Join us for a webinar in partnership with UNEP featuring
Inger Andersen
Executive Director
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Moderated by
Reem Abaza
Spokesperson for the President of the UN General Assembly
The global coronavirus pandemic, which has already caused unimaginable devastation and hardship, will have profound and lasting economic and social consequences in every corner of the globe. But as we work our way towards recovery, we need to take on board the environmental signals and what they mean for our future and well-being, because COVID-19 is no victory lap for environmentalists.
COVID-19 will have profound and lasting economic and social consequences. As the engines of growth will begin to rev up again, we need a profound, systemic shift to a more sustainable economy that works for not just humans, but all terrestrial life forms and habitats.
With the current pandemic event, “nature is sending us a message,” said the UN’s environment chief, Inger Andersen. While an immediate priority is protecting people from the virus and preventing its spread, our long-term response must move towards tackling habitat and biodiversity loss. The continued erosion of wild spaces has brought us uncomfortably close to animals and plants which harbor diseases, particularly ones that may transfer to humans.
“Never before have so many opportunities existed for pathogens to pass from wild and domestic animals to people,” she said, adding that 75% of emerging infectious diseases come from wildlife.
Greenhouse gas emissions are down and air quality has gone up, as governments react to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Andersen cautions against viewing this as a boon for the environment. She insists instead on profound, systemic shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet.
Join us from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. EST on Monday, May 11, for this special webinar with Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in which she will discuss why sustaining all life on earth matters, because the better we manage nature, the better we manage human health. The discussion will be moderated by Reem Abaza, Spokesperson for the President of the UN General Assembly.
Guest Speakers
INGER ANDERSEN
Inger Andersen was appointed Executive Director of the UNEP by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in February 2019. Before this appointment, between 2015 and 2019, Ms. Andersen was the Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
She brings a passion for conservation and sustainable development with more than 30 years of experience in international development economics, environmental sustainability and policy-making, as well as in designing and implementing projects and generating on-the-ground impact. She has played a key role in supporting riparian countries on international water management and hydro diplomacy.
Prior to joining IUCN, Ms. Andersen held various leadership roles at the World Bank and United Nations. Most recently, she was Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank, and previous to that Vice President for Sustainable Development and Head of the CGIAR Fund Council. Throughout Ms Andersen’s 15-year career at the World Bank, her managerial roles focused on water, environment, and sustainable development with special emphasis on Africa and the Middle East.
Previous to the World Bank, Ms. Andersen worked at the United Nations for 12 years, starting in the UN Sudano-Sahelian Office working on drought and desertification issues, and was then appointed UNDP’s Water and Environment Coordinator for the Arab Region.
Ms. Andersen’s educational background includes a BA from London Metropolitan University North and a MA degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London with specialisation in development economics.
REEM ABAZA
Reem Abaza is the Spokesperson of the President of the 74th session of the General Assembly and the Communications Team Leader. Before joining the office, she was the Chief of the Arabic Unit of UN News/News and Media Division/Department of Global Communications. Prior to joining the UN in 2007, Reem worked as an editor and international broadcaster with the Voice of America in Washington D.C. before moving to the Pan Arab Radio Sawa based in Virginia, USA. Reem also worked as a new reporter with Abu Dhabi TV in Washington D.C.
Reem started her career as an on-air and news broadcaster in the Middle East Network, one of the most popular radio stations In Egypt.