Speech prepared for delivery at the 154th meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives
Ambassador Fernando Coimbra, Chair of the CPR
Excellencies, colleagues
I am pleased to address you today as we open the 154th Committee of Permanent Representatives, the fifth such virtual meeting we have held in the past 12 months. I thank you for your patience, and determination to ensure that the important work of this committee remains well on track despite the persisting challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Let me start by expressing my sincere appreciation for the fruitful informal discussions we have had over the last two weeks in consultations with regional groups. These discussions are extremely useful for UNEP to keep the pulse on Member States priorities and serve as a valuable compliment to the more formal discussions we hold with the Committee, including today.
Against the backdrop of the pandemic which has exposed the extraordinary interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health, 2021 remains a vital year for multilateralism and for environmental governance. Despite the tremendous odds, we must see progress at important moments through the year. The global environmental crisis will not wait for humanity to get back to a “new normal”. At the UN Food Systems Summit to be convened by the UN Secretary-General, we must kick-start deep reform of our food systems so that they simultaneously work for people, for well-being, and for nature.
At COP-15 in Kunming we must deliver an ambitious post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, backed by financial resources, institutional capacity, and greater transparency to begin pulling back biodiversity loss. Even while the International Conference on Chemicals Management has been postponed, making progress on the Chemicals ‘beyond 2020’ agenda remains critical to address the toxic trail of economic growth.
And last but certainly not least, at the Glasgow COP 26 later this year, each and every country must come with stretched and more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions. I very much welcome the outcome of the Leaders Climate Summit hosted by President Biden and the Kunming Ministerial Roundtable which is being hosted by the Government of the People’s Republic of China later today. The leadership of many countries to build momentum in the run-up to Glasgow and Kunming.
But let me be clear – these environmental milestones will depend on vaccine equity, which the UN Secretary-General has described as the “biggest moral test before the global community.”
Success will also be measured by the speed with which we convert these ambitions to action, especially gains the backdrop of the post-pandemic recovery. In March, an analysis of 50 leading economies led by Oxford’s Economic Recovery Project and UNEP found that only 18 per cent of announced recovery spending can be considered green. I call on all member states to use this tragic but unique opportunity to direct these huge investments towards sustainable trajectories that prioritize economic opportunity, poverty reduction and planetary health all at once. But I also want to echo the UN Secretary-General’s call to step up action to address debt-related challenges that will set developing countries back and undermine their ability to reduce poverty and environmental degradation.
I am proud that over the last quarter, UNEP has continued to make the most of what climate scientist Michael Mann has called “a perfect storm of climate opportunities.” As you know, Excellencies, today we will be discussing lessons learnt from the UNEA 5.1 and OECPR 5.1 which were held entirely online. More than 2000 participants logged onto the Assembly, and many more followed remotely on UN Web TV and other digital platforms. This is a clear indication of the broad global commitment to the multilateral environmental processes despite the ongoing pandemic.
I trust that the lessons-learned from these meetings could offer useful insights for other UN-led online meetings as well as for future meetings under UNEP governing bodies. As we continue to work on bridging the digital divide and seek to combine the best of physical meetings and the best of virtual gatherings, I believe a balanced use of online, and/or hybrid meetings that allow all voices to be equally heard, will continue even as COVID restrictions are gradually lifted in future – for practical, environmental and financial reasons.
Excellencies,
Ahead of UNEA 5.1, I was honoured to launch along with the Secretary-General, UNEP’s blueprint Making Peace for Nature. The Report which received unprecedented coverage, lays out how an ambitious and coordinated action by governments, businesses and people can restore the planet to health. A more recent report, published by UNEP and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, provides further important insights from science – it shows that reducing emissions from methane is the strongest lever we have to slow climate change over the next 25 years. Science continues to provide the backbone of our work in UNEP.
Furthermore, I am pleased to update the CPR on UNEP’s efforts to support impactful partnerships and alliances for the environment. Ahead of the recent Leaders Climate Summit, UNEP launched the Net-Zero Banking Alliance which includes 43 banks from 23 countries and assets worth USD 30 trillion. These financial institutions, which are committed to aligning lending and investment portfolios with net-zero emissions by 2050, are also part of the new Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) launched by Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance and the COP 26 Presidency.
UNEP is also pleased to support the Coalition to Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest finance. The so-called LEAF coalition aims to mobilize at least $1 billion in financing to protect tropical forests, in a way that sees it as an addition to, and no substitute for deep cuts in emissions. And finally, the Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency, in partnership with the EU and UNIDO, launched at UNEA 5.1 includes more than 30 countries committed to making a just transition towards a circular economy to advance patterns of sustainable consumption and production for a more equitable world.
Excellencies,
As discussed at the informal Regional Group meetings, our efforts to strengthen UNEP remains consistent and steadfast. I am pleased to report that this relationship of trust is paying off. By 30 April, the Environment Fund had received more than USD 40 million in pledges. This is an encouraging increase from April last year, and a vote of confidence that UNEP is on a right track. My deep appreciation to those 40-member states that have contributed to the Fund, especially to the “fair share” contributors who pay according to the Voluntary Indicative Scale of Contributions (“VISC”). I warmly encourage all member states to pay their share, which as you know is tailor-made for each country – and vital for the effective and balanced delivery of our programme of work and Mid Term Strategy.
As UNEP makes the final sprint to deliver the current MTS before it draws to a close in December, we are also working intensely to get “MTS-ready” in time for next year. As I updated the Regional Groups, we continue to review and sharpen UNEP’s functions, form and finances to enhance delivery under the new strategy.
We are now also only 10 months away from marking the 50th anniversary of UNEP – this presents a unique opportunity to acknowledge, reflect on, and imagine the future of environmental governance and UNEP’s place in the world. The strategic plan for the roll-out of UNEP@50 in 2021 and 2022 developed in close consultation with the CPR is being rolled out as we speak, under the leadership of Deputy Executive Director Joyce Msuya, and we stand ready to hold further discussions with Member States, particularly with the future presidency of UNEA-6, to continue preparations for this important event. Meanwhile, with regards to Stockholm+50, we are awaiting the outcome of intergovernmental deliberations in New York on an enabling resolution. While both UNEP@50 and Stockholm+50 are distinct, both can and must be mutually reinforcing, contributing to the reinvigoration of environmental multilateralism and UNEP’s capacity to implement the environmental dimensions of Agenda 2030.
Excellencies,
With this update, I close my remarks to you today. 2021 must be the year we connect the dots between the climate, biodiversity and pollution agendas because the future wellbeing of humanity requires us to do so. I look forward to our deliberations today and to your guidance on areas where we must further drill down and strengthen our approach.
Thank you.
Executive Director
