"Our climate is collapsing. The signs have never been clearer." — António Guterres
"On Earth Hour, millions of people around the world switch off the lights to shine a light on the plight of our planet. This year, I invite you to be one of them." — António Guterres
"A fair, just, equitable, and urgent transition from dirty fossil fuels to clean energy is essential to avoid the worst of climate chaos and spur sustainable development." — António Guterres
During a two-day Model United Nations simulation conference, students from various universities across Austria came together at the Vienna International Centre (VIC) to discuss different aspects of environmental migration to find common ground and come up with solutions.
A large number of young people took part in the UN Climate Change conference in Dubai – COP28 – among them two youth delegates, Pavol Beblavý from Slovakia and Rok Dolenc from Slovenia. They shared their experience of being at COP28 with us.
Addressing crimes that affect the environment is key to mitigating and adapting to climate change, highlighted the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at the start of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (COP 28).
Over the last couple of years inflation has caused a cost-of-living crisis across large parts of the world. Some fearmongeres have used the hardship this has caused billions of people to propagate rhetoric that climate change action is unaffordable and running against the interests of ordinary people. Nothing could be further from the truth.
From 30 November to 12 December 2023, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will take part in the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
"Air pollution is a global emergency. Ninety-nine per cent of humanity breathes air laced with soot, sulphur and other toxic chemicals, with low- and middle-income countries suffering the highest exposures." — António Guterres
"The ocean is the foundation of life. It supplies the air we breathe and food we eat. It regulates our climate and weather. The ocean is our planet’s greatest reservoir of biodiversity. Its resources sustain communities, prosperity and human health around the world. Humanity counts on the ocean. But can the ocean count on us?" — António Guterres
"This World Environment Day is a call to beat plastic pollution.
Every year, over 400 million tons of plastic is produced worldwide – one third of which is used just once." — António Guterres
The planet is experiencing a dangerous decline in nature as a result of human activity. It is experiencing its largest loss of life since the dinosaurs. One million plant and animal species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades.
"On the International Day for Biological Diversity, we reflect on our relationship with humanity’s life-support system." — António Guterres
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs promotes international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space and in the utilization of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development. Climate action is among the key priorities of the Office in the quest to maximize access to space benefits for everyone, everywhere. The visit to the United Nations premises in Vienna of Dr Katherine Calvin, NASA’s Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Advisor offered a unique opportunity to pick her brain about these topics.
Urgent climate action can secure a liveable future for all, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
The solution lies in climate resilient development. This involves integrating measures to adapt to climate change with actions to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions in ways that provide wider benefits.
From 19 – 20 February 2023, an international policy hackathon on Climate Justice took place at the Vienna International Centre, organized by the Austrian Non-Governmental Organization, Südwind, in co-operation with UNIS Vienna.
The Ciné-ONU Vienna screening of “THE TERRITORY”, gave an immersive on-the-ground look at the tireless fight of the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people against the encroaching deforestation brought by farmers and illegal settlers in the Brazilian Amazon.
Water flows through all major global issues; from health to hunger, gender equity to jobs, education to industry, disasters to peace.
For that reason, it has to be made an integral part of all global meetings to do with making the world a better, safer and fairer place. Right now, this is not the case.
This year’s UN Climate Conference takes place in Sharm el-Sheikh, against a backdrop of extreme weather events worldwide, an energy crisis propelled by the war in Ukraine, and scientific data reiterating that the world is not doing enough to tackle carbon emissions and protect the future of our planet.
Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27, over 100 participants joined the screening of this powerful film that tells the story of climate change through the visual impact of one of the planet’s most important and yet critically threatened resources – glaciers.
