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As early as 1995, the Beijing Platform called for the active involvement of women in decision making; the integration of gender concerns and perspectives in policies and programmes with sustainable development; and the establishment of mechanisms at all levels to undertake a gender impact…
Georgia is taking further steps towards the development of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and environmental impact assessment (EIA) systems that will help it in its efforts towards sustainable development. On 23 September, the draft law on EIA and SEA, which is now compliant with the…
Increasing demands for land and other natural resources, construction of environmentally hazardous installations and industrial accidents put people exercising their rights and seeking justice at the new frontline in the battle for the sustainability of their communities and the future of their…
What is the best way to effectively identify and notify the public concerned about proposed activities affecting the environment? Are countries providing early public participation when all options, including the “zero” option (doing nothing), are genuinely open? Is it right if at public…
A recent study published in The Lancet found that almost the whole world's population was exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution in 2019, with only a mere 0.001 percent breathing air that contains fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at concentrations lower than what the World Health Organization…
Climate change, the loss of biodiversity and air and water pollution are among global environmental challenges that affect everyone. Public rights to timely access to information, especially with regard to environmental impacts and hazards, and to inclusive public participation in environmental…
How can improved environmental performance promote economic growth while ensuring environmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources, supporting countries’ progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?These are among the key objectives of UNECE…
Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) can be instrumental in the transition towards the green economy. This was the key message delivered by three European environment ministers, UNECE, the European Commission, the Netherlands Commission on Environmental Assessment and civil society…
From the Sandoz chemical spill of 1986 in Schweizerhalle, Switzerland, to the rupture of a dam storing mine tailings containing cyanide in Baia Mare, Romania, 2000; and last year in Beirut, the explosion of ammonium nitrate stored in warehouse near residential areas, what these chemical and…
By enhancing transparency and accountability, Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) can play a central role in promoting peaceful and inclusive societies and good governance (Sustainable Development Goal 16) across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. PRTRs can also make an…
The tenth meeting of the Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-making under the Aarhus Convention (Geneva (hybrid), 10–11 October 2022) focused on effective public participation in decision-making in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and on health-related issues…
Systemic deficiencies with regard to access to information, decision-making or compliance with environmental law can seriously threaten successful implementation of circular and green economy and sustainable development. Taking a case to court to advance a widely shared public interest remains an…
Policies that support cycling not only contribute to the fight against air pollution and greenhouse gases and boost health, but can also go a long way in creating jobs as part of the transition to a Green Economy, participants heard at a side event in Batumi.
An estimated 435,000…
For some time now, Uzbekistan has been engaged in various activities under the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention).
An international round table entitled “Aarhus Convention: Effective…
With climate and biodiversity loss heading the news these days, another problem related to the planet we all share is often forgotten: air pollution. Air pollution has an enormous burden on public health, ecosystems, climate, and ultimately, the economy. Globally, the World Health Organization (…
Countries in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe are stepping up efforts for their sustainable energy transition with ambitious plans and policies, aiming to significantly cut CO2 emissions and advance implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris…
2016 Aarhus week - How the Aarhus Convention contributes to sustainable development The three pillars of the UNECE Aarhus Convention - access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters - are universal environmental rights…
Every day there are hazardous chemical substances released into the environment from industrial or agricultural sites that can affect our daily lives. Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) help to effectively record these pollutants and make this information accessible to the public…
The participants in the twenty-second meeting of the Working Group of the Parties to the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention), held in Geneva from 19 to 21 June 2018, considered a wide…
All too often we take the air we breathe and share for granted. Only when we breathe very polluted air, when we can smell and see the pollution, do we realize that the air around us is a precious good that needs to be protected, much like the water we drink. On the International Day of Clean Air…
Ambition turns into practice in BudvaThe transformation of our world starts today. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and environmental democracy are at the centre of the Meetings of the Parties to the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making…
The public and civil society have a crucial role to play in tackling key environmental challenges. To make the most of this potential, continued efforts are needed to uphold their rights to shape environmental decision-making.
To this end, the Working Group of the Parties to the Convention on…