UNEP

UNITED NATIONS
ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM
 MEET THE DAIS
COMMITTEE DIRECTORS:

Greetings Delegates! I, Masooma Batool, feel honored to share the dais as a

Committee Director for The United Nations Environment Production (UNEP) at
BLAMUN XI. The goal of UNEP is to inspire, enlighten, and enable nations and
peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future
generations in order to give leadership and promote collaboration in environmental
protection. I'm hoping that the MUN experience will help the students develop their
public speaking, critical thinking, and in-depth research abilities as well as their
knowledge. Looking forward to some exhilarating debates. Wish you a very fantastic
munning experience!

Asalam o alikum delegates, this is Ayesha Siddiqui serving as the committee

director of the United Nations Environment Program of BLAMUN XI. This
is my 3rd experience in BLAMUN and the first as a dais. BLAMUN is a great
platform to increase your confidence, knowledge, and leadership qualities.
It shapes you in such a way you never thought was important. Muns and
especially BLAMUN have played a huge part in developing my character.
BLAMUN is the perfect blend of getting knowledge and fun at the same
time. Looking forward to intense and heated debates. Remember you are
here to learn. Wishing you the very best!!

Salam delegates! I'm Maryam Hasan, your committee director for UNEP.
The world is huge & it can only work effectively if all the countries come to
peace with each other. This is what we strive for in MUNs. To bring together
intelligent minds like you and draw out solutions for the problems nagging
the world!
Hoping we have a great time. Best of Luck delegates!
 MEET THE DAIS
ASSISTANT COMMITTEE
DIRECTORS:
Hi, delegates,
This is Syed Abdullah Amais, as the Assistant Committee Director (ACD) of
the United Nations for Environment Protection. MUN has always been for
me a stage of learning, speaking, writing, and convincing, and I hope it is
thus for you too. I hope that we witness and engage in an interesting and
conclusive debate. Looking forward to an excellent experience, one that will
inspire us all into participating in more MUNs.

Hi, fellow delegates!

I Amara Yousuf am honored to be your Assistant Committee Director for UNEP,
BLAMUN 11.
BLAMUN has given me a great experience especially when it comes to developing
public speaking, and diplomatic skills, and enhancing leadership skills.
You can surely ace MUNs by researching well for the topic and speaking confidently
for your stance.
Looking forward to an intense and useful debate.
Just learn from your mistakes and work hard, wishing you a very fruitful munning
experience!

Hi, delegates,
I am M.Inshal Hussain as the Assistant Committee Director (ACD) of the
United Nations for Environment Protection. In my recent years, I would say
that the best experience I had was attending MUNs where we all have a
healthy debate and a lot of things to learn. Always remember to be self-
aware ( to know about the perspective of your country on the agenda) which
is the very first principle. Try to bring the ideas that can reach an end and
also build your case to compromise and to listen to others' points of view as
well. Wishing you all the best of luck and looking forward to making this
committee and MUN best for you all.
 NOTE TO DELEGATES:

Before reading the Study Guide, please note that this

study guide is provided to give you some insight into
the topic, and to help direct your research. It is simply
to take you through the background, history, and
problems of the agenda.

Please do not limit your research and understanding

to the issues addressed in this guide. It is mandatory
for all delegates, to research well on all aspects and
be well aware of their country’s stance on the topic. It
is expected from all the delegates to discuss all facets
of the issue and come up with practical and effective
solutions that can also be applied in the real world.
 ABOUT THE UNITED NATIONS (UN)
The United Nations, headquartered in New York, is an international
organization of 193 member states. It was founded in 1945 to prevent
another world war.

The U.N.'s founding charter mandates four ambitious purposes. It

maintains international peace, which is a full-time job in itself. The
U.N.'sother three missions help to achieve that overarching goal. It fosters
friendly relations between its members solve international problems and
promote human rights, and harmonize its members' actions.
The U.N. has a host of other initiatives. It works to help countries reduce
hunger, disease, and illiteracy. It promotes sustainable development and
the environment. It protects refugees and provides disaster relief and
economic development. It counters terrorism, promotes nuclear
nonproliferation, and clears landmines. It also focuses on protecting
indigenous cultures.

