Joint Nordic Statement to the Second United Nations Environment Assembly UNEA, 27.04 2016

27.04.16 | Declaration
Statement from Nordic Council of Ministers for the Environment and Climate (MR-MK)

Information

We, the Nordic Ministers of the Environment:  

  1. Stress the importance of the further strengthening of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the leading global authority for the environment in accordance with the Rio+20 outcome document The Future We Want and the importance of UNEP’s participation in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals and call for the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) to agree on an strong outcome document from its Second Session in May 2016;
  2. Welcome the Paris Climate Agreement as a landmark achievement for combating climate change and urge for its early ratification and implementation,  and call on the United Nations Environment Assembly to strengthen the work of UNEP on climate change, within its mandate, through strengthened voluntary efforts, initiatives and coalitions to promote the implementation of the Paris Agreement;
  3. Underline the crucial role of the UNEP and the United Nations Environment Assembly in delivering on the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development through aligning its Mid-Term Strategy and its Programme of Work to this end, and by keeping the environment under review and providing high-quality environmental assessments and analyses on the state of the global environment;
  4. Welcome the focus on Healthy Environment, Healthy People for the Ministerial dialogues at the UNEA and recognize the strong interlinkages between health and the environment as well as their contribution to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals;
  5. Urge UNEA2 to take dedicated action to improve human  well-being, building on key strengths of UNEP,  in particular to  improve air and water quality and the sustainable management of the marine environment;
  6. Note with concern that marine litter and microplastics is a rapidly increasing and serious threat to the marine environment and ecosystem services, and call on UNEA-2 to decide on comprehensive and effective measures to combat marine litter and microplastics in the marine environment, as underlined in the Joint Nordic Statement on marine plastic litter and microplastics;
  7. Further urge UNEA2  to accelerate efforts on environment and health in relation to achieve the global 2020 goal for the sound management of chemicals and waste and the relevant SDGs and to contribute to an adequate global framework after 2020 for chemicals and waste;
  8. Emphasize the crucial role of a shift to a green and circular economy and acknowledge that sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns will be central for achieving this, including through effective and efficient use of resources and toxic free material cycles encompassing new business models and call on UNEP to continue their work on SCP in supporting countries and the private sector, with the aim to reduce environmental and climate change impacts while at the same time promoting in business opportunities and green jobs.