Strengthening institutions to better implement and monitor the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda

UNEP aims to strengthen the capacity of national institutions of countries to coherently integrate, implement, and monitor the environmental dimension of the Agenda 2030. In collaboration with several other inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations such as the United Nations Development Account and the Economic Commission for Africa, UNEP helps countries to develop national strategies and policies that include multisectoral priorities aimed at delivering on the 2030 Agenda, in a coordinated and integrated manner. Read more...

Kenyan students learn about environmental law

In our globalized world, environmental threats require effective responses that promote peace, justice, development, and the fulfillment of environmental and human rights. We are the leadership that the planet needs. In October 2019, in Nairobi, Kenya, a group of Kenyan students participated in a lecture at UNEP on international environmental law, where they deliberated over the weaknesses and strengths of international environmental laws, and discussed how students could get more involved in tackling environmental issues. Read more...

CITES CoP18 enhances integration of biodiversity related conventions into global environmental negotiations

The 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 18) was held in August 2019, in Geneva, Switzerland. At the CoP, parties deliberated and agreed on the best practices that would improve how the legislation, regulation, and operating practices of international trade in species can avert the accelerating rate of species extinctions across the globe. A report released in 2019 by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services made clear that the rate of species extinction is accelerating, with crucial impacts on people and the environment - including biodiversity. Read more...

Women in the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry share their personal experiences and achievements

Refrigeration and air-conditioning is crucial for our health, nutrition, comfort, and well-being. From prevention of food wastage to preservation of vaccines, from air conditioning in hospitals to our homes, we increasingly rely on the advances that refrigeration has brought us. However, all around the world, the sector has always been a largely male-dominated work environment. UNEP, OzonAction, and UN Women recently compiled a booklet to raise awareness of the opportunities available to women, including a wide variety of interesting and fulfilling careers for both women and men. Being aware of the highlighted experiences and the opportunities available can encourage and inspire other women to consider similar careers and support girls to follow a career path in this fast growing and important sector. Read more...

Strengthening the network of National Ozone Officers to comply with the Montreal Protocol obligations

UNEP's OzonAction programme supports governments to achieve and sustain their commitments to meet and increasingly implement the environmental obligations of the Montreal Protocol. In August 2019, UNEP held several compliance workshops in South East Asia, Mongolia, and the Pacific Islands to enhance the capacity of National Ozone Officers of the countries, including their implementing agencies, to help them comply with the Montreal Protocol obligations. The exercise would help the countries to not only sustain the achievements of phasing out non-environmentally friendly substances, but also catapult future obligations of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons phase out, by developing necessary legislation on energy efficiency. Read more...

China's strong political commitment to the Montreal Protocol

'32 Years and Healing' was theme of this years' World Ozone Day, which marked over three decades of remarkable international cooperation to protect the ozone layer, and the climate, under the Montreal Protocol. The international day was commemorated in Beijing, China, bringing together senior Chinese government officers, alongside participants from different international agencies, environmental institutions, and non-governmental organizations, to celebrate over three decades of remarkable international cooperation to protect the ozone layer and the climate under the Montreal Protocol. China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment is in the process of revising the regulation of its policies on phasing out Ozone Depleting Substances, as well as strengthening its management to provide better solutions for eliminating ODS commitments. Read more...

Mongolia organizes first Ozone2Climate technologies roadshow and industry round-table

UNEP and the Mongolian Ministry of Environment and Tourism organized an “Ozone2Climate (O2C) technologies roadshow and industry" meeting in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in August 2019. The forum provided a platform for information exchange and discussions about national and international technology and policy trends, industry standards, constraints for the implementation of ozone, and climate friendly alternatives within the Mongolian industry. A roadshow was also held in the country to demonstrate alternative and climate friendly technology development and their application, which will help to maximize benefits of ozone, climate, and energy efficiency. Read more...

Pacific Island Countries identify options for enhancing monitoring and enforcement of Montreal Protocol trade controls

To effectively implement the Kigali Amendment, countries need to learn from each other and identify potential areas of collaboration that can be forged to strengthen the monitoring and enforcement system of the Montreal Protocol. To support this goal, UNEP's OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme, the Palau Environmental Quality Protection Board, and the Palau Bureau of Customs and Border Protection organized a workshop in Palau, in August 2019, to enhance the capacity of its customs and ozone officers to identify and implement enforcement based best practices for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol, including the Kigali Amendment. Read more...

New research proves Montreal Protocol successful

The Montreal Protocol treaty has long been regarded as one of the most successful international agreements ever created. Recently, a research group from the - New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research - proved the treaty's value when it comes to curbing the amount of harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaching the earth’s surface. According to the research, the amount of UV would have been as much as 20% higher than it is today. The researchers looked at data from clean-air sites using instruments that detect atmospheric composition changes and found that maximum daily values have remained essentially constant when considering all seasons over the past 20 years, and that where the effects of ozone depletion were greater, the maximum daily value may even have decreased. Read more...

