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Newsletter 23 Feb 2026

Environment: What’s Up in GENeva | 23 February – 1 March 2026

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. The Geneva Environment Network is not responsible for the content of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site. Stay tuned and follow us on X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky, Youtube and WhatsApp or visit our website regularly for additional updates.

Image of the week | Co-director of the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights Geneva (FIFDH), Laura Longobardi, speaking at the traditional collaboration workshop for non-governmental and international organizations, organized in preparation of the 8th edition of the FIFDH Impact Days, taking place from 8 to 10 March 2026. The event provided an opportunity for exchange on this year’s selected films and projects and on possible synergies and collaborations. One of the films featured at FIFDH 2026, “Yurlu | Country“, will present the story of Maitland Parker who has dedicated his life to protecting the Banjima people’s ancestral land that has been poisoned by asbestos mining. Discussions on “largest contaminated site in the southern hemisphere” will take place on 9 March in a side event at the 61st session of the Human Rights Council and the European premiere of the film. © UNEP GEN, L’ESPACE, 17 February 2026

Human Rights Council Kicks Off Politically Charged 61st Session with Environment High on Agenda

The UN Human Rights Council holds its 61st session (HRC61) from 23 February to 31 March 2026 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The session opens this week with a high-level segment (23–25 February), where dignitaries from more than 120 States address the Council. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, and High Commissioner Volker Türk will be delivering opening statements. Over six weeks, the Council will host debates, panels, and interactive dialogues on a wide range of human rights issues worldwide, review country situations, and adopt outcomes from the Universal Periodic Review of 13 States. → Follow deliberation online via UN Web TV

Contributions to the global environmental agenda in this session will include:

  • The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is the usual main environmental theme of the Council’s March sessions, as UN Special Rapporteur on the right to a healthy environment, Astrid Puentes Riaño, presents her report in an interactive dialogue with the Council on “Priority actions towards breathing clean air, protecting public health and ensuring a healthy environment” (A/HRC/61/47). The 2026 edition of the Geneva Rights and Environment Talks, taking place at Palais des Nations and online in the margins of the Council, will reflect on the challenges posed by the rapid decline of nature and biodiversity, and on how Geneva contributes towards ensuring the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is upheld for all.
  • A global analytical study (A/HRC/61/36) by the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of a human rights-based approach into the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, in line with the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity, will be presented in this session of the Council.
  • The UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Alexandra Xanthaki, will present her report (A/HRC/61/49) exploring synergies and challenges in ensuring both cultural rights and the conservation of nature at the same time, clarifying how cultural rights – protecting identities, values and ways of life – are important to the field of nature conservation and vice versa.
  • The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, in presenting his report to the Council (A/HRC/61/51), will examine the interlinkages between land and the right to food, with a particular focus on the voices, experiences, and insights of civil society actors working on the ground, including small-scale food producers, Indigenous Peoples, fishers, pastoralists, and youth.
  • The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, will present her final report to the Human Rights Council, “Defending dignity and claiming rights: human rights defenders hold firm to universal values as others desert them” (A/HRC/61/40) that aims to provide a platform for human rights defenders to comment on the state of the international framework designed to protect and support them and to reflect on whether it is meeting that goal.
  • The Advisory Committee is presenting a report on the impact of disinformation on the enjoyment and realization of human rights (A/HRC/61/68) that aims to identify, among others, how human rights are impacted the most by disinformation, including on matters on the environment and climate, how forms of disinformation are considered particularly problematic for human rights, and how some measures to counter disinformation negatively impact human rights’ enjoyment.
  • The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, will present his report introducing the Guiding Principles on Resettlement (A/HRC/61/43), which highlights the need to ensure rights-compliant solutions for resettlement of all displaced and evicted persons, regardless of cause, including through development projects including energy mining and industry projects; world heritage or other cultural heritage protection; environmental degradation, climate change or nature conservation; and natural or human-made disasters.
  • Various resolutions that address the environment are expected to be tabled at this session of the Council, including on the Promotion and protection of human rights and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders.

