United Nations (UN) member states and organisations have been given another two months deadline to submit written statements to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the advisory opinion on the obligations of states on climate change.

 New tool will make it easier for countries to measure ecosystems

New York, 29 April 2021 – An innovative artificial intelligence (AI) tool that will make it easier for countries to measure the contributions of nature to their economic prosperity and well‑being was launched today by the United Nations and the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3).

Developed by the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and BC3, the new tool can vastly accelerate implementation of the new ground-breaking standard for valuing the contributions of nature that was adopted by the UN Statistical Commission last month.

The tool makes use of AI technology using the Artificial Intelligence for Environment and Sustainability (ARIES) platform to support countries as they apply the new international standard for natural capital accounting, the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) Ecosystem Accounting.

The new open-source and user-friendly digital tool, called the ARIES for SEEA Explorer, enables, for the first time, rapid and standardized yet customizable ecosystem accounting anywhere on Earth.

“The ARIES for SEEA Explorer is a game changer for governments that want to implement the recently adopted SEEA Ecosystem Accounting standard,” stressed Stefan Schweinfest, Director of the Statistics Division. “This application allows countries to jump-start accounts compilation from global data sources, which they can refine with national data or model parameters.”

The ecosystem accounts produced by countries will track the extent, condition and services provided by nature’s ecosystems – such as forests and wetlands – in the form of physical and monetary accounts and indicators. The adoption of the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting has been heralded as a historic step forward for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to move beyond GDP in tracking global progress.

Bert Kroese, Deputy Director for Statistics Netherlands and Chair of the UN Committee of Environmental-Economic Accounting said, “The ARIES for SEEA Explorer will give countries a much-needed tool to make progress with the SDGs and the monitoring framework of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Its low barrier to entry will ensure that no country is left behind when it comes to ecosystem accounting.”

Risenga Maluleke, Statistician-General of Statistics South Africa and Chair of the UN Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science for Official Statistics said, “The launch of the ARIES for SEEA Explorer on the UN Global Platform is an important step to mainstream the measurement of ecosystems and their contribution to the economy and wellbeing into global, regional and domestic statistics that will feed into policy and decision making. Better measures of nature will contribute to better policies to save our planet.”

Building economic systems that value nature as a central source of human wellbeing, environmental health and economic prosperity in the post-COVID-19 world is essential, according to Susan Gardner, Director of UNEP’s Ecosystems Division. “Having technology that incorporates and integrates the latest data, models and understanding of nature’s contributions through natural capital accounting will facilitate well-informed nature positive decision-making from businesses and governments – driving tangible action on biodiversity loss and climate change and a sustainable future for all,” she said.

The new platform could lead to greater collaboration. Ferdinando Villa, Ikerbasque Professor and Lead Investigator of ARIES at BC3, added, “There is a growing global demand for sustainable management of our natural resources, and to achieve this, scientists and decision-makers need to collaborate more and more. AI-based tools like the ARIES for SEEA Explorer hold the key to a future where open integration and reuse of knowledge, by both, is possible.”

The ARIES for SEEA Explorer is available on the UN Global Platform: a cloud-service environment supporting international collaboration among all countries in the world by sharing scientific knowledge, data, methods and technology.

A number of countries have already started using the ARIES for SEEA Explorer. The Explorer will continue to be expanded in the near future, by adding the functionality to derive indicators that allow to assess progress towards SDGs and the emerging post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

The Department helps countries translate their global commitments into national action in the economic, social and environmental spheres. It is a leading analytical voice for promoting inclusion, reducing inequalities and eradicating poverty, and a champion for tearing down the barriers that keep people in poverty.

About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

About Basque Centre for Climate Change

The Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) is an international interdisciplinary research centre based in Bilbao for the study of climate change promoted by the Basque Government to promote science and research.

For more information please contact

William Speller, United Nations Environment Programme
Helen Rosengren, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Amelia Ochoa Escala, Basque Centre for Climate Change

Source: https://www.unep.org/ 

At least 155 states recognize their citizens have the right to live in a healthy environment, either through national legislation or international accords, like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Despite those protections, the World Health Organization estimates that 23 per cent of all deaths are linked to “environmental risks” like air pollution, water contamination and chemical exposure.

Statistics like that are why the United Nations Human Rights Council recently passed a resolution reaffirming states’ obligations to protect human rights, including by taking stronger actions on environmental challenges.

Here are some of the ways that a compromised planet is now compromising the human right to health.

1. The destruction of wild spaces facilitates the emergence of zoonotic diseases.

Photo: Shannon Stapleton, Reuters

The alteration of land to create space for homes, farms and industries has put humans in increasing contact with wildlife and has created opportunities for pathogens to spill over from wild animals to people.

