WRI Stories Feed: Sustainable Development Policies and Measures (SDPAMs)

STATEMENT: High-Level Panel Report on the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Michael Oko — Thu, 30 May 2013 16:24:21 -0400

The High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda today released its recommendations to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Following is a statement by Manish Bapna, Managing Director, World Resources Institute:

“The panel’s recommendations represent a major breakthrough that puts sustainability at the center of the development agenda. In a profound shift, the panel recognizes that reducing poverty is inextricably linked with how we treat our natural environment. Indeed, if this agenda is acted upon, we can realize a global vision of eradicating poverty, improving prosperity and protecting the planet.

“Significantly, the recommendations reflect that the goals should speak to all countries. Developed countries have a major role to play in addressing poverty and sustainability issues both within their borders and in supporting developing countries. The panel further recognizes that achieving this agenda will require participation from all sectors: government, business, science, civil society and the general public.

“The next big step is to shape these aspirations into concrete actions backed by strong targets. Following on the success of the MDGs, these goals should be refined, without being weakened, and then embraced by all countries.

“The members of the panel should be commended for putting forward a bold and refreshing agenda. Their recommendations reflect the vital and interconnected nature of these global challenges and the opportunity that all people share to create a more equitable and sustainable planet.”

–

Read a blog post by Manish on what to look for in the report.

4 Issues to Watch: Recommendations for the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Manish Bapna — Wed, 29 May 2013 09:49:10 -0400

Following an extensive global consultation process, the High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda will present its final report to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon this week. Led by the heads…

Rio+20: Uma oportunidade para acelerar a transição para a economia verde e tirar milhões de pessoas da pobreza

James Anderson — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 11:34:29 -0400

O novo relatório apresenta políticas-chave e constrói os alicerces para aumentar a prosperidade, reduzir a pobreza e apoiar a sustentabilidade ambiental.

Read text in English here

Uma transição à economia verde poderia retirar milhões de pessoas da pobreza e mudar o sustento de muitas das 1,3 bilhões de pessoas que ganham apenas USD 1,25 por dia no mundo inteiro, mas somente quando a transição tiver como base políticas fortes e investimentos dos setores público e privado.

Estes foram os resultados de um novo relatório, Construindo uma Economia Verde Inclusiva para Todos, lançado hoje na reunião de cúpula da Rio+20 pela Parceria Pobreza e Ambiente (PEP, da sigla em inglês) - uma rede bilateral de agências de suporte, bancos de desenvolvimento, agências da ONU e ONGs internacionais. O relatório aponta que muitos países em desenvolvimento e países menos desenvolvidos já estão buscando fazer uma transição para economias de baixa emissão de carbono e que sejam eficientes em seu uso de recursos.

De acordo com o relatório, o aumento significativo dos exemplos atuais postos em prática da economia verde, especialmente nos países em desenvolvimento, tem o potencial de gerar resultados tripartidos: um crescimento econômico criador de empregos, sustentabilidade ambiental e inclusão social.

Porém, os investimentos específicos e as reformas na governança são necessários para superar as barreiras atuais que previnem que muitas comunidades carentes se beneficiem de uma economia verde.

Read Building an Inclusive Green Economy for All

O novo relatório demonstra que muitos dos Países Menos Desenvolvidos, assim como muitas regiões pobres dos países com renda média, na verdade possuem alto grau de recursos naturais, que os permitem construir uma economia verde que possa reduzir a pobreza de uma forma sustentável.

“Muitos dos países menos desenvolvidos e dos países em desenvolvimento e das comunidades estão aproveitando a oportunidade para aproximar economia e ecologia para que possam gerar resultados sociais transformacionais”, diz Achin Steiner, Subsecretário Geral e Diretor Executivo do Programa das Nações Unidas para o Ambiente (PNUMA), um membro da PEP, no lançamento do relatório no Rio de Janeiro.

“O desafio para os líderes mundiais se reunindo aqui na Rio+20 é gerar e dar apoio às políticas possibilitadoras e aos pacotes catalisadores financeiros e de proteção social de forma que possa apressar estas ambições e aumentá-las exponencialmente.”

