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.
Earlier this year, UNEP published the report, “Bracing for Superbugs: Strengthening environmental action in the One Health response to antimicrobial resistance,” a comprehensive global assessments of the current antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis.
The report provides evidence that the environment plays an important role in the development, transmission and spread of AMR. It also offers solutions to the AMR crisis including preventing and managing chemical and biological pollution from the pharmaceuticals, agriculture and healthcare sectors and municipal waste.
The report also calls for all hands-on deck from government, civil society, international organizations and the private sector.
The first plenary assembly of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) multi-stakeholder partnership platform took place at the FAO Headquarters in Rome to provide an opportunity for partnership platform members to convene, collaborate, and collectively establish priorities for combating AMR using the One Health approach.
Thought she could not attend, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen recorded a video message for attendees at the assembly to encourage all stakeholders to redouble efforts to combat AMR.
World AMR Awareness Week starts today and will continue to 24 November.
Wold AMR Awareness Week which raises awareness about the danger that antimicrobial resistance poses to global public health will feature summits, panel discussions, press conferences, and a host of other events around the world.
To find more about some of the events, visit here.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been called a ‘silent killer’ and despite the danger it poses to the world, not many people know about it.
AMR occurs when microorganisms evolve and stop responding, or respond less, to treatment such as antibiotics. This process is on the rise worldwide and was responsible for nearly 1.3 million deaths in 2019, making it a bigger killer than AIDS and malaria. And the situation is expected to get worse.
To learn more about AMR and why it's a global health crisis, here is an explainer UNEP published recently.
The third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-3), is taking place this week at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Follow along here for coverage.
Talks to develop a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution restart today at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi.
The discussions – which represent the third session of what is known as the International Negotiating Committee (INC-3) – come with the world experiencing a plastic pollution crisis.
Humanity produces around 430 million tonnes of plastic every year, two-thirds of which quickly becomes waste. Much of that ends up polluting land, sea and air while increasingly working its way into the human food chain.
Plastic pollution also has a huge impact on the climate. In 2019, plastic generated 1.8 billion metric tonnes of GHGs – 3.4 per cent of the global total – with 90 per cent of those emissions coming from plastic production and the conversion of fossil fuels.
So, what can we expect from the latest round of talks? Read the full story.
Understanding the connections between human health, animals and ecosystems is needed to create a world where humans, animals and the environment thrive together, ensuring a healthier, more sustainable planet for generations to come, say experts.
Here's a closer look at the One Health approach and why it is considered so promising.
The biggest global voluntary effort to tackle plastic pollution and waste shows it is possible to make progress on a pressing environmental issue, yet tougher measures are now needed to curb the crisis, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Since 2018, more than 1,000 organisations have given their backing to the Global Commitment, led by the Foundation in partnership with the UN Environment Programme, to stop plastic packaging from becoming waste.
Despite remarkable progress, lead poisoning remains a serious threat around the globe, particularly in Lower Middle-income Countries (LMICs), where almost one in three children is still exposed to unsafe levels of Lead, primarily from paint, toys, and electronics among other sources. The G7’s annual summit was a monumental moment in global effort to recognize the urgency of Lead poisoning prevention.
This webinar aims to unpack the significance of all these actions, discuss the challenges that LMICs face in drafting and implementing the necessary laws to safeguard their communities, and curb the damage due to human and economic burdens due to lead exposure. It also hopes to provide a knowledge sharing opportunity for successful endeavors to be scaled up and emulated in various parts of the world.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today announced the 2023 Champions of the Earth, honouring a city mayor, a non-profit foundation, a social enterprise, a government initiative and a research council for their innovative solutions and transformative action to tackle plastic pollution.
Since its inception in 2005, the annual Champions of the Earth award has been given to trailblazers at the forefront of efforts to protect people and planet. It is the UN’s highest environmental honour. Including this year’s five Champions, the award has recognized 116 laureates: 27 world leaders, 70 individuals and 19 organizations. UNEP received a record 2,500 nominations this cycle, marking the third consecutive year that nominations have reached a high-water mark.
Cada dólar gastado en la restauración de bosques degradados puede resultar en US$ 30 en beneficios económicos.
