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Newsletter 24 Feb 2025

Environment: What’s Up in GENeva | 24 February – 2 March 2025

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

Image of the week | In preparation for the 7th edition of the FIFDH Impact Days, taking place from 9 to 11 March 2025, a collaboration workshop for non-governmental and international organizations was held on 17 February 2025 to provide an opportunity for exchange on this year’s selected films and projects and on possible synergies and collaborations. One of the selected films, “Yurlu | Country“, was featured in the Geneva Toxic Free Talks 2024 on Asbestos Impacts on Indigenous Australians.

Environment @ 58th session of the Human Rights Council

The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC58), starts this week in Geneva with its high-level segment (24 to 26 February 2025) with more than 125 dignitaries. HRC58 will consider various topics related to the environment over six weeks of deliberations. Contributions to the global environmental agenda will include:

  • The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Astrid Puentes, will present her report to the Human Rights Council in an interactive dialogue her report that considers the relationship between the ocean and human rights and why ocean issues are human rights issues. The second edition of the Geneva Rights and Environment Talks, taking place at Palais des Nations and online from 13 to 17 March 2025, 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.
  • The UN Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt, Attiya Waris, will present her report that aims to understand the landscape of climate finance, debt, tax and illicit financial flows and human rights, taking stock of ongoing global discussions on climate finance through a human rights lens.
  • The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, will dedicate his next report to the Council providing a way to develop national right-to-food action plans within existing budgets that can transform food systems and progressively realize the right to food, especially in light of ongoing global crises, including the devastating effects of climate change on food systems.
  • The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, will focus her next thematic report to the Council on the situation of human rights defenders working in isolated, remote and rural contexts who, because of their geographic isolation, experience particular difficulties.
  • The Human Rights Council is also expected to appoint members of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at this session.
  • Various environment-related resolutions are expected to be consulted and negotiated at this session, including resolutions on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, on human rights defenders, as well as the renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food.

Events of particular interest this week include:

→ Consult regular updates on key environmental issues at HRC58, side events, and further resources available on our dedicated HRC58 and the environment update.

Update on Plastics Treaty Negotiations | State of Play and Priorities for an Ambitious Outcome

Discussions on the venue and dates for the resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5.2) continue behind closed doors of the INC Bureau meetings, where its last session took place on 20 February. Although no final decision has been taken, INC-5.2 could convene in Geneva this summer.

This week, the Geneva Beat Plastic Pollution Dialogues will resume with a session aiming to review and update on where the process stands, and priorities and key challenges for ongoing efforts to forge convergence. This event will be an opportunity to review the state of play and key priorities for an ambitious and effective treaty text. The dialogue aims to highlight what the negotiations must focus on, as well as thoughts on key challenges and how to address them. → Register and join on Webex on Thursday 27 February 2025 from 14:00 to 15:30 CET and submit questions to be addressed during the event.

Member States and stakeholders continue to discuss the treaty and the negotiation process. In the past weeks, civil society organizations and major groups and stakeholders have been actively calling Bureau members to address the issue of effective participation: Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance (APPA) (20 February 2025), GAIA (19 February 2025), ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (19 February 2025), International Alliance of Waste Pickers (19 February 2025), Women’s Major Group to UNEP (17 February 2025), Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, Society of Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples and Their Communities Major Group to the UNEP Major Group Facilitating Committee (14 February 2025), Abya Yala network for the reduction of plastic production with binding global goals (13 February 2025), Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (11 February 2025), and International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) (17 January 2025). On this matter, a response from the INC Chair to the letter from IPEN was issued on 24 January 2025.

Recent publications on plastic pollution include:

  • Ocean Conservancy’s Plastics Policy 101 report | Ocean Conservancy | February 2025
    The report offers a primer on the plastic pollution crisis, and key policy solutions that can be implemented at the state and federal and state level in the United States to combat it. The current plastic pollution crisis cannot be addressed through consumer change alone and years of voluntary commitments and initiatives from the private sector have not met the scale of change needed.