ABOUT UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAMME (UNEP)
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading
environmental authority in the United Nations system. UNEP works
closely with its 193 Member States and representatives from civil society,
businesses, and other major groups and stakeholders to address
environmental challenges through the UN Environment Assembly, the
world's highest-level decision-making body on the environment.
UNEP uses its expertise to strengthen environmental standards and
practices while helping implement environmental obligations at the
country, regional and global levels.

UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in

caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations
and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of
future generations.
 TOPIC: Maximization of affordable and clean
energy/responsible consumption & production
INTRODUCTION:
In 2010, World Economic Forum defined energy poverty as the lack of
access to sustainable modern energy services and products.

At the United Nations Environment program (UNEP), Sustainable energy

is a critical enabler and dramatically improves the quality, accessibility,
and reliability of services that children rely on for their survival,
development, and well-being. A new world of opportunities will open up
for millions of people if everyone has access to affordable, dependable,
sustainable, and modern energy. These opportunities will include new
job opportunities, empowered women, children, and youth, improved
education, and health, more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive
communities, as well as increased resilience to and protection from
climate change.

Access to electricity in poorer countries has begun to accelerate, energy

efficiency continues to improve, and renewable energy is making
impressive gains. Nevertheless, more focused attention is needed to
improve access to clean and safe cooking fuels and technologies for 2.8
billion people. Despite the progress, the environmentally sound aspect is
still far from being applicable for most of them: it is estimated that nearly
2.7 billion people lack access to clean cooking facilities worldwide.

However, countries can accelerate the transition to an affordable,

reliable, and sustainable energy system by investing in renewable energy
resources, prioritizing energy-efficient practices, and adopting clean
energy technologies and infrastructure.
Sustainable Consumption and Production (known as SCP) is about doing more
and better with less. It is also about decoupling economic growth from
environmental degradation, increasing resource efficiency and promoting
sustainable lifestyles.

We are currently consuming more resources than ever, exceeding the planet’s
capacity for generation. In the meantime, waste and pollution grows, and the
gap between rich and poor is widening. Health, education, equity and
empowerment are all adversely affected.

Crucially, SCP can contribute substantially to poverty alleviation and the

transition towards low-carbon and green economies. To do this, SCP requires
building cooperation among many different stakeholders as well as across
sectors in all countries.

Sustainable consumption and production refers to “the use of services and

related products, which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of
life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials as well
as the emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle of the service or
product so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations”.
 UNEP'S RESPONSE:
UNEP'S goal is for robust, low-emission economies and society to be
built on a foundation of sustainable energy. UNEP collaborates with the
government to increase the usage of renewable energy sources and
enhance energy efficiency in nations and cities.

UNEP contributes to key UN processes such as the Sustainable

Development Goals, the UN climate change convention, and the
sustainable energy for All initiatives. A collaboration between UNEP
and the Technical University resulted in the establishment of the
Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency in 2013 as the Sustainable
Energy for All initiative's energy-efficiency core. The Center also serves
as the Global Energy Efficiency Accelerator Platform's secretariat. UN
Environment supports the quick adoption of renewable energy sources
through a number of projects, including the African Rift Geothermal
Development Facility project, in addition to its energy efficiency
initiatives. By offering technical support for the investigation of
geothermal opportunities in East Africa, this project promotes the
exploitation of the significant untapped geothermal resource potential.
UN Environment Production is working with the finance sector to
encourage investment by lowering risks for renewable energy projects.
It Provides advice to developing country governments on policies that
create a more favorable environment for renewable energy.
 Goal 1: Sustainable Urban Energy

The types and quantities of energy supply are more plentiful in towns and
cities compared to rural areas, and urban households have more energy-
consuming appliances, such as air conditioners and heating equipment.

