16 top CEOs from China have attended a workshop at the UN Environment Programme headquarters to learn more about what the agency is doing in the Green Economy initiatives, combating climate change, international campaigns, green construction, reforestation and the green technology.
(Thursday 2 July 2009)

In an historic first, all five Executive Directors of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) gathered together in Glion, Switzerland for the Global Environmental Governance Forum on 29 June 2009 where they lent their voices to the global UN-led campaign to Seal the Deal on an effective climate agreement in Copenhagen this December.

Add your voice to the Seal the Deal campaign by visiting www.sealthedeal2009.org
(Thursday 2 July 2009)

Key tools to help countries adapt to climate change will be developed at the World Climate Conference-3 (WCC-3), which will take place in Geneva from 31 August to 4 September. The meeting will bring together high-level decision-makers, scientists, policy-makers, and business leaders to initiate a Global Framework for Climate Services to boost climate adaptation.
(Wednesday 1 July 2009)

The WTO/UNEP report on "Trade and Climate Change" published today examines the intersections between trade and climate change from four perspectives: the science of climate change; economics; multilateral efforts to tackle climate change; and national climate change policies and their effect on trade.

The WTO and UNEP are partners in the pursuit of sustainable development and this report is the outcome of collaborative research between the WTO and UNEP.
(Friday 26 June 2009)

At least 21 UN agencies today backed the call for a world-wide transition to a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy able to deliver multiple economic, social and environmental opportunities in the 21st century.

Such a transition is needed to catalyze a sustainable global economic recovery while generating decent jobs, enhancing food security, and reducing dependence on finite fossil fuels.

A Green Economy can also address multiple persistent and looming crises from overcoming poverty and combating climate change to reversing the degradation of multi-trillion dollar ecosystems and their services, experts argue.
(Thursday 25 June 2009)

A scientific paper, highlighting the need to accelerate action over a group of gases known as Hydroflurocarbons (HFCs) as part of the climate change agenda, was today welcomed by the head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

The findings, by an international team of researchers are published in the Proceeedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The scientists argue that HFC use could climb sharply in the coming years in products such as insulation foams, air conditioning units and refrigeration as replacements for ones being phased-out to protect the ozone layer.
(Monday 22 June 2009)

"The world faces a growing risk of "abrupt and irreversible climatic shifts," was the conclusion of report by international scientists issued on Thursday.

The 36-page document summarized over 1,400 studies which were presented at a climate conference last March in Copenhagen attended by some 2,000 scientists from over 70 countries.

The research, which was written and reviewed by many of the scientists who compiled the benchmark UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report in 2007, presents the newest scientific evidence that warns that ocean temperatures, sea levels, extreme climate conditions and the retreat of the Arctic sea ice have picked up more pace than experts predicted two years ago.
(Monday 22 June 2009)

For the past few years Americans have been dealing with erratic and often extreme weather conditions. And now according to a new report titled Global Change Impacts in the United States, there is evidence that these patterns are attributable to global warming.

Average temperatures in the US have risen by1.5F (-17C) over the last 50 years, according to the report. It also warns that physical infrastructure on the US Gulf Coast could be threatened with storm surges and sea level rises of up to eight inches.
(Friday 19 June 2009)

Patterns of disaster risk are changing and the critical ecosystems that support community resilience are being lost at an alarming rate due to human mismanagement of natural resources.
(Thursday 18 June 2009)

The crucial role played by Sports in various aspects of sustainable development was discussed by UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner in an address to the 'Forum on Productive Youth Development through Sport in Africa'.
(Thursday 18 June 2009)

Improved varieties of the tropical, nutritious 'Sahel Apple' tree allied to the setting up of market gardens and community nature reserves are helping to turn the tide of land-degradation and desertification in some African countries, a new study shows.
(Tuesday 16 June 2009)

The new "Frankfurt Declaration" highlights major threats to gorillas and their habitats, as well as the strategies available for the conservation of the second closest relative to humankind.
(Thursday 11 June 2009)

In an effort to green the Sochi Olympics in 2014, UNEP has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Olympic organizers to help and advise them on making the Games environmentally friendly.
(Tuesday 9 June 2009)

From discarded fishing gear to plastic bags to cigarette butts, a growing tide of marine litter is harming oceans and beaches worldwide, says a new report.
(Monday 8 June 2009)

A new decision-making tool is being launched to provide the most current and relevant information about marine and coastal biodiversity and its protection status.
(Monday 8 June 2009)

Echoing the 'Healing the Earth' ceremonies of Mexico's ancient Mayan civilization, President Calderon announced on World Environment Day his government's landmark plans to combat climate change alongside the establishment of new protected areas.
(Sunday 7 June 2009)

Boosting investments in the conservation, rehabilitation and management of the Earth's forests, peatlands, soils and other key ecosystems could deliver significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and avoid even more being released to the atmosphere, a new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says.
(Thursday 4 June 2009)

$155 billion was invested in 2008 in clean energy companies and projects worldwide - not including large hydro, a new report launched today says.
(Wednesday 3 June 2009)

The Billion Tree Campaign has just passed the four billion mark, in a crucial step towards its target of seven billion trees planted by the end of 2009.
(Tuesday 2 June 2009)

People around the world will unite for the planet on 5 June for World Environment Day 2009, with a strong call for environmental action just six months before the crucial United Nations climate change talks in Copenhagen.
(Monday 1 June 2009)

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and LG Electronics (LGE), a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, agreed to be partners in the recognition of outstanding global environmental leaders through UNEP's Champions of the Earth Awards.
(Saturday 30 May 2009)

Six months before the crucial negotiations on climate in Copenhagen, African ministers reach a landmark position on climate in Nairobi
(Friday 29 May 2009)

The chemical agenda has always been high on the political, environmental and social agenda of the Nordic countries-it reflects the reality that unique but also vulnerable ecosystems in this region are magnets for pollutants often generated hundreds if not thousands of miles away.
(Thursday 28 May 2009)

On Sunday UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Nobel Laureate Al Gore called on over 500 world business leaders meeting in Copenhagen to use their business acumen to urge government leaders to reach an agreement on reducing greenhouse gases.
(Monday 25 May 2009)

International Biological Diversity Day 2009 spotlights perhaps one of the least know threats to biodiversity and economies-alien invasive species.
(Friday 22 May 2009)

A team of UNEP experts is leaving the Gaza Strip after completing fieldwork in the area, as part of a post-conflict environmental assessment undertaken following the escalation of hostilities there in December 2008 and January 2009.
(Thursday 21 May 2009)

Putting the environment at the centre of Africa's economic future must be a priority for the Continent, the President of the Republic of Rwanda urged today at an historic meeting of finance and environment ministers.
(Thursday 21 May 2009)

The second International Conference on Chemicals Management has ended with significant progress in several key areas and greater clarity on its priorities for future work.
(Monday 18 May 2009)

The world has taken significant steps this week towards ensuring that chemicals are produced, used and disposed of as safely as possible.
(Friday 15 May 2009)

Delivering food security to an additional 1 billion people in Africa will become ever more challenging over the next four decades unless we manage our natural resources better.
(Thursday 14 May 2009)

From paying fishermen to 'fish for litter' to laws banning food vendors from using plastic cups and plates in coastal parks, governments and local authorities around the world are increasingly turning to market-based instruments to cut litter and waste entering the sea.
(Wednesday 13 May 2009)

UNEP is calling everyone around the world to get planting - and to follow the campaign at www.twitter.com/UNEPandYou.
(Tuesday 12 May 2009)

Carbon benefits project will assess levels of carbon stored via sustainable and climate-friendly land management
(Monday 11 May 2009)

A United Nations conference on how to manage the use of everyday chemicals has heard a call for scientists to tell politicians and the public more about the chemical risks they face.
(Monday 11 May 2009)

Nine persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were listed today under the Stockholm Convention. Over 160 Governments have just concluded a one-week conference with practical decisions that will strengthen a global effort to eradicate some of the most toxic chemicals known to humankind.
(Saturday 9 May 2009)

