South-East Europe Pollution Platform: Western Balkans Regional waste conference

The South-East European Platform to beat Pollution (SEEPP) established in 2019, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, is a key effort to implement in a sub-regional context the ambitions of the Third Environmental Assembly (UNEA-3) Ministerial Declaration Towards a Pollution-Free Planet and the subsequent implementation plan that aims to accelerate global action to transition towards a pollution-free planet. 

To present the Platform’s work plan for 2024 and beyond, an event will be organized in Vienna on 26 and 27th of March 2024, which includes the observance of the International Day of Zero Waste 2024. 

The International Day of Zero Waste, proclaimed by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on 30 March, aims to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, support the societal shift towards circularity and raise awareness about how zero-waste initiatives contribute to the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  

The waste sector contributes significantly to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, and pollution. Humanity generates an estimated 2.24 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually, of which only 55 per cent is managed in controlled facilities. Every year, around 931 million tons of food is lost or wasted and up to 14 million tons of plastic waste enters aquatic ecosystems.  

Objective: UNEP will facilitate the observance of the International Day of Zero Waste 2024 by bringing together policymakers, industry experts, international community, academics, and researchers to collaborate and exchange knowledge on sustainable waste and pollution management at the “Confronting Waste Pollution Challenges in the Western Balkans Conference.” 

The Conference aims to facilitate and foster discussions on current and innovative strategies, possibilities, policies and practices that promote waste prevention, reduction, recycling, and circular economy principles to create a cleaner and healthier environment in the Western Balkan economies. Additionally, it will actively encourage collaboration amongst different actors and sectors, aiming to promote sustainable practices and the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies. 

Cross-border collaboration plays a pivotal role in the initiative, as it seeks to explore opportunities for cooperation in waste management across borders. By fostering regional partnerships and collaboration between neighboring countries, the initiative aims to develop joint strategies, share resources, and collectively address the shared environmental challenges prevalent in the region. 

Main output of the conference: an action plan for partnerships and proposals for concrete regional and local actions to address waste and pollution issues.