On 13 July 2026, European Commissioner for Environment Jessika Roswall, speaking at an EU-UNEP event in New York, called for placing pollution prevention at the centre of development strategies, arguing that pollution is not only an environmental problem but also a human health, development, and economic issue. She stressed that with only four years left until 2030, progress on the Sustainable Development Goals remains too slow and uneven, and that the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss requires urgent, decisive, and collective action.
Roswall highlighted that pollution is closely linked to several SDGs under review this year, including clean water and sanitation, clean energy, sustainable industry, and sustainable cities. She noted that solutions exist and that pollution is largely preventable, with circularity being a crucial step to cut waste, reduce exposure to harmful substances, lower pressure on nature, and strengthen competitiveness. The Commissioner outlined EU efforts to reduce pollution at source, promote clean technologies and safe chemicals, and move towards cleaner transport, improved water and waste management, and more sustainable production and consumption patterns.
On global governance, Roswall expressed EU support for the Global Framework on Chemicals and efforts to conclude an effective global agreement on plastic pollution and operationalise the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution. She also counted on the next UN Water Conference to drive a global agenda for reducing water pollution. The speech contained no new concrete policy proposals or numerical targets but reaffirmed existing EU commitments and called for faster action, stronger implementation, and broader partnerships involving business, cities, youth, and civil society. The policy orientation is towards integrating pollution prevention into broader development and circular economy strategies, with a conciliatory tone urging multilateral cooperation rather than assertive demands.