O relatório discute que um grande número de países menos desenvolvidos e das regiões pobres dos países com renda média, na verdade possuem alto grau de recursos naturais, os quais são necessários para dar sustentação à transição a economia verde como uma passagem em direção ao desenvolvimento sustentável.

“Ao abraçar uma economia verde inclusiva, os líderes na Rio têm uma oportunidade rara de melhorar as vidas de milhões de pessoas e abrir as portas a uma nova era de sustentabilidade”, diz Manish Bapna, Presidente em exercício do Instituto de Recursos Mundiais, que coordenou o estudo.

“A mudança para uma economia verde inclusiva não acontecerá por si própria. São necessárias políticas governamentais inteligentes e uma liderança forte. Este relatório apresenta uma visão ousada para uma economia verde que pode lidar com a pobreza e a desigualdade, e mais importante ele oferece alicerces práticos e concretos para a realização dessa transição.”

O relatório cita muitos exemplos fortes de países em desenvolvimento que estão mudando para uma economia verde de forma bem-sucedida. Por exemplo:

A Etiópia está desenvolvendo seis projetos de energia eólica e um projeto geotérmico, os quais aumentarão a capacidade do país em mais de 1.000 megawatts.
A Mongólia atualmente está construindo seu primeiro parque eólico de 50 megawatt, e este deve gerar um valor estimado de 5% da energia necessária pelo país, enquanto que vai reduzir a poluição do ar, que está relacionada com a geração de energia causada pela queima de carvão. A Mongólia tem o potencial de agir como uma “super rede” na região, fornecendo energia limpa para os países vizinhos.
No Uganda, a promoção da agricultura orgânica está ajudando dezenas de milhares de fazendeiros a ganharem até 300% a mais nas produções certificadas de abacaxi, gengibre, baunilha e outros produtos para exportação. Mundialmente, o mercado para os produtos orgânicos triplicou desde 2000.

A nível internacional, o desenvolvimento da Redução de Emissões por Desmatamento e Degradação de Florestas(REED ou REED+ das siglas em inglês), também oferece o potencial para a erradicação da pobreza, se acompanhada por salvaguardas sociais rigorosas, especialmente para a população indígena local. Por exemplo, a Noruega investiu USD 1 milhão na REED na Indonésia, o que gerou um ano de moratória na derrubada de árvores em Kalimantan, o que tem o potencial de salvaguardar 45% das florestas da província, ao passo que fornece novas oportunidades de sustento e renda para a população local.

Muitos países de renda baixa ou média são ricos em recursos para ecoturismo, um setor que tem a projeção de gerar uma receita de USD 240 bilhões em 2012. Uma grande parte desse crescimento se encontra nos países em desenvolvimento tão variados como Botsuana, Belize, Brasil, Costa Rica, Gabão, Quênia e Nepal.

Os países menos desenvolvidos, com a infraestrutura menos desenvolvida, especialmente nas áreas urbanas, podem se beneficiar da economia verde inclusiva com as políticas possibilitadoras corretas e investimentos internacionais específicos em áreas de eficiência energética e tecnologias limpas para os modernos sistemas de transporte público.

Tais esforços também servem para aumentar a criação de empregos decentes verdes. Em Lagos, na Nigéria, as parcerias públicas e privadas voltadas à melhoria da infraestrutura da cidade, reduzem o congestionamento, melhoram as condições nas favelas e ajudam a criar cerca de 4.000 empregos, relacionados ao meio ambiente, para a comunidade jovem desempregada.

Com relação à saúde, os fatores de riscos ambientais são as causas de cerca de um quinto de todas as doenças nos países em desenvolvimento, e correspondem a uma grande proporção das mortes infantis.

