UN ENVIRONMENT ASSEMBLY

Posted 15 Apr 2024

2 min read

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 (28^th 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 released	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.
Used Heavy-Duty Vehicles and the Environment report	It highlighted the rise of emissions from the heavy polluters, and their negative climate and health impacts.
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.