Environmental degradation, particularly climate change, is augmenting the impact of natural disasters, thus seriously affecting food security ensured through the sustainable production of agricultural crops, livestock and fisheries. Sustainable development is a certain compromise among environmental, economic, and social goals of community, allowing for wellbeing for the present and future generations. Designing appropriate policies and strategies that lead to conservation of natural ecosystems and biological diversity and ecologically sustainable development in the era of climate change is not an option but a necessity. ECOCASD 2013 will be a rendezvous of those researchers and academicians working on cutting edge areas of ecosystem management and sustainable development and is a platform to share innovative ideas on ecosystem conservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation and sustainable development.
Read more about the event here.
Is your coastal/marine project struggling to calculate the value of ecosystem services? Are you looking for successful cases of ecosystem service valuations in decision-making? This is your opportunity for guidance.
In this interactive ‘Office Hour’ chat, Linwood Pendleton will take your questions on marine and coastal ecosystem services. Linwood will also discuss outcomes from the August 2013 meeting in Bali of the Ecosystem Services Partnership.
Linwood directs the Marine Ecosystem Services Partnership, an online center for information and communication on the human uses of marine ecosystems around the world. He is also Director of Ocean and Coastal Policy at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, and from 2011-2013 served as Acting Chief Economist for NOAA.
More about the Office Hour:
This Office Hour takes place on OpenChannels.org, the knowledge-sharing forum for ocean planners and managers worldwide.
The event will be a live interactive chat conducted by typing and reading text – there is no audio component. Office Hour chats provide an opportunity for audience members to ask questions to our guests; audience members may also share their own experiences and insights with the guests and other participants.
All participants are able (and encouraged) to post, and all participants are able to view all posts. You do not need to be logged into the OpenChannels site to participate in the chat. However, you are encouraged to create a user account and log in so you do not need to create temporary user account for each Office Hour.
To join the Office Hour on October 2, 2013, click here.
The WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition is the largest urban-water efficiency conference of its kind in the world. Presented by the Southern Nevada Water Authority and numerous forward-thinking organizations, the 6th annual WSI will be held October 2-4, 2013, at the South Point Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas.
Last year, WSI drew more than 900 participants from 34 states and the District of Columbia, as well as seven foreign nations. This year, as it has for the last five years, WSI will feature featured a full slate of comprehensive professional sessions and an expo hall highlighting the latest in water-efficient products and services. The event also will feature several affordable pre-show workshops (which are not included with the WSI registration fee) on Tuesday, October 1.
Go to the event website for more information.
The GCF Annual Meeting is a unique opportunity for information exchange and progress on the GCF’s low emission rural development and REDD-related objectives. The meeting will include: a high-level session, 2013 REDD+ updates from the GCF members and Secretariat, and facilitated breakout sessions on high priority topics. A provisional agenda will be available on the resources page and will continue to be updated as details are confirmed.
The Annual Meeting is free to attend and is open to GCF stakeholders, but attendees are responsible for their travel expenses including transportation, hotel and meals. Interpretation will be provided throughout the meeting for the following languages; English, Indonesian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Read more about the event here.
Low Carbon Earth Summit, 2013 – Breathing New Life into Green Challenges
LCES-2013 will continue to provide an unique platform to other global conferences in related to climate change and environment protection. We will focus more practical perspectives on green economy, promotion of sustainable or renewable energy, and exhibit technical resolutions to solve and predict the existing issues. This annual conference comprised 10 forums following the ceremony, including low carbon economy, clean development mechanisms, emission Trade, low carbon industries, etc.
The conference will feature 10 forums, including;
- Low Carbon Economy
- Clean Development Mechanism
- Emission Trade based Green Economy
- Implementation of Low Carbon Industries
- Energy Conservation and Clean Technology
- Clean Mobility and Intelligent Transport Systems
- Low Carbon Cities
- Low Carbon Power Generation
- Low Carbon Green Architecture
- The Domestic Leader Forum and Young Investigator Research
The the full event posting here
Please visit LSE-2013’s website to register.
The objective of this second conference is to discuss and finalize the recommended design of a future Network of Knowledge (NoK) on biodiversity and ecosystem services in Europe.
The focus of the conference will be on presenting options for the NoK, which BiodiversityKnowledge has been developing over the past two years through a broad consultation with more than 300 active participations of representatives of the biodiversity and ecosystems services knowledge community. Stakeholders involved ranged from practitioners, researchers to policy makers.