Muitos investimentos na economia verde têm o potencial para fornecer benefícios significativos para a saúde humana. Por exemplo, o apoio aos combustíveis e veículos limpos diminuirá as emissões de gases do efeito estufa e reduzirá as doenças respiratórias. Da mesma forma, o investimento em uma energia mais limpa para o uso doméstico nos países em desenvolvimento, tais como através de fogões mais eficientes, pode reduzir a dependência da madeira como combustível e lidar com o desmatamento e ainda limitar a exposição à poluição interna do ar.

O relatório enfoca que o setor privado, incluindo as grandes multinacionais e pequenas e médias empresas, junto com as organizações não governamentais têm também um papel-chave como possibilitadores.

Por exemplo:

A Unilever está trabalhando na África Ocidental com 10.500 pequenos fazendeiros para promover as árvores allanblackia, que produz sementes ricas em óleo que é usado em margarinas sob as marcas Flora e Bercel.
No Brasil, a empresa de cosméticos Natura criou parcerias com 26 comunidades para fornecer novos cosméticos, fragrâncias e outros produtos sob um programa de compartilhamento de benefícios, que apoia os princípios do PNUMA relacionados à Convenção sobre Diversidade Biológica.
Jain, um sistema de irrigação localizado na Índia, fabrica sistemas de irrigação baseados no gotejamento e na aspersão, enquanto gera mercados para os produtos dos fazendeiros. Fazendeiros em partes da Índia tiveram um aumento de renda líquida de USD 100 para USD 1.000 por hectare como resultado da adoção de tais sistemas e também reduziram o consumo de água e os impactos ambientais.

“Existe uma grande evidência de que a transição para uma economia verde com baixa emissão de carbono e que seja eficiente em seu uso de recursos pode beneficiar muito a comunidade carente e ao mesmo tempo ajudar a preservar os serviços ecossistêmicos vitais”, disse Johan Kuylenstierna, Diretor Executivo do Instituto Ambiental de Estocolmo, membro PEP e co-autor do relatório.

“O desafio para a Rio+20 é criar compromissos fortes que assegurarão que a economia verde possa crescer e dar frutos, com o apoio dos setores público e privado. Também precisamos adotar políticas para proteger os vulneraveis enquanto as economias dos países fazem a transição, e assegurar que os benefícios da economia verde sejam distribuídos de uma forma justa e igualitária”.

“Na região da Ásia-Pacífico, o investimento paralelo na infraestrutura sustentável inclusiva e no gerenciamento sustentável dos ecossistemas críticos para o desenvolvimento econômico futuro pode causar um impacto enorme no bem-estar da população carente - tanto nas zonas urbana e rural”, disse Bindu N. Lohani, Vice-presidente da Gestão de Conhecimento e Desenvolvimento Sustentável do Bando de Desenvolvimento Asiático.

“As instituições regionais devem galvanizar os esforços governamentais para criar as políticas possibilitadoras certas e canalizar os recursos financeiros para um crescimento verde inclusivo, um tipo de crescimento que beneficia os países em desenvolvimento e os membros carentes das suas populações.”

O relatório apela para que os delegados na reunião de cúpula da Rio+20 considerem os “cinco fatores críticos para a construção dos alicerces em direção a economia verde inclusiva”. Estes podem maximizar os benefícios da economia verde para a população carente e promover uma agenda política compartilhada entre os governos dos países em desenvolvimento, os parceiros nos países desenvolvidos e outras partes interessadas.

Políticas sociais econômicas nacionais: Políticas fiscais, regimes tributários e políticas verdes de proteção social e programas que possam fortalecer a transição dos carentes;
Direitos e capacitações locais: Garantir que a população carente tenha direitos e posse sobre os seus recursos naturais, apoiados por meios e incentivos para gerenciar de forma sustentável e gerar benefícios para si próprios;
Mercados verdes inclusivos: São necessários novos modelos de negócios para construir e expandir o acesso da comunidade carente aos mercados inclusivos e redes de fornecimento para os produtos e serviços verdes, junto com o acesso ao microcrédito e serviços de desenvolvimento de negócios para empresas de pequeno e médio porte;
Políticas e suporte a uma harmonização internacional: Os países com maior renda precisam fornecer ajuda coerente, comércio e outras políticas de suporte para possibilitar que os países de baixa renda possam ser bem-sucedidos na transição para a economia verde, e;
Novos parâmetros para medir progresso: Ir além da limitação do PIB, para um indicador mais abrangente de progresso socioeconômico, social, ambiental e de bem-estar humano: esta é uma questão-chave na mesa de discussão da Rio+20.

