UNEP at EU Green Week

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Like every year, UNEP is pleased to participate in EU Green Week, the biggest annual conference on European environmental policy. It offers a unique opportunity for debate and exchanges of experience and best practices and an opportunity to engage with all stakeholders and interested citizens. EU Green Week 2021 is taking place online and will focus on the topic of Zero Pollution and on how we can work together to make the ambition for a zero pollution and toxic-free environment a reality.

You can find more resources and chat with UNEP representatives at stand Number 25.

UNEP officials, as well as representatives from associated UNEP-managed Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and intiiatives, will be speaking in various sessions, which we have highlighted below:

• Date: 01/06/2021 - 15:30-16:30

Session 1.2. (High level session) Lightening the load - removing environmental pressures to set global biodiversity on a path to recovery in Kunming

Pollution is a key driver of biodiversity loss and has a harmful impact on our health and environment. While the EU has a solid legal framework in place to reduce pollution, greater efforts are still required. Biodiversity is suffering from the release of nutrients, chemical pesticides, pharmaceuticals, hazardous chemicals, urban and industrial wastewater, and other waste including litter and plastics. All of these pressures must be reduced. The EU is ready to lead all efforts – working with like-minded partners around the world - on Zero Pollution Ambition as part of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Speakers:

• Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General, Directorate General for Environment, European Commission
• Anna Engleryd, Chair, Executive Body, Air Convention  
• Carlos Martin Novella, Deputy Executive Secretary, Basel-Rotterdam-Stockholm Conventions
• Mark A. Sutton, Environmental Physicist, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Moderator:

• Aleksandar Rankovic, Sciences Po, author of IDDRI Brief “Mobilising the chemical conventions to protect biodiversity”, 2019

Link to the session here

• Date: 02/06/2021 - 10:00

Session 2.3 Special Programme: Catalysing progress towards zero pollution ambition by supporting the sound management of chemicals and waste

In collaboration with the Directorate-General for International Partnerships

Exploring the role of the Special Programme in supporting the sound management of chemicals and waste through its ongoing projects and its contribution to achieving the zero pollution ambition, in the context of the discussions on the post-2020 international chemicals management and EU strategies.

Speakers:

• Monika MacDevette, Chief of Chemicals and Health Branch, Economy Division, UNEP (home of the Special Programme Secretariat)
• Santos Virgilio, Coordinator, National Chemicals and Waste Management Coordinating Unit, Ministry of the Environment, Angola
• Tatiana Tugui, Environmental Pollution Prevention Office (EPPO), Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Moldova

Moderator:

·        Aminda Leigh, Moderators Europe

Link to the programme here

• Date: 02/06/2021 - 11:15  

LIFE awards ceremony

In collaboration with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency

The LIFE Awards recognise the most innovative, inspirational and effective LIFE projects in the fields of nature protection, environment and climate action. Winners from each of these 3 categories will be voted by expert jury members and announced on the day of the Ceremony. A fourth category is set for the LIFE Citizen's Prize, where people can vote for their favourite project among all 15 finalists through a dedicated online voting platform.

Speakers & presenters:

• Bas Eickhout, Vice-Chair, ENVI Committee, European Parliament
• Dr Janez Potočnik, Co-Chair, United Nations Environmental Programme, International Resource Panel (UNEP IRP); Chair of Forum for the Future of Agriculture (FFA) & Partner at SYSTEMIQ
• Ester Asin, Director, World Wide Fund for Nature, European Policy Office (WWF EPO)
• Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General, Directorate General for Environment, European Commission

Link to the programme here

• Date: 02/06/2021 - 14:15 

Session 4.4 Space is the place – monitoring the planet’s health with Copernicus

In collaboration with the Directorate-General for Defence Industry & Space and the Joint Research Centre

From sea to land to atmosphere, pollution harms our health and our environment. It is the largest environmental cause of multiple diseases and premature deaths. In addition, pollution is the main driver behind the exponential loss of biodiversity that our planet has experienced in recent years. Pollution reduces the ability of ecosystems to provide us with goods (from staples to materials) and services (from carbon sequestration and, in turn, climate regulation, to decontamination). EU Green Week 2021 marks the launch of the newly adopted action plan of the European Commission: “Towards a Zero Pollution Ambition for air, water and soil – building a Healthier Planet for Healthier People”.

Speakers:

• Timo Pesonen, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Defence, Industry & Space (DG DEFIS), European Commission
• Hans Bruyninckx, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency (EEA) 
• Vincent-Henri Peuch, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and Deputy Director for Copernicus Services at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)
• Stuart Crane, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Dr Laurence Crosniern, Head of the Market and Service Department at Mercator Ocean International, delivering the Copernicus Marine Service for the European Commission
• Ana Abascal, Senior Researcher at the Environmental Hydraulics Institute (IHCantabria)

Moderator:

• Karen Coleman, Planet Podium

See link to the programme here

• Date: 02/06/2021 - 16:45 

6.1 Rebuilding greener! Maximising the environmental co-benefits in times of recovery

The objective for the session is to reflect on recent development in environmental mainstreaming through the lenses of the recovery and resilience process, the use of “do no significant harm principle” across sectorial policies and creation of environmental co-benefits of strategic investments. The Recovery and Resilience Facility is closely tying the economic and environmental axes in a strategic way and allowing further greening in areas of energy, infrastructure, fiscal policies, etc. With do no significant harm principle at its core, this instrument is building on the strategic vision of Green Deal and bringing clear benefits to Zero pollution strategy. 

The session would like to reflect on following questions: What are the most relevant reform and investment opportunities for Member States in times of recovery? What benefits for the economy and citizens across the EU are to be expected? How is the do no significant harm principle applied and what benefits it brings for other sectorial policies? How is the EU action fitting in the frame of a wider international context?

Speakers: TBC

Moderators: 

• Marcela McAndrew

Link to the programme here.

Date: 03/06/2021 - 11:15 

8.2 Walking tall and treading light – creating sustainable lifestyles with the environmental footprint tool

In collaboration with the Joint Research Centre

Environmental pollution has major negative effects on human health and ecosystems. Emissions into the environment (air, water, soil) occur along the entire value chain of products, so a comprehensive and life cycle-based assessment is necessary to achieve Zero Pollution. The session will present the use of life cycle thinking to assess the environmental impacts of pollution. Understanding the extent to which our lifestyle is affecting the environment is pivotal for a transition towards sustainability. We must understand the main hotspots to be able to assess our individual footprints and judge our contribution to the zero pollution target.

Join us to find out more about how to achieve a less polluting lifestyle with deeper knowledge of the Consumption and Consumer Footprint Indicators. A virtual tour to the Consumer Footprint Calculator will display how EU citizens can calculate the impacts of their own lifestyle.  

Speakers:

• Giovanni De Santi, Director, Sustainable Resources Directorate, Joint Research Centre, European Commission
• Serenella Sala, Deputy Head of Unit, Land Resources Unit, Joint Research Centre, European Commission
• Esther Sanye Mengual, Scientific Officer, Land Resources Unit, Joint Research Centre, European Commission
• Llorenç Milà i Canals, Head of the Life Cycle Unit, UN Environment Programme

Moderator:

• Rick Thompson, Moderators Europe

More information here.