Kicking Off World Wildlife Day Celebrations

World Wildlife Day celebrations kick off this week in Geneva, where the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and other organizations working to protect and conserve wildlife are hosted. Observed every year on 3 March, the day 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 2025 is “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet“, while this year’s also marks the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention.

Activities are already taking place this week, while the high-level event will convene on Monday 3 March 2025 from 10:00 to 12:00 CET at Palais des Nations, Room XXI. These include:

  • CITES Flags on Pont du Mont-Blanc | From 24 February to 2 March 2025, CITES flags will be lined up on the Pont du Mont-Blanc to celebrate World Wildlife Day and the 50th anniversary of CITES entry into force.
  • World Wildlife Day: The extinct plants of our herbarium | Plant conservation is essential to combat climate change, support biodiversity, maintain ecosystems and preserve natural resources for future generations. Since 1750, some 600 plants have disappeared forever due to the destruction of their natural environment. Some of them lie in the Conservatory and Botanical Garden Geneva herbarium, silent witnesses to a tragic story that places humanity at the heart of the sixth mass extinction. → Join on Saturday 1 March the 45-minute visits in French (13:30 – 14:15 CET); English (14:30-15:15) and Spanish (15:30 – 16:15). The visit will be introduced by CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero and the CJBG Director Nicola Schoenenberger’s opening remarks.
  • Launch of Exhibition | CITES Entry into Force 50th Anniversary

→ Consult our World Wildlife Day dedicated page.

From Cali to Rome | Resumed Sessions of the UN Biodiversity Conference

The first part of the last UN Biodiversity Conference that took place in Cali, referred to in the media as the “People’s COP”, was a pivotal moment in raising the profile of biodiversity with a record participation of numerous Heads of States and Ministers and Vice Ministers, and international organizations leaders. Before the conference was suspended due to lack of quorum, it achieved groundbreaking agreements on global biodiversity protections and implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Governments agreed to establish the pioneering “Cali Fund” for industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and agriculture — those benefiting from Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on genetic resources — to share benefits with developing countries, indigenous peoples, and local communities. The conference also agreed upon an expanded role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in biodiversity decision-making, establishing a subsidiary body on Article 8(j) and related provisions of the Convention, and a decision on the role of people of African descent in the implementation of the Convention. Other significant agreements included decisions on health and biodiversity, invasive alien species, risk assessment of genetically modified organisms (e.g., mosquitoes), and guidance on ecologically and biologically significant marine areas beyond national jurisdictions.  → CBD Press Release (27 November 2024)

This week, the resumed sessions of the UN Biodiversity Conference, including the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol and the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol, will convene at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy, from 25 to 27 February 2025. The resumed sessions will address agenda items left unresolved following the suspension of the meeting due to loss of quorum in the early hours of 2 November 2024. → Follow the IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin live coverage

Key issues for the resumed discussions will include:

Ahead of the resumed sessions of CBD COP16, IUCN calls for constructive negotiations focused on strengthening the monitoring framework of the KMGBF, enhancing accountability in biodiversity monitoring and reporting, mobilising resources for biodiversity conservation and enhancing international cooperation. Among the documents released by stakeholders in preparation of the resumed sessions, the International Climate Politics Hub released a briefing on 14 February.

Sixty-second Session of the IPCC Plenary | Shaping the Scope and Outcomes of AR7

The Sixty-second Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Plenary Session (IPCC-62) taking place from 24 to 28 February 2025 in Hangzhou, China, will consider the draft outlines of the three Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) and the draft outline of the Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage, and the respective timelines and budgets for these reports. In addition, delegates attending the session will be updated on the broad draft outline of the AR7 Synthesis Report. As highlighted by IPCC Chair Jim Skea, “This is a pivotal session for the delivery of the IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Report.” → Learn more in IPCC press release and follow the IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin live coverage.

