Environmental Policy Unit

Policy and Law are among the biggest agents of change, UNEP will continue to focus on strengthening its core mandate of influencing environmental governance and different levels.

Considering the question of how to use policy as an instrument of change in reversing the three planetary crises of climate change, nature protection and managing pollution and in advancing UNEP’s overall mandate, the Law Division established the Environmental Policy Unit (EPU) in March 2023 with a mandate to focus on strengthening science-policy interfaces, policy alignment, and coherence, besides addressing governance issues. 

Vision: Environmental policy support guides action to address the triple planetary crisis and safeguards people and the planet at present and in the future, including addressing the environmental dimension of sustainable development. 

Mission: To support Member States and other stakeholders in environmental policy making, through promoting stronger science policy interfaces and policy cohesion, responding iteratively to changing environmental and development priorities, and considering UNEP's programme of work. 

Strategic objectives 

The Unit will have three strategic objectives: 

• To support Member States to strengthen and pioneer science policy interfaces at all levels by developing tools and approaches in support of enhanced uptake of scientific knowledge.  

• To support policy coherence and alignment within and outside UNEP to enhance effectiveness of action in addressing the three planetary crises of climate change, nature protection, and pollution management in a coherent and synergistic manner. 

• To provide capacity building to Member States in developing policy and legal frameworks in selected strategic action areas in addressing the three planetary crises. 

• To serve as the convener for the Law Division and UNEP on issues related to policy development, coherence and implementation. 

Key Activities 

Environmental Governance Support 

• UNEP and African Development Bank (AfDB) partner to establish the official working of the Expert Working Group on Biodiversity Financing 
• Biodiversity planning and policy support  
• Establishment of MYNA – MEAs Youth Network for Action    
• Supported the development of the Toolkit on Pro-Environmental Youth Engagement created by youth for youth living in Africa 
• Linking MEAs and UN Country Teams on issues of policy and planning integration in support of Common Country Analyses and UN Country Sustainable Development Frameworks, including two Sub-Regional workshops in West and East Africa 
• Organize and facilitate capacity building workshops/webinars on environmental finance. Recent activities include the Caribbean regional consultation on integrated financing in Jamaica, and the developed training toolkit on integrated financing – spanning climate, ocean and biodiversity finance. 

Guidance to countries under GEF Early Action Support project

The EPU serves as the technical lead for two of the four components of the GEF Early Action Support project (GEF EAS) project to help 68 countries in preparing to update the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and set new national targets aligned to the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

As a part of this, the EPU is assisting countries with the following:

• Guidance on undertaking rapid assessment of existing NBSAPs, including undertaking gap analyses of NBSAPs with new targets.
• Checklist of key elements, thematic and cross-cutting issues that should be a part of the updated NBSAPs.
• Guidance on ensuring whole-of-society approach to implement the KMGBF.
• Checklist of key policies related to elements of GBF, and options for policy coherence.

Country support on capacity development in implementing the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)

• During 2023, the EPU led national capacity development actions in Eritrea and Botswana to help them implement the national policies and ABS frameworks.
• On the margins of CBD SBSTTA 25 meeting, EPU organized a brainstorming meeting on identifying options for integrating priorities related to Nagoya Protocol on ABS into NBSAPs.
• During 2023, the EPU assisted in drafting guidance for countries on integrating ABS issues into updated NBSAPs along with suggested indicators to be used when national targets are set.
• As a part of this support, at least one country will be supported to develop national financing plan and a structured capacity development activity on financing will be developed in collaboration with Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).

Strengthening Science Policy Interfaces (SPI) 

• Implementing the UN Common Approach to Biodiversity - Information Briefs with UNCTAD, UNU, IFAD and UN-Habitat  
• Knowledge sharing on science policy interfaces – SPARK Webinars  
• Brainstorming meeting on science policy interfaces and Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) 
• UNEA 6 leadership dialogue on SPI 
• Strengthening Science-Policy Interface to Support Environmental Governance Actions (Pilot Activities, Studies – including focus on Nature-based Solutions). 
• Sub-Regional Workshop for IGAD countries under the ACP-MEAs Programme Phase III (unep.org) support African countries to implement Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) related to biodiversity and chemicals/waste. 

Policy Development, Coherence and Alignment 

• Partnership with UN Systems Staff College to focus on status of implementation of policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD, SDG 17.14.1)  
• Global Community of Practice on policy coherence for sustainable development  
• Unpacking policy issues related to emission gaps and adaptation gaps 
• Consultative meeting on unpacking policy coherence in environmental governance  
• Guidance to countries on addressing policy coherence issues while updating the NBSAPs 
• SDG indicator 17.14.1 on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) Handbook Published. 
• Towards the achievement of the SDGs: A strategic overview of the 25 SDG indicators under UNEP’s custodianship – Technical Paper 
• UNSSC UNEP Case studies on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (IE University Master’s student in collaboration through UNSSC)

For enquiries please Contact Balakrishna Pisupati (balakrishna.pisupati@un.org)