UNEP

Presented By: Anstin Thomas

Bhavesh Hume

Deepak Joshi

Mohammad Saddam

Pranav Ghangare

Prasad Deshmane

UNEP is the voice for the environment

within the United Nations system

UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and

encourage partnership in caring for the environment

by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and

peoples to improve their quality of life without

compromising that of future generations.

What is UNEP ?The United Nations Environment

Programme (UNEP) is an agency of the United Nation that coordinates its environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.

United Nations Environment

Programme

Abbreviation : UNEP

Formation : 1972 June 5

Type :Programme

Legal status :Active

Headquarters : Nairobi, Kenya

Head :Achim Steiner

Parent organization: United Nations

Website : www.UNEP.org

Executive Director

# Picture Name(Birth–Death)

Nationality

Took office

Left office

1 Maurice Strong(born 1929)

Canada 1972

1975

2 Mostafa Kamal Tolba(born 1922)

Egypt 1975 1992

3 Elizabeth Dowdeswell(born 1944)

Canada 1992 1998

4 Klaus Töpfer(born 1938)

Germany 1998 2006

5 Achim Steiner(born 1961)

Germany 2006 PRESENT

History Of UNEPIt was founded by Maurice Strong, its first director, as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its headquarters in the Gigirineighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP also has six regional offices and various country offices.

UNEP has aided in the formulation of guidelines and treaties on issues such as the international trade in potentially harmful chemicals, transboundary air pollution, and contamination of international waterways.

What UNEP does

Assessing global, regional and national environmental

conditions and trends.

Developing international agreements and national

environmental instruments.

Strengthening institutions for the wise management of

the environment.

Integrating economic development and environmental

protection

Facilitating the transfer of knowledge and technology for

sustainable development.

Encouraging new partnerships and mind-sets within civil

society and the private sector.

UNEP around the world

UNEP’s global headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya. Being

based in Africa gives UNEP a first-hand understanding of

the environmental issues facing developing countries.

UNEP is represented across the globe by six regional

offices:

Africa: Nairobi, Kenya

Asia and the Pacific: Bangkok, Thailand

Europe: Geneva, Switzerland

Latin America and the Caribbean: Mexico City, Mexico

North America: Washington DC, USA

West Asia: Manama, Bahrain

UNEP's main activities are :Climate change;

Including the Territorial Approach to Climate Change (TACC);

Disasters and conflicts;

Ecosystem management;

Environmental governance;

Environment under review;

Harmful substances;

Resource efficiency.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UNEP

Executive Director Achim Steiner agree:

Climate change is “the defining challenge of our

generation”.

It is no longer relevant to discuss whether or not

our climate is changing, but rather, how fast changes will

occur.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner states:

We are all part of the solution;

Many solutions already exist;

Many solutions provide answers to other challenges.

Costs to limit emissions will be significant,

but lower compared to the costs of no action.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

• UNEP’s strategy and climate change

programme in no way prejudges the current

climate negotiations.

• UNEP will adapt its programme 2010–11

to reflect any future climate agreement.

UNEP’s long-term commitment to climate change.

● UNEP:

Has more than 20 years of experience working on

climate change;

Established the International Panel on Climate

Change with the World Meteorological Organization

in the1980s;

Concentrates efforts of reducing emissions in

various ways;

Works across numerous areas to combat climate

change;

Supports governments ,the private sector ,and civil

society.

Partnership UNEP complements its climate change activities by cooperating and expanding existing agreements with other UN agencies addressing climate change internationally, or seeking to do so.

• Examples of such cooperation include:

UNFCCC Secretariat UNDP UNICEF FAO-UNDP-UNEP IPCC Secretariat GEF TheWorldBank

UNEP climate change strategyTheme 1:

Adapting by building resilience to a changing climate;

Theme 2:

Facilitating a transition towards low carbon societies;

Theme 3:

Improving understanding of climate change science;

Theme 4:

Communicating and raising awareness.

Adapting by building resilience to a

changing climate EA (a) Adaptation

•UNEP’s work focuses on: Assessing vulnerabilities and adaptation services of

ecosystems and helping to integrate findings into national decision-

making;

Promoting ecosystem based-adaptation;

Helping to strengthen national institutional capacity;

Helping to strengthen national capacity for undertaking

integrated vulnerability and adaptation assessments;

Supporting countries to integrate adaptation into their national

and regional development planning processes;

Providing technical, analytical and policy support to major

climate change financing mechanisms.

