UNEA-6: World leaders to speed up action on triple planetary crisis

As the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) comes to an end today in Nairobi, Kenya, world leaders have expressed determination to speed up multilateral action on the triple planetary crisis.

The triple planetary crises are climate change, nature loss and pollution.

Leila Benali, president of UNEA-6 and minister of energy transition and sustainable development for the Kingdom of Morocco, said nations must join forces and address the challenges bedevilling the planet.

“It is my hope that UN Environment Assembly will demonstrate that challenges are best addressed when the community of nations and citizens of the world join forces with an open mind,” Benali said.

“Our efforts today will be crucial to securing our world — for the benefit of people and planet.”

António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, said the assembly has been saddled with the responsibility to drive environmental action through its resolutions, and urged them to make meaningful and important decisions like before.

“This assembly plays a vital role in driving environmental action. And you have shown before that you can unite and deliver — most recently with your historic decision to negotiate a plastic treaty,” Guterres said.

“I urge you to do so again — and go further. There are many important resolutions before you. So, please, take this chance to drive multilateral solutions.”

President William Ruto of Kenya said the task of addressing the triple planetary crisis is a challenging one to the assembly due to the complex and dynamic nature of the risks and threats affecting nations, especially since it is the first global meeting after COP28.

“UNEA-6 is the first intergovernmental global meeting after COP28. This places upon this assembly a tremendous responsibility to expeditiously deliver on its agenda in full, and thereby demonstrate the power of international cooperation and effective multilateralism,” Ruto said.

“This is a challenging task, which is complicated by the fact that nations of the world are all grappling with a dynamic complex of interconnected and multifaceted threats, risks, uncertainties and shocks, ranging from sluggish economic growth, conflict and wars, and geopolitical fragmentation.”

Inger Andersen, executive director of UNEP, said to combat the triple planetary crisis, nations must come together to “shun” fossil fuel and look to renewable energy sources.

She also added that nations must also raise their voices and restore the natural world and keep harmful pollutants away from our ecosystem.

“We can push back against the triple planetary crisis if we show unity of purpose, at this assembly and beyond,” she said.

“Purpose to shun fossil fuels and look to renewable energy sources. Purpose to conserve and restore the natural world and our lands, which give us life.

“Purpose to keep harmful chemicals, pollution and waste out of our ecosystems and yes, out of our bodies.

“But I also ask you to recall that this assembly is much more than one set of resolutions or decisions. This is where the global community gathers to think big and dream bigger, to reimagine how we can work better, smarter, harder and faster — together.

‘To hold the future that we want in our mind’s eye and make it happen.”

The United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA-6), with over 700 delegates from 182 UN member states, has 19 resolutions and two decisions under discussion around circular economy; effective, inclusive, and sustainable multilateral actions towards climate justice; solar radiation modification; sound management of chemicals and waste, and sand and dust storms.