The purpose with this Representation/Objection is via policy innovation and risk/protection impact evaluation, to improve Reading’s local urban development practices and planning, to support the British realm and ambitions to become a great global leader in the fight against global warming. #UK
Africa – Americas – Arab States – Asia & Pacific – Central Asia – Europe
UN Habitat will Adopt, commit, implement, encourage, promote adequate investments, support, recognize, invite, underscore and promote urban disaster response;
Urban climatic disaster response – #Disasterlaw
From All cities implementing policies endorsing Urban Climatic Emergency Evacuation Plan (#UCEEP) initiative to What is the military’s role in the New Urban Agenda?
DutytoInform – DutytoRespond – DutytoShelter
Disaster law initiatives to combat climate change
“Duty-to-protect”
Drawing the state of disaster action around the world
“Duty-to-warn”
Participatory meetings to get to concrete catastrophe risk insurance solutions
“Duty-to-prevent”
Increase ability to have national drr assessment strategies, risk assessments International cooperating and access to early warning systems and drr information and assessment that need to be deliver to all by 2030.
“Duty-to-inform”
(urban/rural) disaster law, an urgent step-up of multi-stakeholder collaboration, coalitions of non-state actors and their flagship disaster adaptation initiatives?
“Duty-to-respond”
Unsupported substantial self-settlements without assistance shelter permanent shanti towns
“Duty-to-shelter”
Their objectives are to stay mobilized, accelerate climate action and streamline the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Agenda for Action.
“Strengthening concrete action to bridge the gap between current commitments and the objective of emergency in the Paris Agreement”.
We take full account of the milestone achievements of the year 2015, in particular the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the third International Conference on Financing for Development, the Paris
Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction for the period 2015–2030, the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024, the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action Pathway and the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011–2020. We also take account of the Rio Declaration on
Environment and Development, the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the World Summit for Social Development, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development and the follow-up to these conferences.
Adopt and implement disaster risk reduction and management, reduce vulnerability, build resilience and responsiveness to natural and human-made hazards, and foster mitigation of and adaptation to climate change;
We aim to achieve cities and human settlements where all persons are able to enjoy equal rights and opportunities, as well as their fundamental freedoms, guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including full respect for international law. In this regard, the New Urban Agenda is grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international human rights treaties, the Millennium Declaration and the 2005 World Summit Outcome. It is informed by other instruments such as the Declaration on the Right to Development.
Ensure environmental sustainability, by promoting clean energy and sustainable use of land and resources in urban development; by protecting ecosystems and biodiversity, including adopting healthy lifestyles in harmony with nature; by promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns; by building urban resilience; by reducing disaster risks; and by mitigating and adapting to climate change.
We acknowledge that in implementing the New Urban Agenda particular attention should be given to addressing the unique and emerging urban development challenges facing all countries, in particular developing countries, including African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, as well as the specific challenges facing middle-income countries. Special attention should also be given to countries in situations of conflict,
as well as countries and territories under foreign occupation, post-conflict countries, and countries affected by natural and human-made disasters.
We commit ourselves to strengthening the coordination role of national, subnational and local governments, as appropriate, and their collaboration with other public entities and non-governmental organizations in the provision of social and basic services for all, including generating investments in communities that are most vulnerable to disasters and those affected by recurrent and protracted humanitarian crises. We further commit ourselves to promoting adequate services, accommodation and opportunities for decent and productive work for crisis-affected persons in urban settings, and to working with local communities and local governments to identify opportunities for engaging and developing local, durable and dignified solutions while ensuring that aid also flows to affected persons and host communities to prevent regression of their development.
We acknowledge the need for governments and civil society to further support resilient urban services during armed conflicts. We also acknowledge the need to reaffirm full respect for international humanitarian law.
We recognize that cities and human settlements face unprecedented threats from unsustainable consumption and production patterns, loss of biodiversity, pressure on ecosystems, pollution, natural and human-made disasters, and climate change and its related risks, undermining the efforts to end poverty in all its forms and dimensions and to achieve sustainable development. Given cities’ demographic trends and their central role in the global economy, in the mitigation and adaptation efforts related to climate change, and in the use of resources and ecosystems, the way they are planned, financed, developed, built, governed and managed has a direct impact on sustainability and resilience well beyond urban boundaries.
