Ted Turner: Climate Change Humanity's Most Serious Problem

SVALBARD, Norway, June 23, 2011 (ENS) - Today, on a warm day very close to the Arctic Circle, board members of the UN Foundation, including Founder and Chairman Ted Turner, got a close look at what effects climate change is having on the Arctic. After their annual Board of Directors meeting in Oslo, several directors traveled to Svalbard, the world's northernmost community. They journeyed up a fjord to the foot of a receding glacier with scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute.

Scotland eyes grid connection to Norway

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Scottish officials said they were working with Norway to develop ways to link their energy grids across the North Sea.
SSE Interconnector, a division of Scottish and Southern Energy, announced the signing of a partnership agreement with Norwegian utility companies to examine ways to link the two electricity grids.
"(A) European grid is essential to ensuring our resources fully contribute to Europe's sustainable energy policy," said Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond in a statement.

Finland to fund sustainable energy from forests in Indonesia

Finland is aiming to set up an scheme to produce renewable biomass energy from Indonesian forests next year, following in the footsteps of a lauded Norwegian agreement to tackle Indonesia's high deforestation.

Finland's scheme, with initial investment of four million euros, is small compared to the $1 billion pledged by Norway, but is a sign more countries may look to do bilateral deals if U.N. talks in Cancun fail to produce a global climate pact.

Australia said on Thursday it would increase its spending on climate change financing by giving Indonesia an additional $45 million for projects to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) and for climate change adaption.

Russia FM to sign border agreement with Norway

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, currently on a visit to Oslo, on Tuesday will attend the second ministerial meeting of the renewed Northern Dimension (ND).

This regional programme pursued on an equal basis by four partners - Russia, the European Union, Iceland and Norway - was launched in the new format at the quadripartite summit in Helsinki in 2006. The ND geographical territory covers a large area from the arctic and sub-arctic regions of Europe to the southern shores of the Baltic Sea and from northwest Russia in the east to Iceland and Greenland in the west.

The meeting, which will be held at Oslo City Hall, in essence, will be a review of recent advances in four policy areas of cross-border cooperation and coordination of plans for the future. In particular, the conference participants will "synchronize watches" on the state of affairs in the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership and cooperation in the field of health and social welfare. The debate will unfold also on a transition to earliest practical implementation of initiatives in transport, logistics and the sphere of culture. The sides will also address the process of formation of the ND Business Council and the Institute of the Northern Dimension.