20th October, Changwon - “Global Drylands: A UN system-wide response” was launched at a side event at the 10th UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of the Parties being held in Changwon, Republic of Korea.

Coordinated by UNEP’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and prepared by 18 UN agencies through the UN’s Environment Management Group (EMG), involving over 60 development and environment researchers and practitioners, the new report sets out a common vision and agenda for UN agencies to step up their efforts to protect and revitalise dryland, and improve the economic and social well being of drylands communities through a positive development and investment approach. It is published by the United Nations with Foreword by the Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.
 

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The 10th session of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s Conference of the Parties (UNCCD COP10) is currently taking place in Changwon, Republic of Korea. The 10th session of COP, which runs from 10-21 October, will work to develop building blocks to enhance the implementation of the UNCCD’s 10 year strategic plan and framework for the implementation of the Convention (2008-2019), known as The Strategy.

UNEP-WCMC have attended the UNCCD COP10; gaining feedback on the WCMC-executed project supporting the UNCCD performance review and assessment of implementation of the strategy (PRAIS), and piloting the UNCCD impact indicators.

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Assisting companies to report their links to and dependence upon ecosystems such as freshwaters, soil fertility and pollination services is the focus of a new publication released today by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and CREM.

Approach for Reporting on Ecosystem Services: Incorporating Ecosystem Services into an Organization's Performance Disclosure looks at emerging issues around ecosystem services and how corporations interact with them, reap the benefits and as a result need to monitor and protect them.

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Congratulations were in order recently for Jerry Harrison, the Head of Development, who completed his 30th year of service with the Centre on the 1st July 2011.

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Washington DC / Cambridge (UK), 23 August 2011 - Eight million seven hundred thousand (give or take 1.3 million) is the latest estimated total number of species on Earth and the most precise calculation ever offered, according to a new study co-authored by a researcher with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

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This JNCC-comissioned report highlights biodiversity impacts of indirect land use change caused by biofuel production. Increased demand for biofuels to achieve renewable energy targets is putting pressure on biodiversity worldwide. The research highlights a new and so far little understood threat: the impact of indirect land use change on biodiversity.

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The new interactive interface for the Voluntary REDD+ Database (VRD) has been launched. The website offers access to maps, graphs and summary statistics on REDD+ financing that has been reported to the REDD+ Partnership, as well as detailed information on individual agreements between countries and/or institutions.

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The UNEP-WCMC 2010 Annual Report has been published and is now available to download:

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The Secretary of State for the Environment, Caroline Spelman, today launched the findings of the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA). The UK NEA, which analyses the UK's natural environment in terms of the benefits it provides to society and the economy, is the first of its kind at a fully national scale. A panel of experts involved in the process answered questions on technical aspects of the assessment and how these findings will be implemented into policy decisions. The Synthesis of the Key Findings along with the Technical Report, which forms the evidence base, can be downloaded from the UK NEA website.

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