Environment: What’s Up in GENeva | 2 – 8 December 2024

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 | ‘Youth and Elders’ panelists greeting each other ahead of “From Stockholm to Rio and Geneva | Six Decades of Enhancing Collaboration in the Fight Against the Triple Planetary Crisis: A Roundtable with Elders“, co-moderated by GEN intern Anaelle Cathelineau and organized as part of the Geneva Environment Network 25th Anniversary series of events on how the Geneva Environment Network has been GENerating participation and engagement for increased collaboration among stakeholders for stronger environmental governance in the fight against the triple planetary crisis. © Geneva Environment Network, 28 November 2024. → Find out more on how you can celebrate with us!

Climate action is high on the agenda of International Geneva this week. Join the Geneva Environment Network and its partners in the various events, moments, and activities that highlight the importance of advancing climate action.

Climate Justice | Geneva Screening of ICJ Oral Hearings

On 29 March 2023, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution – under the leadership of Vanuatu and 18 other States – requesting the International Court of Justice to issue an Advisory Opinion on States’ obligations in respect of climate change. The International Court of Justice has now, for the first time in history, the mandate to address the obligations of States with regard to climate change, under multiple sources of law including international environmental law and human rights law. From 2 to 13 December, the Court will hold public hearings. Ninety-eight States and twelve international organizations will be participating in the oral proceedings before the Court. These hearings are a turning point, setting the stage for the Court’s 2025 Advisory Opinion. → Follow highlights through the IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin live coverage, CIEL’s Daily Debriefs or Greenpeace Live Blog

The screening in Geneva of the first day of the public hearings, organized by the Geneva Environment Network (GEN), the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), the Geneva Human Rights Platform, World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ), and Earthjustice, will be accompanied by commentary from experts, intergovernmental representatives and State representatives from Geneva and the Hague. The Geneva screening is part of the GEN’s 25th Anniversary series of events exploring and highlighting frameworks and partnerships that can strengthen environmental governance. → Register and join us at Palais des Nations, Room XXIII, on Monday 2 December 2024 at 9:00 CET. Light refreshments will be available in the morning and during lunch.

→ Save the date for the debrief session, “Climate Justice Hearings at the International Court of Justice: Unpacking key Arguments and Drawing Lessons from a Human Rights Perspective” taking place at Villa Moynier on 12 December 2024, from 18:30 to 20:00 CET. Consult as well the latest publication by CIEL on “Remedy and Reparations for Climate Harm: The Human Rights Case“.

Climate Solutions to Keep 1.5° Alive | Pushing Boundaries Through Collective Action: How Can Citizens Drive Systems Change and Catalyze Climate Action?

Citizens around the world have become a driving force to push for climate ambitions and are contributing their own knowledge, wisdom and creativity to challenge experts, policy makers and institutions. Many see civic engagement as a powerful approach to reframe the very process of participation – including citizens significance in policy and decision-making – to shape top-down initiatives and propose alternatives.

The event “Pushing Boundaries Through Collective Action: How Can Citizens Drive Systems Change and Catalyze Climate Action?“, organized by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Office in Geneva, in partnership with the Geneva Environment Network, will bring to light initiatives showing how citizens around the world are catalyzing climate action, pushing for out of “business-as-usual”, and adding a transformative impetus to the political agenda. As part of the celebration of the GEN’s 25th Anniversary, this event aims to learn from case studies of citizen-led initiatives from around the world that tackle climate change from different angles and from a variety of participation approaches providing ⁠Climate Solutions to Keep the 1.5° Alive. → ⁠Register and join us at Palais des Nations, Room XVII, on Monday 2 December 2024 at 15:30 CET. Light refreshments are provided from 15:00 CET.

Climate Action with 2050Today | International Geneva Walking the Talk

2050Today, the Geneva Climate Action Forum – where institutions of International Geneva come together to tackle climate change by measurably reducing their emissions – will hold its 3rd High-Level Meeting in cooperation with the World Meteorological Organization, and with the special participation of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Health Organization (WHO). The event takes place one year after the signing of the 2050Today Charter for decarbonization and will feature the adoption of action plans to implement climate objectives by 34 signatory institutions (permanent Missions, International Organizations, Academia and civil society entities). By adopting and implementing these action plans, permanent Missions or other similar institutions in size could achieve on average 40% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030.

