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Best available techniques (BATs) have emerged as a key policy tool to prevent and control the emission of industrial pollutants, and thereby to ensure the protection of human health and the environment. Applying BATs to different sources is a key requirement for Parties to the latest three…
Sound emission inventories are the first step for designing effective clean air policies as they provide information about the main sources and the most acute air pollution problems in a country.
Under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention), UNECE has therefore…
Addressing the Plenary of the Summit of the Future during the UN General Assembly, UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean noted that with its strong normative footprint, UNECE is fully dedicated to leveraging and adapting its tools, expertise, and partnerships to reinvigorate the implementation…
While nitrogen is vital for plant growth, excessive and inefficient use of this nutrient means up to 80% of it leaks into the environment, mostly in various polluting forms of nitrogen: ammonia and nitrogen oxides, which are harmful air pollutants; nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas; and…
After Morocco (2022) and Mauritania (2023), the UNECE Environmental Performance Reviews (EPR) continue to reach beyond the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Mongolia has requested UNECE to undertake its second review, following the first in 2017.
Today, a…
Following the decision of Parties to the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention) to revise the Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-Level Ozone (Gothenburg Protocol), which is expected to further strengthen efforts to reduce air pollution in…
South Sudan, the world’s newest nation and a landlocked country in Eastern Central Africa, is situated in the middle of the basin of the Nile River, Africa’s longest river. Sharing significant transboundary wetlands, experiencing annual catastrophic floods and droughts and facing immense…
Civil society plays a vital role in addressing major environmental challenges. To fully harness this potential, ongoing efforts are essential to uphold the public rights to promote effective and inclusive environmental governance and a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
To tackle these…
Taking part in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York (8 – 17 July), UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean presented UNECE regional perspectives on SDGs localization, climate action, energy, transport, water and engaged with civil society, youth, and the private…
Mapping air pollutant emission sources in a country helps experts and decision-makers identify the most effective policies. Understanding the regional distribution of emissions is crucial for effective policy implementation.
Spatially allocating—or gridding—emissions is technically challenging.…
Representatives from countries across Central Asia and experts on the climate and clean air came together in Astana, Kazakhstan this week (11-13 June 2024) for the Sub-Regional Workshop on Integrated Planning for Climate and Air organized by the UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)…
Mediterranean countries come together to increase climate resilience of water and sanitation sectors
The Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average and for every 1-degree global temperature increase, it would warm up by at least 1.5-2 degrees. This is severely impacting water and sanitation and the health and well-being of the region’s population. According to the World…
In a ground-breaking decision in December 2023, Parties to the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention) agreed to revise the Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-Level Ozone, as amended in 2012 (Gothenburg Protocol), which is expected to…
In an important move to secure the supply of essential raw materials, the European Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) entered into force on 23 May 2024. This legislation is a cornerstone in enhancing the EU's capabilities in sourcing, processing, and recycling critical raw materials (CRMs), which…
In the face of global crises, progressing towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16—promoting peaceful, inclusive societies, justice for all, and accountable institutions—is a cross-cutting enabler for the 2030 Agenda. SDG16 intertwines with the other SDGs, underscoring the importance of…
With its strong mining industry, mountainous areas and high seismic hazards, prevention and preparedness for disasters and climate change adaptation are high on Tajikistan’s agenda. In particular, the increasing frequency and severity of weather events due to climate change can undermine the safety…
The technology associated with low-cost sensors (LCS) to monitor air quality has seen rapid developments over the past few years. While their use becomes more widespread and some are promoting them as silver bullet for air pollution science and control, experts have advised caution.
It is clear…
The Fourth Cycle of UNECE Environmental Performance Reviews (EPR) is underway with the fourth review of Montenegro, carried out under the leadership of UNECE.
A large, multidisciplinary team of international experts worked in Podgorica from 22 to 30 April 2024, assessing the environmental…
Ecosystems are highly sensitive to air pollution. To sharpen emissions reductions measures under the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, expert groups have started scientific and technical work to support decision-making in the context of the process to revise the Protocol…
Addressing the Tashkent International Investment Forum (2-3 May 2024), UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean called for the mobilization of private sector investments to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to foster regional cooperation in Central Asia.…
As the climate warms, wildfires are becoming more frequent. Parts of Southern Europe, such as Spain and Greece, have already seen their first wildfires of the season, with devastating impacts on local ecosystems and biodiversity. Wildfires, however, also have major impacts on global and regional…
Iraq grapples with severe water challenges exacerbated by climate change, population growth, upstream dam construction, and decades of conflict and instability. The Euphrates and Tigris rivers, vital lifelines for the region’s agriculture, ecosystems, and communities, face increasing threats from…
The Water Convention has facilitated the First round of Technical & Planning Negotiations of the Draft ‘Agreement on the Establishment of the Luapula River and Lake Mweru Authority between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia on 18 and 19 April, concerning the transboundary Lake…
Preventing accidental water pollution remains a key challenge for many countries within and beyond the UNECE region. Approximately 60% of the world’s freshwater flows occur in transboundary river basins where 40% of the world’s population live. Countries rely increasingly on transboundary water…
On 29 February 2024 Zambia declared a National Crisis and Emergency regarding a drought gripping the country and which has decimated food and energy supply. Other Southern African countries have declared similar National Emergencies due to severe drought, including Zimbabwe in April. Severe…