Environment in Geneva
A Global Hub for Environmental Governance
As the global capital of multilateralism, Geneva is at the centre of international dialogue and decision-making across a wide range of fields, including science, health, human rights, sustainable development, trade and green finance, employment, peacebuilding and security, disaster risk reduction, humanitarian action, nature conservation, chemicals and pollution, as well as digital transformation and innovation. This unique concentration of expertise and interdisciplinary collaboration gives International Geneva an unparalleled capacity to advance solutions to the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
Building on this unique ecosystem, Geneva has also emerged as one of the world’s leading centres for international environmental governance. For over five decades, the region has hosted landmark environmental negotiations, strategic policy discussions, and preparatory processes that have shaped the global environmental agenda. It is home to a diverse community of intergovernmental organizations, permanent missions, NGOs, academic institutions, platforms, and other stakeholders working to advance environmental action. This concentration of actors makes Geneva an ideal venue for fostering collaboration, strengthening synergies, and accelerating collective responses to global environmental challenges.
“Geneva – the operational hub of multilateral diplomacy – provides the foundation for our work, which is built on the need to bridge cultures, to develop a network of both traditional and non-traditional partners, as we address the world’s most significant social, economic, and environmental challenges.”
– US Ambassador Pamela Hamamoto, 2016
In order to support Geneva as an international centre of competence for the environment, in support to the Nairobi hub where the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is located, the Swiss Confederation and the Canton of Geneva supported the establishment of the Geneva Environment Network (GEN) and the International Environment House at the end of the 90s to strengthen positive interactions between Geneva-based organizations addressing environmental issues that contribute to the global environment agenda.
Geneva Environment Network | GEN
The Geneva Environment Network is a cooperative partnership of more than 100 environmental and sustainable development organizations based at the International Environment House in Geneva and at other locations in the surrounding region. Established in 1999, GEN is the oldest of the thematic platforms of International Geneva, specialized in conducting multilateral activities, conferences and other events, and promoting awareness on environmental issues. The Secretariat is supported by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment and is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme.
Key Areas and SDGs
The environmental organizations based in Geneva have expertise in different fields and work towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
History
Geneva and its surrounding area have been active in global environmental governance for more than 50 years. In addition, important and strategic historical meetings have taken place in the region.