Lead Partner: Government of Japan - Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: CDM projects potential in Asia need to be realised through institutional streamlining, wide spread expertise knowledge, national strategy on promising areas, and support by industrial sector. CDM-related capacity building program is to address these agenda by utilising Japanese experience and tools of international co-operation and energy policy.
Expected results are:
Smooth start of CDM projects will be foreseen/encouraged and green house gas emission reduction will be achieved. As a result, it will contribute host countries' sustainable development. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Indonesia - Ministry of Forestry - Government of Japan - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan - The Nature Conservancy (TNC) - Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: Asia Forest Partnership(AFP) promotes sustainable forest management in Asia through addressing the following 5 urgent issues;
- Good governance and forest law enforcement
- Developing capacity for effective forest management
- Control of illegal logging
- Control of forest fires
- Rehabilitation and reforestation of degraded lands
The partnership acts as a catalyst for already existing initiatives by increasing synergies and reducing duplication between programs and ongoing efforts. At this stage the AFP provides a formal framework for the exchange of information and experiences. Beyond strengthening existing programs this will facilitate joint identification of new programs and research needed.
[more]
Lead Partner: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Development Goal: To increase food security and improve livelihoods in developing countries by unlocking the genetic potential and enhancing the use of public genetic resources in plant breeding programs through the concerted generation, management, dissemination, and application of comparative biological knowledge.
The Problem: The rate of increase in potential and realized productivity of keystone crops is leveling off. Rural and urban populations continue to grow. Chronic environmental stresses continue to limit productivity, while catastrophic events, such as floods, sustained drought, and fire, cause nearly total losses in crops, which in most countries are not buffered by food reserves. The development of state-of the-art (bio)technologies has been primarily a private initiative, and owing to access and ownership issues, this technology may never be fully available to help those who need it most.
The Opportunity: The genomics revolution is contributing unprecedented quantities of information about biological systems, while the information age is are providing unprecedented abilities to store, access, and process data; together they offer the ability to uncover new biological phenomena at the gene level. New molecular-based as well as traditional approaches will be developed and used to identify plant materials with superior genetic characteristics, in particular drought tolerance, to allow plant breeders to easily transfer these genes to crops for resource-poor farmers, especially farmers in marginal agricultural environments, to alleviate chronic and acute deficiencies in food production and quality. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Japan - Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. - Government of United States of America - U.S. Enivronmental Protection Agency (USEPA) - CLASP Secretariat - UNDP-GEF - United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) - United Nations Foundation (UNF)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Energy efficiency standards and labels (S&L) for appliances, equipment and lighting are the most cost-effective means to help countries limit energy demand while stimulating economic growth. The overall result of S&L is to reduce required investments in power plants and reduce fuel consumption for their operation with powerful economic gains (e.g., freeing up capital for investments in non-energy social infrastructure like schools, roads or hospitals) and environmental benefits (e.g., avoiding carbon emissions).
CLASP seeks to serve as the primary international voice and resource for policymakers and practitioners of energy efficiency standards and labeling for residential, commercial and industrial equipment and lighting in South and North countries worldwide. It promotes the cost-effective adoption of S&L throughout the world. The overall development objective of CLASP is to transform the manufacture and sale of appliances, equipment and lighting worldwide by the application of energy efficiency standards and labels so that countries develop in a more environmentally sustainable and economically efficient manner. This application engenders several steps including: 1) deciding whether and how to implement energy efficiency standards and labels, 2) developing a testing capability, 3) designing and implementing a labelling program and analysing and setting standards, 4) communicating with all stakeholders, 5) maintaining and enforcing compliance, and 6) evaluating the labelling and standards-setting program.
Worldwide, the use of energy in human activities related to buildings (including use of appliances, equipment and lighting) accounts for 34 percent of total energy consumption.
The direct outputs of the partnership are designed to lead to the adoption of energy efficiency standards and labels in the partner countries. In the process of achieving these outputs the project will build:
* institutional capability for developing, maintaining, and continuously upgrading efficiency standards and labels by providing direct technical assistance in at least 35 developing countries; and
* a network of collaborators around the world with a common mission, bringing attention and high priority to efficiency standards and labels within key development institutions. CLASP is open to all organizations and individuals who have the ability and interest to serve CLASP's mission and are willing to abide by CLASP's published Guiding Principles. CLASP is comprised of a small secretariat and a worldwide assembly of Sponsoring Partners who fund CLASP activities, Country Partners who are the recipients of CLASP services, Implementing Partners who provide CLASP services, and interested stakeholders as Affiliates.
