Raising the Bar – Advancing Environmental Disclosure in Sustainability Reporting
United Nations Environment Programme
November 2015 :: 70 pages
Pdf: http://apps.unep.org/publications/index.php?option=com_pub&task=download&file=011862_en
Overview
This global cross-sector report assesses the environmental dimension of sustainability reporting and provides recommendations to make environmental reporting important to all stakeholders. It analyses what the key and most common environmental disclosure items are and provides practical recommendations for companies and other reporting organizations on how these items should be measured and reported, supported with best practice examples. In addition, it explores emerging areas of research in this domains, as well as innovative reporting practices.

Press Release
Raising the Bar on Corporate Sustainability Reporting to Meet Ecological Challenges Globally
A new UNEP Report urges companies to align their sustainability performance and reporting to match expectations of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Paris, 12 November 2015 – Companies are failing to accurately reflect the scale and extent of their environmental impacts, a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has found.

In the case of greenhouse gas emissions, only 9 out of 108 (8 per cent) surveyed companies have established reduction targets in accordance with the science-based target of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius – the central goal of the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, December 2015.

Launched today at the Reporting 3.0 Conference in Berlin, Germany, the report, Raising the Bar – Advancing Environmental Disclosure in Sustainability Reporting, calls on companies to do more to address the environmental and social impacts of their operations, as required in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

UNEP’s analysis of 108 company sustainability reports found that they typically disclose data on four key areas:
:: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (reported by 95 per cent of surveyed companies);
:: Energy (83 per cent);
:: Water (81 per cent);
:: Materials/Waste (75 per cent).

However, the quality of these reports is insufficient to represent the full impacts of a company’s use of resources and materials on the environment and on communities. Such information would improve corporate decision-making and add value to businesses in the short and long terms…

United Nations – Secretary General, Security Council, General Assembly  [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/
Selected Press Releases/Meetings Coverage

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13 November 2015
GA/L/3513
As Working Groups Present Reports, Legal Committee Chair Disappointed Delegations Still Unable to Conclude Draft Convention on International Terrorism
Prior to approving without a vote the request for Observer status in the General Assembly for the Union for the Mediterranean, the Sixth Committee (Legal) today heard oral reports of its three working groups, noting once again that delegations had been unable to conclude a draft comprehensive convention on measures to eliminate international terrorism, a situation the Chair lamented.

12 November 2015
GA/EF/3439
Second Committee Passes Resolutions Reaffirming Rights of Palestinian People over Natural Resources, Recognizes Right to Claim Restitution
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) approved three resolutions today, one of them reaffirming the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the population of occupied Syrian Golan over their land, water and energy resources.

12 November 2015
GA/11722
Examining Security Council’s Annual Report, Speakers in General Assembly Urge More Analysis, Criticize Response to Syrian Crisis, Terrorism as Inadequate
Sounding a united call for future reports of the Security Council to the General Assembly to be more analytical and less descriptive, a score of non-Council Member States today addressed specific conflict situations, as well as cross-cutting issues affecting cooperation between the Council and other organs of the United Nations.

12 November 2015
SC/12117
Condemning Increasing Violence in Burundi, Security Council Unanimously Adopts Resolution 2248 (2015), States Intention to Consider ‘Additional Measures’
The Security Council today strongly condemned increasing killings, torture and other human rights violations in Burundi, and stated its intention to consider “additional measures” against all actors whose actions and statements impeded the search for a peaceful solution to the crisis in the East African nation.

11 November 2015
SC/12115
Iraqi Government Efforts to Advance Reform, National Reconciliation Face Increased Security, Humanitarian Challenges, Special Representative Tells Security Council
The Government led by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi continued efforts to fulfil its reform agenda even as the scope and complexity of Iraq’s security, political, social, budgetary and humanitarian challenges increased, Ján Kubiš, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), told the Security Council this morning.

11 November 2015
DSG/SM/915-REF/1218
Failure of Refugee, Migration Governance Fatal, Deputy Secretary-General Tells Valletta Summit, Noting Death of Thousands on Journey to Better Life

10 November 2015
SC/12113
Security Council Renews Measures to Combat Piracy, Armed Robbery off Somali Coast, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2446 (2015)
The Security Council this morning renewed the measures granted to States and regional organizations cooperating with authorities in Somalia in the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of that country for a further period of 12 months.

