Tag: UNEP

UNEP releases guidelines to curb the environmental impact of data centres

Stuart Mitchell

As the environmental impact of data centres and servers explodes, driven by economic growth and rapid advancements such as AI, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today released new procurement guidelines to help governments and other authorities reduce the energy and water consumption of such centres.  The Sustainable Procurement Guidelines for Data Centres and Servers, from UNEP’s United for Efficiency (U4E) initiative, focus on key performance criteria and operating conditions for selecting energy-efficient data centres and computer servers.   These guidelines seek to fill a key gap: very few countries currently…

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Civil Society Calls for Plastic Production Cuts on World Environment Day

Stuart Mitchell

On last months World Environment Day, civil society leaders around the world are holding participating countries accountable to their shared commitment to ratify a plastics treaty that targets the full lifecycle of plastics– including production.  The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is #BeatPlasticPollution, a campaign led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The choice of this theme is particularly timely given that what is hoped to be the final round of negotiations for an international plastics treaty will be held later this year, on August 5-14 in…

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World Environment Day 2025 mobilizes commitment, action to end plastic pollution globally

Stuart Mitchell

Communities, civil society, businesses, and governments around the world today marked World Environment Day under the theme #BeatPlasticPollution, with official celebrations held in the Republic of Korea’s Jeju Province. Plastic pollution permeates every corner of the planet. By 2040, plastic leakage to the environment is predicted to grow by 50 per cent, and that pollution creeps into our bodies through the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air that we breathe. World Environment Day 2025 calls for collective action to tackle plastic pollution. It comes exactly two months before…

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New $15 million initiative launched to catalyse sustainable investment in the Congo Basin

Stuart Mitchell

A new initiative in one of the world’s most vital ecosystems – the Congo Basin – aims to unlock nature-positive, climate-resilient business opportunities for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises across critical green sectors.  The partnership between the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), will initially invest $15 million, which will serve as a catalyst to raise additional public and private finance, ultimately targeting a total investment of $30 million in the region. By fostering local entrepreneurship and pioneering blended finance opportunities,…

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Zero Waste Day shines a light on fashion and textiles

Stuart Mitchell

Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide marked the International Day of Zero Waste, which spotlighted solutions to the mounting environmental and social problems caused by the fashion and textile sector.   More than 240 events were held across the globe, from an exhibition in China where old fabrics were reimagined as furniture to a youth hackathon in France. Some 630,000 people joined the Zero-Waste-Day conversation on social media, while airport billboards from Istanbul to Beijing showcased the importance of reusing and repairing clothing.   At the core of Zero Waste Day, which…

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