Environment: What’s Up in GENeva | 17 – 23 June 2024

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

Image of the week | Delegates meet in a huddle during the regional meeting of the African Group, on Sunday 16 June 2024, ahead of the third session of the ad hoc open-ended working group to prepare proposals for a science-policy panel on chemicals and waste and pollution prevention (OEWG 3). → Find highlights of Day 0 in our OEWG 3 dedicated update.

Proposals for A Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution Prevention

In the context of the triple planetary crisis that the earth is facing – of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, as well as pollution, independent intergovernmental science-policy bodies to help policymakers make the right decisions have been set up for two of these crises: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for climate change, and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) for biodiversity loss.

To support policymakers in their efforts to take action to tackle pollution, the United Nations Environment Assembly decided in resolution 5/8, adopted in 2022, to convene an Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group to prepare proposals for the establishment of a Science-Policy Panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution, expected to conclude its substantive discussions at its third session, gathering in Geneva this week. → Prepare and follow the OEWG 3 session:

Access all documents on the OEWG 3 Website under the “Pre-Session Documents” tab.
(Re)Watch the latest session of the Road to OEWG 3 Webinars and Events Series.
Watch the plenaries live-streamed on the UNEP YouTube account.
Follow the negotiations through the Earth Negotiations Bulletin live coverage, the Geneva Environment Network X account, and a dedicated webpage for highlights.

Additional news and resources:

Environment @ 56th Session of the Human Rights Council

The 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC56) which begins this week in Geneva, will consider various topics related to the environment over four weeks of deliberations. Contributions to the global environmental agenda will include:

The newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change, Elisa Morgera, will present her first report to the Council, focusing this year on taking stock of several, recent international developments on climate change and human rights while setting the scene for her mandate, as well as the first edition of the Geneva Rights and Climate Talks, which will reflect on the challenges posed by the impacts of climate change and how Geneva works towards placing human rights at the heart of climate action.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Paula Gaviria Betancur, in her annual report to the Human Rights Council will focus on planned relocations of people in the context of the adverse effects of climate change and disasters.
The Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises will present their report to the Council with the aim of providing practical guidance on how to align better environmental, social and governance approaches with the UNGPs in the context of financial products and services.
The newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Gina Romero, will present her first report to the Council, which will analyze the key gains of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association — including in the context of protests on the climate and the environment — the deepening and emerging/new challenges and threats to these rights, and the responsibilities of global and regional actors towards a global unified response against the current crackdown on these rights.
The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, will present his report exploring “post-growth” approaches to poverty eradication that move beyond GDP, and will consider whether and how development pathways guided by human rights can support the search for such alternative approaches.
The Human Rights Council will also hold its annual panel discussion on the adverse impacts of climate change on human rights focusing on ensuring livelihood resilience in the context of the risk of loss and damage.

Events of particular interest this week include:

Opening of the session and Annual report by the High Commissioner | 18 June 2024 | 10:00 – 10:45 CEST | Palais des Nations, Room XX & Online
25 Years of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders | HRC56 Side Event | 19 June 2024 | 13:00 – 14:00 CEST | Palais des Nations, Room XXV | International Service for Human Rights
Interactive Dialogue with SR on internally displaced persons | 20 – 21 June 2024 | 17:00 CEST onwards | Palais des Nations, Room XX & Online
Summit for the Future: The Civil Society Engagement in the United Nations | 21 June 2024 | 11:00 – 12:00 CEST | Palais des Nations, Room XXV | Rosa-Luxembourg-Stiftung
Informal consultations on the draft resolution on human rights and climate change | 21 June 2024 | 11:30 – 13:00 CEST | Palais des Nations, Room XXII | Bangladesh, Philippines and Viet Nam
Informal consultations on the draft resolution on enhancing the support capabilities to advance the process of the open-ended intergovernmental working group established by HRC resolution 26/9 (on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights) | 21 June 2024 | 12:00 – 13:30 CEST | Palais des Nations, Room XXIV | Ecuador
A human rights-based approach to planned relocations in the context of disasters and the adverse effects of climate change | HRC56 Side Event | 21 June 2024 | 15:00 – 16:00 CEST | Palais des Nations, Room XXV | Special Rapporteur on Internally Displaced Persons, Platform on Disaster Displacement, OHCHR, UNHCR, IOM, Fiji, Luxembourg, Denmark, Caritas (Internationalis/France/Senegal), UNU-EHS

→ Consult regular updates on key environmental issues at HRC56, side events, and further resources available on our dedicated HRC56 and the environment update.

