Here's what happened in SUSTAINABILITY in 2022...
2022 had some big wins for sustainability but also saw some pretty serious setbacks.
OVERVIEW
You may remember that 2021 was characterized by a series of high profile cancellations due to COVID-19. Well, 2022 was a year where many of those events were able to happen due to an improvement in the pandemic situation. Now I know that the status of the pandemic is a bit controversial in online discourse so I did want to note that the WHO still has COVID19 classified as an ongoing pandemic but at least 14 countries are now treating it as endemic, and, in most places, many or all of the restrictions have been lifted, which is why many important sustainability events were able to reconvene in-person this year.
FEBRUARY / APRIL - IPCC Reports
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released two additional reports in their current assessment cycle. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this process, effectively every 6-7 years the IPCC does an update on the latest scientific findings around climate change. They are released in three separate editions focused on different climate aspects and then synthesized into one overall report. In August 2021 we got the first release focused on physical science and then in February this year, it released one on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability and in April, the edition on Mitigation. The full 6th Assessment Report is due to be released in March 2023, which I expect to be an important milestone for this coming year.
WORLD EVENT - Russian Invasion of Ukraine (Energy Price Shock + Famine)
In February, Russia invaded Ukraine, which caused extreme challenges to global energy and food systems. Prices of oil and gas went through the roof, which has led to a spike in investment in these energy sources precisely at a time when the science says we need to be moving away from them. However on the other hand, there is reason for hope that this geopolitical shock will push countries to build more renewable energy capacity not only for environmental reasons but also for newfound security impetuses. But, in the short run people in many countries particularly in Europe are struggling to pay heightened energy prices and are bracing for energy shortages this winter. In addition, as Ukraine is an important global bread basket, famine is exacerbated across the world, with the UN estimating up to 345 million people in 82 countries being affected (WFP). Overall, this conflict has demonstrated the adage “there is no sustainable development without peace” by showing how difficult it is to progress on important issues while fighting wars.
FEBRUARY / MARCH - UN Environment Assembly 5.2
At the end of February and beginning of March the UN Environment Assembly or UNEA convened for the second part of their fifth session that was moved due to COVID. In addition the UN Environment Programme celebrated its 50th birthday. There were a number of resolutions out of UNEA 5.2 but the most important was a historic resolution to forge an international legally binding deal to end plastic pollution.
MARCH - EU Taxonomy Act (inclusion of Nuclear and Natural Gas)
On March 9 2022, the European Commission adopted an important Act as part of their EU taxonomy that classifies what can and cannot be referred to as a sustainable investment. Now this might sound a little niche but it was important for two reasons. First, the EU taxonomy is the first attempt to make these kind of rules so it is setting the precedent for many other regions who are trying to regulate how financial products refer to sustainability, and second, because there was massive disappointment from environmental groups on the decision of the Commission to include nuclear and natural gas energy in the list of economic activities covered by the EU taxonomy. Many feel that this was a big blow to moving the space forward whereas others still see it as an important step.
JUNE - WTO Ministerial - Fisheries Subsidies Agreement
In June the World Trade Organization Ministerial that had been postponed twice finally took place and resulted in a 10 point deal called the Geneva package which included a number of sustainability elements, for example there were items on intellectual property around vaccines, and food insecurity. But the big news in that package was the finalization of a long-hard fought agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. The agreement sets new global rules to curb harmful subsidies and protect global fish stocks in a manner that also recognizes the needs of fishers in developing and least-developed countries. And notably it is the first WTO agreement to place environmental sustainability at its core.
JUNE - Stockholm +50
In June as well, we saw the Stockholm+50 international meeting which was a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Conference on the Human Environment, which is largely considered the birth of the modern environmental movement.
JULY - UN Resolution on “The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment”
Not long after that in July the UN General Assembly passed a non binding resolution that everyone on the planet has a right to a clean and healthy environment and called on states to step up efforts to protect nature.
WORLD EVENTS - Roe v. Wade and Pakistan Floods
Over the summer we unfortunately saw some tangible and clear examples of our lack of climate action and inability to protect women’s rights. In the US, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade (News Channel 5), effectively limiting millions of women’s abilities to obtain reproductive rights and care after decades of such protections. And in Pakistan record flooding lead to the deaths of 309 people, displacement of over 600,000, and economic losses estimated to exceed $30B USD (Disaster Philanthropy).
NOVEMBER - COP27 - Loss and Damage Fund
In November the Climate COP convened in Egypt and negotiators reached a breakthrough agreement to provide “loss and damage” funding for vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters (UNFCCC). Governments also agreed to establish a ‘transitional committee’ to make recommendations on how to operationalize the new funding at COP28 next year. Parties also agreed to operationalize the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage, in order to catalyze technical assistance to developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change..
DECEMBER - Iran removed from the UN Commission on the Status of Women
In December, Iran was ousted from the UN Commission on the Status of Women for the remainder of its four-year term ending in 2026. Twenty-nine of 54 members of the UN Economic and Social Council voted to expel the country over the regime’s crackdown on protests calling for gender equality (The Guardian).
DECEMBER - COP15 - Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
And finally, the year wrapped up with COP15 for the Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal this December, an event that was also postponed twice due to the pandemic. It was a difficult and tense two-week negotiation but parties did end up adopting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a historic package of measures that addresses loss of biodiversity and the need to restore natural ecosystems. The agreement contains visionary goals for 2050 and 23 interim targets for 2030 to preserve and restore nature, protect biodiversity and prevent extinction of species (Carbon Trust). The GBF’s centrepiece is its “30x30” target to conserve at least 30% of the world’s lands, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans, and to restore 30% of already degraded terrestrial and marine environments.
SUMMARY
There were some pretty notable setbacks this year - the Ukraine invasion, roll back of women’s rights in numerous regions, and the impacts of climate change showing themselves in full force - but there were also some bright spots. The fishery subsidies deal, loss and damage funding, and the Global Biodiversity Framework have all been stuck in negotiations for years so seeing them reach outcomes is very positive and what I will choose to focus on when I look back at 2022.
Keep Learning
Here are a few great resources for further reading and learning: