European Union

On Wednesday, delegates to the seventeenth meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-17) continued their discussions under the theme: “marine debris, plastics and microplastics.” Discussion panels took place throughout the day on the topic: “challenges, lessons learned, best practices and way forward to prevent, reduce and control pollution from marine debris, plastics and microplastics.” In the morning, delegates heard six presentations on: the UNEA-2 outcome on marine debris; the role of the World Bank’s Pollution Management and Environmental Health (PMEH) Trust Fund in strengthening solid waste management to protect marine environments; scaling recycling through zero-interest loans to cities and investments in waste companies; market-based and design change solutions to address the impact of lost and discarded fishing gear; and market-focused sustainable packaging initiatives. In the afternoon, delegates heard six presentations on: characterization of marine debris in Peru; perspectives from Ocean Conservancy; innovative technologies used in the work of The Ocean Cleanup foundation; creative solutions for Pacific plastic pollution; ways of partnering with urban youth on upstream solutions, civic action, media and messaging to reduce plastic marine debris and microplastics; and the way towards an improved framework to prevent marine plastic debris. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 17th Meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-17) - Marine Debris, Plastics and Microplastics. Our summary is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Presentations L-R: Co-Chair Nicholas Emiliou, Cyprus; Co-Chair Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru; and Alice Hicuburundi, Secretary, ICP-17 L-R: Jeff Wooster, Dow Chemical Company; Elizabeth Hogan, Global Ghost Gear Initiative; and Rob Kaplan, Closed Loop Fund L-R: Richard Northcote, Covestro; Georg Caspary, World Bank; and Heidi Savelli, UNEP Global Programme of Action (GPA) Richard Northcote, Covestro Georg Caspary, World Bank Heidi Savelli, UNEP GPA Richard Northcote, Covestro, presented initiatives of plastic markers in support of marine litter prevention and waste management. Rob Kaplan, Closed Loop Fund Elizabeth Hogan, Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) Jeff Wooster, Dow Chemical Company Rob Kaplan, Closed Loop Fund, said that cities spend US$ 5 billion annually to truck, barge and rail waste to landfills, and highlighted opportunities for savings and revenue generation through recycling. Elizabeth Hogan, GGGI, discussed how GGGI's Working Group 3 is trying to make it economically viable to remove ghost gear from ocean waters. Jeff Wooster, Dow Chemical Company, underscored the need for multi-stakeholder partnerships to improve materials management. Isaías Medina Mejías, Venezuela John Brincat, EU Angel Horna, Peru Gina Guillén-Grillo, Costa Rica Jo Høvik, Norway Michel Djimgou Djomeni, Cameroon John Brincat, EU, in conversation with Natalie Morris-Sharma, Singapore Kimo Goree, IISD, with Johanna Eriksson, Sweden L-R: Stefan Kuuskne, Valentina Germani, and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS L-R: Karen Raubenheimer, University of Wollongong, Australia; Debby Lee Cohen, Cafeteria Culture; and Camden Howitt, Sustainable Coastlines L-R: Andreas Merkl, Ocean Conservancy; Arturo Alfaro Medina, Institute for the Protection of the Environment (VIDA), Peru; and Julia Reisser, The Ocean Cleanup Andreas Merkl, Ocean Conservancy Julia Reisser, The Ocean Cleanup Arturo Alfaro Medina, VIDA, Peru Julia Reisser, The Ocean Cleanup, presented technologies that her organization uses for extracting, preventing and intercepting plastic pollution. Karen Raubenheimer, University of Wollongong, Australia Camden Howitt, Sustainable Coastlines Debby Lee Cohen, Cafeteria Culture Camden Howitt, Sustainable Coastlines, presented creative solutions for plastics pollution in the Pacific. W. Davies Sohier, US Thembile Joyini, South Africa Judith Neumann, Germany Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria Sigrid Lüber, Ocean Care Angel Horna, Peru and Michel Djimgou Djomeni, Cameroon Diego Alejandro Albareda and Verónica Cáceres Chamorro, Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles (IAC)

On Tuesday, delegates to the seventeenth meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-17) continued their discussions under the theme of “marine debris, plastics and microplastics.” In the morning, delegates heard six presentations on the topic of “environmental, social and economic dimensions of marine debris, plastics and microplastics, and progress made in preventing, reducing and controlling pollution from marine debris, plastics and microplastics.” The discussions focused on: ecotoxicological impacts of microplastics on marine organisms; sea turtles and plastic debris in South America; risks posed by marine microplastic and nanoplastic debris to human health; considerations in the transition to a new plastics economy; monitoring of microplastics and hazardous chemicals in water, sediment and biota; and risk-based approaches to evaluating the environmental impacts of marine plastic pollution at local, national and global levels. In the afternoon, delegates heard seven presentations on “challenges, lessons learned, best practices, and way forward to prevent, reduce and control pollution from marine debris, plastics and microplastics.” The discussion focused on: different perspectives, including Indonesian and Jamaican experiences; the importance of local government ownership of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 14 on oceans; activities of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ‘Marine Debris Program’; a regional seas approach to prevent, reduce and control pollution from marine debris; international and national implementation processes of the G7 Action Plan to combat Marine Litter and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive; and regional action plans for prevention and reduction. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 17th Meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-17) - Marine Debris, Plastics and Microplastics. Our summary is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Presentations L-R: Tamara Galloway, Exeter University, UK; Hideshige Takada, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology; Andrew Booth, SINTEF Materials and Chemistry; Co-Chair Nicholas Emiliou, Cyprus; Co-Chair Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru; Alice Hicuburundi, Secretary, ICP-17; Diego Alejandro Albareda, Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles (IAC); Britta Denise Hardesty, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia (CSIRO); and Nishan Degnarain, World Economic Forum (WEF) Andrew Booth presented on the ecotoxicological impacts of microplastics on marine organisms. Slide from a presentation by Alejandro Albareda, IAC Scientific Committee depicting plastic ingestion of sea turtles Andrew Booth, SINTEF Materials and Chemistry Tamara Galloway, Exeter University, UK Diego Alejandro Albareda, IAC Tamara Galloway explained that microplastics can be ingested through uptake across the digestive system, following accumulation in the liver and gallbladder. Nishan Degnarain, WEF Hideshige Takada, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Britta Denise Hardesty, CSIRO Britta Denise Hardesty suggested a risk framework could be a useful lens for addressing the impact of marine debris on wildlife and fish. Hideshige Takada discussed monitoring of microplastics and hazardous chemicals in water, sediment and biota. Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius Sigrid Lüber, Ocean Care Jo Høvik, Norway Angel Horna, Peru Rana Burley, Canada Penny Race, New Zealand L-R: Co-Chair Nicholas Emiliou, Cyprus; Co-Chair Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru; and Alice Hicuburundi, Secretary, ICP-17 L-R: Jo Høvik, Norway, in a discussion with Andrew Booth, SINTEF Materials and Chemistry Delegates from the Philippines with (L-R) Maricris Laciste, Rose Raga, Vicky Tada, Mayor Belen Fernandez, Ana Christina Sinlaw, and Ryan Ravanzo L-R: John Brincat, EU; Sidney Kemble, the Netherlands; and Sae Horikawa, Japan Arif Havas Oegroseno, Deputy Minister, Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Indonesia Belen Fernandez, Mayor of Dagupan City, the Philippines Anthony Glenroy McKenzie, National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Jamaica Judith Neumann, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany Johanna Eriksson, Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management Nancy Wallace, NOAA, US Nilufer Oral, Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey Fredrik Haag, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Yolannie Cerrato Corrales, Honduras Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Mexico L-R: Peter Thomson, Fiji, incoming President of the 71st UN General Assembly, with Semisi Seruitanoa, Fiji

The seventeenth meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-17) opened on 13 June 2016 at the UN Headquarters in New York, under the theme: “Marine debris, plastics and microplastics.” In the morning, delegates heard opening remarks from: Co-Chair Amb. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra; Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel; Lenni Montiel, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), on behalf of Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs; and Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, UN Office of Legal Affairs (UNDOALOS). Statements by countries and regional groups followed. In the afternoon, Co-Chair Amb. Nicholas Emiliou invited delegates to participate in a discussion panel on “the environmental, social and economic dimensions of marine debris, plastics and microplastics and progress made in preventing, reducing and controlling pollution from marine debris, plastics and microplastics.” Presentations were given on: insights from the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) report on microplastics; insights from the World Ocean Assessment; an overview of land-based sources of marine debris; marine pollution originating from purse seine and longline fishing vessel operations in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean; collection of ship waste in Belgian seaports; and the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) work to address marine debris, plastics and microplastics. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 17th Meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-17) - Marine Debris, Plastics and Microplastics. Our summary is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Opening Plenary L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Lenni Montiel, Assistant-Secretary-General for Economic Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA); and Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Co-Chair Amb. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS Lenni Montiel, Assistant-Secretary-General for Economic Development, DESA L-R: Co-Chair Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru; Alice Hicuburundi, Secretary, ICP-17; Charlotte Salpin, Deputy Secretary, ICP-17; and Dmitry Gonchar, UNDOALOS Mahlatse Mminele, South Africa, on behalf of the African Group Chulamanee Chartsuwan, Thailand, on behalf of G-77/China Sidney Kemble, EU Ahmed Sareer, Maldives, on behalf of Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Margo Deiye, Nauru, on behalf of Pacific SIDS Florian Botto, Monaco L-R: Prim Masrinuan, Thailand, in a conversation with Joseph Appiott, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Sae Horikawa, Japan Sergey Leonidchenko, Russian Federation Lizanne Aching, Trinidad and Tobago John Arbogast, US Natalie Morris-Sharma, Singapore Jo Høvik, Norway Delegates from Indonesia Presentations L-R: Co-Chairs Amb. Nicholas Emiliou, Cyprus, and Amb. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru Slide presentation of Lorna Inniss, Coordinator, UNEP, Caribbean Regional Coordinating Unit, showing the various marine litter vortices in our oceans Slide presentation of Jenna Jambeck, Associate Professor, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, showing plastic wastes from land into the ocean Jenna Jambeck, Associate Professor, College of Engineering, University of Georgia Lorna Inniss, Coordinator, UNEP, Caribbean Regional Coordinating Unit Kelly Richardson, Former Marine Debris Consultant, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Slide presentation of Kelly Richardson, Former Marine Debris Consultant, SPREP, showing the effects of land-based litter to the ocean environment Stefan Micallef, Director, Marine Environment Division, IMO Peter Van den Dries, Policy Advisor, Flemish Waste Agency Gina Guillén-Grillo, Costa Rica Peni Suveinakama, Fiji Christine Prekezes, HELMEPA

In the morning, participants heard reports on the outcomes of the discussion on the thematic sessions. On the green economy, Marc Chardonnens, State Secretary for the Environment, Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland, reported on key messages, including: the need for strong political will to overcome challenges; support for natural resource accounting, regular review and long term analysis; inter-ministerial and cross-sectoral integration into legal frameworks and mechanisms; deployment of ESD and increased public awareness to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation; provision of public funding to leverage and scale up market based instruments and removal of harmful subsidies; and identification of the significance of the water, food and energy nexus. On air quality and human health, Maria Krautzberger, President, German Environment Agency, observed that participants recognized the significant economic impacts of air pollution, including on human health and agricultural productivity, and that, in spite of progress, serious challenges remain to be addressed. She highlighted particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, ground-level ozone, methane, black carbon, and greenhouse gases (GHGs) as the main pollutants. She identified transport, energy, residential wood burning and agriculture as the main sectors that are sources of pollutants. Participants then adopted the Batumi Ministerial Declaration by acclamation. Many welcomed the Ministerial Declaration and praised pan-European cooperation. The Netherlands, on behalf of the EU and its Member States, called for implementation and action to achieve tangible results and underscored the role of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement to provide renewed momentum for action in the UNECE region. UNEP described the BIG-E as an unprecedented commitment and an example to the world. The US urged countries to prioritize efforts to address air quality and incorporate them into development planning. During a closing session, UNECE Executive Secretary Bach described the Eighth EfE Conference as the culmination of five years of joint work since the Seventh EfE in Astana. He reflected that the EfE process has played a role in translating the SDGs into concrete policies, actions and plans and expressed hope that the process will also contribute to follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda. Bach concluded by thanking Georgia for its warm hospitality and all participants. Chair Agulashvili thanked participants and praised the Conference results, expressing hope that their implementation will contribute to achieving the SDGs and enabling future generations to live in a healthy environment. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and daily reports from the 8th Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference. In addition, IISD Reporting Services will produce a summary report of the conference on Monday, 13 June 2016. Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Reporting on the Outcomes of the Discussions Under the Thematic Sessions A view of the room from the stage Marc Chardonnens, State Secretary for the Environment, Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland, reported on the green economy segment Maria Krautzberger, President, German Federal Environment Agency, reported on the air quality segment Shamil Huseynov, Azerbaijan John Matuszak, US Maria Silina, European Eco Forum Edwin Koning, the Netherlands The youngest delegates at the 8th EfE Ministerial Conference Nodirjon Yunusov, Uzbekistan Elena Vasilyeva, European Eco Forum Vladimir Ivlev, the Russian Federation Srdan Matic, World Health Organization Jan Dusík, Director, Regional Office for Europe, UNEP UNECE Executive Secretary Bach signed a Joint Statement in support of Efforts on the Reforestation and Afforestation in the Aral Sea Basin, part of the third Aral Sea Basin Programme (ASBP-3), between UNECE and the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. Delegates consulting informally Delegates during a break Christian Friis Bach, Executive Secretary, UNECE, delivered final remarks Chair Gigla Agulashvili, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Protection, Georgia, closed the meeting at 1:04 pm. Members of the UNECE Secretariat and the Host Country Secretariat posed for a family photo after the conclusion of the meeting Around the Venue Teimuraz Murgulia, First Deputy Minister, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection, Georgia, being interviewed by the media Jozef Turok, Forest Europe, looking at the IISD Reporting Services website L-R: Catherine Wahlén, ENB Writer; Tasha Goldberg, ENB Writer; Christian Friis Bach, Executive Secretary, UNECE; Diego Noguera, ENB Digital Editor; and Laura Russo, ENB Writer

