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The document begins with a short overview on the impacts of degrading eco-systems on human well-being. How current energy consumption is contributing to this degradation is also addressed. The affect of climate change on ecosystem services and the energy services they provide is then briefly examined. The document concludes with suggestions for how IUCN could bring its expertise to the energy, ecosystem, climate change nexus

Climate change is a major threat to global biodiversity. From the tropics to the Poles, the world’s ecosystems are all under pressure. A study published in the scientific journal Nature posited that 15 to 37% of terrestrial animal and plant species could be at risk of extinction because of human-induced impacts on climate (Thomas et al., 2004). Scattered across the four corners of the Earth, European Union overseas entities, are home to a biological diversity that is as rich as it is vulnerable. Located in several global biodiversity hotspots, these territories are home to a far greater number of endemic animal and plant species than continental Europe. However, this natural wealth is under pressure from numerous quarters: habitat destruction, invasive alien species, pollution, over-exploitation of species; no territory has been spared. Today, climate change represents an additional threat to these ecosystems, and one which could possibly end up being as damaging as all the others combined.

There is growing evidence that seagrasses are experiencing declines globally due to anthropogenic threats (Short and Wyllie Echeverria 1996, Duarte 2002, Orth et al. 2006). Runoff of nutrients and sediments that affect water quality is the greatest anthropogenic threat to seagrass meadows, although other stressors include aquaculture, pollution, boating, construction, dredging and landfill activities, and destructive fishing practices. Natural disturbances such as storms and floods can also cause adverse effects. Potential threats from climate change include rising sea levels, changing tidal regimes, UV radiation damage, sediment hypoxia and anoxia, increases in sea temperatures and increased storm and flooding events. Thus, seagrass meadows, the ecosystems that they support and the ecosystem services that they provide are threatened by a multitude of environmental factors that are currently changing or will change in the future.

International rivers provide an estimated 60% of the world’s freshwater flows There are some 260 international river basins in the world. They cover nearly half of the Earth’s surface and are home to 40% of the world’s population. Growing water demands will force nations to develop these shared resources Growing populations and growing economies call for more and more water. Increasingly, countries will need to turn to these shared resources to meet demands for drinking water, agriculture, energy and industrial production-raising risks of conflict, overutilization and further ecosystem degradation. Basins, rather than boundaries, define the best scope for water management Integrated water resource management strategies – processes that promote the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources at the river basin level – are widely accepted as the most sustainable, efficient and equitable. All basins have boundaries, and all can benefit from cooperation Boundaries exist between nations, municipalities, and even between user groups within a village. From the international to the local level, there will be competing demands for water resources. These demands are best assessed and addressed holistically.

A mangrove is a woody plant or plant community which lives between the sea and the land, in areas which are flooded by tides for part of the time. Mangroves make up one of the world's most unique ecosystems because they thrive where no other trees can survive - in the transition zone between the ocean and land. They are also among the world's most productive ecosystems.

This report - if we can call it that - compiles information, evaluations, and case studies about governance for sustainability. The topic is serious and pressing, but also incredibly complex because it addresses the three key issues of globalization, democracy, and sustainability. Rather than trying to offer a definitive report that attempts to incorporate these three issues into one theory, we extend an invitation to the wider IUCN community - to academics and environmental activists - to take up the challenge and jointly search for a theory of sustainable governance that can make a difference in practice. This report should be seen as a first step towards such an initiative.

Bioenergy occupies a unique position at the nexus of energy, environment, climate change and rural development agendas. Consequently, bioenergy and biofuels in particular, have seen record levels of support in the form of subsidies, mandates and investments as governments seek to maximize the perceived synergies between the various opportunities offered by bioenergy. Whilst it is true that well- planned bioenergy development can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from a range of sources, increase rural incomes, reduce waste, improve access to energy, and improve overall energy security and independence - the reality is that current expansion of production, particularly of first-generation liquid biofuels, is increasingly cause for concern.