Nairobi - A new generation of environmental leaders will be put through their paces when over 40 young people converge on Nairobi, Kenya, for the biannual United Nations Environment Programme’s Youth Retreat.

Participants from 34 nations will be taking part in the three-day event where they will outline how they can contribute in their own countries towards the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The eight Goals are aimed at issues including eradicating poverty, delivering safe and sufficient drinking water, factoring in gender and the empowerment of women into all facets of life and ensuring a vibrant, healthy environment.

This will be the fourth UNEP Tunza Global Youth Retreat. Tunza is the Swahili word meaning ‘to treat with care and affection’. The Tunza Programme was adopted by the Governing Council of UNEP in February 2003.

Klaus Toepfer, UNEP’s Executive Director, said: “We attach great importance to youth as a key sector in society able to bring about change. Young people are far more open to new ideas and have the energy and enthusiasm to take them forward.

“The environment demands creative thinking if we are to solve the problems of dirty water, degraded forests and declining wildlife. The Millennium Development Goals underpin UNEP’s work in tackling these and many other problems. I am sure our youth leaders will bring imagination to bear and concrete proposals to the table on how they and the wider world can realize their implementation,” he said.

The meeting, taking place from 16 to 18 February, will also advance plans for the 2nd Tunza International Youth Conference to be held in Bangalore, India, from 12 to 18 October 2005.

The Conference will be providing training programmes for young people on development and implementation of environmental projects, networking individuals and organizations and lobbying of governments to take greater action on the environment.

This week’s retreat will see young people, aged 16 to 24 years-old, meeting at the Nairobi headquarters of UNEP and at the Daybreak Health Farm.

They were selected by UNEP’s regional offices based on their involvement in environmental projects in their communities and countries.

Several of the participants are members of the Tunza Youth Advisory Council - a group of young people elected by their peers to represent them in decision-making processes on the environment.

The others are leaders of their organizations and recognized nationally for their work. They have been involved in environmental activities in their communities and have participated in national and regional processes on the environment.

“The retreat is an opportunity for us young leaders to be more engaged with UNEP’s work and specially to discover what other young leaders are doing in different parts of the globe. It is a place to learn, to enlarge our networks, develop new projects and therefore be more prepared to deal with the world’s challenges.” Camila Godinho, 24, from Brazil.

“The retreat is a fantastic forum for us to share our ideas, thoughts and plans of action for our respective regions and at the same time it offers us a chance to learn about each other’s cultures and clear any misconceptions we may have about our different regions.� Yvonne Maingey, 17, from Kenya

At the end of the Retreat, 6 youth leaders (one per region) will participate in the Global Civil Society Forum from 19 to 20 February and in the 23rd session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum from 21 to 25 February 2005.

The Governing Council will review an information document on the implementation of the Tunza strategy.

A roundtable discussion on youth participation in the implementation of the MDGs will be organized by the youth on 22 February 2005 for environment ministers and senior UNEP and UN officials.

The Roundtable will provide an opportunity to review ways of enhancing the participation of young people in the implementation of the eight Goals.

“This will be the first roundtable organized by youth during the Governing Council, a space where ministers and other governmental leaders will be able to learn how important it is to engage youth in the implementation of the Millenium Development Goals, seeing us as partners for development,” added Ms Godinho .

Original press release: Youth Leaders Retreat to Chart Environmentally-Friendly Path for Planet (United Nations Environment Programme - UNEP)

US State Department press release - The United States is working domestically and internationally to address the long-term challenge of global climate change. U.S. policies are based on meeting the multiple objectives of improving energy security, promoting economic growth and development, reducing poverty, reducing traditional air pollution, and mitigating greenhouse gases.

President Bush has committed America to reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of the U.S. economy by 18 percent by 2012, preventing the emission of more than 500 million tons of carbon over this period. A comprehensive, innovative program of domestic and climate change initiatives supports this goal.

While the United States and countries with binding emissions restrictions under the Kyoto Protocol are taking different paths, our destination is the same, and compatible with other efforts. For 2005, the United States has committed nearly $5.8 billion to address climate change:

• Almost $2 billion for scientific research into climate change.
• Nearly $3 billion for climate change technology research, development, and deployment.
• Over $200 million for foreign aid programs that contribute climate change benefits.
• Almost $700 million for renewable energy and energy efficiency through tax incentives

This budget helps fund the five cutting edge multilateral energy initiatives (The Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum; The International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy; Methane to Markets Partnership; International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor; Generation IV International Forum for Advanced Nuclear Technology) that represent technologies needed to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale. It also funds the Group on Earth Observations, a major international partnership to improve our understanding of the science of climate change.

