Environment

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 Economic Forum, the Mediterranean region hosts 60% of the world’s water-poor population (with less than 1,000m³ per inhabitant, per year).

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 further strengthen efforts to reduce air pollution in Europe and North America.  

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 are crucial for the region's climate objectives and sustainable development. 

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 governance, human rights, and multilateral agreements for a just transition. 

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 of sites storing mining waste (known as “tailings”), both in the country and also across borders.

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 that LCS have a number of benefits, as they render air pollution monitoring less expensive compared to reference instruments thereby allowing their deployment in larger numbers and in remote locations or in places with no other access to monitoring.  

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 performance of the country by examining developments during the past 11 years.  

Ecosystems are highly sensitive to air pollution.