By Gillian Faith Achieng and Joel Onyango
The Sixth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), convened in Nairobi, Kenya, emerged as a defining moment in the evolution of global environmental policy, marking significant strides towards addressing the planet's most pressing ecological dilemmas.
This assembly, which brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including UN member states, environmental NGOs, and civil society actors, served as a testament to the world's collective resolve to forge a sustainable future. Among the key outcomes of UNEA-6 was the unanimous acknowledgment of the urgent need for enhanced global cooperation and stronger governance frameworks to combat environmental degradation and climate change, underscoring the critical nature of international solidarity in the pursuit of sustainability. This blog highlights some of the key resolutions from the UNEA-6, their implications for the future of sustainability, and the learnings from the resolutions.
Enacting effective water policies is a critical component of sustainable development. Source Pixabay
Key resolutions and their implications for sustainability
Promoting sustainable lifestyles-resolution UNEP/EA.6/L.11. This resolution embodies a comprehensive approach to steering global consumption and production patterns towards greater sustainability. Recognizing the critical impact of individual and collective choices on the environment, it also advocates for a multifaceted strategy to encourage sustainable lifestyles across the globe. It highlights the importance of education and awareness-raising initiatives to enlighten citizens about the environmental consequences of their daily choices, from diet and waste to transportation and energy use. Furthermore, it calls for developing and implementing supportive policies and frameworks that facilitate adopting sustainable practices, emphasizing the role of innovation and technology in providing sustainable solutions. The resolution highlights the necessity of engaging all sectors of society—including governments, businesses, civil society, and the broader international community—in a collaborative effort to reshape consumer behaviours and demand more sustainable options. By promoting circular economy principles, enhancing resource efficiency, and fostering ethical and environmentally friendly supply chains, UNEP/EA.6/L.11 aims to catalyse a significant shift towards lifestyles that are in harmony with the planet's ecological limits, directly contributing to the achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production.
Air pollution is a major environmental issue that contributes significantly to climate change - picture by Chris Leboutillier, Unsplash
Effective and inclusive solutions for strengthening water policies to achieve sustainable development in the context of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution-UNEP/EA.6/L.16. The resolution presents a forward-thinking approach to addressing the intertwined challenges of water management, climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. It emphasises the need for effective and inclusive solutions to strengthen water policies to ensure sustainable development across global communities. Recognising water as a critical resource that intersects with all aspects of sustainability, the resolution calls for an integrated management approach that encompasses the conservation and restoration of ecosystems, the implementation of green infrastructure, and the enhancement of water quality and availability. It advocates for the engagement of all stakeholders, including indigenous peoples, local communities, and the private sector, in policy-making processes to ensure that solutions are inclusive, equitable, and tailored to diverse needs and contexts. Additionally, the resolution emphasizes the importance of leveraging scientific research, traditional knowledge, and innovative technologies to develop adaptive strategies that can mitigate the impacts of climate change, protect biodiversity, and reduce pollution. UNEP/EA.6/L.16 drives a global movement towards water resilience, highlighting the vital role of water policies in achieving the SDGs, particularly those related to clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), climate action (SDG 13), life below water (SDG 14), and life on land (SDG 15).
Promoting regional cooperation on air pollution to improve air quality globally-UNPE/EA.6/L.13 This resolution signifies a pivotal step towards addressing one of humanity's most pressing environmental health risks. Recognizing air pollution as a transboundary issue that necessitates cross-border solutions, the resolution calls for enhanced regional collaboration and sharing knowledge, technologies, and best practices to mitigate air pollution and its impacts on health, ecosystems, and climate. It encourages member states to strengthen existing frameworks and develop new partnerships to reduce emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases through innovative policy measures, sustainable technologies, and cleaner production processes. Furthermore, it stresses the importance of integrating air quality management into broader national and regional sustainable development strategies, thereby aligning efforts to combat air pollution with climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and pollution reduction goals. The resolution, reflects a growing recognition of the interconnected nature of global environmental challenges and the need for cooperative, multisectoral approaches to ensure a healthier planet and safeguard the well-being of current and future generations.
Strengthening international efforts to combat desertification and land degradation, restore degraded land, promote land conservation and sustainable land management, contribute to land degradation neutrality, and enhance drought resilience -resolution UNEP/EA.6/L.17. Acknowledging the intricate linkages between land degradation, desertification, and broader socio-economic and environmental objectives, the resolution underscores the urgent need for a global concerted effort to restore degraded lands, achieve land degradation neutrality, and strengthen drought resilience. It calls on member states and stakeholders to enhance cooperation and implement integrated land management practices that combat desertification and contribute to biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and the sustainable livelihoods of millions of people dependent on vulnerable ecosystems. The resolution promotes the sharing of knowledge, innovations, and best practices across borders and sectors, emphasizing the role of sustainable land management as a key driver for achieving the SDGs. UNEP/EA.6/L.17 paves the way for transformative actions that secure the health and productivity of land resources, supporting both ecological integrity and human well-being.
Promoting synergies, cooperation, or collaboration for national implementation of multilateral environmental agreements and other relevant environmental instruments-UNEP/EA.6/L.7. The resolution marks a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing global environmental governance through improved alignment and cooperation among the myriad of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and other relevant environmental instruments. This resolution recognizes the complex, interconnected nature of global environmental challenges and the necessity for a coherent, coordinated approach to ensure effective national implementation of commitments. By advocating for increased synergies, cooperation, and collaboration, the resolution seeks to streamline efforts, optimize resource utilization, and avoid duplication of work among international environmental treaties and programs. It highlights the importance of partnership among governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector in sharing knowledge, expertise, and best practices to support countries in fulfilling their environmental obligations, ultimately leading to more resilient and sustainable global ecosystems.
What do we learn from the resolutions?
- Global cooperation is crucial: Addressing global environmental challenges requires collaboration and collective action among various stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, and civil society.
- Sustainable lifestyles are key: Educating and raising awareness among citizens about the environmental consequences of their daily choices is critical in promoting sustainable practices and achieving responsible consumption and production.
- Integrated approaches are necessary: Addressing interconnected challenges such as water management, climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution requires comprehensive and inclusive strategies.
- Collaboration across borders is crucial: Addressing transboundary environmental issues requires collaboration and partnerships between countries to reduce emissions and promote cleaner production processes.
- Policy coherence is essential: Policy coherence and alignment among various environmental instruments are crucial in effective national implementation and achievement of environmental commitments. Cooperation and collaboration among governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector are essential in navigating and addressing complex environmental challenges.
Conclusions
The resolutions adopted at UNEA-6 articulate a clear vision for a sustainable and resilient future, addressing critical issues from promoting sustainable lifestyles and combating air pollution to enhancing drought resilience and fostering collaboration for environmental treaty implementation. These collective decisions stress the urgency of integrated and inclusive action across all sectors and levels of society to confront the environmental crises facing our planet. As such, the overarching call to action from UNEA-6 is for all stakeholders—governments, businesses, civil society, and individuals—to commit to transformative collaboration and implementation of these resolutions. The call emphasises the importance of climate resilience through adaptive and mitigation strategies, highlights the need for environmental sustainability by promoting sustainable consumption, production, and land management practices, and highlights the role of adaptation to climate change by fostering policies that protect water resources and air quality. By focusing on these areas, the call emphasises a multi-faceted approach to sustainable development, environmental protection, and sustainable resource management, thereby exemplifying the essence of building climate-resilient economies.
Further reading on the resolutions
Outcomes of UNEA-6. (n.d.). Environment Assembly. https://www.unep.org/environmentassembly/unea6/outcomes