For supporting the discussion, the project team will provide a White Paper prior to the conference. This White Paper provides a concrete concept for such a NoK, including its context, its functions, overall objectives as well as the practicalities of such a NoK through the lessons learned from three demonstration cases. The paper also elaborates on governance issues, rules and procedures and highlights the strong and weak points as well as the uncertainties for future implementation.
The conference will provide the space for institutions and any interested players to voice their interests in contributing to the network of knowledge and outline the roles they can envisage for themselves.
Go to the event website for more information.
Carbon Forum Asia, co-located with Clean Energy Expo Asia and Energy Efficiency Asia, for the first time this year, will provide a dedicated platform for policy makers and industry practitioners to address key issues, develop business opportunities and discuss practical solutions towards securing Asia’s energy future.
Since its inception, Clean Energy Expo Asia, Carbon Forum Asia and Energy Efficiency Asia have attracted over 23000 visitors and 1327 exhibitors from over 50 countries, earning the recognition of being the leading energy, carbon and financial platform in the Asia Pacific and Pacific Rim regions.
Read more about the event here.
The 8th Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems – SDEWES Conference, to be held in Dubrovnik in 2013, is dedicated to the improvement and dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies and technologies for increasing the sustainability of development by de-coupling growth from natural resources and replacing them with knowledge based economy, taking into account its economic, environmental and social pillars, as well as methods for assessing and measuring sustainability of development, regarding energy, transport, water, environment and food production systems and their many combinations. Sustainability being also a perfect field for interdisciplinary and multi-cultural evaluation of complex system, the SDEWES Conference has at the beginning of the 21st century become a significant venue for researchers in those areas to meet, and originate, discuss, share, and disseminate new ideas.
Learn more about the event here.
The Scientific Partners of BIOECON are pleased to announce the Fifteenth Annual International BIOECON conference on the theme of “Conservation and Development: Exploring Conflicts and Challenges”. The conference will be held once again on the premises of Kings College Cambridge, England on 19-20 September 2013. The conference will be of interest to both researchers and policy makers working on issues broadly in the area of biodiversity and land use policy, especially in regard to the management of natural resources in developing countries.
The conference takes a broad interest in the area of resource management, development and conservation, including but not limited to: land use planning and management, plant genetic resources and food security issues, deforestation and development, fisheries and institutional adaptation, development and conservation, wildlife conservation, and international trade and regulation. The conference will have sessions on economic development, growth and biodiversity conservation, and on institutions and institutional change pertaining to the management of living resources.
- Papers are specially invited on the themes of:
- Different institutional frameworks for resource conservation (property rights, etc)
- Developing countries and issues of governance and management of natural resources
- Development, growth and resource constraints, especially in relation to food security
- Resources management, distribution, development, poverty alleviation
- Land use management, population, and food security
- Valuation methodology and its application to biodiversity conservation
- Natural capital and inclusive wealth accounting
- Institution building for provision of global public goods
- Policy evaluation of biodiversity related policies.
This year’s meeting is inviting attention to the relationship between biodiversity and land use management, population and food security, and papers and sessions are invited on these themes.
In addition, two policy panels will focus on the themes of “Biodiversity Offsets: Problems, Policies, Opportunities?” and “Food Security and Biodiversity: Conflicts, Challenges, Policies”.
Go to the main website for details.
The City of Joondalup in collaboration with the ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and the Western Australian Local Government Association is pleased to be hosting the 2013 International BiodiverCities Conference.
This three day conference will be held on the 9-11 September 2013 at the Joondalup Resort, Perth, Western Australia. Not only will you get to enjoy an extensive conference program but it will be Spring and wildflower season, a perfect time to visit Western Australia to see the diverse array of native wildflowers bloom in spectacular colour. The program will feature field trips, key note and parallel session presentations from regional and international environmental experts addressing biodiversity conservation in a changing climate.
Topics covered will be:
- Managing impacts of climate change on local biodiversity
- Assessing and managing coastal vulnerability
- Partnerships to enhance biodiversity
- Community education and public participation
- Biodiversity for carbon sequestration Integration of biodiversity into the urban landscape.
Click here for an event page.
World Water Week is hosted and organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and takes place each year in Stockholm. The World Water Week has been the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues since 1991.
Every year, over 200 collaborating organisations convene events at the World Water Week. In addition, individuals from around the globe present their findings at the scientific workshops.
