UNEP seeks more protection for environmentalists and more environmental news

President of COP26 asks countries to fulfill their commitments

On May 5, the president of COP26, Alok Sharma, and the president of COP25 (which took place in 2019), Carolina Schmidt , asked all countries to comply with the commitments made in the Ambition Alliance. Climatic, or that, if they do not belong to the Alliance, they join it. This happens in the framework of the preparation of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26) in Glasgow .

The main objective of the Climate Ambition Alliance is to bring together countries, cities, regions, companies and investors in order to work towards achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. It is also attentive that the signatory countries of the Paris Agreement go in management with its compliance with the Agreement .

According to Sharam and Schmidit, “the leadership of governments and non-state actors starts our path to net zero. But it is not enough […] We are currently very far from what science tells us is necessary in the course of this decade. Together we must go further and faster to ensure we build a healthier and more sustainable future, one that respects the natural systems that sustain our existence and provides dignity to all humanity. "

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Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, supported the call of the COP presidents, and assured that " 2021 will be the most important year for the international response to climate change since the beginning of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. All efforts during the year will culminate in COP26, which must be a success. "

Colombia opts for environmentally friendly fuels

Recently, the Government of Colombia announced that the percentage of biodiesel in fossil fuel will go from 10% to 12% , this in order not only to improve the quality of the fuels used in the country, but also to be more responsible with the environment. Atlántico, Antioquia, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Guaviare, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca and Bogotá, the capital of the country , are the places where this mixture of B12 will begin to be used.

According to Diego Mesa, Minister of Mines and Energy, " With the increase in mixtures to B12, Colombians will have more environmentally friendly fuels and better air quality, contributing to the fulfillment of the goal that we have set ourselves as a country. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 ".

UNEP seeks more protection for environmental leaders

In the speech prepared for the entry into force of the Escazú Agreement at ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), celebrated that the Agreement be the first to demand from the signatory states guarantees in the protection of environmental defenders in the region .

Andersen assured that " Unscrupulous companies in the agribusiness, oil, gas and mining sectors have carried out regular and constant attacks against environmental defenders . These are also the industries that contribute the most. climate change and biodiversity loss through deforestation and increased carbon emissions. We therefore urge all governments to also keep their promises under the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity. "

It also reaffirmed the support from UNEP and ECLAC in the implementation of the Agreement.