European Union

  Highlights for Wednesday, 16 January 2019 Participants observed a moment of silence for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Westlands, Nairobi, that took place on the previous day. The Ad hoc Open-ended Working Group (AHWG) opened on Wednesday with the observance of a minute of silence for the victims of Tuesday's suspected terrorist attack in Nairobi. The Co-Chairs led the tribute for the victims and their families, and in solidarity with the people and government of Kenya.The AHWG resumed consideration of the Secretary-General’s report on “Gaps in international environmental law and environment-related instruments: towards a global pact for the environment” (A/73/419), covering chapters on, respectively, environment-related instruments (trade, investment, intellectual property, and human rights), gaps related to the governance structure of international environmental law (IEL), and gaps relating to the implementation and effectiveness of IEL.Among the points raised were: The role of UNEP and the United Nations Environment Assembly, and their relationship to other parts of the IEL regime; The scope of the AHWG’s mandate regarding environment-related instruments, and the autonomy of MEAs; Gaps in the UNSG’s report, including corporate responsibility for environmental damage; The merits of an overarching normative framework for IEL, and the respective merits of specialization in MEAs; Links between implementation of IEL and means of implementation; The role of non-state actors and resources to facilitate their participation in the AHWG process; Inter-MEA coordination and synergies, including recognition of ongoing work, and whether synergies are best achieved at the national level; Links between the AHWG mandate and Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals; Implementation at various scales, including local, regional, and global, and capacity building for stakeholders, including judges; The scope of the AHWG, including state and civil liability; and The merits of continuing with a facilitative model of compliance in MEAs. Bilateral conversations also continued throughout the day, as delegations sought to clarify numerous issues in order to develop their positions. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, povided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 1st Substantive Session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group Towards a Global Pact for the Environment. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lebanon Luciano Donadio Linares and Martin Gronda, Argentina Melissa Cotterill, Australia, and Vigen Ananyan, Armenia Haibo Gou, China Ana Barreira, International Institute for Law and the Environment Co-Chair Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Portugal, with Jamil Ahmad, UN Environment (UNEP) Pamela Rocha, Ecuador, and Martin Gronda, Argentina Helge Elisabeth Zeitler, European Union Lori Dando, US Akram Mirzakhani, Iran Rana Burley, Canada Pamela Rocha, Ecuador Birthe Ivars, Norway Tom Okurut, Uganda From L-R: Abdullah Tawlah, Saudi Arabia; Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt; and Hussein Roshdy, Egypt Jamil Ahmad, UN Environment (UNEP), with Abdullah Tawlah, Saudi Arabia Maribe Mujinga Nsompo, Democratic Republic of the Congo Marta Juarez Ruiz, Costa Rica Shannon-Marie Soni, Canada Nassira Rheyati, Morocco Helge Elisabeth Zeitler and Sebastian Gil, European Union Nazrul Islam, Bangladesh Vinicius Trindade, Brazil Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt Yacouba Savadogo, Burkina Faso Clement Yow Mulalap, Federated States of Micronesia Maria del Rosario Lemos, Colombia Nathan Glassey, New Zealand Rútur Arnarson, Iceland, and Peter Doran, IISD Reporting Services Saglar Djerang, Chad Marco Balarezo, Peru Around the venue  

  Highlights for Monday, 14 January 2019 View of the room during the morning session The first substantive session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group (AHWG) towards a Global Pact for the Environment (A/RES/72/277), convening at the United Nations headquarters in Nairobi, was opened Monday by Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Lebanon. Macharia Kamau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya, acknowledged France’s role in bringing forward the initiative and described how the proposed pact could help address a fragmented international environmental law framework. The Acting Director of UN Environment (UNEP) and Assistant UN Secretary-General, Joyce Msuya, invited frank discussion and encouraged an inclusive process that engages with civil society and academia. After adopting the AHWG’s provisional agenda (A/AC.289/3) and considering financial issues for the process, the AHWG Co-Chairs, Mudallali and Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Portugal, invited delegates to offer general statements. Many delegations welcomed the report of the UN Secretary-General, entitled “Gaps in international environmental law and environment-related instruments: towards a global pact for the environment” (A/73/419), while some sought to ensure a wider member state-led discussion on gaps. The G-77/China highlighted links between