SoED 2020 – Launch of the Report in France

After its presentation to the International Press Agencies on October 21, 2020, the State of Environment and Development (SoED) report, produced by UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre Plan Bleu, was presented to the Representatives of French Media Organizations on November 18, 2020, during the conference on MED 2020 Climate Change.

More than 10 years have passed since the last report of this magnitude published by Plan Bleu and the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP). The conclusion is clear: the Mediterranean basin remains vulnerable and requires radical changes for a sustainable development of the region.

Indeed the report indicates that the Mediterranean is facing environmental and development challenges of unprecedented scale and urgency. The region will not meet its sustainability goals for 2030 if no action is taken. According to the report, 15% of deaths in the Mediterranean are attributable to preventable environmental factors; in 2016, more than 228,000 people died prematurely as a result of exposure to air pollution. The region - one of the world's most coveted tourist destinations and one of the busiest shipping routes - is polluted with around 730 tonnes of plastic waste every day. The presence of over 1,000 non-native species is also a threat to biodiversity. Finally, the region is warming 20% faster than the global average.

The Director of Plan Bleu, Mr. François Guerquin, said: “The future of the Mediterranean is at a tipping point. We are at the 3rd report, and since 2005 hardly anything has changed. During this health crisis, the world turned on prospective questions: what will the world be after? If we want to protect the Mediterranean for current and future generations, we can no longer afford piecemeal measures, we must undertake radical changes in our relationship to our eco system”.

The Mediterranean needs a profound transformation of consumption and production patterns to achieve sustainability.

The coordinator of UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention Secretariat, Mr. Gaetano Leone, said: “By shedding light on the mistakes of the past, the report's findings can guide a green renaissance in the Mediterranean. Embarking now on greener development paths can halt trends of environmental degradation and save hard-won achievements in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ”

The report provides a basis for evidence-based environmental action in the region. Its authors underscored the urgent need for appropriate and effective policy responses to alleviate pressure on the environment while meeting pressing human development needs.