Addressing Environmental Risk Factors for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) | RFSD 2025

About this Event

Sustainable Development Goals 3.4/3.9 aim at reducing death and illnesses from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including exposures to hazardous chemicals, air, water and soil pollution. NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory conditions, cancers, and diabetes are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. While lifestyle factors are often emphasized, environmental risk factors play a critical role in the prevalence and severity of NCDs.

This side event will showcase the role of science and evidence-based solutions to prevent NCDs.

2025 Regional Forum for Sustainable Development

The 2025 Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE Region –  the region’s official input to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the UN’s main platform for global follow-up on the 2030 Agenda – will convene in Geneva on 2 and 3 April 2025, under the theme “Advancing Sustainable, Inclusive, Science- and Evidence-based Solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs in the ECE region, Leaving no one Behind.”

Speakers

Nicholas BANATVALA

Head, Secretariat of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force (UNIATF) on the Prevention and Control of NCDs

Sascha GABIZON

Executive Director, Women Engage for Common Future

Génon K. JENSEN

Executive Director, Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)

Giulia CARLINI

Manager and Senior Attorney | Environmental Health Program, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)

António MARQUES PINTO

President, European Environment and Health Youth Coalition (EEHYC)

Bayimkhanim MAMMADOVA

Azerbaijan

Simon HERTELEER

Coordinator, UNECE ESD Youth Platform

Wondwosen ASNAKE

Policy and Partnerships Coordinator, Europe Office, UNEP | Moderator

Highlights

Summary

Sascha GABIZON | Women Engage for Common Future (WECF)

• Women make up half of the world population, yet they carry out two-thirds of all unpaid care work and are frequently overlooked as informal workers. Despite their contributions, they only own 1 to 2% of global property, earn up to 20% less wages than men for the same job, and receive just 10% of the global income. One in three women faces sexual and gender-based violence, and continue to be underrepresented in decision making processes. These disparities significantly increase their economic and social vulnerability and limit their ability to protect themselves from harmful chemicals.
• 1 in 3 women dies from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In 2022, NCDs were responsible for 26.5 million deaths, with women accounting for 74% of these (NCD Alliance). The leading causes included were cardiovascular diseases, respiratory conditions and cancers. Gender norms, along with structural inequalities and other intersecting determinants, cause women and girls to experience a number of disadvantages that make them particularly vulnerable to NCDs, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• Women predominantly bear the responsibilities of care work, which exposes them to multiple sources of chemical pollution. From pregnangy onwards, children are alread affected, being born with chemical pollutants than can lead to lifelong, irreversible health impacts. Women are also regularly exposed to toxic substances through households tasks, including cleaning, cooking and household waste disposal.
• Women often work in sectors with high levels of chemical exposure, including plastics manufactugin, beauty salons, retail (as cashiers), textile production (exposure to PFCs, flame retardants, dyes), and semiconductor industries.
• Societal beauty standards target women with a wide range of personal care products laden with chemicals. Women, on average, use 15 beauty products daily, each containing up to 100 different chemicals, including known toxins such as formaldehyde, mercury, and parabens. Products like skin-lightening creams (often containing mercury), hair dyes, nail polish, and lipsticks contribute significantly to chemical exposure.
• Menstrual hygiene products often consist of up to 90% plastic, including substances such as BPA and phthalates, both known for their endocrine-disrupting properties.
• Women experience different and often greater vulnerability to chemical exposure due to biological and hormonal factors. At various life stages (puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause), hormonal changes increase sensitivity to toxins. Thinner skin and higher fat composition also contribute to greater absorption and accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in women’s bodies. These gender-specific risks are still inadequately considered in toxicology, chemical risk assessments, and regulatory measures. Exposure to harmful substances like flame retardants, phthalates, PFAS, pesticides, and mercury is linked to serious health issues, including leukaemia, diabetes, reproductive disorders, premature births and miscarriages, low birth weight and neurological disorders.
• Policies should be grounded in the Precautionary Principle and include a comprehensive ban on harmful substances in products, alongside a global phase-out of hazardous chemicals such as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs), “Forever Chemicals” like PFAS, PBTs, and vPvBs, as well as genotoxins, carcinogens, and chemicals that impact reproduction, the immune and nervous systems. This also includes endocrine-disrupting chemicals, toxic metals like mercury, cadmium, and lead, hazardous nanomaterials, and all substances capable of long-range transport, such as POPs. Furthermore, transparency must be ensured through mandatory, easily understandable ingredient disclosures, such as product passports, and adherence to the “No data, no market” principle. Finally, policies should promote non-toxic alternatives through fiscal incentives, mandate the use of safer substitutes, and enforce the “Polluter Pays” principle to hold producers accountable.

 Nicholas BANATVALA | Head, Secretariat of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force (UNIATF) on the Prevention and Control of NCDs

• The Fourth High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of NCDs and the promotion of mental health and well-being will be held on 25 September 2025, at UN Headquarters in New York. This follows previous high-level meetings held in 2011, 2014 and 2018.
• An interactive multistakeholder hearing is scheduled for 2 May 2025, in the Trusteeship Council Chamber at UNHQ. The event will serve as a platform for stakeholders to exchange perspectives, share experiences and best practices, identify challenges and proposing actionable solutions. The first panel will explore how to address the determinants of NCDs and mental health and well-being through multisectoral and effective governance and collaborative action. The second panel will focus on the reshaping and strengthening of health systems and all forms of financing to meet the needs of people living with and at risk of NCDs and mental health conditions. The hearing will be broadcast live on UN WebTV.
• In his 2025 note on progress on the prevention and control of NCDs and the promotion of mental health and well-being (see the report here), UN Secretary-General emphasized the need to tackle social, commercial, environmental and economic determinants of health. Air pollution remains a major contributor to NCD-related mortality, significantly increasing the risk of stroke, ischemic heart disease, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In 2019, 85% of the 7 millionannual deaths linked to air pollution were linked to NCDs. In 2022, 2.1 billion people still relied on polluting fuels and technologies for cooking. Althrough urban air quality has seen slight improvments since 2010, the average level of fine particular matter in 2019 was over 6 times higher than WHO standards, impacting 99% of the global population. However, few countries are currently on track to meet SDG target 3.9.
• Member States are encouraged to promote and support clean, efficient and accessible urban systems (e.g. buses, trains), develop car-sharing programs and low-emission zones, reduce the open burning of agricultural waste, facilitate household access to affordable and cleaner fuels (e.g. liquefied petroleum gas, renewables) and technologies (e.g. improved cook stoves) for cooking, heating and lighting, and implement fiscal measures such as taxes and subsidies to finance the transition toward a greener and healthier society.

 Génon K. JENSEN | Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)

• Environmental risks (climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution) are major contributors to health issues, with growing evidence of their impacts and associated costs. Pollution imposes a heavy burden: increased human suffering, community impact, and rising health costs. The overall disease burden from environmental factors is unacceptably high.
• Over the past decade, scientific understanding of the health impacts, morbidity, and mortality linked to environmental factors has grown substantially, along with the potential for preventive policy action. As early as 2013, it was already clear that environmental policies (e.g. clean air, phasing out hazardous chemicals like EDCs, PFAS, pesticides, microplastics) could significantly reduce exposure and prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
• Evidence of NCDs impact has also been shown through EU research projects, such as like FREIA (on female reproductive health), EURION and MERLON that have provided essential data on the effects of early-life exposure on child health, and the link between exposure during pregnancy and childhood and the development of NCDs like cancer and respiratory diseases. PFAS have also been identified as a major concern, as the associated health costs amount to an estimated 84 billion EUR annually in the EU. This figure likely underestimates the real impact, given the widespread PFAS contamination in communities and water supplies across Europe. The EU Exhaustion project has also contributed to determine that air pollution and extreme heat in urban areas significantly increase mortality rates among people with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
• Health organisations are increasingly active in advocating for environmental health, such as the record involvement in the EU Healthy Clean Air Coalition. Health insurers are also urging action to reduce exposure to hazardous chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Continued EU leadership is vital to sustain momentum on environmental and climate action for NCD prevention. The EU Green Deal has positioned the EU as a global frontrunner in aligning environmental policy with public health goals, a vision reaffirmed by Commission President von der Leyen.
• Key opportunities for EU leadership on chemical pollution and health include updating the 2006 REACH regulation to enable faster identification of hazardous substances, improve risk management, and enforce the “no data, no market” principle through a grouping approach; implementing a comprehensive phase-out of PFAS, whose mismanagement has resulted in significant health and environmental costs, by promoting safer alternatives and allowing only limited exceptions; and strengthening the regulation of endocrine disruptors by expanding the EU’s group-based approach under the CLP regulation across all EU chemical legislation to ensure broad and effective protection.