A Brazilian scientific support centre and a leading Swiss laboratory are among the winners of the inaugural Green Star Awards announced in Brussels today.
(Thursday 7 May 2009)

Countries move toward more sustainable ways to roll back malaria ahead of Millennium Development Goals
(Wednesday 6 May 2009)

Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear is impacting fish stocks and poses a hazard to boats
(Wednesday 6 May 2009)

Maldives join the Climate Neutral Network with a pledge to become the world's first carbon neutral nation
(Monday 4 May 2009)

Ministers and officials from 150 governments are meeting this week to advance global efforts to rid the world of some of the most hazardous chemicals produced by humankind.
(Thursday 30 April 2009)

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced in Brussels last Thursday that the UN is launching a worldwide campaign under the slogan 'Seal the Deal!'
(Wednesday 29 April 2009)

Crucially, the Obama team recognizes that a Green New Deal and Green Economy can be a vital component in catalyzing a sustainable economic upturn.
(Wednesday 29 April 2009)

World-renowned French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand was designated Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme on Earth Day in recognition of his outstanding advocacy work for the environment.
(Thursday 23 April 2009)

Winners from Ethiopia, India, France, Norway, Papua New Guinea and United States Receive Coveted Awards at Gala Event in Paris Paris
(Wednesday 22 April 2009)

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has been meeting with senior Palestinian officials and UN staff to hear at first hand their concerns and learn of key environmental challenges and priorities for rehabilitation.
(Tuesday 21 April 2009)

Many of the transformational technological opportunities emerging across the globe right now - from renewables such as wind and solar power to desalination and smart, energy efficient materials and processes - were originally incubated in the world's universities, colleges and research institutes.
(Monday 20 April 2009)

More than 700 leaders from business, civil society, international organizations and government are set to meet at the Business for the Environment Global Summit in Paris on 22-23 April to discuss ways of powering green growth around the globe.
(Wednesday 15 April 2009)

Governments and international conservation bodies agreed on steps to protect the African elephant.
(Thursday 9 April 2009)

An ice bridge linking the Wilkins ice shelf to two islands in Antarctica has collapsed, triggering warnings that climate change is having a clear impact on the region.
(Tuesday 7 April 2009)

52 companies have joined forces with 34 experts and organizations to create an unprecedented low-carbon prosperity Task Force.
(Tuesday 31 March 2009)

The Billion Tree Campaign has passed the three billion planted tree mark following a confirmation from the Government of Turkey that it planted over 300 million trees in 2008.
(Monday 30 March 2009)

One of Nairobi's most iconic buildings, the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, will be plunged into darkness on Saturday night as part of the global lights out campaign - Earth Hour.
(Friday 27 March 2009)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, following consultations with the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has written to the President of the General Assembly requesting the General Assembly to confirm Helen Clark of New Zealand as the new Administrator of UNDP for a term of four years.
(Friday 27 March 2009)

While we face multiple and serious challenges, the situation also presents real opportunities to make profound changes in our economies: moving toward a green and low carbon economy will deliver
(Thursday 26 March 2009)

Extensive forest fires are affecting several of Kenya's key moisture reservoirs including the 400,000-hectare Mau Forest Complex, Kenya's largest forest and the source of water for at least twelve rivers. Important Rift Valley Lakes, including Lake Victoria, the source of the River Nile, depend on the rivers which are fed from the forest.
(Wednesday 25 March 2009)

Canada will invest $2.5 million over five years to support the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Global Environment Monitoring System GEMS/Water, an international water science program aimed at understanding inland quality issues around the world
(Monday 23 March 2009)

Investing one per cent of global GDP, or around $750 billion, into five key sectors could be the key to a Global Green New Deal.
(Wednesday 18 March 2009)

A global water crisis could be triggered by increased population, rising living standards, dietary changes and more biofuel production, according to the UN World Water Development Report entitled 'Water in a Changing World'.
(Monday 16 March 2009)

Population growth, climate change, widespread mismanagement and increasing demand for energy could lead to a major global water crisis, according to the UN World Water Development Report.
(Monday 16 March 2009)

The impact of peacekeeping operations on critical natural resources is being highlighted this week at a gathering of military and civilian aid experts at UNEP headquarters.
(Wednesday 11 March 2009)

UNEP's 2009 Year Book is in part confirming the concerns of 2,000 scientists meeting this week in Copenhagen over the accelerating pace of climate change.
(Tuesday 10 March 2009)

A roadmap towards greater global fuel economy that would halve greenhouse gas emissions from cars must be embarked upon immediately, and integrated into financial support for the car industry, according to a joint international agency report issued today.
(Tuesday 3 March 2009)

Youth from impoverished urban areas in Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana will join a climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness on climate change.
(Wednesday 25 February 2009)

The world's armies and UN peacekeepers around the globe should join the Billion Tree Campaign as it strives to reach its target of 7 billion trees planted by the end of 2009, according to Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai.
(Wednesday 25 February 2009)

A global crackdown on the poisonous pollutant mercury was agreed by environment ministers at the end of the UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) Governing Council.
(Friday 20 February 2009)

The City of Copenhagen today became the 100th participant of the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to promote global action towards low-carbon economies and societies.
(Thursday 19 February 2009)

The Beijing Olympics met if not exceeded many of its pledges on the environment, according to an assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
(Wednesday 18 February 2009)

A seven point plan to reduce the risk of hunger and rising food insecurity in the 21st century is outlined in new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
(Tuesday 17 February 2009)

One third of the around $2.5 trillion-worth of planned stimulus packages should be invested on 'greening' the world economy. This would assist in powering the global economy out of recession and onto a Green, 21st century path a new report released today by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says.
(Monday 16 February 2009)

This month the world's environment ministers meeting in Nairobi, Kenya can take a landmark decision to lift a global health threat from the lives of literally hundreds of millions of people.
(Sunday 15 February 2009)

Kenya: Atlas of Our Changing Environment was launched today by Kenyan Environment Minister John Michuki and UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
(Friday 13 February 2009)

The 2014 Sochi Olympics, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Rally Norway and the Norwegian Golf Federation have joined UNEP's Climate Neutral Network.
(Wednesday 11 February 2009)

Thousands of people are expected to show up for a tree planting ceremony organized by the UN Environment Programme in Karura Forest on 14 February.
(Tuesday 10 February 2009)

Over-exploitation, climate change and inadequate cooperation among countries threaten some of the world's greatest river basins, which sustain around 750 million people.
(Friday 6 February 2009)

Failure to tackle climate change could lead to insecurity and economic upheaval, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned.
(Friday 6 February 2009)

Speech by UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner at the Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference in Washington, D.C.
(Thursday 5 February 2009)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Thursday, called on the world's political and business leaders to use the current economic crisis to commit to a "Green New Deal"
(Friday 30 January 2009)

An appeal for $613m to help the UN provide emergency relief and humanitarian aid to 1.4 million war-torn Gazans was launched, by UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.
(Thursday 29 January 2009)

The creation of a low-carbon economy will be high on the agenda at an April summit of the leaders of 20 major economies (G-20).
(Tuesday 27 January 2009)

Just days after taking office, US President Barack Obama has appointed a climate envoy and cleared the way for new rules to force automakers to produce cleaner cars.
(Tuesday 27 January 2009)

Two-thirds of the soot particles causing South Asia's Brown Cloud come from biomass combustion such as household cooking and slash-and-burn agriculture, according to new research published in the journal Science.
(Friday 23 January 2009)

The spectre of a food crisis and an environmental emergency is looming in West Africa as tens of millions of caterpillars advance through villages in northern Liberia, destroying crops and sending terrified villagers fleeing from their homes.
(Friday 23 January 2009)

Australia Day - marked nationwide on 26 January - is all about going carbon neutral for some of the country's best-known cities, companies and community initiatives.
(Friday 23 January 2009)

Barack Obama is widely expected to usher in a new era for green leadership from the US.
(Tuesday 20 January 2009)

