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Newsletter 13 Jan 2025

Environment: What’s Up in GENeva | 13 – 19 January 2025

The Geneva Environment Network’s weekly newsletter includes the latest information on the global environmental agenda, main events, job vacancies, as well as other useful resources and updates. Stay tuned and follow us on X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky, and Youtube, or visit our website regularly for additional updates.

Image of the week | Press clipping from L’Express, feuille d’avis de Neuchâtel, 20 August 1992. In the summer of 1992, the Swiss Federal Council’s willingness to bring together the many environmental organizations based in Geneva in a “House for the Environment” that could also host future organizations, made the news in Switzerland. The Federal Council was promoting Geneva as the host for the secretariats for the Convention on Biodiversity and the Commission for Sustainable Development, whose creation had been agreed upon in June, at the Rio Summit. More articles on the history of the International Environment House and the Geneva Environment Network will be displayed in an exhibition at the International Environment House for the celebration of their 25th anniversary, on Monday 20 January 2025.

A Quarter-Century Celebration | Last Preparations for GEN@25 High-Level Closing Ceremony

The celebration of the 25 years of the Geneva Environment Network will culminate in a High-Level Celebration organized around two key moments that will take place at the International Environment House on Monday 20 January: the GEN@25 Environment Forum, followed by the High-Level Closing Ceremony, and a networking reception. They will serve as an occasion to celebrate the numerous institutions that contribute to making Geneva a global hub for environmental governance.

  • The GEN@25 Environment Forum — from 9:00 to 10:45 CET — will feature key thematic areas of work of international Geneva and how these are accelerating action to tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature, land and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Partners and stakeholders will gather at the International Environment House to get together and showcase how international Geneva creates synergies, drives innovation, and boosts ambition to advance environmental action, with highlights on thematics such as Beating Plastic Pollution, Future-Proofing Mineral and Metal Resources Governance, Advancing Trade Solutions to the Environmental Crisis, Placing Human Rights at the Heart of Environmental Action, Catalyzing Environmental Action through Digital Transformation, Strengthening the Science-Policy Interface, Advancing the One Health Approach, Ensuring a Just Transition, Coordinating Action to Restore the Water Cycle, and Geneva Humanitarian Hub at the Frontlines of Environmental Action.
  • The closing high-level panel — from 10:45 to 11:45 CET — will reflect on the importance of strengthened partnerships while fostering a vision for the future, encouraging continued collaboration and action. It will be followed by a network reception — from 11:45 to 13:30 CET — offered by Switzerland and local authorities. The event will feature the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Inger Andersen, and other leading figures of the environmental community.

→ Register via Forms and join us at the International Environment House on Monday 20 January.

Extreme Weather Events in a Warming Planet

Last week, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that 2024 is the warmest year on record, based on six international datasets. The global average surface temperature was 1.55 °C (with a margin of uncertainty of ± 0.13 °C) above the 1850-1900 average, which means that we have likely just experienced the first calendar year with a global mean temperature of more than 1.5°C above the 1850-1900 average.

As stressed by WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, we’ve had not just one or two record-breaking years, but a full ten-year series which has been accompanied by devastating and extreme weather, rising sea levels and melting ice, all powered by record-breaking greenhouse gas levels due to human activities.

The latest example of extreme weather events has manifested in the US State of California, where strong winds have caused the rapid propagation of fires over an area of more than 12,000 hectares. Articles by The Guardian and Euronews, among others, have highlighted the link between the magnitude of wildfires and climate change. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States during the last two decades. In his address to the affected people of this disaster, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the importance of prevention and preparedness to safeguard the health of people and the planet. The fires had a major impact on air quality and public health.

WMO also reported that a study published last week in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences found that ocean warming in 2024 played a key role in the record-high temperatures. The ocean is the warmest it has ever been as recorded by humans, not only at the surface but also for the upper 2000 meters. The study led by Prof. Lijing Cheng of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences involved a team of 54 scientists from seven countries and 31 institutes.

This week, to prepare for the International Year of Glacier Preservation, dedicated to boosting action on another visible effect of the impact of climate change on the planet, the World Meteorological Organization and UNESCO are organizing a special online briefing session designed for media professionals on how to report on glaciers in 2025. → Register to attend on Zoom on 16 January 2025 from 13:00 CET.