The United States has also initiated 14 bilateral climate partnerships with countries and regional organizations that along with the United States account for over 70% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. These are resulting in joint projects on climate change science, cleaner energy technologies, and policy approaches to greenhouse gases.

Original press release: United States Commitment to Address Climate Change (US State Department)

Australia’s Energy Futures Forum has begun work identifying plausible future energy and transport scenarios.

In the first meeting of its kind, industry, environmental, government, scientific and community groups have now met. The Forum’s agreed aim is to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to explore potential pathways for future energy and transport needs.

The Forum has been jointly developed by ABARE and CSIRO’s Energy Transformed National Research Flagship with the support of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources. The invited participants currently include:

Alcoa World Alumina Australia
Orica
Australian Automobile Association
Origin Energy
Australian Conservation Foundation
Pacific Hydro
Australian Council of Social Service
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
BHP Billiton
Rio Tinto
Department of Industry Tourism and Resources
Stanwell Corporation
ENERGEX
Westpac Banking Corporation
Hydro Tasmania
WWF Australia
Loy Yang Power
Woodside Energy
NSW electricity generators*
Xstrata Coal
OneSteel

“This is an important opportunity to promote constructive dialogue between the diverse stakeholders and to focus on key issues that will be faced by the industry as well as the community,” Dr John Wright, Director of CSIRO’s ‘Energy Transformed’ Flagship, said.

“Ultimately, the Forum aims to provide information for different organisations to use to meet their individual planning needs. For example, for Government to inform energy and environment policy and development, businesses as a tool for investment strategies and for CSIRO to use in the development of future research programs.”

“To do this the Forum will use improved, purpose-built integrated models featuring a linkage of economic technology development and implementation, social attitudes and environment modelling,” Dr Wright said.

The Forum is a two year program and information generated from the collaborative process will be made public at appropriate times.

* Joint participants Delta Electricity, Eraring Energy & Macquarie Generation

Original press release: New thinking on national energy future (CSIRO)

Today, in the presence of German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, a dynamic, new organisation dedicated to accelerating the world’s response to climate change will be launched in Germany. The Climate Group is focused on telling the world what is being done to reduce emissions; how to do it; how much it costs and what the business benefits are. To do this, The Climate Group is creating a community of people and organizations to be leaders in this huge, global challenge.

Launched internationally by British Prime Minister, Tony Blair in April, The Climate Group is now poised to acknowledge and galvanize leaders on climate change reduction in Germany.

The UK and German governments are already global leaders on this issue. Berlin is the ideal setting for the German launch of The Climate Group because the city has already embarked on far-reaching measures to reduce its emissions. Ms. Maria Krautzberger, State Secretary for Environment and Transport, City of Berlin said, “Climate change is the most important environmental issue facing the world today and in the future. This is an issue that must be addressed whatever our current financial, social or political situation. I welcome the launch of The Climate Group in Germany and look forward to collaborating with it further. The City of Berlin wholly supports its objective of leadership and collaboration.”

The Climate Group is a unique, global organisation bringing together, for the first time, leading corporations; financial institutions; civil organisations; and state city and national governments that will work together to accelerate greenhouse gas emission reductions. By pooling the knowledge of leading reducers of CO2 emissions, and creating an arena for a formal exchange for ideas and practical experience, The Climate Group is fast becoming a catalyst for accelerating progress.

Germany’s pioneering achievements on climate change have resulted in a 19.4% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2003 and a doubling of renewable energy share since 1993.

Over the next few months, The Climate Group in Germany will be:

Pooling and sharing best practice information on how to reduce emissions by leading companies; municipalities and federal and state government;

Providing vital information to support Germany to accelerate its move towards a carbon free economy by providing a shared platform with other leading reducers from around the world.

The Climate Group Chief Executive, Dr Steve Howard said, “Climate change is real and there is no single solution for solving it. The Climate Group is looking beyond Kyoto, which is a first step in driving reductions. We know that the German Government - state and federal - and many leading German companies are dedicated to meeting or exceeding those targets. By bringing the key players together in Germany, we believe that Germany can help the world turn the corner on climate change.”

Original press release: The Climate Group Holds German Launch (The Climate Group)

With the Kyoto Protocol set to become international law tomorrow Sir David Wallace, Vice-President of the Royal Society, - the UK national academy of science - said today (Tuesday, 15 February 2005):

“The Kyoto Protocol represents the important first step on the long road to tackling climate change - an ominous spectre which threatens peoples lives and livelihoods around the world.

“And we cannot be complacent. The science tells us that if the world is really serious about avoiding the worst effects of global warming we need major reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases in developed countries that dwarf the approximately five per cent which Kyoto accounts for.