Each year the World Water Week addresses a particular theme to enable a deeper examination of a specific water-related topic. While not all events during the week relate to the overall theme, the workshops driven by the Scientific Programme Committee and many seminars and side events do focus on various aspects of the theme. 2013 theme is Water Cooperation – Building Partnerships.
Learn more here.
The Seventh Latin American and Caribbean Carbon Forum (LACF) will discuss prospects for carbon projects in Latin America. The Forum is co-organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Latin American Development Bank (CAF), the World Bank, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Risí¸ Centre and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Read more about the event here.
Experts in water management and human rights recognize that water stress will only grow with increasing population, urbanization and climate change trends. Most parts of Latin America are facing critical water shortage issues creating an imperative for mining companies to consider either water trading or water recovery and reuse technologies. The coming years are expected to see continuing positive investment trends in mining water and wastewater sector through improved treatment level and resource recovery.
After a successful inaugural conference in 2012 in Brazil, the LatAm Mine Water Conference will host it’s 2nd edition on 28-29 August 2013 in Santiago – Chile, under the patronage of Sernageomin – Government of Chile.
The 2nd Annual LatAm Mine Water Conference 2013 will identify best practices adopted to effectively manage and retain water cost, navigate the legal environment for water in Latin America and showcase senior water management professionals and their evaluation on key challenges in mine water management and the way forward.
Learn more here.
Don’t miss your chance to interact and exchange ideas with the rapidly growing network of ESP members, practitioners, educators, policy-makers, researchers, and many others from all continents. Be part of special sessions and working-groups producing outcomes ranging from journal articles, white papers, book chapters, grant proposals, database structures, websites, and much more.
The emphasis of this 6th International ESP conference will be on the practical application of the ecosystem services concept in planning, management and decision making, and the development of case studies.
Deadlines
- 1 March 2013: deadline for submission of workshop ideas (ESP members have priority)*
- 1 May 2013: deadline for submission of abstracts (for all types of sessions) (see our abstract page)
- 15 June 2013: deadline ‘early bird’ registration (see our registration page)
* for workshop-suggestions please send an email to ESP Support
# Information how to submit abstracts, and how to register will follow soon
Program
Like the previous ESP-conferences, the program will consist of a mix of plenary sessions, workshops (organized by the ESP-working groups), Open Topic sessions (proposed and organized by all participants) and Special Sessions devoted to specific topics proposed by the co-organizers, ESP partner organisations and sponsors.
The conference is scheduled for 4.5 days (Monday-midday – Friday-afternoon) with a mid-term excursion to experience Ecosystem Services in practice at one of the ICRAF-CGIAR field sites.
Read more about the event here.
This conference will be held around the theme ‘Harnessing Ecosystem Based Approaches for Food Security and Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa’. It is convened by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and other UN agencies, governments, research institution, NGOs, scholars, donors, and local governments. The event will consist of a combination of plenary and panel group discussions, which will provide a platform for participants to interact and learn about the latest ideas and practices in harnessing ecosystems services for food security and climate change adaptation.
Go to the website for more information.
Europe – exact location TBC
Theme: Addressing the food, water, energy and climate nexus
More information will be provided in due course.
If you would like to be involved in this event, please contact
[email protected] to discuss potential opportunities and the best way you can help support and participate in this conference.
The 2nd International Conference on Biodiversity & Sustainable Energy Development provides a platform for scientists, engineers, directors of companies and students in the field of Biodiversity to meet and share their knowledge.
Go to the event website for more information.
Understanding the fundamentals underlying forest ecology and the use of tropical forests has become indispensable to manage the provision of environmental services in a sustainable manner in highly fragmented landscapes. While in recent years valuable information has been generated in multiple research projects, it has not been effectively transmitted to the various bodies that influence the management of forests. In fact, within Panama and Latin America there is a great need for training opportunities to help guide informed decision making about the management, use and restoration of tropical forests. Since 2007, the Environmental Leadership and Training Initiative (ELTI) has been facilitating various conferences and training courses in order to provide different stakeholders with the knowledge and tools on how to conserve and restore forests and biodiversity in the tropical regions of Latin America and Asia.
