Energy and Environment
| Key statistics | Key links |
"We reaffirm our support for the principles of sustainable development, including those set out in Agenda 21, agreed upon at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.
We resolve therefore to adopt in all our environmental actions a new ethic of conservation and stewardship and, as first steps, we resolve:
- to make every effort to ensure the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol, preferably by the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 2002, and to embark on the required reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases.
- To intensify our collective efforts for the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.
- To press for the full implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention to Combat Desertification (...).
- To stop the unsustainable exploitation of water resources by developing water management strategies at the regional, national and local levels, which promote both equitable access and adequate supplies (...)"
Extract from the United Nations Millennium Summit Declaration (September 2000).
Key statistics
- The twentieth century's 10 warmest years all occurred within the last 15 years. Of these, 1998 was the warmest year on record.
- Global warming means sea levels have already risen by around 10 to 15 centimetres during the past century, and global warming is expected to cause a further rise of 15 to 95 cm by the year 2100 (with a "best estimate" of 50 cm).
- Carbon emissions have quadrupled during the past half-century.
- Based on current trends, an estimated 34,000 plant and 5,200 animal species - including one in eight of the world's bird species - face extinction.
- Some 65 million hectares of forest were lost in the developing world between 1990 and 1995 because of over-harvesting.
Key links
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UNDP website on Energy and Environment
UNDP helps countries adopt integrated approaches that focus on managing natural resources to improve the livelihoods of people living in poverty. Priority is given to "preventive" approaches. Care is taken to ensure that actions to cope with immediate crises do not interfere with the long-term sustainability of resources and development processes. - UNDP Global Environment Facility (GEF) website
Within GEF, the particular emphasis of UNDP is ensuring the development and management of capacity building programmes and technical assistance projects. - UNDP Capacity 21 website
Launched at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Capacity 21 works with developing countries and countries in transition to find the best ways to achieve sustainable development and meet the goals of Agenda 21. - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) website
UNEP's mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnerships in caring for the environment by enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. It sets the global environmental agenda, promotes implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development in the UN System and serves as an authoritative advocate of the global environment. - UNEP.Net
UNEP.Net delivers authoritative environmental information from a broad range of information and data providers committed to making their information freely available to the whole spectrum of users of environmental information. -
World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) website
A 5-year review of Earth Summit, known as Rio +5 progress, took place in New York in 1997. A 10-year review of Earth Summit progress, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (also known as Rio +10), took place in 2002. -
News and announcement list for WSSD (IISD Linkages)
IISD Linkages website offers a comprehensive multimedia resource area for environment and development policy makers. - UNDP Drylands website
UNDP has established a new Drylands Development Centre to lead its efforts in supporting long-term development in the drylands of the world. The new Centre based in Nairobi provides assistance to countries in the form of policy advice, technical support and institutional capacity development, advocacy, information and knowledge management support for integrating drylands issues into macro economic and national development planning frameworks.
The website provides a quick overview on drylands development issues, the history of the Centre, concepts and programme information, newsletters, lessons learned and practices, knowledge sharing and news and events. - World Resources Institute website
World Resources Institute provides information, ideas, and solutions to global environmental problems.