PAMACC News (NAIROBI, Kenya) Environmental degradation has emerged as a major challenge of the 21st century, threatening communities and increasing poverty. Societies across the globe have continued to suffer from a persistently unfavourable environmental degradation leading to historical climate change disasters especially among vulnearble communties, experts say. In a fragile global context, innovative ideas are needed more than ever to protect and conserve the environment and fight against the effects of climate change says Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UN Environment. It is against this backdrop that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), organised a competition to select the best promising innovative environment projects by young people across the globe. Six projects were finally selected and the winners presented at the ongoing UN Environment general assembly December 5, 2017. The six winners dubbed « Young Champions of the Earth » according to UNEP officials are talented individuals between the ages of 18 and 30 with promising ideas to protect or restore the environment. A press release from UNEP notes that the Young Champions were selected by way of an online public vote and the deliberation of a global jury. The six winners selected from over 600 applicants are, Kaya Dorey from Canada, Eritai Kabetwei- Kiribati, Adam Dixon – UK, Liliana Pazmillo - Ecuador, Omer Badokhon - Yemen and Mariama Mamane from Burkina – Faso. Each of the six winners will receive USD 15,000 in seed funding, mentoring, training to help them realize their environmental ambitions. In a discussion at the award event, the 2017 Young Champions of the Earth shared their innovative ideas geared at creating positive environmental impact. Panelist at the event highlighted the role of global youth in sustainable development and, more specifically, the ways and means to empower youth in decision making processes and harness their creativity to effect change and fight against growing poverty and youth unemployment.. Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment and Ellie Goulding, UN Environment's newest Goodwill Ambassador, joined the conversation with emphasis on what it means to be an environmentalist in 2017. According to UNEP, the selection was very competitive with shortlisted applicants subjected to an online public vote before being considered by a global Jury comprising VICE Media Founder, Suroosh Alvi; She Leads Africa Co-founder, Yasmin Belo-Osagie; UN Environment Head, Erik Solheim; Covestro CEO, Patrick Thomas; and UN Youth Envoy, Jayathma Wickramanayake. Apart from receiving seed-funding, the winners will also get intensive training, tailored mentorship and global publicity to help them bring their big ideas to life. Among the winning projects is that of Mariama Mamane from Burkina Faso who wants to address the energy deficit in Africa and the devastating degradation of cropland caused by chemical fertilizers. Her project, “JACIGREEN", offers an innovative eco-solution to the problem of water hyacinth, which, she says without controlled management, can be devastating for the environment. Water hyacinth she says is an invasive alien species that grows very rapidly in the waterways of the Niger River. Although not inherently harmful, initially purifying the waterway in…

.PAMACC News (NAIROBI, Kenya) The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) has reiterated its commitment to exploring solution pathways to a cleaner and safer African environment, but the organisation requires the necessary resources to walk the talk. The President of AMCEN and Gabonese Minister of Forest, Sea and Environment, Pacome Moubelet Boubeya, told environment journalists at the ongoing UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya December 5, 2017 that the organisation cannot play its role fully without the much needed finance and urged its member-states to clear their outstanding commitments to the conference. Many of the AMCEN member-states have not been paying their annual contributions to the organisation, it was disclosed «We know much is expected from AMCEN and we have a clear plan of action to drive our assigned role but we also need funds to do this, « says Pacome.The President said the organisation was aware of the numerous environment and climate change challenges faced by African countries, promising to make sure they get the necessary support from AMCEN. « Our mandate to accompany African governments, institutions provide advocacy for environmental protection in Africa, ensure that basic human needs are met adequately and in a sustainable manner is very clear, » Pacome explained. He however added that many obstacles lie ahead of the implementation phase of AMCEN action plan, calling on the different governments to work in tandem with the organisation for the interest of Africa. «Africa is rich, endowed with resources. We just need to believe in ourselves and work together to get what we want, » he said. Accordingly, the measures adopted by AMCEN in seeking solutions to environmental concerns in Africa have consistently been participatory and consultative since its inception.The President lauded the achievements of the organisation so far. « The existence of AMCEN today impacts on the manner in which environmental issues are being handled in the region. It has among others contributed to strengthening Africa’s participation and active involvement both in global negotiations and in international agreements on the environment, » he noted. Accordingly regular sessions of AMCEN have been convened every second year since its inception to discuss environmental and development issues. It should be recalled that the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) was established in December 1985, following a conference of African ministers of environment held in Cairo, Egypt. Its mandate accordingly is to provide advocacy for environmental protection in Africa, ensure that basic human needs are met adequately and in a sustainable manner and that social and economic development is realized at all levels. The method adopted by AMCEN in seeking solutions to environmental concerns in Africa has been participatory involving the different stakeholders. The President said they have also been very active at the UN general assembly of high-level policy makers and global experts on environmental management. At the opening of one of the high level sessions, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta lauded the global leadership of sustainable management of the environment. “Working together in the fight against…

