UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work is carried out through a network of advisors and specialists located at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, to ensure that local knowledge and context specific expertise is linked to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP provides its policy advisory and programme support functions through the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains, in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan and works closely with the Crisis Bureau (CB) that has the responsibility to guide and implement UNDP’s corporate crisis-related strategies and vision for crisis prevention, response and recovery. The Nature, Climate and Energy Team as part of the GPN, supports countries to promotes and scales up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

The NCE Team works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy. This multi-billion dollar portfolio encompasses: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests; Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems; Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Renewable and Modern Energy; Extractive Industries; Chemicals and Waste Management; Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches. This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.

In addition to UNDP’s bilateral partnerships on natural capital, environment and climate, UNDP is an accredited multilateral implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Multilateral Fund (MLF), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) which  includes the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF Trust Fund); the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund (NPIF); the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF); and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds, UNDP provides countries specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme formulation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management services.

UNDP has embarked upon a series of transformational efforts across its policy and programme, operational, and external relations areas under the auspices of a “#NextGenUNDP” effort. The organization is aiming to digitally transform itself in order to catalyze action for the achievement of the Strategic Plan. UNDP’s digital transformation focuses on developing the organization’s capability to leverage existing, emerging and future digital technologies and the opportunities they offer to profoundly improve the way UNDP creates and delivers value and benefits for those we serve. UNDP’s recently finalized Digital Strategy 2019-2021 guides these efforts and builds off UNDP’s extensive range of digital initiatives spanning the country, regional, and global levels. In line with the digital transformation effort, the Nature, Climate and Energy Team embarked on a digital transformation project to accelerate digital innovation in collaboration with the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) in the Executive Office. The project span out an organization-wide project to develop a new ‘Covid-19 Socio-economic Data Insight Platform), with focus on providing data-driven insights to support socio-economic recovery efforts from the Covid-19 pandemic. The two project teams work hand in hand, with different parts of the distributed network of experts, as well as, other parts of the organization, in order to leverage on the wealth of knowledge, information and data within the portfolio and to promote innovation to improve its support to countries.