Environment: What’s Up in GENeva | 22 July – 11 August 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, and Youtube, or visit our website regularly for additional updates.

As the holiday season is ongoing, this newsletter exceptionally covers a period of three weeks. Due to the Swiss national holiday, the UN Office in Geneva will be closed on 1 August. The Geneva Environment Network Secretariat is closed from 29 July to 2 August 2024. Consult the green summer in Geneva update for suggestions of activities.

Image of the week | Plenary session of the 27th Meeting of the Plants Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which took in Geneva from 12 to 18 July 2024. The Chair of the Plants Committee and the Secretariat consulting. © UNEP/GEN

Road to Busan | Intersessional Work for Negotiations on a Plastics Treaty

The intersessional work ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5), to take place from 25 November – 1 December 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea, is in full progress:

The INC Secretariat is hosting online meetings for the two Ad Hoc Intersessional Open-ended Expert Groups established at its previous session with remaining sessions for
- Expert Group 1 to develop an analysis of potential sources, and means that could be mobilized, for implementation of the objectives of the instrument, is meeting on 1 August 2024 and on 15 August 2024,
- Expert Group 2 to identify and analyse criteria and non criteria based approaches regarding plastic products and chemicals of concern in plastic products, and product design focusing on recyclability and reusability of plastic products, is meeting on 30 July 2024 and 13 August 2024.
The in-person expert groups meetings are scheduled to take place in Bangkok, Thailand from 24 to 28 August 2024.
Registration to participate in INC-5 are now open for all stakeholders and closing on 20 September 2024.

On the sidelines, informal intersessional work is also ongoing with various stakeholders holding discussions. The Road to Busan event series, organized as part of the Geneva Beat Plastic Pollution Dialogues in collaboration with various partners, provides Member States and stakeholders a platform to prepare for the upcoming in-person meeting of the Ad Hoc Intersessional Open-ended Expert Groups and INC-5. This series will host discussions on key aspects and strategies for developing a successful and ambitious Plastics Treaty. Upcoming sessions include:

Road to Busan | Global Producer Responsibility for Plastics Pollution | The event will discuss the recently published peer-reviewed research paper in top academic journal Science Advances titled “Global producer responsibility for plastic pollution,” which analyzed 5 years of brand audit data gathered by hundreds of citizen science and community groups from around the world. This webinar will allow authors and stakeholders to share the key findings and implications of this paper with member state delegates to inform their positions on the topic of plastic production reduction and the role of FMCG companies. → Register and join on Webex on Tuesday 23 July 2024 from 16:00 to 17:30 CEST
Road to Busan | Potential Approaches to Plastic Products and Chemicals of Concern in the Plastics Treaty | This event, co-organized with the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) seeks to contribute to the INC Expert Group 2 discussion on health and environmental protective criteria and non-criteria-based approaches for products and chemicals through various examples that could be reflected in the International Legally Binding Instrument. → Register and join on Webex on Wednesday 7 August 2024 from 15:00 to 16:30 CEST

→ Stay up to date with preparations and learn more about the role of Geneva ahead of INC-5 through our dedicated update

Other upcoming sessions in preparation of INC-5 include:

Road2Busan Plastic Action Webinar Series | Advancing Intergenerational Well-being and Health Against Plastic Pollution: Opportunities & Threats under the Plastics Treaty for Children, Women, & Informal Workers | CYMG, IPEN, GGTC and Health Care Without Harm | 22 July 2024 | 15:00 – 16:45 CEST | Zoom
Understanding How Plastic Credits Work | Break Free From Plastic | 24 July 2024 | 05:30 CEST | Zoom
Financing considerations to support an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution: Financial mechanisms, supported obligations, and addressing potential funding gaps | Government of the Netherlands and a group of other countries, The Circulate Initiative, World Bank, UNEP-FI, World Economic Forum| 24 July 2024 | 15:00 – 16:15 CEST
Improving IFI Accountability to Plastic Pollution through Citizen Engagement | 31 July 2024 | 08:00 CEST | Zoom

1 August | Earth Overshoot Day 2024

Thursday 1 August marks this year’s Earth Overshoot Day, the date when humanity has used as much from nature as the planet’s ecosystems can renew during this entire year, according to Global Footprint Network’s latest calculations. In just 7 months, humanity used what Earth takes 12 months to regenerate.

Falling just one day earlier than last year’s and even as the global overshoot trend has flattened over the last decade, humanity is falling back in the race. Their position does not match their international agreed goals for 2030 to a) protect 30% of the biosphere and b) reduce carbon emissions by about 45% worldwide compared to 2010. This carbon reduction alone would require moving Earth Overshoot Day 22 days annually for the next six years.

Earth Overshoot Day is a call for proactive responses. → Find resources about the day, learn new tips for a more sustainable living, and discover various initiatives on sustainable production and consumption to #MoveTheDate in our update.

Outcomes of the 56th Session of the Human Rights Council

The 56th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC56) came to a conclusion in Geneva on 12 July, with the adoption of environment-related decision and resolutions:

A/HRC/56/L.5 | Human rights and international solidarity | Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) and Yemen
Recognizes that international solidarity is a powerful tool for addressing the structural causes of global challenges, including climate change
A/HRC/56/L.12 | Freedom of opinion and expression | Netherlands (Kingdom of the), Brazil, Canada, Fiji, Namibia, Sweden & 44 other countries
Strongly condemns the threats, reprisals, harassment and violence against human rights defenders, including environmental human rights defenders
A/HRC/56/L.14/Rev.1 | Human rights and climate change | Bangladesh, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Viet Nam and Yemen
Stressing that human rights obligations, standards and principles have the potential to inform and strengthen international, regional and national policymaking in the area of climate change, the resolution highlights that just transitions can support more robust and equitable mitigation outcomes.
A/HRC/56/L.17 | Enhancing the support capabilities of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights, established by Human Rights Council resolution 26/9 | Belgium, Chile, Ecuador, France, Luxembourg, Portugal
Starting in 2025, for a period of three years, the working group will convene no more than 10 full-day intersessional thematic consultations each year, in Geneva,… for the purpose of discussing clusters of articles of the draft legally binding instrument currently being negotiated.
A/HRC/56/L.19/Rev.1 | The promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests | Switzerland, Costa Rica & 43 other countries
In recognizing also that peaceful protests have historically played a constructive social and political role in the development of more just, equal and accountable societies, including the advancement of environmental justice, calls upon all States to promote a safe and enabling environment for individuals and groups to exercise their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of expression and of association.
A/HRC/56/L.23 | Plastic pollution implications on the full enjoyment of human rights | Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Israel, Luxembourg, Panama, Peru, Portugal
Requests the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee to prepare a comprehensive study on the implications of plastic pollution for the full enjoyment of human rights, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.

In this session, numerous parallel and side events have also tackled various environmental issues. Outcomes of events co-organized by the Geneva Environment Network include:

The launch of the Geneva Rights and Climate Talks held a fruitful discussion with the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change, Elisa Morgera, the UN Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders under the Aarhus Convention, Michel Forst, experts and environmental defenders, on “The Crucial Role of Environmental Defenders in Ensuring a Safe Climate”. → Consult the highlights and rewatch the dialogue.
The Geneva Roadmap 40/11 organized a series of events that highlighted the growing and rapidly transforming role of specific instruments, such as the Aarhus Convention, regional processes and mechanisms play in the protection of environmental defenders. One of which gathered views from various stakeholders to answer the question: “How are environmental defenders protected in the regions?” → Consult the highlights and rewatch the dialogue.

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

Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, observed on 9 August, will focus this year on ‘Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact’. Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact are the best protectors of the forest. Where their collective rights to lands and territories are protected, the forests thrive, alongside their societies. Not only is their survival crucial to the protection of our planet, but it is crucial to the protection of cultural and linguistic diversity. In today’s hyper-connected world, the existence of Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact is a testament to the rich and complex tapestry of humanity, and it is a huge loss to our world if they cease to exist. → Join the global commemoration of the International Day organized by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) on 9 August 2024 online from 15:00 – 16:30 CEST.

→ Learn more in our update about the role of International Geneva in protecting, promoting, and upholding the rights, practices, customs, and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples in relation to the environment.

Action to Tackle the Climate Change Crisis

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) shared data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service finding that the average global temperature has been 1.5°C above the pre-industrial era for 12 successive months. June 2024 was the hottest on record globally and the 13th month in a row to set a monthly temperature record. While breaking the 1.5°C level will become a more common event, WMO Secretary General, Celeste Saulo, highlighted this does not mean that the 1.5°C target is impossible to achieve, but urgent action is necessary to curb the already visible effects of climate change.

