This workshop will address the challenges of fostering sustainable firewood use for heating and cooking in households of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region. It will provide a platform for exchanging experiences throughout the region on how to improve wood energy applications, and participants will be invited to develop guidance for providing an enabling policy framework to optimize the use of wood as a clean and healthy source of energy for households. The workshop will result in two outcomes: a collection of best practices; and a roadmap for policy makers. Participants will review and discuss the draft documents, which will be provided prior to the workshop. Participants from development agencies, academia, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations addressing heating and cooking are expected to attend the workshop. A parallel exhibition will raise awareness regarding the complexity of, and potential improvement in, firewood use in households, including regarding health and resource efficiency. It will showcase the different aspects of efficient firewood use in households, encouraging people to learn about wood, where its energy is stored, how it is transformed to heat and how to preserve this heat for household use. [ more details @ http://energy-l.iisd.org/events/fao-and-unece-workshop-more-heat-with-less-wood/ ]

The second annual Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) is being held with a view to addressing climate change through innovation. Hosted by the Japanese Government, the event will bring together policymakers, business leaders and researchers for "an energy- and environment-focused version of the World Economic Forum". Organizers of the event are working with the French Presidency of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC to make the event an important milestone on the road to a global climate agreement at COP 21 in December 2015. Plenary sessions at the conference will include: principal issues in the future greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction; future perspectives from innovators, visionaries and global leaders; and future strategy for climate change. A number of parallel sessions will take an in-depth look at specific technologies, sectors and energy sources. In addition a 'Networking Plaza' will be held on 6 October 2015. [ more details @ http://energy-l.iisd.org/events/second-annual-meeting-of-the-innovation-for-cool-earth-forum-icef/ ]

A Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council consultation with civil society organizations will be held on 19 October 2015, in Washington D.C., US, preceding the 49th meeting of the GEF Council, taking place from 20-22 October at the same location. [ more details @ http://energy-l.iisd.org/events/49th-meeting-of-the-gef-council-consultation-with-civil-society-organizations/ ]

The GEF Council meets twice a year to approve new projects with global environmental benefits in the GEF's focal areas (biodiversity, climate change mitigation, chemicals and waste, international waters, land degradation, sustainable forest management) and integrated approach pilots (sustainable cities, taking deforestation out of commodity chains, and sustainability and resilience for food security in Sub-Saharan Africa), and provide guidance to the GEF Secretariat and Agencies. A CSO Consultation will take place the day before the Council meeting. [ more details @ http://energy-l.iisd.org/events/49th-meeting-of-the-gef-council/ ]