Additionally, urban residents typically consume more direct energy per

capita than rural residents do, and the overall demand for residential
energy consumption in society increases as the urban population grows.
On the other hand, the significant migration of rural residents to urban
regions has an impact on both the production and consumption of
agricultural products, which has an impact on residential direct energy
use. Large-scale mechanization of agriculture and the usage of food
transportation systems consume considerable quantities of fossil energy
since a significant decline in the rural population may result in
understaffing in agricultural activities to fulfill the consumption needs of a
bigger population.

Although fossil fuels-based energy generation still plays a major role in

cities, it is increasingly apparent that sustainable energy is the only choice
moving forward. Cities, for instance, may still use a significant amount of
fossil fuels even if they frequently use district heating and co-generation,
both of which have great fuel efficiency. It is quickly turning into an
energetically imperative necessity to implement renewable energy
techniques in urban settings. Making the move includes not only changing
the energy source but also ensuring that it is affordable, sustainable, and
advantageous for development.
Goal 2: Better infrastructure
Energy infrastructure needs to be made more resilient, secure, and
sustainable. An enabling market environment is crucial for timely
infrastructure investments.
Through cross-border networks that lower trade and investment
obstacles, increased policy consistency and regulatory
predictability aid in maintaining a level playing field among energy
sources and enhance regional market integration. Effective
infrastructure is key to ensuring energy can be used productively.
The entire electricity grid – a network of infrastructure that
includes generation, transmission, distribution, and wiring and
metering, needs to work together.
At any point, a weak link can prevent productive utilisation.
Infrastructure, which includes physical networks of oil and natural
gas pipelines, refineries, wind turbines, hydropower dams, and
the many transit components between them, supports the supply
chain of the majority of contemporary energy sources beyond the
electrical grid.
Energy infrastructure relies on other forms of infrastructure,
which can complement each other and help support broader
economic development.
What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also

known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United
Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end
poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all
people enjoy peace and prosperity.
The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that
action in one area will affect outcomes in others and
that development must balance social, economic, and
environmental sustainability.

Countries have committed to prioritizing progress for

those who are furthest behind. The SDGs are designed
to end poverty, hunger, AIDS, and discrimination
against women and girls.
The creativity, know-how, technology, and financial
resources from all of society are necessary to achieve
the SDGs in every context.

The SDG-7 ensures access to affordable, reliable,

sustainable and modern energy for all and the SDG-12
ensures sustainable consumption and production.
SDG-7
Affordable & Clean Energy
Between 2000 and 2018, the number of people with electricity
increased from 78 to 90 percent, and the number without
electricity dipped to 789 million. Yet as the population continues
to grow, so will the demand for cheap energy, and an economy
reliant on fossil fuels is creating drastic changes to our climate.
Investing in solar, wind, and thermal power, improving energy
productivity, and ensuring energy for all is vital if we are to
achieve SDG 7 by 2030. Expanding infrastructure and upgrading
technology to provide clean and more efficient energy in all
countries will encourage growth and help the environment.

Lack of access to energy supplies and transformation systems is

a constraint to human and economic development. The
environment provides a series of renewable and non-renewable
energy sources i.e. solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal,
biofuels, natural gas, coal, petroleum, uranium.

Increased use of fossil fuels without actions to mitigate

greenhouse gases will have global climate change implications.
Energy efficiency and increased use of renewables contribute to
climate change mitigation and disaster risk reduction.
Maintaining and protecting ecosystems allow using and further
developing hydropower sources of electricity and bioenergy.
Facts:
3 billion people rely on wood, coal, charcoal or animal waste for
cooking and heating
Energy is the dominant contributor to climate change, accounting for
around 60 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions
Since 1990, global emissions of CO2 have increased by more than 46
per cent.
Hydropower is the largest single renewable electricity source today,
providing 16% of world electricity at competitive prices. It dominates
the electricity mix in several countries, developed, emerging or
developing.
Bioenergy is the single largest renewable energy source today,
providing 10% of world primary energy supply.

