Preventing, controlling and managing pollution is central to improving health, human well-being and prosperity for all.
UNEP drives capacity and leadership in sound management of chemicals and waste while working to improve ways to reduce waste through circularity and pollutants released to the air, water, soil and the ocean.
Denim is one of the world's most iconic fashion staples, but producing a single pair of jeans can require thousands of litres of water, significant energy, and chemical-intensive manufacturing.
Join UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Amber Valletta as she visits leading denim manufacturers in Tunisia to discover how innovation, cleaner technologies, digital product information systems and circular design are helping transform one of fashion's most resource-intensive products. Read more.
At the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York, UNEP joined the European Union and Germany to make the case that pollution prevention is not just an environmental imperative — it is smart development policy.
The side event, Pollution-Free Economies for a Sustainable Future for All, brought together senior representatives from government, the private sector and youth to explore how transitions to cleaner, circular economies can drive innovation, create jobs and advance the Sustainable Development Goals — from clean water and energy to sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure.
Opening the event, Elizabeth Mrema, Deputy Executive Director of UNEP, said, "A pollution-free economy does not limit prosperity — it drives it through innovation, resource efficiency, circularity and resilience. That is why preventing pollution is not only an environmental imperative but smart development policy, because taking early action is far less costly than inaction."
Critical Energy Transition Minerals are essential for clean energy technologies, such as solar panels and batteries. They are also the cornerstone of digital transformation and AI infrastructure. Their demand is expected to nearly triple by 2030, which poses significant environmental and social challenges in the regions where they are mined.
To advance international cooperation for transparent, equitable, and sustainable value chains of these minerals, a UN High-Level Meeting on Critical Energy Transition Minerals will take place on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in New York (10:00 h EDT).
The meeting will bring together governments, international organizations, the private sector, civil society, and Indigenous peoples. Discussions will also support the implementation of the Secretary-General's Panel recommendations on critical energy transition minerals. Watch the broadcast.
The Quadripartite (FAO, UNEP, WHO and WOAH) has released its second biennial progress report on AMR. The report highlights progress achieved, identifies where more action is needed and underscores the importance of stronger governance, sustained investment and integrated One Health approaches—including environmental action—to tackle AMR.
Deadline extended until 10 July: You are still on time to present your images featuring the global challenge of air pollution and solutions for clean air. Selected entries can be featured in campaign materials for the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies (7 September).
How can the textile industry make sustainable decisions beyond traditional assumptions and contribute to a circular, cleaner economy? Lifecycle assessments (LCAs) help shift the conversation away from generic claims toward a more nuanced understanding of impacts across the entire value chain.
"One of the most important findings from LCA evidence is that extending the life of garments — through reuse, repair, or simply wearing them longer — often delivers the largest environmental benefits (around 20–30% in some studies)," explains Claudia Giacovelli, who leads UNEP's InTex programme and works on circular textile value chains.
In the context of the Textiles Recycling Expo, taking place in Brussels, Belgium, on 24–25 June, learn about UNEP's work on making lifecycle assessment findings more accessible to the textile industry. Read the full interview.
On 20 June 2026, the new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP) marks its first anniversary since its establishment in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
Designed to fill a major gap in the global environmental architecture, the panel will provide countries with independent, policy-relevant scientific advice on chemicals, waste, and pollution prevention. The panel completes a global scientific trifecta alongside the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
Over the past year, the panel has grown to 133 members, reflecting the breadth of global commitment to strengthening the science-policy interface to address the global pollution crisis.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) have officially kicked off a US$ 23.5 million Global Chemicals Monitoring Programme (GCMP). The initiative is designed to support the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the Minamata Convention on Mercury; it aims to reduce global pollution while strengthening developing countries’ capacity to monitor hazardous chemicals and support evidence-based policy making.
In a community garden in The Gambia, women are turning kitchen scraps into compost instead of reaching for synthetic pesticides. In Moldova, a farmer carefully rinses chemical containers using a technique he learned at a local training session. In Armenia, scientists are strengthening mercury monitoring systems to detect pollution risks earlier. Across very different contexts, a common thread is emerging: countries are finding practical, local ways to act on global commitments to manage chemicals and waste more safely — and the Special Programme is helping make it happen.
Chemicals underpin more than 95 per cent of manufactured goods — and with global chemical production expected to double by 2030, the pressure on countries to strengthen how they manage these substances is only growing. Read on to find out how communities, farmers and governments around the world are rising to that challenge — and the role the Special Programme is playing in getting them there.
Resource use has long been tied to economic growth—tripling over the past 50 years and projected to rise another 60% by 2060. This trajectory threatens climate, biodiversity and pollution goals, as well as long-term prosperity and human well-being. Today, half of global carbon emissions stem from resource extraction.
Yet growth and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive. Shifting to more sustainable resource use could make the global economy about 3% larger than under current trends, according to the latest Global Resource Outlook by the International Resource Panel (IRP).
The IRP, established by UNEP in 2007, provides science-based solutions for managing natural resources sustainably. As it holds its annual meeting this week in Berlin, watch this video highlighting key solutions based on sustainable resource management.
Cada dólar gastado en la restauración de bosques degradados puede resultar en US$ 30 en beneficios económicos.
