News

With an estimated 56 per cent of Africa’s urban population living in slums, wastewater management on the continent is a problem that needs urgent attention.

Bali, 29 October 2018 - A Global Commitment to eradicate plastic waste and pollution at the source has been signed by 250 organisations including many of the world’s largest packaging producers, brands, retailers and recyclers, as well as governments and NGOs.

21 - 27 October is International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week - a call to action for individuals, civil society organizations, industry and governments to work together to ban lead paint. Lead poisoning is preventable. Yet lead exposure accounts for 540 000 deaths and 13.9 million years lost to disability and death due to long-term effects on health, with the highest burden on developing regions.

Interview with Merijn Tinga – better known as the Plastic Soup Surfer – who paddles and windsurfs against the tide to draw attention to the problem of plastic pollution and bring about real solutions.

As Miremba enters her classroom in the morning, little does she know that the walls of the one place that should help her secure a better future are, in fact, poisoning it. As she playfully chips the hallway paint before going into class, she exposes herself, and her fellow schoolmates, to the irreversible toxic effects of lead.

From the remote Galápagos Islands to the humid depths of the Amazon forest, governments are cutting back on plastic, citizens are cleaning beaches, and innovators are seeking alternative products as part of a region-wide movement to turn the tide on plastic pollution.

Norway’s capital city Oslo, home to over 670,000 people, is boldly pushing forward with a range of measures to improve air quality for the city’s inhabitants. Oslo is one of 42 cities who take part in Breathe Life, a campaign led by the World Health Organization, UN Environment and the Climate & Clean Air Coalition that inspires cities and individuals to protect our health and planet from the effects of air pollution.

Michael Strasser has just completed an epic journey. He has just set a new world record by cycling 22,642 km from Alaska in the US to Patagonia in southern Argentina in 84 days, 11 hours and 50 minutes.  More importantly, he’s done this to highlight the importance of environmental issues, including wildlife conservation, the dangers of pollution and climate change.

A disturbing UN report on the risks we face if global warming exceeds 1.5°C has focused attention on the drastic environmental action needed to avoid the worst, with the transport sector among those singled out for urgent measures.

The Dominican Republic has one of the most dynamic and diverse manufacturing sectors in the Caribbean, which implies the use of hazardous chemicals. As a Party to the Basel, Stockholm, Rotterdam, and Minamata Conventions the Dominican Republic aims to raise awareness of the dangers and risks of chemicals on human health and the environment and establish guidelines on how to address them.

16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have signed up to the United Nations-led campaign to drastically reduce plastic pollution in the oceans. Guatemala pledged to increase the collection of waste in rivers through innovative plastic-catching bio-fences around the country. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the XXI Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean

Air pollution can have a “huge” negative effect on cognitive intelligence – especially amongst older men – according to a study released this past August.

It’s already billed as one of the world’s most challenging competitions, but this year the organizers of the Volvo Ocean Race added an extra dimension to the gruelling 45,000-nautical mile journey—they pledged to host the most sustainable race ever, drastically reduce their use of plastics and change mindsets around the world.

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says there is still a long way to go if we want to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Our best chance to avoid runaway warming is to act right away to reduce highly potent but short-lived climate pollutants. Fast and immediate action on short-lived climate pollutants can avoid over half a degree of warming by 2050. Bangkok, Monday O

Nairobi, 8 October 2018 – Climate scientists have rung the alarm about the urgent need for drastic environmental action to keep global warming from exceeding 1.5°C.

On 26 September, UN Environment awarded the 2018 Champions and Young Champions of the Earth Awards. Two of the Young Champions, Miranda Wang and Miao Wang, are intervening to prevent marine plastic pollution at different points. Miranda has invented a way of turning unrecyclable plastic waste into chemicals to build new materials. She focuses on removing plastic from waste before it even reaches the ocean.

UN Environment and partners are working with businesses to highlight the benefits of biodiversity-sensitive best practices in the mining sector. Poorly managed mining operations can pollute the environment and damage the biodiversity that underpins economies, provides food, fuel, building materials and freshwater, and helps to mitigate the impacts of climate change and natural disasters.

Ella – a vibrant and playful Londoner who loved gymnastics, swimming and football – was just nine years old when she died. For the first six years of her life, Ella was the picture of health. Everything changed after she picked up a bad chest infection in October 2010.

New research from C40 Cities, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy and the New Climate Institute shows that climate action, such as doubling bus network coverage and frequency in cities, could prevent the premature deaths of over one million people per year from air pollution and traffic accidents.

UN Environment conducts a five-day training workshop for 26 national experts from Iraq’s ministries of environment and oil. Workshop strengthens national capacity to assess and clean-up oil-contaminated sites from the conflict in Iraq. Joint team of trained staff to carry out field-survey of oil contaminated sites after which UN Environment will review survey findings and provide guidance on site prioritization process.

Emmanuel Macron, President of France and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, are recognized in the Policy Leadership category for their pioneering work in championing the International Solar Alliance and promoting new areas of levels of cooperation on environmental action, including Macron’s work on the Global Pact for the Environment and Modi’s unprecedented pledge to eliminate all single-use plastic in India by 2022.

To launch the UN Environment's Global Plastics Platform, UN Environment and the European Commission hosted an event alongside the UN General Assembly. The network will encourage new commitments to reduce plastic pollution and,supporting the transition to a more circular economy. New York, 25 September, 2018 – To build on the growing momentum around the plastics agenda, UN Environment and the European

UN Environment and Boston College established a new research partnership to focus on reducing sources of pollution that kill 9 million people each year. Pollution is linked to a myriad of diseases, injuries, and risk factors, including asthma, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. New York, 24 September 2018 – To provide decision-makers and development practitioners with real data on the comparative mag

Shady Rabab is the Young Champion of the Earth for Africa. The Young Champions of the Earth Prize is powered by Covestro. Rabab is Founder of Rabab Luxor Art Collective, and Co-Founder of the Malakout music band.

Every year on or around 22 September, cities across the globe celebrate World Car-Free Day, encouraging motorists to give up their cars for a day. The event highlights the numerous benefits of going car-free to citizens—including reduced air pollution and the promotion of walking and cycling in a safer environment.