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Showing posts with label IIED. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IIED. Show all posts

Sunday, December 1, 2013

COP19 lacks climate justice says IIED


The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) has reacted to the outcome of the recently held 19th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP19) in Warsaw, Poland, saying it lacks sense of climate justice, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The COP19 — the 19th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change -- ended on 23 November. Here, IIED's climate change specialists react to the conference outcomes.

Head, IIED's climate change group, Dr Simon Anderson, informed NaijaAgroNet that there is no sense from the outcomes of Warsaw that climate justice is any closer than before the COP was inaugurated.

The delays, he said, in countries disclosing how they will reduce greenhouse gas emissions continue has continued unabated.
“It would seem that we are moving almost inevitably to a 4C degree warmer world. Having been billed as a climate finance COP, Warsaw failed to deliver,” he said.

Stressing that the need for both finance and disbursal mechanisms that genuinely reflect and respond to the needs of countries and people that need to adapt and become more climate resilient is imperative.

He maintained that in the absence of agreement on a mid-term target and a clear pathway, poor and vulnerable countries are unable to understand how the developed countries are going to deliver the promised target of US$100 billion annually by 2020.

“Looking at decisions related to long term finance, developing countries can see a few gains, but there were reassuring words and little else," he noted.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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Video: Dr Saleemul Huq, senior fellow in IIED's climate change group summarises how COP19 ended and what will happen next. Enjoy!


Sunday, November 24, 2013

Cotula explains how law can make foreign investment work


The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) has published a handbook that shows how government officials and civil society organisations in low and middle-income countries can use legal tools to ensure foreign investments contribute to sustainable development.

NaijaAgroNet reports that the book focuses on investments in agriculture and the extractive industries – mining, oil and gas, authored by Dr Lorenzo Cotula.

These sectors, the author said attract much of the foreign investment in many low and middle-income countries. Increased investment could transform local economies by contributing public revenues and new livelihood opportunities. But the deals can also pile pressure on natural resources and spark conflict with local communities who depend on them.

"Public mobilisation against 'land grabbing' highlights that investment quality, not just quantity, matters a great deal, even in countries where investment is much needed," Dr Cotula said, stressing that legal tools can influence investment quality – from the tax regime to social and environmental safeguards, though to the inclusiveness of investment models and processes.

"There is much that governments and civil society can do to use those tools to promote investments that respond to local aspirations, and to get a better deal from incoming investments," he said.

The handbook, NaijaAgroNet gathered, explained what the laws that regulate foreign investment are, how they work, and how to use them most effectively.

It covers the variety of legal arenas that can influence the outcomes of investments — from investment treaties, extractive industry legislation, land tenure, human rights norms, environmental legislation and tax law —including arrangements to fight tax avoidance.

The book covers four main ways in which government and civil society can use legal tools to promote sustainable development, by:
  • Aligning public policies and decisions on investment with a strategic vision of sustainable development based on local and national aspirations.
  • Ensuring a fair economic deal.
  • Taking social and environmental considerations seriously.
  • Balancing investment protection with competing policy goals.
The handbook aims to support government officials in low and middle-income countries in their management of foreign investment for sustainable development, and support civil society efforts to influence decisions and hold government and investors to account.

Governments play a central role in developing and enforcing legal rules. But Cotula argues that engagement with investment law is not a task for regulators and legal experts alone.


"Harnessing the law to make investment work for sustainable development requires vibrant civil society organisations and social movements to advocate, scrutinise, challenge and influence," writes Cotula. "Perhaps most importantly, it requires citizens themselves to be able to appropriate and wield legal tools in their efforts to shape their own future."