We also recognize that urban centres worldwide, especially in developing countries, often have characteristics that make them and their inhabitants especially vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change and other natural and human-made hazards, including earthquakes, extreme weather events, flooding, subsidence, storms – including dust and sand storms – heat waves, water scarcity, droughts, water and air pollution, vector-borne diseases, and sea-level rise particularly affecting coastal areas, delta regions and small island developing States, among others.
We commit ourselves to facilitating the sustainable management of natural resources in cities and human settlements in a manner that protects and improves the urban ecosystem and environmental
services, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, and promotes disaster risk reduction and management, by supporting the development of disaster risk reduction strategies and periodical
assessments of disaster risk caused by natural and human-made hazards, including standards for risk levels, while fostering sustainable economic development and protecting all persons’ well-being and quality of life through environmentally sound urban and territorial planning, infrastructure and basic services.
We commit ourselves to promoting the creation and maintenance of well-connected and well-distributed networks of open, multi-purpose, safe, inclusive, accessible, green, and quality public spaces; to improving the resilience of cities to disasters and climate change, including floods, drought risks and heat waves; to improving food security and nutrition, physical and mental health, and household and ambient air quality; to reducing noise and promoting attractive and liveable cities, human settlements and urban landscapes, and to prioritizing the conservation of endemic species.
We commit ourselves to strengthening the sustainable management of resources, including land, water (oceans, seas and freshwater), energy, materials, forests and food, with particular attention to the environmentally sound management and minimization of all waste, hazardous chemicals, including air and short-lived climate pollutants, greenhouse gases and noise, and in a way that considers urban–rural linkages, functional supply and value chains vis à vis environmental impact and sustainability, and that strives to transition to a circular economy while facilitating ecosystem conservation, regeneration, restoration and resilience in the face of new and emerging challenges.
We commit ourselves to strengthening the resilience of cities and human settlements, including through the development of quality infrastructure and spatial planning, by adopting and implementing integrated, age- and gender-responsive policies and plans and ecosystem-based approaches in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction for the period 2015–2030; and by mainstreaming holistic and data-informed disaster risk reduction and management at all levels to reduce vulnerabilities and risk, especially in risk-prone areas of formal and informal settlements, including slums, and to enable households, communities, institutions and services to prepare for, respond to, adapt to and rapidly recover from the effects of hazards, including shocks or latent stresses. We will promote the development of infrastructure that is resilient and resource efficient and will reduce the risks and impact of disasters, including the rehabilitation and upgrading of slums and informal settlements. We will also promote measures for strengthening and retrofitting all risky housing stock, including in slums and informal settlements, to make it resilient to disasters in coordination with local authorities and stakeholders.
We commit ourselves to supporting moving from reactive to more proactive risk-based, all-hazards and all-of-society approaches, such as raising public awareness of risks and promoting ex-ante investments to prevent risks and build resilience, while also ensuring timely and effective local responses to address the immediate needs of inhabitants affected by natural and human-made disasters and conflicts. This should include the integration of the “build back better” principles into the post disaster recovery process to integrate resilience-building, environmental and spatial.
We strongly urge States to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries.
We will integrate disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and mitigation considerations and measures into age- and gender-responsive urban and territorial development and planning processes, including greenhouse gas emissions, resilience-based and climate-effective design of spaces, buildings and constructions, services and infrastructure, and nature-based solutions. We will promote cooperation and coordination across sectors, as well as build the capacities of local authorities to develop and implement disaster risk reduction and response plans, such as risk assessments concerning the location of current and future public facilities, and to formulate adequate contingency and evacuation procedures.
We will consider increased allocations of financial and human resources, as appropriate, for the upgrading and, to the extent possible, prevention of slums and informal settlements in the allocation of financial and human resources with strategies that go beyond physical and environmental improvements to ensure that slums and informal settlements are integrated into the social, economic, cultural and political dimensions of cities. These strategies should include, as applicable, access to sustainable, adequate, safe and affordable housing, basic and social services, and safe, inclusive, accessible, green and quality public spaces, and they should promote security of tenure and its regularization, as well as measures for conflict prevention and mediation.
