Meet the team

Jochem heads the Climate Services and Capacity Building Unit in UNEP’s Science Division.

He leads efforts on strengthening the science-policy interface at country level and oversees the UNEP GEF-funded Cross-cutting Capacity Development (CCCD) portfolio as well as the GCF-funded Climate Information and Early Warning Systems (CIEWS) portfolio.

Asher is Head (a.i.) of UNEP’s GEF Climate Mitigation portfolio.  

He oversees the development and implementation of the portfolio, which consists of more than USD 400 million in GEF grant, supporting more than 100 developing countries to accelerate low-emission sustainable development.

Kevin Helps is Senior Programme Officer responsible for the UN Environment-Global Environment Facility Chemicals and Waste portfolio. 

Ersin Esen brings 26 years of expertise in sustainable development planning, strategic management, and project cycle management. He has been with UNEP since 2011, serving as Task Manager for the Europe and West Asia regions in the GEF Biodiversity and Land Degradation Unit. In this role, he developed and implemented GEF-funded projects across multiple countries.

Dr. Hartwig Kremer coordinated UNEP’s Global Environment Monitoring Systems, Scientific Assessments and data, SDG and partnership-focused activities, with a lens on freshwater, the ocean and air quality.

Johan Robinson is a Senior Programme Officer responsible for the UN Environment-Global Environment Facility Biodiversity & Land Degradation portfolios.

Jessica Troni is Senior Programme Officer responsible for the UN Environment-Global Environment Facility Climate Change Adaptation portfolio.

Isabelle has extensive experience with the negotiation, formulation, and implementation of technical assistance projects primarily GEF funded, and has worked with multiple partners.

Suzanne oversees the development and implementation of UNEP’s projects which support developing countries meet their reporting obligation under the UN Framework Convention on Climate change.

Julien is responsible for UNEP’s portfolio of GEF-funded climate change mitigation projects in Africa, worth over US$ 50 million of GEF grants.

Sudhir Sharma is an Officer in Charge of UNEP's GEF Climate Change Mitigation team, based in the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

Fatma Twahir is an Administrative Officer of the GEF Climate Mitigation Unit (CMU). 

She is responsible for the Financial and Administrative Management of the Unit. She has extensive experience and knowledge in Budget and Finance, with over 30 years working both in the private sector and the UN.

Pooja is the Finance and Budget Officer supporting the overall management of UNEP’s GEF Portfolio, with a focus on financial management and reporting.

She has twenty years of professional experience in financial management, administration, accounting and audit.

Alex is a programme management officer with the Climate Change Adaptation Unit based at the Nature for Climate Branch in the UNEP’s Ecosystem Division in Nairobi.

Kavita Sharma is a Task Manager with the UNEP GEF Biodiversity Land Degradation Unit, based in Bangkok. She is responsible for a multimillion-dollar portfolio of projects in Asia on agrobiodiversity, natural capital accounting, forest and landscape restoration, sustainable commodities, and nature-based infrastructure.

Essa is the Programme Management Officer supporting the overall management of UNEP’s GEF Portfolio, with a focus on corporate compliance, reporting, and programme management.

Gloritzel Frangakis has worked with UNEP for over 12 years with the GEF Biodiversity and Land Degradation Unit within the Ecosystems Division, providing project cycle management support to GEF-funded Biodiversity and Land Degradation projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Atifa has over 7 years of experience working on climate change adaptation and environmental issues.

Jane has been with UNEP’s Ecosystems Division since 2014 as the GEF Task Manager in charge of Africa, where she is charged with project development, implementation, supervision and management, plus knowledge management and UNEP/GEF corporate tasks. Since then she has mobilized over $50 million in funding from GEF to UNEP and the participating countries.

Sangjin is a Task Manager of the GEF Biodiversity and Land Degradation Unit at UNEP, where he facilitates the development and implementation of UNEP’s overall agenda through coordination of UNEP-GEF Biodiversity and Land Degradation projects in the Pacific region, as well as selected countries in the Asia Region.

Robert is a Task Manager overseeing a portfolio of projects in Latin America with the Biodiversity and Land Degradation GEF Unit in the Ecosystems Division at UNEP.

Anu oversees the GEF Chemicals and Waste Portfolio finances and administrative queries.

She has 17 years of experience in administration at the UN Office of Nairobi and in programme budgeting in UNEP. Anu is a national of the Netherlands and India, she holds an MBA.

Jitendra is the focal point for the POPs projects of the GEF Chemicals and Waste Portfolio.

Florence oversees the financial management of the Cross-Cutting Capacity Development (CCCD) portfolio as well as the GCF-funded Climate Information and Early Warning Systems (CIEWS) portfolio.

Peerayot Sidonrusmee currently works for the UNEP GEF Biodiversity & Land Degradation portfolio for Asia and the Pacific, where he provides support for UNEP GEF Biodiversity and Land Degradation projects.