Central and Eastern Europe

Highlights for Friday, 30 August 2019 Working Group Co-Chairs Francis Ogwal, Uganda, and Basile van Havre, Canada, gavel the meeting to a close at 7:43 pm. The first meeting of the Working Group on Post-2020 resumed for its final day of deliberations on Friday. Delegates completed discussions on the conclusions of the meeting based on a Co-Chairs’ draft that included annexes on the outcomes of the meeting, and a preliminary list of intersessional meetings relevant for the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF).During lunch, participants attended an information session on global strategic plans and linkages with other international instruments and processes. Neville Ash, Director, UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), presented an overview of strategic plans and indicators across multilateral environmental agreements, and highlighted options for synergies and alignment with the GBF. Participants also heard from: Ludgarde Coppens, UNEP, on 26 indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and efforts to build data-related methodology and capacity at national and regional levels; Elizabeth Mrema, on behalf of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), on its Strategic Vision 2021-2030 that promotes transformative change and sustainable use; Olivier Rukundo, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), on cooperation with the Convention in supporting states in access and benefit-sharing; and Frederic Perron-Welch, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, on biotrade, including incentive measures, private sector engagement, and sustainable use. During the closing session, Christiana Paşca Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary, remarked on the good energy in the room and great amount of work done, noting the need to respond to the calls for action from the public on biodiversity issues. Providing regional statements: The African Group urged that the GBF ensure regional and thematic balance; Asia and Pacific said the 2050 Vision “living in harmony with nature” has played an important role in galvanizing action and should remain prominent; The EU welcomed the broad understanding of the need for transformative change, and using Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Result-Oriented, and Time-limited (SMART) targets; The Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC) emphasized using science to identify causes and solutions and to seek co-benefits; and Central and Eastern Europe stressed the need for active participation of all parties and stakeholders to ensure well-formulated goals and targets. The meeting was gaveled to a close at 7:43 pm.The final day of the meeting saw delegates continuing to get their heads around their four days of labor based on draft conclusions of the meeting. The meeting, some agreed, has been a week of patience, as delegates put their negotiator’s hats down in favor of what some referred to as “a listening exercise.” One element that many agreed remains uncertain is whether to have an over-arching apex target. In spite of an almost equal number of proponents and opponents for this, most agreed that it would require a stroke of genius to come up with one target that is adequately inspiring, global, and encapsulates the complexity of the 2050 Vision of “living in harmony with nature.” Before parting, one delegate remarked, “Although it all seems rather topsy-turvy right now, once we are done packaging the zero draft, it will all come together pretty nicely.” IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage from the 1st Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report which is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Delegates during the morning discussions on the potential elements and scope of the framework Dilovarsho Dustov, Tajikistan Norbert Bärlocher, Switzerland Georgina Catacora-Vargas, Bolivia Hesiquio Benítez Díaz, Mexico L-R: Stig Johansson and Stefan Leiner, EU; Alexander Shestakov, CBD Secretariat; and Gabriele Obermayr, Austria Carolina Díaz, Colombia Joaquín Salzberg, Argentina Wadzanayi Patience Mandivenyi, South Africa Gaute Voigt-Hanssen, Norway Luciana Melchert, Brazil A group of Friends of the Chair meets during plenary David Cooper, CBD Secretariat Tia Stevens, Australia Musonda Mumba, UNEP María Alejandra Guerra, Chile CBD Executive Secretary Cristiana Pașca Palmer Delegates during Friday’s proceedings L-R: Musonda Mumba, UNEP; Alfred Oteng-Yeboah, Ghana; Alex Owusu-Biney, UNEP; Doris Richter and Eric Okoree, Ghana Ludgarde Coppens (left), UNEP, addresses participants during the lunch event on Global Strategic Plans in other National Instruments and Processes L-R: Working Group Co-Chairs Basile van Havre, Canada; Francis Ogwal, Uganda; CBD Executive Secretary Cristiana Pașca Palmer; Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, David Cooper, and Catalina Santamaría, CBD Secretariat L-R: Janice Weatherley-Singh and Alfred DeGemmis, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and Noëlle Kümpel, BirdLife International L-R: Kimberly Chan, Canada; Brooke Hynes, Jaime Grubb, Georgina Newton, and Tia Stevens, Australia Ivan Feys, Belgium, and Neville Ash, Director, UNEP-WCMC L-R: Jamila Janna, Wildlands Conservation Trust; Yuriko Shimada, Japan Youth Biodiversity Network; and Alphonce Muia, Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa Amandine John-Herpin and Barbara Petersen, Germany Working Group Co-Chair Basile van Havre, Canada, and Abdulghani A.M. Al-Bokwali, Yemen UNEP visitors at the meeting A view of UNEP Headquarters

Highlights for Friday, 5 July 2019 OEWG 41 Co-Chairs Laura-Juliana Arciniegas, Colombia, and Alain Wilmart, Belgium, congratulate each other on a successful OEWG. OEWG 41 convened for its final day on Friday, 5 July 2019, in Bangkok, Thailand.Delegates met in the morning for contact and informal groups on the terms of reference (ToR) for Multilateral Fund (MLF) 2021-2023 Replenishment study; unexpected emissions of CFC-11; ongoing reported emissions of carbon tetrachloride (CTC); stocks of methyl bromide; and the ToR for the composition of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP).All of the groups concluded their discussions, with deliberations set to resume at the 31st Meeting of the Parties (MOP 31) to be held in Rome, Italy in November 2019. Highlights of the contact and informal group discussions include: how to improve licensing systems to achieve compliance; reporting systems under the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol not replacing national-level obligations; the need for the TEAP to take preparations for hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phase-down plans into account as part of the MLF Replenishment Study ToR; and how to define stocks in response to a proposed draft decision inviting parties to submit information, voluntarily, on methyl bromide stocks. Two side events were held: ‘Cooling without warming the planet: Opportunities to converge business and sustainability goals’ presented by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), and ‘A roadmap for sustainable cooling-what will it take?’ presented by the World Bank. Closing plenary resumed in the late afternoon. The Co-Chairs thanked delegates for their participation during the OEWG, saying a better understanding had been reached on items that are crucial to the progress for the Protocol. The meeting closed at 5:54 pm.As the meeting closed and delegates left the conference centre, there was a sense of completion and satisfaction as delegates had reached a point in deliberations where they felt comfortable forwarding issues to MOP 31. Saying goodbye, one delegate remarked that the big issues weren’t insurmountable at OEWG 41 as parties generally found a way forward, expressing hope that this would continue at MOP 31. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, is providing daily web coverage from OEWG 41. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis from the meeting, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Sean Wu For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Contact Group on CFC-11 issues Philip Owen, EU Martin Sirois, Canada Contact Group on CTC Co-facilitators Patrick McInerney, Australia, and Leslie Smith, Grenada Henry Wohrnschimmel, Switzerland Informal Group on Stocks of Methyl Bromide View of the room during the informal group Cornelius Rhein (right), EU, consulting with Niccolò Costantini, EU; Ole-Kristian Kvissel, Norway; and Henry Wohrnschimmel, Switzerland Informal Group on the Review of the TEAP ToR Participants during the informal group The dais during the informal group Plenary OEWG 41 Co-Chair Alain Wilmart, Belgium Agnieszka Tomaszewska and Janusz Kozakiewicz, Poland Özge Tümöz Gündüz and Ülkü Fusün Ertürk, Turkey; and Youssef Hammami, Tunisia Yawo Dandjesso, Togo Mario Francisco Correia Ximenes, Timor-Leste Philippe Chemouny, Canada, speaking with Helen Walter-Terrinoni and Helen Tope, TEAP Co-Chairs Osvaldo Patricio Álvarez Pérez, Chile, gives a warm hug to Ozone Secretariat Executive Secretary Tina Birmpili View of the dais during the afternoon plenary Gene Smilansky, US OEWG 41 Co-Chair Laura-Juliana Arciniegas, Colombia, giving closing remarks John Thompson, US, speaking informally with Ozone Secretariat Executive Secretary Tina Birmpili after the closing plenary OEWG 41 Co-Chairs Laura-Juliana Arciniegas, Colombia, and Alain Wilmart, Belgium, with members of the Ozone Secretariat Around the Venue Ozone Secretariat posing for a family photo Suely Machado Carvalho, Marco González, Bella Maranion, TEAP; and Cecilia Mercado, Multilateral Fund Secretariat

