Environmental negotiations in 2024 faced major challenges against a backdrop of accelerating climate-fueled impacts, expanding conflicts, and political turnover across many democracies.
Key Messages
- Mounting frustration with the climate negotiations-and with other multilateral environmental processes-that have been slow to address the world’s pressing challenges have led to the growing prominence of courts.
- Last year, we proclaimed 2024 to be a big year for chemicals and waste governance. Sadly, countries failed to realize any of those expected landmarks.
- Overall, the year sent mixed messages on states’ collective commitment to upholding the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Biodiversity and desertification enshrined rights and participation in new institutions, while climate change talks saw efforts to roll back agreed language.
- The role of governments and international organizations is important-vital even-for implementing multilateral environmental agreements, but communities, Indigenous Peoples, scientists, and others all play a role.
Find out more about the report and on the International Institute for Sustainable Development website.