EXAMPLEAs a UNEP-UNDP Initiative, the CC-DARE Programme supports

Sub-Saharan African countries in integrating climate change

adaptation into development frameworks.

CC-DARE is:

supporting the Ministry of Finance in Senegal to

integrate climate change into consideration in the Public

Budgeting System;

working with a Ugandan NGO to develop

Education and Awareness materials for public broadcasting;

Reducing emissions

from deforestation

and degradation:

A collaborative

programme with UNDP and

FAO, implemented in

coordination with the

UNFCCC Secretariat and the

World Bank Forest Carbon

Partnership Facility.

Nine pilot governments are

implementing national REDD

strategies and mechanisms:

Bolivia, Democratic Republic

of Congo, Indonesia, Panama,

Papua New Guinea, Paraguay,

Tanzania, Vietnam, and

Zambia.

Facilitating a transition towards low carbon societies

EA (b) Mitigation technology

● UNEP’s work focuses on:

Supporting countries to undertake technical and economic

renewable energy assessments to support their decisions;

Supporting the development of national climate technology

plans to promote markets for cleaner energy technologies;

Establishing and supporting knowledge networks to inform

and support keys take holders;

Undertaking and promoting the use of macro-economic and

sectoral analysis of the costs and benefits of different policy options;

Promoting public/private partnerships.

EXAMPLEGreen Buildings Initiative:

- In partnership with the private

sector UNEP promotes the

worldwide adoption of sustainable

building and construction practices.

- The current main focus of

SBCI is to enable the building

sector to respond to the climate

change challenge. The building

sector has the largest contribution to

GHG emissions through energy use

during construction and in particular

during the use of buildings.

Indian Solar Loan

Programme:

-UNEP partnered with

two of India’s largest

banks to finance more

than 20,000 solar

lighting systems.

-The activity prompted

20 other Indian banks to

develop similar credit

programmes.

Improving understanding of climate

change science EA (e) Science•UNEP’s work focuses on:

Undertaking science- based assessment to increase awareness of climate change and its impacts, and promoting integration of climate change in to policy making; Implementing capacity building programmes to help countries customize climate change data and scenarios to their needs in order to strengthen climate change policy planning; Providing technical support and training for climate change negotiators and stakeholders; Providing advisory and support services to major groups to demonstrate how climate change can be integrated into their activities.

EXAMPLEGlobal Glacier Changes -

Facts and Figures:

- The publication is a report

presenting the latest data on

fluctuations of glaciers and

ice caps –it is available for

download online.

- UNEP, with the World

Glacier Monitoring Service,

released the report at the 20th

anniversary of the IPCC in

2008.

Communicating and raising

awareness EA (e) InformationUNEP’s work focuses on:

Developing strategic communications with the UNFCCC to

convey a sense of urgency in dealing with climate change;

Using media and out reach activities to help deliver key messages

on climate change to the media and other target groups;

Helping communicate successful climate change programmes to

key stakeholders to promote replication of best practices;

Conducting awareness raising ,outreach ,education and training

forMajor Stakeholders;

Hosting events, awards ceremonies and recognition programmes

to encourage innovation and participation.

EXAMPLES

Targeted campaigns and events:

Seal the Deal!, Billion Tree Campaign,

Climate Neutral Network, World Environment Day,

Paint for the Planet.

Disasters and conflicts

This sub-programme works to understand and reduce the impacts of environmental degradation from disasters and conflicts on human health, livelihoods and security. It also emphasizes the role of healthy ecosystems and sustainably managed resources in reducing the risk of disasters and conflicts.

IntroductionSince the start of the new millennium, over 35 major

conflicts and some 2,500 disasters have affected billions of people

around the world. These crises destroy infrastructure, displace

entire populations and threaten ecosystems and the people who rely

on them to survive. Reducing the risk of disasters and conflicts,

mitigating their impacts when they occur, and building resilient

societies and economies is therefore at the top of the international

agenda

From Kosovo to Afghanistan, and from Sudan to Haiti,

UNEP has responded to crisis situations in over 40 countries since

1999, delivering high-quality environmental expertise to national

governments and partners in the UN family.