Highlights for Tuesday, 2 April 2019 Ariel Bergamino, Vice Minister, Foreign Affairs, Uruguay; Jorge Basso, Minister, Public Health, Uruguay; Eneida de León, Minister of Housing, Land Planning and Environment, Uruguay; Jacob Duer, Head of SAICM Secretariat, and Tineka Smith, UN Environment The Third Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG3) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) opened at the Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Tuesday, 2 April 2019. Delegates heard high-level addresses from Uruguay, Romania on behalf of European Union, and UN Environment Programme (UNEP), followed by opening statements by regional groupings, government delegates and other stakeholders. Most of the day was focused on the Strategic Approach and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020, starting with a brief recorded presentation by consultant Robert Nurick summarizing key points from the independent evaluation of SAICM for the period 2006-2015. Since the full evaluation will not be available until the end of April, the OEWG decided to defer detailed discussion until the third intersessional process (IP) meeting slated for October 2019. The OEWG then heard a presentation by IP Co-Chair David Morin on the paper on beyond 2020 prepared by the IP Co-Chairs,with an emphasis on areas of agreement involving possible principles, objectives, and targets for a SAICM 2.0 and/or post-2020 complementary framework, but also noting some disagreement about scope.The OEWG agreed to create a contact group to meet on Tuesday evening and Wednesday to discuss possible recommendations to ICCM5 scheduled for 2020, and a Friends of the President group to discuss possible elements of a post-2020 framework. Noting the departure of IP Co-Chair Letícia Reis de Carvalho (Brazil), the OEWG appointed Judith Torres (Uruguay) as the new IP Co-Chair.In the late afternoon the Secretariat presented its progress report on SAICM for the 2014-2016 period as well as its analysis of 20 indicators of progress toward the 2020 goal of sound management of chemicals and waste. Then some members of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) presented updates on recent activities in support of SAICM and its objectives. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from OEWG3, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada Vigil For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Opening Session Dais during Opening Session ICCM5 President Gertrud Sahler Eneida de León, Minister of Housing, Land Planning, and Environment of Uruguay Delegates during the opening sessionn Ariel Bergamino, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uruguay Jorge Basso, Minister of Public Health, Uruguay Tim Kasten, UN Environment (UNEP) Laurentiu Adrian Neculaescu, State Secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Romania, on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its Member States Jacob Duer, Head of SAICM Secretariat; ICCM5 President Gertrud Sahler; Brenda Koekkoek, SAICM Secretariat; Szymon Domagalski, Poland; and Menoosh Azodi, SAICM Secretariat Rory O'Neill, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Maria Florencia Grimalt, Argentina Vladimir Lenev, Russian Federation, speaking on behalf of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Babajide Alo, Africa Institute Sarojeni V. Rengan, PAN International Heidar Ali Balouji, Iran David Morin, Canada, Co-Chair of the Intersessional Process David Kapindula, Zambia Jutta Emig, Germany Karissa Taylor Kovner, United States Manal Azzi, International Labour Organization (ILO) Brice Lalonde, French Water Academy Keiko Segawa, Japan A view of the room Participants between sessions Side Event: Lessons Learned from the SAICM Quick Start Programme (QSP) and Its Closure

