United Nations Environment Programme

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) helps coordinate efforts to solve environmental problems within the United Nations System. It was started by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in June 1972. UNEP provides leadership, shares science, and helps find solutions for many issues. These include climate change, taking care of oceans and land ecosystems, and supporting green economic growth. The organization also creates international environmental agreements; shares environmental science; and helps countries reach their environmental goals.

As a member of the United Nations Development Group, UNEP helps the world work towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. UNEP supports several important agreements and research groups. These include the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, the Convention on Migratory Species and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), among others.

In 1988, the World Meteorological Organization and UNEP created the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). UNEP is also one of several agencies that help run the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol. UNEP is sometimes called UN Environment. The main office of UNEP is in Nairobi, Kenya.

History

In the 1970s, many countries, especially those facing poverty, did not think protecting the environment was important. But Maurice Strong, a leader from Canada, helped convince them that everyone needed to care about the environment. This led to the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, where leaders talked about issues like pollution and protecting nature.

The conference created the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to help manage the world's environment. UNEP was set up in Nairobi, Kenya, making it the first major UN office in the Global South. Between 1974 and 1986, UNEP created guides to help countries manage forests, water, pests, and pollution. In 2000, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge joined UNEP to help with its work.

Governance

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is led by an executive director. Maurice Strong was the first director, elected in 1972. Other directors have included Mostafa Kamal Tolba, who helped create the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer, and Inger Andersen, the current director since 2019.

UNEP’s governing body is the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), which replaced the Governing Council in 2012. It has 193 members and meets every two years. The Assembly helps guide UNEP’s work on global environmental issues. UNEP’s work is organized into eight divisions, each focusing on different areas such as science, policy, ecosystems, economy, governance, law, communication, and corporate services. These divisions help UNEP support countries in solving environmental problems and promoting sustainable development.

Main article: United Nations Environment Assembly

#	Picture	Name (birth–death)	Nationality	Took office	Left office
1		Maurice Strong (1929–2015)	Canada	1972	1975
2		Mostafa Kamal Tolba (1922–2016)	Egypt	1975	1992
3		Elizabeth Dowdeswell (born 1944)	Canada	1992	1998
4		Klaus Töpfer (1938–2024)	Germany	1998	2006
5		Achim Steiner (born 1961)	Brazil	2006	2016
6		Erik Solheim (born 1955)	Norway	2016	2018
7		Joyce Msuya (acting) (born 1968)	Tanzania	2018	2019
8		Inger Andersen (born 1958)	Denmark	2019	Present

Topic areas

UNEP works on many important areas to help protect our planet. This includes taking action on climate change, working to conserve and restore nature, and helping countries create good environmental policies like global environmental governance. UNEP also collects and shares important data about the environment to help everyone work towards a healthier planet, such as through the Sustainable Development Goals. UNEP also addresses issues like managing chemicals and waste, and improving resource efficiency.

Advocacy

UNEP helps people learn about important environmental issues. It talks about climate change and how it can cause sea levels to rise, forcing people to move.

UNEP has started many programs to help the environment. It worked with UNESCO on environmental education for years. It also supports a circular economy, which means using resources to reduce waste. The Regional Seas Programme helps protect oceans and seas by bringing countries together. The Faith for Earth Initiative works with religious groups to support environmental protection.

Further information: Effects of climate change and Causes of climate change

Other activities

Main articles: Global 500 Roll of Honour and Champions of the Earth

The United Nations Environment Programme gives special awards to people and groups that do great work for the environment. One award, called the Global 500 Roll of Honour, started in 1987 but ended in 2003. Since 2005, they give out the Champions of the Earth award and the Young Champions of the Earth award each year.

The UN also picks special years to focus on important environmental topics. For example, 2010 was the International Year of Biodiversity, and 2011 was the International Year of Forests. These special years help people pay more attention to these issues.

Notable achievements

UNEP has helped make important agreements to protect our planet. This includes the 1987 Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer and the 2017 Minamata Convention to reduce harmful mercury.

The agency has supported solar power projects, making it easier for people to buy solar panels. A big success was helping 100,000 people in India get solar power. This inspired similar projects in Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia, and Mexico. UNEP also works with young people through its Tunza program, including projects like the AEO for Youth.

Reform

See also: UNEO and IRENA

In 2007, a big report talked about climate change. Some leaders thought the UNEP should be replaced with a new group, like the World Health Organization. But big countries that cause a lot of pollution, like the United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China, did not support this idea.

In 2012, the United Nations decided to make UNEP stronger. They changed its membership to include all UN member states. This change happened in 2014.

Funding

The European Investment Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme created the Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP) in 2015 to help a United Nations project called Sustainable Energy for All. The platform started with money from the United Kingdom and later got more money. Its goal was to improve energy for people in Sub-Saharan Africa.

It has helped build renewable energy projects using solar power and hydropower in many countries.

In 2018, some problems happened with the UNEP director, and a few countries stopped giving money for a time.