Three projects aimed at countering the slide towards extinction of one of human-kind's closest relatives were spotlighted today as events to mark the international Year of the Gorilla (YOG) 2009 got underway with a 'Gorillas on Thin Ice' event.
(Thursday 15 January 2009)

Japan and the Republic of Korea have announced that they will invest billions of dollars in green projects to create jobs and spur economic growth, in the latest sign that the Green New Deal advocated by the United Nations is gaining momentum.
(Friday 9 January 2009)

Billion Tree Campaign Patron and UNEP Champion of the Earth Prince Albert II of Monaco has begun a month-long expedition to Antarctica to assess the impact of global warming on the South Pole.
(Friday 9 January 2009)

Year of the Gorilla 2009 Fund-Raiser Skates-Off at The Natural History Museum ice rink in London
(Wednesday 7 January 2009)

Financial damage and loss of life caused by climate-related natural disasters made 2008 one of the most devastating years on record. Cyclone Nargis last June claimed 78,000 lives in Myanmar. The Atlantic hurricane season caused devastation in the Caribbean, Central America and the United States.
(Wednesday 31 December 2008)

As the festive season draws to a close, there is evidence the dawning New Year may carry "green" expectations of environmental action
(Saturday 27 December 2008)

A project, testing advanced seismic and drilling techniques in Kenya, uncovered wells of steam able to generate 4-5 Mega Watts (MW) of electricity and one yielding a bumper amount of 8MW. The project is carried out by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), in cooperation with the Kenyan power company KenGen.
(Wednesday 24 December 2008)

Ice volume in the Arctic in 2008 dropped to its second-lowest level since measurements began, according to new figures released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
(Wednesday 17 December 2008)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed the importance of political will and leadership in tackling the 'quintessential global threat' posed by climate change.
(Tuesday 16 December 2008)

The number of Clean Development Mechanism projects around the world boomed in 2008, jumping from 60 in 2004 to several thousand initiatives.
(Tuesday 16 December 2008)

Wind and geothermal power projects alongside ones promoting energy efficiency and even the preservation of onions are emerging across the globe courtesy of the United Nation-brokered carbon markets.
(Thursday 11 December 2008)

Weather-related natural disasters are now outstripping ones linked with earthquakes by an ever widening factor, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and insurers said today.
(Wednesday 10 December 2008)

Outlook Boosted by Global Environment Facility and UN Environment Programme Project Harvesting Bumper Quantities of Steam
(Tuesday 9 December 2008)

Heads of three leading international solar companies and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today issued a joint statement at the UN Climate Change Conference
(Monday 8 December 2008)

The huge potential of the building and construction sector for combating climate change remains virtually untapped
(Saturday 6 December 2008)

Maps pinpointing overlaps of high carbon and high biodiversity areas were launched today by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) with its Carbon and Biodiversity demonstration atlas.
(Friday 5 December 2008)

The world's oceans and seas are becoming noisier as a result of increases in vessels; a rise in seismic surveys and because of the new generation
(Wednesday 3 December 2008)

Leading environmental economists researchers, business leaders and senior figures from international organizations are to meet in Geneva to take forward the United Nations' Green Economy initiative.
(Tuesday 2 December 2008)

Projects promoting super-efficient 'Rocket Stoves', encouraging alternative livelihoods to reduce poaching and federating successful eco-tourism programmes across Africa are among a range of initiatives to be promoted under the Year of the Gorilla 2009.
(Monday 1 December 2008)

Whether they are speeding across the African savannah or navigating brackish waters in Asia, some of the world's most charismatic species need an urgent boost in international protection.
(Friday 28 November 2008)

The environment remains a top concern for people around the world despite the financial crisis, according to a global poll by the HSBC Climate Partnership, which includes HSBC, The Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and WWF.
(Thursday 27 November 2008)

The 9th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS) will be held in Rome, 1-5 December 2008. 300 representatives from governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as scientists will come together to discuss urgent conservation responses to address the rapid decline of migratory animal species across the globe
(Monday 24 November 2008)

Treaties combating ozone layer damage and climate change can learn from each other in order to maximize economic and environmental benefits.
(Monday 24 November 2008)

The military is being deployed to help save the ozone layer and to fight global warming under a unique partnership between the United Nations, national governments and several armed forces it was announced today.
(Thursday 20 November 2008)

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's latest speech on climate change has been welcomed as "very meaningful" by Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
(Thursday 20 November 2008)

NatureAir, the world's first carbon neutral airline, has joined the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to promote global action towards low-carbon economies and societies.
(Thursday 20 November 2008)

An advanced cutting-edge monitoring station, able to gather crucial data on pollution linked with damage to the Earth's ozone layer is to be established in the Gulf state of Qatar it was announced today.
(Wednesday 19 November 2008)

Paper - free or near paperless conferences may soon be in sight under a pioneering initiative by the Government of Qatar and the UN Environment Programme(UNEP), it was announced today.
(Monday 17 November 2008)

Cities from Beijing to New Delhi are getting darker, glaciers in ranges like the Himalayas are melting faster and weather systems becoming more extreme, in part, due to the combined effects of human-made Atmospheric Brown Clouds (ABCs) and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
(Thursday 13 November 2008)

'Climate Change: Our Challenge' is the theme of the 2nd Chinese Children's Painting Competition on the Environment which was launched today in Beijing. The competition is organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Luo Hong Foundation, and is held in conjunction with UNEP's International Children's Painting Competition on the Environment.
(Tuesday 11 November 2008)

Finding a decisive international response to the loss of biodiversity, ecosystems and the multi - trillion dollar goods and services they generate will take centre stage.
(Monday 10 November 2008)

Whether it be combating climate change or stemming the accelerating loss of biodiversity or promoting sustainable agriculture and recycling - some people and organizations are making a real and landscape - shifting difference.
(Friday 7 November 2008)

Close to one hundred governments meet in Putrajaya, Malaysia from 10 to 12 November to discuss the best global response to the loss of biodiversity, ecosystems and the multi-trillion dollar goods and services they generate.
(Friday 7 November 2008)

The natural environment enjoys protection under Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions. But this protection is often violated during war.
(Thursday 6 November 2008)

Boosting cost effective and environmentally-friendly alternatives to the malaria-controlling chemical DDT will be high on the international agenda when delegates meet in early November. Countries, industry, research institutes and non governmental organizations will review an interim report aimed at setting up a global partnership on alternatives to DDT and ways in which these can be distributed to countries and communities at risk.
(Monday 3 November 2008)

During the 10th meeting of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands' Conference of Contracting Parties, presently under way in the Republic of Korea, an original and ambitious partnership agreement aimed at fighting global warming has been entered into by the Ramsar Convention, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Danone Group.
(Wednesday 29 October 2008)

In a ray of hope amid the current economic crisis, children from around the world have pulled together and raised US$21,000 for the fight against climate change.
(Sunday 26 October 2008)

Nearly 90 per cent of young people across the globe think world leaders should do "whatever it takes" to tackle climate change. This is among the top findings of a new poll conducted on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
(Thursday 23 October 2008)

Mobilizing and re-focusing the global economy towards investments in clean technologies and 'natural' infrastructure such as forests and soils is the best bet for real growth, combating climate change and triggering an employment boom in the 21st century.
(Wednesday 22 October 2008)

Those scheduled to attend include: Achim Steiner, UN Under - Secretary General and Executive Director UNEP, Hilary Benn, UK Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mr Pavan Sukhdev, Head of Deutsche Bank's Global Markets business in India; leader of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity study and now also of UNEP's Green Economy initiative.
(Monday 20 October 2008)

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)'s message on this day is simple: investing in environmental management that benefits the poor will deliver strong results in terms of sustained poverty reduction and growth and achieving the MDGs. For over three years, UNEP and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), through the joint Poverty- Environment Initiative (PEI), have been working with eleven countries in Africa and Asia to launch and sustain poverty-environment mainstreaming programmes.
(Friday 17 October 2008)