This field-based course will take place at STRI’s Agua Salud Project research site, located in the Panama Canal Watershed. Research at Agua Salud seeks to understand and quantify the ecological, social and economic services provided by tropical forests in the Panama Canal Watershed undergoing different types of land use and the effects of climate change. Such ecosystem services play a central role in the operation of the Panama Canal and subsequently world commerce. Over a period of five days, the course aims to provide the technical basis necessary to design and implement restoration strategies to increase the provision of ecosystem services in different land uses. The course has been designed to convey advances in ecology and restoration of ecosystem services for professionals and technicians working in government institutions, NGOs and the private sector, through a series of presentations, discussion sessions and field based exercises. Foresters, agronomists, veterinarians as well as contractors, consultants and other working groups involved in land management projects, reforestation and natural resource management in Panama and other countries in Latin America are encouraged to apply.
Read more about the event here.
The 2013 International Conference on Water Sustainability in Arid Regions will be held in Lanzhou, China, on 12-14 August 2013. The conference will bring scientists, scholars, and practitioners together to address the intensifying water crisis facing the global arid regions. Setting water sustainability as the guiding principle, the main themes of the conference are: Water cycle and landscape patterns; Global change and water resources management; and Water and Ecosystem Services. The conference will consist of workshops and presentations and exhibitions. Post conference excursions will be organized to explore the physical and cultural characteristics of unique glacier, grassland, oasis, and desert systems in Northwest China.
Read more about the event here.
The Water Environment Federation and the International Water Association, in cooperation with the British Columbia Water & Waste Association and the Water Environment Research Foundation are pleased to announce a Specialty Conference covering the latest research and experience in all management aspects of nutrient removal.
An important focus of this conference includes issues related to integrated nutrient management approaches for the beneficial and sustainable operation of wastewater facilities worldwide; the sustainable design, construction, and operation of sophisticated nutrient removal processes: including greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints; energy efficiency, recovery, and reuse; sidestream treatment; nutrient recovery; chemical usage; and the development and application of sustainability metrics. Further information on the program can be viewed on the technical draft program list above.
Go to the event website for more information.
The conference will discuss and explore new and innovative methods of treatment,
better understanding and assessment of resources and their supporting ecosystems, proper
management for conservation and approaches to achieve the dual aim of economic
development and ecological sustainability. The focus is the necessary infrastructure to
provide good quality water, in sufficient quantity, in the most sustainable manner.
The conference will provide the opportunity to bring together scientists, engineers and
practicing professionals from government departments, international aid agencies, private
institutions, consulting establishments, research institutes and university organizations. We
expect 500 delegates to attend the conference, but facilities are available for a much larger
number.
Go to the event website for more details.
Water is critical to all aspects of development. The IDB Sustainability Roundtable will provide a forum for leaders working in Latin America and the Caribbean to explore emerging challenges and share new approaches to integrated water resources management. The fourm takes place from 1-5 pm.
Go to the event website for more information.
The biennial International Congress for Conservation Biology is recognized as the most important global meeting for conservation professionals and students.
The congress features a dynamic scientific program with more than 100 cutting edge symposia, workshops, posters, and focus groups; countless networking opportunities, fantastic field trips, and world-renowned speakers.
The 26th ICCB takes place in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Chesapeake Bay is the world’s most productive estuary and the region is rich in cultural and historical heritage and conservation challenges and success stories.
If you have questions about ICCB, including the Calls for Proposals, email John Cigliano, chair of the Local Organizing Committee.
Go to the event website for more information
It’s been a decade since EPA’s Water Quality Trading Policy was established. Financial, regulatory and demographic challenges and opportunities underscore the need for innovative tools and market-based strategies. The U.S. Water Alliance’s Business Advisory Council will convene key policy makers, industry leaders, agriculture, environmental groups, and others to discuss practices and policies for advancing market-based solutions aimed at accelerating the cleanup up of impaired waters around the Nation on July 18 at the Hilton Netherland Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio.
The dialogue will highlight advances made in trading over the past decade, continuing concerns, and the future of trading based on growing needs, new technologies, developing standards, and greater transparency and accountability. Is it time for updating and improving a national water quality trading policy based on lessons to date? How do we find common ground on the best ways to accelerate the pace of environmental progress?
Please join us around a large and diverse table to share insights and explore opportunities for water’s future. Click here for more information.
Please join the American Carbon Registry (ACR) and Marten Law on July 17 in Sacramento for a one-day symposium on California’s cap-and-trade program.
The symposium will provide up-to-date information on generating, acquiring, and trading California compliance instruments. It will take place the day preceding ARB’s “Proposed Amendments to the California Cap-and-Trade Program” public workshop.
Stakeholders at both ends of the carbon value chain — regulated entities that need to acquire and retire compliance instruments and unregulated entities with assets that may be used to generate offsets — will benefit from presentations about how the carbon market works, who are the stakeholders and what roles they play, how to manage risks in the market, and the benefits and long-term implications of different compliance strategies.
