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.
The 20 Cities Towards Zero Waste, selected by the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Zero Waste, were announced ahead of Zero Waste Day. The initiative highlights cities demonstrating ambitious and innovative approaches to reducing waste, advancing circular economy solutions, and building more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive urban systems.
“Solutions to pollution and waste are opportunities to reimagine our economies through innovation, circularity, and equity. From strong producer responsibility models in San Francisco (USA) and Suzhou City (China), to refill systems in Bologna (Italy), and the inclusion of waste pickers in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Zapopan (Mexico), the 20 Zero Waste Cities are proof of this,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, in the initiative announcement.
“Food loss and waste generate 8-10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This waste is a source of methane emissions, largely from organic waste rotting in landfills. (…) In a time of accelerating climate change, growing deforestation, water scarcity, spreading land degradation and desertification, and rising food prices, we cannot afford to waste precious resources to grow food that is not eaten. And we certainly cannot afford the US$1 trillion per year that food loss and waste costs the global economy,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen during the high-level event marking Zero Waste Day at the UN Headquarters in New York.
This event, convened by UNEP and UN-Habitat in partnership with the Republic of Türkiye and the Zero Waste Foundation, brought together stakeholders from across the food value chain to discuss breakthroughs, innovative strategies, and practical approaches to reducing food loss and waste.
Improper disposal of unused medicines can pose serious risks to both the environment and public health, including the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Medicines may go unused for many reasons, such as changes in treatment, misdiagnosis, over-prescription, patients not completing their treatment, or poor supply management.
A newly published report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on the safe disposal of unused medicines offers a practical framework to help countries strengthen their systems for the safe disposal of both human and veterinary medicines.
The Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Astrid Puentes Riaño, called on States, entities and businesses to address the dual public health and human rights crisis of air pollution.
“Continued inaction on air pollution is a systemic failure,” Puentes Riaño said. “Under international law, States are required to act on the evidence they have.”
In a new report presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the expert highlighted priority actions centering on human rights to advance clean air, and to protect public health and the right to a healthy environment.
Illegal waste flows are causing economic, public health and environmental damage, especially in low-income countries, while a patchwork of regulations enables criminals to evade punishment, according to a new analysis from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released today.
In “Waste Crimes and Trafficking”, UNODC examines the five main illegal waste trafficking categories: electrical/electronic waste (e-waste), plastic waste, end-of-life-vehicles and engines, metal and metal bearing wastes, and waste mixtures, as well as the modus operandi of the organized crime groups and corporations involved. It finds that legislative gaps, limited enforcement capacities, lack of traceability and low penalties are all facilitating a trade that some estimate to be worth billions of dollars.
This World Wetlands Day, learn how these ecosystems are helping address environmental and societal challenges in Thi-Qar, Iraq’s governorate most affected by climate-induced displacement.
A constructed wetland is helping mitigate challenges posed by, among others, drought, pollution and extreme heat, benefiting more than 30,000 people and offering a practical, sustainable solution for cleaning polluted water and restoring dry wetlands.
Between 5 and 5.8 per cent of total global employment is within sectors that contribute to the circular economy, such as repair, recycling, second-hand trade and waste management, according to a new report by the International Trade Organization (ILO) and partners.
Repair and maintenance account for 46 per cent, followed by manufacturing (24.5 per cent) and waste management (8 per cent). Industries that are crucial to advancing the circular transition – such as construction and mining – have a very low share of circular employment, and the report stresses the need for targeted policies to “green” jobs in these sectors.
The report draws on the expertise of an international advisory board and benefits from close collaboration with the UN Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), an interagency programme that brings together the expertise of five UN agencies: ILO, UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO and UNITAR.
As the world transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energies, the demand for energy transition minerals is set to almost triple by 2030. There will be no energy transition without minerals. So how can we balance climate goals, development needs, and planetary health?
The report of the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals provided a roadmap. The UN is now moving into action. The United Nations Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, launched at UNEA-7, will support global action to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.
The task force, endorsed by the UN Secretary-General, is co-chaired by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“Working across the UN agencies matters and matters greatly. We need to get away from the high-metabolism linear economy and lean into circularity, and mine that which is today just garbage”, said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen. Watch the briefing to learn more.
Cada dólar gastado en la restauración de bosques degradados puede resultar en US$ 30 en beneficios económicos.