Nota as editores:

Construindo uma Economia Verde Inclusiva para Todos: Oportunidades e Desafios para Superarmos a Pobreza e Desigualdade será lançado às 13:00 no dia 14 de junho na Sala de Imprensa no Rio Centro.

O relatório completo está disponível no site www.povertyenvironment.net/pep

A publicação foi elaborada pela equipe do Bando de Desenvolvimento Asiático, AusAid Austrália, Ministério dos Assuntos Exteriores da Finlandia, Agência para Cooperação Internacional, Alemanha (GIZ da sigla em alemão), Instituto Internacional para o Meio ambiente e Desenvolvimento, a União Nacional para Conservação da natureza, a Organização para Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico, Programa das Nações Unidas para o Desenvolvimento, Programa das Nações Unidas para o Meio Ambiente, Banco Mundial, Conselho Mundial de Negócios para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável e Instituto de Recursos Mundiais;

A publicação informativa do PNUMA sobre a economia verde e a redução da pobreza está disponível em: http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/POVERTY_REDUCTIO...

Para maiores informações, por favor entre em contato:

Nick Nuttall, Porta-voz do PNUMA; Tel: +55 11 6593 8058 or +254 733 632755, e-mail: nick.nuttall@unep.org

Michael Oko, Diretor de Comunicações, Instituto de Recursos Mundiais, Tel + (202) 246-9269, e-mail: moko@wri.org

PRESS RELEASE: Rio+20: Opportunity to Fast Track Transition to Green Economy, Lift Millions Out of Poverty

James Anderson — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:23:35 -0400

New Report Presents Key Policies and Building Blocks to Unlock Prosperity, Reduce Poverty and Support Environmental Sustainability

Ver texto em Português

A transition to a green economy could lift millions of people out of poverty and transform the livelihoods of many of the 1.3 billion people earning just a US$1.25 a day around the world, but only when supported by strong policies and public- and private-sector investments.

These are the findings of a new report, Building an Inclusive Green Economy for All, launched today at the Rio+20 summit by the Poverty-Environment Partnership (PEP), a network of bilateral aid agencies, development banks, UN agencies and international NGOs. The report finds that many developing and least developed countries are already pursuing a transition towards low-carbon, resource efficient economies.

Scaling-up current examples of the green economy in action – particularly in developing countries - has the potential to deliver a ‘triple bottom line’ of job-creating economic growth, environmental sustainability and social inclusion, says the report.

But targeted investments and governance reforms are needed to overcome current barriers that are preventing many poor communities from fully benefiting from a green economy.

Read Building an Inclusive Green Economy for All

The new report finds that many Least Developed Countries, as well as many poor regions of middle income countries, are actually richly endowed with the natural resources that would allow them to build green economies that can sustainably reduce poverty.

“Many least developed and developing countries and communities are seizing the opportunity to bring economy and ecology together in order to generate transformational social outcomes,” said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), a PEP member, at the launch of the report in Rio de Janeiro.

“The challenge for world leaders meeting here at Rio+20 is to forge and to back the enabling policies, catalytic financing, and social protection packages in order to fast forward these ambitions and to take them to scale.”

The new report argues that large numbers of least developed countries and poor regions of middle income countries are actually richly endowed with the natural resources needed to underpin a green economy transition as a pathway towards realizing sustainable development.

“By embracing an inclusive green economy, leaders in Rio have a rare opportunity to improve the lives of millions of people and usher in a new era of sustainability,” said Manish Bapna, Acting President of the World Resources Institute, which co-ordinated the study.

