Phosphorous and the SDGs: The Key to Life the World Forgot?

Achim Halpaap, HeadChemicals and Waste BranchUNEP Economy Division

1st Nordic Conference on Phosphorus, 27-28 October 2016, Malmo, Sweden

“We have the knowledge and technology to address the global phosphorous challenge. What we need is scaled-up political momentum, knowledge-sharing, and capacity development. The 2030 Agenda creates an opportunity for all stakeholders to forge new partnerships and implement innovative and integrated solutions for effective nutrient management.”

Erik SolheimHead of UN Environment

1. The 2030 Development Agenda and SDGs: An Opportunity to Address Phosphorous

2. International Action on Phosphorous to Date: Taking Stock

3. Strengthening International Analysis, Commitment and Action: Options

Overview of Presentation

• Strengthened at Rio+ 20 Summit on SustainableDevelopment (2012)

• Governed by United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)

• UNEA is principal global environmental authority setting global environmental policy

• Ministers of Environment from more than 190 countries

• Long-term engagement in the management of ecosystems and chemicals and waste management

UN Environment

• Global Programm of Action on the Marine Environnent (GPA)

• Global Nutrient Partnership (GNP)• Strategic Approach to International

Chemicals Management (SAICM)• International Resource Panel (IRP)• Global Chemicals Outlook (GCO)

Global Partnerships and Initiatives Relevant for Global Phosphorous

Management

1. The 2030 Development Agenda and SDGs: An Opportunity to Address Phosphorous

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The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

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2030 Sustainable Development Agenda

• Universal• Integrative framework• Covers all dimensions of sustainable

development– Economic – Social – Environmental

Complexity of the Global Nutrient Management Challenge

Environmental Dimension of Phosporous

Environmental Dimension of Phosphorous:Reaching Planetary Boundaries (Johan Rockström et al., 2009)

Source: Johan Rockström et al., Nature 461, 472-475 (24 September 2009)

Estimated global phosphorus surplus and deficit. Source: Our Nutrient World, 2013, citing (MacDonald et al., 2011)

Too Much and Too Little Nutrients: regional variations in Phosphorous

Impacts of nutrient loadingmortality of benthic organisms, collapse of fisheries and shellfish poisoning

>500 eutrophic/hypoxic coastal systems >245,000 km2 of water area worldwide

Economic Dimension of PhosphorousTrends in global consumption of mineral fertilizer (nitrogen and

phosphorus) and projected possible futures. Source: FAO 2012

Economic Dimension of Phosphorous

• Externalities, cost of inactionEutrophic/hypoxic coastal systems create global loss of ecosystem services of USD 200 billion/year]

• Discount rate• Pricing structures• Economic incentives

Social Dimension of Phosphorous

Haplochromis, or 'furu' fish used to be caught in Lake

Victoria.

Phosphorous and the SDGsUnpacking the SDGs and its 169 Targets

Goal 2: Zero Hunger• 2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round• 2.4 by 2030 ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil qualityGoal 3: Good Health and Well-being• 3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination

Goal 12: Sustainable Production and Consumption• 12.4 By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment• 12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

Phosphorous and the SDGsUnpacking the SDGs and its 169 Targets

Phosphorous and the SDGsUnpacking the SDGs and its 169 Targets

Goal 14: Life Below Water• 14.1 By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, particularly from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution • 14.2 By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration, to achieve healthy and productive oceans Goal 14: Life on Land• 15.1 By 2020, ensure conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements • 15.3 By 2020, combat desertification, and restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land-degradation neutral world

Promoting Integrated approaches....

2. International Action on Phosphorous to Date: Taking Stock

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Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA)• Established through Washington Declaration in1995• Over 108 governments declared commitment to protect and preserve the marine environment from impacts of land-based activities• Global intergovernmental mechanism explicitly addressing the linkages between freshwater, coastal and marine environments.• Voluntary, action-oriented, intergovernmental programme facilitated by UN Environment• GPA designed to address accelerating degradation of the world’s oceans and coastal areas

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GPA Partnerships• The Manila Declaration in 2012, gave GPA the mandate to establish global multi-stakeholder partnerships for 3 priority areas• The Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM), which was launched at the UN CSD in New York, May 2009• The Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML), which was launched at Rio+20, June 2012• The Global Wastewater Initiative (GW2I), which was announced in May, 2013

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Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM)• Established in 2009• Catalyzes strategic advocacy and co-operation at the global and regional levels• Development of knowledge products to inform decision making (policy makers, professionals, farmers, private sector) • Support for piloting and replication of appropriate pilot solutions and BMPs for sustainable nutrient management and pollution reduction • Generate awareness resources to drive change in behaviour and practice• Strengthening partnerships - expanded global and regional partnerships, particularly through Regional-level Platforms mainstreamed in relevant national and regional development programmes

GPNM – a growing partnership

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Flagship publications

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Best practices and solutions• Production of a fully operational 'policy toolbox' and delivery of the training.

