From February 26 to March 1, 2024, the 6th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA6) holds in Nairobi Kenya. Convened first in 2014, as the world’s top decision making on the environment, UNEA has since passed 90 resolutions on critical issues including biodiversity and health, Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and climate change, among others.
UNEA6 comes at a time the world is grappling with the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The theme of this meeting is “Effective, inclusive, and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution” highlighting the need for concerted efforts to address the crises.
Africa, like many developing countries, is bearing the brunt of the climate crisis, though contributing least to it.  In 2023, the continent witnessed drought in some countries on the continent, while Cyclone Freddy – one of the most intense cyclones – devastated Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, with climate experts indicating that these extreme weather patterns are bound to continue in future.
UNEA 6 must build on previous commitments such as the climate conference (COP28) and in particular the call for phasing out of fossil fuels, as science shows this will boost chances of world temperatures from rising above 1.5oC. It must be remembered that nature can provide up to 37% of climate mitigation and adaptation needed by 2030.
Biodiversity loss is yet another issue that the continent is grappling with. In the past decade the health of ecosystems and species diversity has been declining at alarming rates, even though biodiversity supports the well-being and livelihoods of more than 60% of the continent’s population. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the global blueprint for halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030, presents governments an opportunity to take tangible action.
At UNEA6, governments must renew their commitment to stop species from sliding towards extinction, restore 30 per cent of the world’s degraded ecosystems and protect 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030, also known as the 30×30 Agenda.
At UNEA6, there is a proposal on the table to eliminate the use of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs). These chemicals are long banned in the European Union and other jurisdictions but are still in use in Africa and other developing countries, endangering workers, children, pregnant women, wildlife, and fish. Delegates must resist any attempts to water down this proposal, which if not passed would mean continued negative impacts for Africa’s populace and environment.
Plastic pollution is yet another issue that the world is grappling with. Every year, the world produces more than 400 million tonnes of plastic, of which only 9% is successfully recycled. The plastic waste that is not successfully managed is increasingly polluting the environment. UNEA5 mandated an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop a legally binding instrument on plastics. Unfortunately, little progress has been made in this regard, with oil producing countries, the plastics industry and some developing countries lobbying for less stringent measures. UNEA6 is an opportunity to fast track the march towards a plastics-free world.
Despite the challenges that humanity faces from climate, biodiversity loss and pollution, Nature based Solutions – the use of nature to address societal challenges – provides a massive opportunity. It is possible to address humanity’s economic, societal, and environmental challenges, while protecting natural ecosystems. As an example, BirdLife International in Africa is supporting partners in Rwanda and Burundi to implement a climate resilience and restoration programme that has seen the planting of more than 1.2 million trees while improving the livelihoods of thousands. Further, the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), NbS can provide up to 37% of climate mitigation and adaptation needed until 2030.
As world governments and stakeholders gather in Nairobi at UNEA6, they must keep the eye on the ball – the need for decisive action to address the triple planetary crisis of climate, biodiversity loss and pollution. While negotiations are key, these challenges will not be resolved by stand-offs over commas and square brackets; it will come from determined implementation of the outcomes to ensure a sustainable future for all.
Mwathe is the Policy, Climate and Communications Coordinator for Africa at BirdLife International. Email: ken.mwathe@birdlife.org
