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Featured sites

The Blue Carbon Portal brings together the latest knowledge and resources on the role of oceans as carbon sinks.

WalkIt provides walking routes between user-defined points in selected British cities, with an estimate of the carbon savings.

Joto Afrika is a series of printed briefings and online resources about adapting to climate change in sub-Saharan Africa.

And finally,

The CoolClimate Art Contest presents iconic images that address the impact of climate change.

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The Tiempo Climate Cyberlibrary is a co-production of the Stockholm Environment Institute and the International Institute for Environment and Development. It is sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Tiempo Climate Newswatch is a weekly on-line magazine with news, features and comment on global warming, climate change, sea-level rise and development issues. The news stories carried by Newswatch are updated weekly. Comment, features, interviews and other sections of the magazine are updated on a weekly to monthly basis.

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The Tiempo Climate Cyberlibrary is maintained and edited by Mick Kelly and Sarah Granich. The cartoons are created by Lawrence Moore. The site was developed by Mike Salmon and Mick Kelly.

While every effort is made to ensure that information on this site, and on other sites that are referenced here, is accurate, no liability for loss or damage resulting from use of this information can be accepted.

Definitions of acronyms and abbreviations in the field of global warming, climate change and development.

A-E F-JK-O P-T U-Z


AAU: Assigned Amount Unit

ACE: Advisory Committee on the Environment

ACM: Adaptive and collaborative management

AGBM: Ad Hoc Group on the Berlin Mandate

AIJ: Activities Implemented Jointly

Annex I Countries: Countries which have committed to a quantitative carbon dioxide target under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, i.e. OECD, Central and Eastern European countries, listed in Annex I to the Convention)

Annex II Countries: OECD countries (listed in Annex II to the Convention)

AOML: Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

AOS: Automatic Observation System

AOSIS: Alliance of Small Island States

APDMC: Asian Pacific Disaster Management Center

APINAP: Air Pollution Impact Network for the Asia Pacific Region

APN: Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

AREED: African Rural Energy Enterprise Development Programme

ART: Africa Resources Trust

ASALs: Arid and Semi-Arid Lands

ASCEND 21: International Conference on an Agenda of Science for Environment and Development into the 21st Century

ASOF: Arctic-Subarctic oceanic fluxes

AUDMP: Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program


BAHC: Biosphere Aspects of the Hydrological Cycle

BALLERINA: Baltic Sea Region On-line Environmental Information Resources for Internet Access

BCF: BioCarbon Fund

BEA: Bureau of Environmental Analysis - Kenya

BREED: Brazilian Rural Energy Enterprise Development Programme


CAAP: Composition of Acidity of Asian Precipitation

CAPA: CDM for Poverty Alleviation

CARPE: Central Africa Regional Program on Environment

CBD: Convention on Biological Diversity

CCD: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

CCX: Chicago Climate Exchange

CDCF: Community Development Carbon Fund

CDM: Clean Development Mechanism

CEESP: The IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy

CEOS: Committee on Earth Observation Satellites

CER: Certified emission reductions

CIIFEN: International Research Centre on El Nino

CILS: CEOS Information Locator Service

CILSS: Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel

CLIVAR: Climate Variability and Predictability

COMEMIS: Coastal and Marine Environment Management Information System

CoML: Census of Marine Life

COP or CoP: Conference of the Parties (to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change)

COST: ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology

CREED: Chinese Rural Energy Enterprise Development Programme

CRG: Caribbean Reference Group

CSD: Commission on Sustainable Development

CSIRO: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

CSO: Civil Society Organizations


DC: Decentralized Cooperation

DCFRN: Developing Countries Farm Radio Network

DEIA: Division of Environmental Information and Assessment

DESELAC: Regional Information Network on Desertification for Latin America and the Caribbean