“Shifting to an inclusive green economy will not happen on its own. It requires smart government policies and strong leadership. This report presents a bold vision for a green economy that can tackle poverty and inequality, and, importantly, it offers concrete and practical building blocks to make this transition.”

The report cites many strong examples of developing countries that are already successfully shifting to a green economy. For example:

Ethiopia is developing six wind energy projects and a geothermal project, which will increase the country’s capacity by over 1,000 megawatts.
Mongolia’s first 50 megawatt wind farm is currently under construction and is set to generate an estimated five per cent of the county’s electricity needs, while reducing air pollution linked with coal-fired generation. Mongolia has the potential to act as a “supergrid” in the region, supplying neighbouring countries with clean energy.
In Uganda, the promotion of organic agriculture is helping tens of thousands of farmers to earn up to 300 percent more from certified pineapple, ginger, vanilla and other exports. Globally, the market for organic food products has increased three-fold since 2000.

On the international level, the development of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD or REDD+) also offers potential for poverty eradication if accompanied by rigorous social safeguards especially for local and indigenous people. For example, in Indonesia, a US $1 billion REDD+ investment by Norway has led to a one year moratorium on logging in Kalimantan, has the potential to safeguard 45 per cent of the province’s forests, while providing new livelihood and income opportunities for local people.

Many low and middle-income countries are rich in resources for ecotourism; a sector that is projected to generate revenues of US $240 billion in 2012. Much of this growth is in developing countries as diverse as Botswana, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Gabon, Kenya and Nepal.

Least developed countries with less developed infrastructure, particularly in urban areas, can benefit from an inclusive green economy with the right enabling policies and targeted international investments in areas from energy efficiency and clean technologies to modern public transportation systems.

Such efforts can also serve to boost the creation of decent, green jobs. In Lagos, Nigeria, public-private partnerships to improve the city’s infrastructure, reduce congestion and upgrade slums have helped create around 4,000 environment-related jobs among unemployed youth.

Regarding health, environmental risk factors are the cause of around one-fifth of the total disease burden in developing countries, and a large proportion of childhood deaths.

Many green economy investments have the potential to deliver significant benefits for human health. For example, supporting clean fuels and vehicles will lower greenhouse gas emissions, while also reducing respiratory diseases. Similarly, investing in cleaner energy for households in developing countries, such as through more efficient cookstoves, can reduce dependency on wood fuel and tackle deforestation, while limiting exposure to indoor air pollution.

The report underlines that the private sector, including large multinationals and small- and medium-sized enterprises, along with non-governmental organizations have a key enabling role too.

For example:

Unilever is working in West Africa with 10,500 small-scale farmers to promote allanblackia trees, which produce seeds rich in oil for use in spreads under the brand names Flora and Bercel
In Brazil, the cosmetics company Natura has forged partnerships with 26 communities to source new cosmetics, fragrances, and other products under a benefit sharing project that supports the principles of the UNEP-linked Convention on Biological Diversity
The Indian-based Jain Irrigation System makes drip and sprinkler irrigation systems while providing markets for farmers’ produce. Farmers in parts of India have seen net incomes rise by US $100 to $1,000 a hectare as a result of adopting such systems while also reducing water use and environmental impacts.

“There is strong evidence that a transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient green economy could hugely benefit the poor while helping preserve vital ecosystem services,” said Johan Kuylenstierna, executive director of the Stockholm Environment Institute, a PEP member and co-author of the report.

“The challenge at Rio+20 is to make strong international commitments that will ensure the green economy can grow and flourish, with both public- and private-sector support. We also need to adopt policies to protect the vulnerable as their economies make this transition, and to ensure that the benefits of the green economy are fairly and equitably distributed.”

“In the Asia-Pacific region, the twin tracks of investing in sustainable inclusive infrastructure and the sustainable management of critical ecosystems to support future economic development can make a huge impact on the welfare of the poor – in both urban and rural settings,” said Bindu N. Lohani, Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development, Asian Development Bank.

