ENV - NEWS

The second UN Ocean Conference convened on the basis of UN General Assembly resolution 73/292 (2019), with the overarching theme ‘Scaling up ocean action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Stocktaking, partnerships and solutions’, drew to a close with delegates adopting a Political Declaration entitled ‘Our Ocean, Our Future, Our Responsibility.’

Delegates discussed the main trends, challenges, and good practices for the protection of environmental defenders.

At the meeting, governments advanced and made progress on the text of the landmark agreement on the Global Biodiversity Framework to be finalized and adopted at the second part of CBD COP 15 relocated to be held in Montreal, Canada, in December 2022.

The OSPAR Commission adopted a roadmap to decide on actions to better protect the Arctic marine environment by 2025.

The Twelfth Ministerial Conference finally negotiated and adopted a package of measures on a series of key trade initiatives (“Geneva Package”) confirming the historical importance of the multilateral trading system and underlining the important role of the WTO in addressing the world’s most pressing issues at a time when global solutions are critical.

At the meeting, the European Union expressed concern that the planetary boundary for chemical pollution has been breached. On the Basel Convention, the EU endorsed the e-waste proposal and the adoption of technical guidelines for plastic waste. On the Rotterdam Convention, the EU urged parties to list all chemicals on the agenda, and on the Stockholm Convention, it called for establishing a compliance mechanism and meeting the targets on Polychlorinated Biphenyls.

The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee has reiterated its commitment to review and strengthen IMO’s strategy for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping, with a view to adopting a revised strategy in mid-2023. Decisions on a number of important marine protection issues were taken at the session.

Commissioner Sinkevičius called for managing water resources in a much more efficient and sustainable way to address water scarcity and to ensure access to water and sanitation, as human rights. He called on youth to be loud and daring and to act now for a more environmentally sustainable future.

The commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the UN Conference on the Human Environment made a strong call for a bold and immediate systemic transition, assembling some 3000 delegates, including governments, business, civil society, science and well visible and assertive youth representatives.

Dedicated to the theme of making the European Green Deal real, Europe’s biggest annual event on environmental policy started with a hard question: Is there still a place for green policies in times where people struggle with high energy prices, supply chain disruptions that will lead to rising unemployment, high inflation and a war on Europe’s doorstep?

The meeting was held to make recommendations regarding the organisation of the work of the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) for the development of a new legally binding global instrument on plastic pollution.

The Ministerial Meeting, in the environmental part of its agenda, addressed key issues of international environmental policy, such as the Global Biodiversity Framework, marine protected areas, living resources of Antarctica, global chemicals management, sustainable use of resources and sustainable supply chains, and led to important commitments of the G7 concerning these issues.

‘The role of soils and their fertility are more important than ever to ensure food security for all and enable the transformation of agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable’, said Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General, who urged participants to work to catalyse and scale up sustainable soil management solutions on the ground.

UNCCD COP15 adopted 38 decisions, including on tenure, migration and gender, that highlight the role of land in addressing multiple crises.

Governments adopted a two-year roadmap of actions on forest policy issues, while recognising the importance of forests in combating climate change, biodiversity loss, and disaster risk reduction—and providing people with food, water, wood products, vital medicines, shelter, jobs, and security.

The CEP special session was devoted to the preparation of the Ninth Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference scheduled for 5-7 October 2022 in Nicosia; issues of the Environmental Performance Review Programme; and the presentation and exchange of views on the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme.

The congress provided a crucial opportunity for the global forest community to ensure that forests are an integral part of discussions and decisions within the 2030 Agenda, as well as the global COVID-19 recovery approaches.

The meeting provided inputs on the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regional priorities, challenges and good practices for the UN Secretary-General report and the United Nations 2023 Water Conference (22-24 March 2023, New York/ online).

The meeting offered members, partners, and observers for this UN interagency coordination mechanism the first opportunity to meet in person, after two years of online UN-Water sessions, and to discuss preparations for the UN 2023 Water Conference.

This visit took place on the occasion of Ukraine joining the LIFE programme for the environment and climate.

Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius visited Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. The visit was part of a world tour to promote, inter alia, an ambitious Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15.

At IPBES 9, the Plenary will consider, among other items, the thematic assessment of the sustainable use of wild species,...

The theme for the 2022 HLPF is ‘Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’.

The Summit will be the pinnacle of the G20 process and intense work carried out within the Ministerial Meetings, Working Groups, and Engagement Groups throughout the year.

Items on the agenda are the budget for the next triennium (2023-2025) and the corresponding programme of work for the AEWA Secretariat, among others. Read more...

The Commission adopted proposals for Regulations to restore damaged ecosystems and bring nature back across Europe, from agricultural land and seas to forests and urban environments, and to reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50 % by 2030.

The Commission published a restrictions roadmap, an important step forward to provide detailed information on all ongoing work on future restrictions under the EU chemical legislation.

The Commission published proposals to update and modernise the Industrial Emissions Directive, the EU’s key legislation to prevent and control pollution from large industries. Together with the revision of the IED, the Commission proposed to transform the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register into the EU Industrial Emissions Portal.

The ‘Rethinking Plastics – Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter’ project supports the transition towards a circular economy for plastics to reduce plastic waste leakage into the sea and thus marine litter.