Creativity

Everyone is creative...some of us just don't take time

UNEP Regional Consultations

The UNEP meetings prior to the DPI/NGO conference really were the highlight (in many ways) of the few days I spent in Bonn.

 While they had organisational drawbacks, there was a few really excellent speakers and some interesting discussions happened. It was also fun seeing a lot of the European Youth who had attended CSD-19.

I love Bonn. It is a very small and in many ways friendly city. I have not written much about the UNEP report that was introduced to us in one of the side events--it was interesting in numerous ways but had so many limitations that it also could not really be taken seriously. But that makes me consider "research" in the social sciences at large. I remember my friend Aoife working for hours on transcript after transcript. I know that they did a huge survey of lots of scientists. But is it just an opinion piece or do you think because they spoke to "experts" that it can be called research?

I personally believe that it is an interesting piece of quantitative research and take it with a pinch of salt. Considering that they were asked what they thought were the biggest issues facing the environment--it is really interesting to see how globally there are recurring concerns and common ideas on the solutions. But. I think but is the disclaimer in all this. But, how much can we accept as fact and how much do we still need to go to adequately find solutions that will work. There is no panacea. I don't want to sound like a stuck record but there is no one solution. Why are we still looking for a global solution?

Possibly because it is a global problem. I am not stupid. We need global norms / legislation. With local implementation in numerous diverse ways. Lessons should be shared but not indiscriminately. We also need to use our common sense.


This blog was meant to be about the UNEP consultations. It isn't. I will write a different one when I have time :)

Me! (at World Water Week??????)

It is almost impossible to describe the impact of World Water Week on me. But I can tell you that it has made me realise the necessity to become an expert in potential solutions, read much more and constantly challenge my own mindset. It was both exhilarating and humbling. My learning curve, the rate of new ideas bombarding me and re-evaluation of what I would say when I spoke at World Water Day changed every five seconds.

I realised that althought I have become very active in youth advocacy for Sustainable Development and attended relevant events....

I have ignored the complex interconnections in the water, energy and food security nexus. Water will affect food security. Water is increasingly volatile and this also a vital strand of the Sustainable Development debate that I have been ignoring. It is inexcusable.

Furthermore, while I had numerous opportunities to express myself during World Water week, my greatest concern is that my contributions were not concrete. I have spent years advocating for youth involvement beyond the token one. I have worked hard during CSD-19 to ensure that we had the background knowledge, could quote past agreements / conventions and could reference relevant materials. But when it came to water, I was not as well read and the knowledge gap was tangible.

Important reading???

Climate change, water and food security:

This FAO water report provides a comprehensive overview of the water-food nexus. It summarises current knowledge about climate change and its implications regarding water availability for agriculture, and analyses the impacts on local and national food security :http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2096e/i2096e.pdf

UN-Water Seminar: World Water Day 2012 - Water and Food Security: Call for Solutions

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UN-Water Seminar: World Water Day 2012 - Water and Food Security: Call for Solutions - World Water Week

Today I spoke on a panel for the UN-Water Seminar: World Water Day 2012 - Water and Food Security: Call for Solutions - World Water Week

I was terrible but I learnt a lot. The other speakers were excellent in their own way and it was hard to sit infront of practitioners, experts, scientists and public policy professionals and say something worthwhile.It was one of those times when you wish someone in the audience was familiar or wish you had been better prepared.

Enabling Effective Action: Adaptation across Political, Social, and Institutional Boundaries

Politicians care (?!?)

That is the message shared at World Water week. I listened to panels of speakers who assured us that they do care. But communicating for decision makers who speak in terms of economic value and needs to capitalised upon if change is going to be possible.

This in itself requires us to be flexible and change our structures. It is important to think about the next steps. How we internalise the costs. How can we deal with market failures? The negative externalities are the question that politicians need to think about. We have a tension based on the initial problem when we initially characterised the developed world as the bad guys and the rest as the good guys because now the good guys are polluting too. Costa Rica was used as an example of how water was used in the planning. 94% of electricity is renewable and energy and environment were made to be the same department. Protected areas are a major contributor to water and they struggle with financing. Costa rica took a unique approach to fund this.

Intergovernmental adaptation partnership (costa rica, spain and usa). It is voluntary and interim. They examine questions such as "What are the weak links in the climate adaptation chain?" The partnership is to bring innovators and those who try to innovate together.

It is interesting and its helping but the key message that I have got is the problem of working cross in a sectoral way but how vital it is.

Change is happening but not as fast as we like.

