Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:01:09 +0000

 International Social Science Council (ISSC) - Belmont Forum Agenda Setting Workshop: Synthesis and Resource Document

The Belmont Forum, recognizing the valuable contribution of the social sciences to the understanding of and response to global environmental change, invited the ISSC to represent the international social science community as a member of the forum in January of 2010. Shortly after joining the Forum, the need to bring together a global group of representatives of the disciplines embodied in the social sciences in order to critically reflect on the Belmont Forum White Paper, and identify ways to mobilize the broader social science communities to increase the production of social science research relevant to the Belmont Challenge and global environmental change more broadly. Click here to read the report.

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 22:50:18 +0000

Introduction: � The United States Global Change Research, in cooperation with the Department of State, request expert review of the Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).� � On behalf of the�U.S. Department of State,�the U.S. Global Change Research Program�is coordinating the solicitation of comments by U.S. experts to inform development of an integrated set of U.S. Government comments on the report. The Global Change Research Program Office will coordinate collation of U.S. expert comments and the review of the report by panels of Federal scientists and program managers in order to develop a consolidated U.S. Government submission. Expert comments must be received�via the internet-based application by Midnight, Eastern Daylight Time, 7 March 2011�to be considered for inclusion in the U.S. Government submission. An expert reviewer may also be asked to participate in the government review organized within his or her own country. In such a case, he/she should submit comments either as an individual or as part of the government review, but not both.� � If you wish to make comments on the draft, but do not want to contribute them as part of the U.S. Government review, please visit the following URL: http://ipcc-wg2.gov/extremes-sr/review/registration/. Visitors to that URL will be able to send an email to request a user name and password as an unsolicited expert reviewer. The IPCC will provide you with a user name and password once it has reviewed each request. � Because the report is still in draft, distribution of the materials for review will be through a password-protected website. This draft will undergo extensive revision based on comments received from many experts and governments. IPCC practice is that drafts of IPCC reports are not published until they are final. In making the document available for review by U.S. experts, we are requesting reviewers to indicate that they understand and will respect this practice. � If you wish to review the draft document, please visit:�http://srex.globalchange.gov. There you will find additional instructions about the review process and how to submit comments. � To receive a copy of the draft report for review, you will be asked to register with your first name, last name, institutional affiliation and email address. You will also be asked to accept a user agreement before submitting your request. � Background on the IPCC � The IPCC was established as an intergovernmental body under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988. In accordance with its mandate and as reaffirmed in various decisions by the Panel, the major activity of the IPCC is to prepare comprehensive and up-to-date assessments of policy-relevant scientific, technical, and socio-economic information for understanding the scientific basis of climate change, potential impacts, and options for mitigation and adaptation. More� information about the IPCC can be found at http://www.ipcc.ch.� � The IPCC develops a comprehensive assessment spanning all the above topics approximately every six years. In addition to these comprehensive assessments, the IPCC periodically develops Special Reports on specific topics. The Preparation of Special Reports follows the same procedures as for the Assessment Reports. Governments develop and approve plans for reports, and nominate scientists and experts as lead authors and reviewers. Authors prepare the reports, which go through several stages of review, following which member governments at a session of the IPCC accept them. Member governments also approve the executive summaries of the reports (known as a "summary for policy makers") in detail at the time that they accept the overall report. Principles and procedures for the IPCC an[...]

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:59:38 +0000

New Knowledge Towards Solutions

26-29 March 2012
London

We thank you for the overwhelming response regarding date selection. We will provide you with more information and a website in 5-6 weeks time. We welcome your ideas for developing the meeting. 

The conference

Chief Scientific Advisor Elinor Ostrom

Vision

To provide a comprehensive update on the state of the planet, the pressure it is under, and the societal transformation required to move to a sustainable pathway.

The conference will discuss solutions, at all scales, based on the latest scientific evidence. It will provide scientific leadership for the Earth Summit, Rio +20, also in 2012. 

Guiding the direction for the conference is the International Council for Science?s five grand challenges for global sustainability research: observations, forecasting, responses, thresholds and innovation. The conference will also support international assessment processes, for example the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the new biodiversity assessment, plus the Millennium Development Goals.

The London conference will act as a platform to strengthen and enlarge the global-change research community and mark a move to a new vision for global-change research. It will bring together leading social and natural scientists and young scholars, to create a new understanding for tackling global sustainability challenges. Working across scales will be a strong theme for the conference. The event will include strong policy interaction. The programme will be designed to attract policymakers, industry, health specialists, and many others, particularly from the developing world. Scientists will be encouraged to discuss options and solutions. 

