http://www.grida.no/rss.aspxPress releases in RSS format(c) 2013, GRID-Arendal5 Geneva, Switzerland – International organizations today released a study finding extremely high levels of toxic chemicals in toys and other products consumed by children. http://www.grida.no/news/press/5526.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5526.aspxWed, 01 May 2013 10:43:00 GMT Bangkok, 6 March 2013 — Populations of elephants in Africa continue to be under severe threat as the illegal trade in ivory grows - with double the numbers of elephants killed and triple the amounts of ivory seized, over the last decade. http://www.grida.no/news/press/5417.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5417.aspxWed, 06 Mar 2013 08:32:00 GMT Bangkok, 4 March 2013 – The illegal trade that sees almost 3,000 live great apes lost from the forests of Africa and Southeast Asia each year is increasingly impacting wild populations as links to organized crime grow stronger. http://www.grida.no/news/press/5415.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5415.aspxMon, 04 Mar 2013 13:33:00 GMT Nairobi, 18 February 2013 – The rush for resources prompted by an apparent acceleration in sea ice melt calls for caution and effective governance to avoid damage to the fragile Arctic environment, according to the UN Environment Programme’s Year Book 2013. http://www.grida.no/news/press/5402.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5402.aspxMon, 18 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT The Norwegian Ministry of Environment has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on continued cooperation and support to GRID-Arendal for the next 10 years. The MoU confirms GRID-Arendal's status as a "Centre of Excellence on Polar and Cryosphere Issues," and as a key partner for UNEP. http://www.grida.no/news/press/5387.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5387.aspxThu, 07 Feb 2013 12:18:00 GMT Geneva/Nairobi, 19 January 2013--International effort to address mercury—a notorious heavy metal with significant health and environmental effects—was today delivered a significant boost with governments agreeing to a global, legally-binding treaty to prevent emissions and releases. http://www.grida.no/news/press/5371.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5371.aspxMon, 21 Jan 2013 09:11:00 GMT Abu Dhabi, January 9, 2013: The Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI), supported by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) recently launched a pioneering ‘Blue Carbon’ project that connects the local natural coastal ecosystem management with climate change mitigation. http://www.grida.no/news/press/5365.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5365.aspxWed, 16 Jan 2013 14:55:00 GMT Nairobi/Geneva, 10 January 2013 - Communities in developing countries are facing increasing health and environmental risks linked to exposure to mercury, according to new studies by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). http://www.grida.no/news/press/5366.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5366.aspxThu, 10 Jan 2013 14:59:00 GMT 29 November 2012, Rome – On 29 November the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Gheorge Salaru, and the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Mr. Eduard Stavytskyi, signed the bilateral Treaty on Cooperation on the Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Dniester River Basin. The signing ceremony took place in the Italian Parliament during the Meeting of the Parties to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention). http://www.grida.no/news/press/5344.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5344.aspxFri, 30 Nov 2012 09:03:00 GMT Arendal, Norway – On October 4th, GRID-Arendal has invited the Fylkesmann’s office to share best practices in data management in Aust-Agder with a delegation from the five Caspian states: Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, and Turkmenistan. The presentation will be part of a four-day training workshop hosted jointly by GRID-Arendal and the European Environmental Agency, taking place in both in Copenhagen and in Arendal. The workshop is being held in support of the Interim Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, also known as the Tehran Convention and will provide delegates with training in environmental data management. http://www.grida.no/news/press/5316.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5316.aspxWed, 03 Oct 2012 22:23:00 GMT Rome, 27 September 2012 – Between 50 to 90 per cent of logging in key tropical countries of the Amazon basin, Central Africa and South East Asia is being carried out by organized crime threatening efforts to combat climate change, deforestation, conserve wildlife and eradicate poverty. http://www.grida.no/news/press/5313.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5313.aspxThu, 27 Sep 2012 13:00:00 GMT RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, June 16, 2012 -- Over 70 countries, civil society groups, private firms and international organizations have declared their support for the new Global Partnership for Oceans (GPO), signaling their commitment to work together around coordinated goals to restore the world’s oceans to health and productivity. http://www.grida.no/news/press/5276.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5276.aspxSat, 16 Jun 2012 14:00:00 GMT Rio, 6 June 2012 - The world continues to speed down an unsustainable path despite over 500 internationally agreed goals and objectives to support the sustainable management of the environment and improve human wellbeing, according to a new and wide-ranging assessment coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). http://www.grida.no/news/press/5266.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5266.aspxWed, 06 Jun 2012 15:29:00 GMT Kautokeino (Norway) / Nairobi, 26 March 2012 – Mongolia’s reindeer herders and their forest homeland are facing unprecedented challenges from unregulated mining, logging, water pollution, climate change and some tourism practices, according to a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). http://www.grida.no/news/press/5237.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5237.aspxMon, 26 Mar 2012 09:00:00 GMT SINGAPORE, February 24, 2012—A powerful coalition of governments, international organizations, civil society groups and private interests are joining together under the banner of a Global Partnership for Oceans to confront widely documented problems of over-fishing, marine degradation, and habitat loss. http://www.grida.no/news/press/5190.