The IPCC Plenary session has been making the news:

  • In a recent letter, Civil Society Groups urged the IPCC to reassess its approach for the AR7 cycle, particularly with regard to equity, modelling, and mitigation pathways. The letter affirms that “climate scenarios used in AR6 failed to address the critical principle of equity by ignoring historical responsibility in distributing the mitigation burden, perpetuating gross energy and emissions inequalities, and permitting a continued unjust appropriation of the remaining carbon budget. These models portray inequitable futures, failing to address interconnected crises like hunger, poverty, and biodiversity loss.” CSOs request AR7 to prioritize an urgent, equitable and rapid fossil fuel phase-out, as part of a just transition; the protection and restoration of global ecosystems by avoiding harmful activities; community-driven solutions that center justice and equity; tackle urgent and interconnected crises of hunger and poverty, address global inequalities in consumption and energy access, while upholding the inherent and collective rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the rights of peasants, fisherfolks and traditional communities.
  • Various news articles announced that Katherine Calvin, NASA’s chief scientist and senior climate adviser, co-chair of IPCC Working Group 3, would not be travelling to China this week. These include:

Preparing the 2025 UN Ocean Conference

The 2025 UN Ocean Conference to be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June 2025, will be held under the theme “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”. Among expected outcomes, the Conference shall adopt, by consensus, a brief, concise, action-oriented and intergovernmentally-agreed declaration, referred to as “Nice Ocean Action Plan”. Consultations and negotiations, facilitated by Cabo Verde and Australia, have been ongoing since last year and resulted in the release of the Zero Draft on 13 December 2024. An additional informal consultation is taking place this week, on Monday 24 February 2025, following the roadmap.

The ocean remains high on the agenda of several Geneva-based organizations. Plastic pollution, overfishing, climate change impacts, marine biodiversity, blue economy and many relevant issues are at the heart of Geneva’s work on ocean governance. In the run-up to the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, various events will take place in Geneva in the coming weeks:

Other recent news include:

  • On 18 February 2025, Minderoo and IUCN announced a breakthrough partnership to redefine global ocean conservation efforts using environmental DNA (eDNA) to determine when species are under threat of extinction. The partnership, which will be launched at the 2025 Australian and New Zealand Environmental DNA Conference in Wellington, marks the first step towards bringing eDNA and the IUCN Red List framework together. Over the next year, leading global scientists will participate in collaborative workshops and Red List species assessments to refine how eDNA can inform monitoring of biodiversity decline and extinction risk.

Upcoming Deadlines Related to the Environment

With the environment high on the agenda of International Geneva and beyond, different international processes, negotiations, and fora regularly call for inputs in preparation for future reports and guidelines, as well as contests. → Find here calls for submissions related to the environment, find here information on ongoing environmental contests, and here calls for submissions from Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council and other human rights bodies and instruments.

