Dipl. Ing. Nobert Garbers, Civil Construction Engineer, specialist in geophysics with experience in landfill management, established UPM Umwelt-Projekt-Management GmbH (UPM) in 1991 in Munich, Germany. Between 1991 and 2005, the company focused on providing technical assistance & engineering design support to landfill degasification projects in Germany.

In 2006, UPM accelerated its transition toward Sustainable Development and Climate Mitigation actions. The company started developing several CDM projects in Asia on behalf of major European compliance buyers. It also started operating in China, world’s most populated country and second largest economy, facing the enormous challenge to meet its rapidly growing energy demand while having to reduce its massive carbon footprint.

UPM established UPM Environment Engineering Project Management Consulting (Beijing) Co. Ltd. (UPM Beijing), its subsidiary in China, in 2008, in order to support clients’ servicing and project development.

In 2010, UPM launched its CDM project activities in Pakistan, together with its local cooperation partner Axis Environment Services Co. Ltd. Densely populated Pakistan needs to increase the share of renewables in its energy mix significantly if it is to reduce its serious energy supply shortage and its dependance on expensive fossil fuels. UPM’s Pakistani CDM project pipeline mainly covers Waste Heat Recovery, Fuel Switch to Biomass and Windpower.

Since mid 2011, we develop seven CDM projects in the sector of Waste Water Treatment at different locations in China together with US investor Lakewood Carbon Corp.

In April 2012, UPM successfully registered the first ever Biogas Household Programme of Activities (PoA) under the CDM scheme. One year later, this pioneer climate protection programme also obtained the demanding Gold Standard. The PoA is expected to reduce approximately 20 Mio. tons of carbon emissions throughout its 28 years lifespan.

In November 2013, UPM’s Gold Standard Majority Portfolio Pledge was officially recognised by the Gold Standard Foundation. The Pledge illustrates UPM’s commitment to develop the highest quality offset projects, and to provide its clients with rigorous carbon calculations, industry-leading transparency and the highest-quality clean energy and carbon credits.

In 2015, UPM starts to provide professional service to Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) in Bangladesh for its Biogas Program Monitoring project.

Starting from 2016, UPM starts to provide professional consulting services for clients such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, including technical assistance for its sustainable sanitation services to refugee communities. UPM provides direct support to the client, and technical assistance to the client’s partners in the Middle East and Africa, including Bangladesh, Jordan, Lebanon, Senegal, Turkey, as well as other countries.

UPM has been appointed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (the Foundation) to offer technical assistance to the Foundation and its humanitarian and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WSH) grantees in the Middle East and Africa. The service scope includes in particular the provision of advisory services on sustainable sanitation solutions to refugee communities and local hosting communities.

This appointment is following successful initial cooperation on feasibility assessment of Fecal Sludge Treatment and Waste to Value in a refugee setting in Jordan and Lebanon. Waste-to-Value projects in refugee setting are not only helping to improve local environmental and social settings but are also supporting the mitigation of adverse impacts created by and to the climate.

UPM’s Gold Standard and CDM certified Sichuan Household Biogas Programme of Activities (PoA) has avoided to date a total of 4.5 million tons of GHG emissions by December 2018. This is an remarkable achievement towards climate change mitigation. With almost 400,000 poor rural households supported by the programme and measurable impacts on 14 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, UPM’s PoA remains at the forefront of carbon offset projects offering holistic approaches to climate change mitigation and sustainable development.

UPM’s Gold Standard (GS) and CDM certified Sichuan Household Biogas Programme of Activities (PoA) has avoided a total of 5 million tons of GHG emissions by the end of 2019. This is a remarkable achievement towards climate change mitigation.

In 2019, UPM has completed several large transactions with top business and industry leaders worldwide in the voluntary carbon market. More than 1 million carbon credits, most of these premium-quality GS CERs, were purchased by our clients. UPM has established a strong partnership among all stakeholders, linking poor local farmers to responsible private companies from all over the world.

With our mission to help to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals, UPM kept being engaged in sustainable sanitation/waste-to-value, renewable energy and carbon strategy consulting projects. Our projects cover 4 regions in the world, including Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe, and 12 countries/territories (Mainland China, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Ghana, Mali, Burkina-Faso, and Germany).

Going forward, UPM will continue supporting the most vulnerable people and communities to mitigate and adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and humanitarian crises.

While the world was highly impacted by the COVID 19 crisis, organisations continued their path to carbon neutrality. UPM’s Gold Standard (GS) and CDM certified Sichuan Household Biogas Programme of Activities (PoA) helped compensate more than one million tCO2e in 2020 for public and private institutions in Europe and North America. The POA crediting period was also renewed up to 2026.

Responding to the risk of contamination and closure of borders put in place in different parts of the world, the UPM consulting team re-organised itself and adapted its methodology & tools to be able to continue providing its technical assistance remotely and with the assistance of local partners. Despite the situation, it was able to provide its services in the fields of Biogas technology, Waste-to-Value, CWIS (City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation) and Reinvented Toilets in China, Bangladesh, Sierra Leone in particular.

UPM celebrates its 30-year anniversary.

UPM has successfully launched the Partners Program to cooperate in carrying out consulting activities in the development and implementation of Sanitation, Waste Management, Waste to Value, and GHG emission reduction joint projects worldwide.

In 2023, more than 8 million credits have been sold.

Signature of MOU with TED to support development of mitigation activities in Lesotho, supporting Paris Agreement Article 6 readiness and capacity building on carbon markets and project development.

UPM decides to refocus its activities to climate mitigation and avoidance, building on its strong experience in the sector and carbon market as well as technical expertise in waste, sanitation and energy.

Training of Trainers on Climate and Sanitation Nexus on behalf of the GGGI.

Gold Standard VERs from UPM’s Sichuan Household Biogas PoA get top-tier rating by US rating agency Calyx Global.