the type dumped by the Probo Koala
vessel, which is still present in our minds. This is very reassuring to the people
of Côte d’Ivoire.
Mr. Karim Fadiga, Minister of Environment, Water and Forests of Côte d’Ivoire having toured the new laboratory.
ASSESSMENT AND
MANAGEMENT OF RISKS
While the Stockholm Convention on POPs seeks the global elimination of many of the most hazardous chemicals,
work at national level to implement the control measures in the treaty needs to be based on a clear understanding
of local problems. Until recently, few developing countries had the ability to analyse POPs and the laboratories that
existed struggled to be recognized as providing reliable results that country Parties could use for reporting under
the Convention.
In 2010, and as part of long-term efforts to build laboratory capacity, UNEP concluded the first Worldwide
Intercalibration Study on POPs in the Asia region, with 24 laboratories from Asian developing countries and 14
laboratories from OECD countries. The study tested the ability of all the laboratories to analyse standard samples
and demonstrated the competence and
Level Trends in POPs and mercury in eggs of Thick-billed murres reliability of participating laboratories
3.0
in Asia.
Total DDT
Total PCB
Twenty-one of the most persistent 83
2.5 Total Mercury
organic pollutants (POPs) are now
0.5
Trends in POPs and mercury in eggs of thick-billed murres
Source: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada 2003 Canadian Arctic Contaminants
0 Assessment Report II. and Braune and others 2005 Persistent organic pollutants and
mercury in marine biota of the Canadian Arctic: an overview of spatial and temporal trends.
1975 1976 1977 1987 1988 1993 1998 2003
In: Global Environment Outlook 4. Environment for Development, 2007 Photo by M. Mallory
Sources: INAC 2003, Braune and others 2005
CONTROL OF
TARGETED
CHEMICALS
An important step forward towards eliminating the use of one of the world’s most toxic heavy metals,
mercury, was taken in June 2010. UNEP, serving as the Secretariat, convened the first session of the
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on Mercury
(INC1). UNEP recognizes that it will be some time before a legally-binding instrument comes into force.
In the interim, the Global Mercury Partnership has been formed to take immediate action wherever
possible on mercury use and release. Since 2009, membership has trebled to almost 70; including 14
84 governments, four intergovernmental organizations, 31 non-governmental organizations and 19 other
unep annual report 2010 : harmful substances and hazardous waste
Probably the largest intentional use of mercury is by artisanal and small-scale gold miners who add
mercury to their crushed ore and ‘concentrate’ to help separate the gold, producing 20 to 30 per cent
of total world gold production. Few miners use any equipment to trap the mercury vapours so these
evaporate and are breathed in by the miners, their families and neighbours — causing them long-term,
severe and sometimes irreversible medical problems.
During 2010, UNEP helped countries develop an understanding of their mercury problems; to develop
national plans for tackling mercury waste and to examine options to store unwanted mercury, as well
as examine the socio-economic influences driving the growth in artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
The partnership helped countries with many coal-fired power plants to understand and quantify their
unintentional mercury releases. Good practices for pollution control to restrict mercury emissions have
been developed for coal-fired power plants and for waste incinerators.