UN OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true
Selected Press Releases/Announcements

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UN experts welcome the Security Council call on Burundi and urge concrete actions
11/13/2015
:: Sp. Rapporteur on freedom of expression
:: Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
:: Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
:: Sp. Rapporteur on torture
:: Sp. Rapporteur on summary executions
:: Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence
:: Representative of the S-G on internally displaced persons

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UN rights expert raises alarm on “the critical situation faced by indigenous peoples in Honduras”
11/12/2015
:: Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people

SRSG/SVC Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/media/press-releases/

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South Sudan: UN Special Representative welcomes SPLA-IO action plan to combat rape in war and undertakings by Commanders
(New York, 10 November 2015) The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, today commended senior officers from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Sudan People’s Liberation Army (In Opposition), for signing explicit undertakings to prevent conflict-related sexual violence…

UN OCHA [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.unocha.org/media-resources/press-releases
[We generally do not include OCHA Flash Updates on humanitarian crises in this digest]

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13 Nov 2015
Somalia: Somalia: Flash Update 3 Humanitarian Impact of Heavy Rains | 13 November 2015
Somalia Situation overview: While wet conditions persisted in some parts of northern Somalia and areas along the Juba and Shabelle river basins in Somalia and in the Ethiopian Highlands, most areas did not experience heavy rains and floods over the past week, according to the FAO-Managed Somalia Land and Water Information Network (SWALIM)…

12 Nov 2015
Ethiopia: UN Emergency Fund releases $17 million to help communities affected by worst drought to hit Ethiopia in decades
(New York, 12 November 2015) – United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien today released US$17 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support people affected by the worst drought in Ethiopia in decades. UN and partners are supporting the ongoing response led by the Government of Ethiopia. The El Niño global climactic event has wreaked havoc on Ethiopia’s summer rains…

10 Nov 2015
Mali: Women are playing a key role in Mali’s recovery
(New York, 10 November 2015): The Head of Operations at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, John Ging, today applauded the pivotal role played by women in Mali’s recovery from violent conflict. Mr. Ging has just returned from a three-day visit to Mali…

10 Nov 2015
Ethiopia: Ethiopia: Government and Humanitarian partners responding to an El Niño-caused drought emergency
Addis Ababa, 10 November 2015: The El Niño global climactic event has wreaked havoc on Ethiopia’s summer rains. This comes on the heels of failed spring rains, and has driven food insecurity, malnutrition and water shortages in affected areas of the country. Following a rapid assessment in early October, the Government and partners concluded that the number of people requiring emergency food assistance…

UNICEF [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_78364.html
Selected press releases

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UNICEF: Major spike in number of refugee and migrant children on the move in Europe
GENEVA, 13 November 2015 – With record numbers of child refugees and migrants – 700 a day seeking asylum in Europe – UNICEF has identified five groups of vulnerable children and is mobilizing tailored actions to meet their needs.

A digital necklace and a wearable soap win ‘Wearables for Good’ Design Challenge with UNICEF, ARM and frog
HELSINKI/NEW YORK/LONDON, 12 November 2015 – A necklace that stores electronic health data to track child immunization and a wearable soap that helps limit the spread of infectious viruses by encouraging hand washing, have won the Wearables for Good challenge run by UNICEF, ARM and frog.

Maternal deaths fell 44% since 1990 – UN
NEW YORK/GENEVA/WASHINGTON, 12 November 2015 – Maternal mortality has fallen by 44% since 1990, United Nations agencies and the World Bank Group reported today.
[See Week in Review above]

Children’s lives at stake as El Niño strengthens: UNICEF
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 10 November 2015 – An estimated 11 million children are at risk from hunger, disease and lack of water in eastern and southern Africa as a result of a strengthening El Niño, which is also causing droughts and floods in parts of Asia, the Pacific and Latin America, UNICEF warned on Tuesday.

