By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The United Nations Environment Programme has again lamented what it described as triple planetary crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature and biodiversity loss, and the crisis of pollution and waste, saying it is driven by unsustainable consumption and production.
UNEP Executive Director, Inger Andersen stated this at the launch of the 2024 Global Resources Outlook, where she said countries must work with nature, instead of merely exploiting it.
She said “Reducing the resource intensity of mobility, housing, food and energy systems is essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and ultimately a just and liveable planet for all.
“The Global Resources Outlook tells us what those actions to take to achieve this goal. We should follow them, starting with passing strong resolutions at this Assembly around circularity and responsible extraction and use of metals and minerals.
“This Assembly is considering a set of resolutions that span the triple planetary crisis: the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature and biodiversity loss, and the crisis of pollution and waste. Several of the resolutions place a strong focus on how to start using the resources our planet provides us sustainably and responsibly. This is an item at the top of our must-do list of environmental action.
“Our economies have for too long been built on relentless and senseless extraction, use and dumping of resources. Material and resource use has risen by more than three times over the last 50 years and continues to grow by an average 2.3 per cent each year. Our wasteful use of these materials destroys nature, warms the climate, pollutes ecosystems, feeds inequalities, and, quite frankly, flushes money straight down the toilet.”
