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2015
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MARINE DEBRIS
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EARTH DAY
CLIMATE & ENERGY
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April
FOOD WASTE
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ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
REPORTS THAT MATTER
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Call for Action to EliminateLead in Paint at Earth Day Celebration
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Goodwill
Ambassador, Don Cheadle, UNEP Regional Director for North
America, Patricia Beneke and Walker Smith from the United States
Environmental Protection Agency announced the Lead Paint Alliance’s
goal to eliminate lead in paint around the world by 2020, at the Global
Citizen 2015 Earth Day celebration on April 18th on the National Mall
in Washington, D.C. They were joined by representatives from the
World Health Organization and the paint industry.
Organized by the Global Poverty Project and the Earth Day Network,
the rally to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Earth Day, attracted
more than 300,000 people in person at the Mall and millions of
viewers online. The event featured high-profile officials including UN
Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon, who made commitments to resolving
climate change and eliminating poverty. Performers included Usher,
No Doubt, Train, Fall Out Boy and Mary J. Blige, among others.
Mr. Cheadle also participated in a high-level round-table session on
climate change communication strategies with Earth Day founder,
Denis Hayes, and NASA astronaut, Piers Sellers, along with other
officials. The discussion focused on identifying new engagement
methods and the means of measuring impact to advance climate
solutions.
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“Race for Water Odyssey” Reaches New York City
The “Race for Water Odyssey” (R4WO) trimaran arrived at New York
City on April 9th concluding its Atlantic crossing as the first leg of its
40,000 nautical mile journey around the globe. R4WO is a pioneering
and inspiring expedition that is attempting to measure the impact of
plastic pollution on the world’s oceans by visiting islands located in
the heart of the five global trash gyres.
The Odyssey is on its way to Valparaiso, Chile, through the Panama
Canal to conduct the second in a series of 11 scientific analyses on
the world’s trash vortexes.
Lead in Paint
Marine Debris
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The crew was greeted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Swiss Consulate, among others, for a press conference, followed by a guided tour of the MOD 70 Trimaran. The R4WO
was the guest of honor at the UN headquarters for a high-level luncheon and the “Global Partnership on Marine Litter” (GPML) open
forum. Panelists included Patricia Beneke, Director of the Regional
Office for North America, UNEP; Nancy Wallace, Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program and Chair of the GPML; and Heidi Savelli, Programme Officer,
UNEP. Launched in 2012, the GPML coordinates and supports private
and public action in the fight against marine pollution.
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Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investments Re-energized
On April 1st, the Atlantic Council hosted the “Global Trends in
Renewable Energy: Disruptive Technologies in an Age of Uncertainty”
event to highlight key findings from the Frankfurt School-United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Collaborating Centre
report on renewable energy investments. Achim Steiner, UN UnderSecretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, gave a keynote
address, followed by a moderated discussion with the Honorable
Richard Morningstar, Founding Director of the Atlantic Council’s
Global Energy Center.
Mr. Steiner’s message was optimistic, emphasizing the unprecedented
rate of growth of renewables over the last decade. He highlighted
that projections of renewable energy growth are consistently
underestimated on a global scale, and actually grew by 17% to $270
billion last year. Over 100 GW of generating capacity in 2014 made it
the best year ever for newly installed capacity.
Ambassador Morningstar then facilitated an open discussion where
Mr. Steiner emphasized the vital role that UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon has played in promoting sustainability through initiatives
such as Sustainable Energy for All. The UN has also designated 2015
as the year of sustainable development; a time when the world can
move away from a carbon-intensive path and toward achieving a
global economy with a zero net carbon footprint.
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Solar Flight Takes Off on Global Voyage
On March 9th, the first-ever global solar flight took off from Abu Dhabi on a mission to raise awareness on energy consumption and
demonstrate the potential clean technologies have to protect the environment, while creating economic opportunities. Solar Impulse, the
only airplane able to fly day and night powered by solar energy, was launched after 12 years of research, tests and development. Two Swissborn pilots alternate flying the single-seat aircraft on a 12 flight journey including stops in four continents, with the final destination back in
Abu Dhabi. The Solar Impulse is currently in China before its epic Pacific crossing to North America.
As an enthusiastic partner of the Solar Impulse Foundation,
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) hopes
the attempt will help to demonstrate how a new low-carbon
economy is not only needed, but is possible. This venture
will serve to generate broad public and political interest in
environmental causes, and inspire positive action on climate
change and sustainable development through research and
groundbreaking initiatives. The partnership will be particularly
active in boosting support for ambitious goals in the lead-up
to major events on climate change and sustainable energy
initiatives, especially the UN Climate Conference in Paris (COP21)
in December of this year.
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Energy Efficiency for a Sustainable Future
A symposium on the UN Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative
was held at the 15th Annual National Conference and Global Forum
on Science, Policy and the Environment. The three-day conference,
co-sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP), attracted around 1,200 scientists, policymakers, and business
leaders. The symposium focused on the SE4ALL objective of doubling
the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030.
Targeted energy efficiency measures have the potential to reduce
global energy-related emissions by 1.5 gigatonnes in 2020 and
to generate US$ 250-325 billion worth of savings per year. These
measures include efficiency gains in buildings, transport, lighting,
appliances, district energy and industry.
Panelists included Mark Radka, from UNEP’s Division of Technology,
Industry and Economics; CLASP Executive Director, Christine Egen;
UN Foundation Senior Director for International Energy Efficiency,
Mark Hopkins; and U.S. Department of State Policy Analyst Gabrielle
Dreyfus. Each presenter explored the role that energy efficiency needs
to play in the future of sustainable energy, explained the importance
of sector-based energy efficiency accelerators, and addressed the
approaches being used to scale up proven technologies and practices.
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Getting Serious About Wildlife
Beyond its immediate environmental impacts, the illegal trade in
natural resources harms communities and local economies and
undermines national security. To raise public awareness about the
detrimental impact of illicit trade in wildlife and forest resources
the UN General Assembly proclaimed March 3rd as annual World
Wildlife Day.
To celebrate World Wildlife Day 2015, United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), along with sister UN agencies* and the Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS), organized an event at the WCS Central
Park Zoo in New York City. Dan Harris, Nightline Anchor at ABC News,
moderated the high-level panel discussion on the “Links between
Illegal Wildlife Trade, Crime, and Sustainable Development.”
The panel was followed by a reception with welcoming remarks by
Patricia Beneke, Regional Director for UNEP, and Nadya Hutagalung,
an Indonesian celebrity and the new Great Apes Survival Partnership
(GRASP) Ambassador. A display of confiscated wildlife products
was organized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law
Enforcement.
The UN General Assembly observed World Wildlife Day with a morning plenary session with keynote speakers including the President of the
General Assembly, Sam Kutesa; Secretary General of CITES, John Scanlon; GRASP Ambassador Nadya Hutagalung; and Chelsea Clinton from
the Clinton Global Initiative. Members from the floor also voiced their strengthened commitments to protect wildlife and end wildlife crime.
*United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), The Convention on the Illegal Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
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Spotlight on Global Food System
The first event of its kind in North America, the inaugural Annual
Food Tank Summit was held in Washington, D.C., at The George
Washington University in January. The two-day conference featured
more than 75 different speakers from the food and agriculture field
and was livestreamed on-line with more than 15,000 viewers globally.
Researchers, farmers, chefs, policy makers, government officials, and
students presented on topical issues including: food waste, urban
agriculture, farm workers, the business of food, agriculture research
and policy, and more.
Top media correspondents facilitated the discussions and included
representatives from the Washington Post, Bloomberg, National
Public Radio and National Geographic. Tweets from the event were
trending and were second only to comments about the President’s
State of the Union address broadcast the previous night.
The United Nation Environment Programme’s (UNEP’s) North
American Regional Director, Patricia Beneke, presented on the “Waste
Not Want Not in the Food System” panel where she highlighted the
environmental cost of food waste and spoke about the partnership
between UNEP and UN Food and Agriculture Organization, “Think.
Eat.Save.”
Food Tank is a non-profit organization that is focused on building a
global community for safe, healthy and nourished consumers.
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1 of 2 Opportunities
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International Children’s
Painting Competition – “We
have the power!”
Do you know any aspiring young artists? If so, UNEP
encourages them to participate in the 24th International
Chidren’s Painting Competition under the theme “We have
the power.” The contest, targeting youth 9 to 14, aims to
raise awareness on energy consumption and savings by
calling for artwork submissions illustrating energy efficiency
and conservation by 31 May 2015. The top three winners
will receive a prize and a fully paid trip, with a chaperone, to
the award ceremony. For more information, visit: www.unep.
org/tunza/tunzachildren/.
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2 of 2 Opportunities
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Nominate an Environmental
Pioneer for top Award
From young thinkers bringing alive their dreams of a better
world to politicians challenging the status quo, you are
invited to nominate your top environmental pioneer for
the UN flagship environmental award - Champions of the
Earth. The award recognizes outstanding environmental
visionaries and leaders and seeks to build momentum for
the transition to a sustainable future. Past laureates include
Sylvia Earle, Mario Molina, Al Gore, Mikhail Gorbachev,
Marina Silva, and many other such exemplary leaders.
Call for entries ends on 30 April, 2015. To nominate your
Champion, visit www.unep.org/champions.
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REPORTS THAT MATTER
Global investments in renewable
energy registered a solid 17%
increase after two years of
declines, brushing aside the
challenge from sharply lower
crude oil prices.
Lead in Paint
A transition to modern district
energy systems globally
could contribute to 60%
of required energy sector
emissions reductions by 2050,
and reduce primary energy
consumption by up to 50%.
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In order to limit the global
temperature rise to 2°C and head
off the worst impacts of climate
change, global carbon neutrality
needs to be attained by midcentury.
The cost of adapting to
climate change in developing
countries is likely to reach two
to three times the previous
estimates of $70-100 billion
per year by 2050.
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12-14 May
National Adaptation Forum
St. Louis, M.O.
26 May
UNEP Stakeholder Forum
Ottawa, Ontario
5 June
World Environment Day
“Seven Billion Dreams. One
Planet. Consume with Care.”
Global
8 June
World Oceans Day
Global
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PUBLISHED BY:
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR NORTH AMERICA
900 17th Street, NW, Suite 506 Washington, D.C. 20006
Telephone: 1 (202) 785 0465
www.rona.unep.org
The mission of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for North America is to promote effective
responses to global environmental challenges and to foster cooperation between the governments of the United States
and Canada to address environmental issues, strategically and effectively.
Lead in Paint
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