COP28 highlights discussed at UNEP Town Hall
Over 800 personnel of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) attended the end-of-year UNEP Global Town Hall on 13 December.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen shared highlights from COP28 in Dubai, including the final agreement to transition away from fossil fuels, the operation of the Loss and Damage Fund with pledges of over USD 700 million, and the country hosts for COP29 (Azerbaijan) and COP30 (Brazil).
“Member States didn’t agree to the phase out fossil fuel, but they’ve been negotiating all night a deal to transition away from fossil fuels," said Ms. Anderson. "But let’s not forget that science tells us that we have to phase out now."
She thanked UNEP personnel involved in 2023 publications, such as the What’s Cooking? report launched during COP28 and the Trilogy Gap reports - Emission, Adaptation and Production.
The Executive Director also unfolded details on the new Climate Change Division that will be effective on 1 February 2024 with Dechen Tsering as the Interim Director.
The Global Town Hall was moderated by UNEP Chief of Staff Nicolas Bertrand.
Presentations on INC-3 and UNEA-6
Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary and Head of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) Secretariat, presented the outcomes of the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an internationally legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
From the 13 to 19 of November, delegates discussed the Chair’s Zero Draft and validated a merged text compiling the views of all 161 members of the committee. The revised zero-draft text will be the starting point for textual negotiations at INC-4 in Ottawa, Canada, in April 2024.
The presentation on preparation for UNEA-6 was conducted by Elizabeth Mrema, UNEP Deputy Executive Director, and Radhika Ochalik, Director of the UNEP Governance Affairs Office.
UNEA-6 will be held from 26 February to 1 March 2024 under the theme “Effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution” at UN Headquarters in Nairobi.