The inclusion of a chemical on the PIC list is not a global recommendation to ban it or severely restrict its use. The PIC procedure gives developing country Parties the power to decide which of these chemicals they wish to receive and to exclude those they cannot manage safely. Exporting Parties are responsible for ensuring that no exports leave their territory when an importing country has made the decision not to accept the chemicals.
(Thursday 16 October 2008)

Climate change and bioenergy are the focus of this year's World Food Day activities, expected to involve over 150 countries. FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945.
(Thursday 16 October 2008)

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS),also known as the Bonn Convention, will declare 2009 the Year of the Gorilla (YoG) on December 1st at its ninth Conference of Parties in Rome.
(Monday 13 October 2008)

The Stockholm Convention is already dealing with 12 Persistent Organic Pollutants, the so called Dirty Dozen. It is continuing to fulfill it mandate and meet its responsibilities by reviewing others for potential listing.
(Monday 13 October 2008)

Young artists from around the world are lending their support to global efforts to combat climate change through Paint for the Planet, an exhibit and auction of children's art in New York.
(Wednesday 8 October 2008)

A 'lost' lake in Mali and a Kenyan forest that is the water tower for key rivers and lakes in East Africa are among two country projects aimed at bringing significant degraded and denuded ecosystems back from the brink.
(Monday 6 October 2008)

United Nations Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner joined the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) today to announce the first-ever globally relevant sustainable tourism criteria at the IUCN World Conservation Congress.
(Monday 6 October 2008)

A new online database that will allow scientists to arm chair environmentalists monitor the world's national parks and protected areas was launched today at the 5th World Conservation Congress in Barcelona.
(Monday 6 October 2008)

Germany today boosted its funding for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) earmarking $18 million for the organization's work on clean energy and climate proofing vulnerable economies.
(Friday 3 October 2008)

A new, landmark study on the impact of an emerging global "green economy" on the world of work says efforts to tackle climate change could result in the creation of millions of new "green jobs" in the coming decades.
(Wednesday 24 September 2008)

Mexico, a country at the crossroads of the Green Economy and one increasingly in the centre of regional and global affairs will host the international 2009 World Environment Day celebrations.
(Monday 22 September 2008)

For the first time ever, communities worldwide taking action to protect the environment as part of the Clean Up the World Weekend, 19-21 September, will have the opportunity to plot their activities using a new online mapping function.
(Friday 19 September 2008)

China's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Dow Chemical (China) Investment Company Limited (Dow) today signed a joint project document to collaborate on promoting chemical safety and emergency preparedness in the chemical industry in China.
(Friday 19 September 2008)

Hundreds of children and teenagers from across Nairobi will gather on 20 September for the grand finale of a three-month event to promote peace and reconciliation.
(Friday 19 September 2008)

Launched today in Madagascar at the 4th Meeting of the Parties of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), the report highlights the need for more international co-operation in helping migratory species cope with climate change and other environmental problems.
(Thursday 18 September 2008)

Market turmoil, economic downturns and talk of recession have historically spelt tough times for the environment.
(Monday 15 September 2008)

New study shows a sharp drop in migratory waterbird populations along main migration routes in Africa and Eurasia.
(Monday 15 September 2008)

Hurricane Ike has left a trail of destruction throughout the southern United States, particularly in the city of Galveston, Texas, where an estimated one million people were evacuated to escape the storm.
(Friday 12 September 2008)

An initiative was unveiled today to list the Fertile Crescent, thought by some to be the location of the Biblical 'Garden of Eden', as a World Heritage Site.
(Thursday 4 September 2008)

Thousands are fleeing their homes in Haiti to avoid Tropical Storm Hanna, New Orleans was evacuated in advance of Hurricane Gustav and the displacement of two million people in northeast Indian due to the worst flood in 50 years underline
(Tuesday 2 September 2008)

As the world focuses on devastating floods in India and the latest hurricane threat to the southern United States, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for greater global leadership in tackling climate change
(Monday 1 September 2008)

Monitoring of glaciers and ice caps in Central Asia, the Tropics and in the Polar Regions needs to be urgently stepped up, scientists and the United Nations said today.
(Sunday 31 August 2008)

Scrapping fossil fuel subsidies could play an important role in cutting greenhouse gases while giving a small but not insignificant boost to the global economy a new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says.
(Tuesday 26 August 2008)

Diseases caused by changes in the environment accounts for a significant number of deaths in the African continent. In 2002 alone unsafe water, pollution, poor sanitation, inadequate waste disposal, insufficient disease vector control and exposure to chemicals claimed about 2.4 million lives.
(Friday 22 August 2008)

Marine turtles traverse the seas for thousands of kilometers, returning after decades to nest in the same area where they entered the world as tiny hatchlings. They are threatened by degradation of critical habitats on land, interaction with fishing gear at sea, and excessive harvesting of eggs and for meat.
(Wednesday 20 August 2008)

Toyota Motor Europe has become the first car manufacturer to join the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), the bold initiative by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
(Monday 18 August 2008)

Top Olympic athlete Yao Ming is the UN Environment Programme's first-ever Environmental Champion, UNEP announced today.
(Saturday 9 August 2008)

Real and hopefully long lasting achievements have been made by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, the city as a whole; the government and the six provinces concerned.
(Friday 8 August 2008)

Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP),will attend the Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony on 8 August as part of UNEP's continuing support for the Greening of the Games.
(Monday 4 August 2008)

Every generation has its challenges. The challenge for this one is the environment. Almost every dial on the sustainability indicator chart is pointing in the wrong direction.
(Friday 25 July 2008)

Two top Norwegian music festivals are joining the international fight against climate change.They are the Hove Festival, a rock event that this year featured acts including Beck, Duffy, and rapper Jay-Z,
(Wednesday 23 July 2008)

Thailand's 'Plant for the Planet, Plant for the Future' campaign was launched today at the opening ceremony of the Sirindhorn International Environment Park(SIEP).
(Tuesday 22 July 2008)

Two top Norwegian music festivals are joining the international fight against climate change. They are the Hove Festival, a rock event that this year featured acts including Beck, Duffy, and rapper Jay-Z, and Canal Street - a jazz and blues festival that opens today featuring legends John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, and The Waterboys.
(Monday 21 July 2008)

Kenya stands to lose a nature-based economic asset worth over US $300 million alone to the tea, tourism and energy sectors if the forest of the Mau Complex continues to be degraded and destroyed, the UN Environment Programme said today.
(Friday 18 July 2008)

Climate Change:Our Challenge is the theme of the 18th International Children's Painting Competition, which was launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP).
(Thursday 17 July 2008)

Three projects by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have won UN-wide Awards. The UN21 Awards, announced today, are given out every year by the UN Secretary-General to recognize outstanding initiatives across the organization. This year, more than 70 projects were nominated from across the global UN Secretariat.
(Friday 11 July 2008)

A joint European Union-United Nations expert team is being deployed today to the Philippines at the request of national authorities to assess the situation of a capsized ferry containing large quantities of highly toxic chemicals.
(Thursday 10 July 2008)

As the G8 Summit wrapped up in Japan, Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said the world's richest countries had shown insufficient leadership on climate change.
(Wednesday 9 July 2008)

WWF has launched its own dedicated television channel to bring high quality campaign and conservation videos to a worldwide audience. The new WWF channel is hosted by the online environment channel green.tv, a partner project of the United Nations Environment Programme.
(Tuesday 8 July 2008)

The organizers of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in the Black Sea resort of Sochi have decided to relocate several facilities away from a protected wilderness area following recommendations from the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP).
(Friday 4 July 2008)

Climate change worries, growing support from world governments, rising oil prices and ongoing energy security concerns combined to fuel another record-setting year of investment in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries in 2007, according to an analysis issued Tuesday July 1 by the UN Environment Programme(UNEP).
(Tuesday 1 July 2008)

The challenge of meeting the eight Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) in African countries is compounded by the grave long-term risk posed by climate change. That is the message of a report released today by the United Nations and the African Union.
(Tuesday 1 July 2008)

The TV advertising campaign conducted by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) won a prestigious award from the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA). The award was handed out yesterday evening at the European Parliament in Brussels.
(Friday 27 June 2008)

There are now more than 11 million refugees worldwide, the United Nations refugee agency has warned as the world celebrates World Refugee Day
(Friday 20 June 2008)

More than 300 children and teenagers from across Nairobi will gather on 21 June for the launch of a three-month event to promote peace and reconciliation.
(Thursday 19 June 2008)

A young Australian film maker, an Indian child combating water waste, a 13-year-old organizing clean-ups in Cameroon, and a teenage American recycler are among 700 children from around the world attending a UN environment conference in Stavanger, Norway.
(Tuesday 17 June 2008)

A new project launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme will help the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and others in the region to manage hazardous waste, both within their countries and across borders
(Monday 16 June 2008)

A wide-ranging new initiative to assist in greening Kenya's capital city has been drawn up by the UN Environment Programme(UNEP) in cooperation with the government, the city council, donors and UN-Habitat.
(Monday 16 June 2008)

Africa's rapidly changing environmental landscape, from the disappearance of glaciers in Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains to the loss of Cape Town's unique'fynbos'vegetation, is presented today to the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment(AMCEN).
(Tuesday 10 June 2008)

Africa, the continent most vulnerable to climate change, contributes little to global greenhouse gas emissions. How will the vulnerable populations, sectors and regions cope with the consequences of climate change? African environment ministers are poised to take action, what should they do?
(Tuesday 10 June 2008)

Adopting a climate-friendly lifestyle needn't require drastic changes or major sacrifices. People in the developed world, as well as some rapidly developing countries and cities - from Manchester and Manhattan to Moscow and Mumbai - can start right away to "Kick the C02 Habit", the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says.
(Wednesday 4 June 2008)

Two projects bringing renewable energy to villages in Peru and Lao People's Democratic Republic have been awarded the UNEP Sasakawa Prize 2008.
(Wednesday 4 June 2008)

Environmental leaders in New Zealand were recognized today at the 18th Green Ribbon Awards in Wellington. The 2008 winners of the Green Ribbon Awards reflect the many different areas in which New Zealanders contribute to reducing the impacts of climate change and assisting the country in becoming a sustainable nation.
(Tuesday 3 June 2008)

A senior United Nations envoy heads to West Africa next week for a three-country mission aimed at spotlighting the effects of climate change, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and other challenges facing the countries of the Sahel.
(Saturday 31 May 2008)

A super-small pacemaker modeled on the wiring of the humpback whale's heart and pigment-free colour coatings from the light-splitting structures of a peacock's feather are among a range of extraordinary new eco-breakthroughs emerging from mimicking nature.
(Monday 26 May 2008)

The CMS-FAO Task Force on Avian Influenza today organised an international seminar at the Zoological Research Institute and Museum Alexander Koenig during the UN Conference on Biodiversity.
(Friday 23 May 2008)

As the world's growing population faces rising food prices and pressures from climate change affect the fields and orchards that feed the world, celebrations of the International Day of Biological Diversity today will stress the need to properly protect and manage the world's biodiversity in order to ensure a secure supply of food for a growing world population.
(Thursday 22 May 2008)

A unique worldwide tree planting initiative, aimed at empowering citizens to corporations and people up to presidents to embrace the climate change challenge, has now set its sights on planting seven billion trees.
(Tuesday 13 May 2008)

This upcoming weekend bird watchers and conservationists in dozens of countries will mark World Migratory Bird Day on 10-11 May 2008
(Thursday 8 May 2008)

The Secretariat of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (UNEP/AEWA) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Migratory Species (UNEP/CMS) are glad to announce the countdown for World Migratory Bird Day 2008.
(Wednesday 7 May 2008)

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU) have agreed to work together to slash the CO2 emissions caused by members of the postal sector.
(Monday 5 May 2008)

A new generation of antibiotics, new treatments for thinning bone disease and kidney failure, and new cancer treatments may all stand to be lost unless the world acts to reverse the present alarming rate of biodiversity loss a new landmark book says.
(Wednesday 23 April 2008)

Seven leading lights in the battle against global warming who are also catalyzing the transition to a greener and leaner global economy were today acknowledged
(Tuesday 22 April 2008)

For two centuries, Australians have coped with the challenge of producing food on a continent where 70 per cent of its surface is at best semi-arid. The legendary Australian ingenuity has met this challenge through a combination of innovation, determination and world-class science.
(Monday 21 April 2008)

The way the world grows its food will have to change radically to better serve the poor and hungry if the world is to cope with a growing population and climate change while avoiding social breakdown and environmental collapse.
(Tuesday 15 April 2008)

An international seminar on climate change adaptation and mitigation in the tourism sector concluded today in the United Kingdom after involving 30 high level tourism and environment officials from developing countries and Small Island developing states.
(Friday 11 April 2008)

Scientists tell us that the evidence the Earth is warming is "unequivocal." Increases in global average air and sea temperature, ice melting and rising global sea levels all help us understand and prepare for the coming challenges. In addition to these observed changes, climate-sensitive impacts on human health are occurring today. They are attacking the pillars of public health. And they are providing a glimpse of the challenges public health will have to confront on a large scale, Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), warned today on the occasion of World Health Day.
(Monday 7 April 2008)

The illegal international trade in environmentally sensitive items such as ozone depleting substances, toxic chemicals, hazardous waste, and endangered species is a serious problem with global impact. This scourge which affects all countries threatens human health, deteriorates the environment, and results in revenue loss for governments in some cases.
(Friday 28 March 2008)

Message by Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director for World Water Day 2008.
(Wednesday 19 March 2008)

The world's glaciers are continuing to melt away with the latest official figures showing record losses, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today.
(Sunday 16 March 2008)

The partnership between the European Commission(EC)and the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP)continues to strengthen as they work together for the environment. The joint EC-UNEP brochure:"European Commission and United Nations Environment Programme working together for the Environment" was recently released, and this 20-page document highlights the cooperation between the two organizations at both political and project levels on environment.
(Friday 14 March 2008)

World-renowned ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau presents the documentary film Dolphins and Whales 3D: Tribes of the Ocean and invites audiences to join in a voyage into the world of these ancient sea dwellers.
(Tuesday 11 March 2008)

Green travel tips for the world's growing number of international tourists were launched today by UNEP. The internet-based campaign, "Green Passport", aims to raise tourists' awareness of their potential to contribute to sustainable development by making responsible holiday choices.
(Friday 7 March 2008)

Tourism can play a key role in restoring economic activity and employment in Kenya and in doing so play its part in bringing peace and stability to the East African country, the head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said today. Tourism can play a key role in restoring economic activity and employment in Kenya and in doing so play its part in bringing peace and stability to the East African country, the head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said today. Tourism can play a key role in restoring economic activity and employment in Kenya and in doing so play its part in bringing peace and stability to the East African country, the head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said today.
(Thursday 6 March 2008)

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and California State University, Chico are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jeff Price as Senior Fellow for Climate Change and Biodiversity at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge, UK. Paul Zingg, President of CSU Chico, said today "I am delighted with this new relationship with UNEP-WCMC because it will allow Jeff Price to inject an important new international perspective to his teaching and research".
(Friday 29 February 2008)

The renewable energy industry is stepping up its meteoric rise into the mainstream of the energy sector, according to the REN21 Renewables 2007 Global Status Report. Renewable energy production capacities are growing rapidly as a result of more countries enacting far-reaching policies.
(Thursday 28 February 2008)

Global Warming Adding to Pollution and Over-Harvesting Impacts on the World's Key Fishing Grounds Says New UNEP - "In Dead Water" - Report. At least three quarters of the globe's key fishing grounds may become seriously
(Friday 22 February 2008)

Four countries, four cities and five corporations have become the pioneering founders of a bold new initiative to address climate change and the urgent need to de-carbonize the global economy.
(Thursday 21 February 2008)

UNEP Launches Year Book 2008 at its 10th Special Session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum in Monaco 20-22 February
(Wednesday 20 February 2008)

On 19 February 2008, the Ninth Session of the Global Civil Society Forum will convene in the Principality of Monaco. This Forum precedes the 10th Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/ Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GCSS.X/GMEF) which will take place from 20 to 22 February 2008.
(Monday 18 February 2008)

The biggest gathering of environment ministers to take place since the climate change breakthrough in Bali will be happening in Monaco later this month under the theme "Mobilizing Finance for the Climate Challenge".
(Monday 11 February 2008)

From protecting the unique biodiversity of Yemen's islands to piloting climate-proofing strategies in Sudan and boosting conservation in Barbados, the 2008 Champions of the Earth are making their mark across the planet.
(Monday 28 January 2008)

Nominations are officially open for the 2008 UNEP Sasakawa Prize, the United Nations Environment Programme announced today.
(Thursday 24 January 2008)

Tara, the UNEP supported polar boat, has broken free from the Arctic ice sheet after a record breaking scientific expedition across the top of the world.
(Tuesday 22 January 2008)

Tara, the schooner caught in pack ice, reached the 500th day of her expedition. In one and half years she has covered 5,200 kilometers in the Arctic. She has drifted at an average speed of 10 km/h. Tara will soon exit the ice.
(Thursday 17 January 2008)

Under the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, people, communities, business and industry, civil society organizations and governments are encouraged to enter tree planting pledges online with the objective of planting at least one billion trees worldwide each year.
(Thursday 3 January 2008)

An emergency response plan has been activated by the United Nations Environment Programme to help the Republic of Korea respond to the worst oil spill in its history.
(Tuesday 18 December 2007)

The United Nations has become part of the growing worldwide effort to become climate neutral. Members of the UN attending the crucial climate convention meeting in Bali today announced that they are offsetting their greenhouse gas emissions linked with travel to and from the event.
(Wednesday 12 December 2007)

From the use of horse-drawn carriages to solve public transport shortage in Bayamo, Cuba to an emissions trading scheme in Taiyuan, China, cities around the world are providing inspiring examples in the global quest for sustainability and the fight against climate change.
(Tuesday 11 December 2007)

Clearing, draining and setting fire to peatlands emits more than 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide every year - equivalent to 10% of global emissions from fossil fuels, according to Assessment on Peatlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change, the first comprehensive global assessment of the link between peatland degradation and climate change.
(Tuesday 11 December 2007)

German Advisory Council on Global Change and UN Environment Programme Claim Combating Global Warming Contribution to Global Security
(Monday 10 December 2007)

In less than a decade since the Kyoto Protocol was adopted, renewable energy has evolved rapidly from an 'alternative' source of energy to a mainstream energy option, according to the REN21 Renewables Global Status Report 2007.
(Saturday 8 December 2007)

As representatives from over 180 countries gather in Bali to map a post 2012 agreement, new research shows the challenge of climate change also presents opportunities for new industries and employment.
(Thursday 6 December 2007)

The way farmers in the Sudan, flood-prone communities in Argentina and dengue-challenged islands in the Caribbean are beginning to adapt to climate change are distilled in a new report launched today.
(Tuesday 4 December 2007)

Platform by UNEP and Sustainable Development International will assist business, governments and NGOs to reduce their carbon footprint. A new book launched today in Bali is set to serve as key reading for businesses, governments and NGOs looking for a way to reduce their carbon emissions.
(Monday 3 December 2007)

Initiative by the Green Belt Movement, the Prince of Monaco, UNEP and ICRAF to Catalyze the Planting of one Billion Trees Reaches Goal in Advance of Next Climate Convention Conference
(Wednesday 28 November 2007)

UNEP and the Republic of Korea today signed an agreement for establishing a Trust Fund that addresses key environmental issues in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
(Thursday 22 November 2007)

The challenges and opportunities facing the world as a result of climate change have been distilled into a concise and sobering guide by the IPCC
(Monday 19 November 2007)

Experts are becoming increasingly concerned that increased burning of coal-naturally contaminated with mercury-is leading to releases to the air in some parts of the world
(Monday 12 November 2007)

Launched here today at the World Science Forum, the new "International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management" will provide scientific assessments
(Friday 9 November 2007)

Cups of tea are becoming more environmentally-friendly courtesy of a new UNEP-led initiative, announced today to deliver small-scale hydro electric power to plantations
(Thursday 8 November 2007)

UNEP Head Achim Steiner Congratulates Ms Cropper and Thanks Shafqat Kakakhel for Nine Years Distinguished Service in the Deputy Post.
(Wednesday 7 November 2007)

A comprehensive environmental assessment of oil-impacted sites in the Ogoni region of Nigeria's Niger Delta is to be launched by UNEP, in association with UNDP.
(Monday 5 November 2007)

UNEP and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) today signed an agreement at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
(Monday 29 October 2007)

Remaining Concerns include Air Pollution; Offsetting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Public Awareness and Need to Boost Public Transport Use
(Thursday 25 October 2007)

The warning comes in UNEP's Global Environment Outlook: environment for development (GEO-4) report published 20 years after the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission) produced its seminal report, Our Common Future.
(Thursday 25 October 2007)

A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the protection of the Eastern Atlantic Populations of the Mediterranean Monk Seal was concluded under the auspices of CMS. The Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Republic of Portugal and the Kingdom of Spain signed the agreement in Adeje in the margins of the CMS meeting on Western African Talks on Cetaceans and their Habitats (WATCH). The agreement will be open for signature to all the Atlantic range states.
(Wednesday 17 October 2007)

"Combating climate change is a central peace and security policy for the 21st century" he says after they win Nobel Peace Prize.
(Friday 12 October 2007)

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Exeutive Director the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) addresses the 117th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
(Tuesday 9 October 2007)

One of Africa's largest waste dumps, the Dandora Municipal Dumping Site in Nairobi, is a serious threat to children living nearby and the city's environment generally, a new UNEP report shows. The study links lead and other heavy metals pollution to degrading health of children living around Dandora.
(Friday 5 October 2007)

New Zealand, one of the first countries to pledge a carbon-neutral future, will be the main host of WED 2008, UNEP announced today
(Monday 1 October 2007)

The global challenge of climate change and action by the tourism sector in both adaptation of destinations and mitigation of its own impacts will be addressed at the 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism in Davos
(Saturday 29 September 2007)

Ms. Jeunesse Park of South Africa and Bangladeshi NGO Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha are the co-winners of the UNEP Sasakawa Prize 2007,
(Thursday 27 September 2007)

Today's high-level event on climate change pointed to "unprecedented momentum of public and political attention" to environmental issues, Achim Steiner said
(Wednesday 26 September 2007)

An historic agreement to tackle the twin challenges of protecting the ozone layer and combating climate change has been agreed by governments. Nations signed up to an accelerated freeze and phase out of substances known as hydrochlorflurocarbons (HCFCs) under the 20 year-old Montreal Protocol.
(Saturday 22 September 2007)

International efforts to safeguard Earth's climate and protect the ozone layer are mutually supportive, say the United Nation's top climate change and environment officials.
(Tuesday 18 September 2007)

An accelerated freeze and phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), chemicals that were used to replace more ozone-damaging substances known as CFCs, is to be considered by governments
(Thursday 13 September 2007)

Under the CDM, projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries and contribute to sustainable development can earn certified emission reduction (CER) credits.
(Wednesday 5 September 2007)

Nairobi/Leverkusen 30 August 2007 - The election of a new Youth Advisory Council today marked the culmination of the third biannual Tunza International Youth Conference, held in the German city of Leverkusen. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) conference brought together more than 180 young people from 85 countries to discuss ways of promoting environmental awareness through technology.
(Thursday 30 August 2007)

New research to measure the environmental impact of sugar production in South Africa, newsprint paper production in Zimbabwe and new approaches to assess impacts on biodiversity in Brazil have been recognized today by a new award from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
(Tuesday 28 August 2007)