An estimated 60 per cent of human infections are of animal origin. And there are plenty of other viruses poised to jump from animals to humans. According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, “as many as 1.7 million unidentified viruses of the type known to infect people are believed to still exist in mammals and waterfowl. Any one of these could be the next ‘Disease X’ – potentially even more disruptive and lethal than COVID-19.”

2. Air pollution reduces quality of health and lowers life expectancy.

Air pollution - Photo: Unsplash / Photoholgic​

Across the globe, nine in 10 people are breathing unclean air, harming their health and shortening their life span. Every year, about 7 million people die from diseases and infections related to air pollution, more than five times the number of people who perish in road traffic collisions.

Exposure to pollutants can also affect the brain, causing developmental delays, behavioural problems and even lower IQs in children. In older people, pollutants are associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. 

3. Biodiversity loss compromises the nutritional value of food.

A lady tends to her rice paddy, Photo: UNEP / Lisa Murray

In the last 50 years alone, human diets have become 37 per cent more similar, with just 12 crops and five animal species providing 75 per cent of the world’s energy intake. Today, nearly one in three people suffer from some form of malnutrition and much of the world’s population is affected by diet-related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. 

4. Biodiversity loss also reduces the scope and efficacy of medicines.

Natural products comprise a large portion of existing pharmaceuticals and have been particularly important in the area of cancer therapy. But estimates suggest that 15,000 medicinal plant species are at risk of extinction and that the Earth loses at least one potential major drug every two years.

5. Pollution is threatening billions worldwide.

Many health issues spring from pollution and the idea that waste can be thrown “away” when, in fact, much of it remains in ecosystems, affecting both environmental and human health.

Water contaminated by waste, untreated sewage, agricultural runoff and industrial discharge puts 1.8 billion people at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio. Methylmercury – a substance found in everyday products that contaminate fish – can have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems when consumed by humans. And a growing body of evidence suggests that there is a cause for concern about the impact of microplastics on marine life and the food web.

As well, every year, 25 million people suffer from acute pesticide poisoning. And glyphosate – the world’s most widely-used herbicide– is associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers.

Even medicines can have a negative impact as they infiltrate ecosystems. A 2017 UNEP report highlighted that antibiotics have become less effective as medicine mainly because of their widespread use. About 700,000 people die of resistant infections every year.

6. Climate change introduces additional risks to health and safety.

The last decade was the hottest in human history and we are already experiencing the impacts of climate change, with wildfires, floods and hurricanes becoming regular events that threaten lives, livelihoods and food security. Climate change also affects the survival of microbes, facilitating the spread of viruses. According to an article published by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, “pandemics are likely to happen more frequently, spread more rapidly, have greater economic impact and kill more people.”

The 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council recently passed a resolution calling on states to conserve, protect and restore ecosystems, describing them as crucial to human health and wellbeing. Some 69 states committed to engaging in a dialogue to recognize the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. 

During the council session, 15 UN entities, including the United Nations Environment Programme, delivered a joint statement expressing their support for the global recognition of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

The resolution came just ahead of the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, a global effort to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide.

For more information, contact Angela Kariuki: angela.kariuki@un.org

Source: https://www.unep.org 

 Papua New Guinea's prime minister has called on developed nations to show more care towards island states impacted by climate change.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and the United Nations' Resident Co-ordinator Gianluca Rampolla cut cake at a Partnership Dialogue in Port Moresby to mark 75 years of existence of the UN, 3 November 2020.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and the United Nations' Resident Co-ordinator Gianluca Rampolla cut cake at a Partnership Dialogue in Port Moresby to mark 75 years of existence of the UN, 3 November 2020. Photo: PNG PM Media

James Marape was speaking at a Partnership Dialogue to mark 75 years of existence of the United Nations.

The prime minister called for greater international collaboration to address the impacts of climate change in the Pacific.

While he cited PNG's own low-lying atolls and coastal areas, he also singled out Micronesian and Polynesian Islands as being particularly vulnerable.

According to him, having caused the greater environmental damage, nations with advanced economies owe "a little bit more care" and restitution to Pacific island states.

He urged the UN to facilitate discussions on greater assistance to islands states impacted by climate change and for technologies that can help them reclaim land.

"I ask the United Nations to coordinate this discussions without fear or favour," he said at the Dialogue event at APEC Haus in Port Moresby.

"If the UN is to advance into the next 75 years, carry the rights of every member states, including the Smaller Island States, the right to leave on their own land and not immediately look at relocation."

Marape said the collective carbon foot prints of Smaller Island States were nothing compared to the carbon footprint of industrial nations.

"I would like to press on here, on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, that advanced nations owe a little bit more care and restitute [sic] to the low lying atolls and coastal areas of our country and the Smaller Island States of the Pacific Region."

Marape said that as well as PNG he was speaking for the 15 other smaller Pacific Island states.