Planet

Catalysing Environmental Action Through Education, Policy, and Innovation


In 2024, UNITAR supported transformative initiatives that empowered governments and communities to address climate change, chemical safety and e-waste management through knowledge-based solutions.

These efforts illustrate the Institute’s integrated approach to environmental stewardship, linking education, policy and innovation to foster more resilient, informed and sustainable societies.

Empowering 26.6 Million Learners Through Ethiopia’s Climate Education Plan

In 2024, Ethiopia launched its NDC Implementation Plan for the Education Sector, marking a strategic leap in climate education. Building on the 2017 National Climate Change Education Strategy supported by UN CC:Learn, the plan targets 26.6 million students and over 700,000 teachers. It aims to mainstream climate change across curricula, train educators and raise awareness among youth and adults, including farmers and policymakers. By embedding climate knowledge into all levels of learning, Ethiopia is translating awareness into action in support of its target to reduce emissions by 69 per cent by 2030.

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Cover art from UN CC:Learn e-courses and NGO trainings.

This is data that didn’t exist before. It was very important for us to complete work to create a dataset that we could use in the evaluations of our products’ recyclability and to make decisions.

Microsoft

UNITAR and Microsoft’s Journey in Conducting E-Waste Recycling Rate Assessments

The partnership between Microsoft and SCYCLE Programme was built on a shared commitment to sustainability and innovation in e-waste management. Together, we conducted in-depth research in Italy and Germany to collect efficiency rates for materials commonly recycled in electronics, a data set that, to their knowledge, had never been captured before.

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Promoting Chemical Safety and Environmental Stewardship in SIDS and Cameroon

In the Caribbean, 12 Small Island Developing States advanced the sound management of chemicals through a Regional Assessment and Training and Awareness Programme on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). Conducted with the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean, the initiative identified implementation gaps and trained 76 government and industry actors as “GHS Ambassadors,” supporting regional GHS adoption to safeguard public health and the environment.

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Capturing video testimonial of a local fisherman and his experience.
Image of Afifa Tajrin

The course proved to be a pivotal moment in my career, unveiling the crucial role of policy in shaping a sustainable future and highlighting the effectiveness of green industrial policy tools.

Afifa Tajrin

Bangladesh

Women Engineers at the Forefront of the Green Transition

The packaging of imported fridges analysed as part of the ReduCE Waste project.

Supporting Responsible E-Waste Management and Recycling

The ReduCE Waste project supported the Government of Tanzania in establishing mechanisms to reduce and control the import of electronic waste (e-waste). The project analysed transboundary flows of e-waste and Used Electrical and Electronic Equipment (UEEE) and contributed to the development and pilot testing of a national strategy aligned with the Basel Convention Technical Guidelines. It strengthened local capacities for import control and is designed for replication in other East African countries, targeting stakeholders such as policymakers, customs officials and relevant authorities in both exporting and importing countries.

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Image of Carlos Grajeda Hernández

This project has opened a new outlook for inter-agency coordination and communication, strengthening the ties between institutions and coordinated work for chemicals management.

Carlos Grajeda Hernández

San Salvador, El Salvador

Towards Safer Chemicals Management