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Landmark US Climate Bill Set to Pass Key Committee Vote
A major US climate change bill will pass its first hurdle on the way to becoming law by 22 May, according to the House Democrat who helped introduce the proposed legislation. “We will have the votes for passage of this bill next week,” Henry Waxman, Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee told reporters…
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Climate Change Threatens Southeast Asian Economy: ADB
Countries in Southeast Asia could lose as much as 6.7 percent of their combined gross domestic product (GDP) annually by 2100, according to a new report released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Bank calls the region one of the world’s most vulnerable, and predicts an economic contraction more than twice the global average…
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EU, US Strike Provisional Deal to End Beef Dispute
Trade officials from the US and the EU arrived at a provisional agreement last week that could mark the beginning of the end of a trade dispute over hormone-treated beef that dates back to 1996. The deal, which was announced on 6 May, would allow the EU to maintain its ban on imports of hormone-treated…
- In Brief
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EU Signs Timber Agreement with Republic of Congo
The Republic of Congo has become the second country to sign a legally binding agreement with the EU to ensure timber exports are legally harvested. The Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), announced on 9 May, will require all timber products from the Central African country - also known as Congo-Brazzaville - to carry a licence in…
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Stockholm Convention COP4 Adds Nine More to Dirty Dozen
Parties to the Stockholm Convention have agreed to add nine more persistent organic pollutants (POPs) used in farming and industry to its list of 12 substances, sometimes called ‘the dirty dozen’, targeted for elimination. This is the first time new chemicals were added to the list of POPs since the Convention took effect in 2004. The…
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Canada Promises WTO Suit over EU Seal Ban
The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to ban imports of seal products into the 27-nation bloc, a move that quickly prompted Canada to go forward with a lawsuit against the embargo at the WTO. “We’re moving ahead with an appeal,” Canadian Trade Minister Stockwell Day told Canwest News Service on 5 May. “We’ll go to the…
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WWF to Rate Palm Oil Purchasers on Sustainability
The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) says it will begin a campaign to rate major palm oil purchasers on their sustainability after figures show only a fraction of certified palm oil on the market has been purchased. The WWF says that despite the fact that 1.3 million tonnes of sustainable palm oil has been on the…
- Events
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Events
Coming up in the next two weeks (15-29 May) 18-21May 2009, Seoul, Korea. May 2009. C40 LARGE CITIES CLIMATE SUMMIT - SEOUL 2009. The C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group brings together leaders of the world’s largest cities committed to taking action on climate change. This year’s summit, hosted in Seoul and featuring keynote speaker William…
- Resources
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Resources
If you have a relevant resource (books, papers, bulletins, etc.) you would like to see announced in this section, please forward a copy for review by the Bridges staff to Andrew Aziz at aaziz@ictsd.ch. CLIMATE AND DEVELOPMENT. By Richard J.T. Klein, 2009. This new academic journal the first that is dedicated specifically to the wide range…