A letter submitted to States ahead of HRC61 by various civil society organizations from Geneva and beyond underscores the importance of maintaining hybrid participation during informal consultations on resolutions throughout 2026 (HRC61, HRC62 and HRC63). Though hybrid modalities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic enabled greater participation in negotiations, the letter highlights that since early 2024, new barriers to participation have emerged, including fees for using online platforms and for interpretation during side events, cuts to travel support, and growing visa restrictions. The letter calls on States to safeguard and restore hybrid participation as essential to an inclusive, effective, and credible Human Rights Council. → Consult the letter

Events of particular interest this week include:

→ Consult regular updates on key environmental issues at HRC61, side events, and further resources available on our dedicated HRC61 and the environment update.

Consultations and other relevant updates and news include:

World Wildlife Day 2026 to Kick Off in Geneva with a Global Appeal to Safeguard Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

World Wildlife Day (WWD) celebrations will start this week in Geneva, home to multiple international, non-governmental and local associations dedicated to protecting and conserving wildlife. Observed every year on 3 March, WWD aims at raising awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. This date also marks the day of the adoption of CITES in Washington, D.C. in 1973, which plays an important role in ensuring that international trade does not threaten the survival of species listed in the CITES Appendices. The theme for 2026 is “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods,” shining a spotlight on the extraordinary plants that have supported human well‑being for centuries. The conservation and sustainable trade of medicinal and aromatic plants also directly support the achievement of several targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Over 20 per cent of plant species used globally for medicinal and aromatic purposes are considered to be threatened with extinction on the IUCN Red List, mainly due to overharvesting, habitat loss, climate change and unregulated or illegal international trade. → Learn more in our dedicated update

In Geneva, celebrations will kick off this week-end with various events:

  • World Wildlife Day 2026: Face to face with botany | 28 February 2026, 14:00 – 17:00 CET | Geneva Botanical Conservatory and Garden (Mediation area)
    Join Yves Lottaz, aromatist, and the mediation team to test your sense of smell. The goal? Identify seven natural extracts—bark, spices, or seeds—and discover the plants they come from. As you explore the bottles, you will learn to recognize the molecules that define a plant’s identity and discover how these plants are represented in the Botanical Garden collections. Between scientific research, herbarium sheets, and the art of perfumery, this workshop, open to all, explores the close ties we have with the world’s plant heritage.
  • World Wildlife Day 2026: Preserving medicinal and aromatic plants by protecting tropical forests | 28 February 2026, from 14:00 (waiting list) or from 15:30 CET | Geneva Botanical Conservatory and Garden (Herbarium)
    Discover some rare species used for medicinal or aromatic purposes from Geneva Botanic Garden living plant and herbarium collections, listed in the CITES appendices. Join the Jardin Botanique scientists to find out how their Brazilian, Madagascan, and South African colleagues are fighting to protect the habitats of these species and learn about their projects in the field through a short message.

Next week, the CITES Secretariat, Geneva Environment Network, together with numerous partners, will convene two key events on the actual World Wildlife Day on 3 March 2026:

Updates on Minerals and Metals

The minerals and metals agenda moved into the spotlight this month, with governments and international bodies sharpening their focus on sustainability and responsible sourcing.

