United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Basic Information

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global authority on the environment. For over 50 years, UNEP has worked with governments, civil society, the private sector and UN entities to address humanity’s most pressing environmental challenges – from restoring the ozone layer to protecting the world’s seas and promoting a green, inclusive economy.

Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
Established: 1972

Mission

UNEP’s mission is to inspire, inform, and enable nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

UNEP is driving transformational change by drilling down on the root causes of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution.

Key Activities

UNEP’s work on climate adaptation falls under four main activities:

• Activity 1: Ecosystem-based Adaptation
• Activity 2: National Adaptation Plans
• Activity 3: Knowledge Networks
• Activity 4: Access to Adaptation Finance

Each activity is described in more detail below.

Activity 1: Ecosystem-based Adaptation

UNEP is currently supporting over 45 ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) projects. Combined, these projects aim to restore around 241,000 hectares of ecosystems while benefiting 3.5 million people around the world.

EbA is a strategy for adapting to climate change that harnesses nature-based solutions (NbS) and ecosystem services. For instance, protecting coastal habitats like mangroves provides natural flood defences; reforestation can curb desertification and recharge groundwater supplies during droughts; and water bodies like rivers and lakes provide natural drainage options to reduce flooding.

Often through win-win outcomes, EbA protects vulnerable communities from extreme weather while simultaneously providing a variety of ecological benefits so crucial for human well-being, such as clean water and food. Though primarily an adaptation approach, EbA can also contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing the emissions that transpire from habitat loss and ecosystem degradation.

See more examples here. 

Activity 2: National Adaptation Plans

UNEP assists countries all over the world in their efforts to create National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). The NAP process seeks to identify medium- and long-term adaptation needs, informed by the latest climate science. Once major vulnerabilities to climate change have been identified, the NAP process develops strategies to address them. 

There are three avenues through which UNEP supports the development of NAPs:

• National Adaptation Plan Global Support Programme (NAP-GSP) – This project, funded by the Global Environment Facility, was run jointly with UNDP between 2013 and 2021 and provided support to over 45 countries. For more information, visit the website.

• One-on-one Country Support Programmes – UNEP has more than 23 ongoing projects where one-on-one support is provided to countries to advance their NAPs. These NAP projects are funded by either the Green Climate Fund (GCF) or the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

• Knowledge sharing – UNEP generates a wide range of science, analyses and knowledge sharing events to support countries in their efforts to build climate resilience. For example, UNEP published its Guidelines For Integrating Ecosystem-based Adaptation into National Adaptation Plans, which has now been transformed into an online course. For more climate adaptation resources, visit us here.

Activity 3: Knowledge Networks

The UN’s Global Adaptation Network (GAN) is a knowledge-sharing platform for climate adaptation, connecting a multitude of adaptation organisations to a common worldwide network, and enabling the exchange of vital information. When cutting-edge solutions are developed, GAN ensures they are shared with those who need them most. The Global Adaptation Network has a unique relationship with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) through a variety of linkages, including the Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative. Founded in 2010, the GAN family is a thriving knowledge-sharing community.

As an umbrella organization spanning most continents, GAN is composed of various constituent regional networks, each of which provide knowledge services in their respective regions. These regional networks are:

• Asia-Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN, Asia Pacific)
• Regional Gateway for Technology Transfer & Climate Action in Latin America and the Caribbean (REGATTA, Latin America and the Caribbean)
• Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA, Africa)

Activity 4: Access to Adaptation Finance

In partnership with the Global Environment Facility, the Green Climate Fund, and the Adaptation Fund, UNEP helps countries all over the world to access finance for adaptation. In 2022, the total value of the adaptation project portfolio managed by UNEP’s Climate Change Adaptation Unit rose to USD 550 million.

Global EbA Fund

The Global EbA Fund provides grants to innovative approaches to ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA).

Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA)

AFCIA offers USD 10 million in small grants and technical assistance to foster adaptation innovation in developing countries. 

Green Climate Fund Climate Readiness Programme

UNEP and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) support governments in accessing finance for adaptation through projects in ‘Climate Readiness’, which is defined as the capacities of countries to plan for, access, deliver, and report on climate finance.