Frequently Asked Questions

UNEP was founded in 1972 after a UN General Assembly resolution (2997 XXVII). It was conceived to monitor the state of the environment and coordinate responses to the world’s greatest environmental challenges. UNEP’s creation followed shortly after the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, a gathering that placed the environment on the global agenda for the first time, articulating its link to human well-being and economic growth.

Following the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012, the UN General Assembly strengthened UNEP’s role and upgraded its membership to include all 193 UN Member States. The General Assembly gave UNEP the mandate to set the global environmental agenda, promote the implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the UN system and serve as an authoritative advocate for the environment.

The conference also led to the creation of the UN Environment Assembly, the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment.

Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEP is a global organization with more than 2,000 personnel working in seven regional offices and 18 country offices around the world. Nairobi is the only UN headquarters in the Global South.

UNEP Headquarters

United Nations Avenue, Gigiri

P.O. Box 30552, 00100

Nairobi, Kenya

Tel: +254 (0)20 762 1234

unep-info@un.org

UNEP also has regional offices for:

Africa

NOF Block 2, Level 1, South-Wing

P.O. Box 30552, 00100

Nairobi, Kenya

unep-africa@un.org

Asia and the Pacific

2^nd Floor, Block A, UN Building

Rajdamnern Avenue, Bangkok, Thailand 10200

Tel: +662 288 2314

Tel: +66-2-2803829

uneproap@un.org

Europe

International Environment House

Chemin des Anemones 11

CH-1219 Chatelaine

Geneva, Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 917 8279

unep-eu@un.org

Latin America and the Caribbean

Building 103, Av. Morse

City of Knowledge, Clayton

Panama City, Panama        

Tel: +507 305 3100

unep-latinamerica@un.org

North America

900 17^th Street NW, Suite 506

Washington, D.C. 20006

Tel: +1 (202) 974-1300

unep-northamerica@un.org

West Asia

UN HOUSE, Riad el-Solh Square

P.O.Box 11-8575, Beirut, Lebanon

Tel: +961 1978 636

unep-westasia@un.org

UNEP’s primary goal is to catalyze action on the environment and promote solutions to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.

UNEP’s work helps humanity to live more in harmony with nature and move beyond the unsustainable consumption and production practices that are pushing the planet to breaking point. This is essential for realizing the Sustainable Development Goals, the world’s blueprint for long-term peace and prosperity.

In the five decades since its founding, UNEP’s convening power, rigorous scientific research and public advocacy have helped to boldly advance the global environmental agenda. In particular, UNEP has led efforts to counter climate change, protect endangered species, end deforestation, repair the hole in the ozone layer and phase out toxic leaded fuels.

See here a timeline of UNEP milestones over the past 50 years or here for a video. View the latest annual report or read this booklet for an overview of UNEP’s work.

You can learn more about UNEP projects here.

UNEP is part of the UN Secretariat and responds to the UN General Assembly. UNEP also has its own governing bodies based in Nairobi: the UN Environment Assembly, the world’s highest-level decision-making body for the environment, and the Committee of Permanent Representatives. These bodies set the direction and outline priorities for global environmental policies through resolutions. The Assembly adopts resolutions and approves UNEP’s Mid-Term Strategy and Programme of Work, while the Committee oversees their implementation.

UNEP works closely with its 193 Member States and representatives from UN entities, civil society, businesses, academia, the private sector, the financial sector, philanthropies, and other major groups to address environmental challenges. UNEP is a key partner of the Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility, Adaptation Fund and the Multilateral Fund (Montreal Protocol), which support countries to access financing and programmes. UNEP has also been instrumental in creating the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change, along with the International Resource Panel and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

UNEP plays a key role in shaping sound environmental governance. UNEP hosts the secretariats of more than a dozen Multilateral Environmental Agreements and conventions. These accords help advance global efforts on the environment and cover everything from the trade in endangered species to the use of potentially harmful chemicals.

UNEP’s mandate is to find solutions to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. To do that, UNEP produces cutting-edge science, like the Emissions Gap Report, which helps to spur policy action. UNEP also supports countries as they develop and implement legislation that safeguards the planet while leading on global environmental accords.

UNEP also advocates for environmental action through global communications campaigns, such as Clean Seas, Breathe Life, the Champions of the Earth and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Since 1973, UNEP has led World Environment Day, a celebration of the natural world that plays a critical role in galvanizing environmental action.

UNEP’s work is guided by the Medium-Term Strategy for 2022‒2025, which outlines how the organization helps states to tackle the triple planetary crisis and deliver on their environmental commitments under international agreements.

