Chap 7 - Global institutions, policies and initiatives

Question 1

Established by the UN in 1988, the organization assesses “the scientific
basis of risk of human-induced climate change and options for adaptation and mitigation.” UNEP and World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) are parent organizations.

Answer 1

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Question 2

Established in 1966 to help countries eradicate poverty, reduce
inequalities, build institutions, and foster resilience “in order to sustain development results.” It works in
concert with other organizations to further progress toward meeting the SDGs and annually publishes a Human
Development Report, assessing challenges and progress.

Answer 2

UN Development Programme (UNDP)

Question 3

Established as a UN Agency in 1948, it now has 150 country offices worldwide.
It works “side by side with governments and other partners to ensure the highest attainable level of health for
all people” by directing and coordinating health issues across the UN System and within:

Answer 3

World Health Organization (WHO)

Question 4

UN’s principal judicial organ

Answer 4

International Court of Justice

Question 5

established in 1961 “to promote
policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.

Answer 5

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Question 6

Established in 1944 to support global development. Today it is comprised of five institutions:
* International Finance Corporation (IFC)
* International Development Association
* Multilateral Guarantee Agency
* International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
* International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes

Answer 6

World Bank

Question 7

Established in 1996 and presently has 164 country members. Its primary
purpose is to “help trade flow as freely as possible” through monitoring policies and providing a forum for negoti-
ations and handling disputes

Answer 7

World Trade Organization (WTO)

Question 8

Established in 1992 and
expanded in the late 1990s to include EU-based corporations and again in the early 2000s to eight global offices
today. It provides sustainable business consulting and research services, such as the annual “State of Sustain-
able Business” survey (with GlobeScan), with the aim to mainstream sustainable business practices in the global
economy by promoting business transformation.

Answer 8

Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)

Question 9

The measure of biologically productive land and water required to produce all the resources consumed and to absorb the waste generated. The carbon footprint is one part of this measurement.

Answer 9

Ecological Footprint

Question 10

Dedicated to providing “ecological footprint

Answer 10

Global footprint Network

Question 11

Since its founding in 1992, it has served as a collaborative partner to the UN’s sustainable development
efforts. An international business membership organization with 200 members and a network of 60 national and regional business councils, its global initiatives have included the SDG Compass (to help companies navigate
the SDGs); promotion of inclusive business practices; periodic reports on business sustainability practices; and
task forces on major business sustainability issues.

In addition, it partnered with the World Resources Institute (WRI) on the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Initiative, which has become the universal standard used for developing and maintaining GHG inventories.

Answer 11

World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)

Question 12

A term that refers to sustainable business solutions that expand access to goods, services, and livelihood opportunities for low-income communities in commercially viable ways. Going beyond philanthropy, this type of business melds development and business goals to deliver higher socio-economic value to communities.

Answer 12

Inclusive Business

Question 13

Developed by World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD), this protocol provides a global standard for measuring, managing, and reporting on greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to their Corporate Standard, they provide industry specific guidance on Scope 3, Supply Chain, Product Life Cycle, and reduction Project accounting.

Answer 13

Greenhouse gas protocol

Question 14

established in 2002, is a partnership of more than 100 national green building
industry councils, which establish green building standards and certifications and provide education for the industry and consumers

Answer 14

World green building council

Question 15

premier global land-conservation organization, having protected more than 50 million hectares of land and thousands of miles of rivers worldwide.

Answer 15

Nature Conservancy

Question 16

focused on ocean ecological health, including “solutions”
concerning trash-free seas, sustainable fisheries, restoring the Gulf, confronting ocean acidification, ocean
planning, and protecting the Arctic

Answer 16

Ocean conservancy

Question 17

the world’s largest conservation organization by membership,
with more than five million supporters worldwide, working in nearly 100 countries and supporting around 3,000 conservation and environmental projects.It has invested over $1 billion in more than 12,000 conservation initiatives since 1995

Answer 17

World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)

Question 18

Founded in 1990 by a group of mayors and council members, who represented 200 city governments from 43 countries, who went to the United Nations to exert their
role in halting the pollution crisis. The group was a particularly powerful constituency in driving local contributions to the Montreal Protocol

Answer 18

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

Question 19

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Convention on Biological Diversity, and the
UN Convention to Combat Desertification

Answer 19

UN conventions that came out of the Rio Earth Summit

Question 20

established in 1990 and serves projects in more
than 70 countries. Its mission is human development and sustainability via research, projects, and partnerships. Its
strategic goals relate to economic law and policy, water, energy, knowledge, resilience, and reporting service

Answer 20

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

Question 21

formed in 2007 by and for sustainability
professionals working across sectors with the vision of “making sustainability standard practice around the
world.” Since its founding, it has become the leading professional association for the industry, providing
career connection and professional development for professionals in business, industry, nonprofit, higher
education, and other sectors, as well as developing the Sustainability Excellence professional credentials, the SEA
and SEP

Answer 21

International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP)

Question 22

From its founding in 1948, it has grown to a large and diverse environmental network involving 1,300 member organizations and 16,000 natural world experts with a mission to inform and empower ecological conservation efforts worldwide.