[more]
Lead Partner: Government of Australia - Department of Environment and Heritage - Government of Japan - Ministry of the Environment - Wetlands International
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: This partnership provides a cooperative framework for conservation of migratory waterbirds and their inland and coastal habitats across the region. The partnership is guided by the Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy and associated Action Plans for conservation of Anatidae (Ducks, Swans and Geese), Cranes and Shorebirds. Each of these Action Plan calls for recognition of internationally important habitat for the relevant species group through inclusion in 'Site Networks'. The site network concept links internationally important sites across country boundaries and provides for exchange of information and training opportunities. It provides a powerful tool for cooperation to ensure that the chain of sites required by migratory birds along their migration route is conserved.
In order to achieve their potential, the site networks need to include at least 25% of internationally important sites across the migratory flyways. At present the networks include approximately 10% of internationally important sites. The WSSD partnership provides for expansion of the site networks across the region. [more]
Lead Partner: UNEP - Dams and Development Project (DDP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: To promote improved decision-making, planning and management of dams and their alternatives building on World Commission on Dams (WCD) core values and strategic priorities and other relevant reference materials. Through supporting multi-stakeholder dialogues at country-level, regional and global levels on improving decision making on dams and their alternatives with the aim of engaging all stakeholders with emphasis on governments,and producing non prescriptive tools drawing on all relevant existing bodies of criteria and guidelines for planning and management of dams and their alternatives, which can help decision makers. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Sweden - Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) - Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Swedish initiative to promote and develop ecological sanitation in Asia, Africa and Latin America and to provide a base for global communications on the topic.
The overall goal is to set up a long-term program of ecological sanitation around the world including pilot projects, promotion activities and capacity development. To involve additional bilateral and multilateral agencies so that they will also initiate their own programs: [more]
Lead Partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: - Building awareness on the importance of Education for rural people as a crucial step to achieve the Millennium goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education , gender equity and sustainable natural resources management
- Contributing to achieve the Education for All goals,
- Overcoming the urban/rural gap in education.
- Increasing access to basic Education for Rural People
- Improving the quality of basic Education for Rural People
- Fostering the national capacity to plan and implement ERP as part of National Education for All and Rural Development Plans.
- Building awareness on the importance of ERP as a crucial step to achieve all the Millennium Development Goals, and particularly, eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education and promoting gender equity.
[more]
Lead Partner: Government of Japan - Ministry of Environment
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: Greenhouse gases emissions from the Asia-Pacific region are increasing while climate change can have serious impact on some countries in the region. In order to implement the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol, which is a first step for addressing climate change, the region requires fruitful policy dialogues among countries. Further, it needs to develop and implement a regional strategy addressing climate change. The Asia-Pacific Network on Climate Change (AP-Net) aims to facilitate policy dialogue, exchange of experiences, data, and information among all relevant actors in the region to build institutional capacity. The AP-Net has been operational since 1998, as both a gateway website and an individual website. The partnership will be formed to elaborate the AP-Net cooperatively and utilize it for implementation of joint activities among participant countries and organization. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Australia - Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources - Government of Mexico - Secretaria de Energia
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: The United Nations Economic and Social Councils notes that:
"Access to energy is crucial to economic and social development, and alleviation of poverty. Improving accessibility of energy implies finding ways and means by which energy services can be delivered reliably, affordably and in an environmentally sound and socially acceptable manner, particularly in meeting the energy requirements of developing countries, including their rural areas."
"Furthermore, accessibility of energy is conditioned by security of supply and demand as well as by market stability, all of which need to be addressed in terms of their regional and international dimensions, which include cross-border energy transport infrastructure, storage and shipment by tankers."
The EWG has long noted that ongoing initiatives must demonstrate added value in the context of the World Summit. As such, new partnership initiatives to be undertaken by the EWG, in the context of its ongoing activities, are particularly influenced by the need to improve accessibility to energy and the security of energy supplies.
In consideration of the challenges to improving accessibility to energy, and in response to the directives of APEC Energy Ministers, the EWG will pursue new initiatives to:
(a) Undertake longer-term actions to improve regional energy security
(b) Advance regional energy security through short-term actions
(c) Improve access to energy by addressing the barriers to the interconnection of power grids between APEC member economies
(d) Address sustainability through practical responses that encompass burning fuels more cleanly, capture and geological sequestration of carbon dioxide, the use of new and renewable energy technologies, and improving energy efficiency
(e) Explore new mechanisms for working more closely with international financial institutions to facilitate infrastructure development within the APEC region.
These activities will complement the EWG's ongoing efforts to diversify its energy mix, improve energy efficiency, deploy new and renewable energy technologies, promote clean energy, facilitate energy business and trade, improve data collection and information sharing and encourage private investment through policy and regulatory reform. [more]
Lead Partner: International Maritime Organization (IMO)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: GloBallast Advanced, A programmatic framework for the sustainable continuity of the Global Ballast Water Management Project- Building regional partnership for the effective implementation of international arrangements for ballast water control and management in developing countries
Main objectives of the Partnership/Initiative
The ultimate goal of this Initiative is to assist developing countries to reduce the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens in ships' ballast water and to establish regional, integrated strategies to address the threat posed by invasive marine species.
This initiative is a logical extension of the initial project 'Global Ballast Water Management' (GloBallast) executed by IMO since March 2000 and will have a greater regional focus and more emphasis on integrated ocean and coastal zone management.
The development objectives of the Initiative can be summarized as follows:
* To build regional partnership towards effective implementation of global regulations on ballast water management and control;
* To develop and implement national and regional, integrated invasive marine species strategies and action plans; and
* To integrate regional ballast water and invasive marine species programmes with other marine and coastal environmental management arrangements.
This Initiative provides a framework to accomplish the above objectives ensuring that maximum benefits accrue from the foundation work achieved since March 2000 [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Italy - (Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea); - United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The purpose of the Global Bioenergy Partnership is to provide a mechanism for Partners to organize, coordinate and implement targeted international research, development, demonstration and commercial activities related to production, delivery, conversion and use of biomass for energy, with a particular focus on developing countries. GBEP also provides a forum for implementing effective policy frameworks, identifying ways and means to support investments, and removing barriers to collaborative project development and implementation.
The Partnership's main objectives are to:
1. Create a global high-level policy dialogue on bioenergy, support national and regional bioenergy policy-making and market development, and facilitate international cooperation.
2. Favour more efficient and sustainable uses of biomass and develop project activities in the bioenergy field.
3. Foster the exchange of information, knowledge skills and technologies by identifying and promote potential areas of bilateral and multilateral collaboration.
4. Facilitate bioenergy integration into energy markets by tackling specific barriers in the supply chain.
5. Act as a cross-cutting initiative, working in synergy with other relevant activities, avoiding duplications.
[more]
Lead Partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The overall goal of the project is to identify and safeguard Globally Important Ingenious Agricultural Heritage Systems and their associated landscapes, agricultural biodiversity and knowledge systems through catalyzing and establishing a long-term programme to support such systems and enhance global, national and local benefits derived through their dynamic conservation, sustainable management and enhanced viability.
To achieve this goal, the main objectives are to:
1) Leverage global and national recognition of the importance of GIAHS and institutional support for their safeguard;
2) Build capacity of local farming communities and local and national institutions to conserve and manage GIAHS, generate income and add economic value to goods and services of such systems in a sustainable fashion;
3) Promote enabling policy, regulatory and incentive environments to support their conservation, evolutionary adaptation and viability.
The project will be implemented in 10 pilot systems worldwide. The long term programme will build on the experiences and lessons learnt in up to 10 pilot systems/sites.
The project development phase (PDF-B) (18 months 2004-2005) will
- select the 10 initial systems/sites;
- develop a methodological framework and a step by step approach for the participatory development and implementation of the framework strategy and actions for a ¿dynamic conservation¿ of the pilot systems;
- establish participatory mechanisms and processes and design Pilot Frameworks in each pilot system and country
- develop a communication strategy and plan;
- leverage global and national support and co-funding arrangements for the full scale project
- develop the full project executive summary and project document. for the implementation of the programme.
