After a week of intensive work in Nairobi, Kenya, the sixth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) The 15 World Summit on Climate Change came to a close, underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts among nations to effectively address climate change. This biennial meeting culminated in the adoption of 70 resolutions, in addition to two citations and a ministerial declaration. The ministerial declaration, which was drawn up following a meeting attended by more than XNUMX Environment Ministers on Thursday, reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation to align climate policies within their respective countries.
In this article we tell you everything you need to know about UNEA-6 and what should be done to protect the environment.
What is the United Nations Environment Assembly
The United Nations Environment Assembly is the world's highest decision-making body on environmental issues, bringing together representatives from around the world to discuss and make key decisions on protecting the natural environment. At UNEA-6, more than 5600 delegates from 190 countries analysed and debated urgent measures to combat what is known as climate change. triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
During the Assembly, critical issues such as the natural resource management (minerals and metals), the air and water pollution, the loss of biodiversity and the impact of armed conflict in the environment. In addition, the event is the space where non-binding resolutions are generated that, however, form the basis for national and international environmental treaties and policies.
UNEA-6 Resolutions
Among the resolutions approved by UNEA-6 are measures to combat sand and dust storms, improve the chemical waste management and promote sustainable mineral extraction. The need to consider environmental factors in activities such as mining, which will be essential in the energy transition, is also reinforced.
Summit President Leila Benali stressed the importance of also addressing the air pollution and the effects of extreme events such as sandstorms, which, although often ignored, seriously affect the health and economy of many regions. UNEA-6 recognized that these and other problems require a comprehensive approach, so the resolutions adopted are an important step towards global and national policies.
One of the most important resolutions was the one referring to the so-called minerals for the energy transition, which include materials essential for technologies such as electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines. The resolution calls for responsible extraction that takes into account not only the environmental impact, but also the social repercussions.
Adapting to climate change in the midst of conflict
The Assembly also highlighted the specific challenges facing countries in conflict or post-conflict. During the summit, Ukraine called for environmental assistance for war-affected regions. Minister Leila Benali and the head of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Inger Andersen, stressed the need to address the challenges of conflict and post-conflict. environmental impacts of armed conflicts, including the destruction of infrastructure, pollution from waste and damage to vital ecosystems.
UNEP has carried out 25 assessments in conflict zones in recent years, including Gaza and other devastated regions. Through these interventions, the destruction of agricultural land and the contamination of soils and bodies of water, highlighting the need for environmental restoration in the affected areas.
A key resolution at UNEA-6 calls on countries to strengthen environmental protection during and after armed conflict, ensuring that the environmental consequences of war do not increase existing climate challenges.
Urgent measures to stop plastic pollution
A significant achievement of UNEA-6 was to avoid any stalemate in the quest for a binding global treaty to combat plastic pollutionDespite initial opposition from some countries, ministers reaffirmed their commitment to moving forward with resolution 5/14, which had been adopted in 2022 and sought to negotiate a global treaty on plastics.
The intergovernmental committee charged with this task will meet in Ottawa and Busan in 2024, to move towards a binding treaty by 2025. However, this process has met with resistance from some countries seeking to reduce the treaty's ambition. According to Greenpeace and other organizations, it is essential that the agreement's language supports the Complete elimination of plastic pollution by 2040, and that the link between the plastic crisis and the climate crisis is recognized.
The role of science and young people
UNEA-6 also highlighted the key role of scientific reports in making informed decisions. During the Assembly, UNEP presented several reports, including the Global Outlook on Waste Management, which concluded that humanity must drastically reduce the amount of waste it produces, and the Global Resources Overview, which indicated that natural resources are being depleted at an alarming rate.
Furthermore, the Assembly stressed the importance of new generations in the fight against climate change. Grace Catapang, a Filipino youth activist, gave a powerful speech advocating for greater climate ambition: “In my short life, I have witnessed the devastating injustices inflicted on the environment.” This call to action resonated with delegates and was reflected in several of the resolutions adopted.
With the next Assembly scheduled for 2026, it is clear that the environment remains a priority on international agendas. The resolutions adopted at UNEA-6 provide a solid basis for moving towards a more sustainable world, where climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are addressed in an integrated and effective manner.