It is easier to change the small things. No one wants to hear that we need to change the big things.

Welcome to World Water week

We are just at the beginning but its just such an important experience that I really wouldn't have known about if it hadn't been for the FAO. I am in complete awe of what is happening and intrigued.

I am currently at "Enabling Effective Action: Adaptation across Political, Social, and Institutional Boundaries". It is really interesting listening to the German Ministry's perspective on Climate proofing in the planning process. Its short term higher cost and long term gains. It is refreshing to see a government that is willing to invest in the future rather than focusing on short term which tends to be the direction that short term grants forces projects in.

I had never considered that climate and hydrological regimes determine water availability, but institutions determine how water resources are managed. It is something that I took for granted but it wasn't something that I had thought to question. I am effected. Why haven't I thought about this before?

This session was thought provoking. Overcoming obstacles to respond sustainably to shifting climate regimes--a huge topic. We know (or should know) that climate change reduces certainty about our ability to balance energy, food, water, and ecological security. Water availability and timing are ultimately expressions of climate and hydrology and largely beyond our control. Yet we are having a adverse impact on it. Making the connection is not something that is recognised or internalised in our societies.

If we think about it logically, economic and population growth too are, in many ways, also beyond our influence. What we can control is how institutions function within shifting economic, climate, and hydrological conditions is within our control. True, its not in my personal control but our governments can impact this. Our experts should be able to impact this.

Water has not yet entered into political and development forums. I have been only involved with development for the last two years in an advocacy role. Until the FAO introducted the concept to me --I had not made the link between sustainability and green growth grounded in an awareness of the centrality of water. It is logical. It makes sense.

Adaptation is about governance, policy, science, finance and economics, and engineering. Todays seminar explored the fact that the need for action and often new kinds of action is obvious, but examples are rare.

It didn't answer the questions. But that is the never ending challenge. Developing best practices is a learning curve. Barriers are real and not going to shift overnight. Balance mitigation with adaptation appears (at least to me) an almost unsolvable problem. It is clear that we need to ensure that climate-sustainable frameworks are in place urgently. It was really interesting to listen to how governments and organisations are enabling effective action within organisations, across sectors and borders, and over multiple scales. You can watch the seminar for yourself below:

http://i.2degrees.info/CmpDoc/2008/4840/48641_world-water-week.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=2degrees&utm_campaign=host&dm_t=0,0,0,0,0

Stockholm (World Water Week)

Stockholm is an incredible city. It was my first time seeing the beautiful islands, glitter clear water, gorgeous old buildings with their green copper roofs, and exploring this majesty with Johanna made my month. She showed me the narrow cobbled streets of Old Town, the castles, and touristy things but she also took me to her favourite vegetarian restaurant that overlooked stockholm and took a boat to a nature reserve island for a lovely walk. It was wonderful to talk to someone who has a sparkling intelligence and a compassionate caring nature. 

We discussed our advocacy work around Rio+20 and wondered if anything would result from the three day conference as everyone is placing such unrealistic hopes on it.

Water Access and Cost.

 I have recently been learning about Water and this has been making me think. It is a silent yet systemic issue that is going to grow in importance as it is vital to human survival.

In 2005, the United Nations Human Development Programme stated “If you live in a slum in Manila, you pay more for your water than people living in London.”

This makes sense to me because when I lived in Tanzania--Water cost a lot--even before privatisation.

I grew up collecting rain water, celebrating when it rained and experiencing very brief periods of rain. Discussing when to plant a neighbours grain stores based on when it might possibly rain has been something that I have grown up with. I know what happens when there is a drought, and how families relied on the crops that they planted to survive. Children and women carried buckets of waters for kilometers home, people went to the river to wash (themselves and clothes). Water wasn't clean. It needed to be boiled before you drank it. I knew water borne diseases such as Cholera  or Dysentery or Bilharzia. I saw all of this as normal. This was life.

The impact of the privatisation of water was to make things worse. I saw the hardships and struggles people I knew and grew up with because of this. Tanzania's government following rich-countries and World Bank advice to privatized their water services but the country back a few generations in development terms. Stealing water, fights over water, illegal traders of water and suffering due to a lack of water become more widespread. These policies are having serious unacceptably negative impact. Privatization led to increased prices and lack of access, rather than increased access. Access to water became a clear indicator of poverty levels.

Government put water meters on water, charged unreasonable amounts for water, there was regularly water shortages, I used to pay attention to when the water stores ran low,we saved water in tanks, I saw rivers diverted to grow cereals (e.g Rice) for World Bank or IMF funded projects to pay back national debt, our electricity source was haphazard and depended on the water level in the dam.  I saw wells being built using foreign aid for a village to have access to and a local school building walls around it and posting security guards to prevent access to that water. I saw how water springs were privatised, how a bottled water plant took off in a rural village in the rift valley and soon was supplying the whole country.

But once access to water was made prohibitively expensive. People had to work twice as hard to achieve the previous standard of life... This is wrong and cannot be justified.

Some privatization programs have produced positive results. But the overall record is not encouraging. From Argentina to Bolivia, and from the Philippines to the United States, the conviction that the private sector offers a “magic bullet” for unleashing the equity and efficiency needed to accelerate progress towards water for all has proven to be misplaced. While these past failures of water concessions do not provide evidence that the private sector has no role to play, they do point to the need for greater caution, regulation and a commitment to equity in public-private partnerships. -- 2006 United Nations Human Development Report, 2006, p.10

In Europe--it is completely different! In Ireland it rains almost daily and no one really takes water shortage seriously. Dams don't dry out...they flood. Yet the rivers are horrifically polluted and the seas are over fished. In Denmark, water was supposed to be used in moderation and people used to recycled (and if you didn't you were fined) but now they cannot afford to process their waste to the same extent. In the UK, a water shortage meant you weren't allowed to water your lawns or gardens or have water fights in the summer heat. Life and water access was completely different.

Much of the world lives without access to clean water. Privatization of water resources, promoted as a means to bring business efficiency into water service management, has instead led to reduced access for the poor around the world as prices for these essential services have risen.

In 2006, the United Nations Human Development Report states "almost 2 million children die each year for want of a glass of clean water and adequate sanitation." It notes that over 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water. But the scariest fact and most believable fact in that report (for me) was :

"1.8 billion people who have access to a water source within 1 kilometer, but not in their house or yard, consume around 20 liters per day. In the United Kingdom the average person uses more than 50 liters of water a day flushing toilets (where average daily water usage is about 150 liters a day. The highest average water use in the world is in the US, at 600 liters day.) "

This report also said something that worried me (and hopefully worries you?) "the scarcity at the heart of the global water crisis is rooted in power, poverty and inequality, not in physical availability." The severity of the ecological crisis appears to be that we are taking water from the water sheds and  aquifers (either pumping it into factories, using it for irrigation etc). Humanity as a whole is not paying attention to displacement, diversion and mass pollution of water. We need to change our mentality to water. Instead of seeing it as a only a crisis for those who don't have it--we need to think of it as a geopolitical crisis.

In May 2010, the UN produced the 3rd Global Biodiversity Outlook report which notes that water quality in freshwater ecosystems is an important biodiversity indicator, yet global data is quite lacking.What surprised me was:

More than 40% of the global river discharge is now intercepted by large dams and one-third of sediment destined for the coastal zones no longer arrives. These large-scale disruptions have had a major impact on fish migration, freshwater biodiversity more generally and the services it provides. They also have a significant influence on biodiversity in terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems.

The number of observed ‘dead zones’, coastal sea areas where water oxygen levels have dropped too low to support most marine life, has roughly doubled each decade since the 1960s. Many are concentrated near the estuaries of major rivers, and result from the buildup of nutrients, largely carried from inland agricultural areas where fertilizers are washed into watercourses. The nutrients promote the growth of algae that die and decompose on the seabed, depleting the water of oxygen and threatening fisheries, livelihoods and tourism. (p. 60)

Source:  Diaz and Rosenberg (2008). Science.

If you look at this graph....it is a dramatic insight into what damage we have done to our own planet. The clearest thing to me is that water insecurity is on the rise and that it isn't as highlighted an issue as climate change but it is just as (if not more) important to make people aware of.

The Millennium Development Goals includes the need to “reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water.” The World Water Forum's that I have recently only heard about have been working towards this. I read an interesting article that goes through them year by year.

Its interesting to look at extracts from their their final declarations with regard to water privatisation:

2nd World Water Forum:

“freshwater, coastal and related ecosystems are protected and improved; that sustainable development and political stability are promoted, that every person has access to enough safe water at an affordable cost to lead a healthy and productive life and that the vulnerable are protected from the risks of water-related hazards.”

3rd World Water Forum:

Increased support for the private sector. 

4th World Water Forum:

Noted (in final ministerial declaration) that governments should have the primary role in providing water access and related improvements. (This does not preclude the use of private companies contracted to provide the service, but highlights the importance of democratic accountability over the provision of such service.)