We will promote the development of adequate and enforceable regulations in the housing sector, including, as applicable, resilient building codes, standards, development permits, land use by-laws and ordinances, and planning regulations; combating and preventing speculation, displacement, homelessness and arbitrary forced evictions; and ensuring sustainability, quality, affordability, health, safety, accessibility, energy and resource efficiency, and resilience. We will also promote differentiated analysis of housing supply and demand based on high-quality, timely and reliable disaggregated data at the national, subnational and local levels, considering specific social, economic, environmental and cultural dimensions.
We will promote adequate investments in protective, accessible and sustainable infrastructure and service provision systems for water, sanitation and hygiene, sewage, solid waste management, urban drainage, reduction of air pollution and stormwater management, in order to improve safety in the event of water-related disasters; improve health; ensure universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all, as well as access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all; and end open defecation, with special attention to the needs and safety of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations. We will seek to ensure that this infrastructure is climate resilient and forms part of integrated urban and territorial development plans, including housing and mobility, among others, and is implemented in a participatory manner, considering, innovative, resource-efficient, accessible, context-specific and culturally sensitive sustainable solutions.
We will support decentralized decision-making on waste disposal to promote universal access to sustainable waste management systems. We will support the promotion of extended producer responsibility schemes that include waste generators and producers in the financing of urban waste management systems, that reduce the hazards and socio economic impacts of waste streams and increase recycling rates through better product design.
We will promote the integration of food security and the nutritional needs of urban residents, particularly the urban poor, in urban and territorial planning, in order to end hunger and malnutrition. We will promote coordination of sustainable food security and agriculture policies across urban, peri-urban and rural areas to facilitate the production, storage, transport and marketing of food to consumers in adequate and affordable ways in order to reduce food losses and prevent and reuse food waste. We will further promote the coordination of food policies with energy, water, health, transport and waste policies, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds and reduce the use of hazardous chemicals, and implement other policies in urban areas to maximize efficiencies and minimize waste.
We will explore and develop feasible solutions for climate and disaster risks in cities and human settlements, including through collaborating with insurance and reinsurance institutions and other relevant actors, with regard to investments in urban and metropolitan infrastructure, buildings and other urban assets, as well as for local populations to secure their shelter and economic needs.
We reaffirm the role and expertise of UN-Habitat, within its mandate, as a focal point for sustainable urbanization and human settlements, in collaboration with other United Nations system entities, recognizing the linkages between sustainable urbanization and, inter alia, sustainable
development, disaster risk reduction and climate change.
Setting the scene – High Level Meeting on New Urban Agenda and UN-Habitat – September 5 – September 6
To realise the potential, however, the challenges cannot be ignored. Urban populations continue to grow in much of the world, poverty and humanitarian crises and conflict are becoming increasingly urban phenomena, and the urban risks from climate change are intensifying. Concerted efforts, global, national and local, in both developed and developing countries, are urgently needed to address current challenges, alleviate increasing inequalities, and anticipate future threats. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Opportunities (encompassing the Sustainable
Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Addis Ababa Conference on Financing for Development) will not be met without serious attention to urban realities. The New Urban Agenda provides a roadmap for this
on-going transition, and UN-Habitat, with the entire UN development system, has a potentially critical role in supporting countries to effectively implement this Agenda.
The urban transition is essential to economic growth. Yet this basic reality is still unrecognised by many major actors, from national governments to international institutions, resulting in policies that limit migration in an attempt to slow urbanisation and restrict the access of local urban governments to development financing. Despite the restrictions, urban migration continues, and in the absence of inclusive and supportive policies and investment, this means limited opportunity for hard pressed new residents, growing backlogs in provision of services, increasing informality and the disappearance for many residents of the vaunted “urban advantage”. In many countries, for example, while rural child mortality rates are improving, in urban areas they are stagnating or
becoming worse. Poverty, hunger, disease, vulnerability to disaster, violence, are all becoming increasingly prevalent in many urban areas.
The urban transition will be more or less complete in fifty years. If it is not steered constructively now, the urban dividend could in many more places become a disaster marked by inequality exclusion, inadequate basic service provision, humanitarian crises and growing civil strife.
