TESS Executive Director Carolyn Deere Birkbeck moderated the launch event of the Geneva Dialogues on Mineral and Metal Resources, a series of events to explore interlinkages between the various multilateral debates and negotiations addressing mineral and metal resources governance in Geneva and beyond.
The topic of sustainable management of minerals has never been so high on the global political environment agenda and the reason is that minerals are essential for the future. The energy transition, infrastructure and digitalization processes, among others, represent greener solutions. However, unsustainable extraction, manufacturing, use and disposal of resources is having important detrimental impacts on people and the planet. With an expected 500 per cent increase in the demand for minerals (from 2018 production levels), environmental challenges are going to be even more acute.
Various actors in Geneva are engaged in ensuring enhanced action to support the environmental sustainability management of minerals and metals along their full lifecycle. As Geneva is at the center of numerous debates and negotiations in the fields of science, health, human rights, development, trade and green finance, employment, peacebuilding and security, disaster risk reduction, humanitarian response, nature conservation, chemicals and pollution, as well as new technologies and innovation, the dialogues can be a conducive platform to explore interlinkages between these topics and mineral and metal resources governance.
The dialogues are organized by the Geneva Environment Network in
partnership with Switzerland, Senegal, UNEP/GRID-Geneva, UNECE, the
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the
Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable
Development (IGF), The Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs
(TESS) and the World Resources Forum.
Speakers
- Laura Platchkov, National Focal Point (UNEA5/12), Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland
- Khadija Drame, Legal Adviser, Coordinator of Legal Affairs Unit, Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Senegal
- Djaheezah Subratty, Head, Consumption and Production Unit, Resources and Markets Branch, United Nations Environment Programme
- Rachid Amui, Economic Affairs Officer, Commodities Branch, UN Trade and Development
- Dario Liguti, Director, Sustainable Energy, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
- Grégoire Bellois, Senior policy advisor, Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development
- Emanuele Di Francesco, Communications & Events Manager, World Resources Forum
Moderator
- Carolyn Deere Birkbeck, Executive Director, TESS
In collaboration with