The fullscale project (2005-2010) will develop and test the methodologies for dynamic conservation and sustainable management of GIAHS in 10 pilot systems through implementation of the pilot frameworks. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Italy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: General Objective: to contribute to social and economic development of the populations of the Hindu Kush - Karakorum - Himalaya mountain complex and to the environmental conservation of the region by consolidating institutional capacity for systemic planning and management of the territory, focusing on:
1. reduction of poverty
2. conservation of biodiversity
Specific Objective A: provide instruments (knowledge of the territory, the populations and the technologies for systemic data management) to facilitate the consistency of various national-level actions in area-based planning and management, within the framework of regional level systemic planning and monitoring.Specific Objective B: establish a process of application of the acquired capacities and Decision Support System (DSS) by individual countries in systemic planning and management of mountain areas at a local/national or transboundary level, within the framework of sustainable mountain development.Individual components of these objectives include:* Create a coordinated system for collection and analysis (monitoring) of natural resource data;* Provide decision makers of competent national and local administrations with an instrument (DSS) for systemic territorial planning and management;* Build local institutional capacity to study, analyze and manage natural resources, favoring local community involvement in these processes. [more]
Lead Partner: Partnership for Environmental Management of Seas East Asia (PEMSEA)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional East Asia Summary: Main objectives of the Partnership/Initiative
The overall objective of the partnership initiative is to implement the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA). The objective will be achieved with the accomplishment of the following:
1. Endorsement of the SDS-SEA by national governments;
2. Development and adoption of complementary national coastal and ocean strategies and policies;
3. Formulation and implementation of national action programs, putting national ocean and coastal strategies and policies into operation; and
4. Creation of a sustainable financing mechanism to support the implementation of action programs focusing on transboundary concerns at the sub-regional and regional levels.
The main result of the partnership initiative will be the establishment of a non-convention, partnership arrangement among governments of the East Asian Seas region for the implementation of improved coastal and ocean governance of their shared sea areas and resources. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Japan - Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The objectives of IFNet are to help break the vicious cycle of poverty, assist developing countries to achieve sustainable development and contribute to economic stability by improving the coordination and effectiveness of measures to manage flood and reduce the loss of life and property damage that they cause. [more]
Lead Partner: UNEP DTIE
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Partnership's objective is to provide coherent and authoritative scientific assessments on the environmental impacts of resource use over the full life cycle. This will contribute to a better understanding of how to decouple economic growth from resource use and resource use from environmental degradation, and in particular of ways to increase resource-efficient economic growth, of ways to reduce the identified impacts, and of ways to stimulate sustainable innovation. [more]
Lead Partner: World LP Gas Association (WLPGA) - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: This initiative is designed to support the achievement of critical energy-related sustainable development goals, specifically poverty reduction, environmental protection, and economic growth. This partnership addresses concrete barriers to meeting the thermal energy needs (heating, cooking, and heat using productive processes) of rural and peri-urban populations in developing countries through expanded use of a clean-burning, readily-available fuel: liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Over 2 billion people in developing countries depend on traditional fuels including wood, animal and crop residues, and charcoal, to meet their heating, cooking and industrial needs. This has adverse health effects on women and children, degrades the local natural resources base and contributes to global environmental degradation through the emission of unburned hydrocarbons. Social and economic limitations for women, low quality energy services in heat using industries due to fuel inefficiency, and lost opportunities for agricultural product processing, are all directly related to traditional fuel use patterns.
The LPG Challenge will bring LPG to rural populations by linking UNDP's knowledge and experience in rural development and community consultation together with industry suppliers of LPG and the appliances required for its utilization. The key issue is to address market and technical barriers to the expanded use of LPG and to design local partnerships, business models and financing mechanisms to overcome these barriers. This will be accomplished through local dialogue processes and partnerships involving government officials, consumer representatives, current LGP market participants (local and international business), local entities that operate in rural communities, UNDP and other multilateral and bilateral funding agencies committed to bringing modern energy (electricity and clean fuels) to rural communities. [more]
Lead Partner: Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Methane to Markets Partnership is an international initiative that advances cost-effective, near-term methane recovery and use as a clean energy source. The goal of the Partnership is to reduce global methane emissions in order to enhance economic growth, strengthen energy security, improve air quality, improve industrial safety, and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
The Partnership currently focuses on four sources of methane emissions:
- Agriculture (animal waste management)
- Coal mines
- Landfills
- Oil and gas systems [more]
Lead Partner: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) - South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Pacific Summary: The main objectives are:
* Increased availability of adequate, affordable and environmentally sound energy for the sustainable development of all Pacific islanders.
