Conference primer: Environment: 2023 Quarters 3 & 4

Summary
This synthesis report on the technical dialogue of the first global stocktake is based on inputs received throughout the process and discussions held during each of the three meetings of the technical dialogue and serves as an overarching and factual resource that provides a comprehensive overview of discussions held during the technical dialogue, identifying key areas for further action to bridge gaps and addressing challenges and barriers in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. It provides an assessment of the collective progress towards achieving the purpose and long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and
informs Parties about potential areas for updating and enhancing their action and support, as well as for enhancing international cooperation for climate action.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), together with partners spanning the UN, governments, business, and civil society, will convene the Green Digital Action track at COP28 to step up digital-technology-driven climate action.

Decision 15/15:
19. Recognizes the urgency to increase international biodiversity finance and to establish a dedicated and accessible fund in 2023 for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework that can quickly mobilize and disburse new and additional resources from all sources, commensurate with the ambition of the Framework;
20. Requests the Global Environment Facility to establish, in 2023, and until 2030 unless the Conference of the Parties decides otherwise, a special trust fund to support the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, to complement existing support and scale up financing to ensure its timely implementation, taking into account the need for adequacy, predictability, and timely flow of funds;

At the half-time point of the 2030 Agenda, the science is clear – the planet is far off track from meeting its climate goals. This undermines global efforts to tackle hunger, poverty and ill-health, improve access to clean water and energy and many other aspects of sustainable development, according to a new multi-agency report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

It highlights past achievements, present progress and future potential - from the late 19th century telegraphs and shipping forecasts to supercomputers and space technology. The anniversary also serves as a reminder of our changing climate.

Plastics are used extensively in farming, from plastic coated seeds to mulch film. They also make their way into biosolid fertilizer which is spread on fields. All these products have helped increase crop yields, but there is increasing evidence that degraded plastics are contaminating the soil and impacting biodiversity and soil health. This can lead to reduced productivity and could threaten long-term food security. As a finite resource which is under pressure, agricultural soil needs to be safeguarded from further degradation. Steps are being taken to improve the production and management of agricultural products containing plastics but there is also a need to look at a more holistic approach to food production, including nature-based solutions.

As of December 2022, there have been 2,180 climate-related cases filed in 65 jurisdictions, including international and regional courts, tribunals, quasi-judicial bodies, or other adjudicatory bodies, such as Special Procedures at the United Nations and arbitration tribunals. This represents a steady increase from 884 cases in 2017 and 1,550 cases in 2020. Children and youth, women’s groups, local communities, and Indigenous Peoples, among others, are taking a prominent role in bringing these cases and driving climate change governance reform in more and more countries around the world. This report, which updates previous United Nations Environment Programme reports published in 2017 and 2020, provides an overview of the current state of climate change litigation and an update on global climate change litigation trends. It provides judges, lawyers, advocates, policymakers, researchers, environmental defenders, climate activists, human rights activists (including women’s rights activists), NGOs, businesses and the international community at large with an essential resource to understand the current state of global climate litigation, including descriptions of the key issues that courts have faced in the course of climate change cases. This report further demonstrates the importance of an environmental rule of law in combating the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Access to justice enables the protection of environmental law and human rights and promotes accountability in public institutions. The report was launched in conjunction with the anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s recognition of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (A/RES/76/300), as the majority of cases brought before the courts demonstrate concrete links between human rights and climate change. The UNGA resolution, which recognises that climate change impacts have negative implications on the enjoyment of all human rights, is likely to drive further action on climate change in the future.

Between April and September 2023, there will be two-day intergovernmental regional consultations dedicated to stocktaking of existing activities and actions in the public and private sectors to enhance the environmental sustainability of minerals and metals, including based on the outcomes of the implementation of the UNEA-4/19 resolution on mineral resource governance.

Following the regional consultations, a 2 day in-person global consultation will be held on 7th and 8th September 2023 in Geneva which will highlight the key findings of the regional consultations and provide an opportunity to gather additional feedback to potentially inform a co-chairs’ summary of outcomes. Participants will also be able to provide written input to the consultations prior to and after the consultations.