CONTROL OF
TARGETED CHEMICALS
However, breathing in the exhaust fumes from Coherence in actions to prevent further
vehicles using leaded fuels is not the only way in degradation of the marine environment from
which children and adults become poisoned by lead. land-based activities
Paint and the dust created during building work is
also an important exposure route. During 2006, the global annual total amount
of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) reached 2.02
In 2009, at the second International Conference on billion tonnes, representing a 7 per cent annual
Chemicals Management, the world was reminded increase since 2003 (Global Waste Management
that paints containing lead compounds are easily Market Report, 2007). This trend is predicted to
available for domestic use in many countries. UNEP continue. For hazardous waste, the Secretariat of
and WHO were asked to initiate a partnership to work the Basel Convention estimated that about 318
85
towards the elimination of lead paints. and 338 million tonnes were generated in 2000 and
Chemicals at sea Convention for the Protection, management and Development of the Marine and
Coastal Environment in the Eastern African Region (Nairobi Convention)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
SAP
Strategic Action
Programme
P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel : +254 20 7622025
Fax : +254 20 7623203
E-mail : [email protected]
Website : www.unep.org/nairobiconvention Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment of the
Western Indian Ocean from Land-based Sources and Activities
Harmful substances and waste generated on land
find their way into waterways and are transferred
to marine and coastal environments. The Global In March 2010, Ministers and officials from ten
Programme of Action for the Protection of the countries and territories in East Africa endorsed
Marine Environment from Land-based Activities or signed a potentially far-reaching protocol
(GPA-Marine) is the only global intergovernmental to protect East Africa’s coastal and marine
initiative directly addressing the link between environment. Ten countries of the Western Indian
86
watersheds, coastal waters and the open ocean. Ocean region signed the Final Act of the Land-
unep annual report 2010 : harmful substances and hazardous waste
There are currently 18 Regional Seas During 2010-11, the programme will link to
conventions and action plans across the on-land activities to strengthen the mainstreaming
world, involving 184 countries. of sound chemicals management.
Coherence
in action
In February 2010, governments agreed to merge the administrations of the Basel, Rotterdam
and Stockholm Conventions on chemicals and hazardous wastes — an unprecedented historical
model where three Conferences of the Parties met simultaneously and undertook simultaneous
decision-making in a wave of cooperative action towards boosting delivery in country. This was
the outcome of extended intergovernmental discussions supported by UNEP, which administers
the Secretariats for these Conventions.
87
Presidents of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions gavel a decision simultaneously
© Photograph courtesy of IISD/Earth Negotiations Bulletin
ENCY
EFFICI
RESOURCE
© iStockphoto, Gallo/Getty Images
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY,
SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION
AND PRODUCTION
Accelerating the transition to
resource efficient societies
Stimulating Demand
Training provided on sustainable public
procurement in Colombia and Uruguay.
90
unep annual report 2010 : resource efficiency
Stimulating Demand
Green sporting events improve youth education
through the Green Passport Campaign, raising
awareness to 100,000 visitors during the 2010 FIFA
World Cup in South Africa. One aspect of the Green Economy
is a vision of a sustainable world in
which people everywhere
can enjoy a high quality of life
within the productive capacity of
the planet.
1. Recycling plastic containers at a market in Addis Ababa 2. South Africa soccerball made from reused post consumer plastics project © Corbis
Scientific research shows that we are rapidly spiralling into ecological debt, overshooting the planet’s
carrying capacity, yet a large proportion of the world’s population is still struggling to meet basic needs.
UNEP recognizes that investment in a new generation of environmentally sound technologies, cleaner
92 industrial processes and greener cities has the power to positively transform economies and societies.
UNEP’s vision is based on delivering improved productivity and less waste, cleaner investment and more
unep annual report 2010 : resource efficiency
sustainable lifestyles.
UNEP also oversaw the development of Corporate The metals report analysed recycling rates of specialty
Water Accounting with the Chief Executive Officer metals, showing that a Green Economy will require much
Water Mandate of the United Nations Global Compact. higher recycling rates of specialty metals such as lithium,
This report examines corporate water accounting neodymium and gallium. These metals, needed to make
that considers the social, political and environmental wind turbines, solar panels and hybrid car batteries, are
conditions of the watersheds in which participant scarce in nature and expensive — yet only about 1 per
companies operate. cent of them are recycled.
Catalysing resource efficiency In 2010 an additional six countries went unleaded: Egypt,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-
In most countries, small and medium enterprises Herzegovina. The Partnership, with its Clearing-House based
(SMEs) are the backbone of economic and industrial at UNEP Headquarters, has on-going or planned activities in
activity. In 2010, UNEP further developed its partnership all the remaining six countries. These are Myanmar, North
with the United Nations Industrial Development Korea, Yemen, Algeria, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Organization (UNIDO) in providing capacity building
support to SMEs in developing countries and A recent global study by the California State University shows
transition economies. that societal benefits are major — much larger than thus far
believed. The global elimination is estimated to save over 1.2
National Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production million premature deaths per year. Financial benefits are also
(RECP) programmes were initiated in four developing significant — close to �100 billion per year for Africa alone.