implementation gaps in international environmental law and the lack of resources, technology transfer, and capacity. The European Union called for a wider discussion than the content of the Secretary-General’s report, and cautioned against any weakening of existing international environmental standards. The African Group called for greater focus on the 1992 and 2012 Rio Declarations. The United States observed that the Secretary-General’s report does not comply with its mandate and is not fully objective nor an accurate reference text. She cautioned that many of the “gaps” identified in the report reflect intentional decisions by member states in specific MEAs, and that the report shows bias towards the option of a global pact. The Russian Federation warned against the AHWG setting up a new framework for environmental protection, given the functional role of fragmentation in helping achieve consensus on international environmental matters. Many other delegations gave general statements. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, povided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 1st Substantive Session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group Towards a Global Pact for the Environment. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Co-Chair Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Portugal Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lebanon Macharia Kamau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya Sebastian König, Switzerland Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UN Environment (UNEP) Delegates conferring during the morning session Shannon-Marie Soni, Canada Uriel Norman Garibay, the Philippines Fernando Coimbra, Brazil Marta Juarez Ruiz, Costa Rica Jean Kenfack, Cameroon Suzan Moh'd Al Ajjawi, Bahrain Martin Gomez Bustillo, Argentina Abdu al-Sharif, Saudi Arabia Burhan Namik Al-Jaf, Iraq Tidiani Couma, Monaco Elizabeth Taylor, Colombia Haibo Gou, China Langston James "Kimo" Goree VI, Director, IISD Reporting Services, with Dan Bondi Ogolla, former Principal Legal Adviser, UN Climate Change Framework Convention (UNFCCC) Secretariat Slaiman Arabiat, Jordan, and Ernesto Gomez Diaz, Cuba Raoul Renard, International Chamber of Commerce Angela Wright, Compassion in World Farming Sebastian Gil, European Union (EU), with Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP Antonio Benjamin, International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL) Sunday Evening Opening Reception From L-R: Luisa Fragoso, Permanent Representative with the UN Office in Nairobi, Portugal; Macharia Kamau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya; Co-Chair Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Portugal; and Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lebanon  

William Ehlers, GEF Secretariat, Abdul Bakarr Salim, Council Co-Chair, and Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson On the third and final day of the 55th meeting of the GEF Council, the Council concluded its consideration of a number of decisions, discussed measures to enhance the sustainability of GEF projects and programs, convened as the Council of the Least Developed Countries Fund/Special Climate Change Fund (LDCF/SCCF), and approved the Joint Summary of the Chairs for the Council meetings. On the sustainability of GEF programs and projects, the Secretariat presented an information note indicating that it could not yet recommend concrete measures and that further work with Agencies and the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) is required. Members called for action soon, with one Member suggesting that the Secretariat propose measures to the 56th meeting of the Council, and the IEO offer recommendations to the 57th meeting, and another Member suggesting that the Secretariat propose a work plan to the 56th meeting. CEO Ishii said the Secretariat would reflect on the issue and come back to the Council.GEF Council Members also convened as the 25th meeting of the Council of the LDCF/SCCF, and adopted a Work Program comprising six project concepts, with resources amounting to US$45.85 million for the LDCF, including project grants and Agency fees. At the conclusion of the LDCF/SCCF Council, Members announced the following pledges and contributions to the LDCF/SCCF on behalf of their governments: Walloon Region of Belgium: EUR2.9 million to the LDCF; Denmark: DKK150 million to the LDCF; Finland: EUR2 million to the LDCF; France: EUR20 million to the LDCF; the Netherlands: US$9.1 million to the LDCF in 2018; Sweden: SEK135 million to the LDCF in 2018; and Switzerland: US$9.9 million to the LDCF and US$3.3 million to the SCCF, pending parliamentary approval. Germany reported that it will finalize its contribution of EUR25 million before the end of the year.Following approval of the Joint Summary of the Chairs for both the GEF Council and the LDCF/SCCF Council, GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii closed the meeting at 1:54 pm.  IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage from the 55th Meeting of the GEF Council. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary report of the meeting in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Leila Mead For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii Aparna Subramani, India, and Stefan Schwager, Switzerland Marita Olson, Sweden Ruel Edwards, Grenada Josceline Wheatley, UK Abdulqader Alkharraz, Yemen Peter Elder, Australia Francoise Clottes, GEF Secretariat Laura Bermúdez, Colombia Seyad Mousavi, Iran, and Kordula Mehlhart, Germany William Ehlers, GEF Secretariat, Abdul Bakarr Salim, Council Co-Chair, and Naoko Iishi, GEF CEO and Chairperson Lauren Gisnas, Norway Delegates from India and Switzerland 25th LDCF/SCCF Council Meeting Moise Jean-Pierre, Haiti, and GEF Operational Focal Point for Haiti (center), showcases an LDCF project in Haiti. A view of the screen during the presentation of the LDCF progress report Pledging Session for the LDCF and the SCCF Tobias Von Platen-Hallermund, Denmark Jozef Buys, Belgium Carola Van Rijnsoever, the Netherlands Stephanie Bouziges-Eschmann, France Stefan Schwager, Switzerland Co-Chair Adbul Bakarr Salim and GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii at the conclusion of the Council meeting Around the Venue Delegates and members of the GEF Secretariat consulting  

As the 'Katowice Climate Package' is adopted, Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President, takes a giant leap for climate action The Katowice Climate Change conference continued on Saturday, a day after its scheduled close. Delegates engaged in consultations throughout the day to finalize the decisions for the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP).The plenary convened at 9:30 pm to consider the decisions. CMA 1-3 was gavelled to a close on Sunday morning at 12:33 am. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily reports, daily web coverage, and a summary and analysis from the Katowice Climate Change Conference – December 2018.   Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Closing Plenary UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa arrives in plenary Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President, arrives in plenary Delegates stand at the beginning of plenary and hold a minute of silence in honour of Bernarditas Muller, Philippines Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa As the 'Katowice Climate Package' is adopted, Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President, invites heads of delegation to the podium Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President, thanks delegates for their help in achieving the 'Katowice Climate Package' Miguel Arias Cañete, Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, European Commission Franz Perrez, Switzerland, speaking on behalf of the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG) Amjad Abdulla, Maldives, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Patrick Suckling, Australia, speaking on behalf of the Umbrella Group Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China Mohamed Nasr, Gabon, speaking on behalf of the African Group Ravi Prasad, India, speaking on behalf of Brazil, South Africa, India, and China (BASIC) Albara Tawfiq, Saudi Arabia, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group Gebru Jember Endalew, Ethiopia, speaking on behalf of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Gurdial Singh, Malaysia, speaking on behalf of the Like-minded Developing Countries (LMDCs) Zakir Hossain, Farmers Shaila Shahid, Women and Gender Joint statement on behalf of Youth NGOs (YOUNGOs) Delegates Consult Informally Delegates from the EU, US, Australia, and Switzerland Delegates from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the COP 24 Presidency Delegates from Switzerland and Norway Jo Tyndall, New Zealand, speaks with Tomasz Chruszczow, Poland Ministers from Luxembourg and Spain speak with delegates from the EU and Norway Delegates huddle during the final stages of negotiations UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa Martin Frick, UNFCCC Secretariat Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister for Housing, Energy, and the Environment, Finland Pieter Terpstra, the Netherlands, and Philip Weech, Bahamas Katarzyna Snyder, COP 24 Presidency Mehmet Emin Birpınar, Turkey Family Photos UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa poses for a photo with the delegation from Mexico The COP 24 Presidency Family photo of the UNFCCC Secretariat Family photo of negotiators working on ex-ante finance transparency (Article 9.5) Family photo of negotiators working on the transparency framework Family photo of negotiators for the transparency framework from the G-77/China Tribute to Bernarditas Muller After learning of her passing, delegates pay tribute to Bernarditas Muller, Philippines, who was recognised for her commitment and dedication to the UNFCCC, a 'legend within the process' Around the Venue SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France Seyni Nafo, Mali, and Zaheer Fakir, South Africa Delegates read the latest draft of text Jo Tyndall, New Zealand Issa Bado, International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) Matt McGrath, BBC Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary Staff around the venue  

