As the whole planet starts gearing up to the World Cup in South Africa, more than 2,000 youth are set to gather in Nairobi to Play for the Planet

Climate change is putting increasing demands on the humanitarian community, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Wednesday

Sportlifestyle brand PUMA will become the first major sportswear company to join UNEP's Climate Neutral Network.

A rising number of green energy and climate friendly projects are up and running or being planned across Africa new figures show.

Policy-makers who factor the planet's multi-trillion dollar ecosystem services into their national and international investment strategies are likely to see far higher rates of return and stronger economic growth in the 21st century, a new report issued today says.

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga were among those who gathered today in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss the impact of climate change in the country and on the African continent.

Outstanding social and environmental projects from Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Colombia, Southern Africa, India and Niger are the winners of the 2009 SEED Gold Awards, the SEED Initiative announced today.

Strengthening, enforcing and clarifying existing laws protecting environment in times of conflict could go a long way towards protecting a country's natural assets.

More than 400 climate change negotiators, business leaders and environmental activists will travel together on board the Climate Express train to Copenhagen in a call for world leaders to agree a fair, ambitious and binding deal to address climate change when they meet at the UN climate summit in Denmark.

A third of the world's amphibians, a fifth of all mammals and 70 per cent of all plants are under threat, according to the latest Red List published just two months before the world marks the International Year of Biodiversity 2010.

Nearly one month before the climate talks in Copenhagen begin, a crucial event to reach out to the eighty-five per cent of humanity who follow a religion has kicked off in London's Windsor Castle.

Argentina, Cambodia, Ecuador, Nepal and Sri Lanka join the UN-REDD Programme

Accelerating the contribution of a treaty to protect the ozone layer towards meeting the climate change challenge will take place at the 21st Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in the Red Sea resort of Port Ghalib, Egypt, from 4-8 November.

Launched by UNEP, the International Union of Railways (UIC) and the global conservation organization WWF, the Train to Copenhagen will roll across the globe through the vast wilds of Russian Siberia and into Europe as part of the UN Seal the Deal! campaign.

Ways of triggering multi-billion dollar, low carbon technology investments in developing economies are outlined in a new report today. Experts indicate that investments of around US$500 billion a year will be needed to assist developing countries adapt to climate change while powering low carbon growth.

Global insurers controlling assets worth trillions of US dollars have joined with the world's leading academics in a United Nations-backed survey putting the industry's approach to sustainability and climate risks under forensic examination.

A far more sophisticated approach needs to be taken when developing biofuels as an environmentally-friendly energy option a new report concludes.

A 'Blue Carbon' fund able to invest in the maintenance and rehabilitation of key marine ecosystems should be considered by governments keen to combat climate change.

The United Nations Ambassador for the Year of the Gorilla, Ian Redmond, has called for the inclusion of gorillas and elephants, as important components in African rainforests, in the upcoming climate negotiations in Copenhagen.

Momentum towards the establishment of a new international body to address the loss and degradation of the world's multi trillion dollar nature-based assets gathered pace at a meeting of close to 100 governments.

The penultimate negotiating session before the historic UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December wrapped up Friday in the Thai capitol Bangkok with progress made on what needs to constitute the "bricks and mortar" of the Copenhagen agreed outcome, but a continuing lack of clarity on key deliverables to make a successful international climate change deal workable.

Over the past 50 years, the world has suffered an estimated 60 percent decline in ecosystems services and unprecedented biodiversity loss - caused by unsustainable human activities. Biodiversity loss makes ecosystems more vulnerable to shocks and disturbances, less resilient, and less able to supply humans with critical ecosystem services.

A plan to develop a biodiversity corridor across the border between Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia will be part of key discussions to be held in Abidjan next week in cooperation with organizations including the United Nations and the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation.

The pace and scale of climate change may now be outstripping even the most sobering predictions of the last report of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC). Newly emerging science points to events thought likely to occur in longer-term time horizons, as already happening or set to happen far sooner than had previously been thought.

A Global Green New Deal update by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), launched as G20 nations meet in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, shows that over a third of China's recovery spending is being focused on areas ranging from railways and water infrastructure to energy efficiency and renewables like wind and solar.

The world's most pressing issues, including Climate Change, the greatest challenge of our time, can only be solved when countries unite through the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told world leaders gathered for the opening of the General Assembly, Wednesday.

The global public's desire to see action on climate change was clearly spotlighted today with the announcement that the Billion Tree Campaign has reached 7 billion trees-one for every person on the planet.

Nairobi/New York, 20 September 2009 - The face of some of the world's most exclusive products is to become the new face of global environmental action.

Brazil-born Gisele Bündchen, among the most recognized top models of all time, has been designated Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The first-ever Global Climate Week was officially launched today in the German city of Hamburg, kicking off a week of synchronised activity around the world for urgent action to combat climate change.

Over sixty percent of people around the world believe combating climate change will be good for the economy. And even if the economy is harmed, a similar number of people believe governments should act anyway to address climate change.

A treaty to protect the ozone layer, which shields all life on Earth from deadly levels of ultra violet rays, has scored a first in the history of international environmental agreements.

