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A high-level event at UNCCD COP-16 on Dry Lands, Green Cities: United for Urban Land Restoration brought together experts from around the world to explore innovative solutions for urban trees and forest in arid regions. Organized by UNECE and the Trees in Dry Cities Coalition, the event highlighted…
To achieve a more sustainable and environmentally friendly fashion industry, there is a pressing need to adopt more sustainable sourcing practices, regenerative agriculture and agroforestry. By prioritizing these approaches, we can improve soil health, reduce land degradation, and minimize water…
Deforestation-free trade is essential to protect our planet and ensure a sustainable future. UNECE hosted a high-level dialogue on deforestation-free trade on 13 November 2024 to discuss how to make this vision a reality. The discussions emphasized that the development of the…
Petite forests, or small, dense clusters of native trees, are designed for compact urban spaces like streets, plazas, and schoolyards. These micro-forests offer significant benefits for enhancing biodiversity, combating climate change, and fostering community engagement.
The UN Petite Forest…
Forest ecosystems in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Eastern Europe are struggling with the complexity of changing climatic conditions, human and natural pressures threatening their vitality and resilience.
To address these challenges and promote sustainable forest management, data on forest…
Every year, forest fires set new records. The 2023 wildfire season in the Northern Hemisphere could not have been worse.
The wildfire that ravaged northeastern Greece in August was the largest single wildfire recorded in the European Union (EU), burning more than 810 square…
The building industry currently accounts for 39% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, 11% of which result from manufacturing building materials and products such as steel, cement, and glass. And yet, to date, emission reduction efforts have not really focused on decarbonizing the construction…
Picture your favorite tree-lined street or childhood park. Now picture it without trees. Would it be the same?
On 30 March, at the Regional Forum for Sustainable Development, UNECE debuted the short film “Why Trees?”, which invites us to reflect on our human connection with the trees…
While many of us have taken pain relievers, we do not always remember that one of the most extensively used medicines in the world – with an estimated annual consumption of 40,000 tons – salicylic acid, commonly known as aspirin, is based on a tree-derived ingredient.
The theme…
In the past years, Central Asia has been facing major climate-change related challenges – drought, floods, desertification, sandstorms, extreme cold and heat spells – and many more. Not only have these affected rural areas, but cities have been suffering, too. Accentuated by increased traffic…
The buildings and construction sector accounted for 36% of final energy use and 39% of energy and process-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2018. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, building materials including steel, cement and glass emitted over 2.2 Gigatonnes of…
Climate change is progressing faster than trees can adapt. Challenges and uncertainties to the state of the world’s forests and their future are growing.
This summer, Europe saw record-breaking temperatures and a series of heatwaves that intensified drought conditions. With more than…
Four years ago, the countries in the Caucasus and Central Asian region pledged to restore more than 3 million hectares of degraded forests by 2030 under the global Bonn Challenge. To support them in turning their pledges into reality, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and…
Single-use cutlery pollutes our oceans and takes thousands of years to decompose in landfills and trash heaps. Plastic forks and knives may photo-degrade with exposure to the sun, but they become microplastics that continue to pollute our environment. In addition to reducing our overall material…
UNECE was engaged at the main global forum to assess and discuss progress in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) – the seventh session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2022) held in Bali and online, 25-27 May 2022, fully embracing its theme: “…
Cities, which are already responsible for around 75% of global CO2 emissions, are also at the forefront of fighting climate change and simultaneously are particularly vulnerable to its impacts. Urban trees and forests have been highlighted as a solution that can help to achieve the SDGs and make…
Fashion and packaging have one thing in common: both rely heavily on plastics. Oil and gas companies look to plastics as a key area of growth. Global plastic production doubled since 2000, to reach an astonishing 460 million metric tonnes – per year. This means that more plastics have been produced…
Tackling climate change and plastic pollution requires decisive measures at all levels, from international policy coordination to innovation in industry and changes to unsustainable practices in our everyday lives. As one example, the rise of online shopping and food delivery services allows us to…
The Caucasus and Central Asia accounts for over 30 million hectares of forests and wooded lands, an area approximately the size of Italy Forest landscape restoration in this area is critical for supporting livelihoods and local economies, preventing soil erosion and desertification, enhancing…
COP26 was a positive step forward in the fight against climate change, but as the UN Secretary General pointed out in his comments: “it is not enough. We must accelerate climate action to keep alive the goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.” The compromise…
A coordinated, evidenced-based policy framework is critical for governments and stakeholders to tackle the complex challenges that face the forest sector in Europe and beyond. With transparent data, objective analysis and holistic policy …
Policymakers looking for innovative solutions to global problems are increasingly recognizing that the answers have been around for a long time even before the earth got populated by humans. Trees can help achieve pressing global objectives for sustainable development,…
UNECE is making a call to the World of Sports, including sports events’ organizers, committees, athletes, sportswear brands, producers and consumers to help advance circularity and sustainability in sports clothing.
The Forests4Fashion Sports Challenge …
With the UN Food Systems Summit taking place next week under the auspices of the UN General Assembly (23 September 2021), we must recognize that the food systems we have built over recent decades are unsustainable. The…
August is wildfire season in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Many areas in the UNECE region, including North America, Siberia, and Mediterranean countries have experienced unusually hot and dry weather this year, and with that some of the biggest wildfires on record. Areas burned in Turkey…