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Circular Economy Press Releases

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Gathering in Geneva for the Meetings of the Parties to the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) and the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Ministers and high-level government officials emphasized the crucial importance
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) account for over 90 per cent of registered enterprises in the UNECE region, spreading from North America to Central Asia. These enterprises hold immense potential to drive the transition towards a circular and green economy due to their agility and
A milestone for advancing sustainable resource management worldwide has been reached with the endorsement of the United Nations Resource Management System (UNRMS) by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). UNRMS is a set of principles and requirements that guide the planning,
In the 75 years of its existence UNECE has proved to be an effective platform for cooperation among countries in the pan-European region and beyond, facilitating economic development and integration. Yet, due to ongoing multiple crises, the region is further away from achieving the 2030 Agenda for
Global biodiversity is now declining faster than at any time in human history. As leaders gather for the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-15, 7-19 December), UNECE calls for the region to urgently step up with the leadership needed to stop biodiversity loss
中华人民共和国自然资源部与联合国欧洲经济委员会长期合作,旨在推进全球固体矿产和油气资源分类的协同发展和互联互通。 联合国资源分类框架(UNFC),是一个广泛采纳、普适于能源与所有矿产资源可持续管理的国际标准,可有助于国家或区域建立统一治理机制,监管一次和二次原材料资源的保有数量。自1997年以来,中国专家积极参与联合国资源分类框架的研制,并作为1999版中国固体矿产资源储量分类标准的重要参考之一。 2018年,中华人民共和国自然资源部和联合国欧洲经济委员会联合研制了中国固体矿产和油气资源储量分类标准与联合国资源分类框架对接文件。2021年,
Guidance for the Application of the United Nations Framework Classification (UNFC) for Mineral and Anthropogenic Resources in Europe (UNFC Guidance Europe) was approved by international experts meeting in Geneva and online for the 13th session of the Expert Group on Resource Management. The
Without scaled-up efforts to finance and sustainably manage the Critical Raw Materials needed for a rapid renewables and clean energy shift, countries of the pan-European region and North America will face huge challenges to deliver on the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals, the
Countries have taken a step to translate rising commitment for sustainable urban development into concrete changes to the fabric of our cities with the adoption of a UN-backed Declaration.    Today, governments attending the 83rd session of the UNECE Committee on Urban Development, Housing and
“It is a responsibility to happen to be alive at this very moment, when scientists are telling us that we are facing an existential threat. Every person, every business, every government – especially those with the privilege of choice and power – needs to play a part in the transformation towards
Almost all countries in the UNECE region, covering US, Canada, Eastern and Western Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, have adopted national policies which are directly or indirectly related to the sustainable management of natural resources and the circular economy. Multiple
UNECE and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the aim of showing how football and hosting UEFA events can support cities to become more sustainable. To celebrate the agreement, a side event entitled ‘Football as accelerator of change’
UNECE is launching an expanded version of the Portal on Standards for SDGs, which allows users to identify standards which can contribute to the realization of individual Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Portal has been updated from 1,600 standards mapped across five SDGs to 20,000
    The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) welcomes comments to support the implementation of a universally applicable scheme for the sustainable management of all energy and mineral resources. Draft Guidance for the Application of the United Nations Framework Classification
The Conference of European Statisticians Framework on Waste Statistics, published today by UNECE, provides a new perspective on defining and measuring the waste products of our economies. Every household, enterprise and institution produces waste. If not properly dealt with, this waste can pose a
UNECE and FAO are implementing blockchain tracing technology in cotton supply chains in Latin America. Demand is increasing from consumers for more traceability of their products to the origin and for more transparent sustainability credentials. Yet in countries such as Peru, 99% of the cotton
Governments, businesses and individuals around the world are increasingly recognizing that the way our economies function cannot be sustained if we are to stem the tide of climate change, resource depletion and biodiversity loss and reduce our negative impacts on the environment.  A more
The impacts of climate change on forests will be profound. Yet global emissions reduction models rely on the ability for forests to both sequester carbon and scale up production of innovative new products that can replace emissions-intensive materials used in construction, textiles and energy
SPECA countries have experienced the effects of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic on key aspects of economic development and cooperation, with negative consequences for sustainable development. COVID-19 related restrictions and border closures caused serious disruption to supply chains and
Sales of electric and hybrid vehicles are surging in major markets including China, Europe and North America, and reached 3 million vehicles in 2020, 4.6% of total sales. In Europe, their market share reached 10%. According to the projections of the International Energy Agency, their global market
The shift to a decarbonized Hydrogen-based economy that can achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2050 in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement, requires swift and extensive expansion of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production. This will require massive investments and appropriate policy
UNECE re-launched its High-Performance Buildings Initiative at COP-26 to deliver on the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  At a ceremony at the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) in Hamilton, today, 8 International Centres of Excellence on High Performance
Today, a High-Level Regional Policy Dialogue kicked off the new capacity building project “Accelerating the Transition to Circular Economy in the UNECE Region” to help countries address challenges and harness opportunities in key areas, including traceability of supply chains, innovation-enhancing
The United Nations has released a first version of a Handbook on Provisions and Options for Trade in Times of Crisis and Pandemic. Work on the Handbook was initiated by ESCAP, UNCTAD and other UN Regional Commissions after realizing that the hundreds of regional trade agreements in place provided
Commitments to The Sustainability Pledge are gathering speed as signatories and developers of the UNECE-brokered recommendations for improved sustainability and ethical practice in the garment and footwear sector gather for a three-day event on the sidelines of Milan Fashion Week. Textile and