Environmental issues and sustainable development

In the Central African Republic, nearly 20,000 Central African refugees returned to their homeland voluntarily in 2024. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says this was the highest annual number of people returning to the country since the voluntary repatriation programme began in 2017.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the General Assembly event on the International Day of Zero Waste, in New York today:

The International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA, today released new figures showing that renewables accounted for over 90 per cent of total power expansion globally in 2024. As in previous years, most of the increase occurred in Asia, with the greatest share being contributed by China.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the virtual high-level segment of the Sixteenth Petersberg Climate Dialogue, held in New York today:

In Ecuador, a UN team arrived on 24 March to support authorities to respond to the environmental emergency caused by a major oil spill. The spill in the Esmeraldas Province, in the country’s north-west, has contaminated key water sources, leaving half a million people without access to safe water and sanitation.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day of Zero Waste, observed on 30 March:

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report today stating that human-induced climate change reached new heights in 2024, with some consequences irreversible over hundreds — if not thousands — of years. The report also noted that 2024 was the warmest year in the 175-year observational record.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Meteorological Day, observed on 23 March:

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s message on the occasion of the SEforALL Global Forum 2025 “Sustainable Energy for Equity, Security and Prosperity” in Bridgetown, Barbados:

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Water Day, observed on 22 March: