30 ways

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30WAYSIN30DAYSUNEP:inspiring action on climate changeand sustainable developmentUnited Nations

Environment Programme

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Contentspage 3. Foreword

page 4. Solar loans for rural homes

page 6. Holidays for a living planet

page 8. The power of a cup of tea

page 10. Banking on Africas green economy

page 12. Native trees are the bees knees

page 14. Cooking away climate change

page 16. No place like home to walk the talk onclimate change

page 18. Lifes a beach

page 20. Breathing life into the CleanDevelopment Mechanism

page 22. Small is beautiful in northern Togo

page 24. Daring to make the dierence

page 26. Plant for the planet

page 28. Protecting gorillas, one meal at a time

page 30. Mounting a defence against climatechange

page 32. Cars and climate: promoting cleaner,

more ecient vehicles

page 34. Inspiring low carbon economies andsocieties

page 36. A regional model for globalreforestation

page 38. Building a green business region

page 40. Creating the climate for change inSudan

page 42. Sugar sweetens the deal for renewableenergy

page 44. Going where utilities fear to tread

page 46. Green neighbourhoods span the globe

page 48. Greening the blue

page 50. Maps for a greener REDD+

page 52. Waste not, want not

page 54. Life in the fast lane

page 56. Planting a seed for climate protection

page 58. Heating up the renewable energydebate

page 60. Maldives takes the lead on ozone andclimate protection

page 62. Getting solar panels out of hot water

page 64. UNEPs work on climate change

30 Ways in 30 Days, a brochure of theUnited Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

PO Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya

Tel: (254 20) 762 1234Fax: (254 20) 762 3927

e-mail: [email protected]

To view this publication online, please visitwww.unep.org/unite/30ways

Director: Satinder BindraEditors: Susanne Morrell

Coordinator: Fanina Kodre-AlexanderSpecial Contributors: Kaveh Zahedi, Joanna Benn,Moira OBrien-Malone, Stuart Roberts, Tamiza Khalid

Distribution Manager: Manyahleshal KebedeDesign: Amos MuemaProduced by: UNEP Division of Communications

and Public Information

The contents of this publication do not necessarily reectthe views or policies of UNEP or the editors, nor are they

an ofcial record. The designations employed and thepresentation do not imply the expressions of any opinion

whatsoever on the part of UNEP concerning the legal status ofany country, territory or city or its authority or concerning the

delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

* All dollar ($) amounts refer to US dollars.Cover Photos: 30 ways in 30 days

...turning small climate keys to unlock very big doors.Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary

Resilience to a changing climate

To show which area of UNEPs priorityclimate change work each story fallsunder, please see the key below, and thefuller descriptions on page 64.

Low carbon growth

REDD

Understanding and awareness ofclimate science

UNEP

UNEP promotes

environmentally sound practices

globally and in its own activities.

This publication is printed on paper rom

sustainable orests including recycled fbre.

The paper is chlorine ree, and the inks

vegetable-based. Our distribution policy

aims to reduce UNEP s carbon ootprint.

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30 WAYS IN 30 DAYS | 3

Foreword

Extreme weather events dominated theheadlines of 2010 and if the rst part

of 2011 is anything to go by, with someof the worst oods in decades in Braziland Australia, we will continue to sufferthe consequences of more frequent andextreme weather events a patternalso consistent with the assessments ofthe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change, hosted by UNEP and the WorldMeteorological Organization. As the UN Environment Programme andclimate modelers made clear in the run-up tothe UNFCCC Cancn meeting in December, a

signicant emissions gap exists between whatis promised by countries and what is neededto keep the rise in global temperature belowtwo degrees Celsius, let alone move towardsthe more ambitious 1.5-degree thresholdneeded to protect low-lying island states.Although the last two years have been a rollercoaster ride in respect to securing a newglobal treaty to combat climate change, the

latest round of climate negotiations held inDecember in Cancn, Mexico, put the worldsefforts on climate change back on track -albeit at a pace and scale that undoubtedlyleft many onlookers frustrated.However, the imperative for action growsdaily. The emissions gap - which under themost optimistic scenario, amounts to thecombined emissions of the entire worlds cars,buses, and trucks - remains rmly in place.No one should underestimate the challengenow facing South Africa, the host of thisyears talks, in terms of a new legally bindingagreement to bridge this gap and secure thenance needed to bring a Green Fund intooperation.

Notably, alongside the formal discussions inCancn, progressive heads of state, regionaland local government, business, and civilsociety in parallel underscored just how farand how fast some sectors of society aremaking the transition to a low-carbon future

and building the green, clean-tech economiesof the twenty-rst century.

Similarly, UNEPs 30 Ways in 30 Daysshow that across the world, in a myriad ofways, from community based programmesto entrepreneurial endeavours, solutions areavailable to move countries, communitiesand businesses towards low-emission climateresilient growth.

Every country and many institutions have theirown 30 success stories. These solutions delivermultiple benets from access to energy, publichealth improvements, reduced environmentalimpacts to driving a transition to low carbon,greener growth.

This momentum needs to continue to growreinforcing a new global treaty that notonly brings certainty to carbon markets and

triggers accelerated investments in clean-tech industries, but also ensures that morevulnerable countries are not marginalised. Thechallenge we face this year is to unite thesegoals.

Achim SteinerUN Under-Secretary General

and UNEP Executive Director

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30 WAYS IN 30 DAYS4 |

Solar lights are a long cherished dream of ruralfolk who often have no power, or only powersupplies that are at best irregular. They are oneproduct that can meet aspirations of people livingbelow the poverty line. It is a good businessopportunity for the bank.

Mr P G Ramesh, Chairman,Pragathi Grameen Bank,Bellary,Karnataka, India

Indian solar loanprogramme

Solar loans for rural homes


THE PROBLEM:More than 60 per cent of Indianhouseholds lack access to reliableelectricity supplies and depend onkerosene for light and on burning dung

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and wood for heat. Solar power is an obviousalternative in a sunny country such as India,but high initial costs put it beyond the reach ofmost households, and lack of access to creditmeans the technology has been the preserveof only the wealthiest. Millions of urban and

rural poor have been condemned to the risk ofrespiratory disease that results from solid fuelburning. Lack of electricity is also a powerfulbarrier to economic and social development.

THE SOLUTION:In 2003 UNEPs Indian Solar Loan Programmeworked with two of Indias largest bankinggroups in two southern states, to start thelending market for household photovoltaicsystems. The programme provided technicalsupport and training, as well as an interestrate subsidy that allowed the banks to softenthe cost of loan nancing. While the banksdid not prot directly from these subsidies,the project helped them become rst moversin a new market for rural nancing whichsaw almost 20,000 solar home systemsnanced between 2004 and 2007. Subsidieswere gradually phased out to align withother banks entering the market lending on

commercial terms. Consumer credit realizedlatent demand, with over 50 per cent ofrural sales in the two states credit-nancedby the end of 2007, accelerating marketpenetration of solar lights in Southern Indiaand inspiring several similar initiatives in India

and elsewhere. In 2008 the programme wonthe Energy Globe Award and in 2009 theSecretary Generals UN 21 Award.

WHAT UNEP DID:UNEP and the UNEP Risoe Centres work with

Canara and Syndicate banks and their ruralGrameen afliates proved it was possibleto help the rural poor to access clean andaffordable energy. By harnessing free marketforces, the programme created a model forsimilar schemes elsewhere in the developingworld.

THE BIG PICTURE:The programme was the rst at UNEP toshow that obstacles to bank engagement in

clean energy can have more to do with softmarket development barriers and perceptionsthan underlying economics. Banks in manydeveloping countries have sufcient capitalto begin lending but the relative newness ofrenewable energy technologies, together withinconsistencies in the quality of the productsand services offered by different vendors,can make lending difcult. In these situationsthe development community needs to shift

away from traditional credit line approachesand instead focus on more subtle incentiveprogrammes that help banks set up their rstloan portfolios and gain experience with theclean energy sector. This approach is alsocost effective for instance the $900,000in interest subsidies that UNEP put into the

Indian programme generated $6.7 million incommercial nancing for solar home systems. Are these sorts of programmes enough tochange the nance sectors view of cleanenergy? UNEP experience has been thatonce banks write about 10,000 loans for

clean energy technology, they begin to seethe sector as fully viable comercially andwill generally work on their own to developit further. Getting past this 10,000 thresholdcould help accelerate renewable energyuptake in many countries.

www.unep.org/unite/30Wayswww.uneptie.org/energy/activities/islpwww.uneprisoe.org

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It seems to me we all look at nature toomuch and live with her too little.

Oscar Wilde

The Green Passport

campaign

Holidays for a

living planet


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THE PROBLEM:We go on holidays for pleasure, to discovernew horizons, to relax, to meet peopleand to learn about different cultures. Butits easy to forget about the impact of ourholiday on our destination or the planet. Yettourism accounts for 5 per cent of globalCO

2emissions, and projections show

that, if we take no action now, emissionscould triple by 2035. There is tremendousvariation across tourism segments andwithin individual trips. For instance, longhaul travel accounts for just 2.7 per centof all tourist trips, but contributes 17 percent to global tourism emissions; and while

34 per cent of all trips are made by coachand rail, these make up just 13 per centof emissions. Technological innovation(particularly in energy efciency) hasconsiderable potential to reduce tourismsenvironmental impact, but will not beenough to achieve absolute reductions inenergy use and emissions. Both structuralchange (by the industry) and behaviouralchange (by tourists) will be necessary.

THE SOLUTION:The Green Passport Campaign, an initiativeof the UNEP-hosted International Task Forceon Sustainable Tourism Development, aims tointroduce travellers to some of the things they

can do to make tourism sustainable. Throughtravel guides, websites and other activities,the campaign helps tourists minimize theirfootprint by choosing the least polluting form oftransport, nding low-impact accommodationoptions, improving their energy efciency at

destinations, offsetting the inevitable carbonemissions of their trip, and acting to helpimprove livelihoods in host communities.National Green Passport campaigns are inplace in Brazil, Ecuador and South Africa(where 100,000 Green Passports weredistributed to visitors during the 2010 FIFA World Cup); and campaigns are aboutto begin in Costa Rica and Israel. Brazilscampaign has been so successful that it wasrecently recognized as one of the countrys

most prominent advertising campaigns.

WHAT UNEP DID:UNEP produces Green Passport travelguides in English, Portuguese and Spanish,and hosts and updates the internal GreenPassport website that helps travellers makesustainable choices, providing information inChinese, English, French, German and Greek.UNEP hosts the International Task Force on

Sustainable Tourism Development, which aimsto unlock the positive power of demand throughraising tourists awareness of their potentialto contribute to sustainable development bymaking responsible holiday choices. Thetask force, led by the French Government,

has implemented more than 40 projectsand agreed on policy recommendations formainstreaming sustainable tourism. It is nowbeing transformed into a more permanententity the Global Partnership for SustainableTourism which has 19 country and 21

organization members.THE BIG PICTURE:Tourism is one of the worlds largest industries,generating close to 11 per cent of global GDPand about 8 per cent of jobs worldwide. Insome developing countries tourism bringsin almost 10 per cent of foreign exchange.Sustainable tourism has signicant potentialto alleviate poverty and help countries move tothe green economy that will be essential if we

are to avert irreversible climate change. Paraty,a city in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro,is implementing Green Passport principles ona pilot basis. Brazils Environment, Tourism,and Education ministries, in partnership witha committee of community leaders, localpoliticians and tourism representatives, areworking to improve Paratys sustainabilityas a destination by promoting capacity-building in the tourism industry; undertaking

environmental education and community-based initiatives; certifying hotels; anddeveloping waste reduction schemes. Thiswork recently paid off when Paraty becamelisted as a World Heritage Site.www.unep.org/unite/30Wayswww.unep.fr/greenpassport

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Greening the

tea industry

in East Africa

The power of a

cup of tea

Tea is known to be good for you, now it is alsogetting better for the environment.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary Generaland UNEP Executive Director


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THE PROBLEM:Tea in East Africa provides jobs andlivelihoods, but also uses a lot of energy.The tea sector employs around onemillion people and indirectly supportsapproximately four million. Burundi, Kenya,

Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda andZimbabwe together produce 28 per cent ofthe worlds tea. But tea is energy intensive:it takes 8 kWh of energy to process onekilogram of nished tea, compared withonly 6.3 kWh for the same amount ofprocessed steel. In parts of East Africa,power is not only expensive, but alsounreliable, and power uctuations can have

severe consequences, so many tea factorieshave been forced to install standby dieselgenerators to meet their needs.

THE SOLUTION:The tea estates location in the hills inareas with high annual rainfall and all-season river ows make them ideal sitesfor hydropower projects. With the supportof the Greening the Tea Industry project,

feasibility studies for eight sites have beencompleted, and up to six small hydropowerstations will be built as demonstrationprojects. Any surplus hydropower willbe used to provide electricity for nearbyvillages that have no grid connection.

Over a period of 20 years, this projectis expected to invest in 82 MW of smallhydropower plants, as well as benet morethan a million tea farmers, their households,communities and associated enterprises.

WHAT UNEP DID:Using $2.8 million from the GlobalEnvironment Facility, UNEP is providingtechnical support for the development ofenvironmentally friendly business solutions.Pre-feasibility studies for 19 projects inKenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania andUganda identied a need for additionalinvestment of close to $22 million toimplement six demonstration projects.

Supported by local banks and UNEP funds,hydro electricity plants are being developedin key tea areas of Kenya, while the DutchGovernment is helping nance a facilityin Rwanda. Plans are being nalized formore plants in Tanzania and Malawi.UNEP also supported preparation of feed-in tariff policies for renewable energiesin Kenya and Tanzania. Under thesepolicies, national grid utilities are obligedto buy renewable energy from all eligibleparticipants and to promote investment inhydropower.

THE BIG PICTURE: About 1.6 billion people lack accessto modern energy, and huge capitalinvestments will be required in the comingdecades to meet the worlds increasingenergy demands. UNEP is working to

ensure that these investments are made inan environmentally friendly way. Althoughrenewable energies can meet the worldspresent and projected demands, too oftenmainstream nanciers still consider them aniche technology, making the challenge ofscaling up nancing to this sector a difcultone. UNEP is working to change that.

www.unep.org/unite/30Wayshttp://greeningtea.unep.org

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ACADs training seminar was an eye opener for the immense opportunity that carbon nancingpresents to development nanciers.

Abraham Muthogo Kamau, Head of Credit atIndustrial & Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC) Kenya

The African Carbon Asset DevelopmentFacility (ACAD)

Banking on Africas

green economy


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THE PROBLEM: About $84 billion was invested throughthe Clean Development Mechanism in684 emerging market emission reductionprojects worldwide in 2009, but Africa tookonly 2 per cent of the total. A combination

of perceived better returns in marketssuch as China and India, together withdisproportionate concerns about corruptionand political unrest, has kept Africalagging behind in global carbon markets. Additionally, the unfamiliarity of foreigninvestors and African banks with this market,and a lack of risk capital, has held thenancial sector back from bankrolling good

projects. But green energy infrastructureprojects and businesses can deliver thenew livelihoods that Africa badly needs.The burgeoning carbon market offers a realopportunity for development: the challengeis how to get good projects off the ground.

THE SOLUTION: As a continent of developing economies,Africa has an unparalleled opportunity to

build prosperity on green and sustainablefoundations, avoiding many of the mistakesmore developed countries have made.Helping African nancial institutions tounderstand carbon nance can overcometheir risk aversion. Through a package of

mechanisms that includes transaction costsharing, technical assistance to projectdevelopers, and training of nancialinstitution staff, the African Carbon AssetDevelopment Facility (ACAD) aims tokickstart the African carbon market.

WHAT UNEP DID:In 2009 UNEP launched ACAD, anancing platform that aims to help Africanbanks and eco-entrepreneurs unlock thepotential of the continents nascent greeneconomy. It provides education andseed funding for replicable projects thatdemonstrate innovative, locally appropriatemarket solutions to low-carbon growth

and development. ACADs partnershipapproach is based on experience gainedthrough previous programmes designedto improve carbon investment capacity insub-Saharan Africa. The ACAD Facility isa public-private partnership supported byfunding from the German Federal Ministryof Environment within the framework of theInternational Climate Initiative.

THE BIG PICTURE: About $750,000 has been used as seednance in 2010, with an average grantper project of $60,000. More than 150participants from nancial institutionsacross Africa have taken part in ACADs

training events, while more regionalinvestor outreach and mobilization activitiesare planned. ACAD already supports 11innovative projects that will save around5 million tonnes of carbon emissions over20 years. One such project is the pedal-

powered rechargeable LED lights producedby Nuru Designs that are transforming lifein rural Rwanda, by enabling children tostudy, home-based businesses to operate,and households to function after dark,as well as reducing emissions. ACADstraining seminars and toolkits can bescaled to be appropriate to any institutionand the projects it supports are expected tobe replicated across the continent.

www.unep.org/unite/30Wayswww.acadfacility.orgwww.uneptie.org/energy/activities/acad/index.htm

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ClearSkys model of forestry in Panama works for localcommunities, wildlife, watersheds, investors, and theatmosphere.

Stephen Handler, ClearSky Climate Solutions

ClearSky Climate Solutions

native species reforestation

project in Panama

Native trees are

the bees knees


Copyright

KeeganEisenstadt

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THE PROBLEM:For decades, Panamas native forestshave been cleared by commercial timberharvesting and subsistence farming. Thisland is generally cultivated for a few yearsand then sold to local cattle ranchers and

the pattern repeated elsewhere. Cattleranching causes soil compaction anderosion, and prevents natural vegetationregrowth. This contributes to decreasing soilproductivity and soil regeneration capacity,in turn limiting future land use options. Thisdestructive cycle has led to widespread soildegradation and deforestation.

