Ambassador Luisa Fragoso, Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives
Distinguished Ambassadors, Excellencies, colleagues
Warm greetings as we begin a day of discussions – on the direction of travel – for UNEP and for environmental multilateralism in the year ahead.
We meet two weeks after the conclusion of COP26 in Glasgow. It is safe to say that we did not get as far as we had hoped at the Climate Conference of Parties (COP). The good news is that we saw science and urgency take centre stage with resolve to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5 °C, to reducing emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and to net-zero by 2050. Member States agreed on common timeframes for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and a global stocktake. Funding for adaptation doubled. For the first time, coal found explicit mention in the Glasgow Climate Pact. We finalized the Paris Rulebook. We saw movement in several areas, including methane reductions; deforestation; zero-emissions vehicles; green shipping and more. But yes, we failed to address some of the elephants in the room – the transition away from fossil-fuelled economic growth; the vast gap in climate financing; and the lack of meaningful action on loss and damage. And, let me be clear, there is anger. There is impatience. And deep-rooted inequalities persist. However, I sit here not to offer up doomsday scenarios, but to remind us all, that the Glasgow Climate Pact kept 1.5 °C alive. It is now up to us to grab this thread and translate this into urgent global action.
Excellencies,
COP26 confirmed that science does speak. That science is better understood today. And that science is what must guide policy. I am therefore immensely proud of our team at UNEP which through our Gap reports, delivered science that was widely cited at the COP, outlining the gap between ambition and implementation. UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report released by the United Nations Secretary-General ahead of the COP found that updated NDCs and mitigation pledges made prior to the COP shaved a mere 7.5 per cent of emissions by 2030. This pales in comparison to the 55 per cent reduction required to limit temperature rise by 1.5°C.
And as we encourage and applaud countries for “announce-ables” made at the COP, the reality remains that we continue to head to a world that is 2.2°C to 2.7°C warmer by the end of the century. And therefore we urgently need to up our game on adaptation. As the sixth edition of the UNEP Adaptation Gap points out, we are not doing enough on adaptation – to support and protect not just the most-vulnerable communities and countries, but also those in wealthy nations who are increasingly finding themselves under the gathering storm.
Excellencies,
2022 is all about shifting into emergency gear for people and planet. The opportunities afforded by UNEA 5.2; UNEP@50 and Stockholm+50 offer not just a space to reflect on 50 years of environmental cooperation, but to look at ways that dynamic reinvigorated multilateralism can help us overcome obstacles to addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, of biodiversity loss, and of pollution and waste.
Allow me to briefly reflect on my expectations on each of these moments.
UNEA 5.2 must concentrate on finishing the business of UNEA 5.1 and result in a political declaration that commits Member States to stepping into the emergency gear I spoke of earlier. The next UN Environment Assembly must adopt a limited number of resolutions that are strategic, impactful, and scalable. And that is why I am glad that the Secretariat is being able to contribute to this endeavour through the provision of technical notes on the draft resolutions that are currently on the table.
Allow me to spend a few minutes on plastic pollution, which is likely to be one of UNEA 5.2’s highlights. The resumed session of the Assembly must be a turning point for action on plastic pollution. I am indeed encouraged by the growing momentum amongst Member States for meaningful action on plastic pollution. And as Member States seek to use UNEA 5.2 as a launch pad for an International Negotiating Committee (INC) – we must all agree that time is not a luxury at our disposal. Member States must be ambitious, fast-tracking action to address the daily impact of plastics on human health, on ecosystem health, and on future generations. Any such instrument to address plastic pollution should, in my view, land on a circular and lifecycle approach to the challenge. Any such instrument in my view, must land in Nairobi, with UNEP. In this regard, I call on Member States to contribute resources to the INC so that we may immediately set the ball rolling, after UNEA 5.2 and get down to work.
On UNEP@50, I am pleased to report that the General Assembly’s Second Committee approved by consensus, the resolution that designates UNEP@50 as the appropriate United Nations high-level meeting for the adoption of the political declaration pursuant to General Assembly resolution 73/333. It is my hope that this declaration will contribute to a strengthened UNEP that makes an even greater contribution to the sustainable dimension of the development agenda in the years and decades to come. UNEP@50 can serve as a platform to deepen UNEP’s role as a catalyst for environmental action. This includes capacity to support Members States in implementing the environmental dimension of sustainable development. This means enhancing the science-policy interface. This means supporting digital transformation so that Member States have access to more accurate, timely and better-quality data. And this means strengthening UNEP´s role as the global environmental authority within the UN system, and to further elevate our Nairobi Headquarters as the global hub for the environment.
Stockholm+50 is an opportunity to anchor and harness emerging opportunities for a better future. To take collective action, build partnerships and to arrive at new social contract for nature. To significantly expand stakeholder engagement for a healthy planet. In so doing, we seek to tap into the legacy of the 1972 Stockholm conference.
Excellencies,
UNEP@50 and Stockholm+50 are two sides of the same coin. While UNEP@50 focuses on strengthening the environmental science-policy interface, and therefore UNEP, Stockholm+50 focuses on reinvigorating multilateralism as a key tool for a healthy planet and healthy people in a post-COVID19 world. My sincere thanks to Member States for the diligence and dedication so far, as we build together, these important environmental milestones.
I look forward to our discussions later today on both UNEA-5.2 and UNEP@50, to ensure that we remain on track in our preparatory work.
Excellencies,
As we think to 2022, I am confident our efforts will be strengthened by the new UNEP Medium-Term Strategy (MTS) and Programme of Work that we will kick-off in January. We are looking forward to working together with Member States towards a pollution-free planet with a stabilized climate and a thriving natural world. This is something we do together, or not at all. And a stable, well-funded UNEP is central to achieving the vision of the new MTS. My huge thanks to 69 Member States that have contributed to the Environment Fund this year. This is deeply appreciated but it is not enough. Because while Environment Fund income increased between 2017 and 2020, earmarked funds have increased even faster. This hampers UNEP’s ability to operate with flexibility, with efficiency and to concentrate on outcome level results, instead of project-level results. I look forward to your support in growing the core funding and increasing flexibility in earmarked funding.
I am pleased that our plan of action in 2022 by way of the new MTS has been validated by the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network or MOPAN that has examined how UNEP can address existing constraints to deliver on its normative and operational mandate. Allow me to assure you that we at UNEP have embraced the recommendations of the MOPAN Assessment, and we are committed to addressing the findings, both through the new MTS and our own ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our delivery systems.
After months of reflection and long internal consultations, we are standardizing UNEP’s delivery model to address some of the long-standing challenges. We aim to secure a strategic line of sight and ensure coherent delivery of UNEP’s project portfolio with a clear accountability framework. We have taken several steps including the introduction of quarterly business reviews that hold Directors accountable for reporting and knowledge sharing on project delivery, finances, human resources and audit. The MOPAN Assessment has also correctly highlighted funding challenges. It is our intention to establish three thematic trust funds on climate action, biodiversity action and chemicals and pollution action, aimed at pooling together funding from different donors so that we can have a maximum impact on activities to address the triple planetary crisis – of climate change, of biodiversity loss, and of pollution and waste.
Excellencies,
I am confident that countries, businesses, and people are stepping up action on the planetary crisis. Because as our friends at UNICEF recently reminded us, almost every child on earth is exposed to at least one environmental hazard. So, this is not just about us in this virtual tent, but about intergenerational justice and solidarity. This is the burden that we shoulder together and which will propel us to act for people everywhere.