Additional news on climate change and extreme weather events include:

Launch of World Economic Forum Global Risks Report

Ahead of the 2025 edition of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, taking place in Davos from 20 to 24 January. Ahead of the Meeting, the Forum is launching various reports.

The annual Global Risks Report, exploring some of the most severe risks we may face in the coming years, brings together leading insights from over 1,200 experts across the world. The 2025 edition of the Global Risks Report, the 20th of the series, serves as a key resource for understanding the fast-evolving global risk landscape and fostering collective action to build a more resilient future. It will be launched on 15 January 2025.

The annual Future of Jobs Report exploring how jobs and skills will evolve is based on unique survey data that details the expectations of a cross-section of the world’s largest employers related to how socio-economic and technology trends will shape the workplace of the future. The Future of Jobs Report 2025, released last week, finds that, driven by technological development, the green transition, economic and demographic shifts, the global labour market is being reshaped. About 170 million new jobs will be created by global macro trends this decade. The jobs created are equivalent to 14% of today’s employment. Alongside, 92 million roles will be displaced by these same trends. This means there will be a net employment increase of 78 million jobs. The report brings together the perspective of over 1,000 leading global employers – collectively representing more than 14 million workers across 22 industry clusters and 55 economies from around the world – to examine how these macrotrends impact jobs and skills, and the workforce transformation strategies employers plan to embark on in response, across the 2025 to 2030 timeframe.

2025 and the Global Environmental Agenda

For those who are only back from the end-of-the-year break this week, find a first list and resources on key negotiations and events for the future of our planet scheduled to take place in Geneva and around the world this year in our first Newsletter of 2025. Consult as well our updated page on the International Environmental Negotiations Agenda.

Upcoming events organized by the Geneva Environment Network include:

Upcoming Deadlines Not To Be Missed

With the environment high on the agenda of International Geneva and beyond, international processes, negotiations, and fora regularly call for inputs in preparation for future reports and guidelines or for people to support their process. A dedicated update lists calls for submissions related to the environment. Additional updates also list those related to Human Rights Mechanisms and ongoing contests launched by our partners. Deadlines not to be missed during the coming weeks include:

  • Call for Abstracts: New Resource Strategies for a Fair and Sustainable Future | The World Resources Forum (WRF) is a world-leading conference in the field of sustainable natural resource governance and management. WRF’25 will take place in a hybrid format in Geneva (Switzerland) on 2-3 September, and online on 4-5 September 2025. WRF’25 focuses on three sectors with significant resource use and environmental, social and economic impacts (“resource hotspots”): the extractive sector, the built environment and consumer & industrial goods. The goal is to invite scientific contributions that propose innovative strategies and tools to enhance sustainability and fairness across these sectors within planetary boundaries. Submissions that propose strategies for governments, industry and civil society, put forward interdisciplinary approaches, and utilize innovative methods to assess impacts are highly encouraged. Read more about the submission and modalities and send your abstract by 14 January 2025.
  • GEO-7 Peer Review Process | GEO reports are the United Nations Environment Programme’s flagship assessments, published periodically, as well as generating multiple thematic, regional, and audience-specific assessments. GEO-READ supports and enhances the rigor, credibility, and transparency of the assessment’s review process. It also provides review editors and other stakeholders with various analytical tools to guide and supplement their work as they analyze the large number of comments provided by peer and government-nominated reviewers. Share your expertise and join the intergovernmental and expert peer review process for the GEO-7. The deadline has been extended until 22 January 2025.
  • Call for contribution of the UN Environment Assembly to the 2025 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) | As per established practice of previous years, the UNEP secretariat, on behalf of the UNEA President, invites Member States to submit their written inputs to contribution to the 2025 HLPF. Inputs can be submitted by Friday, 24 January 2025 taking into account the “template” for inputs. These inputs will inform the preparation of the first draft, which will be circulated on Monday, 3 February 2025. In this regard, Member States are kindly requested to share their inputs in writing with the UNEP secretariat by using the e-Submit module in e-deleGATE by Friday, 24 January 2025.
  • Call for nominations for experts for the methodological assessment of integrated biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning and ecological connectivity | The IPBES Plenary, in decision IPBES/10/1, approved the undertaking of the methodological assessment of integrated biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning and ecological connectivity (“spatial planning assessment”). The spatial planning assessment will address the use and change in use of land, inland waters and sea, including areas beyond national jurisdiction. It will provide options for avoiding land and sea use change that negatively affects biodiversity and options for improving planning for effective conservation, restoration and sustainable use of nature and its contributions to people across spatial and temporal scales. IPBES is seeking experts and practitioners from academia, government, and civil society with expertise in a range of disciplines. Nominators (Governments or organizations) should submit the nominations of all Nominees which they would like to support, before 24 January 2025. → Learn more about requirements and how to apply.
  • Global Framework on Chemicals Fund Call for Projects | The Global Framework on Chemicals Fund issues periodic calls for applications. For the first round of applications, the Fund provides financial support of 300,000 to 800,000 USD for an implementation period of up to three years. Interested applicants may use the four-month application period to develop a project proposal and fill in the requested forms. Project development usually involves extensive consultation with respective ministries and other stakeholders. The Fund encourages all applicants to reach out to their national focal point early to discuss national priorities. Find more information and submission criteria on the official page of the call and send your complete application package in Word and PDF (with scanned or electronic signatures) to unep-gfc.fund@un.org by 31 January 2025.
  • Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
    • Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 33/25, during its seventeenth session in 2024, the Expert Mechanism confirmed its decision to prepare a report on “The right of Indigenous Peoples to their traditional economies.” This report will be presented at the sixtieth session of the Human Rights Council in September 2025. To contribute, inputs can be submitted until 31 January 2025. → Submit your input.
    • Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 33/25, during its seventeenth session in 2024, the Expert Mechanism confirmed its decision to prepare a study on “Indigenous Peoples right to data, including data collection and disaggregation”. The purpose of this study is to highlight the significant value of data to Indigenous Peoples while analyzing the right to data, including through collection and disaggregation. The deadline for submission is 31 January 2025. → Submit your input.
  • Agenda 21 one-off grant for organizations and the climate emergency | Eligible projects aim to transform the way an organization or structure (theater, sports club, crèche, NGO, etc.) operates, to make it more sustainable in the long term. The change must be structural, organizational, functional, and part of an in-depth reflection on the organization. The application deadline is 31 January 2025.
  • 2025 GEO Awards | In celebration of GEO’s 20-year anniversary, this year’s awards will feature two categories: the first honors emerging individual leaders, continuing the tradition set in 2023 in Cape Town, while the second introduces a special Lifetime Achievement Award to mark this significant milestone. Nominations, including self-nominations and nominations by sponsors, should be submitted by 31 January 2025.

What (Else) to Read Next?

  • One quarter of freshwater animals at risk of extinction | IUCN | 8 January 2025
    The largest global assessment of freshwater animals on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ to date has revealed that 24% of the world’s freshwater fish, dragonfly, damselfly, crab, crayfish and shrimp species are at high risk of extinction, according to an analysis published in Nature. The IUCN co-authored study recommends targeted action to prevent further extinctions and calls for governments and industry to use this data in water management and policy measures.
  • Lead Pollution Linked to IQ Decline in Roman-Era Europe | Neuroscience News | 7 January 2024
    A study analyzing Arctic ice cores reveals that lead pollution during the Roman Empire’s height contributed to an estimated 2-3 point IQ decline across Europe. The pollution stemmed from silver mining and smelting, which released vast amounts of lead into the atmosphere.
  • Boosting Biodiversity Action through Agroecology | Global Alliance for the Future of Food, Biovision Foundation, WWF International, Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
    This document provides guidance for integrating agroecology and food systems into the development and implementation of NBSAPs in alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
  • Harvesting Solutions: How Food Systems Can Unlock Progress on Climate and Biodiversity | Moritz Fegert and Martina Fleckenstein | FoodTank
    Protecting biodiversity, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and ensuring universal access to healthy, sustainable food are highly interconnected challenges that can benefit from similar solutions and approaches.
  • How Agroecology Can Help Countries Tap Climate Finance and Fund Food Systems Transformation | Moritz Fegert and Martina Fleckenstein | FoodTank 
    Agroecological policies, which are currently being developed in several countries, can contribute significantly to governments achieving their climate mitigation and adaptation goals. And integrating these into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)—which countries are scheduled to revise by COP30—can help them tap the climate finance needed to make food systems transformation a reality.

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23 Aug 2026

Ongoing Contests

Climate | Nature | Chemicals and Pollution

SDG11 | SDG12

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