5th Water Forum:

Final report:http://www.worldwaterforum5.org/fileadmin/WWF5/Final_Report/WWF5_Final_Report_ENG.pdf

Some interesting links (and my sources):

Global Water Partnership:
http://www.gwp.org/en/The-Challenge/What-is-water-security/

Water.org
http://water.org/learn-about-the-water-crisis/facts/


World Health Organisation:
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/en/

World Water Council: An International Multi-Stakeholder Platform for a Water Secure World
http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/

Water and Urbanisation

The world is rapidly becoming urbanized and wealthier...this may not be starkly visible during a recession but it is invariably true. We need more to "survive", our lives are getting easier and what we consider to be the norm (or what we consider to be poor is radically different to just 10 years ago). Let's look at food as a stark example of this. There is an increase in demand for what would have once been considered luxury products – milk, meat, fruits and vegetables – that are heavily reliant on irrigation in many parts of the world. But we consider these (At least in the global north) as being basic necessities. They are no longer considered luxuries. We no longer consume as many staple carbohydrates. Instead our patterns of consumption and production have radically changed.

You may have never thought about it but the production efficiency of land for animal products is lower than for crops. Its logical when you think about it. Our planets population is growing, we are eating more animal products that take up more land and produce less food. Therefore, we need to use more land to produce the food, we need to use more water and we need to work harder to create the food we need. But it is a signal of the society that I live in that I also have not become a vegetarian. I logically know that the planet cannot support my lifestyle yet the changes that I am willing to make are too small to make an impact. Like my peers, I need a dramatic kick to make changes. But when will it be too late?

Climate change --we are all told and if we have any sense can see--will significantly impact agriculture by increasing water demand, limiting crop productivity and by reducing water availability in areas where irrigation is most needed or has comparative advantage. While part of me thinks that we could just do what Israel does and use the oceans...I know (on a deeper level) that its not a long term solution. Since secondary school, I have known that the hydrological cycle is expected to accelerate as rising temperatures increase the rate of evaporation from land and sea. This coupled with decreasing natural resources, energy scarcity and eventually a water scarcity should be enough to scare me into changing radically. But why isn't it?

Major Group of Children and Youth (MGCY)

I got involved with the MGCY accidentally in 2010 but I have really engaged since then. After the UNCSD-18, I was asked to facilitate the policy paper. This snowballed into thematic teams, 133 organisations / groups involved and a beautiful 1000 word document that was the basis for our lobbying during CSD-19. I was policy advocacy coordinator during CSD-19. This isn't as scary as it sounds...basically, I was sleep deprived and kept track of what happened. I am now the Objectives Focal point for Rio+20 and I am starting to realise that once more...I have no idea where to start but I know that it will be amazing in the end.

Watch us during UN CSD-19 discuss youth participation, lessons learnt and Rio+20

World Water Day in 2012

It is impossible to deny the symbiotic relationship between water and food security.  “Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” and water is one of the fundamental input factor to the food production. However, it is imperative that we not forget that water is vital to communities. It is more important than food production for the sake of producing more food. That last sentence makes little sense without an example...so if you have the option of producing more food by diverting a river...is it worth diverting the river when hunger is a rising concern in the developing world? Personally, I think it isn't worth it. A lot of local communities rely on that water to survive. Ecosystems function around that water and they use that water to plant the basics they need to survive...diverting a river is a short term solution that causes much greater problems.

Unsurprisingly, Food security has been raising the international political agenda following the peak prices of 2008 and the financial crisis of 2009. If you couple this with logical concerns (or public planning) then  future population growth, urbanization, changing diets, development pressure on land and water (including resources  allocated to  biofuel production) and energy cost increase are all contributing to a progressive and severe water scarcity that will in turn undermine the food security. If you look at drought as an example of this...water scarcity definitely is coupled with food security. And Israel has a lot of lessons that we should be using. They have used innovative irrigation methods to turn a land that was hostile desert and turned it into a food producing nation. Water is the crisis of our future and the developed world needs to look at the example offered by Singapore where they create new water from waste water (and end up only using 30% of it for their needs). There are solutions. It is time to implement them.

Green Jobs? Youth Jobs?

As global markets continue to fluctuate and the recession continues longer than projected...the question of jobs for young people is becoming increasingly pressing. It isn't something that can be ignored or forgotten.

