The Fifth UN Environment Assembly concluded in Nairobi, with 14 resolutions that aimed to strengthen actions for nature and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The 193 UN Member states make up the Assembly. It meets every two years to promote global environmental governance.
Wednesday evening, the world’s ministers for environment agreed to form an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding agreement to eliminate plastic pollution.
Inger Andersen (Executive Director of UN Environment Programme (UNEP)) stated that this was the most significant multilateral environmental deal since the Paris agreement.
“Against the backdrop for geopolitical turmoil the UN Environment Assembly shows multilateral collaboration at its best,” said Espen BART EIDE, President of UNEA-5 and Norway’s Minister for Climate and the Environment.
“Pollastic pollution has become an epidemic. We are now officially on the path to a cure with today’s resolution.
Amina J. Mohammad, Deputy Secretary-General, stated that plastic pollution has reached every part of the planet, from deep-sea sediments to Mount Everest. A multilateral solution that addresses all aspects of plastic pollution is needed for the planet. A legally binding international agreement on plastic pollution would be a welcome first step.
A second resolution supports the establishment and management of an ambitious science policy panel that addresses the sound management of chemical wastes and pollution prevention.
The Ministerial Declaration recognizes humanity’s failures to manage chemicals, waste, and is further exacerbated through the Covid-19 pandemic and widespread use single-use plastics.
In keeping with the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration’s spirit, a third resolution was agreed by the Assembly. It focuses on nature-based solutions, which are actions to preserve, conserve, restore and sustainably use ecosystems.
UNEP is urged to support such solutions that protect the rights of indigenous peoples and communities.
Andersen stated that it was important to have a common definition of nature-based solution. We can now assess the accuracy and meaning of claims made by countries and companies that they are supporting nature-based solution. This is especially true considering the recently released report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on how we need to scale up adaptation. Nature-based solutions are crucial for this.
Three resolutions are proposed to prioritize ecosystem restoration, biodiversity preservation, resource efficiency and consumption patterns, climate mitigation, adaptation, job creation, and poverty reduction.
A resolution on the minerals and metals should be developed to improve their environmental sustainability throughout their entire lives.
A resolution on sustainable lakes management calls upon member states to protect and conserve lakes and restore them, as well as sustainably using them.
The resolution on resilient and sustainable infrastructure encourages member countries to incorporate environmental considerations into all their infrastructure plans.
A concluding Ministerial Declaration acknowledged the risk of future pandemics, and other health threats, if humanity doesn’t change its patterns in interaction with nature through a holistic approach such ‘One Health.
In this context, the resolution on animal welfare requires member states to protect and preserve animals’ habitats, and meet their welfare needs.
Another resolution on biodiversity, health, calls upon member states to reduce health risk associated with trades in live wildlife captured for food, captive breeding, medicines, and pet trade, through regulation, sanitary controls.
Ministerial Declaration highlighted the urgent need for a halt to the global decline and fragmentation in biodiversity, unprecedented in human historical. This was caused by changes in land and water use, exploitation, unsustainable consumption patterns, climate change and invasive alien species.
In this context, the Assembly passed a resolution to accelerate actions for significantly reducing nitrogen waste from all sources, particularly through agricultural practices, and to save $100 billion annually.
The Covid-19-related investments have largely failed to promote environmental goals. The world’s environment ministers pledge to promote an inclusive and sustainable recovery, a fair transition, and a green and just transition by incorporating biodiversity and climate change concerns into all policies, tools, and programs.
To strengthen measures for a sustainable, resilient, inclusive and global recovery, the Assembly adopted “resolution on environmental dimension of sustainable, resilient, inclusive post-Covid-19”
Additional resolutions and decisions from the Assembly address the venue and date for UNEA-6, future of the Global Environment Outlook and (GEO), and equitable geographical representation and balance within the UNEP secretariat.
The online and in-person UNEA-5.2 meeting took place after UNEA-5 online sessions last year. It attracted approximately 3,000 participants in person and 1,500 online from 175 UN member countries, including 17 Ministers and high-ranking officials.
The Assembly will be followed “UNEP@50”, which is a two day Special Session of UNEP marking UNEP’s 50th anniversary. Here member states are expected address how to create a resilient and inclusive world post-pandemic, and to endorse a draft Political Declaration.
(Vishal Gulati may be reached at [email protected]
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(Only headline and photo of this report might have been reworked slightly by Business Standard staff; the rest is auto-generated from syndicated feeds.