Latest news with #IngerAndersen
Scoop
7 days ago
- General
- Scoop
UN Recognizes World Restoration Flagships In East Africa, Mexico, And Spain
Nice, France, 11 June 2025 – The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) have named the first World Restoration Flagships for this year, tackling pollution, unsustainable exploitation, and invasive species in three continents. These initiatives are restoring almost five million hectares of marine ecosystems – an area about the size of Costa Rica, which, together with France, is hosting the 3rd UN Ocean Conference. The three new flagships comprise restoration initiatives in the coral-rich Northern Mozambique Channel Region, more than 60 of Mexico's islands and the Mar Menor in Spain, Europe's first ecosystem with legal personhood. The winning initiatives were announced at an event during the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, and are now eligible for UN support. 'After decades of taking the ocean for granted, we are witnessing a great shift towards restoration. But the challenge ahead of us is significant and we need everyone to play their part,' said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. 'These World Restoration Flagships show how biodiversity protection, climate action, and economic development are deeply interconnected. To deliver our restoration goals, our ambition must be as big as the ocean we must protect.' The World Restoration Flagship awards are part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration – led by UNEP and FAO – which aims to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. The awards track notable initiatives that support global commitments to restore one billion hectares – an area larger than China – by 2030. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said: 'The climate crisis, unsustainable exploitation practices and nature resources shrinking are affecting our blue ecosystems, harming marine life and threatening the livelihoods of dependent communities. These new World Restoration Flagships show that halting and reversing degradation is not only possible, but also beneficial to planet and people." The Northern Mozambique Channel This small region boasts 35 per cent of the coral reefs found in the entire Indian Ocean and is considered its seedbed and nursery. Agricultural run-off, overfishing, and climate change threaten this economically and ecologically important stretch of ocean. Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania are already working together to manage, protect, and restore almost 87,200 hectares of interconnected land- and seascapes, benefitting both nature and people. Actions undertaken today to maintain it include restoration of blue and green forests by creating interconnected restoration corridors, mangroves, and coral reef ecosystems, and improving fisheries management. These efforts, championed by the NGO World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and UN agencies alike, encompass multiple levels and sites, spanning both land and seascapes. With adequate financing, 4.85 million hectares are expected to be restored by 2030. This is expected to improve communities' well-being and socio-economic development, including a 30 per cent increase in household income in target areas, and create over 2,000 jobs and 12 community-based enterprises, while integrating indigenous practices. Madagascar's mangroves already store more than 300 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (COe), comparable to the annual electricity use in over 62 million homes in the United States. The restoration is expected to increase these countries' capacity to absorb carbon dioxide (CO) and help tackle climate change. Mexico's seabird islands Recognized worldwide as vital hotspots for biodiversity, particularly for being home to one-third of the world's seabird species, the Mexican islands had long suffered the negative impacts of invasive species. Then, twenty-six years ago, Mexico's National Commission for Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and the civil society organisation Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas (GECI) launched an ambitious, comprehensive ecological restoration program, in collaboration with partners from government agencies, civil society, academia, and local communities. Efforts include removing 60 populations of invasive species and restoring seabird colonies, as well as forest landscape restoration. Coupled with implementing biosecurity protocols, the comprehensive programme restores the island's endemic richness and supports local island communities. Thanks to restoration efforts, 85 per cent of formerly extirpated seabird colonies have returned to the islands, including species at risk of extinction. The initiative will complete the restoration of over 100,000 hectares by the end of the decade – equivalent to almost a million hectares of continental land in terms of biodiversity value — encompassing almost 100 islands, and protecting over 300 endemic species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and birds. An enduring relationship with local communities ensures their involvement in the initiative and their benefits: enhanced resilience facing extreme weather events, sustainable fisheries, and ecotourism. Spain: The Mar Menor lagoon With its famously transparent water, the Mar Menor lagoon is essential to the region's identity, local tourism, small-scale fishing and unique flora and fauna, including water birds. Surrounded by one of Europe's key agricultural regions, it is the continent's largest saltwater lagoon, and its biodiversity has successfully adapted to conditions of extreme temperatures, high salinity, and low levels of nutrients. However, nitrate discharges from intensive agricultural activity, as well as other polluting land and marine activities, have led to the lagoon's rapid degradation, including the emergence of damaging algal blooms. A positive turn came when over half a million citizens mobilized in response to episodes of 'green soup' and fish kills and supported a Popular Legislative Initiative to make the Mar Menor a legal entity with rights. Actions were also promoted from the justice system to demand the application of environmental liability regulations and possible criminal liability into the pollution. The Spanish Government launched an ambitious intervention through the Framework of Priority Actions to Recover the Mar Menor (MAPMM), aimed at restoring the natural dynamics and solving the problem from the source, articulated in 10 lines of action and 28 measures, by creating wetlands, supporting sustainable agriculture, constructing a wide green belt around it, cleaning up abandoned and polluted mining sites, improving flood risk management, increasing its biodiversity, and sustaining social participation. The total area targeted for restoration amounts to 8,770 hectares, representing 7 per cent of the entire basin flowing into the Mar Menor. This area would support Spain's climate change objectives, including its overall national target of restoring 870,000 hectares by 2030. For one of the proposed interventions, the Green Belt, it is estimated to absorb more than 82,256 tonnes CO by 2040 – the equivalent of the annual greenhouse gas emissions from almost 14,000 people in Spain. World Restoration Flagships are chosen as the best examples of ongoing, large-scale and long-term ecosystem restoration by a group of ecosystem restoration experts from the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration's network. Selection follows a thorough review process with 15 criteria, embodying the 10 Restoration Principles of the UN Decade. In 2022, the inaugural ten World Restoration Flagships were recognized as part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, followed with the recognition of seven initiatives in 2024.
