23 May 2016 - 27 May 2016
Nairobi, KENYA

IIASA at the United Nations Environment Assembly 2016 - Delivering on the 2030 Agenda

IIASA's delegate Michael Obersteiner participates as a panel speaker in several sessions at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2), which represents the world’s highest-level decision-making body on environmental aspects.  

© UNEP

© UNEP

Among the high level executives around the world of various prominent organizations and environment ministers of all UN Member States is also IIASA's Ecosystems Services and Management Program Director Michael Obersteiner and Expert Member of the International Resource Panel (IRP).

As an IIASA delegate and panel speaker, he provides scientific input on the session Sustainable Consumption and Production; Resource Efficiency (SDG Target 12.2) at the UNEA Science-Policy Forum. He gives a presentation on “Synergies and Trade-Offs of the SDGs: A Natural Resource Perspective”. In addition, he participates again as a panelist for the Greenroom event implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Integrated Natural Resource Management for Healthy People and Planet part of the UNEA-2, 23 to 27 May 2016.  

The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) represents the world’s highest-level decision-making body on environmental aspects.  The (UNEA-2) is the first global platform for reviewing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly their environmental dimensions. The UNEA Science-Policy Forum from 19 to 20 May 2016 will be part of the overall UNEA-2 2016 from 23 to 27 May 2016.  

Source: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

More information on the two consecutive joint events is as follows:

19 – 20 May 2016 - UNEA Science-Policy Forum


The Forum presents an opportunity for the science community, policy-makers, scientists, researchers, and civil society stakeholders to engage in an active discourse on the science and knowledge required to deliver on the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Expected outcomes

  • Better understanding of the Science-Policy Interface
  • Proposed actions for strengthening the Science-Policy Interface
  • Strengthened partnerships between the science community and UNEP
  • Policy-relevant assessment findings provided by the science community to policymakers
  • Increased focus on the importance of data for reporting against the SDGs
  • Increased networking among scientific organisations
  • Awareness raising of the science behind emerging environmental issues
  • Identification of frontier issues for UNEP 2017 Frontiers Report

23-27 May 2016 - UNEA -2


UNEA-2 will reflect the latest global, regional and national developments related to the environment. It will also provide the first global platform for reviewing progress on the SDGs, particularly their environmental dimensions.

What will happen at UNEA-2?

UNEA-2 will approve three documents that are critical to UNEP’s work:

  • UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy for 2018–2021, which describes how UNEP will address key environmental challenges using a results-based approach that is aligned with the 2030 Agenda.
  • UNEP’s Programme of Work for 2018–2019, which sets out the seven sub-programmes with associated strategies, expected accomplishments, key outputs, budgets and targets.
  • The Outcome Document from UNEA’s High-Level Segment, which will reflect environment ministers’ collective vision for the future of the environmental agenda.

UNEA-2 will feature a number of high-level events:

  • A high-level plenary meeting will provide direction on the implementation of the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda. Environment ministers and other high-level representatives will outline how the environmental community will work to achieve the SDGs. They will also define the role that UNEP will play in supporting nations and peoples to achieve these goals.
  • A Ministerial Policy-Review Session will gather under the overarching theme Healthy Environment, Healthy People. At this session, ministers and other high-level officials will identify concrete partnerships, policies and tools that can help to achieve the SDGs in critical areas such as air quality, healthy ecosystems, chemicals and waste.
  • The Healthy Environment, Healthy People report will address the nexus between environmental health and public health in light of the 2030 Agenda. The report, which will be launched at the Assembly, will serve as the backbone of the ministerial policy review session.




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Last edited: 20 May 2016

CONTACT DETAILS

Michael Obersteiner

Principal Research Scholar Exploratory Modeling of Human-natural Systems Research Group - Advancing Systems Analysis Program

CONTACT DETAILS

Cynthia Festin

Program and Project Officer Economic Frontiers Program

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United Nations Environment Assembly

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UNEA Delivering on the 2030 Agenda

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