Description/achievement of initiative
The Poverty-Environment Initiative is a long-standing core partnership between UNDP and UN Environment, plus other agencies such as UNCDF, FAO or UN Women, that is improving the ability of governments in developing countries to govern natural resources better, reduce poverty, promote environmental sustainability and advance on the intertwined challenges set by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is the only multi-agency and donor programme with a successful programmatic & operational model on the application of an integrated approach to effectively prioritize the poverty, environment and climate nexus in policy dialogue and in government and private sector investment decisions.
Implementation methodologies
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
Coordination mechanisms/governance structure
The Initiative's (UN PEI) organisation structure follows standard UNDG joint programming guidance. It consists of country programmes (28 in total), 4 regional programmes, a global programme facility, a joint institutional board, and two advisory bodies. The country programmes are implemented by joint government-UN PEI country teams, with support from and in coordination with joint UNDP/UN Environment regional teams . The Poverty-Environment Facility, based in Nairobi, provides the overall programme, operations and financial management coordination. The Facility is answerable to and under instructions of the strategic management of the Joint UN PEI Management Board, which is composed of UNDP and UN Environment senior staff members. The Facility and the Board are supported by the technical inputs of the Technical Advisory Group, which is composed of government representatives, international and local non-government organizations, International Financial Institutions and other key partners working on the poverty-environment nexus. Similarly the Facility and the Board are accountable and receive important strategic feedback from the Donor Steering Group, which is composed of all contributing partners to the UN PEI.
Partner(s)
UNDP, UN Environment, European Commission, Department for International Development (DFID-UK), Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Norwegian Agency for Development (NORAD), Spanish International Development Cooperation Agency (AECID)
Progress reports
Goal 1
1.2 - By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
1.4 - By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance
1.5 - By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters
Goal 2
2.4 - By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality
Goal 5
5.a - Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws
Goal 6
6.b - Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management
Goal 7
7.a - By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology
Goal 11
11.6 - By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
Goal 15
15.2 - By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
15.9 - By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts
Goal 16
16.6 - Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels
16.b - Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development
Goal 17
17.14 - Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development
17.16 - Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries
17.19 - By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries
Dec/2022
Policies, plans, legislation and regulation better integrate the poverty-environment nexus
Dec/2022
Investments systems strengthened to engender environmental sustainability, climate resilience, gender equality and livelihoods
Dec/2022
Innovative approaches and tools adopted by regional and global institutions in support of poverty-environment nexus for Sustainable Development Goals implementation
