https://www.unep.org/
HQ: Nairobi, Kenya
Focal Point: Taurai Mtetwa
Email: [email protected]
Internal Sustainability Team: Taurai Mtetwa (Full time)
EXECUTIVE-DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
“The UNEP must lead by example. We must ‘walk the talk’ by managing our own impact, promoting a culture of sustainability, and above all, working with our leaders, staff and partners to help and support them to be more sustainable too. I am committed to accelerating sustainability efforts to promote efficient energy use, zero waste to landfill, low-emission transportation, carbon neutral buildings and sustainable supply chains and procurement. Having detailed data from Greening the Blue and making sure the entire organisation has that at its fingertips, is crucial”.
Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Inger Andersen
Mission
MISSION
UNEP’s mission is to inspire, inform, and enable nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
https://www.unep.org/who-we-are/about-us
UNEP sustainability statement:
UNEP is committed to integrating environmental sustainability into all aspects of its operations and facilities. This commitment is guided by five core principles:
(a) reducing impacts related to climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss;
(b) ensuring efficient and responsible resource use;
(c) monitoring, measuring, and transparently reporting environmental performance;
(d) continuously improving sustainability practices; and
(e) leading by example while raising awareness across the UN system.
FIELD OFFICES
Location | UNEP Offices | |
1 | Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire | Abidjan office |
2 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Addis Ababa office |
3 | Almaty, Kazakhstan | Almaty office |
4 | Apia, Samoa | Apia office |
5 | Asuncion, Paraguay | Asuncion Office |
6 | Athens, Greece | Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) |
7 | Baghdad, Iraq | Baghdad office |
8 | Bangkok, Thailand | Regional office for Asia and the Pacific, ROAP |
9 | Beirut, Lebanon | Regional office for West Asia, ROWA |
10 | Beijing, China | Beijing Office |
11 | Bogota, Colombia | Bogota Office |
12 | Bonn, Germany | Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) |
13 | Brasilia, Brazil | Brasilia office |
14 | Brussels, Belgium | Brussels office |
15 | Busan, South Korea | Busan office |
16 | Cambridge, United Kingdom | Cambridge office |
17 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Copenhagen office |
18 | Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Dar es Salaam office |
19 | Geneva, Switzerland | Regional office for Europe, ROE, Minamata Convention, CITES |
20 | Hanoi, Vietnam | Hanoi office |
21 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Jakarta office |
22 | Incheon City, South Korea | Incheon City Office |
23 | Kathmandu, Nepal | Kathmandu office |
24 | Kingston, Jamaica | Caribbean Environment Programme, CEP |
25 | Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Kinshasa Office |
26 | Mexico City, Mexico | Mexico office |
27 | Montreal, Canada | Secretariat of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of Montreal Protocol (MFL) |
28 | Moscow, Russia | Moscow office |
29 | Nairobi, Kenya | Regional office for Africa, Ozone Secretariat, ROA and Headquarters, HQ |
30 | New Delhi, India | New Delhi office |
31 | New York, United States | NY office |
32 | Nouakchott, Mauritania | Nouakchott office |
33 | Osaka, Japan | International Environmental Technology Centre, IETC |
34 | Panama City, Panama | Regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean, ROLAC |
35 | Paris, France | Paris office |
36 | Port-au-Prince, Haiti | Port-au-Prince office |
37 | Pretoria, South Africa | Pretoria office |
38 | Rabat, Morocco | Rabat office |
39 | Riyadh. Saudi Arabia | Riyadh office |
40 | Toyama, Japan | Toyama office |
41 | Vienna, Austria | Vienna Programme Office-Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention |
| 42 | Washington, United States | Regional office for North America, RONA |
ALIGNMENT WITH THE STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM, 2020 - 2030
UNEP is committed to advancing environmental sustainability across its global operations by aligning with the UN Strategy for Sustainability Management 2020–2030. UNEP is:
- Reducing GHG emissions and has set science-based targets, minimizing travel-related emissions, and offsetting unavoidable emissions.
- Promoting resource efficiency through energy conservation, sustainable water use, and reduction of waste and single-use materials.
- Strengthening monitoring and reporting by improving the accuracy and transparency of environmental performance data.
- Fostering innovation and leadership by adopting best practices, promoting staff awareness, and building sustainability capacity across duty stations
Emission Reduction
In 2024, UNEP generated 9,305 tCO₂eq from operations and facilities. To further reduce this footprint, UNEP is implementing targeted action plans and will offset unavoidable emissions through Certified Emission Reductions (CERs). The Carbon Levy remains active, incentivising Divisions and Regional Offices to manage and reduce their annual emissions. UNEP’s overarching goal is to progressively lower emissions while strengthening sustainability measures.
EMS and Reduction Efforts
UNEP launched a revised Environmental Sustainability Policy and EMS Manual, along with the EMS Risk Register Tool to help locations identify risks and create tailored action plans for environmental improvement. Internal audits at two key sites highlighted data collection gaps, prompting the development of the EnviroData app. This tool simplifies data collection, reporting, and monitoring, aiming to improve accuracy and efficiency. Our objective is to strengthen environmental performance tracking and enhance sustainability efforts across all UNEP locations.
For the 2024 reporting year, UNEP’s progress on the EMS is rated as: Meets the EMS Status
Waste Management
UNEP manages waste in accordance with established procedures across all duty stations. A significant portion of waste is recycled or reused. Ongoing efforts aim to further reduce waste volumes, improve segregation systems, and promote circular approaches in line with UN sustainability standards.
Water and Wastewater Management
UNEP promotes efficient water consumption across its duty stations by:
- Monitoring water use to identify opportunities for conservation.
- Encouraging behavioural changes among personnel to reduce wastage.
These efforts support UNEP’s broader resource-efficiency goals, which include reducing reliance on natural resources while maintaining operational effectiveness.
UNEP ensures that wastewater generated at its duty stations is managed responsibly and in compliance with host-country regulations.
Environmental Training for Personnel
UNEP provides targeted training for Sustainability Focal Points at duty stations to improve environmental performance. A monitoring dashboard tracks completion of the mandatory Greening the Blue (GtB) tutorial to ensure personnel meet required sustainability competencies.
Offsetting
UNEP offset unavoidable emissions through Certified Emission Reductions (CERs).