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A new World Health Organization (WHO) report highlights that 5.6 billion people – 71% of the world’s population – are now protected with at least one best practice policy to help save lives from deadly tobacco – five times more than in 2007.

In the last 15 years since WHO’s MPOWER tobacco control measures were introduced globally, smoking rates have fallen. Without this decline there would be an estimated 300 million more smokers in the world today.

This WHO Report on the global tobacco epidemic, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, is focused on protecting the public from second-hand smoke, highlighting that almost 40% of countries now have completely smoke-free indoor public places.

The report rates country progress in tobacco control and shows that two more countries, Mauritius and the Netherlands, have achieved best-practice level in all MPOWER measures, a feat that only Brazil and Türkiye had accomplished until now.

“These data show that slowly but surely, more and more people are being protected from the harms of tobacco by WHO’s evidence-based best-practice policies,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I congratulate Mauritius on becoming the first country in Africa, and the Netherlands on becoming the first in the European Union to implement the full package of WHO tobacco control policies at the highest level. WHO stands ready to support all countries to follow their example and protect their people from this deadly scourge.”

“With a strong political commitment, we have made great progress in tobacco control policies in Mauritius. Our country has adopted the MPOWER strategy and is moving resolutely towards a smoke-free country.” stated the Hon Pravind Kumar Jugnauth​, Prime Minister, Republic of Mauritius.

Maarten van Ooijen, State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sports for the Netherlands said, “Civil society organizations, health experts and medical professionals are strong driving forces behind everything that we are achieving with regard to tobacco control in the Netherlands. They deserve the primary credits for the praise that our country receives from the World Health Organization. Although we are making progress in reducing smoking prevalence and improving our tobacco control policy we also still have a long way to go. Together we will keep fighting for a smoke free generation by 2040!”

Smoke-free public spaces is just one policy in the set of effective tobacco control measures, MPOWER, to help countries implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and curb the tobacco epidemic.

Smoke-free environments help people breathe clean air, shield the public from deadly second-hand smoke, motivate people to quit, denormalize smoking and help prevent young people from ever starting to smoke or use e-cigarettes.

“While smoking rates have been going down, tobacco is still the leading cause of preventable death in the world – largely due to relentless marketing campaigns by the tobacco industry,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries and founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies. “As this report shows, our work is making a big difference, but much more remains to be done. By helping more countries implement smart policies, backed by public opinion and science, we’ll be able to improve public health and save millions of more lives.”

Eight countries are just one MPOWER policy away from joining the leaders in tobacco control: Ethiopia, Iran, Ireland, Jordan, Madagascar, Mexico, New Zealand, and Spain.

There is still much work to be done, 44 countries remain unprotected by any of WHO’s MPOWER measures and 53 countries still do not have complete smoking bans in healthcare facilities. Meanwhile, only about half of countries have smoke-free private workplaces and restaurants.

“WHO urges all countries to put in place all of the MPOWER measures at best-practice level to fight the tobacco epidemic, which kills 8.7 million people globally, and push back against the tobacco and nicotine industries, who lobby against these public health measures,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, WHO, Director for Health Promotion. 

Around 1.3 million people die from second-hand smoke every year. All of these deaths are entirely preventable. People exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke are at risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, respiratory diseases, type 2 diabetes and cancers.

This report demonstrates that all countries irrespective of income levels can drive down the demand for deadly tobacco, achieve major wins for public health and save economies billions of dollars in health care and productivity costs.

Note to the editor:

The ninth WHO Report on the global tobacco epidemic launched today summarizes national efforts to implement the most effective demand reduction measures from the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) that are proven to reduce tobacco use. These measures are known collectively as “MPOWER”.

The MPOWER interventions have been shown to save lives and reduce costs from averted healthcare expenditure. The first MPOWER report was launched in 2008 to promote government action on six tobacco control strategies in-line with the WHO FCTC to:

• Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies.
• Protect people from tobacco smoke.
• Offer help to quit tobacco use.
• Warn people about the dangers of tobacco.
• Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
• Raise taxes on tobacco.

About the World Health Organization

Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. We are the UN agency for health that connects nations, partners and people on the front lines in 150+ locations – leading the world’s response to health emergencies, preventing disease, addressing the root causes of health issues and expanding access to medicines and health care. Our mission is to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.

For more information visit www.who.int and follow WHO on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed US $1.7 billion.

Excellencies, colleagues, and friends.

My sincere thanks to India for warmly hosting us in the beautiful city of Chennai and for providing global leadership during the country’s Presidency of the G20.

With control of 84 per cent of the global economy, G20 nations are the world’s driving force for development and growth. This is a good thing. However, while acknowledging the diversity and different development paths within G20 nations, this strength and influence also makes the bloc largely responsible for many of the environmental issues facing the world today.

Unsustainable production and consumption patterns in the G20 are driving the three environmental planetary crises: the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature and biodiversity loss, and the crisis of pollution and waste. This is indisputable.

Now, the G20 faces a choice. Lead the world down the same high-carbon, resource-hungry path that is threatening to undermine the many gains the G20 has brought and cripple the Sustainable Development Goals. Or lead the world down a new, better path that brings the world into harmony with nature.

By endorsing the high-level principles on Lifestyles for Sustainable Development under the development track, this cycle and the Indian presidency has shown that the G20 is embracing the latter path. My thanks to the Indian Presidency for its commitment.

There are, of course, many areas in which the G20 can lead as it follows the brighter path for humanity it is increasingly committed to. But let us focus on the three themes of this session, which are also UNEP priority areas.

First, climate change

Climate action is the great unifier. Climate change drives desertification, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, poor human health, water scarcity and overall societal insecurity spurring conflict, strife and so much more. So, if the G20 legislates to make zero-carbon choices the norm – in everything from green and efficient energy and transport to nature-based solutions – the whole sustainable development agenda advances. I ask G20 countries to lead with ambitious climate action plans to reduce emissions and protect vulnerable communities from disasters. Plans that are backed with large-scale investment in domestic solutions and financial mechanisms that support developing countries.

Second, the blue economy

Healthy and resilient marine and coastal ecosystems are fundamental to sustainable development. But climate change is warming and acidifying oceans, threatening mass species extinction. Climate action is clearly essential to protect the oceans. We also need to look at everything from sustainable fisheries to boosting ocean ecosystems in the restoration agenda. I commend India’s leadership on the blue agenda in its Presidency and the efforts of G20 in developing High-Level Principles for a Sustainable and Resilient Blue/Ocean-based Economy. And I also ask the G20 to do more to ensure the blue world supports humanity for centuries to come.

Third, resource efficiency and circular economy

As India’s LiFE initiative makes clear, how humanity produces and consumes resources is a major driver of environmental crises. Plastic pollution is a perfect example. This pollution is harming biodiversity. Driving climate change. Damaging human health.

We now have an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee working on a deal to end plastic pollution. This deal, due by 2024, must be nothing less than a complete redesign of products, packaging and the system – to reduce the amount of virgin plastic used and circulate what remains in the economy. The G20 is engaging with this process. However, I ask G20 nations and businesses to get ahead of the game and start innovating on product design and business models now.

Friends,

There are many other action areas, from transforming food systems to integrating nature into decision making. UNEP is, of course, here to support the G20 with science and know-how to make progress in all these action areas. I look forward to working with the Brazilian Presidency as we head towards the sixth United Nations Environment Assembly – at which many decisions will be taken on pressing environmental issues of concern.

But I ask G20 nations not to wait for the next meeting, or agreement or crisis. I ask the G20 to act with urgency to secure their own long-term prosperity. To flex its financial muscle to move investments into low-carbon, nature-positive economic models. To support less-wealthy nations to address the environmental crises facing the world. And to play a leading role in a just transition to a world of peace, prosperity and harmony with nature.

Chemicals: an integral part of plastics

All plastics are made of chemicals, including polymers, additives to make products stronger, softer, colourful or fire resistant, and non-intentionally added substances such as impurities from manufacturing, use and recycling. With the increased production and consumption of plastics worldwide, the production of plastic-associated chemicals has also increased, both in quantity and diversity. 

Plastics have indeed become ubiquitous in our modern life because of their light weight, low cost and versatility. As a result, global plastic production has increased exponentially since the 1950s, reaching about 460 million tonnes in 2019. The continuing growth of the global annual production of primary plastic is currently on course to possibly reaching 1.1 billion tonnes in 2050.

Concerned by the devastating impacts of plastic pollution, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted a historical resolution in March 2022 (UNEA Resolution 5/14), calling for the development of an international legally binding instrument by the end of 2024. The instrument is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastics.

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The 2023 Chemicals in Plastics: A Technical Report by UNEP and the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions aims to inform the global community about the often-overlooked chemical-related issues of plastic pollution, particularly their adverse impacts on human health and the environment as well as on resource efficiency and circularity.  Based on scientific evidence, it further highlights the urgent need to act and outlines possible areas for action. A Summary and key Findings report highlights the main points.

The 2023 Turning off the Tap: How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy report by UNEP offers concrete practices, market shifts and policies. It is published ahead of a second round of negotiations on a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. It aims to strengthen the understanding of the magnitude and nature of the change required in the plastics economy to achieve this goal. Criteria for prioritisation of control measures on chemicals in plastics are explored in a dedicated topic sheet to the report.

Over 13,000 substances have so far been associated with plastics, either known for use in plastic production or detected in plastic materials. Chemicals of concern have been found in plastics across a wide range of sectors and products value chains, including toys and other children’s products, packaging (including food contact materials), electrical and electronic equipment, vehicles, synthetic textiles and related materials, furniture, building materials, medical devices, personal care and household products, and agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries.

Chemicals of concern in plastics can impact our health and our environment: Extensive scientific data on the potential adverse impacts of about 7,000 substances associated with plastics show that more than 3,200 of them have one or more hazardous properties of concern. These include chemicals that are persistent and mobile in the environment, accumulate in the body, can mimic, block or alter the actions of hormones, reduce fertility, damage the nervous system, and/or cause cancer.

Existing evidence calls for urgent action to address chemicals in plastics as part of the global action on plastic pollution, to protect human health and the environment, and transition to a toxic-free and sustainable circular economy.

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While summer in the northern hemisphere is just a few days old, it is already proving to be a scorcher, with heat waves blanketing countries from China to the United States.

As the mercury soars, city dwellers in those places – and many more – are turning to air conditioners (ACs) to stay cool. The irony: the widespread use of ACs is actually driving up temperatures by feeding the climate crisis, which could leave up to three-quarters of humans exposed to periods of life-threatening heat and humidity by 2100.

That has begged the question: can cities adapt to rising temperatures without resorting to air conditioning?

We spoke to Mark Radka, Chief of the Energy and Climate Branch of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), about that quandary – and he says some of the solutions lie in nature.

How much hotter could climate change make cities?

Mark Radka (MR): By 2050, if we continue on the same trajectory, close to 1,000 cities will experience average summer highs of 35˚C – nearly triple the 350 cities that already do. The urban population exposed to these high temperatures will increase by 800 per cent, reaching 1.6 billion by mid-century.

Extreme heat can obviously be deadly. But can’t it also have a devastating effect on economies?

MR: Yes. In fact, a recent report found that in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, heat stress was responsible for an estimated loss of 8 per cent of the city’s GDP, a figure that will increase with warming temperatures.

How does cooling contribute to the climate crisis?

MR: Cooling is a big contributor to global warming. Much of the existing cooling equipment uses hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, which are potent greenhouse gases, and use a lot of energy, making them a double burden for climate change. Even with the phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons required by the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, business as usual means emissions from refrigeration and air conditioning are expected to double by 2030 and triple by 2050, rising from 7 per cent of global GHG emissions today. Right now, the more we cool, the more we heat the planet. If we are serious about reversing current trends, we cannot go about cooling our planet with a business-as-usual approach.

How much energy is ultimately devoted to keeping buildings cool?

MR: We now know space cooling demand accounts for nearly 20 per cent of electricity used in buildings and is the fastest growing use of energy in buildings globally, set to triple by 2050. But this consumption and growth varies wildly by country and within countries. Those intra-country differences are often tied to location,  climate conditions and incomes.

How can municipalities reduce the environmental toll of cooling?

MR: Cities can deliver or incentivize many of the solutions needed to address cooling demand, whether through enforcing planning rules, bringing nature into cities, delivering social housing, or promoting approaches like district cooling. At UNEP, we have developed a handbook for cities to do just that: Beating the Heat: A Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities.

How can nature-based solutions help turn down the heat in cities?

MR: Nature-based solutions bring multiple benefits to cities and will be critical for cities to adapt to climate change. By keeping cities cool, they mitigate the urban heat island effect, lower cooling demand and improve citizens’ resilience to extreme heat.

What are some of those nature-based solutions?

MR: Planting and preserving large areas of trees and forests within cities can significantly cool the urban environment by shading streets and buildings, enhancing evaporative cooling, and reducing air temperatures through transpiration. On a normal sunny day, a single tree can transpire several hundred litres of water, which represents a cooling effect equivalent of two domestic air conditioners running for 24 hours. Research has found that globally, investing $100 million annually in street trees would give 77 million people a 1°C reduction in maximum temperatures on hot days.

Is there anything else cities can do?

Creating water bodies, such as lakes, canals, ponds and wetlands in urban areas, can have a significant cooling effect. UNEP and the government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic are currently working on a major project to restore wetlands in four cities, which is expected to benefit 10 per cent of the entire population.

As well, the National Research Council of Canada found that green roofs – where a roof is fully or partially covered in vegetation – can reduce air conditioning costs in the summer by up to 75 percent.

When it comes to cooling, where does the world need to go from here?

The cooling benefits of nature-based solutions are well documented, but they need to be better understood and leveraged to increase implementation and bring about change at a global level.

UNEP is at the forefront of supporting the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global temperature rise well below 2°C, and aiming for 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. To do this, UNEP has developed a Six-Sector Solution, a roadmap to reducing emissions across sectors in line with the Paris Agreement commitments and in pursuit of climate stability. The six sectors identified are: Energy; Industry; Agriculture & Food; Forests & Land Use; Transport; and Buildings & Cities.

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