Programme Associate (Climate Mitigation and Wastewater)

Since its inception in 1972, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been the global authority that sets the environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEP works through its divisions as well as regional, liaison and out-posted offices and a growing network of collaborating centres of excellence.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental au-thority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Its mandate is to coordi-nate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. This UNV position is shared between UNEP’s Ecosystems Division, Source to Sea Pollution Unit of the Marine and Freshwater Branch, and UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division, Global Methane Pledge of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

The overall objective of UNEP's Ecosystems Division is to support countries in conserving, restoring and sustainably managing their terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, the biodiversity they contain and the products and services they provide for human well-being and prosperity. The Division helps countries develop policies and programmes to respond to eco-systems challenges, and reduce pollution from land-based activities, increase resilience to climate change and reflect linkages between poverty and environment in their development planning. Under the Marine and Freshwater Branch of the Ecosystem Division a project titled “Preventing and addressing the degradation of freshwater and marine ecosystems from source to sea” was recently approved. It states that the increase in methane and nitrogen based GHG concentrations generated by unsustainable wastewater and nutrient management is a major trigger of climate change leading to economic losses at community and national levels and impacts on human health and ecosystems. Wastewater reuse systems present an opportunity for achieving low cost, even no cost, greenhouse gas emission reductions, primari-ly through the short-lived climate pollutants, methane, and nitrous oxide.


Founded in 2012, and convened within UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division, The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) is a voluntary partnership of more than 200 govern-ments, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations. The CCAC works to reduce powerful but short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) – methane, black car-bon, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and tropospheric ozone – that drive both climate change and air pollution. It aims to connect ambitious agenda setting with targeted mitigation action within countries and sectors. The UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition brought together countries and experts to accelerate action on reducing methane emissions. The Global Methane Pledge (GMP) was launched at COP26 by the European Union and the United States who have been joined by many countries. In March 2024, GMP included 158 stakeholders.

Under the direct supervision of the Wastewater team leader Programme Manager Officer within the Source to Sea Pollution Unit of UNEP Ecosystems Division, in close collaboration with the Waste and Climate Expert within the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, under the overall supervision of the Head of the Source to Sea Pollution Unit of the Marine and Freshwater Branch, in close consultation with other relevant divisions, the Climate Finance Unit, private sector entities and members of GWWI and GPNM, regional offices and regional seas programmes, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
1.Support member states and private sector to develop, replicate and scale up solutions to address wastewater and nutrient pollution to measurably reduce related methane and nitrous oxide emissions for the health of the environment and people, including the recovery of energy and nutrients from wastewater
2.Support the implementation of UNEP activities related to wastewater and climate.
3.Assist member states and relevant stakeholders in developing and implementing data-informed policies aimed at reducing methane and nitrous oxide emissions from wastewater treatment processes for environmental and public health, while also promoting the integration of wastewater surveillance systems.
4.Support member states on strengthening policy regulations on wastewater and wastewater surveillance as part of climate mitigation measures, in alignment with One Health approaches that recognize the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
5.Raise awareness and implement capacity development activities on the contribution of wastewater treatment processes to global methane emissions and untapped opportunities for resource recovery and inclusion in the NDCs 3.0, while also high-lighting the role of wastewater surveillance in pandemic prevention and response, especially in Africa.
6.Identify the needs among member states and other stakeholders to guide action on preventing the degradation of freshwater and marine ecosystems, including from wastewater and nutrients for environment and public health with direct effect on climate agenda, and global health security.
7.Disseminate among member states and other stakeholders, environmental socio-economic assessment tools and methodologies to guide action on accelerating the recovery of methane, and other by-products from wastewater especially to under-stand and tackle its effects on the climate, health of the environment and people
8.Provide advice on the potential of wastewater treatment reuse systems to achieve low- or low-cost emission reduction for environment and public health
9.Support resource mobilization efforts for key activities under the SSPU ProDocs, including mapping potential donors, gathering intelligence and drafting Concept Proposals or full projects.
10.Maintain close links to the Global Methane Initiative (GMI) Wastewater Working Group, including updates to website content under CCAC
11.Supports the development, publication and outreach of a CCAC-TEAP (Technology and Economic Assessment Panel) report on innovative and effective technologies and investments which mitigate wastewater emissions.
12.Deliver specialized services to the Global Wastewater Initiative, Global Methane Pledge and the Source to Sea Pollution Unit regarding the object of this consultancy.
13.Include gender, inclusion and just transition considerations on all duties listed above.
14.Undertakes other related tasks, when assigned.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
•Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for in-stance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
•Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.
•Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
•Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
•Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
•Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.