Scoop
07-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
World Environment Day: UN Sounds Alarm On Plastic Pollution Crisis
4 June 2025 Between 19 and 23 million tonnes of plastic waste leak into aquatic ecosystems annually, and without urgent action, this figure is expected to rise by 50 per cent by 2040. Plastic pollution is contaminating every corner of the planet, threatening ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. Microplastics are found in food, water and air, with the average person estimated to ingest over 50,000 plastic particles each year, and far more when inhalation is included. If the climate crisis goes unaddressed, with plastic pollution as a major driver, air pollution levels exceeding safe thresholds could rise by 50 per cent within a decade. Meanwhile, plastic pollution in marine and freshwater environments may triple by 2040. Global action day To rally momentum, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is leading the 52nd annual World Environment Day on 5 June, the world's largest platform for environmental outreach. This year's commemoration is hosted by Jeju, Republic of Korea, under the theme #BeatPlasticPollution. Since launching in 2018, the UNEP-led campaign has advocated for a just and inclusive transition away from plastic dependency. The day brings together governments, businesses, communities, and individuals in a shared mission to protect and restore the planet, while advancing progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those linked to climate action and sustainable consumption. Towards a treaty A major focus of the day is the ongoing push for a global treaty to end plastic pollution. Countries are currently negotiating an international, legally binding agreement, with the next round of talks scheduled for August. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an 'ambitious, credible and just agreement' that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics, reflects community needs, aligns with the SDGs and is implemented quickly and fully. UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen echoed the call, urging nations to unite behind innovative solutions and alternatives to plastic use. World Environment Day serves as a catalyst for action, driving attention toward the UN Environment Assembly later this year – where hopes are high that nations will finalise concrete steps to curb plastic pollution and address the broader climate emergency.
Mint
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
World Environment Day 2025: India has slew of regulations to protect Blue Planet. Know about them
Today, millions worldwide are observing World Environment Day 2025, highlighting the urgent need for eco-legal action. Hosted by South Korea, the UN event drives home how local laws can combat environmental threats. There are multiple initiatives that have been taken across the world regarding the better protection of the environment. For starters, cities like Jeju, South Korea, now enforce strict bans on disposable plastics. Jeju's 2040 "plastic-free" goal includes deposit systems for cups and mandatory waste sorting. Similar bans are expanding globally, cutting landfill waste. The United States is not behind in this aspect, as US cities are rewriting zoning codes to boost sustainability. Buffalo eliminated parking minimums, prioritising walkability over cars. Indianapolis now mandates pedestrian-friendly designs near transit hubs, reducing emissions, according to Urban Land Magazine. In a report by the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP's Inger Andersen was quoted as saying, 'Ending plastic pollution is possible, but we need systemic change—governments, businesses, and citizens together.' Bivas Chatterjee, Advocate and Special Public Prosecutor, Government of West Bengal, tells LiveMint, "We, as humans, must remember that trees too, have a life. If humans are convicted for taking away lives under sections of the law, why are those, who cut down trees brutally, not tried under similar laws? If trees are cut down or uprooted in areas that are not forests, the accused is simply fined, and no other penalisation is generally imposed." "The existing laws regarding environmental protection in India are age-old and relatively weak, which is why the attack on nature is so brutally conducted in recent years. Stringent laws need to be in place so that people do not get away with harming the environment, which is necessary for our sustenance in the long run." Neil Basu, Advocate, Calcutta High Court, weighed in on the existing laws in the country regarding the proper preservation of the environment. "Protecting the environment is a fundamental right and a collective social responsibility, as environmental justice is social justice. So, let's act now," he told LiveMint. "If we start in terms of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, any person running any establishment which includes a factory and any kind of industry must take due permission from the State Pollution Control Board as well as the Central Pollution Control Board concerned," Basu said. "Section 7 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 prohibits the discharge or emission of environmental pollutants in excess of prescribed standards by any person involved in an industry, operation, or process. This ensures that pollution levels remain within acceptable limits and prevent any environmental damage," he continued. Other laws include the Indian Forest Act, 1927, which empowers the state governments to notify forest areas to oversee the wildlife conservation and preservation, as well as plantation and afforestation. Also, Section 17A of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 prohibits the willful picking, uprooting, damaging, destroying, acquisition, or collection of any specified plant from forest land or other areas notified by the central government.