  • Early in the month, the last session under the Geneva Dialogues on Mineral and Metal Resources underscored growing global concern over the ecological risks of deep‑sea mining. At this latest dialogue, the International Seabed Authority Secretary-General stressed that 2026 will be a defining year to complete rules and regulations, finalizing the mining code and the protection of this unique environment. → Review highlights, summary and video
  • The Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington on 4 February celebrated the launch of the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE) as a successor to the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) to address ongoing challenges in the global critical minerals marketplace, as well as other action plans.
  • It was announced on 10 February that, on the sidelines of Angola’s participation in Mining Indaba 2026, the country officially became the 86th member of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), reinforcing its commitment to a responsible, transparent, and sustainable mining industry.
  • The UNEP Annual Report 2025, released on 11 February earlier, underscored how UNEP is working across the minerals sector to protect communities from pollution, curtail waste and promote responsibility, highlighting that in a new study, the International Resource Panel called for dramatic changes to how the world finances and governs the use of energy transition minerals. Many mining operations produce tailings, the waste left over after minerals are extracted from ore. Last year, UNEP and partners came together to launch the Global Tailings Management Institute, an independent body designed to ensure mining companies safely manage these often-toxic materials. The institute will oversee how firms handle tailings based on a standard co-developed by UNEP. For some minerals, much of the extraction is done at small-scale and artisanal mines, especially for gold. The UNEP-led planetGOLD programme, which aims to improve production practices and working conditions at these smaller mines, expanded to 26 countries. It has supported more than 13,700 miners and helped prevent the release of nearly 38 tonnes of mercury, a highly toxic substance often used in smaller mines.
  • UNEP and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) announced on 11 February a partnership to strengthen transparency and environmental performance in the mining sector. The collaboration focuses on sharing expertise on responsible mining topics, including voluntary sustainability standards, multi-stakeholder governance models and the verification of standards claims. → Read more in UNEP Press Release and in the IISD SDG Knowledge Lab dedicated article
  • Last week, global energy leaders met in Paris for the International Energy Agency’s Ministerial Meeting, affirming the IEA’s central role in international cooperation to address the major energy challenges and opportunities facing the world, including securing sustainable energy. In a special declaration, Ministers endorsed an expanded phase of cooperation under the IEA Critical Minerals Security Programme, strengthening collective action to address rising risks to global critical mineral supply chains.
  • The State of Global Environmental Governance 2025 released by IISD on 19 February, concludes at looking to 2026, highlighting that critical minerals will be on the frontlines of geopolitical rivalry this year. Demand for critical minerals is set to almost triple by 2030. China has emerged as the global leader in renewables, with in the first 6 months of 2025, investments in the metals and mining sector through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) surpassing the full year of 2024. China’s BRI spreads across some 150 countries in all of the world’s regions. China is also the leading refiner of 19 out of 20 critical minerals, with an average market share of 70%. The report also flags continued uncertainty over deep-sea mining regulation, referring to the ISA Council’s challenge of balancing urgency and environmental caution as “monumental.”
  • UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan concluded a week-long mission to Africa, highlighting the continent’s industrial potential, critical minerals opportunity, and the need for sustained policy action.
  • Drawing on more than two years of research, including 2024 fieldwork in South Kivu and follow‑up work in early 2025, the report “Feeding the furnace: Tracing opaque gold supply chains and deals in Central Africa” released last month by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, shows that opaque gold supply chains remain tightly linked to conflict, human rights abuses, and environmental damage.
  • A new paper — authored by Kiran Pereira, Felix Barbour and others and published last week in the Ecology and Society Journal — presents a global review of solutions for transforming how sand is used in the built environment. → Stockholm Resilience Center Press Release
  • UNEP/GRID-Geneva released two new sand-focused technical reports on 20 February. The guideline for estimating national sand and gravel demand presents the methodology developed from pilot studies in Vietnam and The Gambia to estimate national infrastructure material demand to strengthen sustainable resource planning. The sand and gravel demand in The Gambia aims to address the current knowledge and data gap in national sand demand and use of developing countries by applying a pilot methodology to quantitatively assess sand demand and extraction patterns. → Sand dedicated page on UNEP/GRID-Geneva website

In the upcoming weeks, the Geneva Environment Network and its partners will organize various sessions in the framework of the Geneva Dialogues on Mineral and Metal Resources, including on Sand:

Spotlight on the Olympic Games Environmental Performance

The 2026 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina which concluded on Sunday, were at the center of debates about the environmental footprint of mega‑events in fragile alpine ecosystems. The Olympic Committee had emphasized that the use of existing venues (85%) along with low-carbon transport, more responsible snowmaking and circular economy solutions, were central steps to reduce the Games’ environmental impact and supporting long-term benefits for host communities. Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, the Organizing Committee for the Winter Games, was also subject to a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), a process designed to evaluate the environmental implications of major plans and programmes before they are implemented. During the organizational phase, a series of measures targeted reducing the carbon footprint, circularity and social responsibility, supported by the Now26 engagement project developed with AWorld and the International Olympic Committee, to highlight sustainability and legacy initiatives. Despite these commitments, independent observers and environmental groups argue that the Games posed significant ecological risks. Reactions included:

