To inform deliberations at the Summit, the Poverty-Environment Partnership (PEP)—a network of more than 30 international development and environment agencies—launched the 'Environment for the MDGs' initiative to galvanize support for the significant scaling up of worldwide investment in environmental management to help win the fight against poverty and achieve the MDGs.

The PEP commissioned two background reports—one on the economic case for investing in the environment to reduce poverty and the other on tools and methodologies for assessing environment’s contribution to poverty reduction and pro-poor growth. The following synthesis paper is intended to summarize the key messages contained in these reports and stimulate discussion and debate on a common agenda for action.

Download: http://www.unpei.org/PDF/SustainingEnvironmentFightPoverty.pdf

The PEP/MDG economic analysis was successfully presented at the UN World Summit on 14 September 2005 in New York City (http://www.undp.org/pei/). As a follow-up to this event and the accompanying publications, and under an agreement with UNDP/UNOPS, IUCN-The World Conservation Union has compiled this bibliography of case studies and other documents, building on material included in the PEP report by the late Prof. David Pearce of University College London.

The case studies (or syntheses of cases) were sought to illustrate the linkages between poverty and environment and are organized thematic ally as outlined in the table of contents. In addition, documents which focus on specific MDGs are highlighted.

Download: http://www.unpei.org/PDF/InvestingEnvironmentalWealthPovertyReduction-Bi...

The following report on Assessing Environment’s Contribution to Poverty Reduction looks at how developing countries, with substantial constraints on funding and institutional and technical capacity, can use innovative information and analytical tools to better capture the role of environment in reducing poverty and supporting pro-poor growth.

Download: http://www.unpei.org/PDF/AssessingEnvironmentsRoleinPovertyReduction.pdf

Examples of the green economy in practice show great potential for delivering a “triple bottom line” of job–creating economic growth coupled with environmental protection and social inclusion. However, there are significant barriers to realizing this potential on a large scale. To build an inclusive green economy that is equitable and sustainable will require carefully designed policies and targeted investments that enable low and middle-income countries and the poor to contribute to and benefit from the transition.

Of particular importance is the need for governance and policy reforms that extend to poor people secure rights over the environmental assets that underpin their livelihoods and well-being, and that ensure a greater voice in decisions affecting how these assets are managed. At the same time, policies and measures such as green protectionism and aid conditionality that could adversely impact low and middle-income countries and people living in poverty must be avoided if the benefits of an inclusive green economy are to be realized.

- From the foreword of "Building an Inclusive Green Economy for All: Opportunities and Challenges for Overcoming Poverty and Inequality," a Poverty-Environment Partnership joint paper

Proceedings from the Adaptation Forum 2010 held in October are now available. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, of PEP partner organization ADB, delivered the keynote address, discussing the pillars for successful adaptation: knowledge, capacity development, and finance.

Download the proceedings [PDF]. Learn more about the Adaptation Forum.

The impacts of climate change are felt around the world and the least developed countries are often the worst affected. There is today a broad acceptance of the need to reduce global CO2 emissions and to increase resilience to climate change. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida, is one of many agencies that seek to strengthen its capacity to respond to climate change challenges. Sida’s point of departure is to include climate change as part of competence development on environment as well as integrating climate change in tools and analysis for environmentally sustainable development. Sida views climate change as a sustainable development issue along with other environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

The report "Strengthening the capacity of donor agency staff to face the climate change challenge within the framework of environmentally sustainable development - mapping of donor agency training initiatives on climate change" focuses on strengthening staff capacity to deal with climate change and builds on a survey of a number of donor agencies training activities. The objective of the study was firstly to identify opportunities for sharing of training materials and exchanging experiences and the secondly to look for opportunities for joint training sessions. A questionnaire was sent out to eleven agencies. Respondents were also asked to share evaluations, training material and useful links and to report as fully as their time allowed. The report starts with a brief introduction to training events and how they fit within a broader framework to increase capacity for addressing climate change. It is followed by a summary of the answers to the questionnaire including examples of lessons learned. The report ends with a summary of observations from the survey and reflections on the opportunities for increased cooperation in line with the Paris declaration. Finally, several useful documents and websites are found in annex II.

