UN Environment Programme must serve to strengthen international cooperation and encourage collective action to address the major environmental challenges of our time : India at 50th session of UNE

What is the News?

The Union Minister of Environment has delivered a national statement on the 50th session of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)  in Nairobi,Kenya.

What is the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP)? 

The United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) was established in 1972 after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in June 1972.

Mandate: To set the environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serve as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

Areas of work: ​​UNEP categorizes its work into seven broad thematic areas: climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem management, environmental governance, chemicals and waste, resource efficiency, and the environment under review.

Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.

What are the key highlights from the Environment Minister’s address at UNEP?

India has been engaging with UNEP since 1972. Now UNEP needs to pay special attention to measures like provision of finance, technology transfer and capacity building. These measures will ensure that the implementation of agreements is not a mere burden for developing countries, but a pathway to a greener and healthier planet.

Plastic Pollution: In 2018, India hosted the World Environment Day on the theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’. This call of India provided the momentum leading to significant action on plastic pollution around the globe culminating in the historic resolution and its adoption.

Sustainable Lifestyle: India believes that sustainable lifestyles underpin the survival of our planet. For this, utilization of resources must be based on ‘Mindful and Deliberate Utilization’ and NOT ‘Mindless and Destructive Consumption’. For instance, the Indian PM gave a call to L.I.F.E. – Lifestyles for Environment at COP26 at Glasgow.

Source: This post is based on the article “UN Environment Programme must serve to strengthen international cooperation and encourage collective action to address the major environmental challenges of our time : India at 50th session of UNEP” published in PIB on 5th Mar 2022.