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5190.aspxFri, 24 Feb 2012 14:26:00 GMT Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) / Nairobi - How many mangroves does it take to offset a transatlantic flight? What consumer actions can we take to reduce damage to rainforests? http://www.grida.no/news/press/5084.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5084.aspxTue, 13 Dec 2011 14:59:00 GMT Durban / Nairobi, 6 December 2011 - Women, particularly those living in mountain regions in developing countries, are facing disproportionately high risks to their livelihoods and health from climate change, as well as associated risks such as human trafficking, according to a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). http://www.grida.no/news/press/5048.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/5048.aspxTue, 06 Dec 2011 11:58:00 GMT Bergen, Norway, 20 November 2011 – The world is covered by billions of invisible migratory pathways. On land, in the water and in the air, animals on the move depend on the availability of critical sites along their annual journeys. These world wildlife hubs are vital for the animals to refuel and reproduce – one missing link can jeopardize an entire population. http://www.grida.no/news/press/4980.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4980.aspxMon, 21 Nov 2011 11:00:00 GMT Across the planet millions of animals travel with the seasons from one location to the next. Not unlike modern transport systems with interconnected airports, road and railway grids, migratory species depend on a network of habitats and corridors across the planet. Losing a single migration corridor may jeopardize entire populations. On land, in the water and in the air – the UNEP rapid response assessment illustrates why ecological networks require immediate international attention and where on earth intervention is urgently needed for the frequent travellers of the animal world. http://www.grida.no/news/press/4957.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4957.aspxThu, 17 Nov 2011 13:15:00 GMT Jakarta / Nairobi, 28 September 2011 – Conserving key rainforests in Indonesia could generate revenues three times greater than felling them for palm oil plantations. http://www.grida.no/news/press/4888.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4888.aspxWed, 28 Sep 2011 08:05:00 GMT 19th September 2011 - The image of a frozen, timeless Arctic is being dramatically altered by each new scientific study that comes out, replaced by a new reality of rapid change. Governments are staking their claims as industry begins to focus on what an ice-free Arctic will mean for development and transportation. More than ever before, the Arctic is on the geopolitical agenda. http://www.grida.no/news/press/4874.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4874.aspxMon, 19 Sep 2011 12:03:00 GMT Nairobi, 1 September 2011- Nominations are now open for the 2012 Champions of the Earth -- the United Nations' flagship environment award that recognizes outstanding visionaries and leaders in the fields of policy, science, entrepreneurship and civil society action. http://www.grida.no/news/press/4849.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4849.aspxThu, 01 Sep 2011 10:20:00 GMT Nairobi/Stockholm, 22 August 2010 – Recognising healthy ecosystems as the basis for sustainable water resources and stable food security can help produce more food per unit of agricultural land, improve resilience to climate change and provide economic benefits for poor communities, according to a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), in partnership with 19 other organizations. http://www.grida.no/news/press/4851.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4851.aspxMon, 22 Aug 2011 10:29:00 GMT Abuja, 4 August 2011 – The environmental restoration of Ogoniland could prove to be the world’s most wide-ranging and long term oil clean-up exercise ever undertaken if contaminated drinking water, land, creeks and important ecosystems such as mangroves are to be brought back to full, productive health. http://www.grida.no/news/press/4852.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4852.aspxThu, 04 Aug 2011 10:31:00 GMT Wind farms in China and small-scale solar panels on rooftops in Europe were largely responsible for last year’s 32% rise in green energy investments worldwide, according to the latest annual report on renewable energy investment trends issued by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). http://www.grida.no/news/press/4812.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4812.aspxThu, 07 Jul 2011 09:30:00 GMT Marrakesh, Morocco, 6 July 2011 - With more than 1,100 registered participants, the Africa Carbon Forum, the leading regional trade fair and knowledge sharing platform for carbon investments, has demonstrated that Africa is an increasingly attractive destination for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, as investors seek new opportunities for growth in the voluntary market as well as the CDM. http://www.grida.no/news/press/4814.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4814.aspxWed, 06 Jul 2011 08:46:00 GMT Nairobi, 05 July 2011 – Social and environmental entrepreneurs who can demonstrate innovation, leadership and sustainability have the chance to win expert assistance and support for their sustainable development initiatives in the 2011 SEED Awards. http://www.grida.no/news/press/4815.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4815.aspxTue, 05 Jul 2011 08:47:00 GMT Nairobi, 17 June 2011—Today, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) joins hands with the Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and dryland countries and communities across the globe. http://www.grida.no/news/press/4816.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4816.aspxFri, 17 Jun 2011 08:49:00 GMT Bonn, 14 June 2011 - Fast action on pollutants such as black carbon, ground level ozone and methane may help limit near term global temperature rise and significantly increase the chances of keeping temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius, and perhaps even 1.5 degrees Celsius, a new assessment says. http://www.grida.no/news/press/4813.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4813.aspxTue, 14 Jun 2011 08:43:00 GMT Delhi/Nairobi/World, 5 June 2011 – Investing an additional US$40 billion a year in the forestry sector could halve deforestation rates by 2030, increase rates of tree planting by around 140 per cent by 2050, and catalyze the creation of millions of new jobs according to a report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). http://www.grida.no/news/press/4817.aspxhttp://www.grida.no/news/press/4817.aspxSun, 05 Jun 2011 08:56:00 GMT