As graduates continue to take on roles that they are over qualified for, at pay rates that should be criminal (e.g unpaid internships / trainee-ships). However, while some governments such as the USA have started to tackle it, some are cashing in (e.g Irish Government) and running their own ones. I am completely for work experience opportunities and agree with internships 100%. However, I am not pro taking advantage of your young work force or the economic situation to get free labour. Young people need experience to get jobs. Giving them experience is amazing and should be continued. Taking advantage is when you make them do a previously paid job for free or a job where they gain no experience except for the job title while filling the work needs of an employer and assisting the employer to cut down on overheads by having to pay less staff.

I completely agree with the introduction to the recent report  circulated by Kyle Gracey on whether Green Jobs be YOUTH Jobs, Youth unemployment does differ substantially from adult unemployment in both cause and solution. The report is definitely worth reading but with a pinch of salt. It provides an analysis of green jobs and youth jobs in the green sector in the USA. The main body has a lot of interesting points. The findings and conclusion section is weak.They stress that governments need to consider the youth demographic when designing green jobs policies.

However, they haven't actually touched on the fact that green jobs are not as well paid as corporate jobs. I am a youth but I wouldn't want a green job (despite the fact that I do advocate for sustainable development). I need my income and unlike some people --I support myself and do not have a network that will subsidize my life. Therefore, as politically incorrect as it sounds, I personally would not want a green job.

Sustained Youth Mobilization

As they have the greatest stake in the future sustainability of our planet, Africa's youth should be mobilized to get out the message of sustainable development. Indeed, they also have to contribute by bringing their dynamism to bear through ideas, taking business risks and contributing to educating and mobilizing the rest of society behind agreed goals”.  --Mr. Abdoulie Janneh,UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on 27 June 2011.

I partially agree --youth globally should be mobilized. We need to spread the message of sustainable development. We have the dynamism, the innovative new ideas because we do not see the barriers. We are the risk takers. The young have the most to lose and even more to gain. It is our habits that will impact the future.

We need to be involved. We need to be actively participating in the negotiations and not merely consulted / observing. That is one reason that progress isn't happening.

There is no global ownership of the problems. We are collectively in denial and no one wants to take responsibility. Apathy is growing because people do not feel like they can change things, no one wants to take the leadership role in implementing the solutions or for admitting that there is a problem. While the governments in Scandinavia have started, they have also begun taking steps backwards. An example is Denmark's recycling program that they didn't have the facilities to maintain and can no longer afford.

G77 and China also have to take a leadership role and start sharing the responsibility. I know that Europe and the US may have contribute more to the problem in the past but we need to deal with now and what is going on globally. Excuses, inaction or blocking negotiations for petty reasons cannot be allowed to continue. Especially as SIDs are going to be dramatically impacted but do not stand up and let their voices be heard.  It is time for everyone to take a critical look at the status quo and say this is not good enough.

Youth in Action weekend & Participation Guide

Brussels, this trip, is a blur of meetings, brainstorming, ideas, practical details, black coffee, and gorgeous cheese. This trip was really made by the people.

The highlights include Ward taking the time to join us for a few hours of the Rio+twenties meeting and for dinner. He really transformed the vibe and it was great to chat with a good friend. Ivana also was awesome. She really rescued me when I initially arrived in Brussels at 9:35am, I realised that I have been so busy recently that I had forgotten the little details--such as my laptop charger and what I was going to do for the next four hours (meetings didn't start until about 1:30pm). We met at the stock exchange and went shopping. We also had a mini adventure locating the youth hostel where we were staying in the "ghetto" of Brussels (which in my opinion aren't remotely like a ghetto). Michaela showed a whole new side and I really feel that I can learn a lot from her. Ben was his normal humorous self but a lot less pragmatic (with no cynical edge). It was really cool seeing his idealistic side.

I also met the Communications team for Rio+twenties. Brendan is wonderful. His ideas were really do-able, practical, possible and interesting. We really kick started things and achieved a great deal in the two days. I am now much more confident that the website is going to happen. We got a lot done such as the wiki page.

And last but not least, PJ, the provider of fair trade goodies and the most sinfully deadly organismic cheeses that Ireland lacks but will signify Brussels for Ivana and I.

The participation guide itself started to take shape (and we even filmed part of the process). It was really ackward giving an interview about Communications when we haven't done much yet but it was great that Brendan took the initiative to organise it.

To conclude, Brussels this weekend (and Friday) is worth being exhausted.  There are no regrets!

