Last updated: 03 Jun 2022

In 1972, countries from around the world gathered in Stockholm for the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment around the motto “Only One Earth”. Fifty years on, the motto is as pertinent as ever – Earth is our only home, and humanity must protect it. This year, countries will meet again to reflect on the progress made over the last five decades and harness ambition to tackle biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution. What can we expect from Stockholm+50? How is the Geneva community engaged in this major event for people and the planet? Learn more below!

Stockholm+50

Five decades after the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment made the link between environment and poverty and placed it at the forefront of the international agenda, Stockholm welcomes the world again on 2 – 3 June 2022 for “Stockholm+50: a healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility, our opportunity” (Stockholm+50). This international conference will commemorate the watershed moment that the 1972 conference represents, and reflect on the current situation we find ourselves, through addressing the intergenerational responsibility, focusing on the implementation opportunities, and recognising interconnectivity between stakeholders and between policy issues. The event will provide leaders with an opportunity to draw on 50 years of multilateral environmental action to achieve the bold and urgent action needed to secure a better future on a healthy planet.

Highlights

Stockholm+50 is an opportunity to achieve and call upon bold and urgent action needed to secure a better future on a healthy planet. We have highlighted moments from this historic occasion. Stay updated as well through the UN News and IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily coverage on the two-day Conference.

Secretary-General Urges Countries to Embrace the Right to a Healthy Environment

At the opening of the Stockholm+50, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked that we face a triple planetary crisis today because we have not “kept our promises” on the environment, made during the historic Conference on the Human Environment fifty years ago.

Calling on countries to recommit – in words and deeds – to the spirit of responsibility enshrined in the 1972 Stockholm Declaration, the Secretary-General urged governments to embrace the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, which was first recognized at the 48th session of the Human Rights Council.

Global well-being is in jeopardy, in large part because we have not kept our promises on the environment… At Stockholm+50, I urge countries to embrace the human right to a clean, healthy environment for all people, everywhere – especially poor communities; women and girls; indigenous peoples; young people and the generations to come. 

He appealed to countries as well to act upon the climate crisis. He called on G20 governments to dismantle coal infrastructure, with a full phase-out by 2030 for OECD countries and 2040 for the rest. He called on all financial actors to abandon fossil fuel finance and invest in renewable energy.

Without Action Now, Youth Will Inherit Broken, Unliveable Planet: Leadership Dialogue 1

The first leadership dialogue, convened under the theme “Reflecting on the urgent need for actions to achieve a healthy planet and prosperity of all”, warned how younger generations will inherit a planet that is “broken and unliveable” unless action is taken immediately.

We must be honest that, presented with the best available science, our leaders have denied, delayed, and have shown a cowardly lack of leadership to take action to meet the climate crisis. If this generation of leaders does not act now and fast, it will leave the next generation behind a world that is broken, ravaged and unliveable. – Vanessa Nakata, youth climate activist

To keep the promise of the Paris Agreement, Nakata urged that global leaders should acknowledge that fossil fuel must end – from coal, oil, to gas. She also echoes the Secretary-General that investing in new fossil fuel is “madness”.

John Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, explained how the only way to address the trust deficit in environmental action, is to “get the job done — and we are not, yet.”

The developed world — 20 major economies — produce 80 per cent of global emissions. The reality is that the science is clear on what we need to do. Right now, the leaders of the world are indifferent to these facts… We’re avoiding the potential of having a circular and sustainable economy. The leaders of the world have not earned the trust of the world because they are not making the choice that should be common sense.

He also urged Governments to get serious about accelerating the transition by deploying the technologies available to achieve a 45 per cent emissions reduction in the coming years.

Programme

The conference spans over two days, 2 and 3 June 2022, ahead of World Environment Day. Three leadership dialogues will help catalyze ambition and raising awareness about the importance of protecting our planet and addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, of nature and biodiversity loss, and of pollution and waste.

Stockholm+50 and its preparatory meeting are envisioned as open and inclusive forums that will feature a diverse set of voices to help build a healthy planet for the prosperity of all.