and transition economies and centres are being
developed for a further two. Four regional training-the- Follow up on the Rio and Johannesburg legacy
trainer workshops were carried out in Panama, Cairo,
Colombo and Vienna. An assessment for a National Changing consumption and production patterns was
Cleaner Production Programme (NCPP) was completed recognized as a key goal in the Johannesburg Plan of
in Albania, Rwanda and Mauritius and initiated in Implementation (JPOI) agreed at the World Summit on
Uruguay, Senegal, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia. NCPPs Sustainable Development in 2002. The Marrakech Process
94 for Albania and Rwanda have been developed jointly on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), led by
with UNIDO through One-UN funding. UNEP and United Nations Department of Economic and
unep annual report 2010 : resource efficiency
Ask any rice farmer in Thailand about the ‘brown hopper plant’ and they are likely to shudder.
The brown hopper plant may be small, but is deadly to rice crops and consequently, farmers’
incomes, and in the long-term, Thailand’s food security. The excessive use of insecticides and urea
as nitrogenous fertilizer has led to multiple outbreaks of brown hoppers in part by reducing their
natural enemies. The brown plant hopper pest is now proving to be a ‘call to arms’ for the industry to
promote a more integrated holistic approach to farming rice, in which water, fertilizer and pesticides
can be used more efficiently.
In Brazil, a prized resource, the lobster, has become a source of conflict between legal artisanal
fishers and illegal deep sea divers. Around 3,000 mostly artisanal boats make a living from small-
scale lobster fisheries. Most of the traditional sail boats are around three metres in length. They are
the mainstay of communities dotted along the coast in the north-east of Brazil. Although this fleet
is licensed, it is forced to compete with illegal boats with untrained divers that steer them. These
divers use illegal, unregulated and dangerous equipment to poach lobster from the legal deep-sea
95
traps. Consequently, the artisanal fleet and the illegal fleet are often caught in combat. The navy is
UNEP is working with two pilot supply chain projects in Brazil and Thailand to secure the livelihoods
for future generations of fishers and farmers. UNEP has brought together all the supply chain actors
to develop sustainability recommendations from provenance to plate. These recommendations will
be taken forward and tested in 2011, developing new standards of behaviour that can be replicated
throughout the industries involved world-wide.
seizing
investment
opportunities
It’s estimated that around 140 billion tonnes of biomass is produced annually. However, in
Sri Lanka and Nepal, UNEP’s International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) is pilot
testing new approaches and helping to convert waste agricultural biomass including rice
husks, grass and fruit and vegetable waste into energy.
Working with two principal partners, the National Cleaner Production Centre in Sri Lanka
and the Society for Environment and Economic Development in Nepal, UNEP has trained
96
communities, and helped local partners to procure and install technologies to treat some
unep annual report 2010 : resource efficiency
2,000 tonnes per annum of rotten vegetables in Nepal and 1,000 tonnes per annum of
mixed dry agricultural waste in Sri Lanka across two pilot areas. The biomass is turned into
compost as well as heat and used to dry limes and other fruit, enhancing livelihoods in one
of Sri Lanka’s poorest areas.
The IETC is working to extend the initiative to Pakistan and the Philippines and has plans to
start work with a fifth country in Asia.
stimulating demand for resource efficiency
Efficiency in construction and Catalysing the use of voluntary measures in
procurement practices consumer choice
UNEP’s Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative UNEP, through its project Enabling Developing Countries
(SBCI) initiated the development of a green building to Seize Eco-labelling opportunities, promotes the
index and launched a standard methodology for production of goods and services that are compliant with
building energy efficiency metrics and accounting. Over recognized voluntary standards. In 2010, UNEP organized
30 companies and national green building councils national and regional training workshops in seven selected
are participating. countries, attended by participants from private sector
and government. The European Union eco-label was
UNEP also supported eight countries in the used as a case study to encourage companies to apply for
implementation of sustainable public procurement: certification for eventual export of eco-labelled products
Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Uruguay, Tunisia, to the European market.