Goal targets:
By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern
energy services
By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the
global energy mix
By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency
By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean
energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy
efficiency, and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and
promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy
technology
By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying
modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing
countries, in particular least developed countries, small island
developing States, and land-locked developing countries
 SDG-12
Sustainable Consumption & Production
One of the greatest global challenges is to integrate environmental
sustainability with economic growth and welfare by decoupling
environmental degradation from economic growth and doing more
with less. Resource decoupling and impact decoupling are needed to
promote sustainable consumption and production patterns and to
make the transition towards a greener and more socially inclusive
global economy.

To ensure sustainable consumption and production practices

necessarily entails to respect the biophysical boundaries of the planet
and to reduce current global consumption rates in order to fit with the
biophysical capacity to produce ecosystem services and benefits.

Sustainable growth and development requires minimizing the natural

resources and toxic materials used, and the waste and pollutants
generated, throughout the entire production and consumption process.
Sustainable Development Goal 12 encourages more sustainable
consumption and production patterns through various measures,
including specific policies and international agreements on the
management of materials that are toxic to the environment.

Goal Targets:
By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of
natural resources
By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and
consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and
supply chains, including post-harvest losses.
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
By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention,
reduction, recycling and reuse
Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to
adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into
their reporting cycle
Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance
with national policies and priorities
By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and
awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with
nature
Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and
technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of
consumption and production
Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts
for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and
products
Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful
consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national
circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those
harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts,
taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing
countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their
development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected
communities
COMBATING THE GLOBAL ENERGY CRISIS
Against the backdrop of a global energy crisis and worsening
climate emergency, the UN took a major step to catalyze the
large-scale action and support needed for the transition to
clean, affordable energy for all and net-zero emissions, with
the launch of a Plan of Action by thirty leading organizations
comprising 'UN-Energy'. An Energy Compact Action Network
was also launched to match those governments seeking
support for their clean energy goals with those governments
and businesses that have pledged over $600 billion to support
these commitments.

In addition to demonstrating the potential of the Network,

coalitions were announced to advance or broaden those
supporting green hydrogen and a more significant role for
women in leading and reaping the benefits of the energy
transition. Following the designation of 2012 as the
International Year of Sustainable Energy for All by the United
Nations, a number of themes arose that have served as the
foundation for the World Bank Group's work on energy. They
also support the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All)
programme, a multistakeholder partnership involving
governments, businesses, and civil society led by the United
Nations. These objectives include ensuring that everyone has
access to modern energy supplies.
QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION MUST ANSWER:

How is the excessive use of renewable energy sources, such

as forests, harming the planet? What measures can be taken
to counter that?
How can the world come together to maximize affordable and
clean energy for underdeveloped and developing countries?
How could the lack of efficient energy resources be a dire
issue in the long term? What short-term measures could
adequately prepare us for the near future?
How does the world perceive the importance of access to
energy resources?
What measures could be integrated into national policies to
impose the strict implementation of consumption and
production of energy resources
How should funds be allocated to the energy sector? Is there
a need for external aid, and if so, why?
If a nation does not abide by the plan created, what could be
the consequences it can face
how can we ensure that governments do not misuse the
energy resources available to them?
What steps can we take to ensure the correct usage of energy
resources?
How is the international community dealing with affordable
and clean energy while responsibly consuming and producing
it?
How can we make energy less expensive for under-developing
countries?
LINKS YOU CAN REFER TO:
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustai
nable-consumption-production/
https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/sustainable-
development-goals/why-do-sustainable-
development-goals-matter/goal-7
https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/SDG%2
07%20Goal%20Profile_0.pdf
https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal7
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https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/do
cuments/1951Sustainable%20Consumption.pdf
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-
content/uploads/2018/09/Goal-7.pdf