“Regional institutions must galvanize efforts by governments to create the right enabling policies and channel financial resources into inclusive green growth - the kind of growth that benefits the developing countries and the poorer members of their populations.”

The report calls on delegates meeting for the Rio+20 Summit to consider “five critical building blocks” towards an inclusive green economy. These can maximize the benefits for the poor of a green economy, and foster a shared policy agenda between developing country governments, developed country partners and other stakeholders.

National Economic and Social Policies: Fiscal policies, tax regimes, and ‘green’ social protection policies and programmes can strengthen a pro-poor transition;
Local Rights and Capacities: Ensuring poor people have rights and tenure over their natural resources backed by the means and the incentives to sustainably manage and benefit from them;
Inclusive Green Markets: New business models are needed to build and expand the poor’s access to inclusive markets and supply chains for green products and services, together with access to micro-credit and business development services for small and medium-scale enterprises;
Harmonized International Policies and Support: Higher-income countries need to provide coherent aid, trade and other policies to enable low-income countries to succeed in a green economy transition; and
New Metrics for Measuring Progress: Going beyond the narrowness of GDP to a broader indicator of economic, social and environmental progress and human well-being: this is a key issue on the table at Rio+20.

Note to Editors:

Building An Inclusive Green Economy For All: Opportunities and Challenges for Overcoming Poverty and Inequality will be launched at 1pm on 14 June at the Press Centre at Rio Centro.

The full report is available on WRI’s site, or here: www.povertyenvironment.net/pep

A UNEP Briefing Paper on the green economy and poverty reduction is available at:

http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/POVERTY_REDUCTION.pdf

The publication has been prepared by staff from Asian Development Bank, Australia (AusAid); Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Germany’s GIZ; the International Institute for Environment and Development; the International Union for the Conservation of Nature; the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; the UN Development Programme; the UN Environment Programme; the World Bank; the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute.

UN Conference on Sustainable Development 2012 (Rio+20): http://www.uncsd2012.org/

For more information please contact:

Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson; Tel: +55 11 6593 8058 or +254 733 632755, E-mail: nick.nuttall@unep.org

Michael Oko, Media Director, World Resources Institute, Tel + (202) 246-9269; email: moko@wri.org

Commission Proposes Plan to Battle Climate Change on the Ground

Paul Mackie — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:07:31 -0400

A path for financing smart economic development through strong institutions was announced today by a 14-person commission appointed to advise political leaders on climate change.

The Commission on Climate Change and Development reported on its progress today at the United Nations in New York and will also present its findings tomorrow at the Swedish Embassy in Washington D.C.

“The way that nations respond to the global recession can provide the basis for a path of sustainable development that eases the planet’s interlocked emergencies, where ecosystems are valued as much as other forms of capital,” said Gunilla Carlsson, chair of the commission and the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation.

The Commission is addressing climate change adaptation and its links with disaster risk reduction. Since its launch by the Swedish government in late 2007, the group has met with governments and citizens struggling with the effects of climate change in Cambodia, Mali, and Bolivia. It will issue policy recommendations on how to strengthen resilience of vulnerable communities and countries, establish appropriate institutional and financial architecture for adaptation, and mobilize new financial resources.

Developing countries are particularly exposed to the impacts of droughts, floods and wind storms as well as longer term changes in ecosystems. International negotiations have focused on reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere - with little success. Although all efforts must continue to reach agreement on implementing GHG limits, this work cannot blind governments to the need to begin to adapt to changing climate systems right now.

“Adaptation is more than ‘climate proofing,’” said Jonathan Lash, a member of the commission and president of the World Resources Institute. “It will require resources far beyond existing official development assistance, but it is a moral and strategic necessity.”

One of the many recommendations within the Commission’s Progress Report is that funding for adaptation must go far beyond current official development assistance and that all donors honor their commitments of 0.7 percent of gross domestic product. The recent Bangladesh Adaptation Strategy for responding to natural disasters sets an interesting example.

“People at risk need democratic and political institutions to listen to their needs and concerns,” Carlsson added. “In the age of climate change, the institutions of accountable and responsible government are more important than ever.”