Lebanon and Mauritius. Some 120 experts from 48
countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe have UNEP has collaborative agreements with the International
acquired and upgraded their skills and knowledge in the Organisation for Standardisation and the Global Reporting
area. The aim is to help these countries change their public Initiative, which have been used to align activities in
procurement practices in ways that send market signals building capacity in the convergence and application of
in favour of the use of more resource efficient products new standards. Supporting Governments with advice in
and services. this area, UNEP co-published ‘Carrots and Sticks’ with an
overview analysis of voluntary and mandatory reporting
requirements in OECD countries and emerging markets.
Industrialisation
Low density industrialised countries Low density developing
Low density countries
developing countrie
50 50
45 45
40 40
35 35
30 30
Low 25 25
Density 20 20
15 15
Domestic Material 97
10 10
5 Consumption
0 0
Australia
Australia Canada
Canada Finland
Finland USA
USA Argentina
Argentina Brazil
Brazil Saudi
SaudiArabia
Arabia South Africa
South Africa
(tonnes per capita) in
industrial and developing
High density industrialised countries High density developing countries
countries in the year 2000
50 50
45 45
40 40
35 35
30 30
High 25 25
Density 20 20
15 15
10 10
5 5
0 0
Austria
Austria Germany
Germany Japan
Japan UK
UK EU
EU 2727 China
China Cuba
Cuba India
India Mexico
Mexico Nigeria
Nigeria
and draw clear connections now — pledged $10 to support a project in the WED host
it is not disparate pieces, it really country. Rwanda received over $100,000 in cash
is a chain of life. We have to and in-kind contributions both to support gorilla
protection and provide solar power to a village.
connect the dots. I am surprised the
The proliferation of WED activities and its messages
environment is not at the top of the have been enhanced through mobile and digital
agenda. What is more important technologies and platforms, all of which allow
than clean air and a healthy planet? easier and faster communication than ever before.
Don Cheadle,
UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, actor and World Environment Day 2011 will celebrate the UN
environmentalist on World Environment Day 2010. Year of Forests.
Plastiki © Patrick Riviere
It has been estimated that over 13,000 pieces of plastic litter are floating on every square kilometre
of ocean and it takes 450 years for a single plastic beverage bottle to degrade in the marine
environment. Three years ago, a UNEP report entitled ‘Ecosystems and Biodiversity in Deep Waters
and High Seas’ charted the way fisheries, pollution and other stresses impact and affect the
marine world.
The Plastiki, a 60-foot catamaran made from 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles and fully recycled 101
plastic, set sail at the end of March from San Francisco to Australia. Led by David de Rothschild,
“This is truly a message on a bottle”, said Mr. de Rothschild. “We have this addiction to single-use,
throwaway plastic, which is choking up the ecosystem. With Plastiki, we want to enlighten, inform and
inspire people and show that there are solutions and not just problems.”
Peru district of Tumán, Lambayeque enter the Guinness Book of Records by planting
27,166 trees simultaneously in five minutes, 20 seconds and 37 hundredths © AgroRural
www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign
It is rare that a simple action can be so infectious and effective, yet the act of planting a tree as part of
UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign has catalysed a collective, powerful response among citizens, communities and
governments around the world.
In June, LG Display signed an agreement to participate in the ‘Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign’
and decided to build a �1 million green fund in connection with the campaign. LG Display wanted to be part
of the Billion Tree Campaign to convey the message that products made with eco-friendly parts contribute
102 greatly to protecting the environment.
unep annual report 2010 : the green message
The Billion Tree Campaign has inspired the involvement of all 192 United Nations Member States, and
numerous governments have registered data on afforestation.
UNEP’s Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign is a worldwide initiative that encourages
governments, organizations of all kinds, and individuals, to plant trees. Since its inception in
2006, the Billion Tree Campaign has recorded the planting of more than 10 billion trees, which
— according to estimates based on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidelines —
have the potential to absorb 164 million tonnes of CO2 per year over their lifespan.
UNEP’s prize winners
and ambassadors:
their gifts to the world
www.unep.org/champions
www.unep.org/sasakawa
Facebook page in March 2010. 12,379 bloggers
wrote about WED 2010 and the UNEP twitter
account has been recognized by the Guardian
newspaper as one of the top environmental
Shanghai © Shutterstock accounts to follow.