This one day symposium features presentations from ACR and Marten Law, as well as expert panels of highly regarded industry leaders. The format of the symposium will provide ample opportunity to network and receive answers to your questions.
More information about the workshop, including a detailed agenda and a registration link, coming soon.
Read more about the event here.
1:00 – 2:30 EST / 10:00 – 11:30 PST
Space is limited, so REGISTER NOW for this free webinar
Winrock’s American Carbon Registry (ACR) has approved a voluntary carbon offset methodology for Emission Reductions in Rice Management Systems, applicable to Agricultural Land Management (ALM) project activities that involve a change in rice cultivation practices.
Developed by Terra Global Capital LLC with support from Applied Geosolutions LLC, the Environmental Defense Fund and the California Rice Commission, the methodology is modular in structure, lending itself to applicability in rice-growing regions around the world.
The methodology as currently approved by ACR includes a regional calibration module for eligible activities in California. ACR is seeking stakeholder feedback on an expansion of the methodology to include eligible activities in Mid-South rice production.
Join the ACR webinar to learn more about and provide feedback to ACR on the methodology. Presentations will be made by Terra Global Capital, Environmental Defense Fund, Applied Geosolutions and ACR. Please direct any questions regarding webinar registration to Paul Burman at
[email protected].
Read more about the event
here.
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has approved the American Carbon Registry (ACR), a nonprofit enterprise of Winrock International, as an Early Action Offset Program Registry (EAOP) as well as an Offset Project Registry (OPR) for the California Cap-and-Trade Program. Please join ACR and guest speaker Greg Mayeur from ARB for this webinar to learn more about California Early Action Offset Projects. Topics include:
- Review of ARB-approved Early Action Quantification Methodologies & key differences from the ARB Compliance Offset Protocols
- Process for Early Action Offset Project listing and verification
- Issuance of Early Action Offset Credits
- Steps required to transition Early Action Offset Credits to ARB Offset Credits
Please direct any questions regarding webinar registration to Paul Burman at
[email protected].
Read more about the event
here.
Activities related to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) in developing countries can contribute significantly to rural development and to broader development objectives, and there is increasing demand for integrating REDD+ within green economy and green growth efforts. However, there is only nascent understanding and knowledge, both within international organizations and other REDD+ actors, and in developing countries, of how to establish mutually reinforcing links between ongoing REDD+ activities and a green economy transition.
Over the past three years, the UN-REDD Programme has developed a body of work on ‘Ensuring that REDD+ and a Green Economy transformation are mutually reinforcing’, based on pilot activities in a number of partner countries. The Global Symposium aims to take stock of the lessons learned, with a view to provide key decision makers with a stronger rationale for linking REDD+ planning and REDD+ investments with green economy efforts. The Symposium will focus on the role of comprehensive land-use planning for capturing environmental, economic and social benefits from REDD+ investments.
The Symposium will serve three main objectives:
- To generate further political momentum for REDD+ by showcasing how it can catalyze green economy/green growth efforts
- To build a stronger ‘business case’ for increased investments into REDD+ readiness and implementation by illustrating how it can yield multiple returns on investment
- To build capacity for achieving synergies between REDD+ and a green economy transition
The Symposium will be held on the 19-21 June in Indonesia (Venue to be announced soon). Symposium participants will be invited to share knowledge and experience on linking REDD+ with green economy/green growth efforts in UN-REDD partner countries. Results of the Symposium will form the basis of a global report on ‘REDD+ in a Green Economy’, to be prepared by the UNEP International Resource Panel.
Read more about the event here.
The 13th Annual American Ecological Society meeting focuses on the theme of Ecosystems for Water and Energy. As the complexities of the problems affecting world growth and sustainability are uncovered, it is becoming increasingly clear that it is impossible to consider water or energy in isolation from each other. It takes energy to treat polluted waters and producing and transferring energy frequently requires a clean source of water. More researchers and engineers are exploring and even implementing ecologically-engineered solutions that concurrently address both water and energy problems. For example, biomass production for bioenergy has the potential to either improve of degrade water quality – depending on agricultural practices. Anaerobic digestion has the potential to be combined with ecosystems, such as treatment wetlands and algal ponds, to both produce clean energy and reclaim wastewaters.
Hosted by Michigan State University. 10-12 June, 2013. East Lansing MI, USA.
Learn more here.