The Commission determined that knowledge of local impacts is still largely in the form of hypotheses and scenarios. While greenhouse gas reductions are measurable, it is more difficult to determine the success of adaptation and requires much more cooperation between institutions in different fields. These institutions can no longer be reactionary, as was the case after the food and financial crises of 2008. Also, existing institutions must be made as effective as possible rather than adding to the already proliferating array of institutions.

The full findings are available in a report called Closing the Gaps: Exploring the Links Between Adaptation to Climate Change and Development.

The members of the Commission represent international and regional organizations as well as research, civil society and the private sector. Members participate in their personal capacities and include: Carlsson (Sweden); Angela Cropper (Trinidad and Tobago), deputy executive director for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Mohamed El-Ashry (Egypt), senior fellow, UN Foundation; Sun Honglie (China), professor and head of the China Climate Change Expert Committee at the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Nanna Hvidt (Denmark), director of the Danish Institute for International Studies; Ian Johnson (UK), chairman of IDEAcarbon; Lash (USA); Wangari Maathai (Kenya), professor and founder of the Green Belt Movement; Ivo Menzinger (Switzerland), Managing Director at Swiss Re; Sunita Narain (India), director of the Centre for Science and Environment; Youba Sokona (Mali), executive secretary of the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS); Bernard Petit (France), deputy director-general, Directorate-General for Development, European Commission; Margareta Wahlström (Sweden); UN assistant secretary-general for Disaster Risk Reduction and the secretary general’s special representative.

WRI President Jonathan Lash’s Statement on Progress at the Major Economies Forum

Paul Mackie — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:35:53 -0400

The first meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate wrapped up here yesterday. The forum, convened by U.S. President Barack Obama, was attended by representatives of 17 major economies, the United Nations, and several developing countries.

Jonathan Lash

Participants agreed that the Forum can be a quality contribution to helping the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change inform and complement a successful outcome this December at the UN international-climate negotiations in Copenhagen.

Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute, said, “The reformulated Major Economies Forum took an important first step. Rather than echoing decades-old positions, countries talked openly and constructively on how to make a global agreement on climate change work. First steps were taken toward common ground on technology and mitigation.”

The next Forum meetings will take place in France in May and Italy in July. Issues to discuss will include mitigation, adaptation, finance, and technology.

Lash added, “The agenda for subsequent MEF meetings, culminating in the July summit of presidents and prime ministers, is critical. These must produce substantive outcomes on the key issues of greenhouse gas emission-reduction targets, technology, adaptation and finance, and on means of reporting and verifying countries’ actions, and these outcomes must be fed directly into the UN climate negotiating process.

“The United States embraced a leadership role at the MEF, and its position on these issues will be watched carefully over the next several months.”

Smart U.S. Climate Change Policy Can Create Fair Playing Field on Trade

Paul Mackie — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:38:53 -0400

U.S. climate change policy can reduce emissions and ensure fair international competition without carbon tariffs, through pursuing international agreements on key industries and targeting relief specifically to impacted domestic firms.

“U.S. climate change policy must address international competition through smart policies aimed at the handful of most disadvantaged industries,” said Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute. “We must take care to do more good than harm, and create opportunities, not barriers, for further international cooperation.”

These are among the findings of a book released here today by the Peterson Institute for International Economics and the World Resources Institute (WRI). Leveling the Carbon Playing Field: International Competition and U.S. Climate Policy Design provides an analysis of proposals that address international competition in climate change legislation, such as the Climate Security Act currently being considered by Congress.

“Trade concerns can be most effectively addressed in the international arena, and U.S. policy proposals should reflect this,” added C. Fred Bergsten, director of the Peterson Institute. “While the commitments that developing countries could make in a post-Kyoto agreement are still uncertain, there is great interest in international sectoral cooperation to address the industries most exposed to trade impacts from climate regulation.”