DIVERSITAS: IUBS-SCOPE-UNESCO Programme on Biodiversity

DNA: Designated National Authority

DOE: Designated Operational Entity

DSA: Debt Sustainability Analysis


EC: European Commission

ECCP: European Climate Change Programme

ECSIEP: European Centre on Pacific Issues

EDF: European Development Fund

EEA: European Environmental Agency

EIN: Environment Information Network

EIS: Environment Information System

ELMS: Environmental Information Exchange Network

ENRICH: European Network for Research in Global Change

ENSO: El Nino/Southern Oscillation

EnVoc: Environmental Vocabulary

EROS: Earth Resources Observation Systems

ERPA: Emission Reduction Purchase Agreement

ERU: Emission reduction units

ESC: Economic and Social Committee

ESSP: Earth System Science Partnership

ETS: Emissions Trading Scheme

EURODAD: European Network on Debt and Development

EU ETS: European Union Emissions Trading Scheme


FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN

FCCC or UNFCCC: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

FED: Forum for Energy and Development


GAIM: Global Analysis, Interpretation and Modelling

GBF: Global Biodiversity Forum

GCP: Global Carbon Project

GEF: Global Environment Facility

GCM: General Circulation Model

GCOS: Global Climate Observing System

GCTE: Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems

GDI: Gender Development Index

GDRC: Global Development Research Center

GEF: Global Environment Facility

GEIA: Global Emission Inventory Activity

GEIC: Global Environment Information Centre

GEMS: Global Environment Monitoring System

GESAMP: Group of Experts on Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution

GEWEX: Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment

GHG: Greenhouse gases

GIS: Geographic Information System

GIWA: Global International Waters Assessment

GLCN: Global Land Cover Network

GLOBEC: Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics

GM: Global Mechanism

GMS: Greater Mekong Subregion

GNESD: Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development

GOOS: Global Ocean Observing System

GRID: Global Resource Information Database

GSSD: Global System for Sustainable Development Consortium

GTOS: Global Terrestrial Observing System


HIPC: Highly Indebted Poor Countries


IACCA: Inter-agency Committee on the Climate Agenda

IAG: Inter-Africa Group

IAI: Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research

IAMAS: International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences

ICES: International Council for the Exploration of the Sea

ICRAF: International Centre for Research in Agroforestry

ICSU: International Council of Scientific Unions

IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IET: International emissions trading

IETA: International Emissions Trading Association

IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural Development

IFAS: International Fund for the Aral Sea

IFPRI: International Food Policy Research Institute

IGAC: International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project

IGBP: International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme

IGBP-DIS: IGBP-Data and Information System

IGCN: Indochina Global Change Network

IGFA: International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change Research

IHDP: International Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Research

IIASA: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

IISD: International Institute for Sustainable Development

ILO: International Labour Organization

INC: International Negotiating Committee

INRM: Integrated Natural Resources Management

INTAS: International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union

IOC: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

IPBN: Indigenous Peoples Biodiversity Network

IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

IRC: International Water and Sanitation Center

ISA-Net: Industrial Shrimp Action Network

ISEE: International Society for Ecological Economics

ISLSCP: International satellite and Land Surface Climatology Project

ISSC: International Social Science Council

ISSS: International Society of Soil Science

IGCI: International Global Change Institute

IUBS: International Union of Biological Sciences

IUC: Information Unit for Conventions

IUCN: World Conservation Union

IWMI: International Water Management Institute


JGOFS: Joint Global Ocean Flux Study

JI: Joint Implementation

JOIDES: Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling


LC: Liaison Committee of NGDOs to the European Union

LOICZ: Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone

LUCC: Land-Use and Land-Cover Change


MDG: Millennium Development Goals

MethPanel: Methodology Panel to the CDM Executive Board

MTPE: Mission to Planet Earth


NAO: North Atlantic Oscillation

NBCA: National Biodiversity Conservation Area

NDP: Numeric data package

NEAP: National Environment Action Plan

NESDA: Network on Environment and Sustainable Development in Africa

NETTLAP: Network for Environmental Training at Tertiary Level in Asia-Pacific

NGDO: Non-Governmental Developmental Programme

NGO: Non-Governmental Organization

NIP: National Indicative Programme

non-Annex I Parties: Countries which have not made a specific commitment to a quantified carbon dioxide target under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

NORAD: Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation

NOVEM: Netherlands Agency for Energy & Environment

NPV: Net Present Value

NWP: Numerical Weather Prediction


OBIS: Ocean Biogeographic Information System

ODA: Overseas development assistance

ODS: Ozone depleting substance(s)

