BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. Integrating efforts to combat plastic pollution into broader waste management and sustainable urban development projects is essential for effectiveness, whereas isolated initiatives focused exclusively on plastic will not yield the desired results, an industrial development expert at UNIDO’s Energy Systems and Industrial Decarbonization Division, Marijan Gajsak, said, Trend reports.
He made the statement at the panel session “Tackling plastic pollution: promoting liveable cities and a circular economy” as part of WUF13 in Baku.
According to him, UNIDO takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the problem of plastic pollution, combining work with industry, the implementation of resource and energy efficiency practices, and the development of urban policies.
“As an industrial development organization, we have a unique mandate that allows us to address the issue of plastic pollution from multiple angles simultaneously. We work directly with industry to implement resource efficiency, energy efficiency, and other measures, while also focusing on the urban dimension and policy issues,” he noted.
Gajsak emphasized that the organization has come to recognize the need for closer internal integration among the various departments dealing with the circular economy, decarbonization, and sustainable urban development.
“We realized that our efforts were not sufficiently coordinated, so we decided to bring together initiatives related to plastic pollution, decarbonization, and sustainable cities into a single concept, the Industrial Climate Cities Nexus by People, which was launched last year,” the UNIDO representative said.
He noted that the new initiative has become a roadmap of sorts for partner countries, enabling them to develop projects that simultaneously address plastic pollution, waste management, and sustainable urban development.
“Experience shows that projects focused exclusively on plastic pollution will be less effective than initiatives that are part of a broader strategy for sustainable development and urban modernization,” Gajsak added.
Today, the fourth day of the WUF13 conference is taking place in Baku.
The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and Azerbaijani flags also took place.
The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit, featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.
The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and sustainable transport.
WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities,” the forum brings together governments, international organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development.
