Governance

The current system of global environmental governance reflects the challenge of assembling cooperation among the international community, even on environmental matters that all agree require common action. There are three elements to global environmental governance. One element is comprised of intergovernmental organizations within the United Nations system, led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which are responsible for developing and coordinating environmental and sustainable development policy at the international level. A second element is the framework of international environmental law, which takes the form of a large number of environmental treaties. These treaties, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, are legally binding agreements that call on countries to take joint action on environmental problems. A third element is the financing mechanism to build capacity to carry out treaty commitments, to supplement national efforts toward sustainable development in poorer countries, and to support the UN agencies and treaty secretariats that coordinate and carry out environmental efforts. These include the bilateral development assistance, the World Bank, other regional development banks, UN funds like the UN, the Global Environment Facility, philanthropies, and the private sector.

Events and Articles

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High-level Dialogue on Energy

The first high-level meeting to tackle energy issues under the United Nations General Assembly in 40 years demonstrated broad interest in accelerating ambition towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) on affordable and clean energy and the net-zero emissions by 2050 goal of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Event 24 September 2021

SDG Moment 2021

Calls for transformational and generational change to realize the Sustainable Development Goals permeated the day-long virtual gathering, which featured a refreshing new format.
Event 20 September 2021

2021 CCICED Annual General Meeting

Experts from around the world convened to discuss research findings and recommendations towards China’s environment and development policies and practices, including its domestic policies, the Belt and Road Initiative, and contributions to global environmental governance processes.
Event 7 September 2021 - 10 September 2021

2021 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2021)

“Let us renew our determination to build a strong, sustainable, and inclusive recovery from the pandemic, and to take decisive action together to defeat the climate crisis and keep the promise of the 2030 Agenda,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Event 6 July 2021 - 15 July 2021

How to Make Hybrid Meetings Work

All three Rio Conventions announced in-person meetings for the final quarter of 2021. The trio of organizations—UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)—all seem to be going ahead full steam. The UNFCCC Bureau just announced it will hold three weeks of informal talks in June and agreed decision making is an in-person affair, to occur at the next formal meeting. (The day after this article was originally published, the UNCCD announced its COP will take place in 2022. A virtual ExCOP will adopt an interim budget this year.)
Article

UNEA-5 (Online Session)

The Assembly adopted the UN Environment Programme Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2025, and the programme of work and budget for the next biennium. It also launched the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the creation of UNEP. During a high-level leadership dialogue, participants outlined their respective country’s contributions to the environmental dimension of sustainable development to building a resilient and inclusive post-pandemic world.
Event 22 February 2021 - 23 February 2021

5th Meeting of the Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives to UNEP (Online Session)

Delegates considered three decisions for the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5): endorsement of a medium-term strategy (MTS) for 2022-2025, and programme of work and budget for the biennium 2022-2023; the management of trust funds and earmarked contributions; and convening the resumed, in-person sessions of OECPR-5 and UNEA-5.
Event 15 February 2021 - 17 February 2021