The event will include a panel discussion featuring heads of specialized UN agencies looking at climate change’s impact on health, human rights and refugees, and a humorous lecture-show on our eating habits will conclude the event. → Register to attend in person on 4 December 2024 from 18:00 to 20:00 CET at the World Meteorological Organization’s headquarters.

More Climate Action in International Geneva

While all eyes were on international negotiations discussing climate and plastics in the past weeks, international and local Geneva have been active in bringing forward the debate on climate change in the city. After a successful Geneva Climate Week, a Film Festival dedicated to the looming threat of melting glaciers and much more, this week, various events will continue on this wave of awareness:

ECCP Geneva Discussion | The Heat and the Fury, with Peter Schwartzstein | Based on over a decade of reporting from dozens of countries and conflict zones, ‘The Heat and the Fury‘ aims to lay out the extent and the nature of climate’s contribution to violence on the ground. With its emphasis on how climate and environmental stresses are interacting with other drivers of instability, such as corruption, inequality, and misinformation, it is also very much geared towards climate security practitioners. The talk will feature the author Peter Schwartzstein, accompanied by Mara Tignino of Geneva Water Hub, and Silja Halle of UNEP. → Register to join the discussion on 2 December 2024 from 14:15 at the Geneva Graduate Institute.
Post-COP29 in Baku: successes, challenges and next steps | The Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC), Climate and Environment Charter and the CALP CVA’s Climate and Environment Community of Practice (CoP) will host a joint webinar to explore the main successes and challenges of the COP 29 for humanitarians and how to better prepare for and engage with COP30 in Brazil in 2025. To facilitate participation from different time zones, the webinar will be held in two dates an time slots: join on 3 December 2024 from 15:30 – 17:00 CET and/or on 5 December 2024 from 09:00 – 10:30 CET.

As part of the local authorities’ effort to act on climate change and the role of our activities in contributing to the carbon footprint, join the last efforts of two initiatives aimed at increasing awareness and reducing impacts:

Nos Gestes Climat will conclude on 6 December 2024, and will continue in other forms until 2025, to help people become aware of the weight of their carbon footprint by giving them access to a Geneva footprint calculator.
My Carbon Challenge, concluding on 9 December 2024 will allow to discover one’s personal carbon footprint and learn how to reduce it in Geneva!

Road to 2025 BRS COPs | Making Visible the Invisible

The Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS) meet every two years to advance multilateral action to protect human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes. The 2025 BRS COPs meetings, which include, back-to-back, the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (BC COP-17), the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention (RC COP-12) and the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP-12), will take place in Geneva from 28 April to 9 May 2025. A high-level segment will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday, 30 April 2025 and the morning of Thursday, 1 May 2025. Preparatory meetings will be held on 27 April 2025. The theme of the meetings and the high-level segment in 2025 will be “Make visible the invisible: sound management of chemicals and wastes”.

On the Road to the 2025 BRS COPs, the Geneva Environment Network will collaborate with various partners, including the BRS Secretariat, for a series of events providing information on preparations and facilitating dialogues on key issues to be discussed at the meetings. To launch the series, this week a Briefing co-organized by the BRS Conventions Secretariat and chaired by the BRS Conventions Executive Secretary, Rolph Payet, will provide updates on the preparations as well as explore ongoing synergies within the chemicals and waste global governance cluster in the run-up to the 2025 BRS COPs. → Register and join us in person at the International Environment House I or online on Thursday 5 December 2024 from 10:00 to 12:00 CET.

