The document discusses several key messages about environmental sustainability globally and regionally. Globally, while progress has been made in human development, this progress is threatened by unsustainable environmental policies. Environmental sustainability and equity are closely linked. The transition economies of the former Soviet Union compare well to other regions but also have some concerns. Specific examples show how UNDP can help countries address issues like energy efficiency.

2. Key messages
 Global:
 World has made major progress during past two decades . . .
 . . . But this progress is increasingly threatened by
unsustainable environment policies and practices
 Environmental sustainability and equity are closely linked
 Sustainability is about inter-generational equity . . .
 . . . But what about intra-generational equity?
 More equal societies have better development indicators
 “Double burden”: Many of the world’s poor bear
environmental risks as well as income poverty,
 These issues will be taken up at UNCSD in Rio (June 2012)
 Regional:
 Transition economies of the former Soviet
Union, Balkans, new EU member states compare well with
other regions . . .
 . . . But there are causes for concern as well
 Concrete examples of how UNDP can help

3. Possible development consequences of
environmental unsustainability
Human development
index: Per-capita
GNI, life
expectancy, years of
education

4. The world is warming—Implications?
Sea levels: Rising
Natural disasters:
Average annual
number has doubled in
last 25 years
Greatest impact born
by low HDI countries
• Greatest forest cover losses
(11% since 1990)
• Poorest households, countries
can not afford to reforest

5. Precipitation patterns also changing
Avg. value,
1951 - 1980
Avg. value,
2000s

6. “Double burden” of income poverty,
poor access to key resources
90% Poor households are likely to:
80%
• cook with wood, dung
Form of • not have access to improved
deprivation water, sanitation services
35%
Multiple deprivations:
• 80% of poor households
experience two or more
deprivations
Modern Sanitation Water
cooking • 29% face all three
fuels
Particular burden on women

7. How much finance is needed?
 For climate change
mitigation, adaptation:
 Estimates are uncertain . . .
 . . . Ranging from $500 billion to $2
trillion, annually
 For water and sanitation: $60 billion
annually
 Most of this must come from private
sector . . .
. . . But how effective are carbon markets?

8. Public finance and climate change
 ODA needed to leverage carbon markets
 Promote market deepening by reducing:
 Risks
 Transactions costs
 Larger role for Russia, BRICS, non-
OECD/DAC donors?
 Financial transactions tax?
 EU has pledged to introduce this in 2012 . . .
 . . . But not for development, carbon finance

9. How much finance is coming?
• Copenhagen summit (2009):
“Green climate fund”
• Developed countries are to
provide $100 billion annually in
climate finance for developing
countries by 2020
• “New, additional monies”
• 2010: $97 billion in carbon
finance flows
• $93 billion—mitigation
• Private sector: $55 billion
• ODA:
• $39 billion—mostly via
development banks . . .
•. . . Most not “new and additional”
• Carbon markets: “only”
provided $2.3 billion
Source: The Economist (5 November 2011)

10. Rio + 20—Issues
• Financing the
transition to low-
carbon growth?
• MDGs after 2015?
• Sustainable
development
goals?
• Reform of global
environmental
governance?
• Binding emissions
targets?

11. Regional dimension
 Transition economies of the former
Soviet Union, Balkans, new EU
member states:
 Compare well with other regions . . .
 . . . But there are causes for concern as well
 There are good examples to be
replicated, scaled up
 Public sector energy efficiency in Croatia
 UNDP can help with this

12. Russia, transition economies:
High/very high HDI levels
OECD countries (2004 new
EU member states), Croatia
Moldova, Central Asia
(except Kazakhstan)
Human development
index: Per-capita
GNI, life
Russia, other FSU, plus expectancy, years of
Turkey, Southeast Europe education

13. Forest cover is returning
2%
1%
Asia, PacificEurope, Central AsiaArab states
Latin America, Caribbean
Sub-Sahara Africa
Change in square
kilometres of forest
coverage, 1990-2010 -8%
-10%
-12%

14. Greenhouse gas emissions:
Global convergence? . . .
100
Tons of CO2 equivalent emitted per $1 of GDP
80
60
Kazakhstan
Russia
40
Ukraine
Global
20
0
UNFCCC, IMF data; UNDP calculations.

15. . . . Or are transition economies
still outliers?
1.7
1.6 1.6 Tons of CO2 equivalent
emitted per $1 of GDP (2008)
1.4
1.0
0.5
0.2 0.2
0.1 0.1
UNFCCC, IMF data; UNDP calculations.

16. Many transition economies
beat the global average
0.5
Tons of CO2 equivalent
0.4 emitted per $1 of GDP (2008)
0.3 0.3
0.3 0.3
0.2
Global Slovakia Croatia Armenia Lithuania Albania Latvia
UNFCCC, IMF data; UNDP calculations.

17. Carbon finance: not coming
Joint implementation Clean development
projects approved* mechanism projects
approved*
400 212
Europe and Central Asia Europe and Central Asia
Rest of the world Rest of the world
*As of 31 August 2011
John O’Brien, “Carbon finance: Opportunities and reality”, Development and Transition

18. Carbon finance: What
is to be done?
 Reduce high transactions
costs for projects, by:
 Accelerating project approval
 Increasing project size
 “Bundling” projects together
 Capacity development for:
 Designated national
authorities
 Private companies working in:
 Energy efficiency
 Renewables
 Project beneficiaries

19. UNDP can help—Croatia
 UNDP, Global Environmental Facility programme on
public-sector energy efficiency
 Results (2006-2010):
 Energy systems in 5900 public buildings refitted
 Energy audits conducted in 1346 public buildings
 $18 million in initial annual public-sector energy savings
 Annual CO2 emissions reduced by 63,000 tons
 “Energy charter” signed by all 127 municipalities
 17 new companies, 150 energy efficiency expert jobs created
 $4 million in UNDP-GEF funding leveraged $30 million in
additional investment
Louisa Vinton, “Going green with Gašpar”, Development and Transition

20.  UNDP’s regional
research bulletin, for
Europe and Central Asia
 Provides
UN, independent views
on
development, transition,
policy, programming
 Disseminates lessons of
successful UN projects
 Published in Russian
and English
 Distributed to:
 All UNDP staff in
Europe, Central Asia region
 4000 external subscribers
www.developmentandtransition.net

21. We can make a difference
 Rio—Big
picture: Need
to make a push
for sustainable
development
 UNDP can
make a
difference on
the
ground, with
local partners
and
governments