The climate emergency is a direct consequence of carbon-heavy land-use and agriculture, transport, buildings and industrial processes and polluting energy sources. Without profound changes to these sectors and a drastic cut to carbon footprints, there is little hope of protecting the planet from the devastating effects of a warmer world.
Below are climate-related news and events from the United Nations and partners.
At the fifth annual AI for Good Global Summit held in Geneva, UNEP's work took center stage on AI and the environment to help tackle the triple planetary crisis, which includes achieving climate stability, harmony with nature, and a pollution-free planet.
“Across all these domains, we work with two things in mind, we call them the two sides of the coin, how do we deploy technology to achieve these goals, and on the other side, how do we make technology itself environmentally sustainable and responsible,” said Golestan Sally Radwan, Chief Digital Officer at UNEP, during her presentation.
One of these efforts is EnvironmentGPT, a ground-breaking application of Large Language Model technology for environmental purposes.
More highlights from UN officials and other participants.
See also: AI for Good Global Summit 2024 YouTube playlist (with interviews).
Today in Bonn, UNEP is hosting a series of significant events addressing a range of topics related to Climate Action. The day kicks off with a session on the Global Cooling Pledge Implementation Strategy, focusing on helping member countries reduce emissions through innovative cooling methods. Following this, the 10th Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Knowledge Day, highlighting the role of EbA in achieving climate, biodiversity, and land goals. See the latest case study on Jamaica's flood adaptation strategies that rely on nature.
The agenda continues with the third Glasgow Dialogue (GD3), aimed at enhancing coordination in loss and damage support frameworks. The key findings from the IPCC's AR6 will be discussed in preparation for the seventh assessment cycle. In the afternoon, attendees will explore how Technology Action Plans can make NDCs 3.0 more ambitious and investment-ready. The day concludes with the Global Stocktake Dialogue, which is crucial for assessing global progress towards climate targets in line with the Paris Agreement, setting the stage for future commitments following the first Global Stocktake at COP28.
See more on the UNEP at the June UN Climate Meetings event page.
As climate records are shattered, and emissions continue to rise, on World Environment Day, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres will set out some hard-hitting truths about the state of the climate, the grotesque risk leaders are running, and what companies and countries – particularly the G7 and the G20 – need to do over the next eighteen months to salvage humanity’s chances of a liveable future.
The Secretary-General will also share new data from the World Meteorological Organisation and The Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Energy is indispensable to our lives. Currently, a lot of the world’s energy comes from fossil fuels. To tackle the climate crisis, we must transition our entire energy system to renewable energy and increase energy efficiency.
In this episode of Climate Action Explained, come with us on a journey to Zimbabwe, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Uruguay to understand how the energy transition is happening around the world, helping increase access to healthcare, education and public transportation.
The 60th Sessions of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Bodies (also called the 2024 Bonn Climate Change Conference) will build on the many mandates that emerged at COP28 in Dubai, and aim to drive forward progress on key issues and prepare decisions for adoption at the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November of 2024.
See UNEP led/supported events and UNFCCC's full agenda. Watch this feed for highlights.
Today on World Bicycle Day, we celebrate the numerous benefits of cycling as a simple, affordable, and eco-friendly mode of sustainable transport.
The transport sector is responsible for a quarter of global emissions, but studies suggest that increasing walking and cycling could quickly reduce these emissions by 50%. The urgency of reducing emissions from the transport sector is also a health concern. According to World Health Organization (WHO) outdoor air pollution resulted in 4.2 million premature deaths in 2019.
In Africa, over one billion people rely on walking and cycling daily to access essential services, yet it remains one of the least safe regions for pedestrians and cyclists.
To address this, UNEP and partners lead the Pan-African Action Plan for Active Mobility (PAAPAM). This comprehensive framework aims to guide governments and stakeholders over the next decade to prioritize healthy, safe, equitable, and sustainable transport for all.
