NAIROBI, Kenya, February 28, 2022 (ENS) – The United Nations Environment Assembly is the world’s leading environmental decision-making body. It opens its annual meeting in Nairobi today. For the next three days, representatives of the 193 UN Member States, business, civil society and environmental leaders from around the world will gather in-person and online for the resumed fifth session of the Assembly, informally known as UNEA 5.2 because it picks up where last year’s Assembly left off.
Inger Andersen, UNEPs Executive director, stated that UNEA 5.2 would focus on preventing plastic pollution and harmful chemicals in agriculture. She also said that UNEA 5.2 would deploy nature to provide sustainable development solutions.
We have made great progress in negotiations towards an internationally legally binding instrument for plastic pollution elimination. I have complete faith that once endorsed by the Assembly, we will have something truly historic on our hands,” Andersen said.
Ambitious action to beat plastic pollution should track the lifespan of plastic products from source to sea should be legally binding, accompanied by support to developing countries, backed by financing mechanisms, tracked by strong monitoring mechanisms, and incentivizing all stakeholders including the private sector,” she explained.
Talks at the UN Environment Assembly will focus on the growing threat of wildfires.
A new report released by GRID and UN Environment Programme ahead of the Assembly shows that climate change and land use change will increase wildfires, leading to an increase in extreme fires by up to 14 percent worldwide by 2030.
Extreme fires will be 30% more common by 2050, and 50% by the end the century.
The Report, “Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires,” calls for a radical change in government spending on wildfires, shifting their investments from reaction and response to prevention and preparedness.
UNEP calls on governments to adopt a new “Fire Ready Formula,” with two-thirds of spending devoted to planning, prevention, preparedness, and recovery, with one third left for response. Currently, wildfire response costs account for more than half of all related expenditures. Planning receives less than 1%.
Authors advocate for a combination science-based and data-based monitoring systems that are complemented by indigenous knowledge. This will help to prevent fires.
Resolutions on the table
The five clusters of proposed resolutions that were submitted to UNEA-5.2 for discussion and approval are: Plastic Pollution, Nature and Biodiversity, Chemistry, Waste and Pollution, Green Recovery and Circular Economy, Organizational and administrative Matters, and Green Recovery and Circular Economy.
Plastic Pollution
As a first order, the Assembly will focus on the production of a legally binding global agreement to tackle plastic pollution.
“Plastic pollution is a transboundary challenge that requires global action,” the draft resolution states. More than 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic have been manufactured since the 1950s. About 60% of that plastic ended up in landfills, while the rest went into the natural environment.
The UN Environment Assembly will examine three proposals for a global plastics pollution agreement.
- – Internationally legally binding instrument on plastic pollution | Proposed by Rwanda and Peru | Co-sponsored by 54 Member States and the EU |
- – International legally binding instrument on marine plastic pollution | Proposed by Japan | Co-sponsored by 4 Member States | 2 December 2021
The comparison table shows the two possible solutions to plastic pollution from CIEL & EEIA - – Framework for addressing plastic product pollution including single-use plastic product pollution | Proposed by India | 28 January 2022
Nature and Biodiversity
There are four draft resolutions within this cluster.
- – Sustainable Lake Management | Proposed by Indonesia | 13 December 2021 | See technical note
- – Nature-based Solutions for supporting sustainable development | Proposed by European Union and its Member States | Co-sponsored by Costa Rica, Colombia and Pakistan | 16 December 2021
- – Animal Welfare Environment Sustainable Development nexus | Proposed by Ghana, Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Senegal, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Democratic Republic of Congo | 2 December 2021
- – Biodiversity and Health | Proposed by Eritrea on behalf of the Africa Group | 6 January 2022
Chemicals, Pollution and Waste
- – Sustainable Nitrogen Management | Proposed by Sri Lanka | Co-sponsored by the Philippines | 13 December 2021 | See technical note
- – Sound management of chemicals and waste | Proposed by Switzerland | 11 December 2021
- – Science-Policy Panel on chemicals, waste and pollution | Proposed by Costa Rica, Ghana, Mali, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Uruguay | 11 December 2021
Green Recovery and Circular Economy
- – Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure | Proposed by Mongolia | 21 December 2021
- – Green Approaches for a Sustainable post COVID-19 Recovery | Proposed by Eritrea on behalf of the Africa Group | 16 December 2021
- – Enhancing circular economy | Proposed by Eritrea on behalf of the Africa Group | 9 January 2022
- – Mineral Resource Governance | Proposed by Argentina, Ghana, Senegal, Switzerland, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 11 December 2021
Administrative and Organizational Matters
- – Compliance of equitable geographical representation and balance in the secretariat of UNEP | Russian Federation | 31 January 2022
- – The Future of the Global Environment Outlook | UNEP | 31 December 2021
- – Agenda, date and venue for UNEA-6 | UNEP | 6 December 2021
Side-events are held during the Assembly for three days.
