Environmental Policy Collection - 111 Matching Results
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- Interim Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning
- This report describes policy recommendations for coastal and marine spatial planning in order to protect ecosystems while continuing to allow economic activity.
- Interim Report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force
- This report discusses the direction of a national policy to protect oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes while coordinating with national security and foreign policy interests. The priorities include ecosystem restoration, water quality, resiliency to climate change and acidification, and improved environmental observation systems.
- IPCC Expert Meeting on the Science of Alternative Metrics: Meeting Report
- This extended report of the IPCC Expert Meeting on the Science of Alternative Metrics that was held in Oslo 18-20 March 2009 is provided in response to an invitation from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC AWG-KP) to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to undertake further technical assessment of alternative common metrics which are used to calculate the CO2 equivalence of anthropogenic emissions by sources, and removals by sinks, of greenhouse gases listed in Annex A to the Kyoto Protocol. The outcome of the expert meeting was an agreed set of key conclusions and recommendations to UNFCCC in response to the request of the AWG-KP as well as more specific recommendations to the scientific community regarding research needs and ones relevant to the scoping of the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). These were presented to the IPCC Plenary in a short report at its 30th session in Antalya, 21-23 April 2009. The current full report of the expert meeting amplifies those conclusions and recommendations and includes the extended abstracts of the meeting presentations as well as a general bibliography.
- Japan-U.S. Joint Message on Climate Change Negotiations
- A joint message on Climate Change Negotiations between Japan and U.S.
- Japan's Initiative on Climate Change
- Japan's Initiative on Climate Change defines the current state of climate change, summarizes diplomacy related to international environmental cooperation, and international climage change policy, with an outlook to the future.
- Major Tipping Points in Earth’s Climate System and Consequences for the Insurance Sector Summary
- The focus of climate change mitigation policy to date has been on "preventing dangerous anthropogenic interference with Earth's climate system". There is no global agreement or scientific consensus for delineating ‘dangerous’ from ‘acceptable’ climate change but limiting global average temperature rise to 2 °C above pre-industrial levels has emerged as a focus for international and national policymakers.
- Major Tipping Points in the Earth’s Climate System and Consequences for the Insurance Sector
- A 2°C rise in temperature from pre-industrial levels has been widely regarded as a tipping point for planet earth. Major Tipping Points in Earth's Climate System and Consequences for the Insurance Sector argues instead that sudden volatile transformations in earth's climate will occur long before this 2°C threshold is reached.
- Making choices over China: EU-China co-operation on energy and climate
- Effective EU-China co-operation is critical to delivering a good deal at Copenhagen and to ensuring ongoing progress towards global decarbonisation. Europe and China are economically and politically interdependent, and have strikingly similar energy and climate change policies. As its largest investor, trade partner and provider of technology, Europe has a strong stake in China’s success.The EU and China should increase the status of energy and climate change in their bilateral relationship. This will require the progressive alignment of the EU’s and the individual member-states climate policies towards China, behind a common European strategy. The 2009 EU-China summit must deliver agreement on some key flagship co-operation projects in order to build China’s trust in the EU as an effective partner.
- Manual for Quantitative Evaluation of the Co-Benefits Approach to Climate Change Projects. Version 1.0
- The wide diversity of developing countries dictates that sustainable development might include different measures in different contexts. This document provides information on quantitatively evaluating measures for sustainable development.
- Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
- This memorandum charges the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force with developing a national policy that ensures protection of oceans as well as a framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning.
- Mongolia Assessment Report on Climate Change 2009
- This report brings together the findings of climate change research in Mongolia to raise awareness of decision makers and the general public so that they can develop appropriate responses to the challenges and threats. The content of the Report includes the following: (i) Observed changes in climate of Mongolia and its future projections; (ii) Potential impacts of climate change on natural and ecological components (ecosystem shifts and landscape changes, permafrost, glacier and snow cover, water resource, natural disaster, desertification, dust and sand storms), and social and economic sectors (animal husbandry, arable farming/agriculture, and forestry) of Mongolia; (iii) Vulnerability and Adaptation to climate change; (iv) Greenhouse gas monitoring and inventories; (v) Greenhouse gas mitigation potentials and options; and (ii) Climate-friendly technology needs.
- National Cycling Promotion Austrian Masterplan for Cycling and Action Programme klima:aktiv mobil
- Cycling is an environmentally friendly, economical beneficial and health promoting means of transport, a quick alternative for short trips, space-saving and above all.
- Natural Allies: Engaging Civil Society in UNEP's Work
- This publication is intended to catalyze social and political change in order to improve resource efficiency and reduce emissions.
- Net Metering Programs
- This map shows states with net metering schemes to measure a site's electricity generation versus a site's electricity production, with customers only paying for the net electricity consumed.
- The NSF Scientific Collections Survey: A Brief Overview of Findings
- This white paper describes the state of digital collections resulting from NSF funded research in biodiversity, ecology, environmental health, environmental education, and environmental resource management.
