Why in the news?
The Sixth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) got concluded recently at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
More about the News:
- Theme: “Effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution”.
- The UNEA-7 is scheduled to be held in December 2025 at Nairobi. About United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)
- Established in 2012, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
- Roles and Functions:
- The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) of the UNEP is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment.
- It set the global environmental agenda; provide overarching policy guidance and define policy responses to address emerging environmental challenges in the world.
- Organisational Structure: It consists of a President and 8 Vice Presidents (forming the UNEA Bureau).
- Membership: Consists of all the 193 Members of the United Nations.
Key Outcomes of UNEA-6:
- Re-affirmed commitment to tackle triple planetary crisis through the adopted Ministerial Declaration.
- The first Multilateral Environmental Agreements Day (28th Feb 2024) dedicated to the international agreements on major environmental issues was observed.
- Draft resolution’s on Combating sand and dust storms, management of chemicals and waste, Cooperation on air pollution, Promotion of Sustainable lifestyle etc. were passed.
- Other reports released and Awards announced in UNEA 6 Report release
Details Global Resource Outlook 2024.
- The report warns that without concerted action to reduce global consumption, the extraction of natural resources could rise by 60% from 2020 levels.
- The extraction would also increase the climate damage and risks to biodiversity and human health. Global Waste Management Outlook 2024.
- Municipal solid waste generation is predicted to grow from 2.3 bn tonnes (2023) to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050.
- Direct cost of waste management would almost double by 2050 from an estimated $ 252 bn in 2020.
Young Champions of the Earth Award
- Introduced in 2017, It is a flagship youth engagement initiative of the UNEP
- Young people (Aged between 18-30 years) are selected from every region of the globe and be named UNEP Young Champions of the Earth.
