SciDev.Net

Part of the UN Development Programme, the Environment and Energy group work in six areas: water governance, frameworks and strategies for sustainable development, sustainable energy, sustainable land management, biodiversity and chemicals management.

The group publishes information on its projects in each of these areas as well case study analyses, policy papers, toolkits for practitioners, press information and links to external websites.

This web portal publishes news and information on the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) activities in climate change. It links to key FAO publications on agriculture, livestock, forestry and fisheries as well as cross-sector topics such as bioenergy, biodiversity and climate risk management. The gateway gives information on FAO's work in these areas and provides links to relevant factsheets, events and multimedia including videos and audio lectures.

The forestry department of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) works with governments, international organisations, nongovernmental groups and individual communities to promote sustainable forest management. It offers technical support to developing countries, provides information and advice on forestry, and hosts multi-stakeholder technical and policy discussions. FAO Forestry publishes facts and figures on forests and forestry for some 200 countries, as well as papers, books and reports such as the biannual State of the World's Forests.

IEA Bioenergy was set up by the International Energy Agency in 1978, with the goal of fostering collaboration between countries with national bioenergy programmes. It undertakes a series of 'tasks', each with a work programme led by a participating nation. Ongoing tasks include analysing bioenergy systems and producing biomass from sustainable forestry.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been established by WMO and UNEP to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. It does not carry out new research nor does it monitor climate related data. Instead, it bases its assessment mainly on published and peer reviewed scientific technical literature.

Mandated by 75 countries worldwide, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) aims to promote the transition to and sustainable use of renewable energy. Its website provides information — in English, French, German and Spanish — on the potential, best practices, technology available and funding for renewable energies.

It includes a presentation making the case for IRENA, a discussion paper on its role in the context of other organisations and initiatives, an overview of its founding, preparatory conferences and a roadmap.

The UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD Programme) was established in July 2008, to help establish a REDD programme within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This website provides information on programme donors and projects, as well as links to other relevant sites and documents.

This is the official website for information sharing on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) and related topics, under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This platform makes information provided by various stakeholders involved in UNFCCC processes available in the areas of technical assistance, demonstration activities, country specific information, and methods and tools. Details of relevant meetings and events are also included.

This site contains all National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) so far submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  It includes a rationale for NAPAs, a brief history of NAPAs and a short account of the process involved in preparing a NAPA. There are links to the relevant policy documents under the UNFCCC on the site, including the decisions that establish the NAPA process.

NAPAs submitted by countries to date are posted as pdfs in English and sometimes French.

The international treaty signed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in June 1992. The UNFCCC commits signatory countries to stabilise anthropogenic (i.e. human-induced) greenhouse gas emissions to levels that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The UNFCCC also requires that all signatory parties develop and update national inventories of anthropogenic emissions of all greenhouse gases not otherwise controlled by the Montreal Protocol.

This part of the WHO's website focuses on the links between climate change and health. One factsheet looks specifically at climate change and infectious disease: it examines the historical evidence for links between climate and vector-borne disease, outlines different models to forecast climatic influences on infectious disease and offers examples of exactly how changes in climate can affect the spread of infectious disease. Another factsheet describes how to translate the science into useful policy decisions so will be particularly valuable for policymakers.

The World Bank's Climate Change Team provides resources and expertise for the World Bank's participation in international climate change negotiations, and provides technical advice to the World Bank's Global Environment Facility (GEF) programmke on the preparation of GEF climate change mitigation projects and on development of strategic initiatives with the GEF. The Team also is leading the Bank's efforts related to climate change vulnerability and adaptation issues for its client countries, and coordinates these efforts with the Bank's Disaster Management Facility.