Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged decision-makers from across the world to prioritize environmental action in support of economic and societal growth.
Representatives from over 170 countries are in Nairobi this week to attend United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2). They are looking to drive action on issues ranging from the air pollution that kills millions of people every year to the illegal trade in wildlife, which is pushing species to the brink of extinction.
“Over the last two decades, we have seen, across the world, a movement emerge saying that the environment can no longer be a tertiary concern, that building a sustainable future cannot be an afterthought,” Mr. Kenyatta told UNEA-2’s high-level session. “Your presence at this critical convening brings momentum to that movement and amplifies the urgency of the issue we are discussing.”
Held at the headquarters of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, UNEA is the world’s most powerful decision-making body on the environment.
Other issues on the table include food waste, the world’s natural capital and sustainable consumption and production.
“We are proud to have seen thousands of actions, people and initiatives congregate here over the years,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. “At Rio+20, heads of State called for a new era in environmental governance, for a new environment assembly. You are that dream come true.”
UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said that action on all issues under discussion was essential to implementation of both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
“The decisions you will take are critical for the well-being of this and future generations,” said Mr. Eliasson. “They will have profound and lasting consequences.”
More than one thousand delegates from across the world — including business and civil society representatives — are attending attend UNEA-2.
A key issue at UNEA-2 is the illegal trade in wildlife, which is pushing species to the brink of extinction, robbing countries of their natural heritage and profiting international criminal networks. UNEP and partners — with the backing of celebrities such as Gisele Bündchen and Neymar Jr. — on Wednesday launched a new campaign, Wild For Life, to engage the public in ending the trade.
Many of the speakers at the opening promised to back the fight against the illegal trade in wildlife and welcomed Kenya’s decision to earlier this month burn over 100 tonnes of poached ivory – the largest burn in history.
