UNOPS inspires global action on World Environment Day


 

For World Environment Day 2024, UNOPS took a hands-on approach to environmental action. With the theme of "Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience" in mind, the organization launched a creative and engaging global campaign to mobilize its personnel. The aim? To make sustainability not only part of the conversation—but part of daily operations. 

UNOPS designed a flexible toolkit and invited its offices to localize the campaign. The result was a spirited, three-week competition that brought colleagues together around a shared cause. 38 teams across the globe took part in 7 practical challenges—from cycling to work and carpooling, to running waste audits, transforming trash into art, and organizing neighborhood cleanups. 

Participation was enthusiastic: 183 members of personnel completed 145 sustainability challenges. The most popular activities included the Environmental Brains Challenge, which encouraged teams to complete UNOPS' environmental management training, and community-focused cleanups that brought visibility and impact beyond the office walls. Each completed challenge was documented through photos, reports or videos, celebrating the creativity and dedication of staff. Winning teams were rewarded with solar phone chargers and sustainability books. 

What set this initiative apart was how it bridged policy with practice. Offices not only engaged in awareness-raising activities, but also generated usable data—some even feeding their waste audit results directly into the 2024 Environmental Inventory. The campaign showed that environmental sustainability can thrive through ownership and a little friendly competition. 

Lessons Learned and Next Steps 

The initiative reinforced a valuable lesson: when sustainability is made engaging, people get involved—and stay involved. The challenge format encouraged staff to collaborate, reflect, and act in a way that felt both personal and collective. 

Looking ahead, UNOPS will continue engaging personnel through upcoming environmental events, such as the Clean-Up Day. The organization will build on the momentum generated last year, channeling energy into localized initiatives that support system-wide sustainability goals. 

Find out more:  

This article was written by Mats Krüger and Ilektra Papadaki (UNEP) based on input and interviews with Yola Wolgast (UNOPS). 

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