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:53:01 +0000

Introduction:   As part of the U.S. Government Review of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation (SRREN), the U.S. Government is soliciting comments from experts in relevant fields of expertise (link to Federal Register Notice).    On behalf of the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the U.S. Climate Change Technology Program are coordinating the solicitation of comments by U.S. experts to inform development of an integrated set of U.S. Government comments on the report. The Global Change Research Program and Climate Change Technology Program Offices will coordinate collation of U.S. expert comments and the review of the report by panels of Federal scientists and program managers in order to develop a consolidated U.S. Government submission.  Expert comments must be received via the internet-based application by Midnight, Eastern Daylight Time, 18 July 2010 to be considered for inclusion in the U.S. Government submission. An expert reviewer may also be asked to participate in the government review organized within his or her own country. In such a case, he/she should submit comments either as an individual or as part of the government review, but not both.   Because the report is still in draft, distribution of the materials for review will be through a password-protected website. This draft will undergo extensive revision based on comments received from many experts and governments.  IPCC practice is that drafts of IPCC reports are not published until they are final. In making the document available for review by U.S. experts, we are requesting reviewers to indicate that they understand and will respect this practice. If you wish to review the draft document, please visit: http://srren.globalchange.gov. There you will find additional instructions about the review process and how to submit comments.   To receive a copy of the draft report for review, you will be asked to register with your first name, last name, institutional affiliation and email address. This draft will undergo extensive revision based on comments received from many experts and governments.  IPCC practice is that drafts of IPCC reports are not published until they are final. In making the document available for review by U.S. experts, we are requesting reviewers to indicate that they understand and will respect this practice.    If you wish to review the draft document, please visit: www.globalchange.gov/srrenreview. There you will find additional instructions about the review process and how to submit comments. To receive a copy of the draft report for review, you will be asked to register with your first name, last name, institutional affiliation and email address. You will also be asked to accept a user agreement before submitting your request.    Background on the Report (taken from IPCC Working Group III page):   The IPCC develops a comprehensive assessment spanning all the above topics approximately every six years.  In addition to these comprehensive assessments, the IPCC periodically develops Special Reports on specific topics.  Preparation of Special Reports follows the same procedures as for the Assessment Reports.  Governments develop and approve plans for reports, and nominate scientists and experts as lead authors and reviewers.  Authors prepare the reports, which go through several stages of review, following which they are accepted by member governments at a session of the IPCC.  Member governments also approve the executive summaries of the reports (known as a “summary for policy makers”) in detail at the time that they accept the overall report.  Principles and procedures for the IPCC and its preparation of reports can be found at the following web sites (http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/ipcc-principles/ipcc-principles.pdf; http://www.ipcc.ch/organization/organization_procedures.htm).     In April 2008, th[...]

Thu, 13 May 2010 17:39:21 +0000

On 22 June, 2010, the International Council for Science (ICSU), in cooperation with the International Social Science Council (ISSC), will host in Paris an Open Forum to explore institutional frameworks that could effectively and successfully support the research and delivery of the Grand Challenges in global sustainability research. This Open Forum is intended to provide a platform to facilitate exchange of information and perspectives. ICSU cordially invite all stakeholders and interested parties to attend and contribute their insights. Please register early at www.icsu-visioning.org/open-forum-regis, so that we can confirm your registration. Only those who have received confirmation of their registration and bring photo ID (e.g., passport) will be allowed to enter UNESCO, where the meeting is being held. The deadline for registration is 4 June, 2010 The themes to be discussed at this event will include: Grand Challenges in global sustainability research Possible institutional frameworks to support the Grand Challenges research Funding perspectives Regional perspectives Policy relevance/communication Please find attached (and also posted on the website) the tentative agenda.  This will be finalised to take account of the expressed interests of those attending the meeting to ensure that all views can be heard and discussed. All information on the Open Forum, including the logistics, can be found on the Visioning website at www.icsu-visioning.org/open-forum. Participants are expected to make their own travel and lodging arrangements; these costs will not be covered by the conference organizers. Following the Open Forum, there will be a meeting between the co-sponsors of the four major global environmental change programmes (IOC, ISSC, IUBS, SCOPE, UNESCO, UNU, WMO), the four global environmental change programmes (DIVERSITAS, IGBP, IHDP, WCRP), ESSP and funding bodies. This 23-24 June meeting will be an invite-only event.  However, the results of the Open Forum will be fed directly into this meeting. This is an important milestone in the effort to improve the ways in which global sustainability research is organized and conducted. It is important that all those who have a stake in this endeavor are able to have their voices heard. The Open Forum is designed for precisely this purpose, but is not the only or the last opportunity to provide input. We are very much aware that not everyone is able to travel to Paris for this occasion. But ICSU, in cooperation with the ISSC, will continue to work hard and utilize a variety of tools, including online consultation, to listen to the views of all stakeholders throughout the process. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at visioning@icsu.org. All issues relating to the Open Forum can be found at www.icsu-visioning.org/open-forum.[...]