Dr António MARQUES PINTO | European Environment and Health Youth Coalition (EEHYC)

• The majority of medical patients are unaware that environmental exposures may be contributing to their illnesses. While lifestyle risks like smoking or alcohol are commonly recognized, fewer people are informed about the health risks of everyday environmental exposures. Most physicians are not trained to address these risks — medical education often omits environmental health. However, climate-related health threats, such as extreme heat, are rising rapidly. For instance, heat-related deaths in people over 65 have increased by 167% since the 1990s due to the climate crisis.
• Empowerment begins by asking more relevant questions in clinical encounters, such as “Where do you live?”, “Do you have mould in your home?”, “What is your occupation?”, “Do you live near heavy traffic or industry?”, “Are pesticides used near where your children play?”, etc. These questions can initiate crucial conversations and bring invisible risks to light, and enable individuals and communities to advocate for healthier environments.
• Health professionals should leverage their trusted status to influence policy and public infrastructure. Through initiatives like the EEHYC, young professionals, including future healthcare workers and policymakers, are trained to integrate environmental health into their work.
• Some environmental health risks, especially those involving low-dose chemical exposures during sensitive developmental windows (e.g., pregnancy, early childhood), manifest only later in life, and “safe exposure levels” defined by regulations often fail to reflect biological realities. Other concepts, such as the “cocktail effect” of multiple exposures, and air pollution’s impact on neurodevelopment, must inform both clinical practice and regulation.
• Clinical care alone is thus insufficient if patients return to environments that perpetuate disease. A broader societal dialogue involving policymakers, educators, industries, and interdisciplinary communities is therefore needed. Environmental health is fundamentally about justice, human dignity, and ensuring that future generations can grow up in environments that support, rather than undermine, their well-being.

Giulia CARLINI | Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)

• The main regulations and policies at the global level addressing endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) include the chemicals and waste conventions (BRS and Minamata), the potential of the future Plastics Treaty, whose negotiations will take place in Geneva in August, where countries could restrict plastic chemicals of concern, and the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) whose predecessor, SAICM, already recognized EDCs as an issue of concern.
• Despite existing efforts, the chemicals and waste conventions require increased funding and more robust implementation, as they currently address only a small fraction of the thousands of chemicals produced by industry. The BRS Conventions, for instance, cover a limited scope, and similar limitations apply to the potential impact of the future plastics treaty on preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially considering that scientists have identified over 16,000 plastic chemicals, more than 25% of which are hazardous, while hazard data remains undisclosed for the vast majority. Additionally, the GFC remains a voluntary instrument, making it crucial to maintain focus on issues of concern like EDCs and chemicals in products, while also pushing for stronger, binding legislation to effectively address these challenges.
• Solutions and actions should focus on continuing to implement and strengthen existing global instruments by applying key principles such as the precautionary principle, the polluter pays principle, the right to information, and ensuring transparency and traceability of chemicals. A global plastics treaty should be adopted to reduce plastic production and ban chemicals of concern. It is also essential to continue bridging the gap between the health and environmental communities by fostering collaboration through joint events involving UNEP, WHO, environmental and health organizations, practitioners, and Ministers of Health and the Environment. Additionally, valuable lessons can be learned from the WHO on preventing conflicts of interest, such as those revealed in the recent “Forever Lobbying Project,” where investigative journalists in Europe uncovered disinformation campaigns and lobbying efforts surrounding the hazardous ‘forever chemicals’ PFAS.