The challenges in poor urban settlements are intensified in many areas by the mounting hazards associated with extreme weather. Cities, with their concentrations of population and assets, face high levels of risk, especially in coastal or riverside locations. Urban economies of scale and proximity can give cities a strong adaptive capacity, but the benefits seldom extend to all parts of a city. Informal settlements are often in the most hazardous locations – floodplains, hillsides at risk of landslides, sites close to industrial wastes – and unserved by the protective infrastructure that allows people to withstand extreme conditions – roads, drains, early warning systems and emergency services. Residents in poverty also have more limited capacity to prepare for, withstand and recover from a range of weather extremes. These same extremes, along with conflict, are pushing more people into towns and cities. By 2016, 80 million people globally were displaced by conflicts and disasters. Numbers keep climbing, and more than half end up now in towns and cities, adding to the burdens faced by overtaxed local authorities. Full blown conflict, often over access to land and scarce urban resources, has also become an increasingly common feature of urban areas, contributing to the emergence of the new category of the “fragile city.”
The call for action: The 2030 agenda and the New Urban Agenda
Recognising the critical need for action on pressing urban issues, government representatives at the Habitat III conference in Quito in 2016 adopted the New Urban Agenda (NUA), emphasising the links between urbanisation and development and the crucial need for inclusive and sustainable urban growth. The ambitious 2030 Agenda, adopted a year before the NUA, provides a critical overarching roadmap for this effort. Its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), designed for stimulating action in areas critical for humanity and the planet, include Goal 11 – making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Without attention to this urban Goal, and to the urban implications of the other 16 Goals, none of the SDGs is likely to succeed. Together the NUA and SDGs point the way for cities to be part of sustainable global
development. Equally important in this endeavour are the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.
The scope of the commitment
Yet urban areas, with their growing majority of the global population, their concentration of both economic risk and potential, their vulnerability to climate-related disasters, and their relationships with surrounding areas, are not only relevant to realising this Agenda, they are central to its success, and the stage on which the SDGs will or will not be achieved. Most of the Goals necessarily have urban implications, and without significant attention to urban realities in all their manifestations and complexity, the ambitious objectives of the SDGs cannot be realised.
Public-private partnerships – ITU
ICTs for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for SIDS
Morocco’s concerns about the climate are not fading. After Marrakesh, it is Agadir’s turn to bring together the concerned actors, but this time in the framework of a Summit. Indeed, the city of Agadir will host the 2nd;
WORLD CLIMATE CHANCE SUMMIT FOR NON-STATE ACTORS from September 11 to 13, 2017.
It’s a privilege to participate n’ #ClimateChance 2017, formalising the conversation on;
– reducing the vulnerability of countries to the impacts of climate change by strengthening their resilience adaptation.
– integration of adaptation to the climate change in development policies, programmes and projects as well as in National Budgeting.
– facilitation of access to climate risk transfer for disaster adaptation.
The first one took place in Nantes, this 2nd edition is Moroccan and will measure the progress of the action, To deepen exchanges on successes and difficulties and to foster the pooling of experiences and innovations.Also, this edition will place particular emphasis on the stakes of the African continent and more widely the countries of the South.
On this occasion, the organisers stressed: “Almost one year after COP22, This Summit will be an opportunity to take stock of the agenda of the action and in particular the Marrakesh partnership. It will also be an opportunity to prepare joint messages to be delivered to States at the COP23 as a Follow-up The Nantes Declaration, which remains the most widely signed text by non-state actors. Since the adoption of the Rio Convention on Climate in 1992 “. It should be recalled that the Declaration of Nantes was adopted at the World Summit in September 2016 in Nantes and coordinated by the Climate Chance Association.
It has as its motto “Strengthening concrete action to bridge the gap between current commitments and the objective of the Paris Agreement”. The program of this edition consists of three usual pillars of Climate Chance: There are first the forums toTake stock of COP23 on the actions of the 20 sectoral coalitions (transport, energy, etc.). To these forums are added plenaries, organised in the usual way of Climate Chance. These opening and closing plenaries will address the themes of Financing, the challenge of cities in Africa and migration. The workshops constitute the 3rd pillar. A call for papers was launched on 28 February and remained open until 15 May to decide on the workshops that will enrich the program and make it a moment of sharing and reflection. The selected contributors authorize the Climate Chance Association to reuse and communicate their work.