UNEP, in coordination with UN Habitat, led the Online Access to Research in the Environment
3,247,709
‘Green Expo’ on the ‘Nature of Cities’ illustrating (OARE) offers access to scientific research in 109
visits in six
months how cities can exist in harmony with the natural developing countries and is a partnership led by
world at the 2010 Shanghai Expo. UNEP with the World Health Organization, the Food
and Agricultural Organization and Yale University.
The Chinese version of the famous environmental
film HOME was launched at the United Nations OARE now offers more than 3,000 scientific
Pavilion. Taking 15 years to shoot in 54 countries, peer reviewed journals from over 200
the film has been dubbed the largest environmental publishers. As of November 2010, more
film in history. Film director Yann Arthus-Bertrand is than 2,200 institutions have registered for
also a UNEP Goodwill Ambassador. access. UNEP's Mainstreaming Environment
and Sustainability Programme in African
Activity on www.unep.org continues to rise. Universities (MESA) is now operational in
104 From January to December 2010, www.unep.org 90 universities across 42 countries in Africa.
registered 16,022,801 visits, 308,834,092 hits, and
unep annual report 2010 : the green message
87,596,595 page views. This denotes an increase UNEP’s e-Publishing Policy came into effect in 2010
of 19.6 per cent, 27.8 per cent and 24.3 per cent with the aim of making the dissemination of our
respectively compared to 2009. The most popular publications less expensive, more environmentally
sites in 2010 were the UNEP News Centre, World friendly and more simple.
Environment Day and GEO.
95 per cent of UNEP’s publications are
UNEP-followers on social media number around available online in portable document
560,000 individuals. The vast majority derives format (PDF). The aim is to make the entire
from the Chinese social media platform RenRen, publications library available for free on
established in early 2009. UNEP also launched a line: www.unep.org/publications
Sports, music and The youth of today, the adults of tomorrow
environmental sustainability
The annual children’s painting competition
What was the most watched TV event of 2010? organized by UNEP, the Japan-based Foundation
It’s thought that over 3 billion people watched the for Global Peace and Environment (FGPE), Bayer
opening of the World Cup. and Nikon received 594,032 entries on biodiversity
from 95 countries. The competition, in its initial
Major sporting events such as the FIFA World outreach stage, engaged over 2 million children
Cup have the potential to build global awareness and their teachers in schools around the world.
of environmental issues and promote a reduced
ecological footprint. UNEP, with support from the Young people from over 100 countries participated
Global Environment Facility (GEF), assisted South in the celebration of major UN days and activities.
Africa in the run up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup Millions of young people from the Scout Movements,
with $1,000,000. Street lights, billboards and traffic the Girl Guides and community children and youth
lights at the six host cities were retrofitted with organizations carried out activities.
solar power.
The first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in
UNEP is currently conducting an independent August 2010 brought UNEP and 3,500 young
environmental assessment on the greening of the athletes together to work through how to live more
2010 FIFA World Cup. The report will be released at sustainable lifestyles.
the Governing Council in February 2011.
T f Bi
h E o
Economics of Nature
o
e c d
&
E os iv
c y e
Launched in October at
o s rs
n t i
o e t
m m y
the CBD COP10 in Nagoya,
ic s
30 Ways in 30 Days
s
From creating mass markets Japan, this report illustrates
for solar water heaters to how TEEB economic concepts
Emissions Gap Report and tools can help equip
planting trees and protecting
Launched in advance society with the means to
forests, UNEP released 30
of the UNFCCC incorporate the values of nature
case studies in the run-up to MAINSTREAMING THE ECONOMICS OF NATURE
Mexico meeting, this A SYNTHESIS OF THE APPROACH, CONCLUSIONS
into decision-making. Following
the UN climate convention AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF TEEB
Nutrient Management
Nutrients are key for food security
Environment Outlook for the Arab Region and sustainable development.
