NAIROBI, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) on Friday called on the global community to invest in science and technology in finding solutions to environmental pollution.
Countries also need to invest in the development of skills in youths through capacity-building to inculcate in them digital transformation techniques, UNEP executive director Inger Andersen said.
She urged global nations to invest in engineering institutions to help design new products with recycled products.
"We need to invest in academic institutions to help find solutions to the global environmental problems that threaten humanity and the environment," Andersen said during the launch of Kenya's national sustainable waste management policy and national marine litter management action plan.
The launch was a side event at a special session to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the UNEP in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
Andersen commended Kenya for its ban on single-use plastics and on the use of plastics in national and game parks.
Keriako Tobiko, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, said Kenya puts emphasis on the development of policies and frameworks on the environment sector since it is one of the main pillars of social and economic growth in the country.
Carole Kariuki, chief executive officer of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), said the national sustainable waste management policy and the national marine litter management action plan will promote recycling, which is still low in the country.
She said KEPSA members are transitioning to a circular economy.
The national sustainable waste management policy is aimed at protecting public health and the environment, driving job creation and adopting integrated waste management and the minimization of waste generation.
The national marine litter management action plan will help in managing litter disposal and accumulation in the marine environment and help manage threats to the health of the oceans. ■
