The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Advancing climate action. Building resilience.
To tackle the climate emergency and deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals, urgent and ambitious climate action is required.
UNOPS at COP28
At COP28, UNOPS signed a historic agreement and led and participated in more than 30 events with partners focused on concrete and collaborative solutions to advance climate action.
At an accelerated rate, climate change is impacting communities in every country, across every continent. From rising sea levels and extreme weather events, to energy, food and water insecurity – the consequences are clear, and they are tragic.
Developing countries and vulnerable populations who are on the front lines of climate change need support. Yet global efforts to combat climate change and achieve sustainable development are falling short.
UNOPS is committed to providing practical solutions to help countries combat climate change, through our expertise in infrastructure, procurement and project management services.
We believe infrastructure is at the heart of building a sustainable, resilient and inclusive future, and is key to ensuring access to clean and affordable energy to all.
While sustainable supply chains can help protect natural resources and limit environmental impacts, the sheer scale and volume of public procurement spending makes it a powerful catalyst for advancing climate action
Across the globe, we are committed to supporting mitigation and adaptation efforts, and as efforts continue to scale up development and climate finance, we are committed to supporting countries to implement and operationalize the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
There is a significant implementation gap that we must bridge to respond to the immense needs brought on by the climate emergency. The time to react and adapt is now.
The UN Secretary General has made it clear: urgent and ambitious climate action is needed to secure a liveable future for all. At UNOPS, we are committed to working as part of the UN system to reignite progress on the SDGs and on climate mitigation and adaptation, facilitate the clean energy transition, and deliver meaningful actions for people and the planet.
How we support
How we support
We provide practical solutions to help countries combat climate change and advance the shift to low-carbon economies. From managing multi-stakeholder initiatives to helping communities mitigate, address and adapt to the impacts of climate change, we help bridge the implementation gap and strengthen partners’ capacity to manage climate-related risks and impacts.
Partnerships
Through our global water, environment and climate portfolio, we support the design and management of multi-stakeholder initiatives and provide operational solutions that help to accelerate the energy transition and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Infrastructure planning
We work closely with governments to analyze long-term infrastructure needs and identify key public infrastructure projects. We also advise on policies and capacity-building initiatives that will help advance climate adaptation, build resilience and promote socio-economic development.
Sustainable procurement and green supply chains
Through our expertise in sustainable procurement, we help partners achieve more effective and climate-conscious procurement practices as well as greener and more resilient supply chains – driving the shift to low-carbon solutions, supporting climate adaptation, protecting natural resources and improving socio-economic resilience.
Programme management
We help manage funds and administer grants for climate-related initiatives, and support the delivery of complex, locally adapted programmes for climate action.
Adaptation and mitigation
We provide practical solutions to help countries combat climate change – including through sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructure and nature-based solutions that will help drive long-term climate adaptation.
Mission Hubs
Our dedicated Triple Planetary Crisis Hub brings together knowledge, experience and expertise from across the UNOPS family. It supports efforts to address the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.
In collaboration with partners – including academia, subject matter experts and thought leaders – UNOPS publications and research offer insights and solutions to some of the world’s most pressing climate challenges.
Publication
Infrastructure for climate action
A report from UNOPS, the UN Environment Programme and the University of Oxford reveals that infrastructure is responsible for 79 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions.
The report highlights ways SIDS can harness their unique resources to help islands overcome vulnerabilities, advance development and reap long-term benefits from infrastructure investments.
UNOPS latest report identifies 7 action areas and 24 recommendations that governments and other stakeholders can use to deliver inclusive infrastructure for climate action – helping to ensure no one is left behind.
Infrastructure: Underpinning sustainable development
Through a systematic evaluation process, this report presents and explains the ability for infrastructure to influence all 17 of the SDGs, including almost all of their targets.
To mitigate the global impacts of climate change and deliver on the 2030 Agenda, partnership and collaboration are critical. Explore some of the different initiatives we're supporting below.
Platform on Disaster Displacement
The Platform on Disaster Displacement is a group of states leading action to better protect people displaced across borders in the context of disaster and climate change. Hosted by UNOPS, the platform works with international organizations and governments to implement strategies that protect and assist those most vulnerable to climate-induced displacement.
South East Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP)
The ETP is a multi-stakeholder platform that aims to accelerate energy transition in Southeast Asia and deliver the Paris Agreement targets on climate change by bringing together government, donors, philanthropies and partner governments.
Climate Vulnerable Forum & Vulnerable Twenty Joint Multi-Donor Fund
We’re proud to support the Climate Vulnerable Forum and Vulnerable Twenty Joint Multi-Donor Fund to help build stronger, climate-resilient and low carbon economies, as our world recovers from this pandemic.
ICAT works to provide policymakers around the world with tools and support to measure and assess the impacts of their climate actions. The initiative, managed by UNOPS, was founded to respond to the critical need to support improved transparency and capacity building under the Paris Agreement.
Hosted by UNOPS, Cities Alliance is a global partnership that fights urban poverty and supports cities to deliver sustainable development. As part of this, they work to build resilient cities that can withstand the effects of climate change and support urban adaptation and mitigation processes.
To support the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, UNOPS Water Environment & Climate portfolio supports projects in the areas of transboundary water management, integrated water resource management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and environmental conservation.
Built on the premise of collective action, the NDC Partnership brings together 117 developed and developing countries and 84 institutional members to create and deliver on ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions that help achieve the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.
From Ghana to Zimbabwe, we’re supporting countries across Africa to respond and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
At the water’s edge
Increasingly unpredictable weather patterns on the island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have brought the issue of climate change very much to the forefront of the islanders’ minds. With partners, we’re helping them adapt through resilient infrastructure.
Better prospects for Niger’s farmers
Greater support for farmers in Niger is helping to improve food security, boost local economies and make communities more resilient.