PAMACC News (NAIROBI, Kenya) The world today committed to a pollution-free planet at the close of the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, with resolutions and pledges promising to improve the lives of billions across the globe by cleaning up our air, land and water. If every promise made in and around the summit is met, 1.49 billion more people will breathe clean air, 480,000 km (or around 30 per cent) of the world’s coastlines will be clean, and USD 18.6 billion for research and development and innovative programmes to combat pollution will come online. “The science we have seen at this assembly shows we have been so bad at looking after our planet that we have very little room to make more mistakes,” said Dr. Edgar Gutiérrez, Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica and the President of the 2017 UN Environment Assembly. “With the promises made here, we are sending a powerful message that we will listen to the science, change the way we consume and produce, and tackle pollution in all its forms across the globe.” Over 4,000 heads of state, ministers, business leaders, UN officials, civil society representatives, activists and celebrities gathered at the summit in Nairobi, which ran for three days. For the first time at a UN Environment Assembly, environment ministers issued a declaration. This declaration said nations would honour efforts to prevent, mitigate and manage the pollution of air, land and soil, freshwater, and oceans – which harms our health, societies, ecosystems, economies, and security. The declaration committed to increasing research and development, targeting pollution through tailored actions, moving societies towards sustainable lifestyles based on a circular economy, promoting fiscal incentives to move markets and promote positive change, strengthening and enforcing laws on pollution, and much more. The assembly also passed 13 non-binding resolutions and three decisions. Among them were moves to address marine litter and microplastics, prevent and reduce air pollution, cut out lead poisoning from paint and batteries, protect water-based ecosystems from pollution, deal with soil pollution, and manage pollution in areas hit by conflict and terrorism. “Today we have put the fight against pollution high on the global political agenda,” said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment. “We have a long struggle ahead of us, but the summit showed there is a real appetite for significant positive change. “It isn’t just about the UN and governments, though. The massive support we have seen from civil society, businesses and individuals – with millions of pledges to end pollution – show that this is a global challenge with a global desire to win this battle together.”A large part of the impact from the assembly comes from global support. UN Environment’s #BeatPollution campaign hit almost 2.5 million pledges during the event, with 88,000 personal commitments to act. Chile, Oman, South Africa and Sri Lanka all joined the #CleanSeas campaign during the Nairobi summit, with Sri Lanka promising to implement a ban on single-use plastic products from 1 January 2018, step up the separation…

PAMACC News African women attending the ongoing 3rd UN environment assembly also known as UNEA-3 had cause to erupt in rapturous applause as the long-awaited energy entrepreneurship framework for women was launched. President of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and Gabonese Minister of Forest, Sea and Environment, Moubelet-Boubeya launched the African Women Energy Entrepreneurs Framework (AWEEF) on the side-lines of the Global Science Business Forum at the ongoing UNEA-3 holding at the UN office in Nairobi, Kenya. The AMCEN President, who was represented by Alice Kaudia, Kenya’s environment secretary who stood in for Prof Judi Wakhungu, Minister of environment and Natural Resources said the launching was in fulfillment of the AMCEN decision on investing in innovative environmental solutions to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs and AU’s Agenda 2063.According to the minister, the energy entrepreneurship framework will “empower women to engage in accessible, sustainable, affordable and clean energy development and use.”“We the African ministers for environment are committed to finding innovative environment solutions and we pledge to provide the necessary support to this initiative,” she added.Following the successful launch of the African Women Energy Entrepreneurs Framework (AWEEF), participants at the pre-UNEA-3 event committed themselves to promoting the interpretation of the Libreville outcome statement on Women entrepreneurs and sustainable energy in Nigeria.The 10-point commitments, according to UNEP’s Meseret Zemedkun, commit the participants to integrating AWEEF’s vision and values into Africa’s energy stakeholders initiatives; developing programmes and projects in clean and sustainable energy and energy services that are inclusive; developing integrated approaches to creating, social, economic and environmental solutions that will facilitate the achievement of global and regional development frameworks, and deploying AWEEF’s framework to mobilise resources for the implementation of projects, and programmes identified at national and regional levels.Other commitments include encouraging multilateral and financial institutions investments in Africa with a view to appropriating financial resources to women-led, decentralised renewable energy solutions with favourable access modalities; using AWEEF’s framework to coordinate the existing and potential initiatives to build strong partnerships and synergies; provide leadership and incentivize women to be actively involved in the whole energy chain; and promoting enabling policy mechanism informed by gender analysis and age disaggregated data to accelerate the sustainable growth of micro, medium and large women-led enterprises across the energy value chain.The members of the framework which include representatives from African governments, private sector, civil society, research institutions, women entrepreneurs and youths further commit to move from commitment to implementation in the field, complemented by robust monitoring systems; and endorse the diversity of all stakeholders while integrating progressive opinions in to the implementation process of the Libreville outcome statement.A pollution-free vehicle for African womenAgainst the backdrop of significant health and safety challenges African women face in their relentless quest for energy to meet household demands and the widespread energy poverty across the continent, AWEEF recognises women as powerful agents of change in the transition to clean energy. The energy entrepreneurship platform seeks to empower women as essential drivers in the ride to reduce green…