The detailed agenda of the two-day regional intergovernmental consultations and global intergovernmental meeting will be determined in due course in consultation with the co-chairs. Invitations will be sent out at least one month prior to the consultations.

It will include specific discussions, exchange of experiences, recommendations and presentations on country policies and actions that design and build resilient energy systems across the UNECE region, taking into account how to manage critical raw materials, developing regional connected energy infrastructure, accelerating energy efficiency and digitalization, scaling up-renewable energy uptake considering low- and zero carbon technologies interplay.

The Geneva Environment Network (GEN) is a cooperative partnership of more than 100 environmental and sustainable development organizations based at the International Environment House in Geneva and at other locations in the surrounding region. Established in 1999, GEN organizes events and promotes awareness on environmental issues. The Secretariat is supported by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment and is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

On estime que les sites du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO protègent plus de 20 000 espèces menacées à l’échelle mondiale et qu’ils abritent certains des derniers individus de nombreuses espèces emblématiques. Aujourd’hui, jusqu’à un tiers des éléphants, tigres et pandas restants se trouvent dans ces sites, ainsi qu’au moins un grand singe, une girafe, un lion et un rhinocéros sur dix. Pour certaines espèces en danger d'extinction, les sites du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO sont devenus la « dernière ligne de défense ». Ils abritent l'ensemble des rhinocéros de Java, des vaquitas (le plus petit cétacé au monde) et des iguanes roses, ainsi que plus de la moitié des rhinocéros de Sumatra, des orangs-outans de Sumatra et des gorilles des montagnes.

Cependant, la biodiversité dans les sites du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO est menacée par les pressions humaines et le changement climatique. Chaque augmentation de température de 1°C pourrait doubler le nombre d’espèces exposées à des conditions climatiques dangereuses. Il est urgent d'agir pour sauvegarder ces lieux uniques pour les générations futures.

Pour en savoir plus : https://www.unesco.org/en/biodiversity-conservation

As of December 2022, there have been 2,180 climate-related cases filed in 65 jurisdictions, including international and regional courts, tribunals, quasi-judicial bodies, or other adjudicatory bodies, such as Special Procedures at the United Nations and arbitration tribunals. This represents a steady increase from 884 cases in 2017 and 1,550 cases in 2020. Children and youth, women’s groups, local communities, and Indigenous Peoples, among others, are taking a prominent role in bringing these cases and driving climate change governance reform in more and more countries around the world. This report, which updates previous United Nations Environment Programme reports published in 2017 and 2020, provides an overview of the current state of climate change litigation and an update on global climate change litigation trends. It provides judges, lawyers, advocates, policymakers, researchers, environmental defenders, climate activists, human rights activists (including women’s rights activists), NGOs, businesses and the international community at large with an essential resource to understand the current state of global climate litigation, including descriptions of the key issues that courts have faced in the course of climate change cases. This report further demonstrates the importance of an environmental rule of law in combating the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Access to justice enables the protection of environmental law and human rights and promotes accountability in public institutions. The report was launched in conjunction with the anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s recognition of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (A/RES/76/300), as the majority of cases brought before the courts demonstrate concrete links between human rights and climate change. The UNGA resolution, which recognises that climate change impacts have negative implications on the enjoyment of all human rights, is likely to drive further action on climate change in the future. Related publications The Environmental Rule of Law: First Global Report Global Climate Litigation Report: 2020 Status Review The Status of Climate Change Litigation: A Global Review

The latest available data and estimates for 92 environment relevant SDG indicators tell us that the world is not on track to achieve the environmental dimension of the SDGs by 2030. However, there is some positive news. Global data availability increased to 59% in 2022, from 34% in 2018 and 42% in 2020. Although only 38% of the environment-related indicators indicate environmental improvement, this is a solid improvement compared to only 28% in 2020.
These are only glimpses of the Measuring Progress: Water-related ecosystems and the SDGs report that informs on: (a) progress on the 92 environment-related SDG indicators, (b) interlinkages analysis between water-related indicators and other economic and social indicators, and (c) using big data and citizen science data to close the data gap.
This report builds upon insights and lessons learned from the Measuring Progress: Environment and the SDGs, and Measuring Progress: Towards Achieving the Environmental Dimension of the SDGs.