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.
In the lead-up to this year’s International Day of Clean Air and blue skies, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) developed and launched an Air Quality Management Exchange Platform (AQMx) designed to help air quality professionals everywhere tackle air pollution. The platform is a one-stop-shop that provides the latest air quality management guidance and tools proposed to meet WHO Air Quality Guidelines interim targets.
The platform was developed in response to a resolution passed at this year’s United Nations Environment Assembly, where countries called for increased global cooperation to tackle air pollution by sharing best practices, tools, data, and information.
Although a human right, clean air is still denied to 99% of the world’s population. Ahead of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen calls for urgent global action to tackle air pollution, set strong standards, and invest in solutions for clean air.
“Invest in #CleanAirNow” is the theme of this year’s International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, held annually on 7 September. The theme underscores the economic, environmental and health benefits of investing in clean air.
Register your event and join the global celebration.
When: 2 September 2024, 13h30-15h00 (BRT)
Where: Natal, Brazil, with possibility for virtual participation.
Register to receive event joining link.
The side-event organized by the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR (QJS) aims to showcase the cthe atalytic power and impact of the AMR Multi-Partner Trust Fund (AMR MPTF) through country examples of One Health response to AMR. Participants will gain insights into how the Fund is supporting and facilitating the implementation of multi-sectoral AMR National Action Plans.
More information on the event.
When: 18-20 September
Where: Bangkok, Thailand
SEA of Solutions (SoS) is a flagship partnerships event towards solving plastic pollution at source. The event aims to facilitate collaboration among solution seekers and providers to catalyze actions and innovations towards circularity in the plastic value chain.
With the international community negotiating an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution by the end of this year, SoS 2024 offers a crucial platform for stakeholders to exchange knowledge and build partnerships in the intersessional period ahead of INC-5.
The English version of the Youth Summary of the Global Waste Management Outlook 2024 (GWMO) will be launched on 12 August 2024 in a virtual event from 2pm - 3:15pm (UTC).
This event will provide a platform to showcase youth actions and leadership in waste management, raise awareness about the waste pollution crisis, and draw inspiration for actionable solutions. As part of the event, there will be a panel discussion titled “Youth Actions for Sustainable Solutions to Beat Waste Pollution”
The Youth Summary of the GWMO 2024 aims to build the capacity and understanding of young people by providing comprehensive insights into the waste pollution crisis, its potential solutions, and the dire scenarios if no action is taken.
This year, 1 August is Earth Overshoot Day. Unfortunately, that means humanity’s demand for ecological resources this year has exceeded what Earth can regenerate.
Explore resources on sustainable consumption and production.
The Global AMR Media Awards - hosted by Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) - seek to acknowledge and honour journalists and other media actors who have put the spotlight on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The awards are open to journalists and media actors worldwide who are making outstanding contributions in raising awareness on AMR and promoting responsible journalism through their science- and evidence-based investigative reports, people-centred and rights-based news reports, feature stories, opinion pieces, blog posts, photo stories, or other forms of impactful communications.
Submissions published or broadcast between 15 May 2024 and 15 October 2024 are eligible.
The Environmental Alliance of America hosts the first regional eco-labeling programme, backed by regulatory, standardization, and accreditation bodies. The initiative – supported by UNEP through funding from Germany - aims to drive sustainable trade and enable better-informed consumer choices for more than 450 million people.
“This initiative is crucial for connecting with producers and consumers about the environmental impact of the products they buy through clear and reliable information. Our collective effort to tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution heavily depends on changing production practices and consumer behaviors,” said Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director of the Industry and Economy Division at UNEP. “The Alliance addresses a crucial gap, empowering consumers, businesses, and public procurement actors to make better-informed decisions across high-impact product categories, ranging from food to air conditioners and plastic products.”
The State of Global Air report published in June in partnership with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warns that air pollution is increasingly impacting human health - and is now the second leading global risk factor for premature death.
Dr. Pallavi Pant, Head of Global Health at Health Effects Institute said, “This new report offers a stark reminder of the significant impacts air pollution has on human health, with far too much of the burden borne by young children, older populations, and low- and middle-income countries.”
She continued, “This points sharply at an opportunity for cities and countries to consider air quality and air pollution as high-risk factors when developing health policies and other noncommunicable disease prevention and control programmes.”
只有12％的城市，其空气质量符合世卫组织的标准。