Climate Chance also thought about organising stands, totally free, Where non-state groups and African associations will be represented. The Summit also provided specific events to highlight crafts and local territory.
With more than 80 workshops of good practice, which will be presented around 17 themes affecting different sectors and a large participation involving more than 3,000 members, this 2nd edition of the Climate Chance Summit is promising.
Disaster law initiatives to combat climate change – “Duty-to-Protect”
How to grapple with the increasing frequency and severity of a wide array of both ‘human-made’ and ‘natural’ disasters.
Experts say we have three years to save the planet
International law must comply by 2020 latest with national #disasterlaw
Under Sendai Framework priority 2 – Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk (Duty to protect);
Global and regional levels
28. To achieve this, it is important:
(a) To guide action at the regional level through agreed regional and sub-regional strategies and mechanisms for cooperation for disaster risk reduction, as appropriate, in the light of the present Framework, in order to foster more efficient planning, create common information systems and exchange good practices and programmes for cooperation and capacity development, in particular to address common and trans-boundary disaster risks;
Are disaster management services the main duty-bearers to roll out DRR?
Break down legal fragment between DRR, Climate adaptation, the Tree proposal, Sendai framework, the SDGs, also between nuclear regulations.
Land use and forestry proposal for 2021-2030 – Forest laws to reduce deforestation.
National framework regulations needed now in;
Land use and urban planning
Building codes – Retrofits of existing buildings, Exemplary new buildings and Efficient equipment
Environment and resource management
Safety standards
Connect DRR and climate change, after New Zeeland 2010 Building code demolish or rescue.
2011 International convention from prevention of pollution from ships.
Mexico mainstreamed DRR law in all sectors. France mayor sent to prison for ignoring DDR laws.
Civil protection law = Disaster management (law to much focus on response)
Sectoral laws like Climate change adoption laws and development approvals important in rural and sub-urban areas. Linkage between environment laws and climate change laws.
Why do we need a lawyer? Protection of rights links to disaster
Legal disaster
Customs law disaster
Why compulsion and force?
Why international? Paragraph 14 Cooperation legal and not
Consent Capacity Building (ILC) framework adopted 2 months after Sendai 2018 next
Legislation/Regulations Is it a Self form of disaster risk reduction DRR?
Can monitoring DRR indicators alone identify (urban/rural) hazards and exercise disaster relief law of public response?
Disaster Ill-star
1950-60 Defense did research on disaster
Values scope and scale of a loss
Volition choices in relation to hazards
Valocity policies response times’ project, risk, predict – time horizon
Vicinity geography also social cultural economic, legal overlays
2003 August heatwave 14 802 (living on climbing 7th floor) – Time frame Chernobyl 100 (1 000 cancer)
Does climate legislation and regulation protect Who is an (urban/rural) disaster victim, healthy/sick people?
Core DRR mitigation and prevention response to disasters and hazards – linked to relief union
1st November 1755 Lisbon earthquake 1/3 loss – Urbanisation important
Voltaire unforeseeable and random – Urbanisation important
1927 National Relief Union
Preventive measures against disasters
UN early warning systems – Iran earth quake 1963
Pollution Sustainable Development
1980 Prevention Natural Disaster Reduction
1992 Rio declaration
UNFCCC – Framework Climate Change
Kyoto protocol
1991 Resolution 46182
Yokohama Framework
Millennium change
Climate change, Human rights, Environment law
Sendai
PREVENTION at activities and measures to avoid existing and new disaster risks.
MITIGATION de-licensing or minimizing of impact of hazardous events.
PREPARDENESS capacity developed by governments responds and recover organisation, community or individuals to effectively anticipate respond to and recover from the impact of likely or imminent or current disasters.
Commentary
Early Warning Systems
SARC-agreement
The obligation of recording casualties is not an instrument of to reflect disaster victims
Urban Disaster Law
Duty is a conduct and not a result, to shall reduce risk of disaster and harm precaused thereby.
The U.?N. Human Rights Council adopted the resolution, which was submitted by the Brazilian and Ecuadorian governments, last month at its headquarters in Geneva. Diplomats say the document could now lay the groundwork for more cities-focused work by the council –>
Can the Sendai framework be enforced? Is there a will to extend the new international treaties within the domestic jurisdiction?