Scientific Body to the Wetlands Convention Convening in Gland

The 27th meeting of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP27) of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, convening in Gland, from 2 to 6 December 2024, is expected to progress the high-priority tasks under the STRP workplan for the 2023-2025 triennium, in alignment with the Fourth Strategic Plan of the Convention (2016-2024) and ongoing scientific work in other international processes, such as IPBES and the Convention on Biological Diversity. In the run-up to the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15), to take place in July 2025 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, STRP27 will also discuss relevant draft resolutions that have been submitted to the 64th session of the Convention’s Standing Committee, including the proposed tasks for the STRP in the coming triennium, initiate preparations for the review of the Convention on Wetlands Classification System for Wetland Types and progress consultation with the Earth Observation community.

From the Bandung Spirit Water Summit to the UN 2026 Water Conference

The 10th World Water Forum, held in Indonesia in May 2024, featured the Bandung Spirit Water Summit, an agora by incumbent and former Heads of State and Government, focused on three key areas of water urgency: climate change and water resilience, sanitation and water for all, and water for peace with cross-cutting focus on Financing, Governance, and Mainstreaming the Youth and culminated in an outcome document, “The Spirit of Bandung: A Call to Actions”, aiming to inspire further discussions in the relevant UN meetings.

Building on the outcomes of the Bandung Spirit Water Summit, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the UN an other International Organizations in Geneva together with the High-level Experts and Leaders Panel on Water and Disasters (HELP) and the Geneva Water Hub will host a dialogue “From the Bandung Spirit Water Summit to the UN 2026 Water Conference” to pave pathways towards a resilient and sustainable world through water. The event will feature a keynote speech by H.E. Retno L.P. Marsudi of the Republic of Indonesia, appointed as UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water at the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79) in September 2024. → Register to join the event taking place on 6 December 2024 from 10:00-13:00 CET in Room C1, WMO.

Global Plastics Treaty Negotiation Adjourned

The fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution (INC-5) was adjourned at 2.50 a.m. on Monday 2 December in Busan with an agreement that the ‘Chair’s Text’ shared on 1 December will serve as a basis for the resumed session at a later date in 2025. This session was the largest of the INC process, with over 3,360 participants, including delegates from more than 170 countries, and observers from more than 440 organizations.

During the closing plenary, in their statements, all those who took the floor thanked the Chair, the co-chairs and facilitators, as well as the secretariat and the host country for their hard work and advancing the treaty to a point where the contours can now be seen in the Chair’s text. A majority of Member States reaffirmed their commitment to continue pushing for a robust and ambitious treaty, referring to a health-protective treaty to end plastic pollution that reduces the production of plastics, eliminates harm from toxic plastic chemicals, and is based on a foundation of protecting health and human rights. Some Member States also pointed to the absence of text and reflections, noting that the text did not always reflect the discussions that took place during the week. Various organizations expressed concern about the decision to exclude observers from the intersessional and the closing “informals”, which they found unjustified suggesting that the lack of transparency undermines the process and its outcomes.

Final statements and analyses on the outcomes of the meeting include:

IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin
UNEP | Plastic pollution negotiations adjourn with new text and a follow-up session planned | 2 December 2024
Scientists’s Coalition | Closing of the United Nation’s INC-5 meeting leaves independent scientists inspired by calls
for an ambitious treaty grounded in science by many delegates, and standing ready to continue
supporting INC members | 2 December 2024
Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty | Statement on the outcome of INC-5 in Busan, Republic of Korea | 2 December 2024
Break Free from Plastics
- Plastic Treaty Talks Stall Despite Support for Production Cuts, Additional Session Planned | 2 December 2024
- PopLite Progress on Plastic daily reports
CIEL | Consensus Fails Plastics Treaty Talks in Busan | 2 December 2024
IPEN | INC-5 Closing Statement | 1 December 2024
Friends of the Earth | UN Plastics Treaty negotiations extended: Insufficient progress, but majority of countries back ambitious action | 1 December 2024
GAIA at the Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations
Greenpeace | The fight continues, no treaty yet: Global Plastics Treaty negotiations fail to deliver agreement | 1 December 2024
Global Plastics Diplomacy Briefing
Reuters | Countries fail to reach agreement in UN plastic talks | Joyce Lee & Valerie Volcovici | 1 December 2024
NY Times by reporter Hiroko Tabuchi
- Saudi Arabia Leads Pushback Against Global Plastic Treaty | 30 November 2024
- Nations Fail to Reach an Agreement on Plastic Pollution | 1 December 2024