Innovators determined to advance results for children
HELSINKI, Finland/NEW YORK, 9 November 2015 – Over 500 leading thinkers from the technological, academic, corporate, development and humanitarian world are convening in Helsinki today to unlock the way new technologies can drive change for the world’s most vulnerable children.

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=&comid=4a0950336&cid=49aea93a7d&scid=49aea93a40

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Three new winners claim UNHCR Award for Best Research on Statelessness in 2015
13 November 2015

High Commissioner welcomes nomination of successor
12 November 2015

UNHCR condemns attack on camp for internally displaced in Central African Republic town of Batangafo
11 November 2015

UNHCR hails Canada’s pledge to take another 25,000 Syria refugees
10 November 2015

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases
Selected Press Releases

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IOM Welcomes Intercontinental Agreement to Manage African Migration to Europe
11/13/15
Switzerland – A roadmap to manage African migration to Europe has been welcomed by IOM’s Director General William Lacy Swing.

IOM, UNHCR Build Capacity of Libyan Partners to Save Lives of Migrants at Sea
11/13/15
Libya – IOM Tripoli and UNHCR have organized a technical workshop and coordination meeting for Libyan partners on saving lives of migrants at sea.

Consortium Applies New Approach to Security and Stabilization in Eastern DRC
11/13/15
Democratic Republic of the Congo – IOM in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has signed an agreement with the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands to lead an ambitious Consortium that aims to work with local communities and governmental institutions towards the stabilization and peace of the country’s troubled eastern region.

IOM Begins Vaccination of US-Bound Refugees in Rwanda
11/13/15
Rwanda – IOM has begun the vaccination in Kigali, Rwanda of refugees due to be resettled in the United States. The vaccinations are part of a three-day IOM medical health assessment process for the United States Refugee Resettlement Program (USRAP).

USAID Extends Abyei Rehabilitation Initiative
11/13/15
South Sudan – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has extended funding for the IOM-USAID Abyei Rehabilitation Initiative through 2018. The programme is designed to mitigate the risk of conflict and promote recovery in Abyei Administrative Area, an oil-rich territory of more than 10,000 square kilometers contested by Sudan and South Sudan.

IOM Trucks Water to Conflict-Affected Communities in Taiz, Yemen
11/13/15
Yemen – Since November 5th IOM has been assisting the two districts of Taizz city most badly affected by the conflict – Al Qahira and Al Mudhaffar – with water trucking.

Regional Conference on Migration Convenes in Mexico City
11/13/15
Mexico – Government officials from the 11 countries of the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) – Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the United States – participated in the Annual Vice-Ministerial of the group at the 20th RCM meeting held this week in Mexico City.

UN Women [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.unwomen.org/news/stories
Selected Press Releases

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UN Women and WFP unveil expansion of ‘Oases’ safe spaces in Za’atari refugee camp
Date: 11 November 2015
UN Women and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have joined forces to support refugee resilience in Za’atari refugee camp. Nearly 80,000 of the Syrians who have escaped the conflict in Syria have sought shelter at Jordan’s largest refugee camp, Za’atari, where UN Women and WFP are working together to provide economic empowerment programmes for women and girls.

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“Through sport we can teach some of life’s biggest lessons about equality” — Executive Director
Date: 11 November 2015
Address by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at the International Olympic Committee Women in Sport Commission Annual Meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland on 10 November.

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UN Women Deputy Executive Director calls on G7 countries to step up their commitments to women’s economic empowerment
Date: 10 November 2015
Remarks by Deputy Executive Director of UN Women Lakshmi Puri at the International Conference “Economic Empowerment of Women – Unlock the Potential” in Berlin on 9 November.

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“Violence against women and men should not be inevitable” — Executive Director
Date: 09 November 2015
Speech by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at the Colloquium on Violence, Intervention, and Agency at Yale University on 6 November

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html
Selected Press Releases

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UN Development Chief: Tackling Root Causes of Migration Critical to Ending Crisis
Nov 12, 2015
Ending the migration crisis in Europe will require a broad coalition of countries and international organizations to tackle the causes of the mass migration while creating more avenues for legal migration, said United Nations development chief Helen Clark.