“We now need a long term road map, attached to the UN climate convention, which will outline global action to reduce substantially the emissions of greenhouse gases after the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol which ends in 2012.

“This global response must include the United States, which despite being responsible for producing around 25 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions, has turned its back on the Protocol. This is even more alarming when, by the United States’ own estimates, under business as usual projections its carbon dioxide emissions are set to increase by 43 per cent between 2001 and 2025.

“Tony Blair’s identification of climate change as a key issue for the UK presidency of the G8 is welcome. The Gleneagles summit in July is an opportunity for all the G8 governments to acknowledge that the threat from climate change is real and commit to urgent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

Original press release: Kyoto Protocol becomes international law (The Royal Society)

Visiting the Earth and Space Expo in Brussels is like nowhere else on Earth - you even take what seems like a walk through the sky to get inside! During the weekend upwards of 9000 visitors made the journey to experience a wide range of displays, interactive exhibits and breathtaking space-based views of our planet.

Those entering the Expo, at Autoworld in the Parc du Cinquantenaire, find that carefully placed mirrors on the floor, walls and ceiling give a sense of spacewalking beyond the atmosphere.

Some visitors have to slow down to make sense of it - but keep on going to find themselves in a 3000 square metre exhibition area - presented jointly by ESA and the European Commission, with the support of Eumetsat (Europe’s Meteorological Satellite Organisation) - chronicling Europe’s achievements in space during the last 30 years, as well as the shape of space projects to come.

A favourite with the many school parties is the rocket room, where children stand dwarfed by imposing scale models of ESA’s Ariane-5 and Vega launchers. Nearby are scale models of ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) and the International Space Station (ISS) it has been designed to supply.

Further along is a model of ESA’s Mars Express scrutinising the Red Planet, together with a model of the ExoMars rover, a possible future European Martian mission. Also on view is the actual parachute-test model of the Huygens lander resting on the simulated surface of Titan, ESA�s latest interplanetary mission.

Schoolchildren get to have space-related lessons in an upstairs classroom, as well as trying on a suspended harness that lets them experience walking - and jumping - in simulated lunar gravity. Visitors of all ages are enjoying a range of lectures in the Space Theatre, and checking out the nearby Earth and Space Gallery.

While the gallery of the Expo highlighting exploration of space is the first part that visitors see, it is our Earth that is really the star of the show, with numerous large-scale Earth Observation images on display.

They include unique views of global land cover and oceanic chlorophyll concentrations, and an image of the Antarctic ozone hole beside Arctic ice extent. The most striking single satellite image is a three-storey high Envisat view above the Space Theatre showing all the continents - worth a visit to see by itself.

A further set of displays bring these satellite images down to Earth, and illustrate how Earth Observation is being combined with ground-based information for Europe’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) initiative, the building of a planetary monitoring system to protect the environment and the quality of life for European and world citizens.

Gas masks suspended from the ceiling show the seriousness of atmospheric pollution, with an interactive display nearby showing how satellite data is being applied to measure air quality, while streams of water that pour through broken cups highlight water scarcity, with the display recounting how Earth Observation enables wide-area monitoring of entire water catchments for any contamination danger.

Other displays discuss satellites for humanitarian aid and the preservation of bio-diversity - including the mapping of central African rainforest to help preserve the mountain gorilla, as well as the extent of Arctic ice floes to calculate what effect global warming may have on polar bears.

The satellites that return this imagery are hundreds or thousands of kilometres away in Earth orbit, but another attraction of the Expo is that for once they can be just above visitors’ heads - detailed models of Earth Observation spacecraft such as the ten-instrument Envisat, ESA’s new Cryosat mission designed to study the planet’s ice fields, EUMETSAT’s MetOp and MSG spacecraft and even the Belgian-built and operated Proba microsatellite.

The evening of 14 February saw amateur astronomers, European astronauts and Earth and Space enthusiasts brave the Brussels evening for a Valentine’s Night ‘Star Party’ focused on the night sky.

Monday saw the start of a busy week, with a meeting of the Group on Earth Observation (GEO) due for Tuesday, and the Third International Earth Observation Summit taking place on Wednesday, expected to endorse a ten-year plan to implement a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), of which GMES is the European contribution.

Then on the remaining two days of the week occurs the International Conference on Cooperation in Space, discussing how best established and emerging space players can work together, and formally opened by the crew of ISS from orbit.

The Earth and Space Expo itself is free to the public and open 9.30 - 18.00 weekdays and 10.00 - 18.30 Saturday and Sunday, until the end of 20 February 2005.

Original press release: Our planet is star of the Earth and Space Expo (ESA)