Bayimkhanim MAMMADOVA | UN Azerbaijan Youth Advisory Council (UNYAC)

• At the Children and Youth Pavilion at COP29, 3 key topics closely related to youth participation were addressed. The first focused on the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, engaging global leaders to discuss youth-led climate initiatives. The second, the Finance, Investment, and Trade Day, explored the economic aspects of climate action, particularly for young entrepreneurs and activists. Lastly, the Human Capital, Children and Youth, Health and Education Day centered on incorporating the perspectives of children and youth into climate policies, with an emphasis on health and education impacts.
• In addition to high-level discussions, the Azerbaijani government signed its first declaration on children, youth, and climate action. This marks the first framework aimed at accelerating child and youth-centered climate policies, and UNICEF is now collaborating with governments and stakeholders in Azerbaijan to implement this declaration.
• Under the guidance of a youth champion on the COP29 presidency team, UNYAC organized the first-ever Youth Climate Camp, bringing together over 70 educators from more than 30 countries. During the camp, UNYAC hosted two side events, focusing on the importance of youth engagement, participation, and how to incorporate youth perspectives into governmental decision-making processes.
• A key achievement of the event was Azerbaijan’s adoption of an outcome document emphasizing the need for parliaments to address the needs of the groups most affected by climate change, especially vulnerable populations such as women and youth. Article 18 of the document calls on parliaments to integrate climate education into all levels of education and promote training programs and public awareness initiatives aimed at equipping individuals with knowledge, skills, and values necessary for behavioral change.
• The role of young people in addressing climate change and its impact on public health can be broken down into three stages. First, advocacy and policy influence are essential for progress. Youth-led campaigns can hold governments accountable, ensuring that climate mitigation strategies, like the transition to renewable energy, prioritize health outcomes. Second, community engagement and behavior change are crucial, with efforts such as public awareness training, community networks, and educational collaborations. At COP29, this was reflected in the event’s sustainable approach, such as using eco-friendly materials and reducing printed materials. Finally, innovation and grassroots solutions play a vital role, exemplified by the collaboration of over 70 educators from more than 30 countries.

Simon HERTEELER | Coordinator, UNECE ESD Youth Platform

• The key issue for young people is the need to shift the blame. Too often, youth are seen as solely responsible for their own health. However, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are shaped by numerous external factors, including historical influences and ingrained habits. Young people are affected by NCDs often because of policies implemented decades or even centuries ago. For example, younger generations are not to blame for issues like microplastics and deforestation, but they will bear the consequences.
• Similar to the approach taken with alcohol, there should be clear warnings when purchasing items like cars or houses, alerting buyers to their potential negative impacts on health.
• We need to move away from the notion that every health issue today is solely an individual’s fault, as the current system is also structured around agribusinesses and industrial communities. As long as this remains unchanged, young women, girls, older women, and other groups will continue to be unfairly held individually responsible for issues that may not be theirs to control.
• Additionally, the way major conventions are organized needs to be reconsidered. If decisions are made in advance, what is the purpose of having youth perspectives, pavilions, or other forms of participation if they weren’t involved in the discussions leading up to those agreements? There is a pressing need to address the lack of inclusivity in policymaking. Youth engagement should mean having a meaningful voice that influences policy changes, rather than being excluded from decisions already made.

Video

Live on Webex.

GEN @ RFSD 2025

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Documents

• Presentations made during the event

Links

• 2025 Regional Forum on Sustainable Development
• One Health