The Eighth Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference opened on Wednesday, 8 June 2016, in Batumi, Georgia. The meeting convened under the theme ‘Greener, Cleaner, Smarter!’ In the morning, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Georgia, welcomed participants to the Conference, underscoring the importance of the EfE process as a platform for international cooperation on environmental issues and Georgia's commitment to a green economy and sustainable development. Christian Friis Bach, Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), called for the EfE process to continue to reach tangible achievements to help implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and take bold decisions at this Conference on the proposed Batumi Initiative on the Green Economy (BIG-E) and the Batumi Action for Cleaner Air (BACA). Ambassador Tomáš Pernický, Czech Republic, said the SDGs provide an opportunity for common ground for EfE activities. Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), highlighted the second UN Environment Assembly’s (UNEA-2) resolutions on inclusive green economy and air quality and called on EfE participants to take actions to tackle air pollution and foster a green economy. In the morning and afternoon, a plenary session and interactive discussion took place on ‘The environment dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: moving forward in the pan-European region.’ During discussion, participants focused on: cross-cutting issues; education, water and health; responsible consumption and production; and industry, innovation and infrastructure, among other topics. Participants also addressed, ‘Keeping the pan-European environment under review,’ including a discussion of progress in establishing the Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS) in support of regular reporting in the pan-European region and key findings and policy messages of the European regional assessment of the Sixth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6). In the evening, participants attended a reception and cultural event at the State Musical Centre of Batumi, hosted by the Government of Georgia. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports, daily digital coverage and a summary report from the 8th Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference. Our summary report is available in HTML or PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page + Visit the web coverage for wednesday, 8 June 2016 Opening of the Conference The 8th Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference opened with a video of a sand-box show illustrating the Conference themes. Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Prime Minister, Georgia Christian Friis Bach, Executive Secretary, UNECE Archil Khabadze, Chairman, Government of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara, Georgia Ambassador Tomáš Pernický, Czech Republic Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director, UNEP L-R: Christian Friis Bach, Executive Secretary, UNECE; Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Prime Minister, Georgia; and Chair Gigla Agulashvili, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Protection, Georgia Opening of the Conference Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director, UNEP, moderated the session Khayrullo Ibodzoda, Tajikistan Andrei Kovkhuto, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Belarus Giannis Tsironis, Alternate Minister of Environment, Greece Chair Gigla Agulashvili, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Protection, Georgia Delegates celebrated 20 years of successful implementation of the ECE Environmental Performance Review Programme Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Prime Minister, Georgia, being interviewed by the media. Keeping the Pan-European Environment Under Review Andrei Kovkhuto, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Belarus, addressed participants on the topic ‘From Astana to Batumi: Developing the Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS) Across the Pan-European Region’ Hans Bruyninckx, Executive Director, European Environment Agency (EEA), addressed participants on the topic ‘The European Environment Agency and Milestones in the European Union and European Neighbourhood Implementation of SEIS’ Delegates discussed the value of SEIS in a video presentation. John Matuszak, US Guenter Liebel, Director General of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management of Austria, presented on SEIS and air quality Inga Podoroghin, State Secretary of Environment of Republic of Moldova, presented on SEIS and the green economy’ Marat Anuarov, Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, presented on ‘Opportunities, Challenges and Priorities on the Road Towards 2030, Including Monitoring of SDGs’ Launch of Regional Assessment GEO-6 Jan Dusík, Director, Regional Office for Europe, UNEP Christian Friis Bach, Executive Secretary, UNECE Matthew Billot, UNEP Regional Office for Europe Participants during a break L-R: Philippe Pypaert and Michel Ricard, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Delegates consulting Norbert Kurilla, State Secretary of Environment, Ministry of Environment, Slovakia Cristiana Pasca Palmer, Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests, Romania Panelists of the session on “Towards a New Society: 10 Years of Education for Sustainable Development” Around the Venue Local musicians entertained delegates at lunch time Musicians before the start of the conference.