Leveling the Carbon Playing Field examines what effect “carbon emissions caps” would have on the industries likely to face the strongest international pressures from climate legislation: steel, copper, aluminum, cement, glass, paper, and basic chemicals. Electric utilities are also carbon intense but are not as vulnerable to international competition.

There is growing concern that domestic climate change legislation would increase costs for carbon-intensive industries, exposing them to greater competition from developing countries, which would have no similar regulations. Proposals to address these concerns include providing free emissions allocations, increasing costs on imported carbon-intense commodities, or encouraging other countries to impose emissions caps of their own.

However, the book finds that several of the proposed options would likely not provide the intended relief, and in some cases could either make things worse or have adverse consequences. For instance, broad carbon tariffs could be difficult to assess and enforce, and provide no opportunity for exporters in developing countries to benefit from adopting higher standards. But trade measures could be tailored to provide this incentive.

To date, many of the trade-specific measures have been intended to bring China to the climate negotiating table. However, China’s exports of carbon-intense goods to the U.S. are relatively small. Instead, the book finds that Canada is the leading exporter to the United States in all categories except basic chemicals, where the leader is Trinidad and Tobago. Europe and Russia are next in importance. Therefore, trade measures provide little incentive for China to adopt stricter emissions regulations, and could sour the prospects for international cooperation.

In addition, China is already seeking to curb exports of carbon-intensive goods due to local energy and environmental concerns, and has recently implemented border treatment for goods like steel that are equivalent to imposing a carbon tax of $50 per ton of CO2. This, the book’s authors argue, means that engaging China and other developing countries in reaching international agreements on key sectors is more promising than many think, and would more successfully address both competitiveness and climate concerns than unilateral carbon tariffs at the U.S. border. As part of an international sectoral agreement, trade-specific measures could play a role in creating incentives for individual foreign firms to reduce emissions.

Until an international agreement is reached, U.S. legislators can maintain a level playing field for carbon-intensive manufacturing through domestic policy design. Costs for trade-exposed industries, which account for less than 6 percent of U.S. emissions, can be controlled in a way that does not compromise the environmental effectiveness of U.S. climate policy or risk trade conflicts by imposing border tariffs unilaterally.

Leveling the Playing Field is the first in a series of publications from WRI and the Peterson Institute that will examine the international dimensions of U.S. climate policy. The report is available at www.wri.org/publication/leveling-the-carbon-playing-field or http://bookstore.petersoninstitute.org.

UPDATE: The Economist covered Leveling the Playing Field in their June 19 edition. Click here to read the article.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Lunch Panel to Discuss Climate and Trade Links

Paul Mackie — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:55:42 -0400

WHAT: The World Resources Institute and the Peterson Institute for International Economics will hold a briefing to release Leveling the Carbon Playing Field, a timely book on the linkages between climate change and trade policy.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 21, 2008, Noon - 2 p.m.
(Lunch at noon, program at 12:30 p.m.)

WHERE: Peter G. Peterson Institute for International Economics
1750 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
(Metro: Red Line to Dupont Circle)

WHO: Jonathan Lash, president, World Resources Institute

C. Fred Bergsten, director, Peterson Institute for International Economics

Rob Bradley, director, International Climate Policy Initiative, World Resources Institute

Trevor Houser, visiting fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics

WHY: In recent presidential-campaign developments, John McCain has backed away from the threat of carbon tariffs, while Barack Obama hints that the issue will serve as a litmus test for whether McCain is serious about climate policy. Trade links to climate policy will only continue to heat up as the full Senate begins debate on June 2 of the Lieberman-Warner bill, which includes provisions for carbon-based border tariffs.

This new book argues that such a unilateral approach will be unsuccessful both in protecting U.S. industry and bringing other countries, such as China, to the negotiating table. Speakers will offer alternatives that would prevent U.S. industry from migrating to countries without climate policy, strengthen international negotiations under which those countries will reduce emissions, and avoid starting a trade war.

RSVP: Katharine Keenan, Peterson Institute,
+1 (202) 454-1334, kkeenan@petersoninstitute.org
Please indicate if any technical assistance is required.