Mon, 03 May 2010 20:05:19 +0000

Download PDF of this announcement ACTION: This is an announcement of an opportunity to recommend experts to the U.S. Government for nomination as Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, Contributing Authors and Review Editors for the Fifth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-5). � SUMMARY:� Governments, along with other stakeholder groups, relevant institutions, and United Nations agencies, have been invited to nominate experts to participate in the GEO-5 assessment.� The Department of State is coordinating the recommendation of experts to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for GEO-5.� The purpose of GEO-5 is to provide a comprehensive, integrated, and scientifically credible global environmental assessment to support decision-making processes at appropriate levels.� Individuals may seek to nominate others (or themselves) directly on http://www.unep.org/geo/nominations/, or through the U.S. government.� For those who wish to submit their nominations through the U.S. government, your nomination must be submitted to UNEP at the website above, and the nomination must also be received at the U.S. Department of State, Office of Environmental Policy, which is coordinating the U.S. Government nomination process, no later than May 12, 2010.� The remainder of this announcement provides background information and describes how to submit recommendations. The Global Environment Outlook is the primary assessment process of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which helps keep the global environment under review.� It is a tool that informs decision-making, focusing on assessment priorities and analyzing policy challenges and opportunities to provide policy response options.� It is also a communications tool that brings together diverse stakeholder groups, builds capacity and aims to raise awareness on the status and trends of the environment. Experts are expected to have a thorough understanding in one or more of the following areas: environmental science; environment and development priorities, challenges and policy; and environmental management or governance.� UNEP will select nominees by matching expertise to specific roles, paying due regard to disciplinary, gender and geographical balance.� Details of the GEO-5 nominating process may be found online at http://www.unep.org/geo/nominations/ and� http://www.globalchange.gov/globalenvironmentoutlook.� To access the nominations form on the UNEP website, please use Username: geo5_2012 and Password: nominee.� Nominations may be made on http://www.unep.org/geo/nominations/.� For nominations to be considered within the U.S. Government nomination process, they must also be submitted to the United States Department of State.� GEO-5 will review the nominations from all participating governments, individuals and organizations and make final decisions on nominees.� Selection as a U.S. Government nominee does not guarantee selection by GEO-5 itself.� Participants in the GEO process volunteer their time.� Nominated individuals should agree in advance to fulfill the role for which they are nominated, should they be selected to do so by GEO.� Nomination by the U.S. Government to GEO-5 does not imply a commitment by the U.S. Government to provide financial support for participation.� UNEP may provide travel and subsistence costs for non-Federal participants if requested by the participant, subject to the availability of resources.� Additional guidance on compensation of expenses and remuneration of services will be available on the UNEP website. How to recommend experts Refer to the GEO-5 website http://www.unep.org/geo/nominations/ for detailed background information on the 5th Assessment Report. To access the nominations form on the UNEP website, please use Username: geo5_2012 and Password: nominee. The document on GEO-5 nominati[...]