THE SOLUTION:The barren wasteland left by ranching cannotreforest itself because of poor soil conditionand sparse surrounding vegetation. Intothis unpromising scenario steps ClearSkyClimate Solutions with the Panama NativeSpecies Reforestation Project, whichconverts low-productivity grasslands intodiverse multi-species forest plantations torehabilitate ecosystems, protect habitat

and produce timber, leading directly to areduction in carbon emissions. The sale ofcarbon credits generates income, resultingin sustainable and complex plantationecosystems that contain multiple species,have multiple uses, and that produce a

diverse stream of products and benets. Working with partner Futuro Forestal,the project has purchased abandonedgrasslands at two sites on Panamas Paciccoast and planted them with a mix of 50endangered non-commercial native species

and teak, helping to restock vulnerabletree species and provide diverse habitatsfor local fauna and ora. As of 2010, theproject has sequestered 140,000 tonnes ofCO

2.

WHAT UNEP DID:UNEP set up the Climate Neutral Networkin 2008, an internet based forum for theexchange of strategies and initiatives to

reduce carbon footprint, share knowledge,create opportunities for technology transfer,and promote the global transition to low-carbon societies. ClearSky joined in January2010, and the extensive international reachof the Climate Neutral Network has givenClearSky the opportunity to engage withother businesses and organizations thatare interested in becoming climate neutralwhile increasing global exposure of thisprojects benets.

THE BIG PICTURE:Cattle ranching remains an important part ofPanamas economy but large ranchers areintensifying and mechanizing production

thus reducing pressure on land. This willmake more land available for potentialnative species reforestation, and providescope for replicating the project elsewherein the country and in wider CentralAmerica. The schemes integrated planting

system helps create diverse habitats forocelots, spider monkeys, hanging coloniesof weaver birds, threatened mangroves andorchids, and connects patches of secondaryforest. Recent biodiversity assessments inthe project area revealed several speciesfrom the 2007 IUCN Red List. The projectis already the areas biggest employerand offers employment benets to some ofthe most marginalized of Panamas rural

population. Additionally, workers receivetraining in literacy, computing skills, eldmonitoring, re control, irrigation, nurserytechniques, integrated pest managementand other forestry techniques.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayswww.clearskyclimatesolutions.comwww.unep.org/climateneutral

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From Haiti to Nigeria, improved

stoves help development and ght

climate change


Cooking away

climate change

I am happy to have a better stove that helps me save money on my charcoalcosts as well as helping my countrys environment. We need more improvedstoves in our markets at good prices. Please continue helping Haiti.

Haitian woman in Camp Issa Tabar, Port-au-Prince,who uses an improved charcoal stove

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THE PROBLEM:Apart from contributing to deforestation, it isestimated that inefcient stoves are responsiblefor close to 25 per cent of emissions of blackcarbon: particles more commonly known assoot. According to research carried out by theUNEP supported Atmospheric Brown Cloud

project, black carbon could be a signicantfactor in the climate change currently beingexperienced. Like other small island nations,Haiti is highly vulnerable to the adverseeffects of climate change, a vulnerabilitymade more acute by the almost total loss offorest caused largely by demand for woodfor cooking and construction. Forest resourcesin Nigeria are similarly under pressure, withthe Guinea Savannah Zone of the countrysuffering from extensive deforestation anddesertication. Buying and collecting woodputs a strain on households and on forestresources, threatening ecosystems andbiodiversity, contributing to climate change,and increasing communities vulnerability toooding and landslide caused by soil erosion.

THE SOLUTION:Promoting a switch to more efcient stovesis an important part of efforts to address the

environmental and climate impacts of severedeforestation. By reducing the amount ofcharcoal households and businesses need,pressure is taken off forest resources. This isparticularly crucial in a country like Haiti,where UNEP is working to ensure there is

adequate, long term investment in naturalresource management and clean energyas the country rebuilds in the wake ofnatural catastrophes. Similarly, the NigerianDevelopmental Association for RenewableEnergies is helping people in the GuineaSavannah Zone of Nigeria to save moneyby reducing the amount of wood they needfor cooking by replacing their traditionalreplaces with efcient stoves. Demandfor forest resources has fallen, conservingvaluable biodiversity and ecosystem services,reducing CO

2emissions from wood burning,

and leaving trees standing to act as carbonsinks.

WHAT UNEP DID:With support from the governments of Ireland

and Norway, UNEP is working with theHaitian Government to identify opportunitiesfor investment in clean energy. This includesmore efcient biomass fuelled cooking stoves,which provide multiple social, health andenvironmental benets. A national strategyfor improved stoves is under development,as is a Haiti Improved Stoves WorkingGroup a low cost forum for coordinatingand promoting improved stove initiatives. In

Nigeria, in partnership with the NigerianDevelopmental Association for RenewableEnergies, the United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ishelping inhabitants of the Guinea SavannahZone replace their traditional replaces with

efcient stoves. This project is registered underthe Kyoto Protocols Clean DevelopmentMechanism (CDM), under which projects canearn certied emission reduction credits byreducing greenhouse gas emissions.

THE BIG PICTURE:UNEPs work is contributing to the

international effort coordinated through thenew Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves,which aims to have 100 million householdsswitch to clean cooking stoves by 2020. WithUNEP among its founders, the alliance aimsto improve livelihoods and combat climatechange by creating a thriving global marketfor clean and efcient stoves. The Nigeriancookstoves project alone is expected to savemore than 300,000 tonnes of carbon over its

10-year lifetime, and is likely to earn $3.13million in saleable certied emissions. Thereis huge potential for introducing affordableand efcient stoves in developing countries,matched by the availability of funding forthis type of project under the CDM. Efcientwood fuel stoves, built locally, have alsocreated employment and freed up peoplestime (especially for women), which can nowbe devoted instead to income generating

activities. UNEP is also part of the InternationalNetwork on Household Energy which focuseson solutions to issues surrounding rewoodcollection in humanitarian settings.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayswww.fuelnetwork.org

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The emission reduction potential in the building sector at an assumed carbon cost of US$20 per tonne CO2

equivalent is larger thanthe combined potential in industry, transport and forestry. IPCC 4th assessment report, g 4.2

Buildings and climate change creating

solutions

No place like home to

walk the talk on climate

change

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THE PROBLEM:Buildings are responsible for more thanone third of global energy use and are in most countries the largest sourceof greenhouse gas emissions. Buildingrelated emissions were estimated at 8.6

billion tonnes in 2004 a gure that couldalmost double by 2030 yet availabletechnologies could cut energy consumptionin new and old buildings by between30 and 50 per cent without signicantlyincreasing investment costs. This technologyis little used owing to the fragmentationand relatively short investment perspectivesthat prevail in the building sector. Thechallenge is to mainstream sustainabilityand energy efciency, encouraging a lifecycle approach to building construction,design and refurbishment.

THE SOLUTION:Smart design, improved insulation, low energyappliances, high efciency ventilation andheating/cooling systems, and the behaviourof building users can have a signicantimpact, but systemic change demandsmore. Governments must establish a policyframework that rewards life cycle approachesto energy, water and resource efciency in thebuilding sector, supported by tools that allowthe effect of sustainable building measures tobe measured and veried. UNEPs Sustainable

Buildings and Climate Initiative (SBCI) isa platform for international cooperation toaddress the sustainable buildings agendathrough policy advice, capacity building,R&D, and tools development. Believing thattheres no place like home to walk the talk onclimate change, UNEPs new headquarters in

Nairobi is designed to become energy neutralthrough the combined impacts of solar powergeneration, maximizing natural lighting andcooling, switching to the most efcient ITsolutions and technology, and introducinga set of rules for ofce operations. Othersustainability features, such as rainwaterharvesting, water recycling, state-of-the-art lighting and water treatment systems,improved waste management, and the use of

environmentally friendly building materials,help make the building the rst of its kindin Africa and an international showcase forsustainable buildings.

WHAT UNEP DID:Working with a wide range of partners in thepublic and private sectors, as well as with sisterUN organizations such as UN-Habitat andUNDP, UNEPs SBCI is developing a proposal

for a common carbon metric, which willallow consistent and comparable reportingon the climate performance of any buildinganywhere in the world. To minimize theenvironmental impact of its own new building,UNEP has employed a range of green building

techniques, used local materials whereverpossible, and ensured that its solar panelswill generate, on average, as much electricityas the building and everyone working thereconsumes. Plans to create awareness amongstaff of the need for behavioural change, andregard for the environmental impact of their

actions, are in place.