The Environment Outlook for the Arab However, excess use and inefficient
region is the first official, comprehensive and practice leads to nutrient over-
integrated assessment of the state of the enrichment, causing soil acidification,
environment in the region. groundwater pollution, harmful algal
blooms and marine dead zones.
© Shutterstock, iStockphoto
THE UN:
EXAMPLE
LEADING BY
THE UN
UNEP SUPPORTING sustainability efforts
in the UN AND LEADING BY EXAMPLE
RESULTS TARGETED
With emissions of more than 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 a year, the UN is aiming to reduce its
greenhouse gas emissions, focusing its reduction efforts on buildings, travel and procurement.
109
2 Sub Saharan 0 2
1971 2000 2030 0 2 Latin America
Africa 1971 2000 2030
16 World
0 0 2 0
1971 2000 2030 1971 2000 2030 Pacific OECD 1971 2000 2030
12
0 8
1971 2000 2030
4
0
1971 2000 2030
CO2 emissions from buildings (including through the use of electricity) – IPCC High Growth Scenario. Note: Dark red: historic emissions. Light red: projections 2001
– 2030. 2000 – 2010 data adjusted to actual 2000 carbon dioxide emissions. EECCA= Countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Source: Levine et al, 2007.
1. Environment house planning © iStockphoto 2. Brisbane's new environmentally friendly eco unit
building complex, view showing shades of green angled panels © Shutterstock
How and where we live not only shapes our daily experience, but defines the global urban landscape.
Many of us do not consider the impact of our homes and offices on the environment — either positive
or negative — but buildings are responsible for more than one-third of global energy use and in most
countries are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Available technologies could cut energy consumption in new and old buildings by 30 to 50 per cent
without significantly increasing investment costs. A prevailing frustration is that these technologies are
under-utilized owing to relatively short investment perspectives. The challenge is therefore to mainstream
sustainability and resource efficiency, encouraging a life-cycle approach to building design, construction,
refurbishment and use.
Greening
the Blue
UNEP is committed to reducing its own greenhouse gas emissions by 3 per cent each year between
2010 and 2012, from 2009 levels. A key area for emission reductions is work-related travel by UNEP
employees. At present, air travel is responsible for over 85 per cent of UNEP's carbon emissions.
More journeys will be undertaken by train where possible and there will be greater investment in
e-conference technology. UNEP will establish an e-communication plan where all UNEP employees
are provided with access to online communication tools and online meeting rooms.
UNEP has been climate neutral since 2008, but the new efficiency measures in the UNEP Climate
Neutral Strategy will enable UNEP to lead by example in promoting sustainability. Greenhouse gas
emissions from UNEP’s offices — due primarily to electricity use — make up around 15 per cent of
the organization's carbon footprint.
112
To reduce workplace emissions, all UNEP offices with 10 or more staff members will undertake
unep annual report 2010 : The UN – leading by example
in-house greenhouse gas emission reduction audits based on the Sustainable United Nations
(SUN) Guide to Climate Friendly Buildings and Offices. In addition to putting emission reduction
plans in place, the SUN is helping UNEP offices and other UN agencies to consider broader resource
use challenges such as office paper and e-waste. UNEP’s goal is:
113
© UNEP
FINANCE
Organizational
Structure
and
© Corbis
1. Finance © Corbis 2. Business and economy © iStockphoto
UNEP’s mandate and focus are determined by its Governing Council, comprising 58 Member States.
115
Member States to the Governing Council are elected by the UN General Assembly, for four-year terms,
There are 16 seats for African states, 13 seats for Asian states, six seats for Eastern European states, 10 seats
for Latin American and Caribbean states, and 13 seats for Western European and other states.
The Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR), which is made up of government delegates who are
assigned to monitor UNEP’s work, is a subsidiary of the Governing Council. The mandate of the CPR includes
reviewing, monitoring and assessing the implementation of Governing Council decisions, reviewing the
UNEP Programme of Work and budget and its subsequent implementation, and preparing draft decisions
for consideration by the Governing Council.
