A couple of years ago, the political conference circuit had about as much relevance to environment correspondents as – well, I was going to say as Formula One racing, but I would imagine even that has a green agenda these days. Continue reading →

CONVENTION ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN DECISION-MAKING AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS. Continue reading →

1. ENVIRONMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS
In response to last week’s special alert, you sent more than 9,300 messages
urging your representatives to approve several pro-environment amendments to
the FY05 Interior Appropriations bill (thank you!). Although the results are
mixed, your messages helped produce one significant victory, as the House voted
222-205 to restrict roadbuilding for commercial logging in the Tongass National
Forest. Continue reading →

A new ?environmental democracy? clearing house was announced in July by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The instrument aims to highlight and promote awareness of issues covered by the Aarhus Convention. The site showcases good practices in the area of citizens? environmental rights and is expected to make implementation of the Convention more effective. Continue reading →

ussia has almost finished ratifying Kyoto, which aims to stabilize emissions of greenhouse gases and awaits President Vladimir Putin signature to come into force worldwide, and must now develop the mechanisms necessary to implement the pact.

A key part of Kyoto is the creation of emission trading schemes, allowing companies to buy and sell their rights to pollute internationally. The EU system is already seeing thousands of trades a day. Continue reading →

United Russia supports President Vladimir Putin and has a majority of seats in the State Duma, the main chamber of the Russian parliament.

The presidium of the United Russia faction approved a proposal from the Duma’s Ecology Committee to consider ratifying the Kyoto Protocol when the Duma meets in plenary session Friday, Interfax said. Continue reading →

EkoMrezaBiH, the environmental NGO network, organized signing of the petition for the occasion of the World Environmental Day, the 5th June.
We are satisfied with the number of signatures. This is an important step towards proper representation of the civil society with significant participation and influence in decision making process, policy and environmental management in B&H? ? said Viktor Bjelic, project manager of EkoMrezaBiH.
By signing the petition the citizens of Banjaluka, Sarajevo, Livno, Tuzla, Jablanica, Mostar and Zenica expressed their wish to participate in environmental decision-making process, to have access to environmental information and to access justice if these rights are not respected. Continue reading →

“Oxfam strongly urges the Board of the World Bank to accept the recommendation to only support projects that have the broad acceptance of affected communities.                                                                                                                

However we want to see more explicit detail about how this would be carried out in practice.”                                     

The Bank’s resistance to pulling out of investing in extractive projects in conflict zones is not acceptable and we urge them to reconsider.

Its failure to follow the recommendation to phase out of coal and oil projects was widely expected and completely inadequate.”