- OECD Environmental Performance Reviews – 2nd Cycle (2001-2009)
- This report examines Australia’s progress since the previous OECD Environmental Performance Review in 1998 and the extent to which the country is meeting its domestic objectives and international commitments regarding the environment and sustainable development. It also reviews progress in the context of the OECD Environmental Strategy, and compared to the recommendations of the previous OECD review. This book is part of the OECD Environmental Performance Reviews Programme which conducts peer reviews of environmental conditions and progress in each member country. The analyses presented are supported by a broad range of economic and environmental data and lead to recommendations for further environmental and sustainable development progress.
- Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Year 2010
- The report describes the activities and plans of the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), which incorporates the U.S. Global Change Research Program established under the Global Change Research Act of 1990, and the Climate Change Research Initiative that was established by the President in 2001. CCSP coordinates and integrates scientific research on climate and global change supported by 13 participating departments and agencies of the U.S. Government. The document highlights recent advances and progress supported by CCSP-participating agencies in each of the program's research and observational elements, as called for in the Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program released in July 2003, and later modified in the 2008 CCSP Revised Research Plan. The document also describes how observational and predictive capabilities are being improved and used to create tools to support decisionmaking at local, regional, and national scales to cope with environmental variability and change.
- Our Planet, February 2009
- Magazine of the United Nations Environment Programme discussing worldwide environmental policies and other concerns. This issue is devoted to so called "Green Economy" measures such as large public transportation plans, tree planting programs, and government policies that provide incentives for improving energy efficiency.
- Our Planet, May 2009
- Magazine of the United Nations Environment Programme discussing worldwide environmental policies and other concerns. This issue is devoted to examples of grass roots actions that result in positive changes around the world.
- Our Planet, September 2009
- Magazine of the United Nations Environment Programme discussing worldwide environmental policies and other concerns. This issue is devoted to policies meant to reduce the carbon emissions from cars, trucks, and planes by converting fleets to cleaner, renewable fuels, and by moving government subsidies from highway infrastructure to public transportation.
- Our Planet, December 2009
- Magazine of the United Nations Environment Programme discussing worldwide environmental policies and other concerns. This issue is devoted to the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, know as the Copenhagen Summit, which sought an international agreement on climate change mitigation.
- Past Climate Variability and Change in the Arctic and at High Latitudes
- This Climate Change Science Program Synthesis and Assessment Product addresses current capabilities to integrate observations of the climate system into a consistent description of past and current conditions through the method of reanalysis. In addition, the Product assesses present capabilities to attribute causes for climate variations and trends over North America during the reanalysis period, which extends from the mid-twentieth century to the present. This Product reviews Past Climate Variability and Change in the Arctic and at High Latitudes. Paleoclimate records play a key role in our understanding of Earth's past and present climate system and in our confidence in predicting future climate changes. Paleoclimate data help to elucidate past and present active mechanisms of climate change by placing the short instrumental record into a longer term context and by permitting models to be tested beyond the limited time that instrumental measurements have been available. Recent observations in the Arctic have identified large ongoing changes and important climate feedback mechanisms that multiply the effects of global-scale climate changes. As discussed in this report, paleoclimate data show that land and sea ice have grown with cooling temperatures and have shrunk with warming ones, amplifying temperature changes while causing and responding to ecosystem shifts and sea-level changes.
- Policies to Change the World: Energy Sufficiency - Eight Policies towards the Sustainable Use of Energy
- This booklet discusses how energy sufficiency is the best solution for reducing energy consumption and waste. It presents policies for reducing global energy consumption such as energy auditing, phasing out incandescent light bulbs, combined heat/cooling energy and power, carbon-negative cooking, smart metering, area road pricing, and other measures.
- Policy Measures to Stimulate Bicycle Use in Germany
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- Projections of Global Emissions of Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases in 2050
- This is the result of a German study which underlines once more the urgent need for measures to reduce F-gas emissions. Global emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) will increase to 4 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalents by 2050 if no political mitigation measures are taken. The contribution of F-gases to global warming is projected to grow from 1.3% (2004) to 7.9% of total direct CO2 emissions.
- Proposed National Objectives, Principles and Standards for Water and Related Resources Implementation Studies
- This document reflects planning efforts by the Executive Office of the President to design federal policy for the use of water resources.
- Recent Greenhouse Gas Concentrations
- Gases typically measured in parts per million (ppm), parts per billion (ppb) or parts per trillion (ppt) by volume are presented separately to facilitate comparison of numbers.
- Recovery Through Retrofit
- This report describes recommendations for federal action to address barriers to retrofitting home residences for energy efficiency.
- Regional Forum on Environment and Health Meeting Report
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- Regional Highlights from Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
- This fact sheet draws information from the Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States report that describes how climate change affects coastal areas in the United States.
- Regional Highlights from Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
- This fact sheet describes climate change scenarios in the Great Plains region of the United States.
- Regional Highlights from Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
- This fact sheet draws highlights for Alaska from the Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States.
- Regional Highlights from Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
- This fact sheet describes climate change scenarios in Great Plains region of the United States.