Additional news include:

Greenpeace activists board tanker demanding cut in plastic production | Independent | Stuti Mishra | 30 November 2024
New data tracks global trade in non-plastic substitutes | UN Trade and Development | 28 November 2024
Trading Our Way Out of Plastic Pollution: The Role of Sustainable Substitutes and Alternatives | Lorenzo Formenti & Henrique Pacini | TESS | 28 November 2024
Inside the ‘campaign of harassment’ to suppress anti-plastic health warnings | iNews | 27 November 2024
Break point | Magnus Løvold | 27 November 2024
Organic residues: A sustainable solution to plastic pollution and development | UN Trade and Development | 27 November 2024
Plastics Poison the Workplace: Chemical Exposures to Plastic Waste and Recycling Workers | IPEN | 26 November 2024
Plastic pollution: Why doing nothing will cost us far more than taking action | The Conversation | 26 November 2024
Policy Brief: Cutting Plastic Pollution at the Source – The Case for Upstream Solutions | Scientists Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty | November 2024
Five charts: Why a UN plastics treaty matters for climate change | Carbon Brief | 25 November 2024

Our Land, Our Future | International Geneva @ UNCCD COP16

The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December 2024 under the theme Our Land. Our Future. UNCCD COP 16 is more than a critical milestone – it represents a moonshot moment to raise global ambition and accelerate action on land and drought resilience through a people-centered approach. Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of UNCCD, COP16 will be the largest UN land conference to date, and the first UNCCD COP held in the Middle East and North Africa region, which knows first-hand the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought. COP16 is poised to be a game-changer, marking a renewed global commitment to accelerate investment and action to restore land and boost drought resilience for the benefit of people and planet. → Follow the UN TV webcast, find more information on the host country’s website and follow the IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin live coverage.

As a global hub for environmental governance, Geneva plays an important role in the global response to desertification, land degradation, and drought. As showcased during the celebration of the Geneva World Environment Day Celebration 2024, Geneva hosts leading organizations on environmental issues, nature conservation, water, health, human rights and many relevant areas of work, and contributes a strong expertise to global processes tackling these challenges. By hosting a Global Workshop on Droughts in Transboundary Basins and the Drought Resilience +10 conference, among others, Geneva experts paved the way for ambitious discussions at COP16 and will actively participate in negotiations in Riyadh.

More Happening Abroad

60th Session of the International Tropical Timber Council | The International Tropical Timber Council is ITTO’s governing body. It meets once a year to discuss a wide-ranging agenda aimed at promoting sustainable tropical forest management and the trade of sustainably produced tropical timber. Its 60th session will take place from 2 to 6 December 2024 in Yokohama, Japan and will feature discussions on the roadmap for renegotiating the 2006 iteration of the International Tropical Timber Agreement, among other issues. → Follow the IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin live coverage.

Fourth meeting (B.4) of the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage | The fourth meeting of the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage takes place from 2 to 5 December 2024 in Manila, Philippines. Key items to be considered by the Board include the Co-Chair’s proposal on options and choices for the Fund to further operationalize a bottom-up country-led approach that promotes and strengthens national responses to loss and damage; options for early interventions by the Fund, including as early as 2025–2026, and arrangement on the participation of active observers in Board meetings and related proceedings. → Read the key messages from Loss and Damage Collaboration

Continuation of a Green Autumn in Geneva

Suggestions to enjoy your free time and a Green Autumn in Geneva this week include:

