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Sustainable Development Press Releases

Displaying Results 26 - 50 of 350

The 3rd Forum of Mayors will bring together some 50 city leaders from around the world at the United Nations in Geneva on 2-3 October to share practical experiences of urban regeneration, and to help harness cities’ unique role in addressing some of the key challenges of our time.   Mayors will
The United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr Jean Todt, and Jean-Charles Decaux, co-CEO of JCDecaux, launched today a new UN Global Road Safety campaign to address road traffic crashes, which are the leading cause of death for people aged 5 to 29 around the world.  Road
To meet the objectives of the Paris agreement, energy systems will need to undergo a profound transformation and become fully resilient, finding the right balance between the three pillars of resiliency (as defined in UNECE’s publication “Building Resilient Energy Systems”): energy security,
The decrease of air pollution achieved since the 1990s thanks to measures adopted under the Air Convention is leading to ongoing biological recovery from acidification in freshwater environments in Europe. This is the main finding of a new report published in the framework of the International
The Special Envoy Jean Todt will visit Honduras (August 21-22), El Salvador (August 23-24), Brazil (August 26-29), and Paraguay (August 30-31) to meet with ministers and representatives of the public and private sector and NGOs, to advocate for the effective implementation of the Global Plan for
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 July 2023 the appointment of Tatiana Molcean of Moldova as the next Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).  She will succeed Olga Algayerova of Slovakia, to whom the Secretary-General is
The world is falling behind on lowering global carbon emissions.  We only have a narrow chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report) or as the United Nations Secretary-General says, “our world needs
Persisting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical turbulence and high inflation continue to challenge international trade. Despite these global disruptions, countries are continuing to move towards a seamless and efficient trading environment by simplifying and digitalizing formalities in
The Gambia has taken a decisive step for cooperative water action by officially becoming the 52nd Party to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (known as the UN Water Convention) and 9th Party in Africa. The Gambia’s accession comes within
Each year, across the pan-European region, an estimated 1.4 million deaths are linked to environmental risk factors, including pollution and climate change. To accelerate collective commitments for healthier people and a sustainable future, Ministers and representatives of pan-European countries
A systemic change is needed to provide a safe and healthy working environment for the estimated 33 million people working in the forest sector worldwide, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and
By becoming the first country from Latin America to accede to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention), Panama today made a decisive step to support the sustainable use of transboundary water resources through cooperation
Public involvement in decision-making underpins the universal right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. 25 years since the adoption of a ground-breaking global treaty known as the Aarhus Convention – unparalleled in its success in putting environmental democracy into action – this
The need to decarbonize the transport sector is driving the rapid expansion of electric cars, which totaled 10 million sales worldwide in 2022 (for a market share of 14% of total sales) up from just around 1 million in 2017.    Electrification is also extending to heavy-duty vehicles, such as
Following strong reduction from exhaust particle emissions (PM 2.5 and 10) over the past 20 years, due to international and national vehicle regulations, non-exhaust sources now make up approximately 80% of particle emissions from vehicle use, compared to some 40% in 2000. Non-exhaust emissions
The accurate measurement of vehicles’ tailpipe emissions, a key element in governments’ policy decisions and consumers’ choices to reduce the impact on air quality and the environment, will be significantly enhanced thanks to the adoption today of the United Nations Regulation on global Real
The war in Ukraine, which has caused immense suffering and resulted in the destruction of critical infrastructure, demands urgent action to rebuild the country and its energy system.    Today, Ukraine heavily depends on fossil fuels, which accounted for some 70% of its primary energy supply in
At any age, intersecting factors such as poverty, disability, social isolation, and exposure to abuse can increase the risk of vulnerability and weaken resilience in the case of adverse events. The COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, natural disasters, and war are examples of adverse events that
Trees belong in cities. Yet, as cities across the globe get bigger, trees and green spaces are lost to new buildings and infrastructure. With less than 20 percent of ground area covered by tree crowns, on average, cities all over the world need many more trees than they have today. But why? Why do
UNECE welcomes the approval by the Cabinet of the Ministers of Ukraine of the procedure for maintaining a National Pollutant Release and Transfer Register. The Register, to be operational from 8 October 2023, is expected to facilitate the free provision of information on pollution, such as
Housing is one of the sectors most affected by the war in Ukraine, with over US$50 billion of damage recorded since the invasion by the Russian Federation. In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, some 3,367 apartment buildings and 1,823 single apartment buildings have been destroyed and damaged
Despite geopolitical and economic instability since gaining independence, Armenia has become one of the regional leaders in innovation, especially, but not only, in the IT service sector. The past two decades alone have seen the creation of more than 1,000 start-ups providing a range of IT services
Overall damage to the housing sector alone following the Russian invasion of Ukraine is estimated at over US$50 billion. In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, some 3367 apartment buildings and 1823 single apartment buildings have been destroyed and damaged, according to the City Council. The
After a mission earlier this month to West Africa (Senegal and Ivory Coast), Special Envoy Jean Todt will visit Ethiopia (May 29-31), Kenya (June 1-5) and Zimbabwe (June 6-8) to meet with ministers and representatives of the public and private sector, and NGOs, to advocate for the effective
UEFA will use the international appeal of its club competition finals to highlight the UN's new global campaign for road safety, which aims to halve the number of traffic deaths worldwide by 2030.   An estimated 1.35 million people die on the world's roads each year, with more than 600 children