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:07:23 +0000

For more information, please contact: 
Jeff Haskins at +254 729 871 422 or jhaskins@burnesscommunications.com Denise Young at +33 6 8591 8656 or dyoung@burnesscommunications.com Top Experts Gather in Nairobi, Kenya to Plan Campaign on Climate Threat to Global Hunger and Poverty  As Agriculture Fights for Recognition in Climate Talks, Researchers Warn Shifting Weather Patterns Are Poised to Depress Crop Yields in Poorest Regions, Leaving Millions at Risk of Increased Hunger and Poverty Leading agriculture and climate scientists, policymakers, farmers, and development experts from around the world will gather in Nairobi on May 4 to focus on the threat of climate change to the global food supply. If not dealt with, climate change could imperil efforts to reduce poverty and hunger and threaten the stability of entire nations as farmers struggle in hotter and more uncertain conditions to feed a population set to reach 9 billion people by 2050.   The Conference on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security comes in the wake of talks in Copenhagen last December, where high-level recognition of the link between climate change and food security was reinforced, and less than a month before negotiators reconvene in Bonn, Germany to continue discussions to reach consensus on a new global agreement for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to their impacts. African leaders have been particularly frustrated by the failure of negotiators to give adequate attention to the food security-climate change connection and have joined other developing country officials in declaring: “no agriculture, no agreement.”  The Conference is jointly convened by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP). It is linked to a rapidly emerging research program led by the CGIAR in partnership with ESSP that seeks to provide farmers and policy makers with the means to support sustainable food production in a world where climate change could radically alter agriculture ecosystems and where farmers will be under pressure to simultaneously increase yields and reduce carbon emissions.  A study by the CGIAR’s International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) warns that in Africa alone, over the next four decades higher temperatures and more frequent droughts could depress wheat yields by over 30 percent, rice by 15 percent, and maize by 10 percent. Yet the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has projected that over this same period food production globally must increase by 70 percent to feed a population expected to reach 9.1 billion people. IFPRI found that neutralizing the effects of climate change on productivity requires investing at least $7 billion per year on research, irrigation, and rural roads.  WHAT: Conference on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security WHEN: Tuesday, 4 May 2010, World Agroforestry Center, Gigiri WHO: Pramod Aggarwal, Lead author, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Dennis Garrity, Director General, World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) Carlos Seré, Director General, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Lindiwe Sibanda, CEO, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network  Achim Steiner, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Thomas Rosswall, Chair, Steering Committee for the CGIAR Challenge Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Gerald Nelson, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)  Highlights:  ν The UNEP’s Steiner will talk about implications of climate change for agriculture. ν The IPCC’s Aggarwal will speak to the limits of adaptation as a strategy for dealing with challenges to agriculture.  ν FANRPAN’s Sibanda will discuss an Africa-wide policy on climate change adaptation. For the full conference program, please visit: http:[...]

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:07:22 +0000

The Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental Scientific Affairs is seeking public comment on the draft of the Fifth United States Climate Action Report. The purpose of this announcement is to notify interested members of the public of the opportunity to submit comments to the draft fifth National Communication on U.S. climate change actions for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In June 1992, the United States signed, and later ratified, the UNFCCC. Pursuant to the national communication reporting requirements under Articles 4.2 and 12 of the Convention and to guidelines later adopted by the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP), the United States submitted the first U.S. Climate Action Report (CAR) to the UNFCCC Secretariat in 1994, and subsequent reports in 1997, 2002, and 2006. The U.S. Government has prepared an initial draft of the Fifth National Communication for public review (view past U.S. National Communications). This report reflects the U.S. Government commitment to the UNFCCC to transparently communicate U.S. actions and policies addressing climate change. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for instructions on accessing the electronic version of the report, file format requirements for submitting comments, and other information about electronic filing. Due date: The agency must receive comments on or before noon, May 6th, 2010. How to submit comments: Via email: Comments should be submitted via e-mail to CAR5@state.gov. Submit comments as an ASCII or word file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption. Identify all comments and data in electronic form by the docket number [DOS-2010-0103-0001]. Via postal mail to: CAR5 Comments, Department of State, Office of Global Change, Harry S. Truman Building, Room 2480, 2201 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20520 Via fax to: (202) 647-0191. Comments will be due within 28 days of publication date. Persons with access to the Internet may also view and comment on this notice by going to the U.S. Government Regulations.Gov web site at http://www.regulations.gov/. For further information contact: Mr. Eric J. Maltzer, Office of Global Change, U.S. Department of State at (202) 647-6740. Supplementary Information: The draft Fifth CAR provides a detailed report on U.S. actions to address climate change. This report contains descriptions of specific measured and verified actions, outlines of broad policy initiatives, and summaries of activities conducted by the U.S. since the fourth CAR, principally at the federal level. It also explains U.S. Government efforts to increase scientific understanding of climate change, and provide foreign assistance to help other nations mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. The draft Fifth U.S. CAR: Table of Contents Introduction and overview National circumstances Greenhouse gas inventory Policies and measures Projected greenhouse gas emissions Vulnerability assessment, climate change impacts, and adaptation measures Financial resources and transfer of technology Research and systematic observation Education, training, and outreach Appendices A Appendices B Public Input Process This Federal Register notice (text, pdf) solicits comments on the draft chapters listed above. The individual chapters are posted on the Internet and may be downloaded from the following Web site: http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/rpts/car/index.htm. [...]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:03:48 +0000

