UN Environmental Programme
Topic: A
Climate Change
UNEP Topic A
Health and the relationship with the environment requires urgent attention to ensure sustainable
health and a consistent development agenda for the world. China wholeheartedly believes in taking a
scientific approach to the issue of environmental health, which consists of conducting comprehensive
research on how to better the world and then using this research to draw out an international plan within
the United Nations to combat world health problems. This plan would consist of developed countries
taking the lead in cutting down emissions, incorporating development and environmental protection into
national strategy, countries engaging in international cooperation in regards to sustainable development
and helping developing countries, UN agencies incorporating public health into their plans, and the
establishment of a world wide agency to warn in advance about national disasters.
Climate Change
Climate change directly affects public health. For example, the melting of glaciers causes sea
levels to rise1. Changes in precipitation patterns seem to cause more extreme weather events2, which
affects many areas of the world. China fully supports the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change. However, China believes the world needs to strengthen cooperation among existing
environmental protection institutions and integrate resources.
Developed countries must take the lead in adopting measures to cut down on emissions;
developed countries have more access to monetary funds necessary to combat climate change. China also
stands for incorporating sustainable development and environmental protection into national development
strategy, and coordinating between economic, social development, and environmental protection.
Countries must engage in international cooperation for sustainable development to focus on helping
developing countries cope with environmental challenges effectively. Finally, heightening coordination
and cooperation among existing environmental agencies and integrating resources will prove to result in
higher efficiency and better-coordinated policies.
Air Quality
1
"IF ALL THE ICE MELTED." Rising Seas. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014.
2
"Future Climate Change." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 29 July 2014.
UNEP Topic A
WHO attributes roughly 4.3 million deaths a year to declining air quality. 3 China supports the
idea that further steps need to be taken and plans to address and solve the problem of air pollution within
its own borders as soon as possible.
Other countries, in cooperation with China, should take the lead in cutting down emissions. China
also believes that WHO should create standards and limitations to the amount of emissions countries’
may have.
3
"National Burden of Disease Due to Indoor Air Pollution." WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2014.
UNEP Topic A
Submitted by: The United States
Committee: UNEP
Topic A: Climate Change
Delegates: Maria Scarpitti and Josh Scofield
“There is no question that climate change is happenening, the only argueable point is what part
humans are playing in it.” By defenition, climate change is a change in global or regional climate
patterns. The UNEP is a committee in the United Nations that strives for acheiveing overall attainable
sustainability. The UNEP assesses national, regional, and global environmental trends. In addition, this
committee tries to develop international and national instruments that can be used in environmental
studies. Climate change is a very broad topic, but most of the scientific community believes that climate
change is caused by humans; anthropogenic chemicals coming into the atmosohere are causing the
climate to change. Scientists pose questions such as what regions will be the most effected by this
change, or how exactly will the climate change. But, it is a fact that the climate is changing, even if
scientists disagree on the specifics. The earth has warmed about 1.4 degrees farenheit over the last
century; this is a scientific fact. Climate is a problem because it will affect everyone; water supply,
agriculture productivity, and human health will all be affected by extreme climate change. Climate
change is a very real problem in the world, but there are steps that can be taken to better the
environment and redice climate change.
The United States is one of the largest countries in the world, and has a huge impact on various
issues. For example, the United States created the Enviornmental Protection Agency to regulate laws
and guidelines in order to protect the environement. This agency has put laws in such as the Clean Air
Act of 1970 and the Clean Water Act of 1972 in order to save the environemnt of the United States.
Curently, the US is trying to pass a Clean Power Act. This guidelines says that carbon will be cut from
existing power plants. The purpose of this is to protect the public health and move towards a cleaner
environment in order to fight climate change. Cutting carbon from power plants will reduce the amount
of greenhouse gasses in the US environment by one third. EPA administrator Gina McCarthy said that if
the US cuts energy waste, the country will have cleaner air, which will directly affect the rate of climate
change. She says that “climate change, fueled by carbon pollution, supercharges risk to our health, our
economy, and our way of life.” By passing this Clean Power Act, the US climate will dramatically
improve. Climate change changing the lives of Americans. Extreme weather patterns in the last few
years have left citizens in turmoil due to flooding, droughts, dangerous winters, and painfully hot
summers; however, the US is trying to better the lives of the people by putting in guridleines such as the
Clean Power Act. The EPA works very hard to try to protect the enviroment as much as possible.
As of now, the US would like to see other countries try to propose possible solutions in order to
protect the enviroment. The US is fully aware that many factorial pracrtices in theur country directly
effect the environemt of other countries. The US has to keep their industrialized society going, but they
are willing to work with other countries in order to come up with solutions to attempt to slow the rate
of climate change, because this will ulitmatly effect all people on earth.
UNEP Topic A
Sources:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/bd4379a92ceceeac8525735900400c27/5bb6d20668b9a184
85257ceb00490c98!OpenDocument
UNEP Topic A