  • Fossil fuel-based economy and human rights | The Special Rapporteur on climate change and human rights seeks to synthesize and analyze a varied body of evidence (from across the natural and social sciences, including Indigenous science and other knowledge systems) of the human rights impacts of the fossil fuel-based economy on the basis of a life-cycle approach, and expected impacts of the phase out of fossil fuels and related subsidies. The deadline for submission is 28 February 2025.
  • Water and Energy Nexus | The Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation emphasizes the significant interconnection between water and energy. His upcoming report to the Human Rights Council will investigate how access to energy for various uses impacts the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, especially considering both old and ongoing challenges. The deadline for submission is 28 February 2025.
  • Democratic water governance under a human rights-based approach | In the context of the UN Water Conference 2026, the Special Rapporteur on rights to water and sanitation will focus his 2025 report to the General Assembly on the challenges of water management and governance on the ground, attending the local, sub-regional, and national levels. The Special Rapporteur’s report aims to clarify and develop the necessary measures to advance democratic water governance under a sustainable, human rights-based approach, and at different scales. The deadline for submission is 28 February 2025.
  • The role of mercenaries, mercenary-related actors and private military and/or security companies (PMSCs) in the exploitation of natural resources | Mercenaries, mercenary related actors and PMSCs play complex roles in exploitation and/or protection of natural resources. The Working Group on the use of mercenaries intends to dedicate its next thematic report to the Human Rights Council on the role of mercenaries, mercenary-related actors and PMSCs in the exploitation of natural resources. The deadline for submission is 28 February 2025.
  • Impact of disinformation on the enjoyment and realization of human rights | The upcoming report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee will identify, among others, the human rights are impacted the most by disinformation, forms of disinformation considered particularly problematic for human rights, and how some measures to counter disinformation negatively impact human rights’ enjoyment. The deadline for submission is 28 February 2025.
  • Open Call: Join the Children and Youth Delegation to BRS COPs 2025 | The Chemicals and Waste Youth Platform (CWYP) has opened a call for delegates to represent the youth constituency at the upcoming 2025 Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions Conferences of the Parties (COPs). Interested youth representatives of age 35 or younger are requested to apply by 28 February 2025 for funded registration support.
  • The Ramsar Sites Photo Exhibition at COP15 | A Ramsar Sites photo exhibition will be showcased at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15), taking place from 23 to 31 July 2025 in Victoria Falls – Zimbabwe, celebrating the beauty, biodiversity and importance of Wetlands of International Importance worldwide. Contracting Parties and individual photographers can submit their photos by 28 February 2025.
  • Call for Expressions of Interest | Global Leaders Group on AMR | The Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is soliciting a call for expressions of interest from serving or former ministers, senior government officials or leaders at the regional institutions, foundations, civil society organizations and the private sector across human health, animal health, agri-food sectors, climate and the environment, finance, and industry, acting in their individual capacities; to fill current vacancies. Deadline for applications is on 28 February 2025.
  • ISO Next Generation Award | The Next Generation Award will recognize young professionals from ISO members who are championing sustainability-driven standardization and the value of partnerships to tackle issues from a multi­disciplinary perspective. Applications are open until 28 February 2025.

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 2024/2025 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:

  • Musée a Ciel Ouvert | City of Geneva
    Explore Geneva as an open-air museum with nearly 300 public artworks across the city. Through the interactive web app, discover paintings, sculptures, light installations, videos, and performances integrated into Geneva’s urban landscape.
  • Parades amoureuses des animaux | 25, 26 and 27 February 2025 | Bibliothèque de la Cité
    As part of the “Dialogues insolites” exhibition, we invite children to discover animal courtship. Through albums from our collections, a visit to the exhibition, image research, engraving, music and handicrafts, children will explore all facets of this theme, culminating in a masked parade.
  • Atelier-formation “Apprendre à fabriquer ses cosmétiques naturels” | 26 February 2025 | L’Art du Cosmétique au Naturel
    A fun and educational workshop where children learn to create natural cosmetics like fruity soaps and lip balms using organic ingredients. This hands-on experience raises ecological awareness while letting them take home their handmade creations.
  • Parcours mini-MEG | 26 February 2025 | MEG
    This journey allows children to encounter different ways of thinking about the world, through stories accompanied by sensory experiences, observation, listening and games.
  • À la découverte des martinets | Dialogues Insolites – Petites histoires BioDivertissantes | 1 March 2025 | Bibliothèque de la Cité
    Alice Cibois, head curator of the Natural History Museum’s Research and Collections Unit,  will share her knowledge of the fascinating world of swifts.
  • World Wildlife Day: The extinct plants of our herbarium | 1 March 2025 | Conservatory and Botanical Garden
    Since 1750, some 600 plants have disappeared forever due to the destruction of their natural environment. Some of them lie in the Conservatory and Botanical Garden Geneva herbarium, silent witnesses to a tragic story that places humanity at the heart of the sixth mass extinction. 
  • Des champignons à cultiver | 1 March 2025 | Bibliothèque de la Servette
    Learn how to care for your new friends and leave with your own edible mushroom farm.
  • Festival Antigel | Until 1 March 2025 | Various Locations
    The Antigel Festival transforms Geneva into a cultural and artistic playground, featuring renowned and emerging artists, unique performances in a variety of venues, and a mix of music, dance, sports, and community events.
  • Art et évolution | Until 31 May 2025 | Conservatory and Botanical Garden
    Showcasing artistic interpretations of evolutionary concepts by school groups, the exhibition features their creative works alongside reflections on their learning process. Explore this unique blend of science and art in the passage under Route de Lausanne.

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