Answer 22

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Question 23

This convention was an outcome of the 1992 WCED summit in Rio de Janeiro and entered into force in 1993. It has three key objectives–to conserve biological diversity, support the sustainable use of biological diversity’s components, and promote the equitable sharing of benefits that arise from using genetic resources.

Answer 23

UN Convention on Biological Diversity

Question 24

Global research nonprofit organization established in 1982 with funding from
the MacArthur Foundation

Answer 24

World Resources Institute (WRI)

Question 25

The supreme decision-making body comprised of the parties that have ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It has met on an annual basis since 1995, to evaluate progress on the project mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. As of February 2003, it is comprised of 188 countries.

Answer 25

Conference of the Parties (COPs)

Question 26

Ratified in 1988, this framework convention, laid the groundwork for the Montreal Protocol. Its objective was to promote research, facilitate the exchange of information, and adopt measures that would mitigate activities that deplete the ozone layer.

Answer 26

Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer

Question 27

In addition to tracking GHGs, the IPCC Assessment Reports track anthropogenic gases that have the potential to deplete the Earth’s atmospheric ozone layer. Used widely in refrigeration and as solvents, these gases are covered under the Montreal Protocol.

Answer 27

Ozone depleting substance (ODS)

Question 28

Widely considered one of the most effective environmental agreements, this protocol set forth a timetable for the mandatory phase-out of all ozone depleting substances. Included among these substances are CFCs, halons and HCFCs, chemicals with high global warming potential.

Answer 28

Montreal Protocol

Question 29

Passed in 1972, this act protects human and environmental health from the effects of air pollution. Over the years, it has been used to cut ozone, sulfur and nitrogen dioxide in order to address acid rain, and remove lead from gasoline. In 2007, the US Supreme Court upheld the EPA’s ability to regulate GHG emissions under this legislation. This action made it possible for the US to drive clean energy efforts despite political opposition.

Answer 29

Clean Air Act (CAA)

Question 30

A family of chemicals that are nontoxic and nonflammable that are used by industry in such applications as aerosols, solvents, and refrigerants. One example, Freon (CHC-12) was used for decades in refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners. Because they react with the upper atmosphere, they have a high ozone depleting potential (ODP) and are therefore banned under the Montreal Protocol.

Answer 30

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)

Question 31

Each greenhouse gas captures infrared radiation and reflects it back out into the atmosphere at a different rate, thus having a different potential to warm the Earth. This is the term normalizes this potential relative to carbon dioxide (CO2)—the least impactful off all GHGs. This makes it possible to compare their relative impacts on climate change.

Answer 31

Global warming potential (GWP)

Question 32

Formed through cellular respiration, the decomposition of biomass, and combustion, excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect. This is one of the greenhouse gases that nations are required to track under the Kyoto Protocol. According to the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) it has a global warming potential of 1.

Answer 32

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Question 33

A key agreement arrived at by participants to the 1992 Earth Summit included these 15 non-legally binding principles.

Answer 33

Forest principles

Question 34

A non-binding action plan for sustainable development adopted at the Earth Summit, it provided a wide-ranging blueprint to drive sustainable development around the world.

Answer 34

Agenda 21

Question 35

This is the common name for a conference that was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. During its convening of 172 governments, parties sought to rethink economic development. The conference resulted in 5 pivotal outcomes: Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; Agenda 21; Statement of Land Resources: Deforestation; UN Framework Convention On Climate Change; UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

Answer 35

Earth Summit

Question 36

It set forth 27 principles to guide sustainable development. It was meant to lay the groundwork for future “international agreements which respect the interests of all and protect the integrity of the global environmental and developmental system

Answer 36

Rio Declaration on Environment and Development,

Question 37

The effect of human activity on climate change.

Answer 37

anthropogenic

Question 38

This convention was an outcome of the 1992 WCED summit in Rio de Janeiro and entered into force in 1993. It has three key objectives--to conserve biological diversity, support the sustainable use of biological diversity’s components, and promote the equitable sharing of benefits that arise from using genetic resources

Answer 38

UN Convention on Biological Diversity

Question 39

The Kyoto Protocol created this commodity market for greenhouse gases. It allows countries to monetize any excess capacity by selling their “assigned amount units” (AAUs) to countries that have exceeded their targets. In addition, Annex B countries may trade RMUs, EURs, and CERs on this market.

Answer 39

International emissions trading

Question 40

A mechanism established by the Kyoto Protocol designed to encourage project-based emission reduction activities in developing countries. Purchasing the CERs produced by these projects allows Annex 1 countries to meet their reduction commitments.

Answer 40

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

Question 41

Established by the Kyoto Protocol, this mechanism encourages the implementation of collaborative climate change mitigation projects between two Annex 1 countries. It allows for the creation, acquisition and transfer of “emission reduction units” (ERUs).

Answer 41

Joint implementation

Question 42

Under the Joint Implementation (JI) mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol, these carbon credits may be transferred from the account of the host country (the place where the emissions reduction project is located) to that of the investor country. These compliance credits help Annex 1 countries meet their emissions reduction targets.

Answer 42

Emission reduction unit (ERU)