Environmental Footprint of UN Peace Operations
The urgent deployment of tens of thousands of civilian, police and military personnel requires a significant amount of logistical support. Peacekeeping personnel often operate in the world’s hardest-to-reach places and in countries where basic energy, water, and sanitation infrastructures are frequently absent or damaged by conflict. This requires most UN peace operations to be self-sufficient for energy production, water supply, solid waste, and wastewater management. If not managed in a safe and responsible manner, they can have a negative impact on people, communities, and local ecosystems through the generation of wastewater, solid / hazardous waste, the use of scarce natural resources such as water, and the emission of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.
Environmental Management in the Field
To provide missions with a framework of accountability in five technical areas - energy, water and wastewater, solid waste, energy management systems, and wider impact, DOS in 2017 shared the ‘Environment Strategy for Peace Operations’. Following the end of its initial six year implementation period (June 2023), in early 2024 – and as requested by Member States - DOS shared the ‘Way Forward: Environment Strategy for Peace Operations 2030’, introducing three strategic themes of “responsibility: do no harm”, “increase ambition”, and “leave a positive legacy”.
Our Approach
Through strategy implementation to date, missions have significantly improved their environmental performance and reduced risk across performance indicators, notably including the absence of reported significant wastewater risk since the 2020/2021 budget period and a more than tripling of the share of renewable energy in the field (now at 10%). Click here to read about our approach.
Sharing Best Practice
Through an active community of practices including field missions, headquarters and support functions, common environmental challenges and solutions are shared through best practices, enabling the continuous improvement of environmental performance in UN Peace Operations. Click here to find out how we share best practices.