THE BIG PICTURE:SBCIs work in aligning efforts that willenable policymakers and building sectorstakeholders to apply life cycle approachesin all new and refurbished buildingsworldwide has made a global impact. Indeveloping countries alone, an investmentof $90 billion in energy efcient buildings

is expected to generate savings of over$600 billion in avoided energy costs. Thereis global potential for energy efciency inbuildings, and associated health, safetyand economic benets. An estimated 3.6billion tonnes of greenhouse emissionscan be avoided through energy efciencymeasures in buildings by 2050 at net zerocost, and signicantly greater savings at

moderate cost.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayswww.unep.org/sbci

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Lifes a beach

Integrating marine ecosystems and climate

change factors into risk and vulnerability

assessments in Jamaica


For the rst time, we have a tool that enables government agencies tomake more informed decisions about land use and development thataccounts 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

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THE PROBLEM: Jamaica is vulnerable to tropical cyclonesand rising sea levels, and its diverseecosystems and rich biodiversity are underpressure from population growth anda strong international tourism industry.

Tourism contributes around 5 per cent of Jamaicas GDP, but the countrys maintourist asset its beaches are literally beingwashed away. Between 1968 and 2006one of the islands main tourist beacheseroded by between 0.5m and 1m per year.Beach erosion is driven by multiple factors,including worsening storms in the regionand sea level rise, as well as developmentactivities and unsustainable livelihoodactivities such as overshing, shing withdynamite, and farming practices that resultin chemical run-off to shorelines and reefs.These activities also have a negative impacton coastal ecosystems, particularly coralreefs, sea grasses and mangroves, whichin turn exacerbates beach loss. Populationgrowth and migration to high risk urbanand coastal areas exposes more people to

the risk of natural hazards, threatening lifeand livelihoods, particularly in small islanddeveloping states (SIDS) such as Jamaica,where coastal ecosystems directly orindirectly support much of the population.

THE SOLUTION:Coral reefs and sea grasses play an importantrole in mitigating beach erosion, but theirrole is not well understood, and the servicesthey provide are not valued. The Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Methodology

Development Project (RiVAMP) uses evidencebased spatial and statistical analysis todemonstrate the role of ecosystems in reducingdisaster risk. This data supports policymakersin land use planning and in natural resourcesand disaster management, by providingthem with the information they need tomake decisions that support sustainabledevelopment through improved ecosystemmanagement.

WHAT UNEP DID:The RiVAMP methodology combines appliedscience, stakeholder consultations andinterviews, optimizing data by complementingtechnical and quantitative analysis with localknowledge and experience. Working withthe Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), theInstitute of Sustainable Development at theUniversity of the West Indies (UWI) and others,UNEP demonstrated that, although submarineslopes and wave intensity play a part, coralreefs and sea grasses play the main role inmitigating beach erosion. Quantifying therole of ecosystems for shoreline protection inaddition to their contribution to livelihoodsprovides a strong incentive to protect and

restore them. Project partners have used theRiVAMP results to advocate for improvedprotection and management of ecosystems,particularly along the coast.

THE BIG PICTURE:With sea levels forecast to rise and extreme

weather events predicted to intensify,improving protection and management ofecosystems - particularly along the coast- is an important part of national strategyfor sustainable development, disaster riskreduction and adaptation to climate change.Both the PIOJ and UWI are committed toapplying the RiVAMP methodology in otherparts of Jamaica and the wider Caribbeanregion. Because the RiVAMP approach is

evidence based and works through multi-stakeholder consultations, its ndings havea high level of local ownership and sendclear messages to policymakers regardingthe importance of sustainable ecosystemmanagement in reducing vulnerability todisasters and climate change. UNEP plans toadapt the methodology to other ecosystems such as mountains and highlands thatare also vulnerable to the impacts of climatechange.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayshttp://postconict.unep.ch/publications/RiVAMP.pdfwww.grid.unep.ch/RiVAMP

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Capacity Development for

Clean Development Mechanism

(CD4CDM)

Breathing life into the

Clean Development

Mechanism


Mozambique hadnt ratied the Kyoto protocol when CD4CDMstarted and I can say with certainty that without the project, raticationwould have been a much longer and more difcult process and wewould not have the project portfolio we have now.

Alberto Isamboi, Ministry of Environment, Government ofMozambique

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THE PROBLEM:The Kyoto Protocols Clean DevelopmentMechanism (CDM) was designed to helpindustrialized countries reduce the cost ofcomplying with carbon emission targetsand at the same time boost sustainable

development in developing countries. Butit soon became clear that many smallerdeveloping countries needed help to benetfully from new carbon market opportunities.Because they lack the institutional capacityto identify, analyse and implement projectsunder the specic rules of the CDM, poorcountries risk missing out on huge earningand green development potential.

THE SOLUTION:For developing countries to make the mostof this opportunity, appropriate businessand regulatory environments need to becreated, and individuals must be equippedwith the skills to design CDM projects.Since its inception in 2002, the CD4CDM(Capacity Development for the CleanDevelopment Mechanism) has providedan extensive programme of training andknowledge support in the nancial andother sectors and has created 840 CDMprojects in developing countries.

WHAT UNEP DID:UNEP established the CD4CDM project withpartners including several regional energyand environment centres in developingcountries, and with $12.5 million fundingfrom the Dutch Government. UNEP helped

19 countries to create Designated National Authorities the bodies required tovalidate and register CDM projects. Some5000 people were provided with skillsand knowledge of the CDM project cycle,including CDM project appraisal andimplementation. UNEP also set up the CDMBazaar, a web based information sharingplatform for buyers and sellers of CertiedEmissions Reductions, and RegionalCarbon Forums that bring together buyersand sellers in Africa, Latin American andthe Caribbean. The regular African BankersForum ensures local nancial institutionshave a good understanding of the CDM.UNEP continues to build on the successof this project, with support from, amongothers, the EU, France, Denmark, andSpain.

THE BIG PICTURE:Egypt, Ivory Coast and Mozambiqueratied the CDM during the life of theCD4CDM. The project was instrumental inthe development of legal and regulatory

frameworks in Bolivia and elsewhere, andits knowledge tool the CDM Pipeline has grown into one of the main guides tocarbon market development. CD4CDMscapacity building activities mean that5000 people, including policymakers and

funders, are now more aware of climatechange and so are more likely to supportnational mitigation actions. The project hasproved itself capable of replication in manycountries and on many scales.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayswww.uneprisoe.orgwww.CDMpipeline.orgwww.cdmbazaar.org

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In a changing climate where crops are often washed away by oods, thepractice of farming and market gardening in the dry season provides additionalincome to womens groups and youth. Rehabilitation of water reservoirs will helpreduce rural poverty.

Mr. El Hadj Mossyamba Ali Seydou,

Senior Divisional Ofcer, Savanne District, Togo

Helping Togo adapt to

water shortage under a

changing climate

Small is beautiful in

northern Togo


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THE PROBLEM:Togo is one of several countries with anorthern region that borders the SaharaDesert, and the people of the north havefor years used earth water reservoirs fortheir own use and to water their livestock

in times of drought. But many of the damsin these poor, rural areas have fallen intodisrepair and, with desert encroachmentand accelerating climate change, are nolonger adequate, threatening the healthand development of the local population.

THE SOLUTION:Small is often beautiful in terms ofadapting to climate change. In July 2009

the Climate Change and Development Adapting by Reducing Vulnerability (CCDARE) programme responded to a requestfrom Togos Department of Village WaterSupply for nancial and technical supportto help the authorities and communities ofSavanne District in northern Togo improvetheir understanding of climate changeadaptation, undertake the rehabilitation

of selected water reservoirs, and then usethe information and expertise gained todevelop a proposal for the rehabilitation ofall water reservoirs in Togo.

WHAT UNEP DID: With funding of $100,000, two damswere rehabilitated, involving excavation,enlargement, reinforcement and repairof dykes, pipe strengthening, anddevelopment of channels to feed sh

ponds. Overall storage capacity wasincreased by more than 40 per cent, andthe project yielded reliable economic dataand concrete adaptation information thatwill guide future interventions. The jointUNEP and UNDP programme uses fundingfrom the Government of Denmark to makebig differences in developing countries thatare on the climate front line. Working withthe Togo Government, local authorities,community leaders, and the private sector,the project showed how small, exible andtargeted support can deliver signicantchange. This includes improving accessto water for local communities, enhancingunderstanding of climate change and theplanning and activities necessary to adaptto it, and providing valuable data for biggerinterventions elsewhere in the country.

THE BIG PICTURE: As a result of this rehabilitation project,local communities have an increasedunderstanding of the role of plants andforests in conserving water and soil, andhave been encouraged to landscape water

points with appropriate vegetation coverto reduce evaporation and encouragebiodiversity renewal. Togos Ministry ofWater Resources has gained a tool to helpmanage water policy under a changingclimate, supported by more informedcommunities and local authorities thatunderstand the importance of small damrehabilitation, and can see the impact ofsuch interventions on people and their

livelihoods. The data on costs extractedfrom the project will not only enable suchschemes to be put into practice on smallor large scales elsewhere in Togo andacross Africa, but will also allow them to beimplemented at a signicantly reduced costand with locally sourced materials.

www.unep.org/unite/30ways

www.ccdare.org

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The success of the CC DARE programme in Rwandais exemplary and will serve as a model for CC DAREcooperation in other countries.