Exploring accountability, implementation and enforcement in the Sendai framework
States have a disaster law impact on human rights not only in their own territories. Also, often there is an extraterritorial disaster law impact – on people in the rest of the world.
This project aims to provide a critical evaluation of the law and policy of whether and to what extent disaster law vs. human rights law is and should be applicable to states extraterritoriality.
When forced climate migrants decide to make perilous border crossings: the causal role of disaster
Themes:
Climate Change, Community-based DRR, Education & School Safety, Environment & Ecosystems, Gender, Health & Health Facilities, Disaster Risk Management, Critical Infrastructure, Vulnerable Populations, Children and Youth
CCCRdg know “#drr and sustainable urban opportunities”, it is within our expertise area, we find it is important, it is our duty and responsibility to publish our paper abstract to the public. To establish a local private sector law case, providing collaborative commitment to “DISASTER RISK REDUCTION PLAN IN RDG COUNCIL LEGISLATION”
Also an emergency adaptation DRR – Disaster Risk Reduction and restoration plan for every city needs to be implemented in local legislation #UCEEP – All cities need to draft Urban Climatic Emergency Evacuation Plan (#UCEEP) by 2020.
Walker INSTITUTE and University of Reading DRR AND INTERNATIONAL LAW SYMPOSIUM cannot excel cities impact on DRR law without connecting it to the agreed outcome of the Habitat III:s conference on urban settlements, the agreed New Urban Agenda in relation to the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goal 11 and Goal 13.
Dear Climate Change Centre Reading,
Regarding Climate Change Centre Reading’s (CCCRdg) paper abstract on the upcoming symposium on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and international law:
“Regrettable your paper; “Aiming for cities ambitious task to take on and implement the Sendai framework on DRR in the New Urban Agenda” (Making a link to the following theme; (2) how DRR related law and policy will/should develop within specific fields of city law), (participation of governmental, intergovernmental, private, NGO/civil society, academic, and media sectors)
has been rejected.
Best wishes”
The preparatory committee DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND INTERNATIONAL LAW SYMPOSIUM
29 June-1 July 2017, University of Reading, UK
BACKGROUND
SYMPOSIUM OVERVIEW Please join us at the University of Reading between 29 June and 1 July 2017 for the Disaster Risk Reduction and International Law Symposium organised by the Reading School of Law and the multidisciplinary Walker Institute, co-sponsored by the American Society of International Law (Disaster Law Interest Group). Framed around the principles and objectives underpinning the Sendai Framework on DRR 2015-30, and cognisant of the relevance of other global initiatives including the Sustainable Development Goals 2015 and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, this will be a unique opportunity to discuss, debate, inform and progress the development of law, policy and practice governing DRR and disasters at the national, regional and international levels.
CALL FOR PAPERS Papers are invited which examine one or more of the following research questions, and should be framed around key principles and objectives of the Sendai Framework on DRR:
(1) What ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ law DRR related norms currently exist within international law, whether more generally or within specific legal regimes?
(2) How will/should DRR related law and policy develop within specific fields of law?
(3) What are the current and potential law, policy and/or practice implications of findings in (1) and/or (2), especially in relation to improving the coherence of DRR law at national/regional/ global levels, and associated implementation and enforcement mechanisms? Adopted approaches should include: (a) regional or country-specific case studies; (b) theoretical/ conceptual frameworks; and/or (c) examples of state/non?state actor practice.
Light affects our health and well-being in many ways. White LED’s with blue-rich spectra are being rolled out over the country at an alarming pace, often without proper health or environmental impact assessments. These white LED’s are detrimental to human and wildlife circadian rhythms as well as the view of our night sky. 1,2,3 , Urgent action is needed to ensure installation of LED lights use a warm-white Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) ideally 2700K for the benefit of Public Health, Ecology, Road Safety, and Sky Glow.
