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United Nations Environment Programme
Noticias Chemicals & pollution action

Spotlight on chemicals and pollution action

UNEP

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.

Below are chemicals and pollution highlights from the United Nations System, from partners and from others helping to call attention to the fact that the future of humanity and our planet depends on action now. 

20 Nov 2023 14:51

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley hosts the Global Youth Dialogue

Securing our future from Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

Young people have a pivotal role to play in combating the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance and how it contributes to a social and economic issues affecting youth.

Prime Minister of Barbados and the Chair of the Global Leaders Group on AMR Mia Amor Mottley will be in conversation with young people at The Global Youth Dialogue, an online virtual event, Securing our future from Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

The event will take place Tuesday 21 November 2023 from 3 pm to 4 pm CET during the World AMR Awareness Week.

Registration is now open, to participate in the event, register here.

Last updated at
19 Nov 2023 10:04

UNEP report sounds the alarm on AMR

AMR Illustration

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.

Last updated at
18 Nov 2023 12:24

Inaugural AMR multi-stakeholder partnership platform plenary assembly held in Rome

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. 

Last updated at
18 Nov 2023 09:02

World AMR Awareness Week kicks off today

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. 

Last updated at
16 Nov 2023 14:52

What is antimicrobial resistance and why is it a growing threat?

Image of microscopic organisms
Image: AFP / Kateryna Kon

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. 

Last updated at
14 Nov 2023 09:30

INC-3 meeting to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution

People at a conference

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.

Last updated at
13 Nov 2023 13:41

What to expect at the INC-3 talks in Nairobi

Plastic bottles
Photo: Unsplash/Jonathan Chng

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.

Last updated at
03 Nov 2023 13:22

How embracing the One Health approach can create a more sustainable planet

A grassland with mountains in the background
Photo: UNEP/Lisa Murray

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.

Last updated at
30 Oct 2023 18:08

Global efforts show progress on plastic pollution is possible – but world remains off track

Man packing plastic
Photo: UNEP

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.

Read more

Last updated at
30 Oct 2023 16:00

Worldwide voices: perspectives in tackling lead

Event poster

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.

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