Danish Environment Ambassador, Ms. Margit Thomsen

Relocation and

rehabilitation:

climate change

adaptation inRwanda

Daring to

make the

dierence

THE PROBLEM:Once home to populations of chimpanzeesand Golden Monkeys, the sloping terrainof Rwandas Gishwati Forest has in recentdecades suffered severe environmentaldegradation, which has been exacerbatedby devastating climatic disasters.Landslides, oods and torrential rainhave claimed lives, demolished humansettlements, and destroyed thousands ofhectares of forest and farmland. The 1994

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genocide displaced many thousands ofpeople, which led to further land clearingand extensive degradation as desperatepeople were forced to settle on steeplysloping land in this densely populatedcountry.

THE SOLUTION:The joint UNEP and UNDP Climate Changeand Development Adapting by Reducing Vulnerability (CC DARE) programmeprovided Rwanda with funding to developa Land Suitability and Land Use Plan. Thishelped guide the relocation of humansettlements from high risk zones, as well asthe rehabilitation of vacated land, in order toreduce the vulnerability of local communities

and ecosystems. Risk assessments showed thatif further erosion of the Gishwati forest wasto be avoided, 43 per cent of the terrain around 2844 hectares should be used forpasture, forest plantation and fruit trees. Ofthis 1393 hectares should be preserved andinvasive human activities forbidden.

WHAT UNEP DID:CC DARE showed that small, exible and

targeted funding works. Working with theRwandan Ministry of Environment, localgovernment, districts and communities,and with $150,000 in funding from theDanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNEPprovided timely and focused support for the

planning that is vital for moving communitiesand rehabilitating land. The project alsodeveloped manuals that enabled a properassessment of land use guiding communitiesand authorities on carbon sequestration,high value crops, soil resilience, sustainablefarming systems, bridging periods of food

insecurity, and strategies to cope with climatevariability. The programme attracted nationalgovernment interest and acted as a catalystfor larger interventions. The relocation ofcommunities to safer areas was implementedby local government and supported bynational budgetary allocation, demonstratingthe partnership and devolution of power thatcan fast track the implementation of climatechange adaptation while keeping actions

within national development programmes.THE BIG PICTURE:The updated Land Suitability and LandUse Map and Plan for Gishwati has hadan enormous impact, paving the wayfor innovative action on climate changeadaptation in Africas most densely populatedcountry. The initial investment has enabledthe Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture to access$25 million from the Government of Rwandafor the resettlement of returnees displaced bythe 1994 genocide, and for the rehabilitationof land where the risk of landslides andooding is greatest. Rehabilitation will, in turn,enable Rwanda to play a bigger role in globalcarbon trading through the establishment of

new carbon sinks in Gishwati. The successof the project has helped Rwanda leverageother funds, including $15.9 million from theUNFCCC Least Developed Country Fund andUNDP, among other sources, and enabledother climate change adaptation programmesin the country to make substantial savings.

There is enormous potential for the project tobe replicated elsewhere in Rwanda. There areplans to share the knowledge and experiencethe project has generated with other centralAfrican countries to encourage the approachon a small or large scale beyond Rwandasborders.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayswww.ccdare.org

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The Billion Tree Campaign


Plant for the planet

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THE PROBLEM:Deforestation and forest degradationcontribute around 17 per cent of globalgreenhouse gas emissions. To keep globaltemperature rises to within 2oC of pre-

industrial levels, we need to reverse thetrend of deforestation and engage in largescale reforestation.

THE SOLUTION:Planting trees is a simple solution tomitigating climate change while enrichingbiodiversity. Trees absorb CO

2, reduce soil

erosion, produce life-giving oxygen, providehabitat for wildlife, and are a legacy for

future generations. Under the patronageof Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai, and His SereneHighness Prince Albert II of Monaco, theBillion Tree Campaign is raising awarenessof the interdependence of humankind and

the planets ecosystems, as well as the linksbetween tree planting and climate changemitigation, the restoration of biodiversity,air and soil quality, and food security.

WHAT UNEP DID:UNEPs Plant for the Planet: Billion TreeCampaign is a worldwide initiative thatencourages governments, organizationsof all kinds, and individuals to planttrees. Since its inception in 2006, theBillion Tree Campaign has recorded theplanting of more than 10 billion trees,which according to estimates basedon Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange guidelines have the potential to

absorb 164 million tonnes of CO2 per yearover their lifespan. Working with partnersfrom sectors as diverse as nance, vehicles,confectionary and cosmetics, NGOs andother United Nations agencies this UNEPcampaign strongly encourages the plantingof indigenous or other trees appropriate tothe local environment.

THE BIG PICTURE:

Trees and other plants remove carbon fromthe atmosphere as they grow. The BillionTree Campaign has inspired the involvementof all 192 United Nations Member States,and numerous governments have registereddata on afforestation. Several other

campaigns have modelled themselves onthe Billion Tree Campaign, including aglobal campaign for the protection of abillion trees in the Amazon. The Billion TreeCampaign has captured the imagination ofthe public most participants are privateindividuals and is a valuable tool tohelp companies contribute to the ghtagainst climate change. The Plant for thePlanet: Billion Tree Campaign won a UN21 Award as a substantive programme inrecognition of its exceptional contributiontowards improving efciency in the UnitedNations.

www.unep.org/unite/30ways

www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign

When we plant trees, we plant the seedsof peace and seeds of hope.

Professor Wangari Maathai,

founder of the Green Belt Movementand 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

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By supporting this innovative Gorilla Organization project, the UN Year of the Gorilla hascreated a permanent legacy. Distributing fuel-efcient stoves not only helps safeguard the

gorillas habitat, which is shared by us, but it also addresses the major challenges of climatechange and poverty.Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary, Convention on Migratory Species

Ecient stoves combat

deforestation in gorilla

habitat

Protecting gorillas,

one meal at a time


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THE PROBLEM:Mountain Gorillas are facing extinction.Fewer than 750 individuals remain, anddemands on their forest home and theabundant natural resources it offers including food, water and wood for timber

and fuel is threatening the survival ofthe species. For the gorillas in VirungaNational Park, in the east of the DemocraticRepublic of Congo, the problem has beenexacerbated by decades of civil war andunrest, with displaced human populationsadding to pressures on the forests.Impoverished communities living aroundgorilla habitat are forced into the protectedparks to collect wood to produce charcoal

for cooking. As well as the devastatingimpact on the forests, collecting wood ishazardous and time consuming, and thenoxious smoke produced by burning itthreatens human health.

THE SOLUTION: At the beginning of 2008 the GorillaOrganization in partnership with AfricanNGO, AIDE-Kivu, launched a project toencourage the use of fuel efcient stoves.Using simple technology, the stoves reduceconsumption of rewood and charcoal byup to 75 per cent, which in turn reduceshuman pressure on the forest habitat of

gorillas and many other species. The projectalso benets public health by reducingthe incidence of lung disease. By the endof 2008 almost 500 stoves had beenproduced, with a further 250 produced in2009. The stoves are sold for a token $2each less than the cost of production to encourage the sense of ownership thatensures stoves are used and maintained.The funds generated have been reinvestedin the project, and regular workshopsinvolving local communities and authoritiespromote the many benets of using fuelefcient stoves.

WHAT UNEP DID:UNEPs Convention on Migratory Speciesdesignated 2009 the Year of the Gorilla.The fuel efcient stoves project wasone of several projects UNEP funded inrecognition of its signicant role in tacklingone of the most immediate threats to thefuture survival of Mountain Gorillas byreducing deforestation. The contribution ofthe Year of the Gorilla campaign allowedthe project to continue throughout 2010.

THE BIG PICTURE:Fuel efcient stoves are helping to tacklethree of the worlds greatest challenges:poverty, climate change and loss ofbiodiversity. More than 3500 people have

already beneted from this initiative. Lessmoney is being spent on fuel, allowing moreto be invested on developing livelihoods;health is improving as a result of reducedwood fuel use; and children, freed fromtime consuming rewood collection, cango to school. The environmental benetsare also considerable. A reduction in fuelconsumption in one of the Africas mostdensely populated regions is making asignicant contribution towards the ghtagainst climate change. And, crucially, asdemand for rewood and charcoal fallsand reliance on forest resources diminishes,deforestation eases. The project gives thecritically endangered Mountain Gorilla

population a chance to prosper, and therich biodiversity of the Virunga NationalPark a World Heritage Site a chanceto ourish.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayswww.yog2009.orgwww.cms.int

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Through the CC DARE programme the communities of Xai-Xai have acquired knowledgeon how to tackle adaptation to climate change. The concrete demonstration given by thisprogramme has not only helped to strengthen the capacity of the people of this city but willalso help provide the socio-economic information needed for future analysis of the impactsof climate change. These are the kind of actions we want in this city, in this country and inAfrica.

