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.
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.
Wastewater treatment is emerging as a practical and cost-effective strategy in the climate mitigation toolkit. The sector is a significant but often overlooked source of methane and nitrous oxide — two greenhouse gases far more potent than CO₂ — yet existing technologies can already cut methane emissions by up to 80 per cent, often at little or no net cost. Beyond climate benefits, investing in wastewater systems simultaneously reduces pollution, protects ecosystems and improves public health — making it a high-return solution for governments and industries looking to act on multiple fronts at once.
A practical guide developed by UNEP and partners provides practitioners and policymakers with the methodologies, strategies and policy tools needed to monitor emissions and accelerate the transition to net-zero wastewater treatment.
Nitrous oxide is the third most significant greenhouse gas and the most powerful ozone-depleting substance still being emitted. Most emissions come from how we grow food.
Without urgent action on rising nitrous oxide emissions, there is no viable pathway to limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
The good news: We can cut emissions by 40%+ with practical changes in nitrogen and farming systems.
Findings from the Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment analyse the urgent action needed to get there.
Our planet is sending clear signals.
More heat. More floods. More wildfires.
Beyond changing weather patterns, climate change is also increasing chemical risks, affecting the air we breathe, the water we drink and the ecosystems we depend on. These challenges are deeply interconnected. And so are the solutions.
This World Environment Day, find out how these crises intersect and how effective action can help to prevent pollution, tackle climate change and protect nature.
UNEP, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, the State of Global Air and the Africa Clean Air Network are inviting photographers, activists, students and community members worldwide to submit powerful images and stories that capture the reality of air pollution and the hope found in clean air solutions.
Selected entries will be featured in the context of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies (7 September 2026). Submit your photos by 26 June 2026.
Help shape the global theme of the next World AMR Awareness Week.
The Quadripartite (FAO, WHO, UNEP and WOAH) is running a survey to develop the theme and communication priorities for the 2026 World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW), observed from 18 to 24 November 2026.
Take the survey now
Deadline: 29 May 2026
Cada dólar gastado en la restauración de bosques degradados puede resultar en US$ 30 en beneficios económicos.