Among the extreme weather events associated with sustained increased temperatures of the past month, heavy precipitations record low sea ice melting and the record-breaking Hurricane Beryl which devastated the Caribbean before making landfall in the USA.

Recent climate change-related new include:

ILO to release new report on global impact of heat stress on workers | ILO | 25 July 2024
The International Labour Organization will publish a new report titled “Heat at work: Implications for safety and health”, which examines the growing threat of heat stress to workers worldwide and its economic implications.
The New Merchants of Doubt: How Big Meat and Dairy Avoid Climate Action | Changing Markets Foundation | 17 July 2024
The report reveals the tactics of Big Meat and Dairy companies to delay, distract, and derail action on transforming the food system, mirroring strategies used by the tobacco and fossil fuel industries.
Updated SunSmart Global UV App protects health | WMO | 17 July 2024
A new updated version of the SunSmart Global UV App was released at the peak of the northern hemisphere summer, helping people to protect themselves against the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun and to reduce the global burden of skin cancer and UV-related eye damage.
2024 Global Report on Climate and SDG Synergy | Synergy Solutions for Climate and SDG Action: Bridging the Ambition Gap for the Future We Want | UN DESA & UNFCCC | 16 July 2024
According to the expert report, this lack of progress fundamentally is caused by both a lack of political will and the deep fragmentation and inertia in global systems that were mostly created under a very different set of global conditions than the world now faces and are no longer fit for purpose for the 21st century.
International Court of Justice climate ruling should include legal duty to protect climate-stabilizing biodiversity | WWF | 16 July 2024
WWF has made a submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to contribute to the formation of their advisory opinion on climate change. WWF’s submission emphasizes that countries also have a legal duty to protect and restore biodiversity, in addition to the obligation to tackle the climate crisis.
Leave no mountain behind: the synthesis series – Migration, mobility and immobility in the mountains | Adaptation at Altitude | 16 July 2024
This brief looks at long-term migration in mountain areas and its drivers as well as its impacts on communities and wider society. It explores how climate change is contributing to increased migration in mountain areas and provides examples of climate change adaptation interventions that can help address these drivers and improve the lives of those who choose to stay.
Statement on Behalf of the Co-Leads of the Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate | Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate | 9 July 2024
The co-leads oexpress their unwavering solidarity and strong support for the Caribbean region and all those most impacted by the devastating effects of Hurricane Beryl. This catastrophic event underscores the harsh realities of the climate crisis and its disproportionate impacts on small vulnerable countries that are on the front lines to climate shocks.
Legal Memorandum Advisory Opinion on Climate Change Delivered by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea: Relevance for the International Court of Justice Climate Advisory Proceedings | CIEL | 8 July 2024
This opinion is the first of three international advisory opinion processes on States’ responsibilities to confront the climate crisis. This opinion sets the floor — not the ceiling — for future decisions on climate and international legal duties.
On the feasibility of glacier preservation | Matthias Huss | Nature Water | 8 July 2024
Even though approaches to artificially reduce local glacier melt have been developed, they face considerable challenges on a larger scale. To mitigate the negative effects of an imminent loss of mountain glaciers, preserving the ice by reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains the most effective solution.

Happening Abroad

The 2nd Part of the 29th Annual Session of the International Seabed Authority is expected to conclude on 2 August 2024 after three weeks of meetings in Kingston, Jamaica. ISA29 will conclude meetings of the Council on 26 July 2024 and hold meetings of the Assembly from 29 July to 2 August 2024). Discussions are tackling the negotiations on deep-sea mining, the general policy of the ISA for the protection and preservation of the marine environment, and the Assembly is also expected to hold elections for the position of ISA Secretary-General. → Read the recap on the outcomes of the first part of ISA29, consult the indicative programme of work for week 2 and week 3 and stay up to date with the daily bulletins of the ISA and of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
The Sixty-first Session of the IPCC (IPCC-61), will take place from 27 July to 2 August 2024 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The Session will be dedicated, among other matters, to the outline of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities, the outline of the Methodology Report on Short-Lived Climate Forcers (SLCF) as well as the Strategic Planning Schedule for the seventh assessment cycle. Given the substantial number of agenda items for the Session, the Secretariat has arranged for an extended Session that will run longer than usual. Additionally, to ensure the optimal participation of registered delegates in the Plenary, the Secretariat will organize a pre-plenary briefing session on 26 July 2024. → Follow the IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin Live Coverage

What (Else) to Read Next?