“Lighting planners and policymakers in local government nowadays need to be very careful in choosing the light class as low as possible, in order to avoid unnecessary over sizing, in using Constant Light Output for luminaires, avoiding cold temperature of LEDs and, above all, seizing the importance of using lighting control systems. The good thing about LEDs is that you can dim and switch on/off easily, and this raises the importance of sensors.”~#Alan2016
There are currently very few solutions that successfully combine an understanding of the physiological effects of light with efficiency and aesthetics. Recently, a number of governmental and non-governmental organisations have provided interesting publications which should be taken into consideration to help ensure benign, safe, and pleasant lighting in our outdoor environment. 4,5,6
The American Planning Association (APA) recommends outdoor LED lighting exclude wavelengths below 500 nanometers. The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) recommends a CCT of maximum 3000K to minimise sky glow and the American Medical Association (AMA) has issued guidelines recommending that blue-rich light is reduced as far as possible in order to protect Public Health.
The American Planning Association (APA) recommends outdoor LED lighting exclude wavelengths below 500 nanometers. 5 The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) recommends a CCT of maximum 3000K to minimise sky glow and the American Medical Association (AMA) has issued guidelines recommending that blue-rich light is reduced as far as possible in order to protect Public Health. 7,8,9,10 In the UK, Public Health England are recommending that councils use a warm colour temperature for street lights to miminise glare and discomfort. 4 Unfortunately, street lighting is currently exempt from the UK nuisance regulations which limit the effects of light and noise on people. Due to a lack of clear guidelines from Central Government, notably the Department for Transport, councils often opt for blue-rich white LED street lights, thus increasing light pollution.
An example may be taken from the situation on the Isle of Wight, where high CCT LED outdoor lighting has been installed, and there was little or no public consultation nor any trials prior to implementation. 11 Reading Borough Council is currently planning to install streetlights with a CCT of 4000K, which is above the recommended level of 2700K, despite awareness of Public Health England having advised otherwise. 12 In contrast, best practice of lighting implementation can be found in Cardiff and Westminster Council. In 2014, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) sent out a survey which collected responses from over 80 local authorities. CPRE has published a document which provides 9 key recommendations based on this evidence and other evidence directly collected by CPRE. 6
The scientific understanding on the visual and non-visual effects of light forms a strong basis of the recommendations to minimise glare and to minimise spectral intensity below 500nm from artificial night time light.1,2,3,13,14,15,16
In 2014, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) sent out a survey which collected responses from over 80 local authorities. CPRE has published a document which provides key recommendations based on this evidence and other evidence directly collected by CPRE:
“It should be clear to planners that outdoor lighting has a multitude of often detrimental effects on the built and natural environments as well as on our health. If existing standards are not adjusted to account for the spectral characteristics of the LED lighting being created and promoted by the lighting industry today, we could, ironically, be faced with higher levels of light pollution, glare, and overlighting…The choice is clear: we can use responsible standards to guide lighting design, or we can continue to allow uncontrolled lighting to degrade our quality of life and negatively impact human health and ecology. Planners have important roles to play in making the former scenario a reality in their communities.” – Bob Parks, APA 5
“Local authorities should give careful consideration to the type of LED lighting they use and consider the potential impacts that higher temperature blue rich lighting has on ecology and on human health… New street lighting should be tested ‘in situ’ before a lighting scheme is rolled out across a wider area to ensure that it is the minimum required for the task and does not cause a nuisance to residents.” – Emma Marington, CPRE 6
The scientific understanding on the visual and non-visual effects of light forms a strong basis of the recommendations to minimise glare and to minimise spectral intensity below 500nm from artificial night time light.
“A National Policy to curb blue-rich light pollution is urgently required”~
– Ms Tanja Rebel and Mr Enrico Petrucco, Reading UK
All references have been provided as free, full access, internet-accessible sources wherever possible.
Climate Change Centre Reading, is honored to participate at the UN regional meeting European Habitat Conference as a climate advocate for natural weather shelter / protection of #urbanthinkers. The conference will take place in the Prague Congress Centre, Prague, Czech Republic between March 16 to 18, 2016
Habitat III Europe Regional Meeting “European Habitat” will involve a wide range of participants, that will debate regional priorities for the New Urban Agenda, and policy recommendations in the form of a final regional participants’ declaration. The “European Habitat”, is an international regional conference organised within the framework of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It is one of five regional commissions of the United Nations, bringing together 56 member countries from Europe, the Balkans, North America and a part of Asia. The event is an official part of preparations for the third global UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development “Habitat III”. Based on a decision of the UN General Assembly adopted in December 2014, this conference should be held in Ecuador in October 2016. The event is being prepared by the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). UNO regional conferences are organised by individual regional economic commissions – and it is UNECE that covers the 56 above mentioned member countries (UNECE Member States).