  Highlights for Friday, 14 December 2018 The Common Guitarfish (Rhinobatos rhinobatos) The Third Meeting of Signatories (MOS3) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks (Sharks MOU) finalized its deliberations on Friday, 14 December, at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. Key takeaways from the last day included: listing the angelshark (Squatina squatina) in Annex 1, noting exceptional circumstances for the species, which initially did not fulfil the migratory criteria, and highlighting that this should not set a precedent for future proposals; establishing an intersessional working group (IWG), chaired by Mauritania, to identify targeted actions for the MOU Programme of Work (POW) over the next triennium; agreeing a 10.4% increase on the budget for voluntary contributions for the next triennium, after amending a relevant staff position and equipment-related costs; agreeing the POW, including how the Secretariat and Signatories can engage with Regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs); and concluding with positive momentum and agreeing to scale up intersessional activities for the conservation of listed shark and ray species. Chair Robert Calcagno, CEO, Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, closed MOS3 at 12:41pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided a summary and analysis report from Sharks MOS3. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Chair Robert Calcagno, CEO, Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, and Vice-Chair David Hogan, US Chair Robert Calcagno, CEO, Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, and Melanie Virtue, CMS Secretariat From L-R: John Carlson, Chair, Sharks MOU Advisory Committee; Andrea Pauly, CMS Secretariat; MOS3 Vice-Chair David Hogan, US; and Melanie Virtue, CMS Secretariat Colin Simpfendorfer, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Kim Friedman, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) John Carlson, Chair, Sharks MOU Advisory Committee, and Andrea Pauly, CMS Secretariat João Loureiro, Portugal Sarah Fowler, MarAlliance Angela Martini, EU Mohamed El Hacene Mekiyoun, Mauritania Arnel Yaptinchay, Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, and Isabel Ender, Manta Trust Susanne Viker, Sweden Carlos Polo-Silva, Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogotá, Colombia Céline van Klaveren-Impagliazzo, Monaco, acknowledged for her contribution to organize MOS3 Mohamud Hassan Ali, Somalia Daniel Kachelriess, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Sonja Fordham, Shark Advocates International, and Ali Hood, the Shark Trust Lesley Gidding-Reeve, Australia Tiffany Bock, New Zealand Delegates editing text on-screen From L-R: John Carlson, Chair, Sharks MOU Advisory Committee; Teya Penniman, IISD Reporting Services; and Asterios Tsioumanis, IISD Reporting Services Cheri McCarty, US, and Michelle Heupel, Australia Cheri McCarty, US, proposing changes to the text Lawrence Chlebeck, Humane Society International View of the dais during the closing session Life in the aquarium  

Members of civil society stage a wedding to show the commitment needed to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement   The Katowice Climate Change Conference continued Thursday. Most negotiations took place in ministerial or presidency-led consultations held throughout the day on many issues related to the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP), including on the Talanoa Dialogue and IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C, mitigation / nationally determined contributions (NDCs), adaptation, transparency, and loss and damage.In the afternoon, the COP Presidency convened a stocktaking plenary to appraise the state of the negotiations. COP 24 President Michał Kurtyka announced that a new text would be produced “as soon as possible,” and tabled to ministers. Kurtyka announced that, in honor of the 550th anniversary of the first meeting of the Polish Parliament, this meeting of ministers would be called a Sejmik.The COP and CMP met to conclude items that are unrelated to the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP). Negotiations continued in consultations on various issues into the night. For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB). IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily reports, daily web coverage, and a summary and analysis from the Katowice Climate Change Conference – December 2018. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Delegates Consult Informally throughout the Day Seyni Nafo, Mali Johanna Lissinger Peitz, Sweden, speaks with Mohamed Nasr, Egypt Delegates from the EU and US Delegates huddle in the corridor Birama Diarra, Mali Stocktaking Plenary View of the dais during the stocktaking plenary Michał Kurtyka, COP 24 President Isabella Lövin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, Sweden Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Egypt Derek Hanekom, Minister of Tourism, South Africa Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of the Environment, Energy, and Housing, Finland Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Singapore Carole Dieschbourg, Minister of Environment, Luxembourg Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, Germany COP and CMP Plenary Delegates during plenary Ian Fry, COP 24 Vice-President SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France SBI Chair Emmanuel Dlamini, eSwatini Civil Society Demonstrations Representatives from the Leave it in the Ground (LINGO) initiative caution delegates about the use of natural gas, highlighting the negative impacts of drilling and fracking in different parts of the world, and advocate for a transition to renewable energy Representatives from the Jubilee South Asia Pacific Movement raise awareness about the negative impacts of coal power plants and advocate for 'clean energy sources' Members of civil society advocate for Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration to be used in the climate negotiations, which states that environmental issues are best handled with the participation of all members of society and with open access to information Around the Venue Trigg Talley, US, speaks to delegates from South Africa Delegates from France Delegates from Chile Delegates from Comoros Delegates from Switzerland Gurdial Singh, Malaysia (center) Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO), Zitouni Ould-Dada, FAO, and Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary Adriana Valenzuela, UNFCCC Secretariat Al Gore, Climate Reality Project, during a press conference Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, WWF International, during an interview Representatives from Indonesia pose for a family photo with Al Gore, Climate Reality Project In an exhibition aimed at raising money for the Adaptation Fund, delegates tap a credit card to help rejuvenate the forest  

David Nabarro, Skills, Systems & Synergies for Sustainable Development (4SD) (right), congratulates Hoesung Lee, Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (right), on the latest IPCC report. The following events were covered by IISD Reporting Services on Thursday, 13 December 2018: We Can Still End Hunger by 2030 If We Take Ambitious Climate Action Our Fijian Story for a Low-Carbon Development Pathway Building Knowledge on Climate-Smart Agriculture – Launch of the 4 E-learning Modules on Water, Soil, Crops and Livestock Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz / Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page We Can Still End Hunger by 2030 If We Take Ambitious Climate Action Presented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) This panel, co-organized by FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme, brought together high-level actors to: discuss the nexus of climate action, food systems and human nutrition; and share examples of the solutions to ending hunger and building ambitious climate action. Zitouni Ould-Dada, FAO, set the scene by explaining that: global diets have caused negative impacts for human health, the economy and the environment; and agriculture and food security are key to addressing climate change. Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, FAO, spoke about the current state of world hunger, malnutrition and poverty, noting that the current scientific and political consensus is that, while humans produce enough food to feed the planet, hunger remains on the rise—and that global warming of 2°C will make the task of its elimination much more difficult. She urged everyone tot help scale climate action beyond policy development, including by investing in women’s education and leadership, in order to reshape the food system towards sustainability and equity for all in a low-carbon economy.  Hoesung Lee, IPCC Chair, reported back on the Panel’s Special Report on 1.5°C (SR15), and said that, of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDG 2 (zero hunger) is one of the most important and at the heart of the IPCC’s work. Lee pointed out the SR15’s conclusions that carbon sequestration is essential to restoring soil quality and removing atmospheric CO2. He reiterated the Special Report’s three key messages: every bit of warming matters; every year matters; and  every choice matters. David Nabarro, Skills, Systems & Synergies for Sustainable Development (4SD), clarified that climate action requires a four-part transformation of food systems, saying that they must: yield nutritious and healthy food for all; restore ecosystems everywhere; provide decent livelihoods for agricultural and food workers; and contribute to mitigation while helping with adaptation. He expressed his satisfaction that the UN Secretary-General’s 2019 Climate Summit will place a large emphasis on agriculture and natural ecosystems, and stressed that agriculture and food systems can contribute to 30% of global emission reductions by 2030.  Joseph Jouthe, Minister of Environment, Haiti, shared some of his country’s experiences in mobilizing to avoid soil degradation on agricultural lands while preserving food security. He also recounted that intensifying agroforestry systems by converting marginal agricultural land, as well as promoting more energy-efficient dietary habits, have positively contributed to food and land systems in Haiti. Jouthe concluded by urging participants to reinforce interactions between the climate action community and the developing world.  Ryszard Zarudzki, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Poland, said that climate change has a negative impact on food security, including in Poland, where agriculture has already been affected by drought, precipitation and early frosts. He also raised the challenge of helping farmers adapt towards climate-friendly practices in the context of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy. Speaking specifically about Polish adaptation strategies, he stressed the need for early warning systems, innovation on farms, and better advice and consulting for producers.  Pramisha Thapaliya, Youth NGO (YOUNGO), stressed that smallholder farmers are some of the first affected by climate change, clarifying that poverty, climate change and hunger are linked. She suggested that focusing on smallholder adaptation can play a valuable role in climate action, highlighting the needs of recognizing local and indigenous knowledge in adaptation, and helping farmers understand how they can best adapt through practices and systems such as agroforestry and agroecology. She concluded by emphasizing that acting locally and regionally is essential to achieving zero hunger.  Raphaël Podselver, ProVeg, began by arguing that reducing the consumption of animal products is a significant way of achieving global targets and goals, including SDG 2. He pointed to policies across the world, such as food waste laws and policies on dietary guidelines, which have successfully helped to reduce CO2 emissions by helping to shift consumption towards more balanced, plant-based diets. He concluded by stressing the need to focus on younger generations.  In the following discussion, panelists and participants addressed: the importance of plant-based diets and the emissions impacts of beef production; the role of smallholder farmer cooperatives and the importance of land access; forms of food production which move beyond land-based agriculture; cultural barriers associated with shifting meat consumption, particularly in Eastern European countries; criticisms of input-based models of food production and the importance of shifting mindsets towards circular food economies; and the dual burden of malnutrition across the world, through both micronutrient deficiencies and obesity. L-R: Zitouni Ould-Dada, FAO; Ryszard Zarudzki, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Poland; Hoesung Lee, IPCC Chair; Pramisha Thapaliya, YOUNGO; Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, FAO; Joseph Jouthe, Minister of Environment, Haiti; and Raphaël Podselver, ProVeg Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, FAO Moderator Zitouni Ould-Dada, FAO Pramisha Thapaliya, YOUNGO IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee Participants listen to IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee Ryszard Zarudzki, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Poland Raphaël Podselver, ProVeg David Nabarro, 4SD Joseph Jouthe, Minister of Environment, Haiti Mahamadou Nassirou Ba, Economic Commission for Africa Karen Lee Mapusua, Secretariat of the Pacific Community Bruce Knotts, Unitarian Universalist Association Erika Styger, Cornell University A participant takes a photo of the panel Julia Wolf and Liva Kaugure, FAO Participants applaud at the end of the event CONTACT Julia Wolf | julia.wolf@fao.org MORE INFORMATION http://fao.org Our Fijian Story for a Low-Carbon Development Pathway Presented by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Karsten Sach, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), Germany, and Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji and COP 23 President, share a laugh after the event. This side event demonstrated efforts by Fiji to implement the Paris Agreement by officially launching its Low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS) (2018-2050) and committing to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The event looked at Fiji’s ambitious targets in the LEDS to reduce emissions and deeply decarbonize the Fijian economy and transition to sustainable green growth. It also shared the results, consultative process, methodology, and lessons learned from the Fiji LEDS journey. Deepitika Chand, Ministry of Economy, Fiji, moderated the event. Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji and COP 23 President, highlighted that Fiji and the Marshall Islands were the first two nations worldwide to raise the ambition of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and noted that Fiji could not have hosted COP 23 without the German government’s generosity. He noted that the Talanoa Call for Action expresses the need to act towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and expressed the commitment of the Fijian government to lead by example in achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Bainimarama underlined that, despite Fiji’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions constituting a mere 0.006% of global emissions, more can be done through political will. He stressed that Fiji is the first small island developing state to include the blue carbon sector in their LEDS, including mangrove ecosystems. He expressed gratitude towards GGGI for the technical expertise provided in developing the Strategy and stressed that increased access to finance is important in reaching ambitious outcomes. Laurence Tubiana, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), European Climate Foundation, lauded the comprehensive nature of Fiji’s LEDS, noting that as a result the country has designed a model for the global economy. She expressed admiration for Fiji’s efforts to demonstrate leadership and think in revolutionary terms, such as through the financing of decarbonization investments. She urged governments to start putting low emissions first in discussions with donors and investors in order to strengthen resilience and invest in decarbonization as soon as possible. Referring to the inclusiveness of the Strategy, Tubiana stressed the need for people to own it as a “recipe for success.” She noted that Fiji is adding its voice to the global ambition towards carbon neutrality and highlighted that several countries are revising their strategies based on Fiji’s example. She concluded by urging accelerated action and saying “the vision for carbon neutrality is not an impossibility.” Jenny Kim, Deputy Director-General, GGGI, presented Fiji’s LEDS, reporting that the LEDS is a key tool to achieving long-term sustainable development and implementation of Fiji’s NDC by 2050. She highlighted that GGGI's support emphasized understanding the country context, and underscored that the document is comprehensive in nature and encompasses all sectors of the Fijian economy, including the waste, agriculture, forestry, blue carbon, land transport, maritime transport, domestic aviation, and electricity sectors. She presented four possible low-emission scenarios per sector: Business-as-Usual (BAU) Unconditional, BAU Conditional, High Ambition and Very High Ambition. She underscored that under the Very High Ambition Scenario, net-zero emissions can be achieved in 2041, after which emissions would increasingly be net-negative. She concluded by saying that the LEDS needs to be translated into action. A short video presentation on Fiji’s LEDS highlighted that the LEDS is focused on mitigation rather than on adaptation, drawing attention to the energy sector as the largest emitter of GHG emissions in the country. Karsten Sach, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), Germany, lauded Fiji’s journey of long-term planning, urging the alignment of economic opportunities with social ones. He highlighted that it is crucial to guide financial support to ensure economic opportunities for the private sector and that investments are aligned with the achievement of the LEDS. Jeanette Samantha Mani, Ministry of Economy, Fiji, delivered a note of thanks for GGGI’s support to the Fijian government in enabling a holistic approach to the LEDS development that included the participation of all sectors. L-R: Jenny Kim, Deputy Director-General, GGGI; Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji and COP 23 President; Karsten Sach, BMU, Germany; and Nilesh Prakash, Fiji Moderator Deepitika Chand, Ministry of Economy, Fiji Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji and COP 23 President Participants take photos of Frank Bainimarama during his speech. Laurence Tubiana, CEO, European Climate Foundation Jenny Kim, Deputy Director-General, GGGI L-R: Jenny Kim, Deputy Director-General, GGGI; Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji and COP 23 President; and Laurence Tubiana, CEO, European Climate Foundation Karsten Sach, BMU, Germany Jeanette Samantha Mani, Ministry of Economy, Fiji Participants listen to Jeanette Samantha Mani’s remarks Participants watch a video about Fiji’s LEDS L-R: Naitoko Baleisuva, Fiji; Audrey Pereira, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme; Karen Lee Mapusua, Secretariat of the Pacific Community; Taholo Kami, Fiji; and Capt. Tagi, Fiji CONTACT Orestis Anastasia, GGGI | orestis.anastasia@gggi.org MORE INFORMATION http://gggi.org/ http://www.economy.gov.fj/ Building Knowledge on Climate-Smart Agriculture – Launch of the 4 E-learning Modules on Water, Soil, Crops and Livestock Presented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the World Bank, the Ministry of Environment, Italy, and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Germany Moderator Tobias Baedeker, World Bank This event discussed the importance of knowledge and information for promoting climate-smart agriculture (CSA). Participants shared best practices for disseminating and encouraging the adoption of CSA, including by launching a series of new e-learning modules on the topic. Tobias Baedeker, World Bank, moderated the event. In opening remarks, Zitouni Ould-Dada, FAO, emphasized how food systems need to change in response to climate change, which is affecting both crop productivity and quality. He said the adoption of CSA is one such change, saying that it requires knowledge- and practice-sharing with and among farmers. Referring to the CSA e-learning courses that have been developed by FAO and partners, Ould-Dada