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Helen Clark: Statement at the Valletta Summit on Migration
Nov 11, 2015 Valletta, Malta

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UN Development Chief: Resilience Critical to More Effective Syria Response
Nov 10, 2015
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator, Helen Clark affirmed the critical importance of resilience-based development to the international response to the ongoing crisis in Syria, in her closing remarks to the Resilience Development Forum, which UNDP convened over two days, 8 and 9 November 2015, in the Dead Sea in Jordan, hosted by the Government of Jordan.

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1
Selected Press Releases

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Raising the Bar on Corporate Sustainability Reporting to Meet Ecological Challenges Globally
A new UNEP Report urges companies to align their sustainability performance and reporting to match expectations of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
12 November
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Green Climate Fund Starts the Flow of Climate Finance to Developing Countries by Approving First 8 Investments
Board gears up to larger scale projects in the near future
Livingstone, Zambia, 6 November 2015 – The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board approved US $168 million of funding for projects and programmes worth US$ 624 million, marking the end of its launch phase and kick-starting the flow of climate finance through the Fund to developing countries. The activities supported by the Board will generate up to US$ 1.3 billion in investments over the coming five years.

The Board, meeting in Zambia this week, has approved an initial batch of projects, covering mitigation and adaptation measures. The projects include three in Africa, three in Asia-Pacific, and two in Latin America. The partnering entities for the projects include national, regional, and international bodies accredited to the Fund, from both the public and private sectors….

UNISDR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.unisdr.org/archive
Selected Press Releases

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Arab States to implement Sendai Framework
13 Nov 2015
A “road map” for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 in the Arab Region in order to achieve a substantial reduction in disaster losses, was agreed this week in Cairo…

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Mayors call for protection of heritage sites from disasters
13 Nov 2015
Mayors from the 250-member strong Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) have called for member cities to include protection of cultural heritage in disaster risk management plans as set out in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction…

UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news.html
Selected Press Releases

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Disabilities and development: no-one left behind
13 November 2015, New York
The 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, adopted on 25 September 2015, is unprecedented in its efforts to be the most inclusive development framework the international community has ever produced.

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ECOSOC President urges stronger cooperation to thwart tax evasion and avoidance
11 November 2015, New York
Citing an enormous loss of $100 to $240 billion dollars in uncollected global corporate income tax revenues each year, Oh Joon, President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) today stressed the need to curb tax evasion and avoidance and called for stronger international tax cooperation.

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Thousands gather for IGF to discuss potential of Internet for new agenda
9 November 2015, João Pessoa, Brazil
Approximately 5,000 people, including high-level government officials, civil society leaders and internet policy experts, will gather both – in-person and online – at the 10th Annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in João Pessoa, Brazil (10 to 13 November) to discuss the crucial role the internet must play in the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

UNESCO [to 21 November 2015]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Press Releases

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Promoting the status of artists and artistic freedom – experts debate at UNESCO
13 November 2015

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High-level participants from over 50 countries ready to join in the dialogue on gender equality in media
13 November 2015

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Research at the forefront of the global race for sustainable development, says UNESCO report
Paris, 10 November 2015 – Most countries, regardless of their level of income, now see research and innovation as key to fostering sustainable economic growth and furthering their development. This is one of the conclusions of the UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030, to be launched at UNESCO Headquarters on World Science Day, 10 November.
There are fewer grounds today than in the past to deplore a North–South divide in research and innovation. This is one of the key findings of the UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030 launched on 10 November 2015.

Written by about 60 experts who are each covering the country or region from which they hail, the UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030 provides more country-level information than ever before. The trends and developments in science, technology and innovation policy and governance between 2009 and mid-2015 described here provide essential baseline information on the concerns and priorities of countries that should orient the implementation and drive the assessment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the years to come.

