News

Since 1950, there has been a 50-fold increase in the production of chemicals – a figure expected to triple by 2050.

We come into contact with chemicals every day. However, if improperly managed, they can pose serious risks to public health, as well as ecosystems.  

Ahead of World Health Day, we sat down with Ines Benabdallah from the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Chemicals and Waste Unit to discuss how health features in UNEP’s work.

What chemicals does the UNEP Chemicals and Waste Unit work on?

From disease-resistant crops to innovative medical treatments, biotechnology has huge potential to help overcome some of our leading global problems.

But like many new technologies, Living Modified Organisms (LMOs - also known as genetically modified organisms, or GMOs) also come with the potential for negative impacts on both human health and the environment.

International Women's Day, celebrated annually on March 8th, is a day dedicated to recognizing the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. It is also a time to raise awareness about women's ongoing struggles and inequalities and to renew the call for gender equality and women's rights. 

This day has been observed since the early 1900s and continues to be a powerful symbol of the progress that has been made and the work that still needs to be done to create a more just and equal world for all women.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) makes up near 20% of the world’s gold.

Women are an important part of the sector. However, they often face a host of challenges, including gender-based violence, denied access to assets and significant risks to health.

What does financing have to do with the push to #MakeMercuryHistory in artisanal & small-scale gold mining?

Unlocking capital from formal financial institutions like commercial banks and microfinance institutions is critically needed in order for artisanal and small-scale miners to make the transition to responsible, #mercuryfree mining.

Gabon, Jamaica and Sri Lanka have joined forces to reduce the environmental and health toll of the skin lightening industry $14-million initiative will support a holistic approach to eliminate mercury from skin lightening products and promote the beauty of all skin tones Many skin lightening products include mercury, posing significant risks to human health and the environment

Geneva, 14 February 2023

Farmer Nima Elmassad noticed the weather changing around seven years ago. In Sudan’s southern White Nile State, the rains began coming later and falling inconsistently. During the long, harsh dry season, her children had to travel three hours per day to collect water, and all but one dropped out of school. The family donkey that towed their water wagon became progressively weaker.

Contracting Parties and Observers at the Sixth Meeting of the Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee (STAC)  to the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources (LBS) and Activities in the Wider Caribbean, have reiterated the urgent need to protect our very valuable but fragile and vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems from the negative impacts of marine pollution. The Virtual Meeting, held from February 1-3,  was hosted by the UNEP Cartagena Convention Secretariat as part of its mandate under the Convention to support governments in protecting the Caribbean Sea.

 

Yemen and Somalia are working to make climate action a win-win, tackling the impacts of both conflicts and climate crisis, while also addressing some of the underlying causes of both.

Despite significant challenges, both countries are pushing for meaningful climate action addressing the most urgent vulnerabilities and some of the causes of unrest, while paving the way for more climate friendly development and growth.

The Nigerian Government has announced revised environmental regulations to reduce pollution from its electronics sector. The legislation will strengthen Nigeria’s Extended Producer Responsibility programme, making producers accountable for the end of life of their products. Hazardous chemicals released by e-waste pose significant risks to human and environmental health.

Montreal, 10 December 2022 - As the largest biodiversity conference in a decade kicked off in Montreal, mayors from 15 cities around the world called for increased direct financing to allow cities to implement ambitious greening and ecosystem restoration projects.

Politicians, scientists and environmental campaigners are gathering in Montreal, Canada, this week for negotiations on a global deal to safeguard the planet’s dwindling biodiversity.

Some of those talks are expected to focus on how to protect the plants, animals and microbes whose genetic material is the foundation for life-saving medicines and a host of other products.

UNEP has been announced as the leader of four new high-impact global Global Environment Facility (GEF) integrated programs to accelerate action on nature, climate and pollution. 

The role that young people can have in spreading climate change messages and recruiting behaviour change is becoming more and more apparent.  This hasn’t gone un-noticed in Sudan where an energy-efficient lighting awareness campaign was designed specifically to target primary school children as a route to engaging their families and communities. This is particularly important in Sudan where the illiteracy rate is still high, and many families learn from their children who attend schools.

Kampala, November 23, 2022 – A new project launched today in Kampala by national authorities and international organizations aims to advance more responsible artisanal gold mining sector across the country.

Puipaa, Samoa, 08 November 2022: The International Coastal Clean-up Day

Banco National Park in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, is much more than just a pocket of green. It is a sprawling nationally protected park that is 10 times the size of New York City’s Central Park – and yet is completely ensconced by the hustle and bustle of Abidjan, a city of 5 million.

Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Viet Nam have united to reduce pollution from the textile sector $43-million initiative will support businesses to manage risks to workers and eliminate the most toxic chemicals from their production processes Hazardous chemicals used in textile production pose significant risks to human health and the environment

Islamabad, 14 October 2022 – The

The Republic of the Congo moves to reduce mercury pollution from its artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector $10.5-million initiative will promote technical solutions, access to markets and finance for artisanal gold miners Mercury pollution poses significant risks to human and environmental health

Brazzaville, 11 October 2022 – The Republic of the Congo has taken an important step towards a sustainable mining sector today, with the launch of a $10.5-million project to reduce the use of mercury by the nation’s artisanal miners.

Biotechnology has huge potential to help overcome some of our leading global problems, from disease-resistant crops to innovative medical treatments.

But, like many new technologies, it is not without potential risks.

Living Modified Organisms (LMOs – also known as genetically modified organisms, or GMOs) can potentially negatively impact human health and the environment.

In the Mpanda Commune in north-western Burundi, a long ribbon of rubber – about a metre high and two metres wide – snakes through a farmer’s field before disappearing into foliage.

A woman is sowing her crops alongside the structure, which is bulging with water and circles much of the commune.

UNEP joins the Global Environment Facility in mourning the loss of renowned tropical scientist Gustavo Fonseca, its long-standing Director of Programs, who passed away on August 31, 2022. 

Gustavo spent his career staring down the planet’s biggest environmental challenges with his optimism and pragmatism intact, an approach that won him friends and accolades the world over. 

Rosa Cordero, who is diabetic, remembers a time when she couldn’t store her insulin safely. Her refrigerator was old and unreliable, and she never knew if the temperature was cool enough to store the drug.

Nairobi/Washington DC, 26 July 2022 - In a boost to climate change governance, the Global Environment Facility will provide $32 million in pooled, streamlined funding to help developing countries prepare national transparency reports required under the Paris Agreement.