In this regard, “European Habitat” will gather recommendations reflecting the consensus reached at the regional level on sustainable housing and other topics from the spectrum of a proposed New #UrbanAgenda.
Join us at this exciting opportunity to discuss the challenges of Sustainable “Housing in Liveable Cities”.
In the process towards a New Urban Agenda, Habitat III Europe Regional Meeting “European Habitat” will discuss how to ensure access to decent, adequate, affordable and healthy housing for all, with due attention to reducing the impact of the housing sector on the environment. Final declaration from “European Habitat” will be considered official inputs to the Habitat III process. Join us at this exciting opportunity to discuss the challenges of Sustainable Housing in Liveable Cities.
The official outcome of the European Habitat conference will be the Prague Declaration whose draft was discussed in December 2015 at the plenary session of the UNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management, the UNECE executive body for housing and urban development. In October 2014, the Committee discussed and adopted the Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing, which was then approved by UNECE’s Plenary in April 2015 as the official contribution of the relevant region to the Habitat III conference. The Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing is an essential strategic document which the Prague Declaration develops further. The European Habitat is one of the first UN implementing conferences reflecting the goals of UN post-2015 Development Agenda.
Final “Prague Declaration” from “European Habitat” will be considered official inputs to the Habitat III process.
The #UN European Habitat Conference, is part of the roadmap to #Habitat3 in QUITO – OCTOBER 2016.
Based on a decision of the UN General Assembly, the city of Quito, Ecuador, will host the third global UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (the “Habitat III conference”) from 17 to 20 October, 2016. These summits take place every twenty years; the first one was organised in June 1976 in Vancouver, Canada, the second summit “Habitat II” took place in June 1996 in Istanbul, Turkey.
The official outcome of the Habitat III summit will be the adoption of the discussed document (New Urban Agenda), responding to development in urban areas, with respect to the ever increasing share of the world’s population living in towns and cities (by 2050 the share will be 70%).
Preparations for the Habitat III summit are carried out according to the procedure approved by UN General Assembly; the process is managed by the Steering Committee of Habitat III.
(UN–Habitat) is the United Nations agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development. It was established in 1978 as an outcome of the First UN Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat I) held in Vancouver, Canada in 1976. UN-Habitat maintains its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya. It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group. The mandate of UN-Habitat derives from the Habitat Agenda, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1996. The twin goals of the Habitat Agenda are adequate shelter for all and the development of sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing world.
The Swedish government wants to introduce a law that primarily affects 2,000 major Swedish companies to implement a sustainability report. If it goes through it shall enter into force on 1 July 2016. The Act is based on an EU directive in September 2014.
Many believe that the current voluntary sustainability reports deemed to be superficial reports designed to keep the company’s stakeholders in a good mood for sustainability. Some representatives believe that the new law can serve as a decision-making model and thus an effective management tool.
What we know about the law are among others companies to explain how they work with a range of sustainability issues. Current areas to be considered are environmental issues, social issues, issues regarding employment such as work environment, respect for human rights, anti-corruption and bribery.
Description of the diversity policy apply to the company’s board. The goal of the policy and how the policy has been applied and the result of the policy’s implementation. If the company does not apply any diversity policy, the reasons for it noted. Applies only company in the last 2 years, met more than one of the conditions for “big business”.
This bill defines “large companies” of companies that meet at least two of the following conditions. The average number of employees in the company amounts to more than 250 pieces. Total assets will amount to more than 175 million (20 million) or net sales amounted to more than 350 million (40 million euros).
Enterprises of “public interest” is likely to include listed companies, insurance companies and credit institutions Even companies with “social-bearing activity” can be covered and can be comprised of electric utility or other activities in infrastructure and in health care.
Advantages of a sustainability may be that the company has an in-depth dialogue with all stakeholders and understanding of the challenges. Good survey of sustainability activities and the risks and opportunities. More benefits are to involve management in sustainability efforts.
Auditor should verify that the non-financial report has been submitted. No claim today that the report must be certified.
Last but not least, your brand is affected positively by sustainable business. Maybe we dare say that a sustainable business gives your business even more good years on the market.