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Moving to a more circular economy is increasingly recognized as vital to sustainable development, decarbonization, resource efficiency and competitiveness. More and more countries are adopting national policies that are directly or indirectly related to the sustainable management of natural
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
The Ministry of Natural Resources of the People’s Republic of China has a long-standing cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe to promote the harmonization, development and connectivity of global solid mineral and petroleum classification standards.  The United Nations
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’
    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
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 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
After three decades of transition to democracy and market economy, the six countries in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus (EESC) - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine – are at a turning point. Central to further progress towards the sustainable development
UNECE today publishes a Set of Core Climate Change-related Indicators and Statistics, along with a set of Implementation Guidelines, both endorsed by the Conference of European Statisticians (CES). Climate change is an existential threat and poses an immense challenge for humanity. A better