* Accelerate the transfer and adoption of clean and renewable energy technologies.
* The partnership is to assist with the implementation of the Pacific Island Energy Policy (PIEP. [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Division of Policy Development and Law (DPDL)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The partners will work to:
- Help developing countries to develop action plans to complete the elimination of leaded gasoline by end 2008
- Start to phase down sulfur in diesel and gasoline fuels, long-term objective to be 50 ppm and below
-Concurrent with the aboveadopting cleaner vehicle requirements;
- Support the development and adoption of cleaner fuel standards and clean vehicle requirements by providing a platform for exchange of experiences and successful practices in developed and developing countries as well as technical assistance;
- Develop public outreach materials, educational programs, and awareness campaigns; adapt economic and planning tools for clean fuels and vehicles analyses in local settings; and support the development of enforcement and compliance programs, with an initial focus on fuel adulteration;
- Foster key partnerships between government and industry, NGOs, and other interested parties within a country and between countries to facilitate the implementation of cleaner fuel and vehicle commitments. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United States of America - U.S. Enivronmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Partnership for Clean Indoor Air is bringing together governments, industry and non-governmental organizations to increase the use of affordable, reliable, clean, efficient, and safe home cooking and heating practices. More than 147 Partner organizations are contributing their resources and expertise to improve health, livelihood and quality of life by reducing exposure to air pollution, primarily among women and children, from household energy use. The Partnership for Clean Indoor Air is focusing on four priority areas: addressing social/cultural barriers to adopting improved technology; supporting the development of local business models and markets for improved cooking and heating techniques; improving the design and performance of improved fuels and technology; and demonstrating reduced exposure to indoor air contaminants. [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: - To promote the mainstreaming of rainwater harvesting into water policies and strategies in particular the integrated water resources management (IWRM) at global, regional and national levels.
- To promote implementation of rainwater harvesting as part of IWRM.
- To encourage governments and their development partners to allocate human and financial resources for implementing rainwater harvesting.
- To promote the effective cooperation between different institutions and networks involved in rainwater harvesting. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Philippines - Partnership for Environmental Management of Seas East Asia (PEMSEA)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional East Asia Summary: The initiative is focused on accelerating investments in environmental facilities and services at the community/local government level, for the protection and sustainable use of the marine and coastal resources of the Seas of East Asia using public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements. The project entails the establishment of partnerships between the public and private sectors, at the local, national and international levels, employing a procedure that was developed and tested by
PEMSEA in Batangas Bay, Philippines. The PPP process will be applied at six pilot sites, to refine, verify and demonstrate the approach under a variety of political, social, economic and environmental scenarios. The pilot site locations include: Bali (Indonesia), Bohai Sea (China), Danang (Vietnam), Klang (Malaysia), Manila Bay (Philippines) and Xiamen (China). Each identified pilot site has already embarked on a program of integrated marine and coastal resource management, and has created a policy and investment climate that is conducive to private sector investment and partnership.
The objectives of the initiative are as follows:
1. To verify the PPP procedure for developing pipeline projects for environmental investments at the local government level;
2. To build confidence and capabilities in public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements as an alternative delivery mechanism for financing and sustaining environmental facilities and services;
3. To establish PPP working models at selected sites in the region; and
4. To develop capacities within and among the public and private sectors to effectively implement and sustain new environmental investments in the East Asian region and elsewhere, using the experience, lessons and good practices derived from this initiative; and
5. To engage local and national governments, the private sector, national and international financial institutions, international agencies, donors, the private sector and civil society in development projects that result in practical benefits to the environment, and the social and economic well-being of coastal communities. [more]
Lead Partner: REN21 Secretariat - REN21 Secretariat
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: REN21 is a global policy network that provides a forum for international leadership on renewable energy. Its goal is to bolster policy development for the rapid expansion of renewable energies in developing and industrialised economies.
Open to a wide variety of dedicated stakeholders, REN21 connects governments, international institutions, non-governmental organisations, industry associations, and other partnerships and initiatives.
