Sustainable Development Goals

A new and disturbing high temperature record for the Arctic of 38 degrees Celsius, or just over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, was confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Tuesday. Worryingly, the temperature reading taken last June in the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk – which is located 115 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle – is “just one of a series” of potentially record-breaking observations from around the planet in 2020, that the agency is seeking to verify. “The...

Are you sure you want to print? Save the planet. Opt not to print. For over a decade, the UNEP Emissions Gap Report has provided a yearly review of the difference between where greenhouse emissions are predicted to be in 2030 and where they should be to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. What’s new in this year’s report The report finds that, despite a brief dip in carbon dioxide emissions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is still heading for a temperature rise in...

Are you sure you want to print? Save the planet. Opt not to print. The “Measuring Progress: Environment and the SDGs” publication informs on the 92 environment-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators, analyzes the progress made in achieving the SDGs targets and identifies data gaps. The statistical approach uses simple correlation analyses between indicator pairs related to the state of the environment and drivers of change, and the state of the environment and the state...

Today Izabella Teixeira (former Environment Minister of Brazil) and Janez Potočnik (former European Commissioner for Environment and Science) are colleagues as Co-Chairs of the UNEP/International Resource Panel (IRP). A decade ago, they became friends as negotiators at the 10th Conference of Parties of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD COP10) in Nagoya, Japan. They have distilled that decade of experience into clear, science-based principles informed by the research of the...

Are you sure you want to print? Save the planet. Opt not to print. The United Nations Environment Programme promotes sound environmental governance; we strengthen the laws, policies and institutions that shape how humans interact with the environment. This Environmental Governance update showcases our work on the development of national, regional and international environmental laws, policies and institutions- between January to April 2021. Our work, and this update, focuses on the...

Healthy freshwater ecosystems are vital for life on Earth, and everyone needs sufficient clean water for drinking, cooking, and washing clothes. But the ecosystems providing freshwater are under increasing pressure from a growing population, human activities, and climate change Sustainable Development Goal 6 “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all,” must be achieved by 2030. To track progress towards this goal, we need to monitor and report progress...

Are you sure you want to print? Save the planet. Opt not to print. The 26th edition of UNEP’s Foresight Brief explains the ‘build back better’ strategy in the context of urban livelihoods – a strategy, that has to mean ’building back greener’. The livelihoods of urban residents are shaped by the complex relationship between environmental, social and economic issues affecting inhabitants of urban areas. There is a need for a global reset after the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted...

Are you sure you want to print? Save the planet. Opt not to print. The 19th edition of UNEP’s Foresight Brief explores the contributions of the disruptive features of blockchain technology to enhance environmental sustainability. Blockchain technology is one of many emerging technologies that has the potential to help solve some of the environmental problems that we face today. Uses of blockchain applications for tackling environmental challenges revolve around: supply chain monitoring...

What’s new in this year’s report The Emissions Gap Report 2021 shows that new national climate pledges combined with other mitigation measures put the world on track for a global temperature rise of 2.7°C by the end of the century. That is well above the goals of the Paris climate agreement and would lead to catastrophic changes in the Earth’s climate. To keep global warming below 1.5°C this century, the aspirational goal of the Paris Agreement, the world needs to halve annual greenhouse...

Are you sure you want to print? Save the planet. Opt not to print. An Eye on Methane: International Methane Emissions Observatory 2021 Report describes how state actors can take action to curb methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry, and what progress has been made as part of the decarbonization process, particularly in the energy sector. IMEO’s annual report seeks to provide decision makers with a framework of action to...