This side event, held at the 6th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA6), focused on the critical need for enhancing synergistic approaches to addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. These issues are inextricably interlinked and significantly hinder the achievement of global agendas such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals. In order to overcome the triple planetary crisis, synergistic approaches are needed. Against this background, Japan proposed a resolution on promoting synergies, which was adopted at UNEA6. This resolution “promoting synergies, cooperation or collaboration for national implementation of multilateral environmental agreements and other relevant environmental instruments” encourages the implementation of policies and projects which have synergistic effects for both climate change and biodiversity, for example nature-based solutions, when implementing obligations under environmental agreements such as those on climate change and biodiversity. The resolution also encourages the collection and sharing of good practices to support these efforts.
The side event was opened by, Takisawa Motome, State Minister of the Environment, Japan, who referred to this resolution and emphasized the importance of strengthening synergistic actions to overcome the triple planetary crisis. Patricia Kameri-Mbote, Director of the Law Division, the United Nations Evnrionment Programme, expressed her hopes for Japan's leadership in promoting synergistic actions around the world, and stated that UNEP will support the implementation of this resolution. Japan, the Republic of Chile and the Republic of Fiji then shared their efforts on promoting synergies, including useful measures and challenges. Janez Potocnik, Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel, expressed his hopes for these efforts, highlighted the importance of paying attention to resource extraction as an underlying cause of the triple planetary crisis, and pointed out the importance of scientific knowledge in enhancing synergies in the future.
Event Details
Tent C at the Headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme, in Nairobi, Kenya
(No on-line format, only in-person attendance)
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Pavel HEJCIK ([email protected]) and AMANUMA Nobue ([email protected])
Presentation Materials
Synergistic Approaches to Overcome the Triple Crisis and the SDG Deadlock (MC: Pavel HEJCIK) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Opening Remarks | TAKISAWA Motome State Minister of the Environment, Japan | ||
Remarks | Patricia KAMERI-MBOTE Director, Law Division, UNEP | ||
Framing Presentation | KAWAMATA Kotaro Director, International Strategy Division, Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan | PDF (1MB) | |
Example of synergistic action from Japan (video) | WATANABE Michitaro Mayor of Nasushiobara | Video (114MB) | |
Synergy cases and their challenges and opportunities | Constance NALEGACH Head of the International Affairs Office of the Ministry of the Environment, Chile | ||
Synergy cases and their challenges and opportunities | Sivendra MICHAEL Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Fiji | ||
Synergy cases in development assistance | MUTO Megumi Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer, JICA | PDF (689KB) | |
Discussant | Janez Potočnik Co-Chair, International Resource Panel (IRP), and Former European Commissioner for Environment and Science | ||
Q&A | |||
Closing Remarks | KAWAMATA Kotaro Director, International Strategy Division, Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment |