"Could the charcoal smoke from Zibo barbecue be affecting air quality in cities?" This was literally what led me to explore a volunteer assignment with the United Nations, says Haoming Hong from Jiangxi province. At that time, a nationwide trend was sweeping across China: the booming popularity of Zibo-style barbecue. While others enjoyed the trend, Haoming dug into data—using stats to uncover the environmental cost behind the craze. The early exploration turned into a course paper that, in retrospect, laid the foundation for his bachelor’s thesis, The Impact of Air Pollution on Women’s Fertility Intentions in China.
Haoming connects the dots from there to his volunteer journey as a fully funded UN Volunteer. He adds, "Through this graduate work, I realized that environmental issues are deeply intertwined with public health, economic behaviour, and social development. It was this realization that ultimately inspired me to step out of academia and into the frontlines of environmental governance, joining the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as a UN Volunteer in 2024."
At the UNEP China Office, Haoming serves as a UN Volunteer Programme Coordination Assistant. He contributes to both strategy and operations. He shares, "On a day-to-day basis, I assist the team in building a new internal database to better manage the information related to incoming UNEP missions to China, including personnel and itinerary data. This has simplified our coordination process and improved efficiency in implementing our projects.
At a strategic level, I support the implementation of UNEP’s key initiatives by helping to integrate environmental sustainability into China’s national development agenda.
One of my proudest contributions was supporting the formulation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for China for the 2026–2030 cycle. I helped conduct background research on Multilateral Environmental Agreements, cross-checked statistical data, and engaged in internal discussions to identify the most relevant parameters for the next five-year plan.
Through these efforts, I helped align UNEP’s work with China’s evolving sustainability priorities and ensured that environmental governance remains a key pillar of national development.
Volunteering has shaped who I am—both at work and beyond. I’ve learned how global environmental efforts come together, gained hands-on experience with UN coordination, and sharpened my skills in communication and collaboration. It’s not always easy—tight deadlines, differing views, and language barriers are real—but every challenge has helped me grow.
Working in a highly international and multilingual environment, I often face the challenge of bridging cultural and linguistic gaps between UNEP’s global experts and local Chinese counterparts. However, these challenges have pushed me out of my comfort zone—helping me navigate fast-paced, high-stakes situations, adapt to different working styles, and develop leadership skills.
What started with smoke led to impact and became Haoming's path to environmental activism through volunteering. And the skills he acquired, he says, will stay with him far beyond his assignment.
For more information about Chinese UN Volunteers, please click on our partnership feature story.