Statement regarding the four-year prison sentence imposed on Mr. Daniel Shaw for his involvement in peaceful environmental protest in the United Kingdom | Michel Forst, UN Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders under the Aarhus Convention | 18 July 2024
Following the sentencing of Daniel Shaw to four years in prison for his “involvement in peaceful environmental protest”, the UN Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders under the Aarhus Convention released a statement “urging the new UK government, with absolute urgency and without undo delay, to take all necessary steps to ensure that Mr. Shaw’s sentence is reduced in line with the UK’s obligations under the Aarhus Convention.”
Report reveals widespread use of smuggled mercury in Amazon gold mining | Mongabay | 17 July 2024
According to a report from Brazilian think tank the Escolhas Institute, up to 73% of all mercury used in Brazil’s gold mines is of unknown origin; the country’s environmental agency states practically all mines in Brazil use illegal mercury.
United Nations System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation | UN Water | 16 July 2024
Through five entry points for collaborative action, this SWS adds value to the United Nations system’s work on water and sanitation by: strengthening
collective leadership, enhancing demand-driven support to countries, improving policy coherence, accelerating progress and transformative change
through five Sustainable Development Goal 6 global accelerators (financing, data and information, capacity development, innovation and governance) and strengthening accountability for progress through joint review and learning.
Cote d’Ivoire is the 10th African nation to join UN Water Convention in milestone for water cooperation worldwide | UNECE |16 July 2024
It is the 53rd Party to the Convention and 10th African country to join the UN Water Convention. This further consolidates the strong momentum for water cooperation in Africa, where over 90% of water resources are in 63 basins shared by two or more countries.
A global foresight report on planetary health and human wellbeing | UNEP and International Science Council | 15 July 2024
The report identifies eight critical global shifts that are accelerating the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. The shifts include humanity’s degradation of the natural world, the rapid development of technologies such as AI, competition for natural resources, widening inequalities and declining trust in institutions. These shifts are creating a polycrisis, in which global crises are amplifying, accelerating and synchronizing – with huge implications for human and planetary wellbeing. Eighteen accompanying signals of change offer a deeper glimpse into potential disruptions, both positive and negative, that the world must prepare for.
UNECE and ECLAC propose measures to reduce environmental and health impacts of global trade of second-hand clothes | UNECE | 15 July 2024
A recent report published by UNECE and ECLAC contains an in-depth analysis of second-hand clothing trade between Europe and Chile, offers policy recommendations to the industry, exporting and importing countries to remedy the situation.
Civil Society Recommendations for the UNSG’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals | Publish What You Pay | 10 July 2024
To help guide the UN Secretary-General’s Panel, 210 Indigenous Peoples groups, unions and labor activists, and climate, environmental justice, child rights and human rights organizations have developed recommendations describing how a transformative approach to transition minerals can contribute to a more just global energy system.
Digital Economy Report 2024 | UN Trade and Development | 10 July 2024
The report sheds light on the significant environmental impact of the global digital sector and the disproportionate burden developing countries bear. Developing countries remain unevenly affected both economically and ecologically due to existing digital and development divides but they have the potential to leverage this digital shift to foster development.
Record participation and key decisions highlight SC63 | Ramsar Convention on Wetlands | 8 July 2024
The Committee approved several important reports, including those from the Executive Team, Secretary General, Strategic Plan Working Group, Management Working Group, and Working Group on Institutional Strengthening.
Ecuador court rules pollution violates rights of a river running through capital | The Guardian | 7 July 2024
A ruling described by activists as “historic”, a court in Ecuador has ruled that pollution has violated the rights of a river that runs through the country’s capital, Quito.
Theme of World Wildlife Day 2025 | CITES | 5 July 2024
This opinion is the first of three international advisory opinion processes on States’ responsibilities to confront the climate crisis. This opinion sets the floor — not the ceiling — for future decisions on climate and international legal duties; as the first advisory opinion, the ITLOS Opinion has the potential to shape the forthcoming ones as well.