From pioneers driving the shift to a more resource-efficient development path to visionary leaders steering global environmental policy, UNEP will celebrate its 2010 Champions of the Earth on 22 April 2010 at a spectacular ceremony in Seoul (Republic of Korea).

The underground water supplies, upon which 1.5 million Palestinians depend for agricultural and drinking water, are in danger of collapse as a result of years of over-use and contamination that have been exacerbated by the recent conflict.

The appeal aims to mobilize resources for the rehabilitation of the Mau, the largest closed-canopy forest ecosystem in Kenya covering over 400,000 hectares.

Broadcasters from around the world have joined forces to combat climate change, acknowledging their essential role as opinion influencers and urging the industry to set quantifiable targets for a reduced carbon footprint.

In his speech to the World Climate Conference, Achim Steiner says we must urgently deploy science to understand climate change, and marshal all possible solutions.

Faster action on climate change may be possible if nations combine substantial cuts of carbon dioxide emissions alongside accelerated moves across a suite of other greenhouse gases and pollutants.

Standing on rapidly melting polar ice, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed to the world for urgent measures to be taken to combat climate change to protect the planet for future generations.

Investing in restoration and maintenance of the Earth's multi-trillion dollar ecosystems - from forests and mangroves to wetlands and river basins - can have a key role in countering climate change and climate-proofing vulnerable economies.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday observed firsthand the effects of climate change when he visited Svalbard, an Arctic Archipelago midway between Norway and the North Pole.

The world's oceans and seas-covering 70 per cent of the planet - may soon be subject to the same kind of systematic scientific scrutiny as the globe's land surface.

The World Agroforestry Congress held at the UN's Africa headquarters in Nairobi (Kenya) has offered some tree-planting solutions which could help the African continent deal with climate change and also provide a long-term solution to the continent's food scarcity problems.

The United Nations is calling for millions of online signatures for a climate petition and is launching the first-ever Global Climate Week as part of its Seal the Deal!

Although agriculture, particularly in the developing world, is often associated with massive deforestation, scientists from the World Agroforestry Centre demonstrated in a study using detailed satellite imagery, that almost half of all farmed landscapes worldwide include significant tree cover.

Rallies in 100 cities will be organized by young people across the world as part of a major push to persuade governments to Seal a meaningful Deal at the crucial UN climate convention meeting in Copenhagen in just under 110 days time.

Young people from around the globe today called on world leaders to take radical measures against climate change.

A ground-breaking partnership between the Republic of Korea and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was announced today and is aimed at supporting the country's strategy towards a sustainable 'green' economic future.

When Erik Solheim, Norway's Minister for the Environment spoke to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) about the importance of reaching a climate agreement in Copenhagen, he said it was for his children and all the children in the world. When asked about what he thought about climate change, Hanif Kureshi, the British novelist, playwright and film director, first looked at his son Kier and then urged world leaders to "Seal the Deal!" in Copenhagen for Kier's sake. Calling world leaders to "Seal the Deal!" or create a climate friendly agreement in Copenhagen this year was a call that came from the bottom of these fathers' hearts.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released today its assessment of Shanghai's efforts to organize an environmentally-friendly Expo 2010 that aims to benefit not only the 70 million expected visitors but also leave a green legacy for the city's over 20 million residents.

A nine-year-old girl from Siberia, Russia, has won this year's Global Painting Competition on the Environment, beating more than two million entries from around the world with her striking depiction of two planets.
Having grown up in Siberia, the most forested part of Russia, Ludmila Balovneva has always lived close to nature and she understands what its loss would represent.

On Wednesday August 12, villagers in the small city of Dungarpur in Southern India will attempt to plant 600,000 trees in one day, a feat which if they accomplish, could earn them a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

The Geneve-Lac-Nations (GLN) grid will be used to supply renewable energy, using water from the Lake to heat pumps, which will supply heating for the new buildings in the United Nations area.

UNIFEM Executive Director Ines Alberdi has signed onto the United Nations Seal the Deal campaign, joining several other UN agencies and organizations that are encouraging governments to reach an ambitious and effective global climate agreement in Copenhagen this December.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today that he will head to the Arctic polar ice rim late next month as part of his ongoing efforts to push for action ahead of a major climate change conference to be held in December in Copenhagen.

The cry "Come on let's Seal the Deal!" rang out over Nairobi on 1-2 August in an effort to recruit supporters for a crucial climate change campaign.

Fresh from the victory of the T20 Cricket World Cup, Pakistan hit another high by setting a Guinness World Record for planting 541,176 trees in 24 hours.

The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are calling for the widespread uptake of 'green' agricultural practices that will deliver multiple benefits to the world's rapidly growing populations

Six universities from the US, UK, Spain and China have become the first academic institutions to come on board the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net) - an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to promote global action to de-carbonize our economies and societies.

The UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) is doing its part for the Billion Tree Campaign.

Emerging leaders representing three billion people, the children and youth of the planet, will converge on the Republic of Korea to voice their demands for action on climate change at the Copenhagen meeting.