Goals of Disasters and conflicts

Programme The Disasters and Conflicts sub-programme

focuses on helping States minimize the threats to human well-being from

environmental causes and consequences of disasters and conflicts. It has

four key goals:

Disaster risk reduction:

Assessment

Recovery:

Cooperation for peacebuilding:

Disaster risk reductionHealthy ecosystems are the front line

of defense against a changing climate. the

services they provide not only protect lives

and livelihoods from natural hazards, they

also support livelihoods and other crucial

aspects of human wellbeing. Guided by the

Hyogo Framework for Action, UNEP

provides decision-makers with sound

information about disaster risk and works to

catalyse a broad range of environmental

actors to further reduce risks. UNEP’s risk

reduction work also extends to Climate

Change and Environmentally Induced

Migration. UNEP works closely with the

humanitarian community, focusing on

regions vulnerable to disasters, outmigration

and social instability.

Post-crisis environmental

assessments

In the aftermath of a crisis, critical natural resources entire

communities depend on are often degraded, damaged or destroyed.

Assessments to gauge the risks posed by these environmental impacts are

the foundation of UNEP’s conflict and disaster response.

• Field-based assessments :Using sound science and state-

of-the-art technology, UNEP teams conduct in-depth field work to

identify environmental risks to human health, livelihoods and

security. Each assessment is undertaken on an equally neutral basis,

and adopts a tailor-made approach to the situation’s particular

geographical, political and security conditions.

• Recovery planning :The findings and recommendations of

each assessment feed into planning a recovery process that reduces

underlying risk factors and builds the long-term health and stability

of both ecosystems and vulnerable populations.

In 2006, UNEP mobilized within days of the end of the conflict between

Lebanon and Israel to undertake a field-based scientific assessment of

the conflict’s environmental impacts, entailing the collection of some 200

samples from over 100 sites. The post-conflict environmental assessment

report was completed within four months of the ceasefire.

Environmental recoveryUNEP is available to help national governments address identified

environmental needs and priorities. Post-crisis environmental

recovery programmes, which can last for several years, aim

to strengthen the capacity of national and local environmental

authorities, rehabilitate ecosystems, mitigate risks and ensure that

resources are used sustainably within recovery and development

processes. Where it is necessary and requested, UNEP can establish

project offices in country to ensure a continuous presence on the

ground, as is currently the case in Afghanistan and Sudan. UNEP is

also implementing environmental recovery programmes in China,

Myanmar, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and

Côte d’Ivoire.

Initiated at the request of the Government of Afghanistan following a post-conflict

environmental assessment conducted in 2002, UNEP’s Programme in Afghanistan

has created a lasting foundation for environmental management and sustainable

development in Afghanistan, centered on supporting the establishment of a self-

sufficient National Environmental Protection Authority. The programme is

implemented from UNEP’s project office in Kabul.

Environmental cooperation for

peace buildingCapitalizing on the shared need to manage natural resources for

livelihoods, UNEP aims to use environmental cooperation to

transform the risks of conflict over resources into opportunities for

peace in war-torn societies, and to integrate environment and natural

resources issues within the peacebuilding policies and strategies of

the UN.

To help address the environmental

dimensions of conflict and peacebuilding effectively, UNEP has

developed a unique relationship with the UN Peacebuilding

Commission, and broadened its expertise and capacity by establishing

an Expert Advisory Group composed of senior experts from academic

institutions, nongovernmental organizations and think tanks with

demonstrated leadership in environment and conflict issues.

The Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative aims to strengthen

regional collaboration through the identification of priorities and

opportunities for cooperation to address environmental problems

threatening human security. In this context, UNEP is currently working

with national experts towards the establishment of three protected

mountain areas across the borders of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Montenegro and Serbia.

Ecosystem Management UNEP’s subprogramme on Ecosystem Management

responds to the emphasis on ecosystem degradation in

the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA). It aims to

translate the MA’s findings into a workable programme

for application at national and regional levels, and to

assist countries to use an ecosystem approach to

enhance human wellbeing.

UNEP has proposed a four-step process to progressively

incorporate the concept of ecosystem services for human

well-being into development planning and processes:

• Making the case for ecosystem management through

awareness raising, capacity building, advocacy and policy support;

• .Generating knowledge on ecosystem management

approaches by documenting best practices, and developing tools to

enable countries to apply ecosystem management;

• Turning knowledge into action at the country, regional and

global levels

• Monitoring evaluation and feedback of the status of ecosystem

services by offering technical support for the development and review

of indicators of ecosystem service delivery and facilitating

review of the delivery of ecosystem services against established

baselines

The UNEP Ecosystem Management Programme will

work to change the piecemeal (i.e., sector by sector)

approach to environmental management and move to

an approach that integrates forests, land, freshwater,

and coastal systems where they impact upon the overall

deliver of ecosystem services.

UNEP will work towards

assisting countries and regions to:

integrate an ecosystem approach into

development and planning processes;

acquire and improve the capacity to use

ecosystem management tools; and

realign their environmental programmes

and financing to tackle the degradation of

priority ecosystem services.

SOURCE OF LIFE

Human well-being ultimately depends on the health of the ecosystems which envelope and sustain us. We exploit ecosystems for the food, water, and timber we need for everyday living. We depend on ecosystem processes to regulate natural cycles and keep diseases at bay. We rely on them for recreation, instruction and mental and spiritual enrichment.

We know that without healthy ecosystems we could not survive, and yet we are transforming and degrading them at an ever-increasing rate.

An ecosystem is a dynamic complex

of plant, animal, and microorganism

communities and their nonliving environment

interacting as a functional unit. Humans are

an integral part of ecosystems. Ecosystems

vary enormously in size; a temporary pond in

a tree hollow and an ocean basin can both

be ecosystems.

Ecosystem services at risk:

Ecosystem services are the benefits that people

obtain from ecosystems. The Millennium Ecosystem

Assessment analysed 24 ecosystem services, and found that

15 were being degraded or used unsustainably. The decline

in services affects the world’s disadvantaged people most

strongly, impedes sustainable development globally and, in

developing countries, represents a considerable barrier to

achieving the UN’s Millennium Development Goals of

reducing poverty and hunger.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment grouped

ecosystem services into four categories:

provisioning services such as the supply of food

and water;

regulating services, which help to stabilize

ecosystem processes such as climate and water storage and purification;

supporting services, including soil formation and

nutrient cycling; and

cultural services, such as recreational,

spiritual,religious and other non material benefits.

Over one billion people have to live on an income of less than $1 per day. Most of

them are crucially dependent on ecosystem services, supporting themselves mainly

through agriculture, grazing, hunting and fishing. So it is not surprising that the

regions facing the greatest developmental challenges tend to be those having the most

trouble maintaining their ecosystems and the services they provide.

The

ecosystem

approach

The ecosystem approach is a strategy for the integrated management of land,

water and living resources that provides sustainable delivery of ecosystem

services in an equitable way.

SERVICES UNDER

ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT

PROGRAMME :

Regulating services.

Provisioning services

Supporting services

Cultural services

Regulating services: Regulating services are defined as the benefits obtained

from the regulation of ecosystem processes. They include

the following:

Climate regulation.

Natural hazard regulation.

Water regulation.

Water purification and waste treatment.

Disease regulation.

Climate regulation

Ecosystems influence climate both

locally and globally. At the local

scale, changes in land

cover can affect both temperature

and precipitation. At

the global scale, ecosystems play an

important role in

climate either by sequestering

carbon (e.g., in forests,

grasslands and marine ecosystems)

or by emitting

greenhouse gases (e.g., forests

destruction by fire and

melting permafrost). Forests, and

the services they

provide, are particularly vulnerable

to overexploitation

and habitat degradation.

Natural hazard regulation:

Healthy ecosystems provide protection from extreme

events such as hurricanes, tsunamis, high tides, floods, droughts, etc.

For example, mangroves and coral reefs help protect

coastal areas from storm surges; vegetation cover on a hillside can

help prevent erosion and mudslides. Natural disaster and post-

conflict response is another key area for results in the UNEP

medium-term strategy, and has strong linkages to ecosystem

management.

Water regulation:

Water scarcity is increasingly affecting human well-

being and making us aware of the importance of healthy terrestrial

ecosystems as the major source of accessible, renewable freshwater

(in itself a top priority service). Ecosystems supply, store and retain

water in watersheds and natural reservoirs; they regulate the flow of

water required for irrigation andindustry, and provide protection

against storms, erosion and floods.

Water purification and waste treatment: Water purification

and waste treatment are facilitated by healthy ecosystems, providing

clean drinking water and water suitable for industry, recreation and

wildlife.Natural wetlands can process and filter pollutants such as

metals, viruses, oils, excess nutrients, and sediment. Forests retain

water and slowly filter it through the ground.

Disease regulation: Healthy soils and wetlands can trap and

detoxify pathogens and regulate disease-carrying organisms. By

breaking down 0 human and ecosystem waste, many organisms

reduce the threat of diseases such as cholera. Predatory organisms

keep a population of pathogens and its carriers relatively low.

Therefore, reducing predator populations, as a result of habitat

fragmentation or competition from invasive species, can increase

human and other diseases. Recent research has demonstrated that

the risk of Lyme disease decreases when the diversity of vertebrate

communities

is high.

Provisioning services :Provisioning services are the products obtained

from ecosystems. These include food,

freshwater, wood, fibre, genetic resources and

medicines. Of particular interest to UNEP are:

Freshwater

Energy

Fisheries

FreshwaterThe well-being of both ecosystems

and humans is strongly dependent

on this vital ecosystem service,

which provides people with water

for domestic use, irrigation, power

generation, and transportation.

The natural availability of

freshwater in rivers, lakes and

other aquifers varies considerably,

however, and

demand has exploded over the last

century. This has led to the

construction of dams, irrigation

channels, river embankments and

inter-basin canals, often at the cost

of ecosystem degradation.

EnergyThis ecosystem service was

mentioned as ‘biomass energy’ in the

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.

The increased production of biofuels

to replace such fossil fuels as wood

and charcoal – ofparticular

importance to poor people – has

provoked

keen debate about the potential

impacts of this production on

ecosystem and human well being.

Hydropower as a low carbon energy

source is dependent on freshwater

related ecosystem services (provided,

for example, by dams) and can also

have major impacts on upstream

and downstream ecosystems.

FisheriesMarine and freshwater

fisheries are in decline, in

spite of increasing demand.

Fish protein is of particular

importance to poor people.

Overfishing is the main

problem, but keeping

aquatic ecosystems healthy

canhelp sustain populations

in the face of growing

demand.

Supporting services Supporting services are necessary for the production of

all other ecosystem services. Not surprisingly, these relate to fundamental environmental processes and intangible values. Their impacts are either indirect or occur over a very long time. Examples of supporting services include biomass production, production of atmospheric oxygen, soil formation and retention, nutrient cycling, water cycling, and provisioning of habitat.

UNEP will focus on two in particular:

Nutrient cycling

Primary production

Nutrient cycling

Approximately 20 nutrients essential for life,

such as nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium,

are absorbed, retained and recycled by

ecosystems. Phytoplankton – microscopic

plants – in lakes, rivers and the sea absorb

nutrients from runoff and pass them up the

food chain. Soil organisms – from microbes

and fungi to earthworms and insects – are

crucial to the chemical conversion and

physical transfer of essential nutrients to

higher plants. In simplified low-diversity

agriculturallandscapes, this capacity is much

reduced. Many parts of the world suffer from

inadequate nutrients in theirsoils and food,

while others must deal with excessive

nutrients leading to overload and

eutrophication (depletion of oxygen in the

water).

Primary production

The life-sustaining production

of organic compounds, mainly

through photosynthesis by

green plants and algae, is

known as primary production.

All life on Earth relies directly

or indirectly on primary

production, yet we know very

little about its natural limits or

its risk of collapse under

increasing pressure from

climate change and other

environmental factors.

Cultural services ‘Cultural services’ is the umbrella term

used for the non-material benefits that

people obtain from ecosystems, such as

spiritual enrichment, intellectual

development, reflection, religious

experience, and recreation. It comprises

knowledge systems, social relations,

aesthetic values and appreciation of

nature. Of these varied services,

ecotourism is of particular interest to

UNEP.

Recreation and ecotourismHealthy ecosystems which

offer opportunities for

outdoor recreation and

nature-based tourism are

becoming an increasingly

important economic

resource.Far beyond

providing an aesthetic

experience only for the

privileged, ecotourism has

great potential – and proven

success in many parts of the

world –for alleviating

poverty and improving

human well-being.

Introduction Governing our planet’s rich and diverse natural

resources is an increasingly complex challenge. In our

globalised world of interconnected nations, economies

and people, managing environmental threats,

particularly those that cross political borders such as air

pollution and biodiversity loss, will require new global,

regional, national and local responses involving a wide

range of stakeholders.

Effective environmental governance at all levels is critical for

finding solutions to these challenges.Environmental

Governance comprises the rules, practices, policies and

institutions that shape how humans interact with the

environment.

UNEP’s Environmental Governance sub-programme promotes

informed environmental decision-making to enhance global

and regional environmental cooperation and governance.

Working with States and all major groups and stakeholders,

UNEP helps to bridge the science and policy gaps by keeping

the state of the global environment under review, identifying

threats at an early stage, developing sound environmental

policies, and helping States successfully implement these

policies.

Goals of UNEP : The Environmental Governance subprogramme focuses on

strengthening global, regional, national and local environmental

governance to address agreed environmental priorities. The sub-

programme has four key goals:

Sound science for decision-making

International cooperation

National development planning

International policy setting and technical assistance

• Sound science for decision-making: UNEP aims to

influence the international environmental agenda by

reviewing global environmental trends and emerging issues,

and bringing these scientific findings to policy forums.

• International cooperation: UNEP helps States cooperate

to achieve agreed environmental priorities, and supports

efforts to develop, implement and enforce new international

environmental laws and standards.

• National development planning: UNEP promotes the

integration of environmental sustainability into regional and

national development policies, and helps States understand

the benefits of this approach.

• International policy setting and technical assistance:

UNEP works with States and other stakeholders to

strengthen their laws and institutions, helping them achieve

environmental goals, targets and objectives.

UNEP’s Vision

UNEP’s Environmental Governance sub-programme is working to make this vision a reality during the 2010-13 period of UNEP’s Medium-term Strategy. From providing decisionmakers with access to sound science to enhancing global and regional cooperation, UNEP has a rich history of helping States meet the challenges of environmental governance.

UNEP’s vision is based on delivering: International cooperation

Strengthened national laws and institutions

Sustainable regional and national development

Access to sound science

International cooperation:

UNEP has unparalleled convening power on the global

stage. UNEP will continue to use its experience as a neutral

facilitator to enhance cooperation between States and other

actors to support international decision-making, and ensure

environmental threats are effectively addressed. To enhance

the quality and impact of this work, UNEP will also support

political and programmatic cooperation with a broad and

diverse spectrum of major groups and stakeholders.

Strengthened national laws and institutions:

To achieve their environmental commitments and goals,

States need strong legislative, political and judicial systems.

UNEP will use its expertise in environmental policy and

law to help States further develop these institutions,

and enhance their ability to effectively participate in

international negotiations.

Sustainable regional and national development :

UN country teams play a critical role in providing the

supporting services needed to address environmental

issues. UNEP will continue to work with these teams,

as well as national governments, to mainstream

environmental sustainability into development policies.

UNEP will also support regional development, contributing

to the establishment and strengthening of institutional

arrangements to manage transboundary natural resources.

Access to sound science :

As a science-based organization, UNEP provides

environmental data and information that is critical to

crafting effective policy solutions. UNEP will produce and

communicate this information and help connect scientific

networks to national governments to bridge the sciencepolicy

Gap.

HARMFUL SUBSTANCES

AND HAZARDOUS

UNEP’s objective is to minimize the

impact of harmful substances and

hazardous waste on the

environment and people.

Chemicals are an integral part of

everyday life. There are over 100,000 different

substances in use today. They play a role in every

economic sector and nearly every industry, and

many are critical to human wellbeing and

sustainable development. Yet chemicals can also

endanger human health and the environment if not

managed properly.

IntroductionUNEP achieves this through four

core services:

• UNEP assesses trends in the use, release and

disposal of harmful substances around the world to

inform policymakers and raise awareness on the need

for action.

• UNEP helps governments use data and

information from these global assessments to make

informed decisions.

• UNEP uses scientific assessments

and legal instruments as a basis for technical

assistance and capacity building for States,

helping them design and implement national

programmes supporting sound management of

harmful substances and hazardous waste.

• UNEP helps governments monitor,

evaluate and report on the impacts and progress

of their systems for managing harmful

substances and hazardous waste.

The sub-programme is built on more than 30 years

of work in the field and is a driving force behind

the sound management of chemicals and hazardous

waste.

MANAGEMENT OF

CHEMICALS

Chemicals play an essential role in our

daily lives. They are used in every economic sector and in

many of the common products we buy. Many chemicals

are critical to human well-being and sustainable

development; yet they can also endanger health and the

environment if not manufactured, used and managed

properly. There are over 100,000 different chemical

substances in use today.

Reducing risks from mercury.

Taking the lead on lead.

Chemicals at sea.

Reducing risks from mercuryAn important step forward towards eliminating the

use of one of the world’s most toxic heavy metals,

mercury, was taken in June 2010. UNEP, serving as

the Secretariat, convened the first session of the

Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare

a global legally binding instrument on Mercury

(INC1). UNEP recognizes that it will be some time

before a legally-binding instrument comes into force.

In the interim, the Global

Mercury Partnership has

been formed to take

immediate action wherever

possible on mercury use

and release. Since 2009,

membership has trebled to

almost 70; including 14

governments, four

intergovernmental

organizations, 31 non-

governmental

organizations and 19 other

groups, organizations or

individuals.

Taking the lead on lead

During 2010, the number of countries still

using leaded vehicle fuels was reduced and today

only six countries use small amounts of leaded

gasoline.

The UNEP-led Partnership for Clean Fuels

and Vehicles is working with all of these to help

develop plans to phase out those fuels and ‘beat the

lead habit’.

Barrel containing harmful substances

washed up on a beach

Breathing in the

exhaust fumes from vehicles

using leaded fuels is not the

only way in which children

and adults become poisoned

by lead.

Paint and the dust

created during building

work is also an important

exposure route.

Chemicals at sea Harmful substances and waste generated

on land find their way into waterways and are

transferred to marine and coastal environments. The

Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the

Marine Environment from Land-based Activities

(GPA-Marine) is the only global intergovernmental

initiative directly addressing the link between

watersheds, coastal waters and the open ocean.

Water pollution

The Regional Seas

Programme, launched in

1974, is one of UNEP’s most

significant achievements

over the past 35 years. The

Regional Seas conventions

and action plans contribute

to the sustainable

management and protection

of the coastal and marine

environment by preventing

further degradation of the

marine environment from

pollution derived from land

based activities.

Key Projects

Resource efficiency

UNEP defines resource efficiency

from a life cycle and value chain perspective. This

means reducing the total environmental impact of

the production and consumption of goods and

services, from raw material extraction to final use

and disposal.

IntroductionResource efficiency represents a critical opportunity to address this

unsustainable path, building green economies in which economic

growth is decoupled from environmental harm. By enabling the

design and production of low-impact products and services, resource

efficiency can help us meet human needs while respecting the

ecological carrying

capacity of the earth.

UNEP’s Resource Efficiency sub-programme

works to ensure natural resources are produced, processed and

consumed in a more environmentally sustainable way, paving the

way towards the Green Economy. This is an economy which uses

opportunities for cleaner investments and green jobs to address

poverty and enhance human well-being.

Economic growth and social

development cannot be sustained with our current

consumption and production patterns. Globally, we

are extracting more resources to produce goods

and services than our planet can replenish, while a

large share of an increasingly urban world

population is still struggling to meet basic needs.

Resource efficiency underpins

Green Economy

They are unseparatable: GE calls for growt opportunity and

redirection of investment that Come from and based on resource

efficiency

RE not only at the upfront-resource extraction and the end--

waste disposal and recycle, but also throughout GE transformation.

Transition to GE depends on and supported by decoupling

escalating increase

in resource use from environment degradation.

RE covers both production and consumption.

Notable world projects

UNEP has sponsored the development of solar loan

programs, with attractive return rates, to buffer the initial deployment

costs and entice consumers to consider and purchase solar PV systems.

The most famous example is the solar loan program sponsored by UNEP

helping 100,000 people finance solar power systems in India. Success in

India's solar program has led to similar projects in other parts of the

developing world like Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia and Mexico.

UNEP Activities Images

Today's wastage is

tomorrow's shortage.

REFERENCES

WIKIPEDIA

Unep.org

Un.org

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