Reimagining conservation: Integrating human rights in the development and implementation of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework CIEL. Conservation International, Costa Rica. Earthjustice, Forest Peoples Programme. GANHRI. Human Rights Watch. International Indian Treaty Council. IUCN CEESP. Natural Justice. OHCHR. Peru. Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. Slovenia. Swedbio. Sweden. UNDP, UNEP. Universal Rights Group. Women 4 biodiversity. WWF.| 28 February 2022 | 11:15 12:45 CET | Center for Justice Governance and Environmental Action, CIEL, Conservation International, Costa Rica, Earthjustice, Forest Peoples Programme, GANHRI, Human Rights Watch, International Indian Treaty Council, IUCN CEESP, Natural Justice, OHCHR, Peru, Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Slovenia, Swedbio, Sweden, UNDP, UNEP, Universal Rights Group, Women 4 biodiversity, WWF
Protecting Earth Defenders How can we ensure that environmental defenders are able to play their roles safely and freely?Green Tent event – 28 February 2022 at 13:30 – 14:45 GMT | Green Tent event | 28 February 2022 | 13:30 14:45 GMT | EEB, Global Witness, Earthworks, Reaccion Climatica (Bolivia), PHE Consortium (Ethiopia), Norwegian Forum for Environment and Development, NGO Major Group, and Women Major Group
From Recovery to Transformation: Greening Economies For People and Planet PAGE, UNDP, UNEP, ILO, UNIDO, UNITAR| 1 March 2022 | 11:15 12:45 CET | Online | PAGE, UNDP, UNEP, ILO, UNIDO, UNITAR
The After Party – An Anniversary Celebration
UNEA-52.2 will be followed by a Special Session at the UN Environment Assembly, to be held March 3 – 4. It will be dedicated commemorating the 50th anniversary UNEP’s establishment in 1972.
UNEP@50It is a time for reflection and visioning of the future. It is a chance to reenergize international cooperation and encourage collective action to address the triple global crisis of climate change and nature and biodiversity loss as well as pollution and waste. You can find the provisional agenda here. These are side-events that are relevant to the Geneva community.
The MultiStakeholder Dialogue will take place on March 4, at 13.00 CET. It will allow for an exchange of views on UNEP@50’s overall theme Strengthening UNEP to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’s environmental dimension. This will include a look back at UNEP’s 50-year history and a look ahead.
The UNEP@50 dialogues will be informed and informed by The UNEP We Want, which was prepared by the UNEP@50 Taskforce Of Major Groups And Stakeholders. It presents their views and suggestions on the future UNEP.
UNEP@50 will likely adopt a declaration of political intent.
Andersen stated that she feels the weight and responsibility of both history and today’s opening address to the Assembly.
“A huge responsibility sits on our shoulders at this resumed session of the 5th Environment Assembly. It is our responsibility as planetary leaders to address the triple crisis facing the planet: climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and waste. A responsibility to ensure that the planet’s ability to sustain humanity is protected. A responsibility to safeguard the one thing that props up the whole sustainable development agenda: the environment.”
“This is a responsibility we must all fulfill.”
Featured Image: Participants in the 2022 Youth Environment Assembly, February 2022 (Photo by Kiara Worth courtesy Earth Negotiations Bulletin)
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