– Case studies of BMP examples that are being implemented around the world by key partners– agricultural BMPs and urban BMPs database – policy database

• Replication and up-scaling of BMPs, measures etc. through training workshops; up-scaling strategy • Holding of training sessions within global meetings of nutrient relevance

Support under GEF-Global Nutrient Cycling Project

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Demonstration – Lake Chilika, India and Laguna de Bay, Philippines• Ecosystem health report card in Lake Chilika, India and Laguna de Bay, Philippines• Management plan for application/implementation

– incorporation into nutrient reduction strategies for Manila Bay watershed• Lessons drawn for replication and up-scaling

Support under GEF-Global Nutrient Cycling Project

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GPNM SecretariatChristopher CoxE-mail: Christopher.cox@unep.orgwww.nutrientchallenge.orghttp://unep.org/gpa/default.asp

• Expanding and Strengthening GNMP• SAICM and Beyond 2020 • Global Chemicals Outlook II • International Resource Panel• Example of an MEA: Minamata

Convention on Mercury

3. Strengthening International Analysis, Commitment and Action: Options

• New members and partners• Scaling-up work on “up-stream” issues• Scaling up capacity development and pilot initiatives and knowledge-sharing in developing countries• Enhance linkages with related policy processes

Expanding and Strengthening GNMP

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• Established in 2006 through an international conference (ICCM-1)• Dubai Declaration, Overarching Policy Strategy, Global Plan of Action• Catalysing and connecting sectors and stakeholders• Covers all agricultural and industrial chemicals throughout the lifecycle.• ICCM4 in September 2016 adopted Overall Orientation and Guidance for achieving the 2020 goal• Beyond 2020 process initiated

Chemicals in Products

Highly hazardous pesticides

Nanotechnology

Pharmaceutical pollutants

Endocrine- disruptingchemicals

PFOS

Lead in Paint

Lifecycle of electronics

SAICM Emerging Policy Issues and Other Issues of Concern

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• Multi-disciplinary area (agriculture, human health…)• Evidence emerging that the issue is of a global nature • Nominated for consideration as EPI in 2014 by the governments of Peru and Uruguay together with the International Society of Doctors for the Environment • Adopted as a new SAICM emerging policy issue in 2015 at ICCM4• Agreement reaced to implement cooperative actions within SAICM

Example of an Emerging Policy Issues: Pharmaceuticals as environmental pollutants

2017• First intersessional, 7-9 February• SAICM Regionalmeetings*

2018• Second intersessional, February 2018*• OEWG3, October 2018*

2019• Thirdintersessional, June 2019*• SAICM Regional meetings*

2020• ICCM5 Decisionon beyond2020, September2020*

SAICM Independent Evaluation SAICM progress report, 2014-2016Global Chemicals Outlook II

Timeline for the Intersessional Process SAICM and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020

Interim Independent Evaluation ReportSAICM progress report, 2017-2019 (tbc by OEWG3)

ICCM

Resol

ution IV

/4

* Dates to be confirmed

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International Resource Panel &Circular Economy Opportunities

IRP future research: • circular economy

(remanufacturing)• resource nexus (ecosystem

resilience and restoration and poverty eradication)

• governance of natural resources and poverty eradication (minerals development and improved outcomes)

• marine resources (green/blue economy interlinkages)

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• Global Chemicals Outlook I (2013) made the economic case to invest in sound chemicals management• Second GCO ( 2016-2018): trends and policy analysis to support 2020 goal and beyond 2020 considerations• Mandate by UNEA2 to “identify issues” and complete GCO II by end of 2018 in time for UNEA-3

Global Chemicals Outlook - 2018

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Minamata Convention on Mercury• 2001: Develop a global assessment of mercury• 2003: Initiate national, regional and global actions ASAP• 2005: Call for partnerships between Governments, IGOs, NGOs and private sector to reduce risks• 2007: Recognition that efforts were inadequate• 2009: UNEP GC Decision 25/5 to start intergovernmental negotiating committee to prepare the global legally binding instrument• INC1: June2010, INC 2: Feb 2011, INC 3: Oct 2011, INC 4: June 2012, INC 5: Jan 2013, INC 6: Dec 2014, INC 7: Mar 2016 • Sep 2017: First Conference of Parties (COP 1)

• Recognition of the problem including its extent• Exploration of a range of options, including initial implementation of voluntary controls• Consideration of benefits and costs of further action including legally binding work, continued voluntary work or a mix of legal and voluntary actions• Informed choice made by decision makers on the need for legal commitment• Commitment to process and timetable producing intensive efforts to reach consensus

Minamata Convention:Lessons learned to reach agreement

Conclusion• Phosphorous management complex - many facets• Not forgotten at the international level, but more action needed• Opportunity for a comprehensive assessment at the global level• Is the main driver the “scarcity” or “environmental degradation” narrative?• Important to get the economics right• Are governments ready to take the lead through coalition of like-minded countries?• Key role of stakeholders in mobilizing political commitment • UN Environment ready to engage through various mechanisms (i.e. GPNM, IRP, SAICM, etc.)

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Thank you for your attention !