The United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA) is the world’s “highest-level devision making body on the environment”. It aims to address both the sustainable development goals (SDGS) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The UNEA was created in June 2012 after members called for a strengthened UN Environmental Assembly to be formed.
Video 1: A video from the UNEP, highlighting its history and function.
Video 1: A video from the UNEP, highlighting its history and function.
In 2014 the UNEA met for the first time having a conversation focused on marine litter. In 2016 at UNEA 2 the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) released a 2016 report called “Marine Plastic debris and microplastics: Global lessons and research to inspire action and guide policy change”. In 2017 at UNEA 3, a resolution on marine litter and micro-plastics was developed. The resolution aimed to create awareness to this issue rather than any permanent solutions. Another product of UNEA 3 was the Marine Litter Myth Portal. This cite helps to debunk some of the more pervasive plastic myths that are present in the discourse.
In 2019 UNEA 4 occurred under the overall theme Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Consumption and Production and most recently due to Covid-19 UNEA 5 just concluded at the end of February. Most recently Canada has declared its support for the latest UNEA agreement which occurred in late February 2022. Circular Economies and different means of increasing circularity within production was a major focus of UNEA5. Furthermore Canadas delegates helped play a key role in developing and releasing the Plastic Toolkit built to assist legislators and policymakers in the development and strengthening of their regulatory frameworks.
<aside> 🌐 “Canada has been facilitating and supporting the creation of a legally binding agreement on global plastic pollution. We will come to the table every day during the negotiations this week in Nairobi, to do what we can to bring countries together on meaningful action on plastic pollution. Our environment, and the many people and communities affected, simply cannot wait—meaningful commitments are needed now. That’s why Canada supports an ambitious, legally binding global agreement on plastics that takes into account the life cycle of plastic pollution.” - The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
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Most United Nation approach of environmentalism that engages with building higher functioning and waste reduction, and pollution cleaning economic systems as a means to addressing climate change, instead of limiting and addressing the current polluters. . This type of policy places the development and ability for individuals to sustain the necessity for life as a priority within all economic policy. This is critiqued by some environmentalist as contradictory as it only further advocates for human materialism and fails to address the cause of many of the environmental issue(Fox, 2019). Data has shown time and time again that the increased economic standing has lead to a higher consumer rate, which could only further much of the problems that we are currently facing with plastic.
Here are some of the key take aways from the UNEA 3 which directly implicate Canada.
On September 11th 2017 Canada joined the United Nation Clean Seas campaign. Canada has the longest coast line in the world therefore this partnership solidifies Canada’s continued efforts to protect marine environments and wildlife. Non-profits like Ocean Wise supported this message and welcomed the further research and funding towards clean ups and labs, that would come from this partnership. In 2019 Ocean Wise published a report presented below. It found that the average Canadian and American laundry machines release 533 tonnes of potentially harmful microfibres into the water every year.
<aside> 👔 "Our coastlines are important environmental links to the diversity of life on our planet and define much of the natural beauty we hold dear. We are firm in our resolve to protect and enhance Canada's coastlines and its oceans, and to play a leadership role internationally in addressing existing and emerging environmental concerns." - Jonathan Wilkinson, Previous Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada
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https://assets.ctfassets.net/fsquhe7zbn68/4MQ9y89yx4KeyHv9Svynyq/8434de64585e9d2cfbcd3c46627c7a4a/Research_MicrofibersReport_191004-e.pdf