ODSONET: Ozone Depleting Substances Officers Network

OECD: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

OECS: Organization of Eastern Caribbean States

OmCED: International Ombudsman Centre for the Environment & Development

OPACs: Online Public-Access Catalogues

OSTI: Office of Scientific and Technical Information


PAGES: Past Global Changes

PASS: Pan-African START Secretariat

PCRC: Pacific Concerns Resource Centre

PDD: Project Design Document

PDO: Pacific Decadal Oscillation

PICES: North Pacific Marine Science Organization

PIR: Project implementation review

POPs: Persistent Organic Pollutants

PRSP: Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers

PVP: Photovoltaic power system


QUELRO: Quantified Emission Limitation and Reduction Objective


RAFI: Rural Advancement Foundation International

REI: Renewable Energy Island

RMU: Removal Unit (Article 3.3 & 3.4 Kyoto Protocol)

RPGs: Recommended Practice Guides

RTA: Regional Technical Assistance


SACEP: South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme

SADC: Southern Africa Development Community

SAFARI: Southern Africa Fires Atmosphere Research Initiative

SAPRI: Structural Adjustment Participatory Review Initiative

SAREIN: Southern African Renewable Energy Information Network

SBI: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Subsidiary Body for Implementation

SBSTA: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice

SCAR: Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

SCOPE: Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment

SCOR: Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research

SEAP: Southeast Asia/Pacific region

SHS: Solar home system

SLMOHN: Sri Lanka Meteorology, Oceanography and Hydrology Network

SOI: Southern Oscillation Index

SOLAS: Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study

SOPAC: South Pacific Applied Geo-Science Commission

SPARC: Stratospheric Processes and their Role in Climate

SRAP: Sub-regional Action Programme

SPREP: South Pacific Regional Environment Programme

STAR: Special Target Area of Research

START: Global Change System for Analysis, Research and Training


TCE or tce: Ton Carbon Equivalent

tCERs: temporary Certified Emissions Reductions

TEMS: Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Sites

TOGA: Tropical Oceans and the Global Atmosphere

TREES: Tropical Ecosystem Environment Observation by Satellite

TRMM: Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

TRUCE: Tropical Urban Climate Experiment


UMA: Arab Maghreb Union

UNCED: United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

UN-DESD: 2005-2015 UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme

UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNFCCC or FCCC: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

UNITAR: United Nations Institute for Training and Research

UNRISD: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development

UNU: United Nations University


WCMC: World Conservation Monitoring Centre

WCRP: World Climate Research Programme

WET: Wastewater Emissions Targets

WHO: World Health Organization

WMO: World Meteorological Organization

WOCE: World Ocean Circulation Experiment


ZERI: Zero Emissions Research Initiative


Bright Ideas

GE cuts solar costs

General Electric plans to cut solar installation costs by half

Project 90 by 2030

Project 90 by 2030 supports South African school children and managers reduce their carbon footprint through its Club programme

Smart street lighting

Bath & North East Somerset Council in the United Kingdom has installed smart LED carriageway lighting that automatically adjusts to light and traffic levels

Longwood Gardens

The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the American Public Gardens Association are mounting an educational exhibit at Longwood Gardens showing the link between temperature and planting zones

Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers

The energy-efficient Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers hotel is powered by renewable and sustainable sources, including integrated solar photovoltaics and guest-powered bicycles

El Hierro

El Hierro, one of the Canary Islands, plans to generate 80 per cent of its energy from renewable sources

Remarkables Primary School green roof

The green roof on the Remarkables Primary School in New Zealand reduces stormwater runoff, provides insulation and doubles as an outdoor classroom

Weather Info for All

The Weather Info for All project aims to roll out up to five thousand automatic weather observation stations throughout Africa

SolSource

SolSource turns its own waste heat into electricity or stores it in thermal fabrics, harnessing the sun's energy for cooking and electricity for low-income families

Wave House

The Wave House uses vegetation for its architectural and environmental qualities, and especially in terms of thermal insulation

Mbale compost-processing plant

The Mbale compost-processing plant in Uganda produces cheaper fertilizer and reduces greenhouse gas emissions

Frito-Lay Casa Grande

At Casa Grande, Frito-Lay has reduced energy consumption by nearly a fifth since 2006 by, amongst other things, installing a heat recovery system to preheat cooking oil

More Bright Ideas...

Tiempo Climate Newswatch
Updated: December 18th 2011