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The Issue-based Coalition on Environment and Climate Change provides a platform for UN agencies to promote coordinated support to all member States in the region in their implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and to support the region’s UN Country Teams on environmental and climate change issues.

The Coalition, in place since January 2020, addresses activities dedicated to strengthening environmental and climate change governance, improving environmental management and climate change mitigation and adaptation, and promoting sustainable management of natural resources.

PARTICIPATING UN ORGANIZATIONS

CO-CHAIRS

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

FAO, ILO, IOM, OHCHR, UN Habitat, UN Women, UNDP, UNDRR, UNECE, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFCCC, UNICEF, UNOPS, WFP, WHO and WMO.

The Coalition is open to all UN agencies, funds and programmes. Related entities working at the regional level on environment and/or climate change may also be invited.

  • Strengthening environmental governance

    and implementing the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

  • Supporting countries

    in the environmental dimension of UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and Common Country Analysis (CCA) processes. 

  • Monitoring and reporting

    on the environmental and climate change dimension of SDGs.

SERVICES

Developing guidance and recommendations on the environment and climate change, including within the context of COVID-19 response

Issuing thematic briefing notes through its task teams

Providing guidance and checklists on strengthening the environmental and climate change dimension of UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCFs) and Common Country Analyses (CCAs)

Providing expertise in the analysis of the environmental and climate change dimension of CCAs in coordination with the regional Peer Support Group through Regional Development Coordination Office (R-DCO), and key resident agencies

Analyzing existing CCAs and UNSDCFs to identify common environment and climate change priorities as well as gaps and preparing recommendations

Training sessions for UNCTs on specific themes identified through task teams with UNCTs

Knowledge products continuously uploaded in UN Regional Knowledge Management Hub

Catalyst for international, regional and transboundary cooperation within UN system on environment and climate change

Outreach to RCs and countries, World Environment Day messages, website for IBC

Organization and facilitation of experience sharing including peer-learning sessions at the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

Acting as a contact point for requests by RCs and UNCTs for the identification of experts to provide coordinated interagency support, with the provision of such support being subject to the resources available among IBC members

To contact the IBC regarding its services and activities, please get in touch at:

IBC-Env-Climate@unesco.org

Group photo of participants in regional workshop

Regional workshop on environment and climate change issues in the implementation of UNSDCFs, 12-14 September 2023

From 12 to 14 September, the UN Issue-based Coalition on Environment and Climate Change (IBC) for Europe and Central Asia delivered a workshop in Istanbul to strengthen the capacities of the Resident Coordinator Offices (RCOs) and UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in effectively integrating climate change, pollution, biodiversity, water management and a just green transition in UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCFs).

The event was one of many steps taken by the IBC to increase awareness and integration of the triple planetary crisis into the UNSDCFs and UN cooperative delivery. During the workshop, the UNCT and RCO members developed ideas for future collaboration at the country and regional levels. The participants identified ways to jointly prepare for the Climate COPs and to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), among other key environmental goals. It served as a platform to share and discuss global and regional outlooks and good practices that can guide the planning of future work of and among UNCTs.

The topics discussed were:

  • Coordinated UN Action to address environment and climate change issues
  • Climate and energy
  • Air pollution
  • Water, including transboundary cooperation
  • Early Warning Systems for All
  • Biodiversity
  • Just transitions towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all

The two-and-a-half-day workshop was organized by the IBC in close cooperation with the UN Development Cooperation Office (DCO) and strongly supported through inputs from six UN Resident Coordinators in the region. It gathered over 100 UN staff from 12 agencies across 15 countries and territories. 

Find out more.