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Pix: cover of the book

Monday, December 24, 2012

The way back to the forest


Data from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has shown that Asia-Pacific region, especially China, takes the leading position in the global forest products industry.
The forest industry also grew by 1 to 4 per cent in 2011 as against 2010 which signifies that countries globally are coming out of the recession slowly.
Whereas the new data shows that production of wood-based panels and paper in 2011 was above the pre-crisis levels of 2007 and appears to be growing relatively strong in some regions.
Nigeria records highest deforestation rate
Investigations by NaijaAgroNet revealed that Nigeria is one of the countries on the continent that has the highest rate of deforestation, recording about 2.6 per cent annually. And as at 2004, Nigeria has 693,000 hectares of forest plantations.
Within the time under review for Nigeria had as at 2004, contributed about 1.3 - 3 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and account for a larger part of domestic energy, food and medicinal supply, which were not fully represented in the formal national statistics.
The increase in deforestation in the country has over the years worsen by livestock grazing, soil erosion, drought, desertification and growing demand for cropland, thus, greatly putting the state of forest of the nation’s under threat.
China leads global forestry business
However, leading the forestry industry is the Asia-Pacific region with China as the world's second largest producer of samnwood after United State of America, thereby overtaking Canada.
Notable is that in 2011 alone, China contributed 11 per cent of the world's sawnwood, 38 per cent of its panels and 26 per cent of its paper, hence it played a key role in the international forest products market, even as the Asian country also claimed the fifth largest importer of paper and paperboard after recording a huge increase in domestic production since 2007.
Also in 2011, China imported forest products worth $43 billion, about N6.79 trillion, accounting for 16 per cent of the global total imports.
The forest product statistics database by the United Nations' agency contains 1.2 million entries and cover production and trade of 52 products, 21 product groups of 245 countries and territories.
Meanwhile the Russian Federation that have the largest forest in the world has experienced decline in industrial round wood export in the last five years. The decline, NaijaAgroNet further gathered stood at about 60 per cent with an increase in sawnwood production by 8 per cent over the same period.
Calls on investors to look into forestry
Meanwhile the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in the last quarter of 2012, said that the investment guideline that was originated from The Forests Dialogue (TFD) on behalf of Growing Forest Partnerships and with the support of IIED, for forest business would give a high return on investment if followed.
In the same vein the IIED forest team head, Duncan Macqueen called on investors to venture into locally controlled forest that it offers triple investment returns and that people depending on forest for survival would have a secured income streams, making it a win-win situation for the investors as well as the forest managers and owners.
A report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the third quarter of 2012 revealed that if about 0.034 per cent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which amount to about N6.24 trillion is being spent on forest on a yearly basis would give an estimation of 5 million jobs globally and a high return on investment.
UNEP in the report advised that finance can be sourced from both public and private sectors using approach that pay landowners for maintaining the ecosystems.

Yinka Awosanya/LS

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Saturday, December 1, 2012

UN Convention unveils new initiative to reduce poverty


The 11th Conference of Parties (COP) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will see to the unveiling of a new initiative that would help countries to meet their governmental obligations.
The initiative will also work towards the reduction of poverty, showing how the two seemingly disparate words of poverty eradication and biodiversity conservation are connected.
NaijaAgroNet gathered that the initiative is a three-year project by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the UN Environment Programme’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) with the intention that policies to conserve nature and reduce poverty will work in harmony.
IIED revealed to NaijaAgroNet in a press statement that the new initiative will help nations identify opportunities to build a business case for biodiversity as a key developmental asset through trade in biodiversity-based products and services, improved genetic diversity for agriculture.
Commenting on the new initiative, Dilys Roe of IIED affirmed that biodiversity and poverty are tightly linked whereas their policies are rarely linked.
“The two sides of policymaking need to be brought together so that natural resources can contribute to development and poverty reduction strategies in a sustainable way,” Roe said.
NaijaAgroNet further gathered that all the 193 parties to the CBD adopted a 10-year strategy in 2010 with the aim of conserving biodiversity and ensuring that it is been put to sustainable use.
The 10-year strategy also ensures that benefits from biodiversity usage are shared fairly and equitably.
As part of the new strategy, countries agreed to address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society.
NaijaAgroNet further gathered that having identified the urgent need for improved capacity for mainstreaming poverty eradication strategies, plans and development as a means of enhancing implementation of the convention, COP also set up an Expert Group on Biodiversity, in 2011 for poverty eradication and development.
Participants at the convention mandated the new group to further clarify the linkages between poverty reduction, plans and development.
The group was also charged with the responsibility to identify the most effective approach toward a framework on capacity development for mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services for sustainable development and poverty eradication
In their recommendations to COP, the group requested the Executive Secretary of COP to summon every stakeholder to come forward with their views taking the outcome of Rio+20 into consideration.
Encouraging all partners as well as stakeholders involved in biodiversity-related programmes to consider different perspectives and priorities in all biodiversity and ecosystem services valuation processes is also part of the recommendation of the group.
A target was also set that by 2020 biodiversity values would have been integrated into national and local development and poverty reduction strategies and planning processes.
COP, as the governing body of the Convention, advances implementation of the Convention through the decisions it takes at its periodic meetings.
To date COP has held 10 ordinary meetings and one extraordinary meeting to adopt Biosafety Protocol. COP has held 10 ordinary meetings and one extraordinary meeting to adopt Biosafety Protocol.


