US Mission Geneva

The world’s top decision makers on climate are meeting in Doha, Qatar, over the next two weeks for the U.N. Climate Change Conference. The 18th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework on Climate Change is expected to focus on strategies for accelerating actions to reduce greenhouse gases and to inhibit the increase of global temperatures.

Blocking the sunlight that reaches Earth might be another means to lessen the effects of climate change, some U.S. scientists theorize.

Russia and the United States plan to link national parks situated along both sides of their border on the Bering Strait to help protect environmental resources, conduct scientific research and preserve the lifestyle, cultures and languages of the region’s indigenous population.

“Space weather is a global challenge requiring coordinated global preparedness. We recognize space weather as a significant natural hazard risk with economic and societal impacts on key infrastructures and technologies including power grids, location and timing systems, aviation operation and security of satellites.”

The key to achieving sustainable economic growth while preserving environmental resources will be new ideas, pragmatism and optimism about “a more prosperous future,” said Secretary of State Clinton in a speech June 22 at the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20, as it concluded in Rio de Janeiro.

Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, will serve as alternate head of delegation, and Todd Stern, Special Envoy on Climate Change, will serve as chief negotiator.

Warmer temperatures causing global climate change are recorded month after month, but the greatest evidence of environmental change appears in the Arctic

A two-month-old international plan to accelerate action against climate-damaging pollutants is gaining momentum with decisions from Stockholm April 24. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition is moving forward on “fast and federated action on short-lived climate pollutants,” according to a press release from the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP).

The U.S. Mission supported an event for Earth Day at the International Environment House. Organized by the Antinea Foundation and the Geneva Environmental Network, the event aimed to build synergies among the NGOs present.