Event Report: Global dialogues on UNEP-IETC 30th Anniversary Event Underscores the Significance of Sustainable Waste Management
Osaka, 3 October 2022, – To commemorate the 30th anniversary of its establishment the International Environmental Technology Center (IETC) of UNEP organized a multidisciplinary stakeholder discussion on the pathways to advance, pilot, and scale up sustainable waste management in the event on 3 October 2022.
UNEP-IETC was established in 1992 based on the decision of the UNEP Governing Council with a mandate to facilitate the transfer of environmentally sound technologies focusing on urban environmental and freshwater issues. In recent years, UNEP-IETC has focused its activities on environmentally sound management of solid waste to implement UNEP’s Medium-term Strategies and Programmes of Work.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP delivered an opening speech, congratulating UNEP-IETC’s anniversary and showing UNEP’s appreciation to the Government of Japan and the Osaka City Government for their support of the centre’s work. She emphasized that the waste issue impacts the whole of the triple planetary crisis: the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature and biodiversity loss, and the crisis of pollution and waste.
UNEP-IETC 30th anniversary event featured three sessions in which leaders from multiple stakeholders had an opportunity to discuss the topics including the expected roles of UNEP-IETC, IETC achievements in the last 30 years, and IETC’s future perspectives for the next 30 years. Speakers from communities, civil society, businesses, media, and governments around the world attended the session of panel discussion and suggested taking action toward a zero-waste society.
The panelists of the final discussion involved Dr. Khaled Fahmy, Former Minister of Environment, Egypt, Mr. Björn Appelqvist, Chair of the ISWA Scientific and Technical Committee and Senior Chief Consultant at Ramboll, International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), Ms. Mayumi Tsuryu, Executive Officer, Sustainability Development Department, Seven & i Holdings. Co., Ltd., Ms. Momona Otsuka, Chief of Environment Officer, Kamikatsu Zero Waste Centre, BIG EYE COMPANY, and Mr. Kosaka Daimao, Comedian. The event encouraged physical and virtual attendees from around the world to put forward their views on waste practices and take responsibility for advancing a circular economy.
As a global authority on waste, UNEP-IETC will play its role in creating waste data systems; advancing circularity by engaging high-impact sectors; contributing to the plastics agenda; and promoting investments in infrastructure and digital technologies for sustainable waste management.
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