To broaden its reach, UNEP works with other UN initiatives, including Quadrapartite Alliance on One Health and the UN Environmental Management Group.

UNEP is led by its Executive Director and a Senior Management Team.

Member States provide UNEP with its mandate while setting the strategic direction, programme of work and budget. Through the UN Environment Assembly, they negotiate resolutions and champion solutions to shared environmental challenges. Member States also provide crucial financial support to UNEP, allowing it to fulfill its mandate of finding solutions to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.

UNEA, as it is known, is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment. The Assembly meets biennially in Nairobi, Kenya, to set priorities for global environmental policies and develop international environmental law. Through its ministerial declarations and resolutions, the Assembly provides leadership, catalyzes intergovernmental action on the environment and contributes to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

UNEP’s success depends on the financial contributions made by Member States and other partners. UNEP relies on voluntary contributions for over 95 percent of its operations.

UNEP receives two main types of funding: core contributions and earmarked contributions.

Core contributions give UNEP the flexibility it needs to implement its programme of work in a balanced and efficient way. The Environment Fund, provided by Member States, is UNEP’s main source of unrestricted financing. UNEP also receives financing from the UN Regular Budget.

Earmarked contributions are allocated for specific projects, themes or countries. They come from Member States, the Global Environment Facility,  the Green Climate Fund, and UN agencies among others. In 2022, UNEP also launched three new thematic funds to support climate stability, living in harmony with nature, and a pollution-free planet.

On 15 December, 1972, the 27th session of the UN General Assembly officially adopted Nairobi as UNEP’s home base, making it the first UN headquarters in the Global South. This decision responded to a strong call from countries in the Global South to locate the fledgling agency in the developing world, which would have a crucial role to play in the environmental movement to follow.

Kenya’s first President, Jomo Kenyatta, inaugurated UNEP's headquarters at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre on 2 October, 1973. Two years later, UNEP moved to a new location on the site of an old coffee farm on the outskirts of Nairobi, where it remains to this day.

UNEP encourages and helps countries to deliver on their environmental commitments. By safeguarding the environment, which underpins economies and societies, UNEP supports the achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals - the world’s shared plan to end extreme poverty and reduce inequality by 2030. UNEP builds the capacity of national partners, provides tools and facilitates the transfer of cutting-edge technologies that help countries make their own progress toward the goals. UNEP is also directly responsible for monitoring six of the goals (6, 8, 12, 14, 15 and 17) and is the custodian of 92 environment-related targets.

A core part of UNEP’s work is to monitor the state of the planet and ensure that environmental policymaking is grounded in science. UNEP's scientific publications, such as the Global Environment Outlook, the Adaptation Gap Report and the Emissions Gap Report, provide credible science and insights that allow political leaders to make informed decisions on a range of environmental issues. UNEP’s science also scans the horizon for emerging environmental challenges and shapes the global conversation around existing issues, such as climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.

The environment underpins economies, providing humanity with the natural resources and ecosystem services that make modern-day life possible. However, the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste is pushing many natural systems to the breaking point. This undermines their ability to support societies and, left unchecked, could undo decades of economic growth and progress toward sustainable development. 

UNEP works with Member States to integrate the environment into economic decision-making, including through initiatives like the Partnership for Action on the Green Economy and the 10-Year Framework of Programmes. This helps to create more efficient, more circular industries capable of creating jobs and providing essential services while respecting nature. Ultimately, this approach will allow people to improve their lives without hurting the prospects of future generations.

UNEP hosts the Sustainable UN facility in Geneva, which supports UN organizations in their journeys toward climate neutrality and environmental sustainability. Through the Greening the Blue initiative, UNEP helps the UN system transition towards greater environmental sustainability in the management of its facilities and operations. Through its work with the UN Environmental Management Group, UNEP also helps dozens of UN agencies mainstream environmental issues into their strategies and programmes.

Each year, UNEP publishes around 120 reports on major environmental issues, including climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. UNEP also produces a variety of real-time data tools, such as those in the World Environment Situation Room, along with factsheets and interactive stories on issues of environmental concern. To find out more, see UNEP publications and data.

UNEP is committed to a diverse workforce and regularly seeks qualified professionals in a wide range of fields. UNEP has positions for staff, consultants, volunteers and interns. View current vacancies here.

Yes. To find out more about volunteering, visit UN Volunteers. To apply for an internship, register on the UN human resources gateway, Inspira.

UNEP takes all reports of alleged wrongdoing seriously. Please visit the contact us page if you would like to raise a concern about a UNEP project or activity.