UN Environment
Year in Review 2017

UN Environment Europe Office 2017 Year in Review

2017 was the year of the third UN Environment Assembly, but also the Year of Ecology in Russia. We have stood side-by-side with citizens to protect our environment, including through securing millions of individual pledges to beat pollution, and re-connected people to nature through World Environment Day. Our engagement in Central Asia has reached a historic high, thanks to a number of new projects and our participation in the Sustainable Energy EXPO in Astana. We have also aimed to make an impact on the ground, be it through training Ukrainian journalists on green economy, rolling our sleeves up to help collect waste in the Russian Arctic, or by reducing air pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have continued to push for the environment to be a high priority at the political level, for example by supporting the G7 environment ministers' meeting, hosting the 5th conference of the parties of the Carpathian Convention and by taking part in numerous high-level meetings on the Arctic.


In all its activities, UN Environment aims to help Europe follow a more sustainable path. We work with governments, UN and other international agencies and stakeholders. Yet ultimately what matters is getting people inspired and involved in taking positive action. We have supported this through numerous campaigns and events and it’s what we want to focus on in the future as well. The future is in our hands and our choices today will influence the lives and health of our children tomorrow.


Jan Dusik,
Director of the UN Environment Europe Office

Year in Review

img09

Clean air for all in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In the run-up to the third UN Environment Assembly on pollution, 2017 was a breakthrough year for improving air quality in Bosnia and Herzegovina – including through major awareness-raising and projects on the ground.

Read More
img09

New work to help save mountain species

UN Environment Europe’s Office took up the fight to protect the habitats of major iconic species and fight climate change and illegal poaching in 2017.

Read More
img09

Combating wildlife and forest crime from the region

UN Environment offices in Europe combined forces to help power the fight against the illegal wildlife trade in the Danube-Carpathian region in 2017.

Read More
img09

Connecting Europeans with nature on World Environment Day

Europeans kindled their deep-held love for nature for the 2017 edition of World Environment Day, while political commitments helped ensure this can be passed on for generations to come.

Read More
img09

The rhythm of sustainability on show at EXPO 2017

UN Environment invited countries, companies and citizens to join the clean energy movement at EXPO 2017 by organising a high-level dialogue, media event and sustainable dance floor.

Read More
img09

Powering a response to environmental emergencies

Building skills and awareness on the ground is key to enhance prevention, preparedness, and emergency response

Read More
img09

A Year of Ecology in Russia

UN Environment’s Europe Office supported the Russian Year of Ecology, which saw the country introduce seven new national parks among other measures.

Read More
img09

Helping shield the Carpathians from climate change

UN Environment’s Europe Office supported the Russian Year of Ecology, which saw the country introduce seven new national parks among other measures.

Read More
img09

Health is wealth – 3rd UN Environment Assembly

Ahead of the third Environment Assembly, the Europe Office convened the regional Ministerial Consultation meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic, under the title “Europe's call for a Pollution-Free Planet”.

Read More
img09

Supporting the green economy transition

The Europe Office continued to support countries in laying major building blocks for transition through the European Union’s Greening Economies in the Eastern Neighborhood (EaP GREEN) project in 2017.

Read More
img09

Helping our soil to heal

Soil is at the centre of many natural processes and is a litmus test for the health of our environment.
However, soil contamination is a major issue of concern in the pan-European region, with many countries not keeping full track of contaminated areas and even fewer remediating them.

Read More
img09

UN Environment at G7

UN Environment was at the table when environment ministers from the seven most industrialised countries on Earth met to discuss priorities for the coming years. This is based on a partnership with the government of Italy to support their G7 presidency through a dedicated presence and in a number of substantive files.

Read More

© 2018 UN Environment | Design by Inextremis.be | Pictures: fotolia.com