Major global change conference focusing on solutions announced The UK has successfully bid to host a major international science conference in 2012. The London conference, Planet Under Pressure: new knowledge, new solutions, aims to attract 2500 of the world's leading thinkers on global-change research. The four-day conference is sponsored by the International Council for Science's (ICSU) global environmental change research programmes. It will bring together natural, physical and social scientists, together with economists. It will also involve engineers, health specialists and many others disciplines, plus with national and international policymakers, industry representatives, technologists, NGOs and development experts. The event, provisionally booked for 7-10 May 2012, will take place prior to the next UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, also scheduled for that year. Presenting the latest research findings, the London conference is anticipated to provide a solid scientific foundation for the summit. The conference has been initiated by ICSU's International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). IGBP Executive Director, Professor Sybil Seitzinger says, "We need a planetary conference focusing on solutions." "We need to set research priorities that fully integrate diverse groups of people. We need to communicate a comprehensive picture of the state of the planet and its future to the institutions charged with global environmental stewardship. We will work with these institutions to help develop a planetary management approach that tackles all the challenges in a truly integrated way," she added. An overarching aim of the conference will be to discuss solutions to two challenges: what will it take to make food, energy and water accessible to nine billion people in a way that is sustainable? And, what inevitable environmental changes must we prepare for? In the UK, the conference will be hosted by the Royal Society, the Living With Environmental Change programme (LWEC, which represents all the UK's main agencies and government departments tackling environmental change) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the UK's largest funder of environmental science. Professor Lorna Casselton, Foreign Secretary and Vice-President of the Royal Society, said: "It is a tribute to the quality of UK science that London has been chosen as a venue for the conference. The Royal Society is dedicated to building international links within the science community and is therefore delighted to be hosting an event that will bring together such a wide range of specialists from around the globe to address many of the big challenges of our time." Director of Living with Environmental Change, Professor Andrew Watkinson, said, "An overarching aim of the conference will be to discuss solutions to the environmental challenges we face. We need to find ways to increase the speed with which we move to a low carbon society and ensure food, water and energy security for the billions of people across the globe in a changing world. The Living with Environmental Change partners are already addressing these critical issues, so I am very pleased that we are co-hosting the 2012 conference, which I am sure will become a catalyst for more innovative research collaborations to address the needs of society." The conference follows the influential 2001 Amsterdam Open Science Conference. That conference led to the Amsterdam Declaration, a defining moment in the development of Earth system science and indeed the launch of the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP). The declaration acknowledges the Earth as a single system comprised of physical, chemical, biological and human - or socioeconomic - components. It stated that the accelerating human transformation of the Earth's environment is not sustainable and it led to new approaches [...]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:33:12 +0000

Director, International CLIVAR Project Office £47,630 to £60,420 per annum International CLIVAR Office, National Marine Facilities Division,  National Oceanography Centre The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) invite applications for the position of Director of the International CLIVAR Project Office (ICPO), located at NOC. NOC is currently a collaborative centre between the Natural Environment Research Council and the University of Southampton. The Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) project is one of four core projects of the WCRP. CLIVAR coordinates and facilitates national and international activities that contribute to our understanding and prediction of climate variability and change on seasonal, decadal and centennial timescales. The Director of the Project Office takes a leading role in the development and implementation of CLIVAR under the general guidance of the CLIVAR Scientific Steering Group. The successful applicant will provide science and administrative leadership of the ICPO and of the CLIVAR programme. Your role will be to oversee and manage the implementation of the plans and activities of each of the project elements of CLIVAR in support of the overall mission and strategy of WCRP. You will maintain active links between CLIVAR and the wider science community stimulating and organizing scientific meetings, workshops and conferences and ensuring the timely flow of information on CLIVAR. You will be responsible for the management of the Project Office staff budget and operations and for maintaining and developing its funding base. You will have a Ph.D or equivalent in a relevant field and considerable experience of working in climate-science. A proven ability in science management including winning external funding is essential and you should have demonstrated the ability to conceive, organize and manage interdisciplinary and international science activities and initiate and sustain international cooperation. This post is currently funded by Natural Environment Research Council to 31st March 2013 and the salary is in the range of £47,630 to £60,420 per annum. Benefits include RCUK pension scheme and up 30 days leave and 10• public/privilege days. The role will include periods of travel both within the UK and internationally. Enquiries regarding CLIVAR and its international role should be made to Dr Howard Cattle on +44 (0)23 8059 6208; email hyc@noc.soton.ac.uk For further information on this position and to download an application pack, please visit http://www.oceanography.ac.uk/jobs or alternatively contact Lorraine Taylor, Human Resources, NOC, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH (Telephone +44 (0)23 8059 6604 or e-mail: loraya@noc.soton.ac.uk) for an application pack. The closing date for completed applications is 18 April 2010 (updated 30 March 2010).  Please quote reference number NOCS 119/10 on all correspondence. Additional background on the opening:[...]