The United Nations’ Environmental Achievements
The United Nations has spearheaded an international effort to combat global environmental problems such as a thinning ozone layer, global warming, and unsustainable development. The UN system provides international assistance with annual loans and grants for developing countries and countries in economic transition. It includes the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) 1972, which has adopted strategies in order to curb the depletion of natural resources, support alternative energy, and protect and preserve the environment.
The United Nations has been responsible for negotiations in the realm of environmental sustainability and development. For example, the UN Convention on the Environment and Development in Rio De Janeiro in 1992 resulted in biodiversity and climate change negotiations. It established the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In addition, countries adopted “Agenda 21,” which promotes sustainable development while protecting the Earth’s natural resources. This conference catapulted two major environmental issues into public conscious, resulting in two major international agreements and has served as a model for environmental policy making.
The United Nations Environmental Programme or UNEP give priority to climate change problems. UNEP was a driving force in passing the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987. The protocol orders the complete phase out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 2030, reversing the decline of ozone thinning. Through the UNFCC, nations have reduced the reliance on fossil fuels and increased focus on the development of green energy.
The United Nations has promoted green energy by providing loan programs with the development of solar energy. According to a study by the Worldwatch Institute, which is funded by the UNEP, the global market for environmental products and services is projected to double by 2020 (from $1.37 trillion per year to $2.74 trillion). The increase in demand of these products will provide future jobs. An important financial resource is the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), which provides grants to developing countries and countries in economic transition related to climate change, international waters, and the thinning of the ozone layer to name a few. Since 1991, it has allocated $8.8 billion and provided $38.7 billion in co-financing environmental projects.
Some additional UN environmental departments are the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of 1988, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The United Nations has not only provided jobs but it is combating major environmental issues by promoting, and providing assistance to countries. It has also encouraged environmental development, and international policies that protect the well being of people and the environment.
The views expressed in this article are purely personal and do not represent the Scripps Institution of Oceanography or the University of California San Diego.
Sincerely,
Erika Marie Go
Wow.. this is fantastic. This will inevitably shake the earth and crumble the foundations of modern thought. 1000 years from now, historians will discover this document and consider it to be the major turning point in all of humanity. It marks the beginning of a global renaissance. War, poverty, and environmental destruction fade away as the global society, as a whole, will fervently but peacefully surpass the current boundaries of human ability.
-A
Wow, it’s great to hear how the UN is making significant changes that will impact our future- Thanks for this post!