The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority 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.
This position is located in UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division while collaborating closely with UNEP’s Law Division. The Industry and Economy Division provides solutions to decision-makers and helps change the business environment by offering platforms for multi- stakeholder dialogue and cooperation, innovative policy options, pilot projects and creative market mechanisms to improve the quality of the environment and the well-being of citizens. It promotes sustainable patterns of consumption and production, makes efficient use of natural resources, ensures safe management of chemicals and contributes to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive.
This opportunity is located within the Mining Unit at UNEP. The Unit promotes responsible mining and sustainable use of mineral resources, including through resource efficiency and circularity. The Law Division is the lead Division responsible for advancing UNEP’s work in environmental law, governance, and related policy issues, including those related to multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). The Division provides technical support to countries to develop, strengthen, and implement environmental law, and to build the capacity of stakeholders and institutions for effective compliance and enforcement.
In 2023, the Secretary-General requested a focus on “Harnessing Critical Energy Transition Minerals for Sustainable Development” to support the transformation of Critical Energy Transition Minerals (“CETM”) supply chains. This led to the establishment of the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals (CETM Panel), launched in April 2024 to develop voluntary global principles to enhance transparency, investment, and equitable management of CETM value chains. In September 2024, the Panel released its report, “Resourcing the Energy Transition: Principles to guide critical energy transition minerals toward equity and justice.” On 10 December 2025, the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, UNEP, UNCTAD, and UNDP launched the UN Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals (“the Task Force”), which will support strengthened global cooperation on CETM through knowledge products and capacity-building tools.
In this connection, UNEP and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) are implementing the project “Building Environmentally Responsible Investment Readiness in Critical Energy Transition Minerals (CETM)”, aimed at supporting mineral-producing developing countries to strengthen environmental and social safeguards and attract responsible investment. ECA supports member States in resource-based development, industrialization and transformation, and will focus on region- and country-specific activities and capacity buildings of this project.
The project consists of three interlinked outputs:
1. Integrated policy package (regulatory, institutional, and enforcement), including indicators and a readiness dashboard.
2. Country readiness assessments, based on the policy package.
3. Capacity building, to address identified gaps and support implementation.
The country readiness assessments will also serve as a pilot application of the CETM policy package, enabling validation, refinement, and contextual adaptation of the indicators and analytical framework. Lessons learned from country applications will inform the finalization and potential scaling of the policy package.