:: UNESCO Science Report, Towards 2030
The UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030 provides more country-level information than ever before. The trends and developments in science, technology and innovation policy and governance between 2009 and mid-2015 described here provide essential baseline information on the concerns and priorities of countries that should orient the implementation and drive the assessment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the years to come.
Download the full interactive PDF

UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme [to 21 November 2015]
http://unhabitat.org/media-centre/news/
[Selected Announcements]

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Nairobi hosts GLTN partners’ meeting
Nairobi 12 November 2015— The sixth Partners’ meeting of the Global Land Tool Network was successfully held in Nairobi in early November, in an event that saw the 70 Partners of the network as well as well as other stakeholders in the land sector across the world gather to deliberate on various issues affecting the network and the land sector general…
Posted November 12, 2015

The Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) is an alliance of global, regional, and national partners contributing to poverty alleviation through land reform, improved land management, and security of tenure, particularly through the development and dissemination of pro-poor and gender-sensitive land tools. Secure land tenure and property rights are fundamental to shelter and livelihoods, as well as to the realization of human rights, poverty reduction, economic prosperity, and sustainable development…Through GLTN, UN-Habitat continues to work towards this with partners, including international civil society organizations, international finance institutions, international research and training institutions, donors, and professional bodies.

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2015/en/
[Selected Announcements]

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FAO warns that recent torrential rains and cyclones could favour locust surge
The locust situation in countries normally affected by Desert Locust remained mostly calm in October with only small-scale breeding activity detected, FAO experts said. They noted however, that this could change, in part due to the impact of El Nino in Africa and the tropical cyclones Chapala and Megh in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa.
11-11-2015

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From butter beans to pigeon peas: UN launches International Year of Pulses
Pulses, including all kinds of dried beans and peas, are a cheap, delicious and highly nutritious source of protein and vital micronutrients that can greatly benefit people’s health and livelihoods, particularly in developing countries — that was the UN’s message at the launch of the International Year of Pulses 2016 today.
10-11-2015

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/index.htm

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10 November: Experts gather to discuss how to evaluate second Sustainable Development Goal
Rome, 10 November 2015 – The evaluation offices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the CGIAR will hold a technical seminar to understand how the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG2), which proposes to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030, can be assessed and evaluated. And, more specifically, which actions will be needed to ensure evaluations take place through the United Nations system, other international organizations or national evaluation systems. Results from the workshop will contribute to a broader understanding of whether or not the implementation of the global goals, launched in September by the United Nations General Assembly, can be monitored and evaluated over the long term…

ILO International Labour Organization [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.ilo.org/global/lang–en/index.htm

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Ready Made Garment Sector
Safety inspections for targeted Bangladesh export-oriented RMG factories complete
09 November 2015
The Government of Bangladesh has completed the inspection phase of its efforts to assess exporting ready-made garment (RMG) factories for structural, fire and electrical safety with emphasis now switching to remediation.

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/pressrelease.aspx

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ICAO Welcomes ITU Frequency Allocation Decision
MONTRÉAL, 13 NOVEMBER 2015 – The Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Dr. Fang Liu, today welcomed the positive outcome on ICAO frequency allocation position for global flight tracking at the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU’s) 15th World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva (WRC-15).
“Safety is aviation’s number one priority,” stressed Dr. Liu, “and ICAO is therefore very much encouraged by the positive support our global tracking position has received at WRC-15. The allocation of frequencies enabling satellite-based ADS-B provides a very important piece in the global flight tracking solution which ICAO and the aviation community have been working toward, and will now help it to become a practical and cost-effective reality over remote and high seas airspace.”…

IMO International Maritime Organization [to 21 November 2015]
http://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/Pages/Home.aspx

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Regional agreement on maritime piracy to broaden scope to other illicit maritime activity
13/11/2015
Djibouti Code of Conduct signatories agree to extend remit as regional training centre opens.
An international agreement that has been instrumental in repressing piracy and armed robbery against ships in the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden is set to significantly broaden its scope.

Signatories to the Djibouti Code of Conduct have agreed to work towards extending its remit to address other illicit maritime activity that threatens safety and security in the region, such as marine terrorism, environmental crimes, human trafficking and Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

National focal points for the code, which was adopted under the auspices of the IMO in 2009, have adopted a resolution expressing concern at the increasing risks from transnational organized crimes at sea and other threats to maritime safety and security in the region. They agreed to encourage information sharing on all illicit activities at sea…