Senegal Direct Access Project Showcased as Model of Adaptation and Poverty Reduction

(Bonn, Germany, 7 November 2012) – As part of its Momentum for Change Initiative, the United Nations Climate Change secretariat has begun presenting the latest round of public-private “lighthouse activities” in developing countries, meaning they either help to curb greenhouse gas emissions or help people adapt to climate change, while at the same time benefitting the urban poor.

The nine activities will be showcased at special events at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar (26 November to 7 December), and can already be viewed on the UNFCCC website. The activities include the promotion of electric buses and rickshaws in Sri Lanka, energy efficient brick kilns in Peru, a project to support to the work of clean energy entrepreneurs in Uganda, and combatting coastal erosion in Senegal.

“We are very excited to showcase this year’s lighthouse activities as they demonstrate the commitment by communities, civil society organizations, local governments and private businesses to take concrete action to address climate change. The examples are inspiring and encouraging, not least for governments who have already set the course towards greater climate resilience, but who need to take the next essential steps to galvanize the speed and scope of climate action,” said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres.

Two key criteria for the selection of the initiatives are that they have proven to be effective and have the potential to be replicated in other countries and communities. They were selected by an international advisory panel as part of the UNFCCC’s Momentum for Change Initiative, which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Interested stakeholders will have the opportunity to interact with the activity partners in two social media discussions ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha. The first is scheduled to take place on 14 November and the second event is scheduled to takes place a week later, on 21 November. Participants can join in via Twitter using the hashtag #m4c2012.

 The nine lighthouse activities are:

  • Solar Sister, a door-to-door green energy social enterprise in Uganda;
  • The Ahmedabad bus rapid transit system in India, which created an integrated and accessible public transport system;
  • BioComp Nepal, a waste reduction project involving composting organic waste in Nepal;
  • Energy efficiency in artisanal brick kilns in Latin America (EELA) in Peru, which promotes cleaner-burning artisanal brick kilns;
  • Lifestraw Carbon For Water in Kenya, which uses carbon financing to fund household level water purification packs;
  • Adaptation to coastal erosion in vulnerable areas, an Adaptation Fund-supported activity in Senegal that fights coastal erosion;
  • Lanka Electric Vehicle Association in Sri Lanka, who have piloted the use of electric buses and rickshaws in Colombo;
  • Holistic approaches to community adaptation to climate change, a Namibia-based activity that uses a six-point method to assist local communities in adapting to climate change;
  • Guangzhou bus rapid transit system in China, one of the largest integrated bus rapid transit systems in the world.

More information on the activities, along with a description of the advisory panel and selection criteria.

For further information please contact:

Luis Dávila, Programme Officer, UNFCCC

momentum@unfccc.int, +49 (0) 228-815-1137

 

About Momentum for Change

Momentum for Change aims to create a public platform that raises awareness about concrete mitigation and adaptation actions being implemented by a wide range of stakeholders at regional, national, or local level. Momentum for Change seeks to demonstrate the multiple benefits of addressing climate change and to transform misperceptions surrounding taking action on climate change.

Momentum for Change was successfully launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa at the end of last year. Activities showcased in Durban included providing farmers in the Horn of Africa with micro-insurance against crop failure, the distribution of clean cook stoves, and the use of solar “bottle lights” in the Philippines.

 

About the UNFCCC

With 195 Parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has near universal membership and is the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol has been ratified by 193 of the UNFCCC Parties. Under the Protocol, 37 States, consisting of highly industrialized countries and countries undergoing the process of transition to a market economy, have legally binding emission limitation and reduction commitments. The ultimate objective of both treaties is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.

Follow UNFCCC on Twitter: @UN_ClimateTalks

Follow Momentum for Change on Twitter: @Momentum_UNFCCC

Follow UNFCCC Executive Secretary on Twitter: @CFigueres