CC DARE promotes climate change

adaptation in Xai-Xai, Mozambique

Mounting a defence against

climate change


Mrs Rita Muianga, Mayor of Xai-Xai

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THE PROBLEM:The impact of a tropical rainstorm oncoastal cities can be devastating. Housesand schools are washed away, enormousgullies appear on slopes, and roads simplydisappear in the deluge. This shattering

impact is worsened by increased run-offcaused by deforestation and consequentinland soil erosion, and by climate changethat threatens to bring rising sea levels andmore extreme weather events. For coastalcities, such as Xai-Xai in Mozambique,which sits on the banks of the LimpopoRiver as it meets the Indian Ocean, facingthe grim aftermath of storms may become amore frequent event.

THE SOLUTION:The Climate Change and Development Adapting by Reducing Vulnerability (CCDARE) project helps introduce sustainabletechniques to adapt land use practicesto increasing rainfall under a changingclimate. In Xai-Xai this has meant trainingyouth and womens groups to make andmaintain hollow building blocks, which

are then used to construct a retainingwall along one of the citys main roads tocounter water erosion. Once completed, thewall was planted with grasses and shrubsthat help retain soil as well as beautify

the structure. Local people and authoritieslearnt about climate change adaptation,about the importance of maintenance and,most importantly, about the impact of small,targeted interventions made real throughcollective action.

WHAT UNEP DID:UNEP and UNDP, with funding fromthe Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs,implemented a programme to demonstrateconcrete adaptation action at thecommunity level. In the case of Xai-Xai thismeant partnering with the city council, theCentre for the Sustainable Development ofCoastal Zones, and with the people of the

city, to provide technical assistance andto support the establishment of communalcommittees to mitigate and prevent erosionand soil degradation.

THE BIG PICTURE:At a cost of less than $50,000, there hasbeen a transformation in community andauthority understanding of the relationshipbetween the chronic erosion problemsthat plague the city and climate change.Crucially, it has also led to an increasein capacity to mobilize community actionto protect against climate change, anddevelop strategies to adapt to it. TheXai-Xai project has also provided socio-

economic information and data that willhelp model the impact of climate changeon coastal cities elsewhere in Mozambiqueand across the developing world, enablingsuitable adaptation action to be taken, withresulting savings in both time and money.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayswww.ccdare.org

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The Global Fuel Economy Initiative:

clean tech in action


Cars and climate:

promoting cleaner,

more ecient vehicles

In the next few decades, close to two billion vehicles will beadded to the global eet if we do not address this growth andensure that cleaner, more efcient transport solutions are availableand adopted, the subsequent growth in pollutant and CO

2

emissions will overcome global mitigation efforts in other sectors.We now have ready the technology and policies that can doubleauto fuel efciency.

Sheila Watson, Director of Environment, FIA Foundation

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THE PROBLEM:The transport sector accounts forapproximately one quarter of all energyrelated CO

2emissions, a gure set to rise

to one third by 2050. By then, the worldsvehicle eet will have tripled, with over 80

per cent of that growth occurring in thedeveloping world. There is an urgent need tond a way to reconcile legitimate aspirationsfor mobility and an ambitious reductionin CO

2from cars. With unprecedented

growth in motorization worldwide in thenext few decades, governments in bothdeveloped and developing countries needto act to stem the expected exponentialrise in emissions. Developing countries are

currently ill-equipped to take full advantageof the available technology and policyapproaches to reducing greenhouse gasemissions from transport.

THE SOLUTION:The average fuel economy of the globallight duty vehicle eet can be improved byat least 50 per cent by 2050, relative to2005 levels. But realizing this improvementwill require a global approach and thisincludes involving developing countries,only a handful of which currently haveany policies on vehicle fuel efciency. TheGlobal Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) is

acting now to help these countries evaluateand apply the wealth of knowledge andtechnology available to make their growthgreener. Cutting fuel consumption in half byincreasing fuel and vehicle efciency wouldreduce global emissions of CO

2by over

one gigatonne a year effectively capping

them at current levels and would also cutoil import bills by over $400 billion (basedon an oil price of $100 a barrel).

WHAT UNEP DID:UNEP teamed up with road safety,environmental protection and sustainablemobility campaigners, the FIA Foundation,the International Energy Agency, and theInternational Transport Forum, to form theGFEI. This is the rst global initiative tooffer developing countries access to thepractical technology and policy expertiseto lower greenhouse gas emissions fromthe road transport sector. UNEPs supporton the ground allows countries to accessthe best available knowledge, training andresources to evaluate the technology andpolicies available to them, and to see what

has worked in the other parts of the world.This hands-on approach is being pioneeredin Ethiopia, Indonesia, Chile and CostaRica.

THE BIG PICTURE:GFEI aims to encourage countries tocommit to achievable but ambitiousvehicle sector emissions reductions that willcontribute to a 50 per cent improvement invehicle efciency worldwide by 2050: the

50 by 50 campaign. The initiative aims toachieve an international impact, with thepotential to deliver dramatic savings in bothemissions and costs through its approach. Ifsuccessful, the 50 by 50 campaign will savetwo billion tonnes of CO

2per year by 2050,

and simultaneously generate hundreds ofbillions of dollars of cost savings, especiallyto oil importing countries and consumers.It would also support further improvements

in air quality and in safety benets relatedto lighter vehicles, which would reducethe incidence of injury to pedestrians andnon-motorized trafc. Manufacturers couldalso anticipate cost savings from greaterefforts to achieve global harmonization ofregulatory systems that should be cheaperto comply with than the current patchworkof different systems.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayswww.50by50campaign.org

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The Climate Neutral Network will be an important contribution to the development and promotion ofcarbon neutral economies. It will facilitate the role of market based solutions and economic regulatorymeasures to combat climate change.

Erik Solheim, Minister of the Environment and International Development, Norway

UNEPs Climate Neutral Network

Inspiring low carbon

economies and societies


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THE PROBLEM: As the global community has becomeprogressively more aware of the needfor concerted and coordinated action toaddress climate change, innovative actionhas emerged at all levels of society and

across the global economy. The challenge,however, is to harness such innovations from local solutions and grassrootsinitiatives, to cutting edge technologiesdeveloped by multinational corporationsand think tanks to identify and leveragewhat works. The further challenge is toaccelerate and scale up these diversesolutions.

THE SOLUTION:Encouraging and cross-fertilizing theideas and initiatives that are springing upall over the world is a priority. Doing sowill help ensure that these ideas can bereplicated and leveraged as inspirationsto sustain coordinated global efforts tocombat climate change. These ideas shouldbe encouraged as viable independentinitiatives, while also being recognized as

providing support to multilateral politicalefforts to combat climate change.

WHAT UNEP DID:In February 2008, UNEP launched theClimate Neutral Network (CN Net), aweb based platform to showcase strategiesand initiatives to reduce carbon footprints,provide opportunities for knowledge

sharing and technology transfer, andpromote the global transition to low carboneconomies and societies. Almost 250governments, regions, cities, companiesand organizations from around the worldhave joined CN Net, each of them requiredto publish a climate neutral strategy onthe CN Net website. CN Net contributesdirectly to UNEPs goal of improving theunderstanding of climate change science

and its use in sound policy making, andon enhancing the general understandingof climate change by communicating keyclimate change messages.

THE BIG PICTURE:Some 140 of CN Nets participants arecompanies, including some of the worldsbest recognized brands, such as Microsoft,Dell, Cable & Wireless, Deutsche Post DHL,

Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Bank, Puma,Skanska, Bayer AG, Japan Airlines, Toyotaand News Limited. CN Net participation hasalso grown markedly in the developing world:half of the countries that have committed toCN Net are emerging economies or those in

transition. CN Net participants are pioneersin climate neutrality, and have adopted someof the most innovative and ambitious climateneutral strategies in the world: Costa Rica aims to be climate neutral by2021, when it celebrates 200 years ofindependence.

Fujilm Group has embraced the goal ofclimate neutrality by setting challengingemission reduction targets at its six factoriesin Japan. The Norwegian city of Arendal is alreadyclimate neutral, and has committed toreducing its emissions by 90 per cent within10 years. The region of Wenjiang in south west Chinaaims to become a zero carbon emission city

by 2015, through a greening programmeand emissions monitoring. Over 450 highpolluting enterprises have been either shutdown or upgraded since 2000. French development NGO Plante Urgenceoffsets all emissions from its operations,provides nancial incentives for employeesto reduce their emissions, and carries outreforestation projects in developing countries.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayswww.unep.org/climateneutral

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UNEPs partnership with the Appalachian Regional Restoration Initiative has energized our treeplanting efforts on the three quarters of a million acres of degraded lands in the Appalachian coaleldsthat could be available for reforestation. With an army of citizen volunteers from ARRI partners, we hopeto make a signicant contribution to UNEPs goal of planting a tree for each one of the 320 million UScitizens.

Dr Patrick Angel, Senior Forester/Soil Scientist, US Department of Interior

The Appalachian Regional

Restoration Initiative (ARRI)

A regional model for

global reforestation


Al b K t k M l d illi 125 illi t

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THE PROBLEM:In spite of being endowed with a wealthof natural resources, the Appalachianregion of the eastern United States has longstruggled with poverty. The area is home tosome 23 million people, but the exploitation

of Appalachias coal reserves has left ascarred and damaged landscape in anarea whose forests support some of thehighest biological diversity in the worldstemperate regions. In a region facinghigh unemployment and environmentaldegradation, increasing local wealthwhile sustaining biodiversity and aidingthe recovery of damaged ecosystems is asolution to multiple challenges.

THE SOLUTION:The Appalachian Regional RestorationInitiative (ARRI) was created in an effortto reforest active and abandoned minelands. Since 2004, some 60 million treeshave been planted on about 87,000 acresin Appalachia under ARRIs guidance. Theexcitement and energy generated by theproject has resulted in the Green Forest

Works for Appalachia, which proposesplanting 125 million trees over the nextve years, creating more than 2000 greenjobs and restoring forests on approximately70,820 hectares of barren mine lands

across Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland,Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia,and West Virginia. Offering economicbenets for investors and employmentopportunities for local people, trees alsominimize soil erosion, remove carbondioxide from the air to ght climate change,

provide wildlife habitat and diverse plantspecies, provide watershed improvement,and are a resource for recreational activitiessuch as hiking and camping.

WHAT UNEP DID:Inspired by UNEPs Billion Tree Campaign, ARRI pledged to plant 38 million treesover a three year period. In support of thispartnership, UNEP helped volunteers planttrees on an abandoned mine site anevent which led to the creation of a greenjobs proposal to stimulate the economyof Appalachia and reap the ecologicalbenets of a region-wide reforestation effort.ARRI is a capacity building effort betweenUNEP, the US Department of the InteriorsOfce of Surface Mining Reclamation andEnforcement, and the San Francisco based

Baum Foundation.THE BIG PICTURE:If in one year the average tree inhales 12kg of CO

2and exhales enough oxygen

for a family of four, then the impact of 38

million - or even 125 million - trees canbe transformative. Reforestation under ARRI will produce a carbon sink to helpmitigate the effects of climate change,sequestering between three and ve timesmore carbon than grassland, while givingadditional benets such as biodiversity,

soil and water conservation, and reducingforest fragmentation. The benets forlandowners include increased timbervalue, tax incentives, the possibility to leasefor recreational purposes, and carbonsequestration credits. Providing alternativelivelihoods based on ecosystem serviceswill create additional jobs and add vitalityto a region plagued by unemployment.Appalachian communities will enjoy betterood control, the restoration of native forestsfor culture and recreation, and additionaltax revenue. The ARRI project is testimony tothe synergies that effective partnerships canachieve, and is an example of a solutionthat can be replicated in many other areasof the world on a small or large scale,limited only by available resources andambition.

www.unep.org/unite/30Wayswww.unep.org/billiontreecampaign

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The average Norwegian business or city administration can reduce

greenhouse gas emissions by two tonnes per employee using theClimate Partners approach.

Svein Tveitdal, Climate Partners Project Manager

Climate Partners in Agder, Norway


Building a green businessregion

THE PROBLEM

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THE PROBLEM:Emissions generated in urban areasrepresent one of the greatest challengesin addressing climate change. Buildingsalone are responsible for an estimated 1.45billion tonnes of CO

2emissions annually in

industrialized countries, and for around onethird of global greenhouse gas emissions,while industry emissions are over 1.3billion tonnes annually, representing almosta quarter of annual emissions. While manymunicipal areas and businesses withinthem are prepared to face this challenge,it is difcult to make a meaningful impacton overall emissions without a joint vision,exibility and cooperation. The Agder

region of southern Norway saw clearly thatmany businesses that wanted to provideproducts and services for tomorrows lowcarbon society lacked information aboutthe threats and opportunities that climatechange presents. And while cities andregions needed to nd a way to supportlocal businesses in this endeavour, they alsoneeded to reduce their own greenhouse gasemissions to gain credibility in the climate

market. Ensuring that all parties had thekey information and support they requiredto make appropriate changes demanded awell informed and coordinated approach.

THE SOLUTION:The Climate Partners network wasestablished in Agder in 2009, and nowincludes the two counties that make upthe region, the three largest cities, and21 companies in its rapidly expanding

membership. The region has a populationof 270,000, and some 15,000 peoplework for network employers, generating acombined turnover of about US$2.5 billion.Using UN guidelines on climate neutrality,and with guidance from UNEPs ClimateNeutral Network (CN Net) - a hub for thedissemination of climate neutral strategiesand information - partners calculate theircarbon footprint, prepare an emissions

reduction plan and purchase offsets. Partnerspay a variable membership fee dependingon employee numbers, and contribute to theshort term goal of reducing their emissions.The city of Arendal the capital of East Agder county is run by Norways rstclimate neutral city administration, which iscommitted to reducing its emissions by 90per cent within 10 years: equivalent to twotonnes per employee, or 6,000 tonnes ofCO2 emissions. Other Climate Partners aredeveloping similar goals.

WHAT UNEP DID:UNEP founded a novel and practical solutionto the growing global need for tools andresources in tackling climate change, byforming CN Net in 2008. CN Net operatesan interactive website hub for promotingsuccessful climate neutral strategies, andprovides the tools and resources to developthem. Both CN Net, and UNEPs publicationKick the Habit A UN Guide to ClimateNeutrality, have been instrumental in theactivities of the Climate Partners network,providing guidance on methodologies forcarbon footprint calculation; climate neutrality;offsets and environmental certication; ongreen IT; and on climate friendly transport,helping partners to develop strategies for

reducing their vehicle eet emissions by95 per cent by 2020. UNEP also providedaccess to climate change information andgreen business opportunities.

THE BIG PICTURE:The Climate Partners initiative has beenwidely communicated in Norway, and theNorwegian Government is considering themodels potential application as a strategy for

the Government and its 320,000 employeesto become climate neutral.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayswww.unep.org/climateneutral

C ti th li t f h

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UNEPs greening campaign and awareness raising efforts have really helped create a more tangible

image which has helped our students relate to climate change. More and more trees need to be plantedaround Central Equatoria to make up for the negative impacts of climate change on ecosystems andpeople.

Mr Beetwbiza Frank, School Teacher, Juba

Combating climate change in Sudan

Creating the climate for change

in Sudan


THE PROBLEM: THE SOLUTIONof climate change UNEP has also contributed

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THE PROBLEM:Until the late 20th century the Sahel atransitional zone that stretches across theAfrican continent, straddling the boundarybetween the Sahara desert to the northand savannah lands to the south wascharacterized by baobab and acacia treesand sparse grass cover. Today, climatechange and resulting desertication ischanging this picture. Rainfall in Darfurhas become more erratic and there ismounting evidence that variable rainfallacross the country has caused signicantstress on both pastoralist and farmingcommunities particularly in West Sudanand Kordofan affecting water supplies

and aggravating conict. Armed conictfor much of the past 50 years has addedto Sudans environmental degradation, andconict over scarce natural resources is adestabilizing inuence in some parts of thecountry. Displacement has created denseurban populations with distorted economieswhich have created an insatiable demandfor timber for fuel wood, charcoal andbrick making. Increased energy demand

is now a major driver of environmentaldegradation in Sudan, in particular the lossof forest cover, leaving communities morevulnerable to the effects of climate change.

THE SOLUTION:Managing the environment to addressclimate change and human impact is criticalto achieving lasting solutions. One solutionis to promote a combination of improvedfuel efciency, greater use of alternativeenergy, and well managed fuel woodlots to

prevent further depletion of forest resourcesin Sudan. Another is to promote communitybased environmental management as a keyto sustained environment rehabilitation andprotection. Strengthening national capacity, inareas such as investment strategies, and watersupply and demand, will ultimately enable theSudanese Government to develop a robustnational adaptation policy.

WHAT UNEP DID:UNEP implemented the Darfur AlternativeEnergy Project, which assesses and promotesalternative energy sources. The Keep JubaGreen campaign, launched by UNEP in June2010, is working to reverse deforestationand renew greenhouse gas sinks byworking with local communities to plant onemillion trees over the next 12 months. Withsupport from the Governments of the United

Kingdom, Italy and the United States, UNEPhelped the Sudanese Government to draftenvironmental policy and legislation that willenhance national monitoring programmesand research capacity to detect biological,physical and chemical uctuations as a result

of climate change. UNEP has also contributedto UN efforts to develop a recovery strategyfor Darfur, which includes integrated waterresource management, environmentaltechnology transfer, community environmentalmanagement and support to environmentministries.

THE BIG PICTURE:The impact of natural resource scarcity,degradation and climate change in Sudanis poorly understood. The capacity buildingthat constitutes an important part of UNEPswork in Sudan is helping to address this, toprovide a basis for the comprehensive longterm planning that is vital if there is to besustainable peace in the country. UNEP isworking to help the Government of Sudan

better understand the potential impacts ofclimate change and to incorporate climateconsiderations into long term developmentplans, particularly for agriculture and water.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayswww.unep.org/sudan/UNEPintheRegions/CurrentActivities/Sudan/tabid/294/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Sugar sweetens the deal for

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Cogeneration is an obvious investment for many industries. Biomass waste from industrialprocessing is commonly burnt for heating and steam. By adding a turbine, the waste steamalso makes electricity and often doubles the energy you can get from the waste.

Geordie Colville, UNEP climate change expert, Nairobi, Kenya

Cogeneration for Africa project


Sugar sweetens the deal for

renewable energy

THE PROBLEM: and their dependants in Kenya, Ethiopia, the countrys electricity needs. The UNEP

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THE PROBLEM:Most of rural Africa has little or no electricity.While many African countries rely on fossilfuels or hydroelectric generation for theirnational needs, at the local, rural levelmost households must burn biomass generally wood or charcoal to cook andto warm their homes. African populationsare growing, and so is the demand forelectricity. The search is on for low cost,renewable, indigenous fuels that will cutgreenhouse gas emissions, and reduceenergy costs and dependence on imports.

THE SOLUTION:Cogeneration the simultaneous production

of heat and power can help meet Africanenergy needs. The waste products of sugar,pulp and paper, wood processing, coffee,maize, rice, sisal, palm oil and other cropscan be turned into electricity, generatingsubstantial additional prots for theindustries themselves and the farmers whoprovide the feedstock. In East and SouthernAfrica, where dependence on hydropoweris high, biomass can supplement power

needs when rivers and dams are low,and help reduce the need for emergencydiesel, coal or oil red power generators.The Cogeneration for Africa project aimsto reach around 10 million sugar farmers

p y , p ,Malawi, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania andSwaziland, promoting more than $300million of cogeneration investment andinstalling 40MW of generating power insix years. And because cogeneration isso protable, the project expects to set the

stage for accelerated investment in comingyears.

WHAT UNEP DID:UNEP implemented Cogeneration for Africa, with $5.25 million in fundingfrom the Global Environment Facility, inpartnership with the African DevelopmentBank and the African Energy PolicyResearch Network. To date, the project has

inuenced policy on the sale of renewableenergy to national grids in Kenya andTanzania; conducted workshops ontechnical and nancial issues; supportedfeasibility studies and the identication ofpotential cogeneration investments; andconcluded nine cooperation agreementswith agro-industrial project developers inKenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi to

build cogeneration facilities.THE BIG PICTURE:Cogeneration for Africa builds on thesuccess of cogeneration in Mauritius, whichcurrently provides close to 40 per cent of

y yHarnessing Carbon Finance to PromoteSustainable Forestry, Agro-Forestry andBioenergy report (2009) estimates that,based on existing sugarcane production,cogeneration could contribute anadditional 16.2 per cent power capacity

in Kenya, 23.7 per cent in Malawi, and aremarkable 144.5 per cent in Swaziland.There are plans to increase the scope of theproject elsewhere on the continent throughcapacity building, and technical andinvestment support.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayshttp://cogen.unep.orgwww.afrepren.org/cfa

Going where utilities

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Dont burn your money.

African Rural Energy

Enterprise Development

(AREED)


Copyrightreserved

byAIDG/fikr

Going where utilities

fear to tread

Commercial message of Toyola Energytargeting rural and peri-urban users of

traditional charcoal and wood fuelled stoves

THE PROBLEM: cooking stoves that have helped offset and f b d d

Inefcient domestic cooking devices, suchh h h f l

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THE PROBLEM:For people living in rural communities in someparts of Africa there is simply not enoughenergy to go around. In a world focused onusing less energy, these people need more:they need access to a reliable fuel supply tocook with, and to heat and light their homes.

A person in sub-Saharan Africa has the lowestenergy consumption in the world, consumingjust one thirtieth of the energy of an averageNorth American. Many communities are along way from the supply grids of energycompanies, and local businesses havedifculty attracting nance. So, how can thesepeople access signicantly more energy,while minimizing any additional greenhousegas emissions?

THE SOLUTION:Enter AREED African Rural Energy EnterpriseDevelopment. This UNEP programme supportsinnovative energy entrepreneurs with businessdevelopment services and access to capital.When Suraj Wahab and Ernest Kyei wantedto start a small business selling efcientcooking stoves near their homes on the fringeof Ghanas capital, Accra, they could not geta loan from any of the local banks. They turnedto AREED, got professional help to prepare abusiness plan, and eventually secured a loanfor $270,000. Four years later, their company,Toyola Energy, has supplied 50,000 homesin six regions of Ghana with energy efcient

estimated 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxideemissions. Toyola Energy has diversied intosolar lanterns and has created more than200 jobs. The companys success is now sowidely recognized that this year Suraj Wahabwas named Africas Energy Personality of the

Year. More than 30 companies in ve Africancountries owe their existence to AREED.

WHAT UNEP DID: With backing from the UN Foundation andnational partners, UNEP launched AREED in2000 in Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Tanzaniaand Zambia. Since then:

More than 500 entrepreneurs havereceived enterprise development trainingto create or improve their businesses. Close to $2 million has been investedin 31 businesses that provide energyservices for water pumping, water heatingand cooking. These businesses supplyliquid petroleum gas, wind powered waterpumps, solar photovoltaic power systems,energy efciency technology, solar cropdryers and solar water heaters. More than 224,000 people in44,000 households now have access to

cleaner energy.

THE BIG PICTURE: About 1.6 billion people lack access tomodern energy, and rely on traditionalbiomass use for heating and cooking.

as three stone stoves, together with fuelswith poor burning characteristics, such ashumid wood, charcoal and dung, result inincomplete combustion, which in turn leadsto signicant emissions of black carbon particles more often known as soot. Inefcient

cooking stoves are estimated to be responsiblefor 25 per cent of black carbon emissions.Also, use of wood fuel and charcoal causesa high and often unsustainable demand forwood, leading to deforestation and forestdegradation, and black carbon emissionscause severe respiratory and pulmonarydiseases. By focusing on innovative, smallscale energy nancing, AREED makes animpact on climate change, biodiversity andecosystem conservation, and on human healthand development.

www.unep.org/unite/30wayswww.ccdare.orgwww.uneptie.org/energy/activities/reed/areed.htm

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THE PROBLEM:

Buildings are responsible for more thanone third of global energy use and inmany countries are the largest source ofgreenhouse gas emissions. Where andhow we live are urgent sustainability issues,

particularly in developed countries, wherepeople consume a large proportion ofthe planets natural resources. A shift tosustainable lifestyles is essential if we are tomake the signicant cuts in greenhouse gasemissions that our climate needs.

THE SOLUTION:

BioRegional works in partnership withproperty developers across the globe,encouraging them to think holistically aboutsustainability. Since only green lifestyles incombination with green buildings can deliver

One Planet Communities

Green neighbourhoods span

the globe

Its time to stop planning for energy efciency and startl i f i t It ti t t

developments in poorer parts of the world.O Pl t C iti d l t

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planning for zero impact. Its time to move past greenand embrace truly sustainable development. One PlanetCommunities has given us the framework to do just that.

Geof Syphers, Chief Sustainability Ofcer,

CoddingEnterprises(Developer of Sonoma Mountain Village,

a One Planet Community in California)

the dramatic reduction in carbon emissionswe need, BioRegional created the One PlanetCommunities programme, using the ten One

Planet principles, which cover zero carbon andwaste, sustainable transport, materials, food,water and land use, with regard for culture,equity, health and happiness. These principlesinform the design, construction, governance,community engagement and long term estatemanagement of the One Planet Communities,which are expanding in ve continents and

providing homes for around 100,000 people.

WHAT UNEP DID:UNEP set up the Climate Neutral Network(CN Net) in 2008, an internet based forumfor the exchange of strategies and initiativesto reduce carbon footprint share knowledge,

create opportunities for technology transfer,and promote the global transition to low-carbon societies. BioRegional is part of UNEPs

250 member, and through it, has been ableto share its ideas and work with some of theworlds leading companies and organizations.Six of the eight Sustainable Communities andCities referred to in 2010s UN-DESA reportTrends in Sustainable Development: toward

30 ways

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