  • A few weeks before the opening of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the civic network Open Olympics 2026 – coordinated by Libera and twenty partner NGOs, including Mountain Wilderness Italy – released its third monitoring report (available only in Italian). The document examines what is accessible through official channels, with a central focus on the gaps, omissions, and inconsistencies that the authors call the “non-data”, including on the environmental impact. Open Olympics 2026 emphasized that its work will not end with the closing ceremony. With 57% of the works scheduled for completion after the Games, long‑term oversight will be essential. The network has also begun collaborating with French civil society organizations in anticipation of the 2030 Winter Olympics, aiming to share tools, methodologies, and lessons learned.
  • On 7 February 2026, protesters demonstrated in Milan against the environmental impact of the Games, highlighting concerns about the destruction of natural landscapes and the overall ecological footprint. → Read more in the Business and Human Rights article “Italy: Protesters demonstrate over environmental and social impact of Winter Olympics“
  • WWF alerted on 8 February that the 2026 Winter Olympics were taking place in a landscape already transformed by the climate crisis, “yet political and economic leaders continue to avert their eyes – choosing to sidestep the science and ignore what is unfolding in real time across the Alps.” → Read more in WWF News article “Olympics on little or fake snow – a global event running out of winter“
  • Greenpeace called through an an open letter last week on the International Olympic Committee to end all current and future sponsorship and partnership agreements with oil and gas corporations for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. As the Olympic movement has previously shown leadership by banning tobacco advertising, the organization argued that “choosing integrity over greenwashing would send a powerful signal far beyond sport.” → Read more in Greenpeace news article “Will the International Olympic Committee stand with athletes or Big Oil?”
  • A doctoral student in political science at the Université de Montréal reviewed the measures implemented by the organizing committee to encourage spectators to adopt more eco-responsible behaviours and concluded that “while environmental initiatives for the 2026 Olympics represent an encouraging first step compared to those of previous Winter Games, they are still insufficient in number and ambition.” → Read more in The Conversation article “The Milano Cortina Olympics: how to manage crowds in an eco-friendly way“.
  • Two articles on Beyond the Olympic Rings published in the environmental blog GreenMarked highlight the “endless construction sites, deforested woods, water diverted from the land, and spiraling costs” as well as the “social tensions and contested legacies”. → Read more in Beyond the Olympic Rings – The Alpine Challenge and Beyond the Olympic Rings – The Cost of Sustainability.
  • The World Economic Forum report Sports for People and Planet released in January 2026 warns that the climate crisis is rapidly shrinking the number of countries capable of safely and reliably hosting future Winter Games. Its analysis shows that, due to declining snowfall and increasingly unstable winter conditions, only about ten countries are expected to remain suitable hosts for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics by 2040.
  • A new study by the University of Lausanne released this month stresses that the carbon footprint of the Olympic Games remains substantial, despite reforms by the International Olympic Committee. The study suggests that “the Olympic model needs further reform to comply with the Paris Agreement and outlines possible courses of action.” → Read more in the Unil article Olympic Games and Climate Action: Time for a Fundamental Shift
  • Concerns on sports equipment made also the news last week. Three athletes have been disqualified from events at the Olympics because of alleged use of ski waxes containing PFAS. A ban on these waxes was announced by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) in 2019 that took effect in 2023. These were the first Winter Olympics to feature such a prohibition. → Read more in the article published in Chemistry World PFAS waxes found on skis and snowboards lead to three Olympic disqualifications 

On Sunday, the Closing Ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games saw Milano Cortina 2026 pass the baton to French Alps 2030. There are also significant debates underway on the environment impacts of the 2030 Games. A citizens’ coalition has filed a lawsuit to both the Compliance Committee of the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) under the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and France’s administrative court system demanding a public debate on France’s 2030 Winter Olympics, on the ground of environmental risks, high costs, and a lack of consultation. Updates on the lawsuits include:

Happening Abroad

Enjoy Green Activities During the Winter Holidays

As the schools in Geneva are enjoying a week of holidays, we invite you to check our Green Winter in Geneva 2025/2026 update. From self-guided educational outdoor activities to creative online workshops and tips for more environmentally-conscious holidays, learn more about the environment, encounter local wildlife, and explore nature trails for a “green” winter season in the region. Suggestions of activities for this week include:

  • Exhibition – Advancing Human Dignity: The Journey to Universal Human Rights | 23-27 February 2026 | Salle des Pas Perdus, Palais des Nations
    Discover the story behind the world’s most important human rights milestones! Through insightful documents, unique archival treasures, and OHCHR publications, this exhibition recounts how the UN, governments, experts, and civil society worked together to build today’s human rights framework.
  • Special Film Projection « FANON » – World Day of Social Justice | 25 February 2026 | Salle XIV, Palais des Nations
    For its third edition, World Day of Social Justice will be dedicated to the figure and legacy of Frantz Fanon, a revolutionary thinker and psychiatrist whose ideas on decolonization, systemic oppression and social justice remain deeply relevant today. Co-organized by UNRISD and SHAP SHAP, in collaboration with other actors, this day will offer an exclusive screening of the film FANON and will be followed by a roundtable discussion exploring the relevance of Fanon’s idea in the face of contemporary inequalities. 
  • Children’s Cosmetics Workshop: Making Fruity Bath Salts | 25 February 2026 | Espace de quartier Eaux-Vives
    Join this eco-friendly workshop where children can make their own colorful 100% natural, fruit-based bath salts. Just add a handful of these salts in hot bath water for a vitamin-packed clean.
  • Neighborhood café : La Jonction, a vegetable garden neighborhood | 25 February 2026 | Le Nyamuk café-restaurant
    Come join this neighborhood café, organized in collaboration with the Vélodrome vegetable garden collective, that will present the book “Récit potagers”, which tells the story of an encounter between a theatre, farmers, and a social worker.
  • Create your own chocolate bar workshop | 25 February 2026 | La Bonbonnière
    Put your apron on and chef’s hat and join a one-hour behind the scenes look at Geneva’s artisan chocolate factory. You will get an introduction to the history of chocolate, a tasting of the finest pralines and ganaches form the century-old La Bonbonnière chocolate factory, and a hands-on session during which you’ll learning how to create your own bar, step-by-step.
  • Festival Antigel | Until 28 February 2026 | Various locations
    Since 2011, Antigel has turned Geneva into a bold playground for cultural and artistic exploration. Blending emerging and iconic artists with unexpected venues, the festival celebrates the diversity of the Canton of Geneva. More than a festival, Antigel is weeks of artistic, sporting, and community experiences, driven by innovation and the belief that culture can spark societal change. 
  • Glacier(s) | Until 4 March 2026 | Ecolint Centre des Arts
    This exhibition brings together the works of Bernard Garo and Jacques Pugin around their shared fascination with and concern for landscapes, mountains and glaciers: their beauty, and their inevitable transformation under climate change and human impact. The exhibition explores their artistic worlds and ways of seeing, while creating a space for awareness and critical reflection. Alongside this, works by the young artist Albatros will be presented. 
  • Libre comme le Rhône – de Robert Hainard | Until 29 March 2026 | Quartier Libre
    The exhibition invites visitors to travel back in time along the river, from the last wild landscapes before the major developments of the Rhône to the major energy decisions taken during the 20th century, right up to the emergence of environmental awareness.
  • Exhibition “Quel froid!” | Until 30 August 2026 | Maison Tavel
    Explores the theme of winter in Geneva and beyond, bringing together traditions, artists’ perspectives, and visual archives. Visitors are guided through popular practices, urban scenes, and majestic landscapes, from Lake Geneva to the Alps.
  • Jamais la nature ne nous trompe | Until 23 December 2026 | Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques
    Come and discover a scientific and aesthetic object that bears witness to Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s passion for nature and botany: one of his rare portable herbariums, designed to deepen knowledge of plants and awaken an interest in botany.

What (Else) to Read Next?

