UNDP/UNEP Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI)

About PEP

The Poverty-Environment Partnership (PEP) is an informal network of development agencies that aims to address key poverty-environment issues within the framework of international efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, by: (1) sharing knowledge and operational experience; (2) identifying ways and means to improve coordination and collaboration at country and policy levels; and (3) developing and implementing joint activities.

At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, world leaders agreed that sound and equitable management of natural resources and ecosystem services is critical to sustained poverty reduction and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The 2005 World Summit in New York assessed progress and achievements since international endorsement of the Millennium Declaration in 2000 and establishment of the MDGs. In this period since 2000, there has been widespread confusion and neglect concerning MDG 7: Ensuring Environmental Sustainability. Consequently, there has been a considerable risk that the Summit would not agree on needed measures to improve and scale-up efforts to tackle the critical linkages between environmental sustainability, poverty reduction and achievement of the other MDGs.

In response, the Poverty-Environment Partnership (PEP) has launched a three-pronged approach to reinvigorating political attention and commitment to the environmental challenges central to achieving the MDGs:

1) Making the Case for Environment and the MDGs by presenting best evidence on the economic importance of environment to poverty reduction and pro-poor growth, and identifying priority areas for improved investment to achieve MDG7 and contribute to the broader MDG agenda.

2) Holding High-Visibility Summit Events on Environment and the MDGs to focus Summit attention on the critical role of sound environmental management for the MDGs and the broader Summit agenda, and to showcase and generate wider political commitment to scaling-up action beyond the Summit.

3) Supporting Summit Follow-Up Action on Environment and the MDGs by positioning PEP members collectively and individually to take forward the decisions of the Summit and mobilizing a more broad-based coalition on environment for achieving the MDGs.

The initial results of the Poverty-Environment Partnership (PEP) were presented in two events, on 14 September in New York City. More….

PEP Member Organizations

Bilateral Agencies: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.

Multilateral/UN Agencies: African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Commission, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Global Environment Facility, Inter-American Development Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Monetary Fund, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs, UN Development Programme, UN Environment Programme, The World Bank, World Health Organization.

International NGOs: International Institute for Environment and Development, IUCN-The World Conservation Union, World Resources Institute, WWF International.