UNEP News & Stories

Environment under review

Program Manager

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UNEP

Fire and water: Lessons from running up Mount Kenya

Recent wildfires on Mount Kenya highlight the need to strengthen ecosystem resilience, protect peatlands and prepare for growing climate risks.

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UNEP

Rotting food is supercharging the climate crisis. Here’s what to do about that.

Ending the food waste epidemic is both a food security imperative and a climate necessity, because rotting food produces the powerful greenhouse gas methane.

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UNEP

Could electric vehicles help this African capital clean its air and fight climate change?

When it comes to the rise of electric motorcycles, Kenya is one of the world leaders – but the country’s electric mobility revolution faces both tremendous opportunities and…

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UNEP

How blended cement, used everywhere from ancient Rome to modern London, could help counter climate change

From the Pantheon to the Burj Khalifa, some of the world’s most remarkable structures reveal how alternative materials can reduce reliance on carbon-intensive clinker while delivering high-performance concrete.

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UNEP

Air conditioning may cool the room, but it also heats the world – here are five more sustainable ways to bring down temperatures

Temperatures in cities are rising fast, and so are emissions from cooling – here are five ways to cool buildings more sustainably, reducing the need for air conditioning.

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UNEP

Advancing One Health implementation and investment: from country action to sustainable solutions

The Quadripartite organisations highlight country action, science and investment as priorities for advancing One Health at the 9th World One Health Congress in Lisbon, Portugal.

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UNEP

Call for Expressions of Interest to Host World Environment Day 2028 or 2029

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is inviting Member States to submit expressions of interest to host the global observance of World Environment Day in 2028 or 2029.

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UNEP

Nairobi Convention marks 40 years as COP12 charts future of ocean governance

The Twelfth Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the Nairobi Convention concluded with 15 decisions aimed at accelerating action for the protection, management, and sustainable development of the…

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UNEP

ED press statement – launch of the State of Biodiversity Report, COP17 Leaders’ Summit

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen says biodiversity gains are emerging, but faster climate-nature action, policy alignment and finance are crucial to meet GBF goals.

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UNEP

Here’s what to expect at a “pivotal” UN conference on biodiversity

The UN Biodiversity Conference is expected to focus on countries can ramp up efforts to protect the natural world, which experts say is degrading at an alarming rate.

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UNEP

Youth, education and environment

The work of UNEP on youth, education and environment cuts across of UNEP's activities.

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UNEP

UNEP and the Sustainable Development Goals

The work of UNEP on SDGs is coordinated by the Office of Science.

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UNEP

Finance and economic transformations

Head, finance and economic transformations

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UNEP

Environmental law and governance

The work of UNEP on environmental law and governance is led by the Law Division.

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FAO

World Food Forum 2026: FAO calls for smarter water governance to safeguard food security

FAO launches digital platform to guide sustainable irrigation investment

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UNCCD

UNCCD COP17 advances new pathways for land restoration, drought resilience and implementation

US$1.3 billion portfolio of finance for land restoration and drought resilience across 23 countries, with rangelands at its centre through a US$1.2 billion portfolio spanning 45 projects Progress…

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UNCCD

Restoring land, recognizing local knowledge: Community voices at COP17

Land is often discussed at global conferences in hectares, targets and indicators. For the people who live from the land, it is also home, livelihood, culture, memory and…

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UNCCD

COP17 launches new Drought Resilience Index to support earlier action on drought

Drought resilience is not only about knowing when and where drought will occur. It is about understanding how well societies, economies, ecosystems and institutions can anticipate, prepare for…

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UNCCD

Science at the heart of policy and implementation at COP17

At UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, the Committee on Science and Technology examined how scientific evidence can help countries monitor land degradation, plan for drought and make informed choices…

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UNCCD

Redrafting the pattern: Fashion4Land traces sustainability back to healthy land

Cashmere can look weightless on a runway. Whether its footprint is equally light depends on the health of the rangelands that produce it. In Mongolia, around 190,000 herder…

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UNDP

UNDP Accountability Mechanism

In June 2014 UNDP adopted mandatory Social and Environmental Standards (SES) for all of UNDP’s projects and programmes effective 1 January 2015.

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UNDP

Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people…

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UNDP

ISO and UNDP launch world’s first International Standard to advance action on the Sustainable Development Goals

ISO and UNDP launched ISO/UNDP 53001, Management systems for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – Requirements, the world’s first International Standard to help organizations integrate the…

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UNDP

Innovators wanted: UNDP launches USD 1 million global challenge for healthier ocean

UNDP with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), launched its fifth Ocean Innovation Challenge (OIC) Call for Proposals to accelerate progress on SDG 14 targets.…

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UNEP

How one programme supported stronger environmental governance in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific

The Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific MEAs Programme is helping countries to bolster environmental governance by implementing multilateral environmental agreements.

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UNEP

Nairobi Convention at 40: A Legacy of Regional Ocean Governance and Cooperation

As the Nairobi Convention marks 40 years of regional cooperation, COP12 will bring together Western Indian Ocean countries and partners to strengthen ocean governance, advance a sustainable blue…

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UNEP

Why karst wetlands are critical for water security – but challenging to protect

Karst wetlands are biodiversity hotspots and crucial water sources, but hard to see and manage. Learn what’s being done to improve protection worldwide.

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UNEP

Boosting action on climate and nature in focus

Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, called for faster climate action through Kigali ratification, methane cuts and a stronger UNEP to protect people and nature.

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United Nations News

As disasters mount, next UN climate summit faces a test of trust

Less than a month before the UN climate conference COP31 opens in Antalya, Türkiye, representatives of three successive summit presidencies gathered to address a pressing question: How can…

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