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India Gears up for non-POPs alternatives to DDT

UNEP OzonAction fosters ties with global HVAC&R associations in the margins of MOP-31

ASHRAE, UN Environment Programme announce lower GWP award selections

Turkmenistan on track to ratify the Kigali Amendment as part of its new national climate strategy

Launching of 5th edition of Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Montreal Protocol award for customs and enforcement officers for 2019-2020

United Nations Environment Programme and UN Human Rights Office sign a new agreement, stepping up commitment to protect the human right to a healthy environment

Although more than 150 countries have recognized the human right to a healthy environment in their constitutions, more work is needed to inform policy-makers, justice institutions, and the public on the various ways they can take action to uphold this right. As threats to individuals and communities defending their environmental and land rights intensify in many parts of the world, UNEP and the United Nations Human Rights Office have prioritized efforts to promote and protect environmental and human rights with the signing of a new cooperation agreement. This partnership is expected to increase support to national governments, and to promote human rights-based policies particularly in terms of sustainable management of natural resources, development planning, and action to combat climate change. Read more...

Advancing the human right to a healthy environment: operationalising the MoU between UNEP and OHCHR

In November 2019, in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEP and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) held a pilot consultation to discuss the operationalization of their Memorandum of Understanding. The consultation provided an opportunity for the two organizations to meet and exchange information on how to leverage the Sustainable Development Goals to combat climate change and advance the right to a healthy environment. The outcome of the consultation was a draft workplan between UNEP and OHCHR of key activities and outputs towards advancing the human rights and environment nexus, and promoting greater protection for environmental defenders. Read more...

UN Environment Programme statement on the sentencing of environmentalists in Iran

UNEP is deeply concerned by the recent sentencing of environmentalists to lengthy jail terms for espionage-related crimes in the Republic of Iran. The detainees, who were devoted to conserving their country’s wildlife, have already languished in jail for almost two years and we had earlier received troubling information on lack of adequate access to legal counsel and representation. We have conveyed our concerns to relevant authorities in Tehran in the past.At a time when we face serious environmental challenges, the work of environmentalists and conservationists has never been more critical for our collective future. Read more...

Human rights are at threat from climate change, but can also provide solutions

The right to life is universally recognized as a fundamental human right, yet, every year, 150,000 premature deaths are being linked to the climate crisis—a number set to increase with rising temperatures. The failure of states to take adequate steps to address climate change may constitute a violation of the right to a healthy environment, as several courts have recognized. A Safe Climate report by the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment highlights that governments have an obligation to take effective measures to mitigate climate change, enhance the adaptive capacity of vulnerable populations, and prevent foreseeable loss of life. Read more...

Clean air as human right

If you’re reading this from a city in a high-income country, you have about a one in two chance of breathing in air that exceeds World Health Organization guidelines for air pollution. The World Health Organization estimates that 23 per cent of all deaths worldwide—a total to 12.6 million people in 2012—are exposed to environmental risks. Without the sound management of chemicals and waste across the world, it would be impossible to achieve equality, justice and human dignity for all. As a result, UNEP calls for a more comprehensive global framework that protects people from a toxic environment and addresses injustices worldwide resulting in risks to human health. Read more...

Children file a petition against their governments for violating their rights

In September 2019, sixteen children filed a petition against their governments (Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany and Turkey), alleging that the countries have violated their rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, by making insufficient cuts to greenhouse gases, and failing to encourage the world’s biggest emitters to curb carbon pollution. The petitioners claimed that climate change has violated their rights, including the rights to life, health, and the prioritization of the child’s best interest, as well as the cultural rights of petitioners from indigenous communities. An example was Deborah Adegbile of Nigeria, who asserted that she has been repeatedly hospitalized for asthma attacks triggered by rising temperatures and exacerbated smog. Read more...

Promoting environmental rights in Bangkok

In October 2019, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) held a training on environmental rights in Bangkok, for media, civil society and businesses across the South East Asia region. The objective of the meeting was to promote awareness of environmental rights and defenders in the region, including how to consider the economic, technological, trade and investment, and governance realities towards supporting human and environmental rights. Read more...

Addressing environmental harms – the business and human rights connection

Business operations have an impact on a wide range of human rights related to the environment; this is why for the first time, UNEP convened an official session during the UN Business and Human Rights Annual Forum in Geneva in November 2019. The session was co-organised with the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment and focused on the environmental rights implications of business operations, under the theme of agribusiness and land rights. In her statement during the Forum, the High Commissioner of UN Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, welcomed UNEP’s work with OHCHR and stated that she hoped the partnership will bring greater protection for environmental defenders.  Read more...

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UNEP supports presentation of Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment at the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly. Please scroll down to ‘Environment’ to read about the presentation

200 environmental and human rights leaders pledge to tackle climate emergency together

The African Elephant Fund: Delivering the African Elephant Action Plan

In August 2019, in Geneva, Switzerland, the African Elephant Fund (AEF) held a side event in the margins of CITES COP 18, where the AEF presented case studies and success stories of the projects implemented across the African elephant Range States, including lessons learned, and observed impacts on elephant conservation. The case studies included, among others: reduced human elephant conflict through improved monitoring, stakeholder engagement, and law enforcement, in Bia and Kakum Conservation Areas of Ghana; the first aerial survey of elephants and other large mammals in north-west Namibia in 2016, and; establishment of a canine department in Uganda Wildlife Authority. Read more...