Noël au Quai | Until 24 December 2024 | Quai du Mont Blanc
Visit Geneva’s Christmas Market to discover local artisanal food products and goods.
Mini atelier virtuel Furoshiki et Noël Zéro Déchet – SIG | 3 December 2024 | Zerowaste Switzerland
Join the workshop to find sustainable, environmentally-friendly solutions for organizing celebrations such as Christmas, New Year’s Eve and birthdays!
Atelier Hôtel à insectes | 7 December 2024 | Centre Nature La Libellule
In parks, gardens and grassy slopes, nature is often “cleaned up”, to the detriment of biodiversity. In addition to its educational role, the construction of insect hotels enables many small creatures to reproduce.
Préparons les fêtes avec la nature! | 7 December 2024 | Centre Nature de la Pointe à la Bise
Let’s avoid the crowds in the department stores and make our own Christmas gifts and decorations in harmony with nature!
Ma première pochette en feutre | 8 December 2024 | Centre Nature de la Pointe à la Bise
Starting from wool, you will create felt and make little pouches out of it.
46e Course de l’Escalade | 7-8 December 2024 | Course de l’Escalade & Ville de Genève
Whether you are running or cheering, enjoy Geneva’s most famous sporting event!

What (Else) to Read Next?

UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention’s CoP-13 Marks 20 Years of Assistance and Cooperation for transition economies and strengthens support for member States | UNECE | 29 November 2024
Marking the 20th anniversary of the Convention’s Assistance and Cooperation Programme, CoP-13 reflected on progress made and remaining challenges. Discussions also highlighted the growing interest in accession by non-Parties such as Georgia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The CoP celebrated the Programme’s expanding impact, acknowledged beneficiary countries’ commitment, and expressed appreciation to donor countries for their invaluable support in driving these efforts forward.
Energy transition safety gaps prompt states to step up work on industrial accidents risks | UNECE | 29 November 2024
As part of the UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention’s CoP-13, a dedicated report and seminar highlighted that the massive scaling-up in production, storage, use and distribution of renewables (e.g. solar and wind), ammonia, hydrogen and battery energy storage systems is expected to create additional accident risks and require further control measures and greater awareness among policymakers, operators and the public.
Devastating Atlantic hurricane season comes to an end | WMO | 29 November 2024
The active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends on 30 November, having left a trail of devastation, casualties and massive economic losses.
Whispers, self-censorship and crackdowns on free speech prevailed at Cop29 | Geneva Solutions | 29 November 2024
For civil society organisations and media, including representatives of local independent outlets, Azerbaijan’s hosting took restrictions on freedom of expression to a whole new level, leaving questions to be asked about the organisation’s duties to uphold rights at the event.
Core Human Rights Principles for Private Conservation Organizations and Funders | UNEP | 27 November 2024
The Core Human Rights Principles for Private Conservation Organizations and Funders were developed through extensive consultations and collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders committed to advancing human rights and environmental conservation. Scheduled to be launched on 13 December, the principles address the critical need to align conservation initiatives with human rights obligations.
Global, regional, and national mortality burden attributable to air pollution from landscape fires: a health impact assessment study | Rongbin Xu, Tingting Ye, Wenzhong Huang et al. | The Lancet | 27 November 2024
Globally, 1·53 million all-cause deaths per year (95% empirical confidence interval [eCI] 1·24–1·82) were attributable to LFS air pollution during 2000–19, including 0·45 million (0·32–0·57) cardiovascular deaths and 0·22 million respiratory deaths (0·08–0·35). LFS PM_2·5 and O₃ contributed to 77·6% and 22·4% of the total attributable deaths, respectively.
WMO Bulletin showcases the dividends of climate research, data and services | WMO | 27 November 2024
The new WMO Bulletin focuses on the Dividends of Climate Research, Data and Services, setting the scene for the Organization’s 75th anniversary in 2025 and highlighting achievements, priorities, challenges and opportunities.
I’m glad we got a deal at Cop29 – but western nations stood in the way of a much better one | Mukhtar Babayev | The Guardian | 25 November 2024
Azerbaijan sought to reach and surpass that minimum total by proposing a blended number of $1.3tn in financing, combining the $300bn contribution from developed governments with funds from intergovernmental financing institutions and the private sector. No one realistically doubts that all three funding sources and more must row together to finance our way out of this crisis. But the global south was right that the industrialized world’s contribution was too low and that the private sector contribution was too theoretical.