Friday 21 June 2019
New $450m initiative to help small island states fight pollution
A total of 27 Small Island Developing States have joined forces to manage and eliminate toxic chemicals and waste in an effort to tackle pollution.
The five-year programme, dubbed ‘ISLANDS’ or ‘Implementing Sustainable Low and Non-Chemical Development in Small Island Developing States’, is being backed by $61 million (£48m) in funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with partner co-financing of more than $389 million (£307m).
It will support island states across the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean to manage the growing impacts of chemicals and waste on their environments.
The global programme is expected to prevent the release of more than 23,000 metric tons of toxic chemicals and more than 185,000 metric tons of marine litter.
Joyce Msuya UN Environment Acting Executive Director said: “Small Island Developing States are living each day with the devastating impacts of climate change and pollution. The challenge of protecting these unique and vulnerable ecosystems is a global one and we are all responsible.
“In supporting island nations in better managing the growing threat of toxic chemicals and waste, we can play an important role in strengthening their ability to meet global commitments and become world leaders in sustainability.”