Enhancing and sustaining effective participation in the Bio-safety Clearing House process

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) aims at strengthening the capacity of countries to participate in the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH) and its processes. UNEP held a training of trainers’ workshop for Caribbean customs officers, in September 2019, in Barbados, with the objective of enhancing the capacity of the officers to sustain the continuity of biosafety efforts in the region. The forum promoted information exchange and networking between the region’s biosafety leaders on BCH procedures, an exercise that would further enable them to replicate BCH capacity building activities at national levels. Read more...

Helping countries with biodiversity conservation targets

Signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the Convention on Biological Diversity is dedicated to promoting sustainable development. UNEP provides technical and financial support to developing countries, small island states, and countries with economies in transition to report on progress of achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and their associated National Biodiversity Targets, in accordance with Article 26 of the Convention. With support from the Global Environment Facility, UNEP collaborates with other partners to provide tailored technical assistance and develop tools that enhance the acquisition of quality, and scientifically sound data for improved reporting. Read more...

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New InforMEA course: Introductory Course to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

Building judicial capacity in the Pacific on climate change adjudication

Asia-Pacific judiciaries are increasingly becoming involved in matters relating to the environment and climate change, therefore creating the need to continuously enhance their knowledge of regional and international environmental challenges and best practices. The Supreme Court of Fiji, the Asian Development Bank, and UNEP organized an Asia-Pacific Judicial Conference on Environmental and Climate Change Adjudication in October 2019, in Nadi, Fiji, with the objective to strengthen the capacity of judges in the Pacific on environmental and climate change adjudication. The forum brought together 70 judges from across the region, who work on environmental and climate change adjudication, and discussed how to advance a regional harmonized and rights-based approach to carrying out Environmental Impact Assessment in the region. Read more...

Enhancing capacity of Least Developed Countries to participate effectively in intergovernmental climate change processes

Least Developed countries (LDCs) face severe socio-economic and environmental problems that threaten sustainable development. Climate change is likely to deprive large sections of populations living in LDCs of their livelihoods, hence, increasing the probability that communities will remain in poverty. In October 2019, UNEP held a capacity building workshop in Timor-Leste and Nepal, to facilitate the country’s government officers with knowledge and information that would fast track the process of building coalitions with other treaty parties, to further boost their negotiation skills to make the best decisions in large environmental negotiation and coordination settings. Read more...

Environmental authorities and customs join forces against environmental crime

Customs play a crucial role in fighting illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances. Customs officers ensure effective customs training on environmentally sensitive commodities as well as sharing of information between importing and exporting countries. In recognition of the efforts of customs and enforcement officers to combat the illegal trade in environmentally sensitive commodities, UNEP's OzonAction Programme, the Ozone Secretariat, and the World Customs Organization, awarded several government officers and authorities from different Latin America countries including Argentina, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Paraguay, with medals and certificates of the global Montreal Protocol Award. Read more...

East Asia customs propose a regional enforcement operation to target illicit trans-boundary movement of waste

The Basel amendment on plastic waste provides guidance to national representatives of countries that are party to the Basel Convention, and therefore promoting better monitoring and enforcement processes of the constantly changing legal measures of dealing with illegal trade in plastic waste. At a debriefing seminar for customs officers of South Korea, held in Seoul, in July 2019, the Korea Customs Service and the China Customs jointly proposed a regional enforcement operation, which would help with targeting illicit trans-boundary movement of waste, and to help with the effective implementation of relevant MEAs. Read more...

India seeks better alternatives to Persistent Organic Pollutants

India is the only country that produces and exports Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). DDT has historically been one of the most widely used pesticides in the world in the fight against malaria and other diseases. However, as a result of its continuous use across regions to help with parasite control, insects such as mosquitoes have over the years become resistant to the substance. To help countries phase-out the non-environmentally friendly chemicals, including the DDT, and develop sustainable chemical alternatives, UNEP, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and India’s Central Pollution Control Board have agreed to jointly initiate a project that will help India and other countries reduce production, use, and consumption of DDT, and to thereby meet their commitment to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Read more...

Promoting sound management of chemicals and waste by the year 2020

The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) was adopted in 2006 as a policy framework to promote chemical safety around the world. As 2020 rapidly approaches, governments have been examining progress towards that goal and discussing SAICM’s future beyond 2020, when its current mandate expires. At the third meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) for SAICM, held in October 2019, in Bangkok, governments agreed to adopt better and efficient ways of producing chemicals, that would minimize the adverse impacts of chemicals production and use on the environment and human health. Read more...

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Six Latin American government officials receive Customs and Enforcement Officers Global Awards