Brussels, 28 March 2025 - In a move to strengthen global environmental cooperation in increasingly challenging geopolitical circumstances, European Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, met with the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Inger Andersen, in Brussels today. This high-level dialogue aims to align strategic priorities between the European Commission and UNEP during a critical period for environmental multilateralism.
The discussions centered on advancing a competitive circular economy, enhancing water resilience, leveraging digital solutions, and increasing climate and environmental security. Collaboration between UNEP and the European Commission will be crucial in addressing the intertwined planetary crises of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. These global challenges require cohesive global responses, with multilateral fora playing a pivotal role in fostering global consensus, as shown by the recent success of the resumed Convention on Biological Diversity COP16 session in Rome.
The meeting underscored the importance of finalizing UNEA-mandated processes, including the forthcoming negotiations on an international legally binding agreement on plastic pollution and the Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution. In the runup to the Seventh United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), this year to be held in December under the theme, Sustainable Solutions for a Resilient Planet, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to building strong coalitions and achieving high ambition outcomes in global environmental processes, which can contribute to competitiveness, security and resilience.
Both UNEP and the European Commission agreed that the core of their cooperation framework should focus on joint actions to address the root causes and emerging challenges of environmental sustainability. They remain committed to accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through integrated actions that unlock finance, transform industries and economies, and deliver a healthy planet, healthy people, and sustainable prosperity. This also includes advancing goals such as poverty reduction, reducing inequality, protecting the most vulnerable, and restoring ecosystems.
At the dialogue, UNEP and the Commission welcomed the finalisation of the 4th Programme Cooperation Agreement. Under the agreement, the Commission commits €21.5 million for implementing globally agreed environmental commitments and building capacities around the world to address environmental challenges through multilateral efforts.
A pivotal component of the cooperation is the science-policy interface, emphasizing the crucial role of data in guiding environmental policy and practice. The meeting also facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the European Environment Agency (EEA) and UNEP, further solidifying their partnership.
Commissioner Roswall said: "The world needs stronger international cooperation in the current challenging geopolitical context. The EU will continue to work closely with international partners like UNEP to champion environmental cooperation that bridges geopolitical divides, forge multilateral partnerships and strengthen the global protection of ecosystems."
"EU leadership is already delivering important progress to tackle the triple planetary crisis and safeguard environmental multilateralism," said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen. "This leadership is an investment into Europe’s future that will help secure healthy, resilient economies, clean air, new jobs and many more benefits for all Europeans. UNEP looks forward to continuing our close work and partnership with the EU to go even further, even faster, to deliver global environment goals.”
The dialogue builds on well-established collaboration between the different services of the European Commission, the European External Action Service and UNEP, at policy and programmatic levels, in support of solutions though environmental multilateralism.
To date, cooperation between the European Commission and UNEP covers a wide range of activities, programmes, and projects in areas such as biodiversity, sustainable consumption and production, climate change, water resources, sound chemicals and waste management, environmental monitoring and assessment, and strengthening environment governance at the global, regional and national levels. The European Commission has provided support to both UNEP directly and to the budgets of Multilateral Environmental Agreements.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
