By: Mr. Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, 3 October 2024, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Excellency Minister Marina Silva
Ministers, Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
It is an honour to address this Ministerial Meeting of the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group.
I extend my sincere gratitude to the Brazilian Presidency and for prioritizing Waste Management and Circular Economy as well as commend the G20 member states and invited countries for their commitments to take decisive actions.
As indicated by Inger Andersen, ED of UNEP earlier today, we also need to give attention to multilateral agreements addressing the pollution crisis, such as the Montreal Protocol, Minamata Convention, and the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.
Waste management remains an enormous global challenge, with 2.7 billion people lacking proper collection services and 40% of municipal solid waste not properly managed worldwide. Poor waste management contributes up to 17% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and 22 million tons of plastic wastes into the oceans every year. This crisis is expected to worsen, if there is little or no action, with municipal waste generation projected to increase by 56% by 2050.
Aside the environmental and health benefits of pollution reduction, we know that many waste streams can be a valuable resource in the transition towards a circular economy.
It is, therefore, essential to continue emphasizing the pollution agenda and its solutions to address other pressing environmental challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss and ocean conservation.
The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions will have its triple conference of the Parties from 28 April to 9 May 2025, and priority wastes streams, such as plastic wastes; e-wastes; household waste; batteries will be addressed, as well as consideration of new dangerous chemicals may be listed for elimination or stricter control.
Under the theme “Make Visible the Invisible”, the High-Level Segment will bring together ministers to guide the future of the world’s efforts to protect human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes. I thus warmly extend the invitation to all ministers and high-level government representative present today to attend the High-Level Segment during the 2025 BRS COPs.
In closing, I once again thank the G20 for its leadership to these vital global issues.