Moving Forward Climate Action in Geneva and Beyond

Last week, climate change was high on the global agenda with the WMO Executive Council and the Bonn Climate Change Conference. Major outcomes and news include:

WMO EC‑78 advanced on various key aspects that will strengthen climate action in the years to come. The Executive Council:
- Made a landmark decision to acknowledge the critical role of youth as future leaders and decision-makers
- Approved nine resolutions on WMO Earth system observation and prediction.
- Approved the Global Greenhouse Gas Watch implementation plan to strengthen monitoring of heat-trapping gases which are driving climate change and to inform climate mitigation.
- Agreed new ambitions on cryosphere, adopting four high-level ambitions for the cryosphere – the frozen components of our Earth System – which are undergoing significant and largely irreversible changes. It also agreed to strengthen its engagement on the Antarctic.
- Endorsed SERCOM initiatives, notably on drought management, International Airways Volcano Watch, climate data and data rescue, business continuity in times of crises, and climate and Health.
- Launched a new report: Integrating Low-cost Sensor Systems and Networks to Enhance Air Quality Applications pointing out the potential for low-cost sensor systems to assess levels of air pollution, identify sources, and support air quality strategies to reduce them. → Read WMO Press Release
- Defined a detailed road map to provide early warnings against dangerous natural hazards for everyone on the planet
The Bonn Climate Change Conference concluded on 13 June 2024 after two weeks of intensive work across a range of issues where progress is needed on the path to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) this November in Baku, Azerbaijan. Progress was achieved in some areas, “[But] too many items are still on the table” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell in his closing speech. The Conference Parties:
- Streamlined content going into the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance. Clear options and the substantive framework of a draft decision must be finalized before COP29.
- Took steps towards adaptation indicators that are forward-looking, effective, and scientifically sound.
- Progressed towards a better functioning international carbon market, but further work remains to be done.
- Worked together for transparency and supported each other in planning stronger climate action plans.
- The UN-REDD report “Raising ambition, accelerating action: Towards enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions for forests,” published as countries were gathering for the Bonn Climate Change Conference, found that despite global commitments to halt deforestation by 2030, only eight of the top 20 countries with the highest rate of tropical deforestation have quantified targets on forests in their national climate action plans.
- CAN International SB60 Press Release — Climate Action Network Outcome Reaction — issued on 13 June 2024 highlights that Bonn has flopped. “We are in a climate emergency, yet rich country delegates seem to forget this, at our peril. There was next to no progress across the board. The June intersessionals were filled with more air than a hot air balloon.”

This week:

The WHO series of technical webinars on various climate change and health topics is back on 19 June, discussing GIS and risk mapping in climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments.
Broadcast meteorologists and climate scientists observe on 21 June the Show Your Stripes day to raise awareness of the urgent need to act on climate change. The campaign, backed up by UN Climate Change, WMO and IPCC, is inspired by data visualizations from Prof. Ed Hawkins, a climate scientist at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom and a lead author of the IPPC’s Sixth Assessment Report. The “warming stripes” graphics are visual representations of the change in temperature as measured in each country over at least the past 100 years. Each stripe represents the temperature in that country averaged over a year and is based on internationally recognized datasets. → Learn more

G7 Determination to Address the Triple Planetary Crisis

The G7 Summit was held last week in Borgo Egnazia, Italy. In their final communiqué, the G7 reiterates its determination to address the triple global crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.

Ahead of the meeting, IISD highlighted that G7 leaders had a critical opportunity to consolidate and strengthen their progress on the energy transition, including on fossil fuel phase-out. In response to the G7 final communiqué, business climate action non-profit We Mean Business Coalition labels the outcome ‘frustrating’ and suggests the Group of world leaders missed an opportunity to lead at a pivotal time for global politics and in the face of raging climate change.
The G7 is committed to ending plastic pollution with the ambition to reduce additional plastic pollution to zero by 2040 and, as appropriate, reduce the global production and consumption of primary plastic polymers in the context of their actions throughout the full life cycle of plastic.
The G7 looks forward to successful outcomes of upcoming major environmental negotiations, including the meetings of the Parties to the Rio Conventions.

United for Land: Our Legacy, Our Future

With nearly 40 percent of land across the planet degraded with more acres lost every second, governments, businesses, and communities must galvanize action to reverse the damage and protect Earth, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said in a message issued on the occasion of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, marked annually on 17 June. This year, the theme of the Day “United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future” spotlights the future of land stewardship — our most precious resource to ensure the stability and prosperity of billions of people around the world. → Learn more on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought, and the Role of Geneva

Earlier this month, the World Environment Day Celebration in Geneva focused on how international Geneva is accelerating action on land restoration and drought resilience in the Road to 16th meeting of the Conference of the Partie to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 16).