Full information on the composition, functions and responsibilities of the UNEP Governing Council and the
Committee of Permanent Representatives is available at www.unep.org/resources/gov
UNEP Funding in 2010
Estimated requirements for the approved donors, affected the total amount of funds
Programme of Work and budget for the biennium mobilized through the Environment Fund. As of
2010-2011 total $446.5 million: $180 million from 31 December 2010, Environment Fund income
the Environment Fund, $228.2 million in Trust and totaled $79.2 million. If this income performance
Earmarked Funds and $38.3 million in other funds is repeated in 2011, Environment Fund income
(including programme support costs and the UN will fall short of the $180 million required for the
regular budget). This translates into an estimated Programme of Work and budget for 2010-2011 by
requirement of $218.2 million for 2010. $21.6 million (or 12 per cent).
In 2010, 86 countries made their contributions to Actual 2011 Environment Fund income
the Environment Fund; about 70 per cent of them performance may be more positive. A number
paid close to, or above, the Voluntary indicative of donors customarily pay contributions due in
scale of contributions (VISC). Over 72 per cent the first year of the biennium, early in the second
paid during the first quarter of the biennium. year, together with that year’s contribution. In this
Other Member States were invited to make their regard, UNEP will continue to work on the basis
contributions as early as possible for timely and that we may experience a 10 per cent shortfall
more efficient delivery of UNEP’s Programme in Environment Fund income (as a contingency
of Work. The highest contributors include the scenario) while actively seeking to ensure full
Netherlands ($12.9 million), followed by Germany, funding of the approved budget. It must be noted
UK, USA, France, Sweden and Belgium. that 2010 Environment Fund expenditures totaled
$77 million. This rate of expenditure was the result
Austerity measures adopted by some European of two factors: the initiation and acceleration
countries, as well as the fluctuation in the natural to the first months of the first year of a new
116 exchange rate and non-payments by two major programme (i.e. programme expenditure does not
unep annual report 2010 : organizational structure and finance
follow a straight-line trajectory) and a precautionary Norway. The Programme Cooperation Agreement
approach to expenditures, particularly the filling of for NOK 200 million is the second programmatic
vacant positions, until such time as more income agreement between Norway and UNEP which
is secured. earmarks funds at the subprogramme level.
Similar arrangements have been established
Income and expenditure performance in 2010 for with the Swedish International Development
Trust and Earmarked Funds exceeded the estimates Cooperation Agency (Sida), resulting in a
reflected in the 2010-2011 budget. Income totaled commitment of SEK 95 million in support of four
$126 million which if repeated in 2011 will exceed subprogrammes during the period 2010-2013.
estimates by $23.8 million (or approximately Negotiations are ongoing with other major donors
10 per cent). Expenditure totaled $117.7 million — for the set-up of similar partnerships.
$3.6 million (or 3 per cent) above initial estimates.
An accelerated rate of expenditure for Trust and Additional earmarked contributions were leveraged
Earmarked Funds in 2011 should go some way through increased collaboration with UN agencies.
towards ensuring full delivery of the 2010-2011 $16.6 million were received through the United
Programme of Work. Nations Development Programme in the framework
of joint cooperation programmes implemented
The highest Trust and Earmarked Funds by UNEP and UNDP. Additional funds were raised,
contribution was provided by the Government of for example, in collaboration with UN-HABITAT,
117
118
unep annual report 2010 : organizational structure and finance
ENVIRONMENT FUND — CONTRIBUTIONS IN 2010
Candotti, Michele
Principal advisor to the Executive Director and Head of the
Office for Policy and Inter-Agency Affairs (OPIA) Cropper, Angela
Gilruth, Peter
UNEP Deputy Executive Director and
Director,
United Nations Assistant Secretary-General
Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA)
Kante, Bakary
Regional Directors & Representatives
Director,
Division of Environmental Law and Conventions (DELC)
Astrálaga, Margarita
Regional Office for Latin America &
Kirkcaldy, Chris the Caribbean (ROLAC)
Director, a.i. Office for Operations
Nishimoto, Tomoko
Fraenkel, Amy
Director,
Regional Office for North America (RONA)
Division of Regional Cooperation (DRC)
Thiaw, Ibrahim
Director, Park, Young-Woo
Division of Environmental Policy Implementation (DEPI) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP)