UNEP GOVERNING COUNCIL DISCUSSES CLIMATE CHANGE, SETS DIRECTION FOR FUTURE WORK

The Governing Bodies of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in the largest gathering of environment ministers since the UN conference on climate change at Bali, deliberated on ways to mobilise financing for mitigation and adaptation. In the context of broader discussions on international environmental governance, the need to strengthen UNEP was also discussed, with countries approving a renewed work strategy for the organisation.

The tenth Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council and the Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF) took place from 20-22 February in Monaco. The GC/GMEF is an annual global forum allowing ministerial-level review of important and emerging environmental policy issues. The theme of this year's UNEP GC/GMEF was "Globalisation and the Environment - Mobilising Finance for the Climate Challenge."

Discussions on financing for climate change, as well as on international environmental governance, the other central topic of the GC/GMEF, were held both in plenary and in smaller ministerial consultations. Other issues on the agenda were the findings of the fourth Global Environment Outlook report (GEO-4) and the UNEP Yearbook for 2008, as well as the follow-up and implementation of previous decisions, including the proposed UNEP Medium-term Strategy 2010-2013. The official meetings were preceded by a Global Civil Society Forum, a platform for exchange and consultation among major groups and stakeholders on key environmental issues to be addressed by the Member States.

Mobilising finance to meet the climate challenge

Effective catalysis of financing to meet the climate change challenge requires not only international mechanisms, but also private sector engagement at the national level. Efforts to promote such engagement were the focus of the GC/GMEF ministerial consultations on financing for climate change. The President of the GC/GMEF, Robert Calcagno of Monaco, said ministers agreed that investment capital was available in the world to address climate change but that a "sufficiently high and long-term predictable price for carbon will be central for mobilising that capital for the new economy." Developing countries noted the need for financial and technical assistance in order to make the transition to lower carbon economies. The meeting participants recognised UNEP's role in assisting developing countries to establish adequate policies and institutional frameworks and in building their capacity to access finance.

Unlike in 2007, trade did not feature prominently at the UNEP GC/GMEF (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 16 February 2007, http://www.ictsd.org/biores/07-02-16/story1.htm). Nevertheless, several trade-related topics arose in discussions on financing for climate change. The background paper for the consultations - prepared by Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP - suggested various policies to promote investment in mitigation of climate change, including the liberalisation of environmental goods and services at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The paper also noted that subsidies continue to have a major impact on climate change, with studies showing that the removal of some consumer energy subsidies could significantly reduce global carbon dioxide emissions. The issue of innovation and technology transfer was addressed as well, with the background paper highlighting the need to raise the level of innovation. Ministers were asked to consider, in particular, appropriate policies for promoting innovation and enabling large-scale deployment of mitigation and adaptation technologies.

International Environmental Governance and the UNEP Medium-term Strategy

The UNEP GC/GMEF in Monaco served as a forum to discuss progress on the informal consultative process on the institutional framework for UN environmental activities, initiated by the UN General Assembly as a result of the 2005 World Summit. In addition, the GC/GMEF considered the issue of international environmental governance more generally. Countries recognised the challenges faced by institutions responsible for environmental governance, as well as the need to address them through improved coordination, policy advice and guidance, scientific knowledge and the integration of environmental activities in the broader sustainable development framework. Divergences on the issue of international environmental governance were evident in discussions. However, there was general consensus on the need to strengthen UNEP, even if countries emphasised that such strengthening should be incremental and take care not to encroach on other mandates.

Indeed, the GC/GMEF decision authorising the proposed Medium-Term Strategy in formulating the programme of work was considered a milestone towards "new and transformational directions" for the organisation, Steiner said. The strategy will focus the organisation's activities across six cross-cutting thematic priorities, aimed at strengthening and focusing the response of UNEP to climate change; disasters and conflicts; ecosystem management; environmental governance; harmful substances and hazardous waste; and resource efficiency, sustainable consumption and production. Steiner noted that countries, by empowering UNEP, had signalled their determination to address these existing and emerging environmental challenges.

Other topics

A number of other issues were also addressed in discussions at the UNEP GC/GMEF in Monaco. Countries expressed concern at the evidence of unprecedented environmental changes presented by the GEO-4, and called for timely action to prevent, mitigate and adapt to such changes. There was also much interest in the UNEP Year Book 2008, which describes the "green economy" that is emerging as the private sector increasingly embraces environmental policies and investors turn to cleaner technologies.

Background

The UNEP GC, formed by 58 member states elected by the UN General Assembly on the basis of equitable regional representation, is charged with promoting international cooperation in the field of the environment and providing general policy guidance for the direction and coordination of environmental programmes within the UN system. Regular sessions of the UNEP Governing Council take place biannually at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Since 2000, special sessions of the UNEP Governing Council have been held on alternate years, aiming to advance discussions on increasingly pressing environmental concerns. In addition, the GMEF is convened annually to review important and emerging policy issues in the field of the environment at a high political level, with the Governing Council constituting the forum either in its regular or special sessions.

Additional information

For daily coverage and a summary of the meeting, see IISD's Earth Negotiations Bulletin at http://www.iisd.ca/unepgc/unepss10/

ICTSD reporting; "New and Forward Looking Strategy for UNEP Authorized," UNEP PRESS RELEASE, 22 February 2008.