Environment | Maeeshat

Plastic pollution needs to be curbed: UN Environment head

by admin | May 25, 2021 | Interviews

Erik Solheim

By Vishal Gulati,

New Delhi : Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats and countries need better waste management to cope with the sheer quantity of plastic rubbish that is fouling the waters and environment, says United Nations Environment head Erik Solheim.

“Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats the planet is facing right now,” Solheim emphasised.

Sample these startling facts about plastic pollution: Every year the world uses 500 billion plastic bags. Fifty per cent of the plastic we use is single-use or disposable. Each year, at least eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans, the equivalent of a full garbage truck every minute.

In the last decade, the world produced more plastic than in the whole of last century.

“We’re throwing up to 13 million tonnes of plastic waste into the oceans each year, and in the next decade that could double . We’re turning the oceans into a plastic soup,” the UN Under-Secretary-General told IANS in an exclusive online interview.

“This has to stop, and right now, because it’s harming marine life and ending up in our own food and water supplies. If it’s not resolved, this is a problem that will come back to bite us. It’s also a problem that’s difficult to clean up.

“We’d like to see a mass mobilisation of people around the world and big clean-ups. These are important because no amount of clean-ups can solve this issue. We need upstream change, that means a change in the way we use plastic,” Solheim, who is coming to India, a host to UN Environment-led global event World Environment Day on June 5.

“Beat Plastic Pollution”, the theme for World Environment 2018, urges governments, industry and individuals to explore sustainable alternatives and reduce the production and excessive use of single-use plastic polluting oceans, damaging marine life and threatening human health.

“We need consumers to pause and examine their relationship with plastic. If we look at our daily lives, there is so much single-use and throwaway plastic that can easily be eliminated and replaced with sustainable alternatives. If enough people do this, it translates into colossal consumer power!” Solheim said.

For companies, he says: “Then we want industry to innovate, to find sustainable alternatives and embrace the idea of extended producer responsibility — by which a manufacturer takes responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their product.”

“I strongly believe that the companies that innovate now will be the winners of the future.”

“We also want governments to drive this change through legislation, and ensure we have strong enforcement. It’s about ensuring manufacturers have the necessary incentives in place to do the right thing.”

There’s no single, magic solution to enforce a ban on single-use pet bottles or straws. Every minute we buy one million plastic bottles globally, according to the UN Environment.

“It’s clear that we need better waste management to cope with the sheer quantity of plastic rubbish. But let’s not see this as just a litter problem. We need to stop wasteful practice and to do that bans on certain single-use plastic items are helpful,’ he said.

“Ultimately, though, we need changes in design. We need to see sustainable alternatives emerge on the market to replace so much of the wasteful plastic products that we use.”
Yes, India needs more Afroz Shah, not only for clean-up oceans but also for rivers and mountains.

“Afroz Shah is a great inspiration, not only for India but for the entire world. So yes, we do need more people like him! What is important is not just the quantity of litter that has been collected, but that a powerful message has been sent around the world and that this message has been heard!”

Shah, a young lawyer from Mumbai, and his volunteers have removed around 13 million kg of waste since 2015 in what the UN has called “the world’s largest beach cleanup project”.

Solheim is optimistic that India can act as a catalyst for curbing pollution.

“Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi recently said it would be a crime against future generations not to take action on climate change.

“India, therefore, carries a strong moral argument. In addition, India is among the nations that stand to suffer the biggest impact from climate change; so it’s important that it acts as a powerful voice for action on the global stage,” he said.

“India is also innovating, and that’s what I think will be its biggest act of leadership: showing climate action can also unlock incredible economic gains,” he added.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in )

—IANS

Tackling smog needs clear, decisive leadership: UN Environment head

by admin | May 25, 2021 | Interviews

By Vishal Gulati,

New Delhi : There’s no magic solution to the smog problem in the Indian capital as it’s caused by a variety of factors, United Nations Environment head Erik Solheim has said, adding: “The key here is providing clear, decisive leadership on the issue.”

It’s the same in New Delhi, Manchester, London, Beijing or Nairobi. Citizens and politicians have to breathe the same air. It’s possible to build a strong consensus for action to opt for low-carbon solutions.

“Delhi’s smog problem is caused by a variety of factors. These range from agricultural burning, the burning of waste, transport, construction and power generation, among others,” Solheim told IANS in an online interview from Nairobi, which is hosting the UN Environment Assembly next week.

He said the priority is really to establish a scientific basis for action, using air quality monitoring technology to identify the precise sources of pollution.

“Policymakers can then use that data to prioritise areas of action and plan future change. The key here is providing clear, decisive leadership on the issue. Given the public health concerns, anyone taking firm action can be sure of winning public support,” he observed.

Ahead of the third session of the UN Environment Assembly, where world leaders are gathering for the largest global meeting on pollution, an optimistic Solheim said there’s a need for action on transport to curb emissions.

Transport accounts for nearly 18 per cent of all emissions worldwide, and over 90 per cent of the sector is still dependent on carbon-intensive fossil fuels.

“We need action on transport for two reasons. The transport sector, be it on land, in the air or at sea, is a major contributor to emissions and a driver of climate change. It’s also a big cause of pollution, with an immediate detrimental impact on the health of hundreds of millions of people,” Solheim said.

“We have started to see a shift to low-carbon solutions, but this needs to speed up. I’m convinced that the days are numbered for the internal combustion engine, with many nations now committing themselves to a time-bound phase-out of petrol and diesel vehicles,” he said.

“But we really need to see more innovation and change in the air transport and shipping sectors.”

The UN Environment Assembly, with 193 nations as its members, aims to deliver commitments to end the pollution of air, land, waterways and oceans and to safely manage chemicals and waste.

According to Solheim, what’s happening in many cities around the world is criminal, and people deserve far better.

“Living in a city should not mean being condemned to poor health and an early death. On the positive side, both policymakers and citizens are increasingly aware of the issue, and especially the costs to health, to productivity and to the environment.

“It’s possible to build a strong consensus for action. The benefit here is that action on tackling poor air quality in cities is also a big part of the action we need to take on climate change,” he said.

On stepping up action to fight oceanic pollution, he said: “Beach clean-up initiatives are fantastic because they are a very useful tool to highlight the sheer scale of the problem and they help galvanise public support for change.

“But ultimately, we have to stop plastics getting into the oceans in the first place. For this we need stronger political leadership on the issue. Better waste management, incentives for recycling and producers taking more responsibility for where their products end up.”

Solheim, an admirer of Indian lawyer Afroz Shah’s commitment and passion for clean seas, says his model of cleaning beaches can be replicated for the rest of the world.

For Solheim, the solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions lies in steering electricity sector transformation towards green technology.

China and India are both undergoing extraordinary change, and the shift to renewables in both the countries has been one of the most promising trends of recent years.

“I’m convinced that both nations will emerge as global energy leaders if they continue on this path,” said Solheim, who recently tried out one of the bicycles delivered by Mobike that will be available for delegates to move around during the UN Environment Assembly.

He believes the bike aims to provide affordable and clean transport solutions for the cities.

(Vishal Gulati is travelling to Nairobi at the invitation of United Nations Environment Assembly to cover its third annual session. He can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

—IANS