'Technology in service of the environment' is the theme of the third Tunza International Youth Conference, organized by UNEP in Leverkusen, Germany, from 26 to 30 August 2007.
(Friday 24 August 2007)

The Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Achim Steiner met today in Nairobi with H.E. Mr. Didace Pembe Bokiaga, Minister of Environment, Nature Conservation, Water and Forestry of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
(Friday 10 August 2007)

The International Day of the World's Indigenous People is commemorated each year on 9 August in recognition of the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations.
(Thursday 9 August 2007)

Scientists have concluded that the global warming trend caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases is a major contributor to the melting of Himalayan and other tropical glaciers.
(Thursday 2 August 2007)

The Forest Department of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous State of India, has succeeded in planting 10.5 million trees in a single day on 31 July 2007.
(Wednesday 1 August 2007)

The environment should be incorporated in our mainstream economy, and be a central building block for long-term economic development, asserted Mr. Steiner in his statement.
(Friday 27 July 2007)

A multi-million dollar effort to track the fate and fortune of the world's biological diversity launched by UNEP with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF)in support for the Convention on Biological Diversity.
(Thursday 12 July 2007)

China, the world's largest producer of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and halon, today shut down five of its six remaining plants, putting the country two and a half years ahead of the Montreal Protocol's 2010 deadline for phase-out of the two ozone depleting chemicals.
(Monday 2 July 2007)

Investments in Management and Rehabilitation of Natural Resources Central to Conflict Resolution and Peace Building in Sudan Says UN Environment Programme.
(Friday 22 June 2007)

Climate change worries coupled with high oil prices and increasing government support top a set of drivers fueling soaring rates of investment in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries, according to a trend analysis from the UN Environment Programme.
(Wednesday 20 June 2007)

Diplomats and environmental officials are departing The Hague today after adopting over 100 formal decisions that strengthen or fine-tune the regulations governing the international wildlife trade.
(Monday 18 June 2007)

Seven out of ten banks in South Africa and three out of 12 banks in Nigeria are now factoring environmental, social and governance issues into their credit risk assessment for loans.
(Thursday 14 June 2007)

Eighteen years after the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) banned the ivory trade, Ministers from the African elephant range states have for the first time achieved a regional consensus on how to address this highly charged issue.
(Thursday 14 June 2007)

UNEP Urges Timber Importing Nations and International Community to Back Indonesia's Efforts by Boosting Customs and Border Controls
(Monday 11 June 2007)

The carbon markets could supplement the G8 aid package to Africa by billions of dollars the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said today.
(Monday 11 June 2007)

The futures of hundreds of millions of people across the world will be affected by declines in snow cover, sea ice, glaciers, permafrost and lake ice a new and unique report launched to mark World Environment Day (WED) says.
(Monday 4 June 2007)

Polar tourism has grown dramatically in the last ten years raising concerns about the possible negative impact on the environment and local communities, says new UNEP report released to mark World Environment Day.
(Sunday 3 June 2007)

The world as an umbrella turned inside out by a powerful storm, while gripped by a dark almost diabolic-looking figure is the winning art work for the 16th International Children's Painting Competition on the Environment it was announced today.
(Thursday 31 May 2007)

Two teenagers from Surabaya, Indonesia, Miss Wening Pranaya and Miss Vania Santoso, alias Bright Youngsters were the first prize winners of this year's prestigious Volvo-UNEP Adventure Award for their project Useful Waste for a Better Future, and received an award of US$10,000.
(Wednesday 30 May 2007)

The Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol is set to channel $100 billion of funds to developing countries for clean and renewable energy projects as well as certain kinds of forestry. A conference in South Africa taking place 28-30 May and involving UNEP is aimed at boosting Africa's access to such funds.
(Monday 28 May 2007)

A promise to plant a billion trees as one unique response to the global climate change challenge has been met, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today.
(Tuesday 22 May 2007)

Article by Achim Steiner, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme on climate change and biodiversity for International Biodiversity Day 22 May 2007.
(Tuesday 22 May 2007)

A new assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that the world community could slow and then reduce global emissions of greenhouse
(Friday 4 May 2007)

The award was presented 1 May in Washington D.C, to Atul Bagai, Regional Network Coordinator for South Asia for UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE) OzonAction Programme.
(Thursday 3 May 2007)

Rural financing supports move from kerosene lamps, unreliable power. Four-year, $1.5 million pilot drives 13-fold jump in rural solar installations. Expansion plans also target China, Algeria, Egypt, Mexico, Indonesia, Ghana
(Monday 30 April 2007)

Hollywood star and environmental campaigner, Daryl Hannah was among the high and the humble in Singapore last night to honour the 2007 Champions of the Earth.
(Thursday 19 April 2007)

"I welcome you to this Global Business Summit for the Environment (B4E), a first business summit of this nature co-presented by UNEP and the UN Global Compact in Asia."
(Thursday 19 April 2007)

The central recommendation is made in a landmark draft report issued today.It has been compiled by the Nairobi City Council in collaboration with UNEP and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN-HABITAT).
(Tuesday 17 April 2007)

After helping more than 100,000 people in 18,000 Indian households finance clean energy from their PV solar electric home systems, UNEP's Indian Solar Loan Programme has been honoured with a prestigious Energy Globe.
(Thursday 12 April 2007)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has finalized a new report that assesses the current and future impacts of global warming and explores opportunities for proactively adapting to them.
(Tuesday 10 April 2007)

The new report, Buildings and Climate Change: Status, Challenges and Opportunities, says many opportunities exist for governments, industry and consumers to take appropriate actions during the life span of buildings that will help mitigate the impacts of global warming.
(Thursday 29 March 2007)

Water scarcity is both a natural and a human-made phenomenon. There is enough freshwater on the planet for six billion people but it is shared unevenly and too much of it is wasted, polluted and unsustainably managed.
(Thursday 22 March 2007)

Mr Steiner was awarded in the category of the Environment for his "commitment and important work for the protection of our planet". He was joined by other winners in categories, ranging from sports and music to journalism and politics.
(Tuesday 20 March 2007)

At the launch of GEO on Water Resources in Brazil, Steiner said there is no room for narrow single interest group solutions, if we are to overcome the challenges facing this planet.
(Tuesday 6 March 2007)

Editorial By Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP, who is visiting Brazil between 5 and 7 March 2007- When the Presidents of Brazil and the US meet next week, the surprising topic of termites might be high on the agenda.
(Tuesday 6 March 2007)

Today it was announced that seizures of up to 64.8 tons of illegal ozone depleting substance (ODS) have been reported in China, India, Thailand and other countries following the start of Project Skyhole Patching.
(Wednesday 28 February 2007)

The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has published a scientific assessment of 40 new government proposals for amending wildlife trade rules.
(Wednesday 28 February 2007)

The secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) will publish its provisional scientific and technical assessment of some 40 new government proposals for amending wildlife trade rules.
(Friday 23 February 2007)

An enhanced programme to reduce health and environmental threats from toxic mercury pollution was agreed by 140 governments at the close of an international gathering of environment ministers.
(Wednesday 14 February 2007)

Developing a common market for environmentally-friendly technologies and products is among the aims of a new initiative.
(Wednesday 7 February 2007)

The tropical forests of South East Asia, important for local livelihoods and the last home of the orangutan are disappearing.
(Tuesday 6 February 2007)

The fate of the world's fisheries underlines the challenges facing governments in a globalized world a new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says.
(Monday 5 February 2007)

The first major global assessment of climate change science in six years has concluded that changes in the atmosphere, the oceans and glaciers and ice caps show unequivocally that the world is warming.
(Friday 2 February 2007)

More than 160 participants from 65 countries are taking part in the 8th Global Civil Society Forum (GCSF.
(Friday 2 February 2007)

Leaders whose achievements range from chemical safety,waste management,greening of sports and conservation will be honoured as Champions of the Earth 2007.
(Thursday 1 February 2007)