Leadership Dialogues

  1. Reflecting on the urgent need for actions to achieve a healthy planet and prosperity of all
  2. Achieving a sustainable and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic
  3. Accelerating the implementation of the environmental dimension of Sustainable Development in the context of the Decade of Action

Side Events

Side events to Stockholm+50 present top ideas and initiatives on transformative actions that emerged from the discussions. The outcomes of these side events have been organized according to the ten issue areas of the three Leadership Dialogues of Stockholm+50. → Read more about the outcomes.

Associated Events

These are independently organized events that will provide a platform for stakeholders to convene Stockholm+50-related events from around the world.

Preparatory Events

A one-day preparatory meeting, convened by the President of the General Assembly, took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, on 28 March 2022. The objective of the meeting was to consider the preparations for the leadership dialogues and other preparations for the international meeting.

Regional Multi-Stakeholder Consultation meetings will be hosted by UNEP throughout the spring, with the support of GO4SDGs. The regional consultations are open to all major groups, stakeholders, government representatives, and the private sector (accredited or not accredited by UNEP/ECOSOC), to share their actions towards a healthy planet and a sustainable recovery and bring to the table their commitments and pledges for action and implementation. The Europe and North America regional consultation took place on 5 May 2022, 14:00 CEST.

Geneva Stockholm+50 Dialogues

The Geneva Environment Network and partners are organizing a series of events in support of Stockholm+50, showcasing how the Geneva communities contribute to environmental governance and the ambitions developed at this major global conference.

Stockholm+50 and Human Rights | The Human Rights Council Contributions to Protecting Human and Natural Environment

30 March 2022, 14.00 – 15.30 | International Environment House & Online | Earthjustice, Permanent Mission of France, GEN, with sponsorship of Sweden

History

The 1972 Stockholm Conference was a critical milestone for environmental governance, as it was the first world conference to make the environment a major issue. It resulted in the adoption of the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, most commonly known as the Stockholm Declaration. The conference also concluded in the establishment of the UN Environment Programme, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2022.

The Stockholm Declaration

Formulated jointly by industrialized and developing countries, the Stockholm declaration recognizes that humans have achieved an unprecedented power to transform their environment with major impacts on human well being and economic development. Through this document, countries acknowledge the need for a common outlook to inspire and guide the peoples of the world in the preservation and enhancement of the human environment. It contains 26 principles on the relationship between human development and the environment, which may be regarded as one of the foundation stones of the international policy that would come to be known as «sustainable development». The declaration is often seen as the first step toward the development of international environmental law, recognizing the importance of a healthy environment for people.

History made in Geneva

Geneva and its surrounding area have been active in global environmental governance for more than 50 years. Even before the Stockholm Conference and the establishment of UNEP, Geneva has played a key role in global environmental policy. In 1971, a meeting in Founex, up from Lake Geneva, became one of the most important event in preparation for the Stockholm Conference. The meeting resulted in the adoption of the Founex report which connected the dots between development and environment strategies.

Following the Stockholm Conference and the establishment of UNEP, Geneva hosted the first meeting of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme in 1973, as offices in UNEP’s headquarters Nairobi were not yet ready. Throughout the years, many more important and strategic historical meetings have taken place in the region.

Role of Geneva

Still today, Geneva and its surrounding region continue to be an important hub for international environmental governance where various international organizations, permanent governmental missions, non-governmental organizations and other environmental actors have their headquarters. The work carried out by these organizations directly supports the principles of the Stockholm Declaration.

Human Rights and the Environment

Human rights and the environment are intrinsically intertwined: a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is essential in the enjoyment of our human rights; whilst polluted, hazardous and otherwise unhealthy environments potentially violate our human rights. Geneva, as the main international hub on human rights issues, has been active in moving the agenda forward at the nexus of human rights and environment.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 1. Man has the fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being, and he bears a solemn responsibility to protect and improve the environment for present and future generations.

