United Nations System-Wide Framework of Strategies on the Environment: A summary of key United Nations system contributions to the environmental agenda
The United Nations System-Wide Framework of Strategies on the Environment (SWFS) aims to achieve greater synergy, collaboration, and coherence in the United Nations system’s work on the environment to support Member States in the delivery of the environmental dimension of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
The United Nations System Common Approach Towards a Pollution-Free Planet
The framework is designed to achieve a shared aspirational goal: a pollution-free planet for the health and wellbeing of people and the environment, where the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for all is ensured. This goal implies that pollution is prevented and reduced to levels that are not harmful to human and planetary health, including through the efficient management of chemicals and waste.
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Delivering on the vision of the 1972 Stockholm Declaration and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
This report has been prepared following the decision of the Senior Officials of the
UN Environment Management Group to submit a contribution to Stockholm+50 that provides a UN systemwide perspective on delivering on the vision of the 1972 Stockholm Declaration and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Summary for Policymakers
This Policy Brief is the abridged version of the full report prepared by the UN Environment Management Group as a contribution to Stockholm+50.
The Impact of the Stockholm Conference on the UN System: Reflections of 50 Years of Environmental Action
This report synthesizes the information provided by the UN leaders. The information in this report is based on interviews or written submissions from the heads of 37 different UN specialized agencies, programmes and funds, and multilateral environmental agreements that are members of the UN Environment Management Group.
Greening the Blue Report (2022 edition)
The 2022 edition of the Greening the Blue Report, detailing the UN system’s environmental footprint and efforts to reduce it.
International Good Practice Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure
Following the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) and the new resolution on Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure (UNEA/E.A.5/L.15), the EMG Consultative Process on Sustainable Infrastructure produced a second edition of the International Good Practice Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure – formally endorsed by EMG members. The publication seeks to ensure that 21st century infrastructure promotes environmental, social and economic sustainability by setting out ten guiding principles that policymakers can follow to help integrate sustainability into infrastructure planning and delivery. The updated edition contains a foreword by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Addressing marine litter and microplastics – UN system-wide contributions
The Report shows that the UN System is committed to tackle the challenges presented by global plastic pollution, and to promoting and coordinating action to address it holistically through the UN system and in action on the ground. Over 40 UN entities are supporting the Member States in reducing and addressing marine litter and microplastics. These activities are effective because the UN System possesses considerable expertise across a range of relevant disciplines.
Greening the Blue Report (2021 edition)
The 2021 edition of the Greening the Blue Report, detailing the UN System’s environmental footprint and efforts to reduce it.
EMG Report: Supporting The Global Biodiversity Agenda
The report highlights the relevance of biodiversity to the work of UN entities and its multiple benefits across the SDGs, human development, health and food security, human rights, and to global efforts to achieve poverty eradication, gender equality, climate resilience, chemicals management, sustainable economies and intergenerational equity, to name but a few issues. As a new decade begins, urgent efforts are required to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and all actors will need to work together in a coordinated manner.
Greening the Blue Report (2020 edition)
The provides a snapshot of the UN System’s environmental impacts throughout 2019 and the activities underway to reduce them. This year’s report includes 2019 data on greenhouse gas emissions, waste, water and environmental management from nearly 60 entities across the UN System, representing approximately 310,000 personnel.
Greening the Blue Report (2022 edition)
The 2022 edition of the Greening the Blue Report, detailing the UN system’s environmental footprint and efforts to reduce it.
International Good Practice Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure
Following the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) and the new resolution on Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure (UNEA/E.A.5/L.15), the EMG Consultative Process on Sustainable Infrastructure produced a second edition of the International Good Practice Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure – formally endorsed by EMG members. The publication seeks to ensure that 21st century infrastructure promotes environmental, social and economic sustainability by setting out ten guiding principles that policymakers can follow to help integrate sustainability into infrastructure planning and delivery. The updated edition contains a foreword by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Addressing marine litter and microplastics – UN system-wide contributions
The Report shows that the UN System is committed to tackle the challenges presented by global plastic pollution, and to promoting and coordinating action to address it holistically through the UN system and in action on the ground. Over 40 UN entities are supporting the Member States in reducing and addressing marine litter and microplastics. These activities are effective because the UN System possesses considerable expertise across a range of relevant disciplines.
Greening the Blue Report (2021 edition)
The 2021 edition of the Greening the Blue Report, detailing the UN System’s environmental footprint and efforts to reduce it.
EMG Report: Supporting The Global Biodiversity Agenda
The report highlights the relevance of biodiversity to the work of UN entities and its multiple benefits across the SDGs, human development, health and food security, human rights, and to global efforts to achieve poverty eradication, gender equality, climate resilience, chemicals management, sustainable economies and intergenerational equity, to name but a few issues. As a new decade begins, urgent efforts are required to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and all actors will need to work together in a coordinated manner.
Greening the Blue Report (2020 edition)
The provides a snapshot of the UN System’s environmental impacts throughout 2019 and the activities underway to reduce them. This year’s report includes 2019 data on greenhouse gas emissions, waste, water and environmental management from nearly 60 entities across the UN System, representing approximately 310,000 personnel.
Model Approach to Environmental and Social Standards for UN Programming
Greening the Blue Report (2019 edition)
This report details the UN System’s environmental footprint and its efforts to reduce it. It shows that 95% of the UN System’s reported 2018 greenhouse gas emissions are offset.
