In the early years of the United Nations, environmental issues were not a major concern, and protecting the environment was not on the global agenda. However, in the 1960s, oil spills and pollution led to greater awareness, and research showed that the environment was rapidly deteriorating. In 1972, the UN held the Conference on the Human Environment (the Stockholm Convention), which helped establish the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to address these concerns. As environmental issues became more critical, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) was created in 2012 as a forum to address global environmental problems. UNEA is the highest-level environmental decision-making body, with all 193 UN member states participating, as well as other major groups and stakeholders. UNEA sets priorities for environmental policies and has addressed issues such as fighting illegal wildlife trafficking, protecting the environment in conflict zones, and promoting sustainable urban mobility.

Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a key role in solving some of the world’s biggest problems. However, the technology which operates AI has its own environmental costs. For example, data centers which store AI servers use a lot of water to cool down the equipment. While big tech companies promise to replace the water they use, some experts question if this is really possible. AI also requires minerals like lithium, cobalt, and other rare materials that are often mined in unsustainable ways. Additionally, AI needs a lot of electricity, which leads to large amounts of carbon dioxide being released and puts strain on power grids. Delegates are tasked with finding ways to reduce the environmental impact of AI. This could include creating standards to measure the environmental costs, making rules to help manage the impact better, and encouraging countries to make data centers more eco-friendly. Addressing these issues will allow UNEA to be better prepared as the world deals with the environmental challenges. 

Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on Earth, causing around 725,000 deaths each year. This is more than the combined total from snakes, crocodiles, lions, and sharks. Mosquitoes spread dangerous diseases like malaria, dengue, Zika, and West Nile virus. Poor environmental management will increase mosquito numbers. For example, mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, in places like puddles left after deforestation or in old containers. Properly managing water sources and reducing deforestation can help to limit the places where mosquitoes breed. Another way to fight mosquitoes is by controlling their habitats in wetland areas and avoiding water buildup in places like abandoned tires or other trash. Some current solutions have also created new environmental problems. For example, mosquito nets treated with pesticides have been used as fishing nets, which can pollute the water with harmful chemicals. Delegates in UNEA are tasked with finding environmentally-friendly ways to control mosquito populations without harming humans or the environment. This could include safer pesticides and better land management strategies to reduce mosquito breeding grounds.