Background
Five decades after the 1972 United Nations Conference in Stockholm made the link between environment and poverty and placed it in the forefront of the international agenda, Stockholm invites the world again to an International Forum under the theme “Stockholm+50: A healthy Planet for the Prosperity of all – Our Responsibility, Our opportunity” on 2-3 June 2022.
The “Stockholm+50” meeting is coordinated by UNEP and co–hosted by Kenya, Sweden, UNDP and other UN agencies. The meeting envisions an action-oriented outcome focusing on recommendations and messages at all levels, an outcome that mobilizes the global community, strengthens cooperation and innovation.
In light of this aim United Nations Development Programme will arrange, in partnership with ISWA, the International Solid Waste Association and Avfall Sverige, the Swedish Waste Management and Recycling Association, an official side event of “Stockholm+50” focusing on the waste management, an urgent issue to be addressed at the local and municipal levels to achieve Sustainable Development Goals and to fight climate change.
Waste management has been a longstanding public concern due to its impact on human health, the environment and socio-economic development. The linear economy paradigm has resulted in increasing consumption of products made of virgin material and low level of recycling or reuse of important resources. It is estimated that waste generation will increase by 70% in 2050. At least 33% of this waste is mismanaged globally through open dumping or burning. More than two billion people lack access to waste collection and only a small fraction of plastics used in packaging applications is reusable. The climate, environment and social impact of the current global waste management system is immense.
Local authorities, municipalities, cities, and central governments play pivotal roles for waste management. Municipal waste management is a service of general interest; thus, all citizens should have equal access to waste management.
This side event will support the aspiration to a systematic change in waste management practices in developing countries towards zero-pollution and zero-waste societies to achieve a healthy planet and prosperity of all. We also aim to mobilize partnerships to support the achievement of this goal.
The side event will bring together Mayors of several cities and representatives of international and local organizations active on municipal waste management to discuss the issues faced, outline solutions, and forge new partnerships to tackle the issue.
Physical location
Stockholmsmässan, Room 5
Livestreaming
https://youtube.com/video/cHV7JknLRSE/livestreaming (will go live during the side event)
https://www.facebook.com/events/3269883363232657/ (will go live during the side event)
Agenda of the side event
(75 minutes)
Moderator: Mr. Tony Clark
First session: Visions and actions in tackling solid waste issues globally (30 minutes)
- Our responsibility and opportunity on waste management, Mr. Tony Clark, Managing Director at Avfall Sverige (5 min).
- Present global situation on waste, Mr. Carlos Silva, President ISWA, (8 min).
- Introduction of UNDP Zero Waste Offer, Ms. Xiaofang Zhou, Principal Technical Advisor, Chemicals and Waste, UNDP (5 min).
- Innovative Solutions to Reduce Plastic Waste and Marine Litter: Opportunities and Challenges, Dr. Mary Matthews, Ocean Advisor and Manager of Ocean Innovation Challenge (OIC) (5 min, remote participation).
Second session: Roundtable Panel Discussion on challenges and opportunities (45 minutes)
Panelists (each one has 5 min for intervention)
- Dr. Abdulla Naseer, Minister of State, Maldives
- Mr. Kavydass Ramano, Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mauritius
- Mayor of Kigali, Rwanda
- Costa Rica (tbd)
- Ms. Katarina Luhr, Vice Mayor of Stockholm, Sweden
- Ms. Maria van Berlekom, Head of unit for global cooperation on environment, SIDA, Sweden
Dear Ian,
Thank you very much for your excellent comment! Obviously, the challenges that you highlighted for Small Islands Developing States are very relevant (including the space restrictions you mentioned) and hopefully these dimensions will be addressed, and some solutions proposed, during Thursday’s event. You may have noticed that we will have the privilege of having the Minister of State of the Maldives participating in the panel, who will, I am sure, talk to these specific challenges. We will also learn about the UNDP Ocean Innovation Challenge project currently implemented in the Maldives on developing a new Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for plastic waste - please see: https://oceaninnovationchallenge.org/ocean-innovations/developing-epr-s…. I know that representatives from Mauritius (the Minister had to cancel his participation unfortunately) and other SIDS will be participating as well in the event.
I would also like to highlight a programme of high relevance to the issues you are raising, which is the GEF ISLANDS programme, which will address the avoidance of generation and imports of products and waste containing the most hazardous substances controlled by international treaties and find cooperative optimal solutions to treat such substances already present in the SIDS. The GEF ISLANDS programme is supported by the Global Environment Facility and coordinated by UNEP - Seychelles is part of its Indian Ocean regional project, which is directly supported by UNDP, in cooperation with the Indian Ocean Commission. We will be happy to benefit from your commitment to the project objective! The programme will be globally launched at the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions' joint COP in June in Geneva. More information can be found here on the knowledge portal: https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/initiatives/gef-islands.
Finally, I would like to refer to a recent UNDP publication, on Transitioning to Circular economy through Chemicals and Waste Management, which you may find of relevance - as it focuses on the upstream solutions, including avoidance and reduction of waste. Hopefully you will find this framework interesting: https://www.undp.org/publications/transitioning-circular-economy-throug….
Thank you again, and hoping you can join the event on Thursday, remotely or in person!
Best regards,
-- Etienne
(copying colleagues Charlotte De Bruyne Ajiniyaz Reimov Mary Matthews Khristine Gudczinski Jie Pan Monica Gaba Kapadia Martin Cadena)