The state of the planet is a key agenda item for the United Nations General Assembly. This page features related updates from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and its partners, including key moments of the year such as July’s High-level Political Forum and September’s High-Level Week which in 2024 included the Summit of the Future.
20 Sep
2023
17:06
Happening now: Climate Ambition Summit
The summit is designed to supercharge the global effort to counter the climate crisis. It will feature three sessions.
Credibility of net zero (2–3 p.m.)
Financial institutions, governments and more will outline their plans to develop mandatory targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Delivering climate justice (3–4 p.m.)
The session will showcase how the world can adapt to climate change and bolster its early warning systems for disasters.
Accelerating decarbonization (4–5:15 p.m.)
This discussion will focus on how industry can phase out fossil fuels, while touching on battery storage and the minerals critical to renewable energy.
20 Sep
2023
11:02
Dia Mirza: SDGs will benefit “everyone, everywhere”
UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Dia Mirza encouraged continued action on all levels to meet the Sustainable Development Goals during a session at the UN General Assembly on Monday.
“It is really upon us as individuals to make the goals our own and deliver on the promise that we’ve made to each other and to the world to leave it healthy and progressive and equal to everyone, everywhere,” Mirza said.
The session also introduced Open Planet, an open-source library of high-quality nature footage and data visualizations that backers say will enable greater storytelling about the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.
20 Sep
2023
09:25
Coming up today: Wednesday highlights
Today sees a number of key events.
Climate Ambition Summit: Convened by the UN Secretary-General, it aims to accelerate action on the climate crisis.
The High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development: The session will focus on how the world can ramp up funding for sustainable development.
Green Transition: This panel discussion will examine ways to decarbonize the global economy. UNEP Deputy Executive Director Elizabeth Mrema will participate.
Redesigning fashion storytelling – a playbook for change: This panel will explore how the fashion industry’s powerful marketing arm can support sustainable consumption.
Accelerating decarbonization through collaboration and implementation: Part of the Climate Ambition Summit, this event will focus on how countries can develop large-scale battery systems and sustainably extract minerals critical for renewable energy.
High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response: Member States will discuss how to limit the social and economic fallout from pandemics.
Launch of NBSAP Accelerator Partnership: A new initiative that aims to strengthen the capacity of countries to deliver on their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans and accelerate action on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
19 Sep
2023
20:56
Happening today: High-Level Event for Nature and People
The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, the Global Ocean Alliance, and the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature are holding a high-level event to demonstrate game-changing ways to stem biodiversity loss.
The event comes with more than 1 million species facing extinction, largely because of human actions.
Innovation is considered crucial to reversing biodiversity loss and achieving a nature-positive world by 2030, which observers say is a pre-requisite for sustainable development.
19 Sep
2023
20:21
Happening now: high-level debate
World leaders are gathering today in New York to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.”
Heads of state and ministers will explore solutions to intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security and sustainable development.
Watch the meetings live and on demand at UN Web TV or on the General Debate website.
19 Sep
2023
19:37
Emmy-nominated actor: There is “hope” in the fight against climate crisis
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, best known for starring in the landmark series Game of Thrones, called for urgent action to address the climate crisis during a moderated talk at the UN General Assembly on Monday.
Coster-Waldau also discussed his upcoming documentary, An Optimist's Guide to the Planet, which highlights his travels exploring various environmental solutions.
“The reality is climate change is threatening all of us,” he said. “[But] there is hope. If you get the impression that all hope is out, that there’s no solution, that we can’t solve this, then why bother? We need to bother.”
19 Sep
2023
17:14
Watch: SDGs about “justice”, says UNEP Executive Director
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are ultimately about securing justice for the least fortunate and ensuring the prospects of future generations are not compromised, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said yesterday.
Speaking after the announcement of a joint declaration in which countries promised “bold, accelerated” action on the goals, Andersen highlighted the need for international cooperation to ensure the SDGs don’t slip away.
“It is only by working together in multilateral settings that we can reach… for the SDGs. That is how we live without poverty.”
19 Sep
2023
12:00
On today: The Environmental Costs of Fast Fashion
This event, organized by Futerra and UN Climate Change, will explore how the fashion industry can reduce its emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases.
Amid a global surge in inexpensive, almost-disposable clothes, the sector has become a driver of the climate crisis, responsible for up to 8 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions.
To reduce that toll, experts say the fashion industry, including textile makers, must embrace a more circular economic model.
19 Sep
2023
08:02
Coming up today
Here are a few of the high-level events taking place at 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly today:
- The SDG Summit: Businesses and non-governmental organizations discuss working together to advance the SDGs.
- Elevating Education as a Win-Win for the SDGs: This event will explore how countries brace their education systems for the worsening climate crisis.
- General Debate: A high-level debate on accelerating efforts to achieve the SDGs.
- High-Level Event for Nature and People: How countries and non-state actors are halting and reversing biodiversity loss to ensure successful implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
- Winning Strategies for Financing the SDGs: Government officials, business leaders and development experts will discuss how to bolster financing for the SDGs.
19 Sep
2023
08:00
Coming up today at the General Assembly
Several important events are on Tuesday’s agenda.
The SDG Summit (9am EST) will feature businesses and non-governmental organizations working to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
Elevating Education as a Win-Win for the SDGs (11am EST) will explore how countries can brace their education systems for the climate crisis, which threatens for force many children to abandon school.
World leaders will gather for the annual high-level General Debate, whose theme centres on accelerating the effort to achieve the SDGs.
The High-Level Event for Nature and People (1pm EST) will include real-world examples of how countries and non-state actors are halting and reversing biodiversity loss.
Winning Strategies for Financing the SDGs (3pm EST) will see government officials, business leaders and development experts discuss how to bolster financing for the SDGs.