NHK
05-06-2025
- Politics
- NHK
UNEP chief calls for united international efforts to fight plastic pollution
The head of the United Nations Environment Programme has urged the international community to unite to tackle plastic pollution. UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen made the call in an interview with NHK ahead of the UN-designated World Environment Day on Thursday. Members of an intergovernmental negotiating committee met in the South Korean city of Busan last year to try to reach an agreement on a draft of what would be the first legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution. But they failed to strike a deal due to differences among countries. Against this backdrop, World Environment Day this year focuses on ending plastic pollution. Andersen said: "I think the whole world is aware that plastic pollution is a problem. It's a problem on our beaches and in our oceans, and it's a problem in our soils and our water and even in our bodies." She expressed hope that an agreement will be reached on a draft of a treaty at a meeting of the committee in Switzerland in August. She said she wants Japan to play a leadership role. Andersen also called for support for emerging economies and developing nations, where plastic pollution could spread in tandem with economic and population growth. She said all countries in the Global South should receive investments to help them optimize waste management.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Supermarket chain unveils mind-blowing new plan for unsold food: 'Food waste is a global tragedy'
To reduce reliance on traditional dirty fuels, British supermarket chain Sainsbury's has launched an initiative to transform its food waste into fuel for its fleet of heavy goods vehicles. RenEco, a waste processing company, has partnered with the chain to help it reduce waste and the use of diesel for its trucking fleet at the Emerald Park distribution center, according to Retail Insight Network. The company will create biofuel from food that cannot be donated or used for animal feed to power 30 trucks at the location, which is half the fleet. Organic waste will be broken down through anaerobic digestion, an oxygen-free method for producing biogas, per the report. It's then further refined into a liquid biofuel that the company can use to power its distribution network vehicles. Moving to a fully circular economy for fueling the vehicles is expected to save approximately 3,300 tons of planet-warming emissions from being released into the atmosphere each year. It also supports the company's ambitious goal of becoming net zero across its operations by 2035. Studies have shown that food waste is a global problem and occurs at every level of the food supply chain, including harvesting, transporting, processing, packaging, and consuming. The labor, energy, and resources involved in these industrial processes will also have been wasted. More than 95% of discarded food will end up in landfills, which are a major source of methane, a particularly dangerous greenhouse gas. Reducing waste streams and converting waste materials into valuable resources is an essential step toward sustainability. "Food waste is a global tragedy. Millions will go hungry today as food is wasted across the world," said Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, in a press release. "Not only is this a major development issue, but the impacts of such unnecessary waste are causing substantial costs to the climate and nature," added Andersen. Sainsbury's eco-friendly initiative highlights the change that can be enacted when corporations get involved in climate issues and work to make a difference. HelloFresh, an international meal kit company, has also launched an effort to convert food waste into usable resources. Should grocery stores donate food that's past its sell-by date? Yes — as long as it's not bad Yes — but only certain foods Only if it doesn't cost the store No — it could lead to problems Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury's chief property and procurement officer, said, "Today's announcement underscores the power that collaboration has in driving impactful change across business." "We are proud to have worked closely with our supplier RenEco to deliver a pioneering move that supports our commitment to circularity and helps us to take a further step towards becoming net zero across our operations by 2035," Dunne added. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
