At the end of a daylong climate change summit, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon compiled a summary of governmental and private climate and energy commitments. They range from a substantial new push to reduce and eventually eliminate forest loss to boosted investment in a planned clean-energy corridor in Africa.

 

Here are some significant bullet points from the summary:

 

- The New York Declaration on Forests, launched and supported by more than 150 partners, including 28 government, 8 sub-national governments, 35 companies, 16 indigenous peoples groups, and 45 NGO and civil society groups, aims to halve the loss of natural forests globally by 2030.

- Twenty-four leading global producers of palm oil as well as commodities traders committed to contribute to the goal of zero net deforestation by 2020 and to work with Governments, private sector partners and indigenous peoples to ensure a sustainable supply chain.

- Some of the world’s largest retailers of meat and agricultural products committed to adapt their supply chains to reduce emissions and build resilience to climate change. They will assist 500 million farmers in the process.

 

- A coalition of institutional investors, committed to decarbonizing $100 billion by December 2015 and to measure and disclose the carbon footprint of at least $500 billion in investments.

- The insurance industry committed to double its green investments to $84 billion by the end of 2015.

 

- Leaders from 19 countries and 32 partners from Government, regional organizations, development institutions and private investors committed to creating an 8,000 kilometer-long African Clean Energy Corridor.

- The Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture, comprised of 16 countries and 37 organizations, was launched to enable 500 million farmers worldwide to practice climate-smart agriculture by 2030.

- Leaders of the oil and gas industry, along with national Governments and civil society organizations, made an historic commitment to identify and reduce methane emissions by 2020.

- A second industry-led initiative was launched by leading producers of petroleum who committed to address methane as well as other key climate challenges, followed by regular reporting on ongoing efforts. Industry leaders and Governments also committed to reduce HFCs in refrigeration and food storage.

 

These are modest moves. Many were already in the works. But this is a long climate and energy march and it’s great to see the United Nations helping highlight and sustain such initiatives.

 

 

PHOTO: More than 100 heads of state, including President Obama, participated in a summit on climate change at the United Nations on September 23.

CREDIT: UN Photo