Preventing, controlling and managing pollution is central to improving health, human well-being and prosperity for all.
UNEP drives capacity and leadership in sound management of chemicals and waste while working to improve ways to reduce waste through circularity and pollutants released to the air, water, soil and the ocean.
A landmark 206.8 million programme supported by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), UNEP, and partners will support countries in meeting the Stockholm Convention’s target of eliminating the use of harmful polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in equipment by 2025.
PCBs are a class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) primarily found in electrical transformers around the world. They persist in the environment for long periods and can travel over great distances through air, water and migratory species across international boundaries. They can cause serious health effects in humans and animals, including reproductive impairment and immune system dysfunctions.
The new programme will tackle this legacy pollutant through an approach that integrates PCB elimination with the deployment of renewable energy and electrification, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent through the replacement of old, inefficient transformers.
The programme is expected to deliver significant global environmental benefits, including the elimination of approximately 8,750 tons of PCBs in Cameroon, Eswatini, Gabon, Madagascar, Nigeria, and Uganda (participating countries in phase 1). It will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent through the replacement of old, inefficient transformers. Moreover, the programme will improve the operational and energy efficiency of electricity grids in the participating countries, thus contributing to broader climate change mitigation efforts.
Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago have united to drive the transformation and eliminate the environmental impact of fashion and construction.
The fashion and construction sectors are among the world’s most chemical-intensive industry sectors. The building and construction sector is the largest end-market for chemicals, and producing 1 kg of textiles requires 0.58 kg of various chemicals on average. Both sectors connect producers, retailers, and consumers from across the world and are characterised by complex, fragmented, global supply chains with globally significant impacts.
The $340 million initiative will transform resource-intensive processes and materials with sustainable alternatives and fostering circular, collaborative value chains.
Happening on 4 December from 3:00pm - 4:30pm EAT, Wastewater as a Solution for Climate Mitigation and Methane Reduction is a webinar that aims to showcase the untapped potential of wastewater to tackle the challenges of climate change, water and food security.
This webinar will also emphasise the need to include sustainable wastewater management, including resource recovery, in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for countries to accelerate action towards climate adaptation and mitigation.
Countries negotiating an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, adjourned their fifth session with agreement on a ‘Chair’s Text’ that will serve as the starting point for negotiations at a resumed session in 2025. Read press release.
After a long week of negotiations in Busan, the closing plenary conference is taking place on Sunday evening. Watch the INC live webcasts.
Check the INC-5 live daily schedule for updates.
The UN System is coming together to push for a strong agreement to end plastic pollution at INC-5. Here's an example from the International Labour Organization (ILO):
Cada dólar gastado en la restauración de bosques degradados puede resultar en US$ 30 en beneficios económicos.