1 February 2006, Nairobi - UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, concluded his visit to Nairobi, yesterday, with a visit to UNEP Headquarters where he met with Mr. Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP.
(Thursday 1 February 2007)

Zurich/Nairobi, 30 January 2007 – Mountain glaciers around the world continue to melt, with new, still tentative figures for 2005 indicating a further average thickness reduction for a set of reference glaciers of 0.6 metre water equivalent (w.e.). On average, one metre water equivalent corresponds to 1.1 metre ice thickness.
(Monday 29 January 2007)

World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland - 25 January 2007: Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), today announced the 10 finalists for one of five Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development (Seed) Awards.
(Thursday 25 January 2007)

Berlin, 23 January 2007— Serious and in some cases widespread environmental challenges are confronting the Lebanese authorities as a result of the recent conflict, a report launched today by the UNEP says.
(Tuesday 23 January 2007)

Nairobi, 19 January 2007 - A strengthened management team is ushering in the New Year at UNEP with the filling of several key posts at the top of the Nairobi-headquartered organization.
(Friday 19 January 2007)

Paris, 18 January 2007 - From Paris, France, the United Nations Environment Programme launches a second appeal to the international community to join its first global tree planting project Plant for the Planet: the Billion Tree Campaign.
(Thursday 18 January 2007)

Support to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Organizing Committee was among the main subjects discussed by the President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge and the head of UNEP, Achim Steiner when they met in Nairobi.
(Thursday 11 January 2007)

The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has today published the export quotas for caviar and other sturgeon products from the Caspian for 2007.
(Tuesday 2 January 2007)

The baiji, a freshwater dolphin that has inhabited China's Yangtze River for some 20 million years, was declared extinct in December 2006. The end of the baji is a reminder of the sinister fate that awaits dolphins if greater species conservation measures are not adopted by the international community soon.
(Saturday 30 December 2006)

Nairobi, 20 December 2006 - One of the world’s poorest countries, struggling to rid itself of thousands of tonnes of toxic waste dumped in its capital city from sources overseas appears to have run out of the funds needed to retrieve all the pollution and make it safe.
(Wednesday 20 December 2006)

Abidjan/Nairobi, 14 December 2006 - An international mission to support Cote D’Ivoire finalize a strategic plan for dealing with toxic waste dumped in the country was launched today it was announced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
(Thursday 14 December 2006)

Kiev, 13 December 2006 – The Carpathian Convention’s seven member Governments have adopted a wide-ranging programme of work containing immediate measures for promoting environment-friendly tourism and a regional network of protected areas.
(Wednesday 13 December 2006)

Kiev, 8 December 2006 – The seven member governments of the Carpathian Convention will meet in Kiev next week for a three-day conference on protecting the natural and cultural heritage of the mountainous areas of Central and Eastern Europe.
(Friday 8 December 2006)

Tokyo, 7 December 2006 – Almost half the Iraqi Marshlands, considered by some as the original biblical “Garden of Eden” and an ecosystem of global importance, has recovered to its former 1970s extent.
(Friday 8 December 2006)

Nairobi, 1 December 2006 – The member governments of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal have agreed to accelerate efforts to reduce the risks posed to human health and the environment by the dramatic worldwide growth in electronic wastes.
(Friday 1 December 2006)

Lausanne/ Nairobi, 1 December 2006--Environmental considerations are now firmly part of the World Cup team as a result of measures taken to green the 2006 tournament, the head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said today.
(Friday 1 December 2006)

Lausanne/Nairobi, 30 November 2006 --Close to 70 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the 2006 Winter Olympics have been offset, an international conference will hear today.
(Thursday 30 November 2006)

London, 29 November 2006 - The Green Awards, launched in April 2006 in cooperation with Green TV and UNEP, were created to recognise excellent creative work that illustrates and communicates the importance of environment, sustainable development, and ethical best practice.
(Wednesday 29 November 2006)

The Green Awards 2006 is a new and unique, inspiring national event that will showcase the value of sustainable development through powerful communications and marketing strategies. The awards will spotlight brands or organizations that have demonstrated their commitment to these issues in a creative way, across different media platforms and marketing disciplines.
(Wednesday 29 November 2006)

Speech by Achim Steiner, UN Under Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme to the Industrial Development Board of the UN Industrial and Development Organization (UNIDO)
(Wednesday 29 November 2006)

Speech by Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to the Opening of the 8th Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention.
(Monday 27 November 2006)

Nairobi, 27 November 2006 – Some 120 governments will meet at the United Nations Office in Nairobi from 27 November to 1 December to seek solutions to the world’s rising tide of hazardous wastes.
(Sunday 26 November 2006)

Nairobi, 24 November 2006 --International financial assistance should be swiftly mobilized to pay for the clean up and rehabilitation of contaminated sites in Côte D’Ivoire as a result of fresh information indicating that the final costs of a dumping incident in August could reach into the millions of dollars.
(Friday 24 November 2006)

A bold new global initiative to secure a greater share of the international carbon finance market for the world’s poorest countries was announced today by two UN agencies at the climate convention talks in Nairobi.
(Wednesday 15 November 2006)

Nairobi, 13 November 2006 - The massive potential of rainwater harvesting in Africa is underlined in a new report released today at the climate convention talks in Nairobi.
(Monday 13 November 2006)

Nairobi, 8 November 2006 –The vital importance of voluntary collective action in the fight against climate change is spotlighted today with the launch of a new campaign to plant a billion trees. The Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), will encourage all sectors of society—from the concerned citizen to the philanthropic corporation-- to take small but practical steps to combat what is probably the key challenge of the 21st century.
(Wednesday 8 November 2006)

Nairobi, 7 November 2006--Cultural and nature-based heritage sites-- from Charles Darwin’s favourite barrier reef in Belize and South Africa’s famous West Coast National Park to 600 year-old Thai ruins and archaeological sites in Scotland-- are increasingly threatened by climate change.
(Tuesday 7 November 2006)

Nairobi, 5 November 2006 – Assisting developing countries to adapt to the impacts of global warming, especially those in Africa must be a key focus of the latest round of climate change talks which open tomorrow in Nairobi.
(Sunday 5 November 2006)

New York/Nairobi, 30 October 2006 – The laureates of the 2006 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Sasakawa Prize are being honoured today for their efforts to combat desertification by United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner in a gala ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History, Rose Centre for Earth and Space, in New York, USA.
(Monday 30 October 2006)

Beijing/Nairobi, 19 October 2006 - The ability of coral reefs to survive in a globally-warming world may crucially depend on the levels of pollution to which they are exposed, new findings indicate.
(Thursday 19 October 2006)

An Editorial by Achim Steiner and Yvo de Boer
Children on one of southern Africa’s mightiest rivers are playing the Limpopo board game, literally for their lives. Piloted in places like Zimbabwe's Matabeleland and Mozambique's Gaza Province, it uses the power of play to teach ways of reducing vulnerability to flooding.
(Wednesday 18 October 2006)

Beijing, 16 October 2006 – An international conference to combat sewage, pesticides and other forms of pollution coming from the land into the seas and oceans got underway today in the Beijing, Peoples Republic of China.
(Monday 16 October 2006)

Geneva, 13 October 2006 – Unable to reach a consensus yet on adding chrysotile asbestos to a global trade “watch list”, the member Governments of the Rotterdam Convention have decided to postpone a final decision to their next meeting in 2008.
(Friday 13 October 2006)

11 October 2006, Geneva/Rome – Officials from over 100 Governments are meeting in Geneva this week to decide whether to add chrysotile asbestos – which accounts for some 94% of global asbestos consumption – to a trade “watch list” that already contains 39 hazardous substances, including all other forms of asbestos.
(Thursday 5 October 2006)

Geneva, 5 October 2006 – The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has decided not to allow exports of elephant ivory from Botswana (20 tonnes of ivory), Namibia (10 tonnes) and South Africa (30 tonnes) to proceed at this time.
(Thursday 5 October 2006)