18 September 2009: The Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Secretary of Environment of Argentina have announced that they are taking action towards making the ninth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 9) carbon neutral.

COP 9 will convene in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 21 September-2 October 2009. The Secretariat and host country will seek to offset the emissions caused by the participation of UN staff and delegates from developing countries, and have encouraged representatives of international organizations, civil society and the private sector to make voluntary contributions for their own emissions. The initiative will contribute to the implementation of a reforestation project and a solar stove project in Argentina. [UNCCD climate neutral announcement]