Mourning the Loss of Environmentalist Klaus Töpfer

Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of the UN Environment Program for a period of eight years from 1998, passed away on 8 June 2024, at the age of 85. Under his leadership as Executive Director, UNEP delivered important new multilateral environmental agreements, critical action on pollutants, and helped secure important progress on climate change, as highlighted by UNEP Executive Director, Inger Andersen.

The Geneva Environment Network was launched 25 years ago, under the leadership of former UNEP Executive Director Klaus Töpfer and former Swiss Secretary for the Environment Philippe Roch. We mourn a strong leader with a vision for international environmental governance.

From a Green Spring to a Green Summer in Geneva

Monday 17 June is an official holiday for the celebration of the Eid al-Adha for various UN institutions in Geneva. While warm summer days slowly approach Geneva, the city offers various activities to enjoy the season.

This week, the June solstice– – when the sun travels the longest path through the sky — occurring on 20 June this year, will mark the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere! The day is widely celebrated around the world. Mindful that the solstices and equinoxes symbolize the fertility of the land, agricultural and food production systems, cultural heritage, and their millenary traditions, the UN General Assembly acknowledged that the celebration of those events is an embodiment of the unity of the cultural heritage and centuries-long traditions, and further play a significant role in strengthening the ties among peoples on the basis of mutual respect and the ideals of peace and good-neighborliness. It, therefore, recognized 21 June as the International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice.

Check out the Geneva Environment Network list of suggestions of environmental and nature-themed activities to enjoy a green summer in Geneva. From exhibitions to outdoor visits, from festivals to tips to stay healthy and safe during the summer heat. The list is regularly updated, and includes this week:

BOTANICA 2024 – Plants for Our Future | Until 7 July 2024, 26 botanical gardens around Switzerland take part in BOTANICA, a series of over 60 guided visits, workshops and excursions around the theme “native plants for gardens and balconies”. Visit the Conservatory and Botanical Garden!
Vélo | ÉQUILIBRES EN MOUVEMENT | This exhibition at Musée Rath, co-produced with the Muséum (MHN), invites the public to explore the bicycle in all its technical, historical, sociological and artistic aspects. The exhibition also explores the impact of the bicycle on urban space, questioning its place in contemporary society and its role in promoting soft mobility.
Collector | Organized on the occasion of the Botanical Conservatory’s bicentenary, check out the 5 flagship outdoor exhibitions and the various activities organized at the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques.
Balade: reconnaître et attirer les oiseaux ? | The visit will take place at Cimetière des Rois on 19 June 2024 rom 10:00 to 11:30 CEST, under the guide of Laurent Vallotton, ornithologist at the Museum of Natural History of Geneva.
Sentier culturel: art contemporain | Discover art pieces through a visit around the right side of the lake on 20 June 2024 from 14:00 CEST.
A la recherche des hirondelles genevoises | Discover nesting locations and observe the habits of swallows on 20 June 2024 from 17:30 CEST
Fête de la musique | For its 33rd edition, Geneva’s Fête de la Musique celebrates the arrival of the summer season with three days of concerts, and workshops from 21 – 23 June 2024.
Scène Ella Fitzgerald (Musiques en été) | From 22 June 2024, a series of concerts will take place at the Ella Fitzgerald scene at Parc La Grange.

Happening Abroad

67th Meeting of the GEF Council | The Global Environment Facility’s governing body Council meetings from 17 to 20 June in Washington, DC. In back-to-back Council meetings of the GEF Trust Fund, Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund, and Special Climate Change Fund, representatives of the 186 governments are set to build on efforts to ensure donor funding moves quickly and efficiently to reach areas of greatest need for the planet. → Read GEF Press Release

Third International Conference on Environmental Peacebuilding | The Third International Conference on Environmental Peacebuilding will gather leading practitioners, academics, and thought leaders in the field of environmental peacebuilding in Leiden University, The Hague, Netherlands from 18 June – 21 June 2024. Organized by the Environmental Peacebuilding Association® (EnPAx®) and the Grotius Center for International Legal Studies at Leiden University.

Vision and Visibility: Scaling transparency | UNECE Sustainability Pledge 2024 Event | This event organized by the UNECE will take stock of the implementation of the Sustainability Pledge initiative for Sustainable and Circular Garment and Footwear, three years after its launch and after receiving more than 100 pledges to UNECE’s Call to Action. → Register for the event taking place on 19 June 2024 at the Triennale of Milan, Italy and online.

