The UN Environment Assembly took place online on the 22nd-23rd with Lake Baikal Foundation participation. All events were held online due to the pandemic restrictions. The President of the UN Environment Programme and Minister of Climate and the Environment of Norway Sveinung Rotevatn mentioned that more than 12 thousand people joined the event.
UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres addressed the participants of the UN Environment Assembly: «To a large extent the viability of humanity on this planet depends on your efforts».
In the short speeches various groups of the stakeholders (subject ministers, representatives of the European Union and major groups) shared the information on the implemented initiatives, dedicated to climate change, national heritage preservation. Each delegate expressed willingness to commit to their obligations in order to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The speakers appealed to take pandemic as the possibility for resource mobilization. It will help to search for the green alternatives and models of sustainable development for all countries in the process of global recovery.
The President of the UN Environment Programme and Minister of Climate and the Environment of Norway Sveinung Rotevatn said: «We will work together to identify steps that will help us cope with climate change, protect biodiversity and reduce pollution at the same time».
The annual UN Environment Assembly is a strategic instrument, which is essential in order to prepare global guidance on environmental issues and suggestions for consistent solutions. Moreover, the Assembly aims at drawing attention of the political leaders to biodiversity preservation and plastic pollution reduction. The delegates’ ideas are related to scaling up the systemic investments on environment protection, advancing national regulations and encouragement of the information transparency on environmental topics.
Anastasia Tsvetkova, CEO of Lake Baikal Foundation, noted: «We look forward to a practice-oriented dialogue with various groups of stakeholders of the Assembly and next year we plan to prepare a report from the Foundation on the role of environmental NGOs in promoting the UN Environment agenda at the regional level, which we will work on during the year».