The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) Manual for Cities: Ecosystem Services in Urban Management

Posted on: 7 September 2011
By: mackene
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ICLEI President, David Cadman, has launched the latest TEEB tool for cities, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) Manual for Cities: Ecosystem Services in Urban Management. This practical guide for cities highlights how a focus on ecosystem services and their valuation can create direct benefits for urban areas and can be performed even with limited resources. It was written in partnership between ICLEI, the TEEB for Local and Regional Policy Makers team and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The TEEB Manual is a practical resource, outlining the step-by-step strategy introduced in the TEEB Report with real-life examples from cities around the world that have employed this approach. At a European level, the TEEB guidance needs to be translated into action through the development and review of National Biodiversity Strategies. Furthermore, ecosystem values need to be included in discussions about alternative financing and resource mobilisation.

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Liveable Cities Forum: Designing biodiversity friendly communities. Montreal, 21-22 August 2011

Posted on: 22 August 2011
By: isadm
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The Liveable Cities Forum provided an opportunity to discuss the importance of urban biodiversity conservation, and a platform to explore biodiversity management and its application at the local level. Presentations, videos and a summary of the event are available online.

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The feasibility of environmental limits legislation

Posted on: 25 July 2011
By: mackene
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Partly inspired by the Climate Change Act 2008, which the Sustainable Development Commission has described as a “robust and world-leading approach [which] needs to be extended as a matter of urgency to other environmental limits”, this discussion paper considers that option in more detail, and makes recommendations for how this matter might be taken forward, with a view to the UK systematically considering how the decisions we make now will affect future generations across a range of environmental media.

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Environmental Research database

Posted on: 10 July 2011
By: mackene
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An improved and extended version of the Environmental Research database has just been launched on a new website. The database of information about 20,000+ environmental research projects and programmes funded by Defra, NERC, the Environment Agency and 17 other public-sector funders, provides a resource for anyone who is engaged in: developing public or corporate policy; planning or commissioning future research; current research; writing about environmental issues and needs to know what has been and is being done in the UK to understand the natural world and human interaction with it, and to develop solutions to environmental problems. The database can be searched for information on projects or programmes, people, organisations or outputs.

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State of the Environment Report for London 2011

Posted on: 8 July 2011
By: mackene
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This report looks at how London’s environment has changed over the last 10 years, and what challenges the city still faces. This is the first joint State of the Environment report for London, produced by the Greater London Authority, Environment Agency, Natural England and Forestry Commission. The report looks at how the environment has changed over the last decade using a series of environmental indicators, highlighting the improvements that have been made and the challenges we still face. This environmental health check has shown that despite a rising population and challenges from climate change, the quality of London’s environmental is improving. In particular, there have been significant improvements in waste and recycling, public transport, wildlife habitats and urban greening. For the first time, the evidence base used to determine change over time has been published alongside the report, on the London Datastore website.

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The natural choice

Posted on: 7 July 2011
By: mackene
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England’s natural environment will be better protected, restored and improved according to  new plans published by Defra. The proposals set out a detailed programme of action to repair damage done to the environment in the past, and urges everyone to get involved in helping nature to flourish at all levels – from neighbourhoods to national parks. The proposals outlined in the first White Paper on the natural environment in 20 years, are directly linked to the research in the National Ecosystem Assessment published last week that showed the strong economic arguments for safeguarding and enhancing the natural environment. The White Paper also acts on the recommendations of ‘Making Space for Nature’, a report into the state of England’s wildlife sites, led by Professor John Lawton and published in September 2010, which showed that England’s wildlife sites are fragmented and not able to respond to the pressures of climate change and other pressures we put on our land.

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Manual of European Environmental Policy

Posted on: 1 July 2011
By: mackene
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The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and Earthscan have published a renewed Manual of European Environmental Policy. The new and comprehensive source on EU environmental policy is published online by Earthscan and written by an interdisciplinary team of experts from the IEEP. It will also be available later in print form. The Manual provides: the quickest and most efficient way to access analysis of over 500 Directives, Decisions and Regulations and archived environmental policy from 1992 onwards; direct links to referenced legal texts, policy proposals and cases from the European Court of Justice; bi-monthly updates to current legislation, together with details and analysis of any new legislation within eight weeks of release by the EC Commission; interactive features allowing you to cross-reference key terms, save entries, email them, and share with your social network; and advanced search options for quick results. A subscription is required to access the Manual.

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Catalogue of scenario studies: Knowledge base for Forward-Looking Information and Services

Posted on: 1 July 2011
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The European Environment Agency has published a report which brings together a review of available scenario studies relevant to environmental assessment and decision making at the European, or sub-European level, and fact sheets of selected 44 case studies using com mon descriptor categories, which enables the user to review existing scenario studies that may be of relevance to their particular interest and benefit from them. The report also provides a contribution to the evolving knowledge base for Forward-Looking Information and Services (FLIS). The aim of FLIS is to introduce forward-looking components and perspectives into existing environmental information systems to create an expanding knowledge base. This living knowledge base will support networking (including the European Environment Information and Observation Network — Eionet); encourage capacity building and exchange of experiences; facilitate institutional change to ensure that appropriate knowledge and information is available and used in environmental policy making; and enable relevant, credible and scientifically sound forward-looking assessments. Overall it is of crucial importance that forward-looking assessments are well designed, supported by appropriate information systems and fit well into existing policy making processes, enhanced by stakeholder participation. It is also important that institutions at all levels develop their capacities to manage these requirements coherently.

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