Sustaining Change: The Role of the United Nations in Promoting Environmental Protection Amid Rising Discontent

Amidst growing discontent towards multilateral institutions and international organisations (IOs) – particularly the United Nations (UN) – this study investigates whether dissatisfaction has extended to UN environmental governance. Without aiming to be exhaustive, the analysis highlights instances of contestation and examines the responses adopted by key UN bodies, regimes and processes engaged in environmental protection. Special focus is placed on the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the only UN body with environmental stewardship as its core mandate. The study also addresses critiques and adaptive responses within the specialised regime established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. While UN environmental governance has become increasingly decentralised – marked by institutional fragmentation, diverse actors, bottom-up commitments and subnational responses – the study argues that sustained engagement with the UN system reflects its enduring resilience amid challenges to coherence, effectiveness, and legitimacy.