Environment: What’s Up in GENeva in July | 6 July – 3 August 2020

The Geneva Environment Network weekly newsletter includes updates on global environmental agenda, main events, jobs and learning opportunities, and other useful news. The newsletter goes monthly in July and will be back weekly from 4 August. During the COVID-19 pandemic lock-down, live events organized by organizations around the world, contributing to the global environmental agenda, have also been included. Stay tuned and follow us also on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or visit our website regularly for additional updates.

Environment @ HRC44

The 44th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC44) is taking place in Geneva from 30 June to 21 July 2020. Last week, the High Commissioner presented an oral update on the human rights impact of COVID-19. The Annual full-day meeting on the rights of the child, took place on 1st July, and focused on the theme: Realizing the rights of the child through a healthy environment. The High Commissioner and others insisted that

It is time for global recognition of the human right to a healthy environment – recognition that can lead to stronger policies, at all levels, to protect our planet and our children.

This week, on 8 July, the Council will hold a panel discussion on promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of climate change.

Find out more on reports, resolutions, new appointments, and other news on environmental-related topics, as well as who to follow at this session…

COVID-19 and the Environment

The COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis that affects everyone. As the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said

The pandemic has exposed the fragility of our societies and economies to global shocks, such as disease or climate disruption. As we recover, we must build back better for people and for the planet.

The Secretary General keeps reminding us, that we have a framework for action – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and has launched the UN Comprehensive Response to COVID-19.

This month again, various events will focus on how we can recover better from the pandemic, consult the full list in the events section. Our Update on COVID-19 and the environment lists relevant information, research, data and press releases on the environmental origins and impacts of the pandemic. Among the press releases and articles issued last week:

GENeva Environment Dialogues | The Impact of COVID-19 on Climate Science | Geneva Environment Network (with WMO, IPCC and GEO) | 2 July 2020
The biodiversity leader who is fighting for nature amid a pandemic | Smitri Mallapaty | nature | 30 June 2020
Nature is sending us a message: Biodiversity loss and wildlife trade as causes of pandemics – German Ministry for the Environment (BMU) | John Scanlon | 29 June 2020
Airlines’ climate obligations postponed as UN body endorses industry proposal | Chloé Farand | Climate Home News | 1 July 2020
Air pollution likely to make coronavirus worse, say UK government advisers | Damian Carrington | The Guardian | 1 July 2020
The plastic pandemic is only getting worse during COVID-19 | Jacob Duer (Alliance to end plastic waste) | WEF | 1 July 2020

Green Summer in Geneva

We have prepared a list of suggestions of environmental awareness activities to safely entertaining this summer in Geneva: exhibitions, workshops, shows, contests, outdoor activities and online resources. This page is regularly updated and was retained by Hedi News / Geneva Solutions.

What (Else) Should I Read Next?

Global E-waste Monitor 2020 | ITU, UNU-UNITAR / SCYCLE, ISWA | July 2020
The report predicts global e-waste will reach 74 Mt by 2030, almost double the 2014 figure, fueled by higher electric and electronic consumption rates, shorter lifecycles and limited repair options.
New Studies: Microplastics found in fruit and veg | Plastic Soup Foundation | 26 June 2020
Microplastics are contaminating the fruit and vegetables we eat, according to two separate scientific studies published in June 2020.
Can smarter subsidies curb an unhealthy appetite for fishing? | Svet Lustig| Heidi News / Geneva Solutions | 2 July 2020
“If we don’t set aside our differences in these negotiations, we will wake up one day and find there are no longer any fish over which to argue.” Rockwell
Hundreds of elephants are mysteriously dying in Botswana – a conservationist explains what we know | Vicky Boult (University of Reading) | The Conversation | 3 July 2020
To date, it’s thought that the death toll stands at nearly 400 elephants of both sexes and all ages.
Group Smuggling e-Waste to Africa Busted in Spanish Islands | The Associated Press | 20 June 2020
Spanish authorities announced that they had dismantled a criminal network that smuggled some 2,500 tonnes of waste, including discarded and hazardous electronic equipment,