Role of Oceans in Sustainable Development, Climate Regulation

ICP-12. photo source:iisd

If you take the time to read the report by the International Programme on State of the Oceans (IPSO)--it would scare you. I am presuming that you aren't already aware that changes in the oceans are being driven at an extraordinary pace, entailing a dramatic rise in the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But even if you were, it will still scare you!

plenary session.photo source:iisd

The UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process (ICP) on Oceans and the Law of the Sea meeting (20-24 June 2011) on the theme “contributing to the assessment, in the context of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), of progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development and addressing new and emerging challenges” ended.

But what concerned me about it was that everyone talked about how Rio +20 presents an opportunity for governments to protect and conserve the wealth of life that inhabited the world’s international waters. But I personally feel that too many hopes, and objectives are being placed on the UN Conference on Sustainable Development and the pragmatic side of me has decided that the event is doomed to fail. Recent negotiations (such as UNFCCC and UNCSD-19) have failed to reach agreements. Why do we think Rio+20 will succeed? Civil Society seem to be placing unrealistically high expectations on this three day event. The hopeful part of me wishes that I could do the same.

High Seas Alliance reception. photo source:iisd/

Experts highlighted "the combination of stressors on the ocean are creating the conditions associated with every previous mass extinction of species in history; the speed and rate of ocean degeneration is far greater than predicted; many of the negative impacts previously identified are greater than the worst predictions; and, though difficult to assess due to the unprecedented rate of change, the first steps towards a global extinction may have begun with a rise in the extinction threat to marine species such as reef-forming corals".

Global extinction is a huge concept to consider. We already know we are the only species who are destroying our own habitat. Daily animals, plants and languages are becoming extinct.

It was a necessary event that highlighted the existing challenges (the impacts of bottom trawling, ballast water and marine noise), new and emerging challenges (whether there is a need for an implementing agreement to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); changes in fish migratory patterns in the tropics and respective consequences for tropical developing countries; the importance of marine spatial planning for climate change adaptation; the need for inclusion of ocean-related discussions in the Durban Climate Change Conference in December 2011; linkages between harmful subsidies and overfishing; and the role of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)). I think it is clear that we need implementation more than hollow agreements. We need action rather than discussions about solutions.

Everyone discusses "renewing" or "creating" political will but I think we need to energize public participation and act as a catalyst for change by somehow creating a plan to kick start the public into putting the necessary pressure on their governments to change things.

What is becoming increasingly clear is that this needs to be done now!

High Level Segment (UNCSD-19)

Today, my morning ended and started early.

By this, I mean that I went to bed at 3am as we were working on the Opening Statement for the High Level session + negotiations for Waste Management ended at 1:44am. I woke at 6:40am (surprisingly refreshed) to get ready for the start of the High Level Session in the GA Hall at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development -19.

I rushed to my morning meeting as I wanted to speak at this CSD and there was going to be a vote about who will speak. I won that vote and Jean Paul (Cameroon was second chair). We rushed over to the 2nd floor of the GA hall and found our seats.

We heard from some great key note speakers such as Jeffery Sachs (Starting from 25.50).




I was sitting on the Ground floor of the GA in the Major Group of Children and Youth's seat (I got to see all the Ministers as they left the podium. It was awesome, almost like being in a movie, and it was great to be able to thank ministers as they passed by for our major (and mini) advocacy victories. And there were many. I have never been so proud in my life.

And despite the blatant dismissal (without apology) of the Major Group's right to speak (based on Agenda 21) I was still on a euphoric high that our thematic teams had achieved so much concrete change in so little time. It made me proud to be the MGCY's policy advocacy coordinator.

Rio+20s & CSD-19

I don't know if I am stupid to use my blog like a diary but....

Today, I was asked to join the board of Rio+20s a youth led NGO that focuses on facilitating involvement with Rio+20 (the earth summit -20 years on). I had guessed that I was going to be asked to join when they asked to meet me on Friday. So, I had asked my core close friends and colleagues who were active with Youth and the UN CSD for their honest opinions.

These were mixed because their are a lot of perspectives of Rio+20s as a group. Some youth feel that they are redefining the Major Group of Children and Youth while making it elitist. Others felt that I would be a better asset to the work of the MGCY as an independent and some wholeheartedly supported that I join the team. After careful evaluation, I went into the meeting prepared to get involved but armed with a list of tie breaking questions.

Anyhoo, I joined. So, now I have to leave NYC, get on a plane for Ireland and I realise that the UN CSD-19 isn't the end....just the beginning of my preparations for Rio next year and that I have signed on for a mammoth task. I have agreed to take on Communications for Rio+20s.