Highlights for Sunday, 10 March 2019 Participants were treated to a reception at the close of the Forum On Sunday, 10 March, discussion sessions took place throughout the day, organized under the six thematic streams of the Forum. Some topics addressed included: early warning for decision making; alternatives to plastics – current challenges and future vision; innovative technologies and approaches in monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); sustainable water and waste management in developing cities; avoidance of global warming through clean and efficient cooling innovations; Sustainability Research and Innovation 2020; new hotspot analysis tools for decision making on sustainable consumption and production; Third Pole: A call for action to combat climate impacts in fragile ecosystems; solving the broken nitrogen cycle; and driving transformative innovation through sustainable chemistry. During a special session hosted by UNEA-4 President Siim Kiisler and dubbed “The GreenTech Startup Marathon,” nine startup companies pitched their ideas on ground-breaking innovations to address global environmental challenges. After three judges - in a “Dragon’s Den” style setting - put questions to all the competitors, they announced that they had all met their criteria, many were outstanding and the top three, in no rank order, were BoxPower, Planet Heroes, and Algramo. The judges also noted that reusable containers are a good idea for reducing ocean pollution and that eco-crowdfunding can potentially be transformative. The 2nd UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment concluded with an overview of messages and recommendations from thematic discussions over its two days. In closing remarks, Satya Tripathi, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the UNEP New York Office, described the Forum as unique, “because it is focused on making people’s lives better.” He called for drawing inspiration from farmers in India who are taking risks to protect the planet. Jian Liu, Chief Scientist, UNEP, reflected that the Forum had transformed from “a platform to an incubator,” noting that the level of ambition to use data for action was high. He reminded participants of the need for collective leadership moving forward. During the closing session, delegates also observed a minute of silence to honor passengers who lost their lives in the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday, 10 March, some of whom were enroute to attend the opening of UNEA-4 in Nairobi. The event closed with a reception, where delegates watched Chinese artist Jiahuang Chang create a painting dedicated to the work of the Forum. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary report from the 2nd Global Session of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment. The summary report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Green Collar Jobs: A Bright Hope for the Planet? L-R: Susan Gardner, UNEP; Charlotte Bonner, National Union of Students, UK; Bert de Wel, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); Carlo Papa, Enel Foundation; and Jiang Wu, Tongji University, China Bert de Wel, ITUC Jiang Wu, Tongii University, China Susan Gardner, UNEP Carlo Papa, Enel Foundation Development of Sustainable Water Infrastructure L-R: Geert van Capellen, Secretary General, World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC); Arjan Hijdra, Director, Global Infrastructure Institute; Remment Ter Hofstede, Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors; and Polite Laboyrie, President, Central Dredging Association Alternatives to Plastics: Current Challenges and Future Vision L-R: Geoffrey Wahungu, Director General, National Environmental Management Authority, Kenya; Lilian Magak, Kenyan Commercial Forestry Programme; Yoshiki Takeoka, Kaneka Corporation; Shollay Ramlaul, BASF East Africa; and Albert Nyagechi, Kenya Bureau of Standards Third Pole: A Call for Action to Combat Climate Change Impacts in Fragile Ecosystems Alejandro Argumedo, Director, Association ANDES Li Xin, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Foresight: Early Warning for Decision-making L-R: Charles Sebukeera, UNEP; Maria Andrzejewska, Director, UNEP/Global Resource Information Database (GRID)-Warsaw Centre; Derek Gliddon, Acting Director, Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative; Margaret Nthuli, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), East Africa; and Thea Carroll, CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Secretariat Thea Carroll, CITES MIKE Secretariat Margaret Nthuli, ESRI, East Africa Maria Andrzejewska, GRID, Warsaw Innovative Technologies and Approaches in Monitoring the SDGs L-R: Andreas Brink, European