Pollution, Chemicals and Waste

Chemicals and waste are integral to almost all sectors of society, bringing important benefits, however, they can have negative impacts on human health and on the environment. Environmentally sound management of chemicals is essential for living healthy lives and for a healthy planet. With the presence of the UNEP Chemicals and Health Branch and several MEAs on issues related to chemicals and waste, Geneva is a hotspot of expertise and mutlilateral action for a pollution-free planet.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 6. The discharge of toxic substances or other substances and the release of heat, in such quantities or concentrations as to exceed the capacity of the environment to render them harmless, must be halted.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 7. States shall take all possible steps to prevent pollution of the seas.

Nature and Biodiversity

We depend on health and productive ecosystems to meet our basic needs, but biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are expected to continue, or event accelerate. Nature conservation and protection efforts and sustainable management of ecosystems are essential for humans to thrive. Various institutions in the Geneva region place biodiversity at the heart of the action.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 2. The natural resources of the earth, including the air, water, land, flora and fauna and especially representative samples of natural ecosystems, must be safeguarded for the benefit of present and future.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 3. The capacity of the earth to produce vital renewable resources must be maintained and, wherever practicable, restored or improved

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 4. Man has a special responsibility to safeguard and wisely manage the heritage of wildlife and its habitat, which are now gravely imperiled by a combination of adverse factors.

Green Economy

An inclusive green economy is an alternative to today’s dominant economic model, which exacerbates inequalities, encourages waste, triggers resource scarcities, and generates widespread threats to the environment and human health. Such an economy is low carbon, efficient and clean in production, but also inclusive in consumption and outcomes, based on sharing, circularity, collaboration, solidarity, resilience, opportunity, and interdependence. Many organizations in Geneva play a key role in fostering green trade, green jobs, just transition, and circular economy.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 5. The non-renewable resources must be employed in a way as to guard against the danger of their future exhaustion and to ensure that benefits from such employment are shared by all.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 8. Economic and social development is essential for ensuring a favorable living and working environment for man and for creating conditions necessary for the improvement of the quality of life.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 11. The environmental policies should enhance and not adversely affect the present or future development potential of developing countries.

Finance

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the climate commitments under the Paris Agreement will require a significant shift in financial flows toward sustainable economic activities. As a global centre for both environmental governance and finance, Geneva is one of the places where this change is underway, with several institutions fostering the mainstreaming of sustainability into financial market practices.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 9. Environmental deficiencies generated by the conditions of under-development and natural disasters can best be remedied by the transfer of substantial quantities of financial and technological assistance.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 10. For the developing countries, stability of prices and adequate earnings for primary commodities and raw materials are essential to environmental management.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 12. Resources should be made available to preserve and improve the environment.

Peacebuilding

Armed conflicts too often lead to environmental degradation or destruction, with long-lasting effects that contribute to the increased vulnerability of the affected populations. While some rules of international law provide protection to the natural environment and seek to limit the damage caused by it, armed conflicts remains an important cause of environmental damage, leading to food and water insecurity, loss of livelihoods, and biodiversity loss. Meanwhile, natural resources can also facilitate post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery. The protection of the environment and cooperation efforts in that direction can serve to build lasting and sustainable peace. Geneva plays an important role in dialogues around environmental peacebuilding. Most notably, the Second International Conference on Environmental Peacebuilding will take place in Geneva in February 2022.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 26. Man and his environment must be spared the effects of nuclear weapons and all other means of mass destruction.

Science and Education

Timely, scientifically credible, policy-relevant environmental assessments, data and information is critical to support decision-making and action planning for sustainable development. Scientific organizations in Geneva monitor, analyse and report on the state of the global environment, assess policies and trends and provide early warning of emerging environmental threats. Communication, awareness and education around sustainability issues also constitute a important component of various organisations in the region.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 18. Science and technology must be applied to the identification, avoidance and control of environmental risks and the solution of environmental problems.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 19. Education in environmental matters is essential in order to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises and communities in protecting and improving the environment in its full human dimension.

Stockholm Declaration | Principle 20. Scientific research and development in the context of environmental problems must be promoted in all countries, especially the developing countries.

Read more