Good byes flew and it was bitter sweet. Negotiations haven't ended and as Policy Advocacy Coordinator for the Major Group of Children and Youth---I feel a little like I am bailing before the final push. Goretti is with me as I prepare to leave and do a final sweep of Hiromi's apartment for anything I may have forgotten. The two weeks of the UN CSD-19 have realllllllllly just evaporated. But so worthwhile!

SCP– the building blocks for a Greener Economy.

My favourite part of the UNCSD (apart from the Major Group of Children and Youth's lobbying and coordinating a hardcore policy team) was side events. Among my favorite ones were a series held on the Green Economy by the Nordic Council of Ministers
 



We all know that the concept of a Green Economy needs a pragmatic approach with feasible instruments for countries striving for a path towards low-carbon, small-footprint societies. A necessary part of this is the contribution that sustainable consumption and production patterns, models, programmes and strategies can make in both the developed and developing world.The first in the series dealt with this in a clear, concise and hard hitting manner. The speakers were informative, intelligent and I learnt a lot. You can watch it for yourself (above or below)

Advocacy

How can you advocate for change if you are a small group? How can you positively impact on UN negotiations? How can the Major Group for Children and Youth change things?

Simple

We organise, we make relationships and we lobby like crazy. We are an informed, up to date, dedicated and hardworking team of crazy lobbyists.

It is scary how effective we have become. We have had numerous victories. We have listened to various negotiations and it is really great to hear that member states are meeting with us to lobby us to change our wording of proposed amendments. We have been mentioned in ministerial statements during the beginning of the High Level Session. We have been invited to attend real negotiations. We have actually constructively participated in bi-lateral meetings. It is such a rich experience. Yesterday, I met with the South African Environmental Minister. On behalf our Waste Management focal points (Mitch and Mika). I asked some hard hitting key questions....such as what South Africa plans to do with the tonnes of e-waste that they generate. It was thrilling to hear her mention it in her statement during the High Level Opening. Ireland deserves special recognition for actually mentioning Youth and Children Major Group directly.

Transportation Negotiations

It is Tuesday of week 2. Negotiations for the UN CSD-19 are slow but that is usual. I am sitting in a small room with negotiators from some key groups that are discussing small wording amendments. The Chair's style is quite confrontational. But that is necessary as otherwise things would grind to a halt. It is tiring to watch.

Options seem limited. It is even more frustrating by the fact that some negotiators are not mandated to make concrete policy changes or amendments or accept things. I can see my country's negotiators sitting there silently watching proceedings. It isn't complicated. But they make it as complicated as swimming tar. If you do not have an active imagination, swimming in tar is not pleasant, it isn't sexy, it isn't fun, it isn't fun, it is seriously like watching paint drying then peeling off a building. It is discouraging.

It is hard to listen to. It is hard to explain what is happening without saying what they are discussing but as they are private negotiations, it is all very confidential and we do not want to set back negotiations further by mentioning the unmentionable.

I can say that the youth trackers have this room really well staked out. We actually have four youth in here. We are all listening closely and writing down any potential suggestions. It is funny how certain states insist on reading out positions while ignoring the fact that everyone else is tired and just want to create concrete changes based on positions. They need and want agreement. It is so exciting to watch real policy being negotiated. This is what I studied in University and this is what I love doing. Discussing policy, immersing myself in tiny details and listening to agreements.

I love negotiations.

Expert seminar: Sustainable Consumption in a Green Economy

The Major Group of Children and Youth's SCP lobbying team dragged me along to a side event on the consumption perspective in sustainable development focusing on the Nordic and other key European experiences. However, I am glad I spent my Sunday evening at this discussion of how to promote sustainable consumption patterns and sustainable lifestyles globally that stimulate a greening of the economy.

We arrived a few minutes late as there had been meeting about Rio +20 in DC2. But we still managed to get a lot out of the event. You can see the slides here if you are interested in experiencing the event for yourself. What I found unique about this event was that there was a lively discussion (and debate) with the audience. Gabe gave a great intro to the youth perspective on the topic and it was just fun to participate in the buzz.

So, tomorrow is Monday and another day of active lobbying at the UNCSD-19. So, bed for me.

You can also watch an interview with Danish Minister for the Environment Karen Ellemann at CSD19: Sustainable Consumption and Production – Trade barriers or global responsibility?

Who Spoke:

The seminar was opened by Antero Honkasalo, Environment Counsellor and Director, Finnish Ministry of Environment, after which Professor Jacqueline McGlade, EEA Executive Director, Professor John Holmberg, Vice President of Chalmers University, Sweden and Mr. Rajan Gandhi, CEO at Society in Action Group (SAG) presented their perspectives on sustainable consumption in a green economy.

