#uncsd

Rio+20

Focus On:

The Bloomberg New Energy Finance Climatescope initiative

On the 19th of June 2012, the “data folks” did well again: Bloomberg New Energy Finance BNEF disclosed Climatescope its new annual ranking and online tool that profiles the "investment climate for climate investment" in Latin America and the Caribbean LAC. The official launch of Climatescope established Brazil, Nicaragua and Panama as the top 3 LAC countries assessing their capability in building a green economy.

The initiative, jointly developed with MIF (Multilateral Investment Fund – member of Inter-American Development Bank Group), is aimed at drawing up a business index in LAC, through 30 indicators analyse. It highlights the importance of green policies that give green investors stability and predictability, encouraging private investment of green capital flows.

The demo made during the event showed an “extraordinary useful tool” to make the ranking of 26 countries according to 4 interrelated parameters (enabling framework; clean energy investment and climate financing; low-carbon business and clean energy value; green house gas management activities) supported by the various indicators developed by BNEF. As a result, all actors from policy makers to academics via entrepreneurs or users of clean energy can use the friendly interface offered by Climatescope and acquaint themselves with the inspiring case studies. Climatescope is available free of charge on the Internet at the following link: http://climatescope.fomin.org

Michael Liebreich, BNEF CEO, recalled that “in 2011 more than $260 billion have been invested in clean energy worldwide without including the large scale hydro projects”, out of the global total 10% went to Latin America, which is a continent richly endowed in natural capital. This report will contribute to help all stakeholders to find sustainable energy solutions in response to development issues. Will Africa be the next scoped continent? I hope so. 

Organized in the Gavea Golf Club in Rio de Janeiro, the presentation has been followed by a reception where the participants could play with the freshly released Climatescope tool on terminals put at their disposal.

Rio+20 is underway (I can tell because of the onslaught of emails in my inbox)! Temperatures are running high, and not just in D.C. I find myself increasingly convinced by the argument for breaking down these large, unwieldy meetings into smaller groups, perhaps by sector, emissions, or region. The World Resources Institute recently came out with a book, Building International Climate Cooperation, that shows how such a break-down could be achieved, using examples from the international trade and nuclear arms regimes (check it out here). It's well-written and well-researched, and convincing - but the question is, how? How should these types of negotiations be segmented, and will smaller international groups carry enough weight to instigate binding action at the domestic and subnational level?

Another sacrifice in the name of Rio+20: Just cut a HUGE watermelon by myself (husband's job, but well he is in Rio, right), and now I have enough watermelon to go on a single ingredient diet for 5 days (yay summer weight loss). This is a tiny, but important impact of the Rio+20 negotiations in my life(no kidding).

Special Guest Post from Marie-Marguerite Sabongui, Climate Change Coordinator

Participants at the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition's Power Summer Atlantic camp in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Flickr CYD DJC)

Youth around the world are getting ready for the UN climate change negotiations that will be held in Durban, South Africa at the end of the month. The Conference of Youth will be taking place November 25-27 in Durban, bringing together youth from all over the world who are passionate about sustainability and climate change. The conference will be a place for international youth to share skills to help build a movement to have their voices heard on climate change.  

See what youth delegations to the negotiations in these six countries are doing in preparation:

The Canadian Youth Delegation is taking the concept of climate justice into classrooms and providing students from coast to coast with workshops that explore climate change and social movements

The Nigerian Youth Climate Coalition is training youth climate organizers and have just attended the 6th African Economic Conference to address youth employment within the new African Green Economy Agenda.

The African Youth Initiative on Climate Change has been very active aiming to have 1 million signatures in Kenya alone on their COP 17 “We Have Faith” petition, and contributing to the 1st Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-1).

The Australia Youth Climate Coalition is ramping up action on its Price on Pollution Campaign and its Repower Australia Campaign.

The New Zealand Youth Delegation just had its national planning workshop, and is gearing up to advocate to save trees at the UN climate negos again this year

The UK Youth Climate Coalition is planning its big PowerShift 2012 conference

SustainUS is fundraising for their delegation and giving talks on climate change

These national delegations also coordinate with other youth from around the world as part of the YOUNGO constituency in the negotiations. With their participation in YOUNGO, youth submit consolidated positions, have speaking slots during the negotations, and have elected focal points that communicate between the youth constituency and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat

Share what your UNA/UNYA is doing in comments below, or join the conversation on how to contribute to the global youth climate movement.

Related links

Climate Change Resources for Youth

WFUNA submits contribution to UNCSD compilation document

Go Beyond - WFUNA's Climate Change Program