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Greening the Blue Report (2018 edition)
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Nature Opportunities for Human Security
Greening the Blue Report (2017 edition)
The report on UN System environmental footprints and efforts to reduce them, looking at GHG emissions, waste, environmental management, and climate neutrality.
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Synthesis Report on UN System-wide Contributions to the Implementation of the Environmental Dimension in the Sustainable Development Goals
The report maps agency specific environmental actions, partnerships, and overall strategic trends of 51 Member Agencies of the United Nations Environment Group, highlighting good practices, leveraging data visualisations, and identifying opportunities for further collaboration.
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United Nations System-wide Response to Tackling E-waste
This report signals the importance of collaboration and coordination among UN entities in sustainably solving the global e-waste problem
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Greening the Blue Report (2016 edition)
The ‘Greening the Blue’ report series replaced the ‘Moving Towards a Climate Neutral UN’ reports in detailing the UN System’s eco-footprint and efforts made to reduce it. This report contains data on GHG emissions, waste management, sustainability initiatives, and offsetting for climate neutrality.
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Peer Review Process A Voluntary Review of Environmental Performance
The Peer Review Process was initiated in 2012 by the United Nation’s Environment Management Group (EMG). The Project aims to review the environmental sustainability profile and performance of UN agencies.
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Moving Towards a Climate Neutral UN: The UN System’s Footprint and Efforts to Reduce It (2015 edition)
This report details the UN System’s eco-footprint and efforts made to reduce it. This edition includes data from 65 entities.
United Nations and the Sound management of Chemicals: Coordinating delivery for member states and sustainable development
The report signals the importance of sound chemicals management to the broader sustainable development agenda, showcases what has already been accomplished, and indicates how the UN system can further assist Member States in achieving sound chemicals management in the context of sustainable development.
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Moving Towards a Climate Neutral UN: The UN System’s Footprint and Efforts to Reduce It (2014 edition)
The UN’s report on System-wide progress in implementing the UN’s Climate Neutral Strategy. This year’s report includes the greenhouse gas emissions for 64 organisations in 2013, as well as a breakdown of emissions by source. The brochure and poster highlight some of the many projects going on in UN agencies and offices around the UN to improve the organization’s environmental performance, often with resulting co-benefits for health, morale and cost savings.
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UN EMG Stocktaking Report on Green Economy Knowledge Products by UN Agencies and Partners
The report presents a compilation of green economy products developed by the UN System. This report has been prepared as a response to the 18th meeting of the Environment Management Group (EMG) senior officials, which tasked the EMG’s Issue Management Group on Green Economy to carry out a stocktaking exercise on existing UN system-wide web-based green economy platforms and resources.
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Advancing the Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework in the United Nations System. Interim Guide
In 2012, Members of the UN Environment Management Group prepared a Framework for Advancing Environmental and Social Sustainability in the UN system at the policy, program and operational levels. This Interim Guide was prepared through the Consultative Process of the Environment Management Group as a basic tool to help the UN entities to start implementing the Framework. Its specific objectives are to raise awareness about environmental and social sustainability measures that can be adopted at the individual entity level, and to sensitize staff about the implications of and options for applying them.
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The report notes that while many individual United Nations entities have adopted assessment policies and practices, the United Nations System acting together can do even more, including by developing a common sustainability framework and relevant indicators.
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Advancing the environmental agenda within the UN brochure
This brochure spotlights a number of the main UN system-wide reports, guidance manuals, information kits and booklets on the environment in which UNEP has played either a leading or contributory role, during the period between 2009 and 2013. The publications are global in scope, demonstrating the UN family’s collaboration as it builds on synergies between different agencies and works closely to “Deliver as One”. These publications have been categorized according to the six environmental themes, namely: climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem management, environmental governance, chemicals and waste, and resource efficiency.
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Moving Towards a Climate Neutral UN: The UN System’s Footprint and Efforts to Reduce It (2013 edition)
Find out how the UN’s Climate Neutral Strategy is progressing. The report includes the details of the greenhouse gas emissions for 64 organisations in 2012, as well as a breakdown of emissions by source. The brochure and poster showcase some of the efforts that have gone on around the UN System to reduce emissions and explains the next steps. There is an opening message from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
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A Vision of a Sustainable UN.
What would a ‘sustainable’ United Nations look like? How would it feel to work for such an organisation? These are some of the questions that are investigated in this report based on interviews with over twenty leaders from across the UN. The report showcases ideas about how the UN could build on current activities to enhance environmental sustainability management by 2020.
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Environment in the United Nations system. Note by the Executive Director
The environmental footprint of humanity has grown exponentially since 1972. The size of the footprint has followed the pace of a growing world population, stunning technological innovations and an ever expanding production and consumption of goods and services. This note on the Environment in the UN System was presented by the Executive Director of UNEP at the 26th session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum in Nairobi, 2011.
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The report notes that while many individual United Nations entities have adopted assessment policies and practices, the United Nations System acting together can do even more, including by developing a common sustainability framework and relevant indicators.
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The EMG’s Issue Management Group on Land was requested to prepare this UN system-wide response report on drylands, highlighting the importance of drylands and options for follow-up action. Released: 20 October 2011.
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This report was made available as an information document for the upcoming COP of the CBD in Nagoya in 2010.
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This report intends to provide an understanding of UN system-wide contributions to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity (2011-2020).
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