The 4th Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) and Environment and Climate Ministers’ meeting was held between 26th to 28th July 2023, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
- The 3-day meeting brought together around 300 delegates from G20 (Group of Twenty) member countries, invitee countries, and several International Organisations, with a focus on finalizing the Ministerial Outcome and the Presidency Documents under the two broad tracks of Environment and Climate.
- During India’s G20 Presidency, a total of 11 documents were released, comprising 1 outcome document and 2 Presidency Documents focused on the theme of Blue Economy, 4 Presidency Documents and Compendiums of Best Practices related to Land and Biodiversity, as well as Water Resources Management, and 4 Presidency Documents addressing the theme of Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy.
The 4th ECSWG meeting:
i.G20 member countries & nine guest countries participated in the meeting with a shared interest in environmental conservation and sustainability.
ii.12 international organizations including United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Bank were present during the meeting.
iii.Indian Presidency published the 5th report on actions against marine plastic litter under the G20 Framework for Marine Plastic Litter, in collaboration with Japan.
iv.The event hosted 15 pavilions highlighting different initiatives and projects related to the meeting’s core themes.
- One pavilion was exclusively dedicated to LiFE while another pavilion focuses on Project Tiger, highlighting conservation efforts.The remaining 13 pavilions will be dedicated to showcasing various aspects of Handicrafts.
About LiFE:
LiFE – Lifestyle for Environment and resilient development paradigm for G20 is an important mission and cross-cutting theme across all three priorities such as land degradation, biodiversity, and climate change promoted by India.
Launch of Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC):
i.The Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC) was launched by Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in the 4th ECSWG meeting.
- The coalition’s objective is to unite nations, industries, and experts in their endeavor to propel the global circularity agenda forward.
ii.The foundational charter of RECEIC was signed and its logo was unveiled to mark the launch of the meeting which was attended by Ministers of seven countries such as Mauritius, Denmark, Italy, Canada, The United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, and the European Union(EU).
Chennai High-Level Principles adopted During the 4th ECSWG meeting:
The G20 members adopted the ‘Chennai High-Level Principles for a Sustainable and Resilient Blue/ Ocean-based Economy’, which can be implemented on a voluntary basis, “based on national circumstances and priorities”.
- The document has nine principles that prioritize ocean health.
39 MNCs Came Together for Circular Economy Principles:
39 multinational corporations (MNCs) from various sectors such as steel, FMCG, electronics came together to pledge to adopt resource efficiency and circular economy principles and to address environmental challenges rising from waste, including plastics, microplastics, e-waste, and chemical waste.
- The MNCs headquartered in 11 different countries have joined the coalition as RECEIC founding members.
Previous ECSWG meetings:
The previous meetings of ECSWG were held in Bengaluru in Karnataka, Gandhinagar in Gujarat, and Mumbai in Maharashtra.
- The Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) meetings chaired by Ms. Leena Nandan, G20 ECSWG Chair, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
The ECSWG & Minister’s Meeting focused on 3 key areas
- Arresting land degradation, accelerating ecosystem restoration, and enriching Biodiversity.
- Promoting a sustainable and climate-resilient blue economy.
- Encouraging resource efficiency and circular economy.
About Tamil Nadu:
Chief Minister- M. K. Stalin
Governor- R. N. Ravi
Airports- Tuticorin or Thoothukudi Airport; Salem airport
Bird sanctuary- Karikili Birds Sanctuary, Kancheepuram; Kanjirankulam Birds Sanctuary, Ramanathapuram
