Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3 October 2024 – G20 Environment and Climate Ministers, convened in Rio de Janeiro, adopted a landmark Declaration reaffirming their commitment to address some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges.
The Ministerial Declaration calls for urgent actions in four key areas: Adaptation to climate change, Oceans, Payment for Ecosystem Services, Waste and Circular Economy.
Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions, welcomes the commitments made by the G20 Ministers, as reflected in the Declaration, especially those focusing on reducing waste generation, increasing the environmentally sound waste management, and mobilizing new and additional resources to support developing countries to improve their waste management and combat illegal traffic of wastes.
“I express my sincere appreciation to the Brazilian G20 Presidency for prioritizing Waste Management and Circular Economy in this year’s G20 agenda. I commend the G20 nations for their strong commitment to accelerate actions to address the global waste and pollution crisis, which is essential in our fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. Tackling the pollution crisis must continue under the Basel Convention and other key multilateral environmental agreements, like the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, which are pivotal in driving global action forward in this area” said Payet.
At the request of the Brazilian G20 Presidency, the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions contributed to the G20’s Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group, providing key insights on the global waste crisis and highlighting the critical role of multilateral environmental agreements - such as the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions - in addressing these challenges, while contributing to climate action and biodiversity preservation.
View the entirety of the Rio de Janeiro G20 Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Climate Sustainability here.
View the Statement by the Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions on the Rio de Janeiro G20 Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Climate Sustainability here.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The G20 is the main forum for international economic cooperation. It plays an important role in defining and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues. For more information about Brazil’s G20 Presidency, please visit: https://www.g20.org/en
The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS Secretariat) brings together the three leading multilateral environmental agreements that share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes.
http://www.brsmeas.org/
For media inquiries, contact: Maria Cristina Cardenas, Senior Policy and Strategy Advisor of the BRS Secretariat, maria-cristina.cardenas@un.org