What (Else) to Read Next?

Promoting Sustainability Through Reforming Subsidies for Agriculture in the WTO | TESS | 13 June 2024
By fostering an open dialogue and cooperation on feasible and effective measures to tackle environmentally harmful agricultural subsidies, the WTO can catalyse momentum towards a more sustainable and equitable global agricultural system.
Extreme weather events do not increase political parties’ environmental attention | Nature | 13 June 2024
Exposure to extreme weather events can make people more aware of environmental changes; however, it remains unclear how such events influence politicians’ behavior. Combining supervised learning algorithms on over 260,000 press releases by European parties with a difference-in-differences design, we find that apart from Green parties, extreme weather events do not increase attention towards environmental issues.
“Genève Région – Terre Avenir”: 20 ans au service de l’agriculture de proximité et de l’alimentation durable | Republic et Canton de Genève | 13 June 2024
Incontournable dans les paniers et assiettes des Genevoises et Genevois, la marque de garantie “Genève Région-Terre Avenir” (GRTA) célèbre cette année ses 20 ans d’existence. Au bénéfice d’une notoriété toujours croissante et d’un nombre élevé d’entreprises certifiées, le porte-drapeau des produits issus de l’agriculture genevoise joue un rôle essentiel dans la valorisation d’une production locale et durable.
‘Without nuclear, it will be almost impossible to decarbonize by 2050’, UN atomic energy chief | UN News | 13 June 2024
The issue of spent fuel, the highly radioactive waste produced by the process of producing energy in nuclear power plants, has also been periodically raised as a cause for concern. But the image of nuclear power got a boost at the 2023 UN climate conference in Dubai (COP28), when 198 countries included nuclear energy in the list of low-emission technologies that need to be scaled up if we’re to end our reliance on fossil fuels.
Clean v green: ‘disgust wins out’ over eco ideals when doing laundry, study finds | The Guardian | 13 June 2024
When it comes to behaviors, “disgust simply wins out”, said Erik Klint, a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, in Gothenburg, Sweden, and lead author of the study. “The study shows that the higher our sensitivity to disgust, the more we wash, regardless of whether we value our environmental identity highly.”
Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2024 | IRENA | 12 June 2024
Despite some progress across the indicators, the current pace is not adequate to achieve any of the 2030 targets for SDG 7. As in previous years, rates of progress vary significantly across regions, with some regions making substantial gains and some slowing their progress or even moving backward.
UNECE, UNEP and OECD launch Platform for Action on the Green Recovery of Ukraine | UNECE | 12 June 2024
International support has been mobilized to help to meet Ukraine’s immediate needs, including ongoing support to assess the environmental damage. To support this, UNECE, UNEP and OECD are establishing a Platform for Action on the Green Recovery of Ukraine. A joint statement was signed today at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin.
A new report looks at major companies’ efforts to address plastic waste — and finds them lacking | GRIST | 12 June 2024
According to a new analysis by the shareholder advocacy nonprofit As You Sow, dozens of the world’s largest companies are falling short on both ambition and action to ensure plastic packaging doesn’t end up in landfills or littering the environment. Too few companies have quantitative sustainability targets for plastic, the report says, and those that do are either setting the bar too low or are failing to make significant progress — or both.
Just four industries cause 2.7 million deaths in the European Region every year | WHO | 12 June 2024
A pioneering report from the WHO Regional Office for Europe spells out clearly how specific powerful industries are driving ill-health and premature mortality across Europe and Central Asia, including through interfering in and influencing prevention and control efforts for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers and diabetes, and their risk factors including tobacco, alcohol, unhealthy diets and obesity.
‘Victory’ for farmers: Groups welcome end of FAO #ToxicAlliance with pesticide industry | PAN Asia Pacific | 10 June 2024
Led by PAN International, 11 organizations issued a statement saying that they have received confirmation of a decision by the FAO to not renew its Letter of Intent (LoI) with CropLife. The LoI, entered by both parties on October 2020, triggered calls by civil society, IPs, academics, philanthropists and a UN expert for the FAO to rescind an agreement that directly ties the agency to the world’s largest manufacturers of the most deadly pesticides such as Bayer, Syngenta and Corteva.
Forward together: Making trade work better for the planet | UNCTAD | 9 June 2024
As UN Trade and Development celebrated its 60th anniversary, and examined issues that will shape the future of trade and development. The “Forward together” series explores pivotal topics for developing countries, such as aligning trade policies with environmental and climate goals.