- Regional Highlights from Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
- This fact sheet describes climate change scenarios for islands of the United States.
- Regional Highlights from Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
- This fact sheet describes climate change scenarios in Midwest region of the United States.
- Regional Highlights from Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
- This fact sheet describes climate change scenarios in the Great Plains region of the United States.
- Regional Highlights from Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
- This fact sheet describes climate change scenarios in Southwest region of the United States.
- Research Needs Work Group: Recommendations on Research Needs Necessary to Implement and Alaska Climate Change Strategy
- This report to the Alaska State Sub-Cabinet on Climate Change recommends research strategies for mitigating greenhouse gases and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
- Residential Building Energy Codes
- This map shows states with minimum levels of energy efficiency for residential buildings.
- Roadmap to Sustainable Government Buildings
- This document encourages governments to use LEED certifications in the construction of government buildings, and to promote LEED buildings in their jurisdictions. The document provides advice on how to promote and administer such projects.
- Sea Surface Temperature and Coral Bleaching: Activities
- This lesson plan provides educators with a lesson plan for grades 5-8 about coral reefs.
- State of the Climate in 2008
- This report describes observations of precipitation, temperature, and other climatology metrics from different global regions.
- The State of the Hudson 2009
- This report describes the environmental quality of the Hudson River and its watershed, including issues such as pollution, population growth, and biodiversity. The report also describes the habitats of estuaries, watersheds, and rivers in general.
- Streamlining climate change and air pollution reporting: Final Report
- The environmental policies currently being negotiated are likely to require Member State (MS) to control and report their emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) and air pollutants (AP) more precisely. While there are likely to be associated costs, it is also likely that the cost of timely and targeted action will be less than the longer term cost of inaction. A number of European Union (EU) legal instruments are used to regulate emissions - several of these are under review. The review not only needs to anticipate future policy needs but also assess the alignment of the various instruments and whether the burden on users can be further minimized.
- The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes
- This guide describes steps that people can take to protect themselves from disease, disability, and injury that may result from health hazards in the home. The guide also describes society-wide measures to improve public health through healthy homes.
- The Sustainable Sites Initiative: Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks
- This guide describes how to develop a site in a way that does the least damage to the ecosystem, and provides maximum ecological benefits, including improved air quality, storm water treatment, and energy efficiency.
- Synthesis Report on Observations, Projections, and Impact Assessments of Climate Change: Climate Change and Its Impacts in Japan
- The Japan synthesis report includes causes of global warming, the current state and future of global warming, the impacts of and adaptation to climate change, and methodologies for observing and projecting climate change and impact.
- Technology Transfer to China to Address Climate Change Mitigation
- This paper analyzes whether and how transfer of climate mitigation technologies to China occurs, by studying cases of seven technologies that are at the stage of deployment or diffusion. Most of these technologies were already transferred to China in terms of both technology adoption and local production. International division of labor of manufacturing and localization policies by the Chinese government facilitated local production by China, which resulted in deep cuts in production costs. Such cost reduction, coupled with technology diffusion policies by the Chinese government, then accelerated deployment and diffusion in China and other emerging economies that import Chinese products.
- Third Biennial Report of the Climate Neutral Working Group
- In accordance with the directives outlined in Executive Order #14-03, this Third Biennial Report of the Climate Neutral Working Group (CNWG) provides an update regarding: The state of the science of responding to climate change; Efforts to meet the goals of the Executive Order; Future planned steps and their anticipated impacts, expected challenges, and opportunities; Opportunities to initiate a statewide voluntary greenhouse gas emissions registry; The feasibility of a carbon emissions cap and trading program. Also summarized within this report are a number of related ongoing efforts within state government that will facilitate an expanded and coordinated campaign to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Recommended actions for continued GHG emissions reductions are presented in this report to be considered for implementation during 2009 – 2010 by Vermont State Government.
- Thresholds of Climate Change in Ecosystems
- This Report (SAP 4.2) focuses on the thresholds of Climate Change in Ecosystems. As defined in this Synthesis and Assessment Report, 'an ecological threshold is the point at which there is an abrupt change in an ecosystem quality, property, or phenomenon, or where small changes in one or more external conditions produce large and persistent responses in an ecosystem'.Ecological thresholds occur when external factors, positive feedbacks, or nonlinear instabilities in a system cause changes to propagate in a domino-like fashion that is potentially irreversible. This report reviews threshold changes in North American ecosystems that are potentially induced by climatic change and addresses the significant challenges these threshold crossings impose on resource and land managers. Sudden changes to ecosystems and the goods and services they provide are not well understood, but they are extremely important if natural resource managers are to succeed in developing adaptation strategies in a changing world. The report provides an overview of what is known about ecological thresholds and where they are likely to occur. It also identifies those areas where research is most needed to improve knowledge and understand the uncertainties regarding them. The report suggests a suite of potential actions that land and resource managers could use to improve the likelihood of success for the resources they manage, even under conditions of incomplete understanding of what drives thresholds of change and when changes will occur.