Strengthening the Capacity

The study draws on the recent literature on development and the environment to help identify two main sets of issues. First, there are new opportunities for civil society to work towards better environmental outcomes as a result of the focus on improving aid effectiveness. Second, there remain challenges for civil society to secure greater attention on the environment within the new development agenda. By improving understanding of these issues this study aims to contribute to the debate.

Download the document
http://www.odi.org.uk/

Making the Economic Case: A Primer on the Economic Arguments for Mainstreaming Poverty-Environment Linkages into National Development Planning

This new primer provides guidance on presenting evidence about the economic, development and poverty reduction benefits of the environment to public sector decision-makers, so as to justify and promote “environmental investment.” This primer is designed to help interested countries and governments engaged in the environmental mainstreaming challenge to succeed in making their case, ensure that they have the evidence to back it up, and identify entry points to engage the attention of economic and development decision-makers and to enter into meaningful dialogue with them.

Download the primer (1.91 MB, PDF)
http://www.unpei.org

The UN Development Programme and UN Environment Programme (UNDP-UNEP) Poverty-Environment Initiative has published this Handbook, which is designed to serve as a guide for champions and practitioners engaged in mainstreaming poverty-environment linkages. It draws on experience at the country level and lessons learned by UNDP and UNEP in working with governments, especially ministries of planning, finance and environment, to support efforts to integrate the complex interrelationships between poverty reduction and improved environmental management into national planning and decision-making. French and Spanish translations are currently under preparation and will be made available soon.

Download the handbook
http://www.unpei.org

How can you make the economic case for better management of environment and natural resources in poverty reduction strategies and other national planning documents?

This important question is addressed in the new OECD working paper “Greening development planning - A Review of Country Case Studies for Making the Economic Case for Improved Management of Environment and Natural Resources”.

Approaches from five countries are reviewed (Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Peru, Tajikistan and Uganda). By involving policy makers in the process of making the country reports, and focusing on environmental and natural resources issues in function of their links with prioritised objectives like economic growth, poverty reduction and public health, the chances to influence policy making have been enhanced. Drawing from the review of these country case studies as well as literature on public policy, this report provides recommendations for governments wishing to undertake an economic analysis of the environment and natural resources management for planning purposes, and for OECD members interested in supporting the process.

This report is one in a series prepared for the Task Team on Governance and Capacity Development for Natural Resources and Environmental Management under the OECD Environment Policy and Development Assistance Committees. The project aims to update OECD guidelines for capacity development for environment and provide guidance on selected topics. The report has been produced by a team from the Swedish International Development cooperation Agency, the
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the University of Gothenburg.

Download the report (612 KB, PDF)

Related documents:

Lao PDR Case Study

• Lao Biodiversity Economic Assessment (PDF)
  
• Lao PDR - Biodiversity and Poverty Reduction (PDF)
  
• LMPA Lao PDR - Protected Area Development Linkages (PDF)
  

Mozambique Case Study

• An Economic Analysis of Natural Resources Sustainability in Mozambique (pdf)
• Mozambique Country Economic Memorandum Background paper on mining (PDF)
• An Economic Evaluation of Forestry Regulation in Mozambique (PDF)
• An Economic Analysis of Natural Resources Sustainability in Mozambique Fisheries (PDF)
• An Economic Analysis of Natural Resources in Mozambique: Rural Land Issues and Policies (PDF)
• Economic Analysis of Natural Resources in Mozambique: Water Resources (PDF)
• Mozambique - Country economic memorandum : sustaining growth and reducing poverty (World Bank site)

Peru Case Study

• Republic of Peru environmental sustainability: a key to poverty reduction in Peru (World Bank site)

Tajikistan Case Study

• Making Pro-poor Growth in Tajikistan Sustainable (PDF)

Uganda Case Study

• The role of environment in increasing growth and reducing poverty in Uganda (PDF)
• The role of environment in increasing growth and reducing poverty in Uganda: Summary Report (PDF)