These speakers were then joined by panellists from a broad range of organisations and regions of the world, including Timo Mäkelä, Director at DG Environment of the EU Commission; Dianne Dillon-Ridgeley, Director of Interface Inc. and the Center for International Law; Nis Christensen, Deputy Head of Division, Danish Environmental Protection Agency; Shun Fung Chiu, Professor and President of the Asia-Pacific Roundtable on SCP; Vanessa Timmer, Executive Director of One Earth Initiative; and Luis Flores Mimica, Project Manager, Consumers International, Chile. 

Organizers:

 
The seminar was organised by the Nordic Council of Ministers and its working group on Sustainable Consumption and Production in cooperation with the European Environment Agency (EEA) and its European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ETC/SCP)

UN CSD-19 Youth Blast.

It is insanely early. I am sitting in a typically american diner near Union Square drinking black coffee and waiting for my burger (yes, lunch for breakfast before 6am). It is amazingly invigorating being back in new york. I look at the pile of shiney silver quarters and imagine what I am going to do for the next two weeks.

It is not going to be easy. It is a culmination of about 1 years preparations that began in June 2010 when I agreed to be the facilitator for the UN CSD-19 Major Group of Children and Youth. I was totally unprepared for what that process would kick start or how we would get approximately 133 collaborators to work on a short 1000 word position paper. It is insane how that potentially complicated concept seemed so simple at the time. I can remember the deadline looming, the crazy conference calls to try to increase participation, the numerous innovative technical ideas that we experimented with and it is crazy how things came together. But even more surprisingly, how I never expected that it wouldn't come together. It is weird how this whole process has been one where I have complete confidence in things coming together.

The Youth Blast itself turned out to be a completely interesting experience. I was happy that I had created slides, even though the slides had been edited since I submitted them. It is slightly scary how everyone believes that I know what I am talking about and have confidence that I can coordinate the policy for CSD-19 for the Major Group of Children and Youth. I have been running briefing meetings that have been making the idea come together more for me but I am not as certain as people seem to think. Or possibly, I just think that they believe that I can do it?

Wow! This is so completely unexpected. I can't believe that my abstract conceptualisation is actually coming together. The majority of the youth have split into thematic teams and have lobbypoints, specific policy amendments to the text and I sincerely hope that I do not let this amazingly inspiring team down by not actually knowing what I am doing. I had better get organised!!!!

New York! New York

Today, I have arrive in the glorious NYC for my annual holidays. British Airways upgraded me due to oversales but damaged my luggage terribly. But I am back in NYC! The air tastes drier, freerer and once more....I feel the surge of confidence, the feeling that I can tackle the world and change it.

I am here to be the Policy Advocacy Coordinator for the UN CSD-19. Completely different from my day job. But it is where my interest lies. It plays to my strengths--I hope. I do not know what to expect. But tonight I will meet my host (once my taxi finally arrives in Manhattan) for the first time and my two week adventure will begin!

I am so excited. The sun is shining and beating down on the shiny cars. I can hear sound again, the city is in 3D and I feel so alive! It is scary how much I missed this place.

The Preparations....UN CSD-19

It is almost time for the UN CSD-19. So what CSD is and how does it work???

To briefly explain at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, it was agreed that the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), would be the central body within the UN to monitor the results of this event- including Agenda 21. 

The Action Agenda 21 contains 40 chapters divided into four sections: social and economic dimensions, conservation and management of resources, strengthen key social groups, and resources for implementation.

CSD's work is based on various themes identified in the two-year cycles. During even-numbered years, the so-called review the years, CSD will focus on progress and challenges in implementing the commitments of Rio and Johannesburg. 

Odd numbered years, the so-called policy years, there are negotiations of policy recommendations to accelerate implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. This year it is therefore a policy and to the themes of this two-year cycle are:

•  Transportation
•  Chemicals
•  Waste management
•  Mining
•  Sustainable consumption and production

Agenda 21 states that civil society participation in the process is of utmost importance to achieve sustainable development, and therefore, so established Major Groups system. There are 9 Major Groups  that will represent different interests in society. The nine groups are women, indigenous people, NGOs, local authorities, workers and trade unions, industry, science and technology, farmers and children and youth.

I will be the Policy Advocacy Coordinator for the Major Group of Children and Youth. This is essentially a fancy title that says that I will facilitate the work of our thematic teams work tracking, lobbying, and meeting with governments. So, it means that I am a mix of big sister, mom, boss and friend. I am slightly worried about what this will actually involve...