The heads of five international organizations have joined the international campaign to galvanize public support for a successful outcome to UN-sponsored climate change negotiations by signing a global petition addressed to world leaders.

You are invited to attend the launch of the world's first international commission on the catastrophic loss of the world's ecosystems. Legislators will argue that Governments are failing to stop the destruction of the world's ecosystems at a summit in Nairobi on the 18/19 July.

A powerful group of asset managers, representing around USD 2 trillion in assets under management, are arguing that integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into investment decisions is no longer just a luxury, but a legal responsibility.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the G8 agreement on a long term goal to reduce emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, but says it is still not enough to reach a fair, effective climate agreement in Copenhagen Summit in December.

Hopes that a comprehensive climate agreement can be agreed in Copenhagen in December were given encouragement after leaders of the world's eight major economic powers agreed to broad goals for reducing global warming at the G8 meeting in L'Aquila.

In a keynote address to Chatham House in London, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said G8 leaders have a golden opportunity to focus political action towards powering forward a Green Economy future.

As momentum builds towards formulating a fair and effective climate change agreement at the Copenhagen Climate Conference later this year, leaders of the world's developed nations are poised to discuss global warming at the G8 summit in the Italian town of L'Aquila from 8 to 10 July.

A group of emerging environmental leaders have pledged their personal commitment to creating a new wave of environmental action in the 21st Century.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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'.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Six months before the crucial negotiations on climate in Copenhagen, African ministers reach a landmark position on climate in Nairobi

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

The world has taken significant steps this week towards ensuring that chemicals are produced, used and disposed of as safely as possible.

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.

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.

UNEP is calling everyone around the world to get planting - and to follow the campaign at www.twitter.com/UNEPandYou.

Carbon benefits project will assess levels of carbon stored via sustainable and climate-friendly land management

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.

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.

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

Countries move toward more sustainable ways to roll back malaria ahead of Millennium Development Goals

Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear is impacting fish stocks and poses a hazard to boats

Maldives join the Climate Neutral Network with a pledge to become the world's first carbon neutral nation

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.

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!'

Crucially, the Obama team recognizes that a Green New Deal and Green Economy can be a vital component in catalyzing a sustainable economic upturn.

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.

Winners from Ethiopia, India, France, Norway, Papua New Guinea and United States Receive Coveted Awards at Gala Event in Paris Paris

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.

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.

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.

Governments and international conservation bodies agreed on steps to protect the African elephant.

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.

52 companies have joined forces with 34 experts and organizations to create an unprecedented low-carbon prosperity Task Force.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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'.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Failure to tackle climate change could lead to insecurity and economic upheaval, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned.

Speech by UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner at the Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference in Washington, D.C.

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"

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Barack Obama is widely expected to usher in a new era for green leadership from the US.

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.

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.

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.

Year of the Gorilla 2009 Fund-Raiser Skates-Off at The Natural History Museum ice rink in London

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.

As the festive season draws to a close, there is evidence the dawning New Year may carry "green" expectations of environmental action

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.

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).

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

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

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.

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.

Outlook Boosted by Global Environment Facility and UN Environment Programme Project Harvesting Bumper Quantities of Steam

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

The huge potential of the building and construction sector for combating climate change remains virtually untapped

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Treaties combating ozone layer damage and climate change can learn from each other in order to maximize economic and environmental benefits.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

'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.

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.

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.

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.

The natural environment enjoys protection under Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions. But this protection is often violated during war.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Market turmoil, economic downturns and talk of recession have historically spelt tough times for the environment.

New study shows a sharp drop in migratory waterbird populations along main migration routes in Africa and Eurasia.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Top Olympic athlete Yao Ming is the UN Environment Programme's first-ever Environmental Champion, UNEP announced today.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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).

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

There are now more than 11 million refugees worldwide, the United Nations refugee agency has warned as the world celebrates World Refugee Day

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.

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.

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

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.

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).

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This upcoming weekend bird watchers and conservationists in dozens of countries will mark World Migratory Bird Day on 10-11 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Message by Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director for World Water Day 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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".

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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".

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.

Nominations are officially open for the 2008 UNEP Sasakawa Prize, the United Nations Environment Programme announced today.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

German Advisory Council on Global Change and UN Environment Programme Claim Combating Global Warming Contribution to Global Security

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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).

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

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

Launched here today at the World Science Forum, the new "International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management" will provide scientific assessments

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

UNEP Head Achim Steiner Congratulates Ms Cropper and Thanks Shafqat Kakakhel for Nine Years Distinguished Service in the Deputy Post.

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.

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.

Remaining Concerns include Air Pollution; Offsetting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Public Awareness and Need to Boost Public Transport Use

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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).

'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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Investments in Management and Rehabilitation of Natural Resources Central to Conflict Resolution and Peace Building in Sudan Says UN Environment Programme.

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.

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.

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.

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.

UNEP Urges Timber Importing Nations and International Community to Back Indonesia's Efforts by Boosting Customs and Border Controls

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

"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."

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Developing a common market for environmentally-friendly technologies and products is among the aims of a new initiative.

The tropical forests of South East Asia, important for local livelihoods and the last home of the orangutan are disappearing.

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.