Yinka Awosanya
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Kenya launches climate change adaptation fund


In a bid for Northern Kenyans to adapt to changes in climate, the Kenyan government has launched a new fund, tagged, ‘Climate Adaptation Fund.’
Officials of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), revealed to NaijaAgroNet that the fund will be used for combating some other development challenges that the country might be facing.
Also, the fund, will release the sum of Euro 500,000 about N101.2 million in 2013 in Isiolo, to an eastern region of the country where the five communities of the pilot project are.
The fund was financed by Kenyan office of the United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development through the UK International Climate Fund, whereas IIED is playing the dual role as a coordinator and adviser to the Kenyan government on the fund.
The communities have the opportunity to come up with proposal through their ward-level committee as regards the fund, and such proposals would be assessed at the county level by a cross community and government committee.
The fund, NaijaAgroNet gather that the fund would also see to a country-wide community radio station which will work towards delivering the right and accessible climate information in order to better inform local planning processes.
Whereas some of the earlier community suggestions had its focus on improvement of natural resource management by building the capacity of customary institutions.
Commenting on the fund, climate change advisor in the Ministry of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands, Victor Orindi said emergency responses to extreme weather event over the years have deflected development resources from their proper purpose.
According to Orindi, local planning needs to be integrated in actions for climate resilience so as to make it effective.
Head, Climate Change Group at IIED, Simon Anderson said the climate adaption fund will tackle local development needs and climae vulnerabilities as it seeks to empower local people to build partnership with local governments.


Yinka Awosanya
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Friday, September 14, 2012

UN urges political leaderships to lead disaster management

Dr. Satterthwaite, IFAD Senior Fellow

The United Nations (UN) has found out that political leadership is very crucial in terms of protecting lives and economic assets of cities from disasters.
The 2012 report of Making Cities Resilient, a major urban safety campaign launched two years ago by UN revealed to NaijaAgroNet that local governments through a team led by a Senior Fellow of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Dr. David Satterthwaite, had reduce disaster risk.
A press release made available to NaijaAgroNet by IIED revealed that despite rise in extreme weather events, Dr. Satterthwaite’s team affirmed that the Making Cities Resilient campaign is proving that urbanization does not have to lead to an increase in risk. "Where city and local governments demonstrate leadership and competence in working with low-income populations living in informal settlements flood impacts can be reduced and the threats from other natural hazards minimized," part of the report stated.
The campaign created by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction now have over 1,050 members from major metropolis across San Francisco, Copenhagen, Cape Town and Mumbai to small towns in countries such as Austria and Pakistan.
Margareta Wahlström, the UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction also disclosed that over $100 billion, about N16.1 trillion is lost to disasters annually for the past two decades.
"Most of these damages can be avoided through better risk management and investment in social and structural infrastructure," said Wahlström that some communities are already leveraging on whatever resources they have to reduce the impact of disaster event in their environs.
Wahlström cited an example of such communities to be the local government of Siquirres in Costa Rica which joined the campaign and in six months was able to avoid the usual annual flood of February in 2012.
"There are many cities like Siquirres which are proving that if you manage your risks, you build your resilience to disasters and avoid unnecessary disruption in the home and the workplace,” she concluded.


Yinka Awosanya
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Monday, September 10, 2012

Invest in forestry, get triple investment returns - IIED

Duncan Macqueen, IIED Forest Team Leader

Forestry experts at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) have called on investors to invest in locally controlled forest as the sector offers a triple investment returns.
The Head of forest team at IIED, Duncan Macqueen said the investment would also lead to secured income streams for people that depend on forest for survival which would in turn give better prospects for forest protection.
Macqueen revelation, according to NaijaAgroNet findings show that investment in locally controlled forestry also needs advocacy in a bid to secure and formalise commercial forest rights as well as business capacity development to convert the rights to self-sufficient businesses.
He also preached organisation should build to achieve scale efficiencies and market negotiating power, and deal brokering so as to ensure that investors play fair with local groups.


Yinka Awosanya
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Friday, August 31, 2012

Group wants protection for poor countries against climate change


The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) group, have advocated protection for poor countries from the menace of climate change as there is a big risk of loss of key issues if they are not protected.
The chairman of the group, Pa Ousman Jarju of the Gambia said there is a great need to massive increase in funds for adaption and for action in order to reduce emission. "We need to set up a proper international coordination process to deliver resources for adaptation to those in most need," he advised.
In a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet by the International Institute for Environment and Development, Pa Jarju listed global warming causing drought, water and food shortages as part of the major challenges facing the world at the moment which call for actions.
He also said there are no chances of survival if the necessary issues are being deferred till 2015 when a new agreement will be negotiated.
 According to Pa Jarju, drought in the USA only cost insurance companies money, while droughts in the LDCs are causing loss of life and livelihoods, malnutrition in our children and huge dislocation which is very serious for our survival.
“It is extremely important that governments agree to respect the commitments they have already made to provide finance, technology and capacity building to developing countries and to enhance cooperation to help them adapt to the impacts of climate change and not to use the focus on a new processes to avoid past promises. We cannot indefinitely delay action, especially with regard to climate change, which is already upon us,” he said.
aid.

 Yinka Awosanya

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