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The world is being dredged of its natural resources, with much of what we rely on for our livelihoods at risk from a new threat: environmental crime (UNEP-INTERPOL report, 2016).

Miranda Wang is Young Champion of the Earth for North America. The Young Champions of the Earth Prize is powered by Covestro.

Miao Wang is one of two Young Champions of the Earth for Asia and the Pacific. The Young Champions of the Earth Prize is powered by Covestro.

Marine plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. This fall, UN Environment, together with the animation studio Kurzgesagt, is challenging schools and youth groups worldwide to be part of the solution and join our “Back to School Plastic Challenge”.

Arpit Dhupar is one of two Young Champions of the Earth for Asia and the Pacific. The Young Champions of the Earth Prize is powered by Covestro.

Assigning green number plates to electric and other low-emission vehicles may encourage people to buy and use less polluting cars. The United Kingdom government announced on 9 September 2018 that it is seeking consultations on the introduction of a green-coloured number plate scheme for low-emission vehicles.

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The environment is oftentimes a casualty in conflict. Destruction of natural resources, contamination and land use pressure are all potential conflict consequences. In Central African Republic, the Kolongo landfill was constructed by the Bangui municipality in 2013 to cater for the waste management needs of city residents.

Ben Morison’s epiphany came early one morning as he set out for a swim on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast. The Kenyan tour operator counted 13 pieces of plastic, including bottles and flip flops, as he walked to the sea. With a jolt, he realized how degraded the coastline he loved – and marketed as a dream destination – had become. He had to act.

Lamu, Kenya 15 September 2018 – Amid the rising momentum to beat plastic pollution globally, Kenya will today see the launch of the world’s first 100% recycled marine plastic boat into the Indian Ocean. The project, aptly named the FlipFlopi, used thousands of repurposed flip-flops and ocean plastic collected on beach clean-ups along the Kenyan coast for the construction of the prototype.

The Montreal Protocol, the international treaty that protects the ozone layer, has been also keeping our planet cooler for years: it helped phase out ozone-depleting substances that are also potent warming gases.

During almost two decades, participating countries of the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) have been working closely to tackle the adverse impact of acid deposition and air pollution. In particular, they have been conducting training, research and awareness-raising workshops to strengthen the capacity of the network’s stakeholders.

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Sometimes you can’t even see it, but air pollution is everywhere.

Florida in the United States of America recently declared a state of emergency as a red tide of toxic algae bloomed along its western coastline killing marine animals, disrupting tourism and causing respiratory problems.

Picking up trash is not thought of as fun, let alone cool. Yet, Yassine Zegzouti, a young sustainability expert from Marrakech, Morocco, has found a way to make it trendy. Founder of the environmental non-profit organization Association Mawarid, he is working with UN Environment and the One Planet network on promoting sustainable living in Morrocco.

From food packaging in shops to straws in bars, single-use plastics are so ubiquitous in modern society that they can be hard to avoid while navigating through daily life. As a result, plastic waste is now reaching sites that were either pristine or, if contaminated by other means, untouched by plastic pollution.

  NAIROBI, 30 August 2018 – With more than 150 Scouts and Guides on hand, UK Prime Minister Theresa May today announced her government’s commitment with UN Environment to inspire young people to become leaders in the fight against single-use plastic.

A lot of attention has been drawn recently to microplastics in freshwater and marine environments, and the threat they pose to ecosystems and people’s health.

On 9 December 1921 at a General Motors laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, chemists poured a teaspoonful of a compound called tetraethyl lead into a spasming motor. They were hoping to stop what’s known as ‘knock’ - the wild and potentially engine-destroying vibrations that come from burning low-grade petrol.

Preventing the spread of COVID-19 in a recovering tourism sector does not mean a return to single-use plastic products. Global Tourism Plastics Initiative releases key recommendations for the tourism sector to continue fighting plastic pollution, while maintaining public health and hygiene in the face of the pandemic. Tourism companies such as Accor, Club Med, Iberostar Group and major tourism business associations announ