Commission; Brian Sullivan, Google Earth; Gilberto Camara, Group on Earth Observations; Jillian Campbell, UNEP; Philip Thigo, Kenya; and Oluf Jessen, DHI Monitoring Ambient Water and Air Quality: Launch of GEMStat Data Interface L-R: Hartwig Kremer, UNEP; Dylan Blake, UMVOTO Africa; Philip Saile, GEMS Data Centre, Germany; Steffen Fritz, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA); Stephanie Holzwarth, UN-Habitat; Sean Khan, UNEP; Nathan Pavlovic, Sonoma Technology; and Miguel Escribano, Kunak Technologies Sustainable Water and Waste Management in Developing Cities Veerle Vandeweerd, Policy Director, Global Science Technology and Innovation Conference (G-STIC) L-R: Min Yang, Deputy Director, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES) and Tom Ogada, Executive Director, African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) L-R: Thierry De Oliveira, UNEP; Nahashon Muguna, Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, and Maksudur Rahman, Ion Exchange (India) Ltd. Avoiding Global Warming through Clean and Efficient Cooling Innovations L-R: Nick Novelli, Yale University; Jonas Loholm Hamann, Danfoss; Edouard Heripret, Schneider Electric; Mohua Mukherjee, International Solar Alliance; Nihar Shah, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; and Lily Riahi, UNEP, moderated the session Race to a Clean Energy Future L-R: Axel Threlfall, Editor-at-Large, Reuters; Steven Kukoda, International Copper Association; Paolo Falcioni, APPLIA Home Appliance Europe; Carlo Papa, Enel Foundation; Akiko Seyoum Ambaye, CEO, Orchid Business Group; and Janez Potočnik, Co-Chair, International Resource Panel Towards Integrated Action on Air Pollution and Climate Change Dechen Tsering, UNEP Emerging Issues: Solving the Broken Nitrogen Cycle L-R: Mark Sutton, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; Ramesh Rama Chandaran, India; James Mutegi, International Plant Nutrition Institute; and Christopher Cox, UNEP Sustainability Research and Innovation 2020 L-R: Makyba Charles-Ayinde, American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); Josh Tewksbury, Future Earth; and Erica Key, Executive Director, Belmont Forum Erica Key, Executive Director, Belmont Forum Makyba Charles-Ayinde, AAAS Healthy Food for a Sustainable Planet - Part 2: Diets to Mitigate Climate Change Philip Lymbery, CEO, Compassion in World Farming Natascha Kooiman, CEO, Smackmaakers Linxiu Zhang, International Ecosystem Management Partnership, UNEP Stineke Oenema, Coordinator, UN System Standing Committee on Nutrition Driving Transformation Innovation Through Sustainable Chemistry L-R: Achim Halpaap, Head, Chemicals and Waste Division, UNEP; Ylann Schemm, Director, Elsevier Foundation; Agnes Dittmar, Director Policy & Communication, International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3); Nzambi Matee, Founder, Gjenge Makers; and Sascha Gabizon, Executive Director, Women Engage for Common Future Citizen Science for Smart Sustainable Cities of the Future Kathleen Rogers, President, Earth Day Network Timothy Nixon, Managing Editor, Sustainability, Corporate Responsibility & Inclusion, Thomson Reuters GreenTech Startup Marathon Panel of Judges L-R: Corli Pretorius, Deputy Director, UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre; Michael Karasick, Vice President, Global Labs, IBM Research; and Cécile Thomas-Courcoux, France Representatives of startup companies participating in the marathon Representatives of startup companies participating in the marathon L-R: Axel Threlfall, Editor-at-Large, Reuters; Louis-Francois Saumon Di Nicea, FAMAE; and Barry Dwolatzky, Wits University, setting the context Wanjiru Waweru sharing her experience of starting Funkidz, a children's furniture startup UNEA-4 President Siim Kiisler L-R: Przemek Pyziel, Founder, Planet Heroes; Jose Manuel Moller, Founder and CEO, Algramo; and Angelo Campus, CEO, BoxPower Closing of the Forum Forum participants observing a moment of silence in memory of the lives lost in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that morning Axel Threlfall, Editor-at-Large, Reuters Shereen Zorba, Head, Secretariat of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment Satya Tripathi, Assistant Secretary-General, UNEP Jian Liu, Chief Scientist, UNEP Mazaruni Khan and Edie Hedda Threlfall, Youth participants L-R: Bruno da Costa Flach, Edan Dionne, Michael Karasick, Hendrik Hamann, and Wayne Balta, IBM Satya Tripathi, Assistant Secretary-General, UNEP, thanked Chinese artist, Chang Jiahuang for donating his artwork to UNEP