Linking the energy, development and environment sectors, REN21 strengthens the influence of the unique renewable energy community that came together at the “renewables 2004” conference in Bonn. REN21 is the network in which ideas are shared and action is encouraged to promote renewable energy worldwide. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Japan - Ministry of the Environment
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Scientific Capacity Building and Enhancement for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries (CAPaBLE) Programme is a concrete initiative introduced by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan and Hyogo Prefecture Government, Japan to specifically realize parts 107 to 114 of the Plan of Implementation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and was registered as a WSSD Type II Partnership/Initiative by the Japanese Government in Johannesburg, September 2002. The programme was endorsed by the APNâs Inter-Governmental Meeting in March 2003 and launched in April, 2003. The objectives of the Programme are targeted to enhance scientific capacity in developing countries in the Asia-Pacific Region to improve their decision-making in target areas related to climate change, water and food security, and global change that are directly linked to their sustainable development. Of particular relevance to the CAPaBLE Programme is Part 111 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation: Establish regular channels between policy-makers and the scientific community for requesting and receiving science and technology advice for the implementation of Agenda 21, and create and strengthen networks for science and education for sustainable development, at all levels, with the aim of sharing experiences and best practices, and building scientific capacities, particularly in developing countries. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of China - The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) - Government of Italy - Ministry of the Environment and Territory
Geographical Scope: National Summary: In the year 2000, the Ministry of the Environment and Territory (IMET) launched a co-operation program with the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) of China. The program, financed by the Ministry for the Environment and Territory and co-financed by the Chinese Government and several Municipalities, consists of the implementation of pilot projects and feasibility studies for the development of scientific and commercial projects on environmental protection, including ecological conservation, air quality improvement, and sustainable agriculture development. In the following years, the Cooperation has been enlarged to the Ministry of Science & Technology of China in the perspective of implementing Clean Development Mechanism projects.
China signed the Stockholm Convention in May 2001 and is in the process of ratifying the Agreement. As per requirements of the Convention, China has begun to develop a National Implementation Plan (NIP) for POPs and to undertake enabling activities. To enhance its domestic capacity to meet obligations arising from the Convention, China is working with a range of bilateral partners including the Government of Italy, and with various intergovernmental organizations.
In this respect, the Italian Ministry for Environment and Territory together with SEPA has launched a broad cooperation program directed to the development of the following pilot projects in selected areas aimed at the improvement of air quality and control:
1. Air Quality Monitoring Systems
2. Urban Sustainable Mobility
3. Technology Transfer for the construction of low capacity boilers fed with diesel oil
4. Urban Energy Plans for a Sustainable Environment
5. Strengthening Technology and Capacity of Sustainable Agriculture
6. Control and phase out of POPs [more]
Lead Partner: The National Academies
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The overarching objective of the partnership is to facilitate better communication among scientists, policymakers, and other decision-makers so that scientific knowledge can more effectively inform public policy and private sector decisions relating to sustainability in developing countries. To achieve this objective, the partners are organizing a series of "science in decision-making workshops" in developing countries on key issues of particular concern to the host country such as water and sanitation, persistent organic pollutants, and biodiversity. The workshops convene representatives from the host country and U.S. scientific institutions, government, industry, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and other relevant organizations. Crosscutting themes include monitoring and evaluation; elements of good science advice; facilitating the flow of scientific information; and the roles of institutions that link scientists and decision-makers. [more]
Lead Partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: This is a civil society led, government supported, FAO facilitated undertaking.The preliminary focus of the SARD Initiative has currently been focusing on three themes, which were discussed in the International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Mountain Regions (Adelboden, Switzerland, 6/2002), in the SARD Electronic Forum (6/2002-present) and in a number of local consultations in different regions of the developing world and among some of the NGOs/CSOs attending the World Food Summit: five years later (6/2002). Sub-Initiatives can be organized around the following or other thematic areas of action, based on the interests, priorities, commitment and resources of specific partners involved:
* Access to resources
* Fair conditions of employment
* Good Agricultural Practices for SARD
Given the critical mass of Mountain Governments supporting the SARD Initiative in the Adelboden Declaration, the relevant sub-Initiatives outlined in the Adelboden Plan of Action, and that 2002 is the International Year of the Mountains, it has been proposed that the Initiative should begin with a mountain focus, subject to the interest and resources of concerned stakeholders. The Initiative may capitalize on other key conferences and International Years, for instance, 2003 is the International Year of Fresh Water. [more]
to collapse the Summary of Partnerships.