stressed the importance of making them free, accessible, and as widely distributed as possible so that the maximum number of farmers can benefit from them. He underscored the need to advance integrated approaches such as agroecology and agroforestry that see food production not in isolation but as connections to biodiversity, health and sustainable production in consumption. Martien Van Nieuwkoop, World Bank, shared several insights from a recent World Bank report that tried to bring CSA to life by synthesizing 30 CSA country profiles to reveal key steps for moving forward, namely: technologies considered to be “climate-smart” are highly diverse, and considerable opportunity exists for tailoring CSA to farmers’ needs; there is growing convergence on where and when CSA can make the biggest difference, particularly on the value of improved water management, crop stress tolerance, intercropping, using organic inputs, and practicing conservation agriculture; while trade-offs exist, most CSA technologies demonstrate synergies between productivity, adaptation and mitigation, for exmaple, with silvopasture; and training and information were identified as the single largest barrier category to CSA, affecting almost 90% of all interventions. Francesco La Camera, Director General, Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea, Italy, emphasized the need for a strong transparency system to emerge from COP 24. He noted Italy’s preference to work through bilateral rather than multilateral arrangements, and for supporting countries that are most severely impacted by climate change, such as those in Africa and small island states. He stressed the importance of CSA for ensuring that all people have the chance to live decent lives in their own countries, rather than being forced to migrate. He said training is crucial to this and highlighted a partnership between Italy, FAO and the UN Development Programme to open a new center for climate and sustainable development in Africa, which will be operational from the end of January 2019. In the ensuing discussion, participants and speakers addressed the fact that training is necessary but not sufficient for adopting CSA, how CSA is not an entirely new concept since local knowledge can also be considered “climate-smart,” and the pros and cons of bilateral and multilateral financing. In a second panel discussion, Bernhard Osterburg, Thünen Institute, Matthieu Arnoult, University of Reading, and Federica Matteoli, FAO, shared examples of agricultural knowledge generation initiatives. Osterburg highlighted a good example of cooperative watershed protection and awareness-raising in Germany. Arnoult discussed econometric research on food demand in the UK that ended up generating effective insights for policymakers. Matteoli shared an example of using local radio to share CSA practices in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and noted many examples where reports and documents are produced only to sit on shelves and never reach policymakers or farmers. In the discussion, panelists considered: how indigenous and scientific knowledge can be combined through CSA; the role of non-governmental organizations in sharing knowledge; why knowledge-sharing should be a constant process rather than a one-off; and how technology can be leveraged to disseminate knowledge, including through e-courses, radio and mobile phones. Matteoli emphasized that, whatever the means of dissemination, knowledge must be shared in languages appropriate for the audience. Mi Nguyen, Co-Chair, Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA), provided closing remarks, stressing that the best way to bring CSA to life is by involving all types of farmers at every stage of the process. She noted that GACSA is working at the regional level through eight CSA alliances and hopes to be a clearinghouse for solutions developed around the world. Nguyen closed by underlining the importance of creating actionable knowledge, saying that only 10% of knowledge generated is ever put into practice. Zitouni Ould-Dada, FAO Martien Van Nieuwkoop, World Bank Francesco La Camera, Director General, Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea, Italy Moderator Tobias Baedeker, World Bank Participants listen to the presentations L-R: Tobias Baedeker, World Bank; Zitouni Ould-Dada, FAO; Martien Van Nieuwkoop, World Bank; and Francesco La Camera, Director General, Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea, Italy Participants pose questions to the panel L-R: Tobias Baedeker, World Bank; Federica Matteoli, FAO; Matthieu Arnoult, University of Reading; and Bernhard Osterburg, Thünen Institute Bernhard Osterburg, Thünen Institute Matthieu Arnoult, University of Reading Federica Matteoli, FAO A participant takes notes Participants pose questions Mi Nguyen, Co-Chair, Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture Bernhard Osterburg, Thünen Institute, takes notes Participants look at event media CONTACTS Federica Matteoli, FAO | Federica.Matteoli@fao.org MORE INFORMATION http://www.fao.org/elearning Around the Venue Participants celebrate at the Pacific and Koronivia Pavillion Participants between sessions