  • Air quality monitoring for enhanced understanding of health impacts and beyond | WHO | 20 February 2026
    Highlighting the importance of monitoring air quality data to assess its health impacts, this technical brief summarizes the different types of air quality data that can be used to assess health impacts, barriers and enablers to using this data and the different stakeholders and sectors that contribute to monitoring the health impacts of air pollution.
  • State of Global Environmental Governance 2025 | IISD | 19 February 2026
    With growing geopolitical tension and unprecedented challenges to multilateralism, 2025 saw both setbacks and wins in global environmental negotiations. While shared action on climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution is not moving at the speed and scale required, some advances are cause for hope.
  • Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity advance key implementation enablers ahead of a decisive COP 17 in October | UN Biodiversity – CBD | 19 February 2026
    The sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-6) concluded in Rome, with broad agreement among the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) around key enablers to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). First milestone in a marathon year of biodiversity negotiations reached.
  • Reimagining the Agreement on Agriculture | Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder | IISD Knowledge Hub | 18 February 2026
    Rather than proposing piecemeal adjustments to current agricultural trade rules, the Agreement on Agriculture Reimagined project puts forward a comprehensive set of principles and disciplines, articulated in a model multilateral treaty to govern international trade in food and agriculture in support of sustainable food systems.
  • E-waste Statistics Guidelines Third Edition 2026 | UNITAR– SCYCLE | 18 February 2026
    This third edition of E-waste Statistics: Guidelines on classifications, reporting and indicators has been released to support national statistical offices, other government agencies, and wider stakeholders in producing robust and internationally comparable statistics on e-waste.
  • Procès climatique contre TotalEnergies : une audience décisive sur le fond | Notre Affaire à Tous | 18 February 2026
    A coalition of advocacy groups (Notre Affaire à Tous, Sherpa, France Nature Environnement) and the City of Paris have asked the courts to require TotalEnergies to drastically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by cutting its hydrocarbon production, to comply with the Paris Agreement target. A hearing took place on 19-20 February at the Paris Court of Justice.
  • Jordan joins the UN Water Convention as water scarcity and climate pressures intensify | UNECE | 17 February 2026
    Jordan has acceded to the 1992 United Nations Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (UN Water Convention), in a move aimed at strengthening cooperation over shared water resources in one of the world’s most water-scarce regions. Jordan is the 59th Party to the UN Water Convention, joining 18 states from Africa, Asia and Latin America to have joined this treaty in the last 10 years.
  • ISO 14092:2026: Climate change adaptation — Requirements and guidance on adaptation planning for local governments and communities | ISO | 17 February 2026
    The standard provides practical, context-specific guidance to help local governments and communities on the front line of these challenges plan and act effectively. It offers a step-by-step framework to help local governments and communities design, implement, monitor and continually improve adaptation plans.
  • What we need to See in the Roadmap to Transition Away from Fossil Fuels | Climate Home News | 17 February 2026
    Swiss lead negotiator H.E. Amb. Felix Wertli sets out six key elements to shift from commitment to credibility. “If designed well, the roadmap can become an enabling instrument, which can support planning and investment and build on the momentum we see in the real economy. It can be one that helps countries to develop credible national transition pathways and send political signals. At a moment when trust in multilateral processes is fragile, it can also demonstrate that pragmatic, inclusive cooperation remains possible. It is not about additional obligations, but about gaining the clarity, support and policy space needed to deliver a just and sustainable transition.”
  • From words to action: Governments must use the UN tax talks to deliver fair global tax rules and climate finance | Greenpeace | 16 February 2026
    As the fourth round of UN Tax Convention negotiations concluded on Friday, governments face a defining choice: seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform global tax rules so they work for people and planet – or retreat to defending systems that are failing to deliver fairness, justice and adequate revenues for combating the most pressing challenges of today.
  • Scientists and Experts Call for International Maritime Law to Recognize Plastic Pellets as Hazardous to the Marine Environment | IPEN | 16 February 2026
    Following several large-scale spills, an international group of experts is calling for IMO to recognize the hazards that plastic pellets (‘nurdles’) pose to the marine environment and to implement improved prevention and mitigation measures, warning that current rules fail to protect the marine environment from these pollutants.
  • Three ways to green the humanitarian reset | The New Humanitarian | 16 February 2026
    With climate impacts rising, the UN and many in the wider aid system have called for strong measures to reduce global warming and lessen the impacts of environmental disasters. But humanitarians have been less forthcoming when faced with turning moral leadership into demonstrating decarbonizing themselves.
  • Microplastics have reached Antarctica’s only native insect | Science Daily | 16 February 2026
    Scientists have discovered that Belgica antarctica — a tiny, rice-sized midge and the southernmost insect on Earth — is already ingesting microplastics in the wild. While lab tests showed the hardy larvae can survive short-term exposure without obvious harm, those exposed to higher plastic levels had reduced fat reserves, hinting at hidden energy costs.
  • How trade data is reshaping the fight against plastic pollution | UNCTAD | 13 February 2026
    Until recently, trade data played only a limited role in plastic pollution debates, limiting policymakers’ ability to respond to an issue of global concern. But that’s changing with the plastics trade database of UN Trade and Development. It tracks, for the first time, plastics moving across borders using customs data reported by nearly 200 economies, covering the full range from raw materials to finished products and packaging.
  • Working With Indigenous Knowledge Holders to Advance Equitable and Inclusive Nature and Climate Initiatives | IISD | February 2026
    This brief explores principles and actions for working with Indigenous Knowledge Holders to advance climate and nature initiatives using Indigenous science in collaborative and equitable ways.

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23 Aug 2026

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